It's time to stop making excuses and start focusing

[emocomputerjock]

I thought I could get through the week without having to make this post, but here it is Monday, and here I am posting.

I'm going to preface this by stating flatly that yes, I'm a real Miami fan. I don't know what kind of homerism is going on that criticism of the team's play up to this point means you're out of the fan club, but the fact that we're 0 and 2 says that something isn't working right out there on the field, and that can't be denied.

Moving on...

The offense has not been able to execute

And how could they? So far there have been some serious problems, starting with the offensive line. Our line has completely failed establishing lanes for the running game as well as protect against the pass rush. They've given up 10 sacks in two games and have done a great job looking like the Miami Raiders out there. They don't play physically and push defenders at all. They miss blocks and hand out tackles for losses like candy. Only the combination of Ronnie Brown refusing to go down at the line and Ronnie Brown catching passes has allowed our offense to move the chains at all.

Speaking of Ronnie Brown and the running game - we have a running game? Somehow in spite of the fact that we have one of the greatest backs in the conference he's only seen 15 touches on the ground a game so far. Running wears down defenses. Say it with me Mularkey: Running wears down defenses. Also, it allows you to chew up clock time as well as keep opposing defenses from double teaming your recievers. Why in the world we're not bothering to establish and stick with the run is beyond me, but it's an awfully big part of our two losses. Awfully big.

Without adequate blocking and anything resembling a running game, what's Daunte Culpepper to do? Answer: turn the ball over a hell of a lot. In two games this season, he alone has accounted for 3 interceptions and a fumble. Yes, I've seen the stat lines and yes, I've heard every excuse from he's not 100% yet to he's knocking off the rust and to tell you the truth I don't care. He's already killed two scoring drives and handed the defense 6 points by making mental errors. If anyone thinks that's acceptable, then you're just happy with our record at this point, and don't need to comment in this thread.

The defense is bland

It gets the job done, I suppose. Considering that it's on the field for more than half the game, it's actually doing incredibly well. Still, with penalties, blown coverage, and an inability to force 4th downs, they're only doing it to themselves. You'd think that with as much time as the defense spends out there, the offense would be bright and fresh and ready to score Add inability to create turnovers to the list and it's not looking like anything is going to change soon.

Wes Welker can only do so much

The guy has been incredible for us this year on special teams and recieving. He's second on the team in recieving yards, and tied for first in catches. He's averaging over 20 yards a return on both kickoff and punt returns. Unfortunately, Wes Welker alone can't block for Culpepper, catch for Culpepper, play secondary coverage and return kicks every game, though he would if he was asked to. He has the fire that's missing from the rest of this team, and without any other clear leader stepping up and making a difference, the rest of the team would be well served by following his example, going out there and playing like they deserve to be professional football players.

Forecast

This team has so much potential, and minus a few flashes here and there they've completely failed to live up to it, so I'm calling the winner of every future game by a coin flip until this team can get its act together. Yeah, I'm bitter, but at least I'm being honest.

Closing

As down as I may seem, I love my Fins, and here's hoping that they start to live up to their potential!! :dolphins: :dolphins: :dolphins:

 

[PhinsRock]

Good post, all we seem to have right now is potential. This may end up being a team building year for us. Not saying we need to rebuild, but we are weak in talent at a number of positions, and our team needs to get some playing time to gel together as a unit. I'm actually resolved already to the possibility we might have a losing season, if we don't shake things up somehow.

 

[Canadianfishfan]

defense is bland? 170 some odd total offense allowed.. Id say thats pretty effective.

 

[emocomputerjock]

defense is bland? 170 some odd total offense allowed.. Id say thats pretty effective.

True, as I said, it's been doing a pretty good job out there, but it's not creating turnovers and generating a whole lot of pressure. When you factor in the penalties and the odd big play, it pretty much evens out.

 

[cdz12250]

What part of "we have no players on the offensive line who can do the job" do some fans not understand? We don't have the horses there. Period. It's not a question of coaching. It's a question of no ability. No strength. No quickness. No athleticism. No intelligence. Therefore no coordination, therefore no execution, therefore penalties, therefore no running lanes, therefore turnstile-like pass-blocking.

Rex is basically a rookie at center. Anderson was let go by the Bills and, to add insult to injury, came into camp out of shape. Jeno never really came back from his injury. LJ Shelton is new and came from that perennial champion, Cleveland:rolleyes2 . If Vernon isn't a Wannstache bust of Fletcherian proportions, he's the next thing to it. Oh, and there's a new offensive coordinator; everybody gets to learn how to play together under a new system.

The o-line is the sole reason why the offense can neither run nor throw. It's not Ronnie. It's not Daunte; give the guy a break, for crying out loud: He's nowhere near 100% yet. It's not the receivers. It's the o-line. The inability to address the offensive line is the single, most important, absolute and total offseason failure that has brought us to where we are today. These linemen starting for are either playing out of position on modest talent at best or are other team's cast-offs (for a reason). Daunte will be fine. The O-line won't. We need to accept it. Deal with it. Maybe next offseason.

