PhinfanBo1
Scout Team
This is an important game in analyzing the Nick Saban era to this point. It is this week, at home, agaisnt the 4-win Minnesota Vikings that will serve as a figurative fork in the road for the 2006 Dolphins. Two things can happen on Sunday. The Dolphins can show the league and their fans that they have turned a corner, believe in their coach, and have a real shot of improving every week and at the very least make things interesting the rest of the way. Or, they can prove that despite highlighting some of our strengths against good football teams the rest of the way, we are still a sub par squad with some major deficiencies.
On paper, The Dolphins are better than this team. They were also better than the 1-6 standing that we had a couple of weeks ago. Are they superior to being 3-6, destined for 6 or 7 victories? We don't know yet.
Even the last two weeks, particularly in the second half of the KC win, the playcalling has been very suspect and is still very much of a concern. The trick play stuff, that's not just Mularkey; i think Saban has a lot of involvement with that because we saw the same thing for a majority of the season with Linehan. The Dolphins are good enough to line up and play football; they need to use these kind of plays to their situational advantage not as a necessity.
I love how the defensive backs are starting to come together; Allen is playing a little bit better, Goodman has been solid, Renaldo Hill is being more consistent, and Yeremiah Bell has provided some much-needed energy within this unit. In the linebacking corps, Crowder is also stepping up. Obviously, Traylor being out for a little while hurts. He is having far and away the best season of his career, even at his age. The good news is that Dan Wilkinson has shown flashes as a Dolphin, and he is a functionally similar player to Traylor. Hopefully he steps up along the defensive front. The 'Phins know what they are going to get from Taylor, and from the other veterans.
Ronnie Brown should play this week and the Dolphins need to keep getting him the ball 20-25 times. He gets the football, the Dolphins win. It is a forumula that has worked time and time again. Unfortunately, Minnesota can stop the run. Chicago could too. The 'Phins pushed them around up front. I am not hoping for, I am expecting a similar effort.
Harrington is getting more comfortable by the day, and he is thus making more plays and less mistakes. That has got to continue. Think about it; with even average quarterback play this was a 10-11 win team for years. Joey can be that type of player and we can make a run with the type of running game and defense we have. This week, at home vs. Minnesota, we find out if the coaching is up to par and we have the discipline and and the attitude to make a run at improving this organization; WE control our own destiny.
On paper, The Dolphins are better than this team. They were also better than the 1-6 standing that we had a couple of weeks ago. Are they superior to being 3-6, destined for 6 or 7 victories? We don't know yet.
Even the last two weeks, particularly in the second half of the KC win, the playcalling has been very suspect and is still very much of a concern. The trick play stuff, that's not just Mularkey; i think Saban has a lot of involvement with that because we saw the same thing for a majority of the season with Linehan. The Dolphins are good enough to line up and play football; they need to use these kind of plays to their situational advantage not as a necessity.
I love how the defensive backs are starting to come together; Allen is playing a little bit better, Goodman has been solid, Renaldo Hill is being more consistent, and Yeremiah Bell has provided some much-needed energy within this unit. In the linebacking corps, Crowder is also stepping up. Obviously, Traylor being out for a little while hurts. He is having far and away the best season of his career, even at his age. The good news is that Dan Wilkinson has shown flashes as a Dolphin, and he is a functionally similar player to Traylor. Hopefully he steps up along the defensive front. The 'Phins know what they are going to get from Taylor, and from the other veterans.
Ronnie Brown should play this week and the Dolphins need to keep getting him the ball 20-25 times. He gets the football, the Dolphins win. It is a forumula that has worked time and time again. Unfortunately, Minnesota can stop the run. Chicago could too. The 'Phins pushed them around up front. I am not hoping for, I am expecting a similar effort.
Harrington is getting more comfortable by the day, and he is thus making more plays and less mistakes. That has got to continue. Think about it; with even average quarterback play this was a 10-11 win team for years. Joey can be that type of player and we can make a run with the type of running game and defense we have. This week, at home vs. Minnesota, we find out if the coaching is up to par and we have the discipline and and the attitude to make a run at improving this organization; WE control our own destiny.
