Random Thoughts At 6-6 (mostly Dolphins Related) | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Random Thoughts At 6-6 (mostly Dolphins Related)

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Happy to get a win, good, bad or ugly. At the very least, at 6-6, Miami is in the running. Here are some random thoughts entering the stretch run.

  • How good is the 2016 draft looking for the Dolphins? Tunsil and Howard 1-2. Drake and Grant later. Howard is looking like one of the best corners in the team's storied history. Tunsil is reaching his vast potential.
  • Miami is 4-3 with Tannehill starting. Hasn't always been pretty, but have to give him credit.
  • Tough road ahead with New England, Minnesota, Jacksonville and Buffalo (may be off on the order). Can Miami pull off the upset versus the Patriots? That's the game of the year for the Dolphins.
  • The NFL needs to do something about the kickoffs. It used to be an exciting play. Now it's like watching an intentional walk in baseball. I know player safety is a concern, but the way it is now takes away from the game. Might as well just place the ball at the 25.
  • Speaking of rules, I'd like to see the defensive holding penalty tweaked a bit. I understand why it's an automatic first down as the defense could use it as a strategy if a receiver was getting past a defensive back deep. But, there are plays where it's third down and forever and the offense throws a quick pass that might have gained five yards. Those are the types of penalties that turn games around. Like the punter rule (running into the kicker or roughing the kicker), I'd like to see a potential five yard penalty and repeat of the down. In more blatant penalties, the automatic first down should still be in play.
  • Both the Chargers and Texans are interesting teams in the AFC. I really feel like the AFC is up for grabs and it wouldn't surprise me to see one of these teams reach the super bowl.
  • Hard not to think about the losses to Cincinnati and Indianapolis. Miami could be 8-4, but at least there is still a heartbeat.
 
Regarding rules changes, I think offensive holding should return to a 15 yard penalty. That's what it was when I was a kid during the Dolphins glory years. I think it was changed in 1974. That's when the league was determined to open up the passing game so they began a string of rules changes along those lines. Tripping was also reduced from 15 yards to 10. Then in 1978 the changes were even more drastic. That was after the Steelers had a few years of extremely dominant defenses, especially 1976 when Bradshaw was hurt and they had to rely almost exclusively on defense.

Now the imbalance is so extreme in the other direction I think 15 yards would not only discourage offensive linemen from holding so much, but also help the defense by forcing the quarterback to risk downfield, especially if it is 1st and 25 or 2nd and 25. There would be more interceptions.

These days 1st and 20 is not big deal considering how easy it is to pick up 7 or 8 yards and return to 2nd and manageable.

I realize not many will agree with me. But after watching Dallas/New Orleans the other night or even Dolphins/Bills today it really stood out that the lower scoring and more physical games are so much more interesting and intense than the ping pong matches.

Kickoffs become more interesting late season in cold weather games when the ball doesn't travel as far. Fewer touchbacks in the playoffs. I don't mind the current situation as opposed to the proposals to get rid of kickoffs completely. The injury situation is that bad.

BTW, the dumbest penalty in football is blocking in the back. I would go nuts if I were a coach and the team couldn't avoid that penalty. How does a player rationalize it as a good idea? Let's see...he's turned around. I can read his name. Good time to shove him in the back.
 
Awsi Dooger said:
Regarding rules changes, I think offensive holding should return to a 15 yard penalty. That's what it was when I was a kid during the Dolphins glory years. I think it was changed in 1974. That's when the league was determined to open up the passing game so they began a string of rules changes along those lines. Tripping was also reduced from 15 yards to 10. Then in 1978 the changes were even more drastic. That was after the Steelers had a few years of extremely dominant defenses, especially 1976 when Bradshaw was hurt and they had to rely almost exclusively on defense.

Now the imbalance is so extreme in the other direction I think 15 yards would not only discourage offensive linemen from holding so much, but also help the defense by forcing the quarterback to risk downfield, especially if it is 1st and 25 or 2nd and 25. There would be more interceptions.

These days 1st and 20 is not big deal considering how easy it is to pick up 7 or 8 yards and return to 2nd and manageable.

I realize not many will agree with me. But after watching Dallas/New Orleans the other night or even Dolphins/Bills today it really stood out that the lower scoring and more physical games are so much more interesting and intense than the ping pong matches.

Kickoffs become more interesting late season in cold weather games when the ball doesn't travel as far. Fewer touchbacks in the playoffs. I don't mind the current situation as opposed to the proposals to get rid of kickoffs completely. The injury situation is that bad.

BTW, the dumbest penalty in football is blocking in the back. I would go nuts if I were a coach and the team couldn't avoid that penalty. How does a player rationalize it as a good idea? Let's see...he's turned around. I can read his name. Good time to shove him in the back.
Click to expand...
Good points. I do enjoy defense as well. Guess that makes me more old school. That said, I did enjoy the Rams/KC game but that game actually had some fantastic defensive plays and the offensive execution was something to watch.

Agree on the rules. I remember Fulton Walker returning a kick for a touchdown in the super bowl. I don't think that happens in today's game. The chance to start off with an exciting play has kind of been eliminated except maybe in your example of colder weather games. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to fix it and retain the safety of players.
 
