It's not just the QB - it's the killer instinct | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

It's not just the QB - it's the killer instinct

dolphone

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I was browing away my Saturday morning when I came across this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wzRs7pIU--k#t=364s

It's a compilation of the passes from the MIA-KC '94 WC game. So it's Marino and Montana, pretty good choice to watch... the link points at 06:03 in the video, which is late in the 2Q. Miami had just faced 3rd and 17 (after a 2nd down sack) and gotten 14 yards, @KC's 36 yard line. Now, it's 4th and 3. The Dolphins are down 7; it's the second quarter, in a playoff game. Would be a 54 yard field goal, if you try it. And bear in mind, Montana has been just shy of unstoppable. He already has two TDs, and your defense barely stopped him before a third. So what do you do?

If you're Don Shula, you trot your superman out in the field to convert the 4th down.

They converted, and a few plays later came away with 7, game tied. This completely changed the outlook for Miami; KC had too little time left before the half, and when the 3Q rolled around, Miami received the ball. They promptly marched down the field for a 7 pt lead they wouldn't look back from. Montana tried his damnedest, but an INT close to the goalline after Miami took the lead killed whatever hope KC had.

My main point out of this, I think, is that the great QB isn't enough. Montana was still a pretty damn good QB, and had a solid team around him; his opponent, however, *also* had a pretty damn good QB, and Shula wasn't afraid to go for the throat at some points. I think, regardless of the QB that ends up leading this team in '12, what we need most is that killer instinct.
 
We haven't had it since JJ. Miami coaches have been to scared to go up more than 10 points on opponents for a very long time.
 
We've been playing "conservatively" since like 1996 or 1997. It hasn't worked either.

Gotta spend money to make money.
 
tell atlanta about that go for the throat mentality. served them well in the playoffs.
 
We had it under JJ ???? It's been longer than that. I think that has been a lot of what Sparano was missing... the start fast, and bury them mentality, and I blame the Fat Tuna for that. ( you noticed I capitalized out of respect...although not necessarily earned)
 
We had it under JJ ???? It's been longer than that. I think that has been a lot of what Sparano was missing... the start fast, and bury them mentality, and I blame the Fat Tuna for that. ( you noticed I capitalized out of respect...although not necessarily earned)

Didn't Jimmy try an on side kick to start one game ? Ever since then we've tried to get the lead and then hang on for dear life. Seems like the " defense wins championships" montra has not worked to say the least.
 
I completely agree. We have severly lacked that instinct since Shula retired. The truest tell of a team with little "killer instinct" is that they play down to their opponents. Teams with that killer instinct (Packers, Patriots, Steelers) kill those crappy teams on a regular basis. They dont let the Clevelands (and sadly, the Miamis) of the league keep thinking they have a chance past half time. They come out in the third when they're up and put up 7 right away. We on the other hand regularly let teams hang in the game WAY too long. How many times over the last decade have you been watching a Fins game and thought "WOW, we are dominating, feels like we should be up by a lot more."? I myself lost count.
 
I agree that we need more of the killer instinct...but you can`t keep it all the time. You have to play boths ends of that spectrum. But to me, theres not many things that can pump up an offense like showing faith in them on 4th down. Of course, your offense has to be able to answer the call.

People will crucify a coach for going for it on 4th down if its not converted...but praise him like a god if it works. I say the man not only had confidence in his players...he also has balls. Going for it on 4th down always get my blood pumping :)
 
totally agree... IF we had the killer instinct. we wouldn't have gone scoreless in the 1st and 3rd quarter against denver, and we wouldn't have lost the dallas game. We wouldn't have blown it bigtime agaisnt the patriots in the game around christmas.

we need to stop with the hold on to the lead bull****.. it doesnt work. we cant be comfortable with a ten point lead on teams like the patriots. we need to put points up on the board. field goals are okay under the right circumstances, however, if you want to beat the upper echelon teams, your going to need touchdowns, and sometimes going against the grain to get said touchdowns is something you have to do.
 
Off topic, but whenever I hear Al Michaels voice calling Marino's old games it feels like Christmas to me. I got so excited when I was younger when the Dolphins were on Monday Night Football(I know that game was not MNF). It was an event! I looked forward all week for those games. I feel bad for my 3 year old son if the Dolphins continue this funk they've been in. He'll never get that feeling I got when I watched the Dolphins play...
 
Look at that stadium.. and you people who bitch about the fans want to know why they're there? That's cause we had a quarterback and because of him, we were relevant.
 
Montana was old then (refer to Super Bowl 19 when they were in their primes)

But of course after that KC game the Dolphins got their a$$es totally kicked and eliminated the following week.. Got totally shutout and couldn't score a single point in the entire 2nd half

And were totally owned in time of possession 40-20

Total yards - 466 for SD, and only 282 yards for Miami
 
I miss having a QB with that mentality that Marino had. Where he was the best no matter what happened. Someone that was not afraid to chew someone out or be a leader on and off the field. I want that again, someone to just be a general out there and even if the other team knew you were going to air it out they cant stop it.
 
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