Loved it...for many reasons.
1. Philbin taking control of his team early without becoming to much of a dictator type. He's not afraid to let even the leaders of the team know that they need to step it up. Accountability. He may be a rookie head coach, but it already feels like he's been a head coach in the league for a while. He's definitely got the team's attention and respect.
2. Chad just being Chad. He knows he needs to step it up after basically taking last season off. I think that humbled him, but not to the point where he's going still being his outspoken self. I like that Philbin took control of the F-bomb situation. Gotta maintain some sort of professionalism especially when dealing with the media. Other than that, he looks great out there. He's definitely closer to his best years in Cinci than were he was last season.
3. Jake just oozing leadership. He knows the OLine needs to be a LOT better than it has in recent years especially with this fast pace offense. Glad to see see him step up like that.
4. Great to see that we're not going to let the guys get away with being outta shape. Jerry's story is unfortunate...eating his way out of the league. Vontae's immaturity is getting the best of him. He may have gotten away with it during Sparano's time, but if he wants to stay on top, he's going to bust his ass and earn it.
5. The pace of the offense is just awesome. I love the fact that he has TWO offensive sets working on the field at the same time. It's great to see the Miami Dolphins are finally evolving on offense! No more play not to lose. It may not happen this year, but give it a year or so along a few additions at the playmaking positions, and this O can be top 10 very soon.
6. Les Brown while a tremendous athlete has a lot of work to do and QUICK! He's definitely a liability out there when he's not catching passes. His blocking leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully he can get that cleaned up soon because he's a nice story.
7. The quarterbacks story is definitely going to be intriguing in the next few weeks. People need to realize that the depth chart is not a finished product. May the best man win it. Whether it be one of the vets (Moore, Garrard) or the rook, so be it. Tannehill WILL get his chance soon enough to start soon enough. Whether it's week 1 of this week or week 16, when he DOES get out there, I believe he's going to kick ass out there. I say this with cautious optimism as a lot can change between training camp and the regular season, but he's definitely got the tools to succeed as a pro QB.
8. Glad to see Reggie ahead of last year's pace in training camp. He's still gotta clean up those occasional bonehead fumbles, but I could see him thriving in this offense. While he may not reach 1,000 yards rushing again, I expect him to become more involved in the passing game. I just pray he remains healthy again.
9. For the next episode, I'd love to see a little bit more focus on the defensive side of the football. If all goes well, the D can be a top 10 unit in the league. We're going to need a lot more playmaking ability out there, though. We can't have the same dropped interceptions and big play susceptibility that has plagued this team in recent years.
10. All in all, a pretty good first episode. I hope the cameras don't become too much of a distraction. I doubt Philbin lets that happen, though. He realizes that this is a crucial time for Miami Dolphins football and he's going to get the best out of his team. A lot of organization between Philbin and the rest of his coaching staff. I haven't felt this good about our coaching situation in several years. There's a lot of positive vibes out there and for good reason. The future looks good with Philbin leading the team and hopefully the future includes the upcoming season!