 

[emocomputerjock]

What part of "we have no players on the offensive line who can do the job" do some fans not understand? We don't have the horses there. Period. It's not a question of coaching. It's a question of no ability. No strength. No quickness. No athleticism. No intelligence. Therefore no coordination, therefore no execution, therefore penalties, therefore no running lanes, therefore turnstile-like pass-blocking.

Rex is basically a rookie at center. Anderson was let go by the Bills and, to add insult to injury, came into camp out of shape. Jeno never really came back from his injury. LJ Shelton is new and came from that perennial champion, Cleveland:rolleyes2 . If Vernon isn't a Wannstache bust of Fletcherian proportions, he's the next thing to it. Oh, and there's a new offensive coordinator; everybody gets to learn how to play together under a new system.

The o-line is the sole reason why the offense can neither run nor throw. It's not Ronnie. It's not Daunte; give the guy a break, for crying out loud: He's nowhere near 100% yet. It's not the receivers. It's the o-line. The inability to address the offensive line is the single, most important, absolute and total offseason failure that has brought us to where we are today. These linemen starting for are either playing out of position on modest talent at best or are other team's cast-offs (for a reason). Daunte will be fine. The O-line won't. We need to accept it. Deal with it. Maybe next offseason.

I believe I mentioned the offensive line as well as the turnover and the crappy play calling. This isn't a problem with one aspect of our offense, it's a problem with the unit as a whole from the coordinator on down. I'll start giving respect when respect is due.

 

[finmann]

Good post. So many of us are blaming the defense especially the secondary that it is refreshing to see a post that puts some of the blame on this terrible offense. OL couldn't block my grandma, WR's can't get open and a QB with mental problems just adds up to SUCK. I personally would like to thank our ageing defense for limiting the Bills to only 16 points.

 

[DefensiveEnd#76]

What is it going to prove to us if we beat Tennessee? That we can beat probably one of the two worst teams in the NFL at Dolphins Stadium? It still doesn't tell us how good we are or can be until we can beat a playoff caliber team.

 

[cdz12250]

I believe I mentioned the offensive line as well as the turnover and the crappy play calling. This isn't a problem with one aspect of our offense, it's a problem with the unit as a whole from the coordinator on down. I'll start giving respect when respect is due.

The "not understand" part was not directed at you, jock. But I think that if we fix the line the rest will follow. I mean, what plays CAN the coordinator call with this line and be assured that the play will be executed?

 

[emocomputerjock]

Good post. So many of us are blaming the defense especially the secondary that it is refreshing to see a post that puts some of the blame on this terrible offense. OL couldn't block my grandma, WR's can't get open and a QB with mental problems just adds up to SUCK. I personally would like to thank our ageing defense for limiting the Bills to only 16 points.

Hell yeah - I don't want anyone to think I'm down on our D - it's doing the best job it can (I still want to see more pressure and more turnovers). When the defense is sent back on to the field after momentum killing turnovers and 3-and-outs they can only do so much. Perhaps some of their inability to come up with huge plays is directly related to having no motiviation or faith in the offense to put points on the board and back them up?

 

[cdz12250]

Good post. So many of us are blaming the defense especially the secondary that it is refreshing to see a post that puts some of the blame on this terrible offense. OL couldn't block my grandma, WR's can't get open and a QB with mental problems just adds up to SUCK. I personally would like to thank our ageing defense for limiting the Bills to only 16 points.

Didn't I see Daunte in the backfield desperately running from your grandma?

 

[emocomputerjock]

The "not understand" part was not directed at you, jock. But I think that if we fix the line the rest will follow. I mean, what plays CAN the coordinator call with this line and be assured that the play will be executed?

We were doing alright with Ronnie running the ball but we stopped that in the second half, and didn't eat up enough clock or get enough first downs. As a result, the defense once again has to try to save the day while trusting in Culpeppers arm to manufacture points behind that offensive line, and all of that together lines up for embarassing home loss

 

[emocomputerjock]

Didn't I see Daunte in the backfield desperately running from your grandma?

Hell, his grandma had 2 sacks and a pressure

 

[Canadianfishfan]

True, as I said, it's been doing a pretty good job out there, but it's not creating turnovers and generating a whole lot of pressure. When you factor in the penalties and the odd big play, it pretty much evens out.

I understand... we did have some good pressure.. we held at points for plays with losses... but we had no turnovers.. is it our defense... Yes some... But I'll also give props to Buffalo for playing smart football. They didnt give the ball to Losman too much to test our DBs.. which really surpsied me.

 

[emocomputerjock]

I understand... we did have some good pressure.. we held at points for plays with losses... but we had no turnovers.. is it our defense... Yes some... But I'll also give props to Buffalo for playing smart football. They didnt give the ball to Losman too much to test our DBs.. which really surpsied me.

I wouldn't give him the ball and try to light things up either They were doing an excellent job with using just enough running and defense to eat up the clock and our chances of winning the game and when it came down to it that was that.