Eh, I like the 10 yards instead of 15. For my two teams a 15 yard penalty on any down you might as well just punt the ball on 1st and 25.

Holding nowadays is called randomly IMO. Not claiming conspiracy or anything but there are some plays clear as day there's holding(TV view) with no call but the next series they'll call holding cause for .2 seconds he may of grabbed the jersey.

The kickoff is a dying play. Expect it gone by next CBA outside of an onside kick.

Defensive holding I wouldn't mind a changing it up somewhat, even allowing it to be a referees call if it should be only 5 yards and repeat of downs or 5 + a first.

2016 draft was nice. Sort of how it goes, you have one good one and then a poor one. Or average and average in back to back years.


I see 6-6 as too big of a hole to climb. Especially with how porous both lines are.
 
Awsi Dooger said:
Regarding rules changes, I think offensive holding should return to a 15 yard penalty. That's what it was when I was a kid during the Dolphins glory years. I think it was changed in 1974. That's when the league was determined to open up the passing game so they began a string of rules changes along those lines. Tripping was also reduced from 15 yards to 10. Then in 1978 the changes were even more drastic. That was after the Steelers had a few years of extremely dominant defenses, especially 1976 when Bradshaw was hurt and they had to rely almost exclusively on defense.

Now the imbalance is so extreme in the other direction I think 15 yards would not only discourage offensive linemen from holding so much, but also help the defense by forcing the quarterback to risk downfield, especially if it is 1st and 25 or 2nd and 25. There would be more interceptions.

These days 1st and 20 is not big deal considering how easy it is to pick up 7 or 8 yards and return to 2nd and manageable.

I realize not many will agree with me. But after watching Dallas/New Orleans the other night or even Dolphins/Bills today it really stood out that the lower scoring and more physical games are so much more interesting and intense than the ping pong matches.

Kickoffs become more interesting late season in cold weather games when the ball doesn't travel as far. Fewer touchbacks in the playoffs. I don't mind the current situation as opposed to the proposals to get rid of kickoffs completely. The injury situation is that bad.

BTW, the dumbest penalty in football is blocking in the back. I would go nuts if I were a coach and the team couldn't avoid that penalty. How does a player rationalize it as a good idea? Let's see...he's turned around. I can read his name. Good time to shove him in the back.
Click to expand...
The bigger issue with holding is actually calling it. While it's true that it could be called on almost any play, the reality is that some very blatant holding is happening with regularity, and I'm fine with it being only a 10 yard penalty, heck, even a 5 yard penalty would be fine if it were actually enforced. Instead, to avoid the potentially drive-ending 10 yard penalty, the officials often simply do not call it … or call it more often against the visiting team and look the other way when the home team holds. It's ludicrous the way it's not called these days.
 
Some random thoughts. We look more like a 3-9 team than a 6-6 teams.
2016 draft looks good while 2017 looks horrible and 2018 seems we hit on ONE player while we drafted the wrong TE and no QB.

There's many ways to look at this team.....people can think everything is great or you can look at what's really happening and understand things are pretty bad.
 
John813 said:
Eh, I like the 10 yards instead of 15. For my two teams a 15 yard penalty on any down you might as well just punt the ball on 1st and 25.
Click to expand...

I miss the old Namath/Lamonica days of risking downfield countless times. That's what made the old AFL so popular. It was hardly a cupcake league of nothing but underneath passes allowed to ramble downfield. There was plenty of running and plenty of physical defenders but the rules and style of play at the time encouraged and rewarded the deep ball.

Younger fans look at those stats and can't imagine all the pathetic numbers like as many interceptions as touchdown passes. Meanwhile, wide receivers could be chopped down at the line of scrimmage. There was no such thing as a 5 yard rule. The head slap was legal along with many other variances. The 15 yard holding penalties forced the offense to take deep risks at critical stages of the game. So no kidding there was tons more variance from week to week and game to game.

Any Given Sunday was coined in that era. It doesn't apply nearly as well to this era, with dominant quarterbacks simply owning too much of an advantage given the rules changes and application of them.
 
The change to the rules should involve defensive penalties in goal to go situations. A defensive holding or pass interference should result in yardage but NOT a first down. Just give then another try with yardage.

If it is 3rd and goal from 6 and the defense holds the refs should move the ball to the 3 and repeat 3rd down. You shouldn't get 4 more downs there. That is an automatic TD. Think it would be much more fair.
 
Digital said:
The bigger issue with holding is actually calling it. While it's true that it could be called on almost any play, the reality is that some very blatant holding is happening with regularity, and I'm fine with it being only a 10 yard penalty, heck, even a 5 yard penalty would be fine if it were actually enforced. Instead, to avoid the potentially drive-ending 10 yard penalty, the officials often simply do not call it … or call it more often against the visiting team and look the other way when the home team holds. It's ludicrous the way it's not called these days.
Click to expand...

Agree, but to be fair, the refs can't watch 5 OLmen, a TE, and a RB at the same time. Some holds will get missed.
 
The Texans, Chiefs & Chargers are monumentally better than the Dolphins. If we squeak into the playoffs....we're going to get destroyed in the first round....either by the Pats, Chargers or Ravens. Sorry to be a debbie downer....but this team had a slight chance before all the injuries....now...we'll be lucky to go 8-8.
 
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