Sparano: "There is no real star in this bunch of guys"

[dabeastdabone]

I didn't see this posted yet.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2009/09/18/0918dolphins.html

I thought a couple of statements were interesting:

"There is no real star in this bunch of guys," Sparano said. "It has kind of been done by committee here."

and

Offensive coordinator Dan Henning said he's long operated by the FTS theory - Feed the Stud.
"If you have a stud," he said, "you better get him the ball."






I think if Ronnie isn't leaned on in the next few weeks the writing is on the wall (or actually the article) about his future. Nothing in this article shines a very bright light on him and it's angle comes from those in charge.

 

[Mr772]

The best backfield we have is Ronnie at full back and Ricky at half back.

 

[LikeUntoGod]

The combo of Ronnie and Ricky is a powerful one that we have almost never used. I played in the days of the Wishbone and I know what it is like to be pounded on 35-40 times a game. It will make a defense quit.

Almost all big backs get better the more times they run the ball. Partly because they get in the groove, partly because the OL does and then because the defense gets worn down. Defending against the pass might make you tired but trying to the stop the run all day will wear you out.

I remember Ricky taking over at the end of games. Our best chance of a 40 yard play is not a Pennington to Ginn pass, it is Ronnie or Ricky on our 32th run attempt of the game.

Good big running backs do not wear out, they wear others out. Both Ronnie and Ricky are 230 pounds and Hillard is 240 for a extra pop. If you want to to run the fullback (which I like), run Lex Hillard at them.

If you want to stop a pass rush you run at them and beat the crap out of it. If you worry that Jake Long has a problem with speed rushers you allow him to grind Freeney into the ground. Almost every single OL will tell that they they had rather run block, it is their only chance to hit someone and to be offensive, Pass blocking is defensive.

The Colts strong side DE (Robert Mathis) is only 245 pounds, their 3 LBs are 235 pounds each.

They have now started run blitzing to to stop the run. Make them overdo it and hit them on a Play Action pass or two.

At least once this decade, try winning a football game by running the ball. Ricky used to do it on his own, now between the two of them we should be beating the crap out of teams.

The old saying goes "it is not the 100th blow that breaks the rock, it was the 99 blows that came before it".

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

What I find interesting is Robert Smith's comments reguarding how the backs struggle because of the way defenses are playing Miami's inability to stretch the field...

I mean...what the hell would Robert Smith know about playing running back in the NFL, right?

Also Ricky's attitude that he doesn't "want to be on a team where he has to produce like that"....

What if him "producing like that" is precisely what gives the team the best chance to win right now....

Last time I checked....players weren't allowed set the quota on their own production....

It's different when you don't have guys that are capable of being the STUD......and when you have guys that don't WANT to be the stud...

Like I said...I think there's many issues with this offense....lack of talent in the guys that have desire......lack of desire in the guys that have the talent....lack of execution in Henning's FTS theory....and lack of philosophy that scores points....

 

[LANGER72]

The combo of Ronnie and Ricky is a powerful one that we have almost never used. I played in the days of the Wishbone and I know what it is like to be pounded on 35-40 times a game. It will make a defense quit.

Almost all big backs get better the more times they run the ball. Partly because they get in the groove, partly because the OL does and then because the defense gets worn down. Defending against the pass might make you tired but trying to the stop the run all day will wear you out.

I remember Ricky taking over at the end of games. Our best chance of a 40 yard play is not a Pennington to Ginn pass, it is Ronnie or Ricky on our 32th run attempt of the game.

Good big running backs do not wear out, they wear others out. Both Ronnie and Ricky are 230 pounds and Hillard is 240 for a extra pop. If you want to to run the fullback (which I like), run Lex Hillard at them.

If you want to stop a pass rush you run at them and beat the crap out of it. If you worry that Jake Long has a problem with speed rushers you allow him to grind Freeney into the ground. Almost every single OL will tell that they they had rather run block, it is their only chance to hit someone and to be offensive, Pass blocking is defensive.

The Colts strong side DE (Robert Mathis) is only 245 pounds, their 3 LBs are 235 pounds each.

They have now started run blitzing to to stop the run. Make them overdo it and hit them on a Play Action pass or two.

At least once this decade, try winning a football game by running the ball. Ricky used to do it on his own, now between the two of them we should be beating the crap out of teams.

The old saying goes "it is not the 100th blow that breaks the rock, it was the 99 blows that came before it".

