The Miami Dolphins are 8-5. Somehow. Despite poor offensive and defensive rankings. Despite injuries to Mike Pouncey and Reshad Jones and now Ryan Tannehill. Despite a lot.
But there are reasons they’re winning, some hidden.
Dolphins coach
Adam Gase says, “The tape don’t lie.”
So each week, I’ll give the game tape a closer look. Here are some things I noticed:
- Matt Moore is going to put it in play with belief something good will happen. They say he’s a gunslinger. They say he’s got moxie. He says he’s rusty. Whatever. Moore showed on the final drive against Arizona that he’s going to see what he can make happen. He’s not going to play it safe. He’s going to stare in the face of an unblocked blitzer and toss it deep to Kenny Stills, to a spot, when the receiver hasn’t even made a break, with the belief his receiver will find a way to make a play. Head coach Adam Gase says he thinks it will be, well, fun, and well, interesting. And if that’s all right by him, it’s all right by me. Moore has been watching Ryan Tannehill take shots for years and hang in and deliver, so why shouldn’t he? Moore’s got nothing to lose now. The best opportunity of his career. Weapons at running back and receiver. An excellent play-caller. A team on the verge of a playoff position. So why shouldn’t he go for it? He showed Sunday, he will do just that.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore will play without regard for his ribs, as the great ones do.
- Center Anthony Steen must get better. Fast. Because it doesn’t seem like center Mike Pouncey is getting better any time fast, already ruled out for a game at the Jets on Saturday night. Steen is not an experienced center. And Sunday, he struggled with snaps. And struggled with wet conditions against the Cardinals. Early in the game, there was a center-quarterback exchange issue that led to a fumble at Arizona’s 2-yard line. In the second quarter, Steen was beaten by a defensive tackle and Tannehill was sacked. The play was negated by a defensive holding. In the third quarter, holding by Steen negated a touchdown run by Jay Ajayi. Also in the third quarter, a bad shotgun snap was high and wide and bobbled by Tannehill. Then in the fourth quarter, Steen had a false start on a 4th-and-1 at the Arizona 36 that left Gase exasperated. Steen isn’t healthy. He wasn’t expected to be anything more than a depth player. But the Dolphins are leaning on him. And he must hold up better.
- Jarvis Landry must get paid by this franchise because he is its offensive heartbeat. Whatever it takes, Landry must get his, ideally this offseason. Because while Ajayi may be the engine of the Dolphins’ offense, Landry is the high-octane gasoline. Without Landry, they go nowhere. In the second quarter, Landry leaped over a defender on a 17-yard punt return, once again displaying his athleticism and fearlessness. Landry wants to return these punts, despite his star status, and because he is so trusted, he’s going to get the trusted opportunities with playoffs on the line. At the start of the third quarter, another indication of why Gase constantly says he must keep Landry engaged from start to finish (and Ajayi must get more carries, as well). Pure determination. Relentless effort. On a 3rd-and-7, Landry catches the ball at Miami’s 30 and is three yards short of the marker. But he breaks away from one tackler, spins around and then breaks away from yet another defender, who is wrapped around his back, before breaking away for 71 yards. An incredible play. The type of play that leads a casual observer to understand what a special caliber of talent Landry is.
It appears the man in red is going to tackle Jarvis Landry. But as is so often the case… psyche.
- Ndamukong Suh is nasty and mean and unforgiving and that’s good. Suh just don’t give a damn. Well, he does care about destroying opposing centers and guards and sometimes tackles. And tossing quarterbacks to the ground. And throwing running backs to the ground like ragdolls. And talking trash to the guard he just embarrased (as he did on Sunday). Suh often walks around the Dolphins’ locker room exuding a dismissive attitude. And he plays on Sundays like he’s pissed. And that part’s OK. That’s good, actually. I mean, from a football perspective, his nastiness is a positive trait. In the second quarter on Sunday, Suh mauled a right guard and tossed talented David Johnson in a way that makes one believe the aqua and orange men can play tough and angry and physical. So if Suh needs to convince himself the world is out to get him, whatever. He should, still, be celebrated for his ability to destroy opposing linemen.
Sometimes, Ndamukong Suh is unapproachable, surly and dismissive. On that field, that’s all good.
- Walt Aikens — that’s A-I-K-E-N-S — had a hell of a game on special teams. It’s not often that the downing of a punt can be celebrated like a Cameron Wake sack or Ndamukong Suh tackle for loss, but this one by Aikens in the fourth quarter was an awesome display of athleticism and reflexes. Aikens downs the ball at the opposing 1-yard line, and his arm is fully extended as the ball is quickly drifting away from him. A real thing of beauty. Of course, shortly thereafter, Aikens picked up a Jordan Phillips blocked extra point and scooted down the left sideline for a critical 2-point score. Aikens, Michael Thomas, Mike Hull, Neville Hewitt, Spencer Paysinger, MarQuies Gray, Kenyan Drake, Lafayette Pitts and more, this is a heck of a special teams unit. Miami’s special teams hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been an overall net-plus this season. And Aikens is one of the main reasons why.
Miami Dolphins safety Walt Aikens says, “Stop, ball.” And it does.
- EXTRA POINTS. It appeared that a two-week suspension for Jason Jones was actually more timely than untimely as he played with speed and enthusiasm, drilling Carson Palmer as he threw to help create an interception by Bacarri Rambo… Let’s have some more Jay Ajayi, yes, but also please more Kenyan Drake and always, always, more Damien Williams. Miami’s three running backs create one of the most talented, versatile stables in the NFL… Mike Hull showed outstanding effort, as expected, in his first start at middle linebacker. On Arizona’s first drive, he snagged an interception. A few times, it did seem Hull’s lack of size was exposed. On one play in the second quarter, a giant Cardinals’ offensive lineman seemed to eclipse him and lock him up as he tried desperately to shed a block and help corral David Johnson. But later, when Hull was being moved back from the line of scrimmage, he still found a way to help finish off Johnson by never giving up on the play. Good and bad day for Hull… Andre Branch is going to get paid by somebody this offseason. Somebody is going to have to decide how much of Branch’s emergence is opportunity (which he is spectacularly capitalizing on) and how much is the, you know, contract-season motivation… Cameron Wake “DallasThomasBillyTurner’d” the Cardinals’ tackle Ulrick John (not John Ulrick) who, I assume, had a few tough bouts with Wake in past Dolphins’ practices. Wake, the 34-year-old phenom, put John (not Ulrick) on skates throughout a third-quarter bull rush. It was so bad I thought Adam Gase might cut him after the game.
This is what Cameron Wake does to people. Including a guy named Ulrick John. (Not John Ulrick).
Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defended Sunday.