You are absolutely correct. We have two of the NFL's best runners and they are under utilized. I am sure as the O-line gets its act together in the next couple of games, we will see alot more sucessfull running plays.
When the running game is working, Penny can hit the play-action passes.

 

[Fish-Head]

This FTS crap that is attributed to Henning... If true he said it, would mean that he and Sparano are at odds.

Sparano says we got alot of good guys, none who are great.. and Henning says give the 'Stud' the ball... Do these guys not speak to eachother?

The point is... I think Henning agrees with Sparano... Their offensive game plan will always be 'go with the hot hand' until they unearth a legendary beasty of a player who picks LB's out of his cleats after the game like spinach from your teeth and can enforce his will on the opposition with mind bullets.

 

[dabeastdabone]

This FTS crap that is attributed to Henning... If true he said it, would mean that he and Sparano are at odds.

Sparano says we got alot of good guys, none who are great.. and Henning says give the 'Stud' the ball... Do these guys not speak to eachother?

The point is... I think Henning agrees with Sparano... Their offensive game plan will always be 'go with the hot hand' until they unearth a legendary beasty of a player who picks LB's out of his cleats after the game like spinach from your teeth and can enforce his will on the opposition with mind bullets.

Well I'm worried they do agree with each other and the result is they have given up on Ronnie. Let me say this, I am not a Ronnie fan and even have said Ronnie would not be resigned to a new contract (or at least a feature back contract) But after last season and the fact this is Ronnie's contract year and the Dolphins did not draft a feature type back I thought Ronnie would be given a good long look over the season, meaning he would get the ball alot. If they have already called it quits on Ronnie then I think we have some concerns. We have no passing game and a unhealthy attraction to a quirky "wildcat" scheme which has essentially morphed into drafting a QB higher than we should of and going from a somewhat unique (although we overused it last year) "Wildcat" to just another offense with a athletic QB at the expense of a passing game that is nothing new to the NFL AND has never worked in the NFL.

 

[WVDolphan]

BS Tony. There is a major star in this bunch. His name is Ricky and if you gave him the opportunity, he would post star numbers and more importantly, the phins' chances of winning would greatly improve in each contest.

 

[dolfan_germany]

I don't think that they have given up on Ronnie just yet. They are maybe taking a similar approach as in the CB situation. Let them all play, and if somebody comes out as the clear front-runner and you feel that theres no way you can take him off the field - let him play the most.

 

[SQuinn17]

I don't get it though. If we've known all offseason that we have no star power, then why not do something about it. Why wait til the the first game of the season to get embarrassed and then realize we need a stud on offense???

 

[LennyV]

I see no problem with "Feeding the Stud" or going with the guy with the hot hand, however the way we spread the ball around no one has a chance to get hot and limits Ricky and/or Ronnie's ability to look like a stud.

At this point I would take featuring Ricky or Ronnie. If the coaching staff doesn't want to make one the primary back for the season at least designate one as the primary back for a game and get him the carries he needs to start pounding the defense.

Bottom line... we need to pund the ball.

 

[SnakeoilSeller]

Realistically what is Sparano going to say - We plan to pound the ball this week and feed it to Ronnie 25+ times this week?

 

[dabeastdabone]

I don't get it though. If we've known all offseason that we have no star power, then why not do something about it. Why wait til the the first game of the season to get embarrassed and then realize we need a stud on offense???

i kind of agree, kinda. I can do without a star but the Coaching staff should have a scheme that works with what they have. I know last week was just the first game but If they had any real scheme it was either really poor or simply the wrong scheme.

Again save we the "if white hit Ginn" or if "Fasano didn't fumble" because all those things did happen and the team has to overcome them like the patriots Monday overcame issues. Good teams find ways to win games and bad teams find ways to lose games...the saying goes.

 

[LennyV]

Rather than look at the play count for those two backs on a per game basis, make it a little more unbalanced so that one of them gets the majority of the carries for A game then the other the next.

As it is right now between the two of them they are getting to the threshold of carris that it takes to get one of them going with a full head of steam.

 

[dabeastdabone]

Realistically what is Sparano going to say - We plan to pound the ball this week and feed it to Ronnie 25+ times this week?

Ya know that is what I first thought, maybe this was a smoke screen. But I just don't know, three coaching staffs have "underutilized" Ronnie according to the fans, each weak we expect Ronnie to get the ball 20+ times and it almost never happens. Frankly i think the fans and the coaching staff have 2 different opinions of Ronnie, apparently very different.

Besides I don't think opposing teams worry to much about anything but a pathetically short passing game and a run game and they can defend both much the same way.