The Dolphins’ defense really dropped the ball in 2010.

[BAMAPHIN 22]

The Dolphins’ defense finished sixth in the NFL last year in total yards (309.3 per game), a stat even more impressive when you consider it did it without the help of many turnovers.
The Dolphins had just 11 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries and finished 30th in the NFL in turnover differential (minus-12).

Of course, if they had hung on to the football, the season could’ve been ended much differently. And it wasn’t just cornerback Sean Smith, who dropped more than a half dozen interceptions. Sparano said Tuesday that the defense had “24, 25” plays where it got a hand on the football last year but didn’t make the turnover, and it would have changed the Dolphins’ fate “tremendously.”

“You look at it teams that are playing in somewhere deep into January, there’s teams whose turnover ratio is pretty good,” Sparano said. “I mean rarely are you seeing a team whose flip-flopped turnover wise kind of the way we were that’s playing at that point. It’s just hard to win those kinds of games. You know I think that’s something that we talk an awful lot about here. Some people think its micromanaging or whatever the heck that thing is, but if it is I am going to continue to do it because it’s not helping us in January.”

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...s-yahoo-report-ensnares-a-couple-of-dolphins/

 

[Slim]

Smith has hands of stone. Wasn't he a former WR too???

He had 3 drops in the Jets game alone. We make those plays and i agree - we're in contention for Wild Card.

 

[Predaphin]

Then he had a spectacular one-handed INT vs. the Saints in a pre-season game....I dont get it :confused:

 

[Jamaicankid21]

Sean Smith just needs to put it together.. The kid can play. I know he can catch, he just has to go out and make the plays. I fully expect him to have a breakout season on our defense. I don't mind this team not pushing the contract limits of the offseason, because I really hope we can retain our younger defensive players, put our money in the right place for once, and not overpaying some scrub veteran thats always bottom of the league in their positions.

 

[armyphin]

Smith has hands of stone. Wasn't he a former WR too???

There is a reason he switched to the defense.

Nobody will argue that the D wasn't solid last season but the secondary lacked the ability to make big plays. Hope those guys take the next step this year.

 

[insomnia411]

We would have easily beaten Cleveland if Bennie Sapp (I think it was Sapp) holds on to an easy pick at the end of the game... He was on the sidelines he could have walked into the endzone for the pick 6... But I forgot that game was all Henne's fault so nevermind, if Mark Sanchez threw a batted ball at the LOS at the end of a game it would have went for a TD not a pick.

 

[Sirspud]

We would have easily beaten Cleveland if Bennie Sapp (I think it was Sapp) holds on to an easy pick at the end of the game... He was on the sidelines he could have walked into the endzone for the pick 6... But I forgot that game was all Henne's fault so nevermind, if Mark Sanchez threw a batted ball at the LOS at the end of a game it would have went for a TD not a pick.

Chad Henne sucks. Our defense not being able to come down with turnovers just means that they cannot win in spite of him.

 

[ny1]

We would have easily beaten Cleveland if Bennie Sapp (I think it was Sapp) holds on to an easy pick at the end of the game... He was on the sidelines he could have walked into the endzone for the pick 6... But I forgot that game was all Henne's fault so nevermind, if Mark Sanchez threw a batted ball at the LOS at the end of a game it would have went for a TD not a pick.

mark sanchez had by far the most dropped ints in the nfl. i remember in the first fins jets game mark sanchez threw a game losing pick right off the chest of kendal langford that was dropped.sanhez went on to win the game and it was considered a come from behind win lol.

 

[nyjunc]

mark sanchez had by far the most dropped ints in the nfl. i remember in the first fins jets game mark sanchez threw a game losing pick right off the chest of kendal langford that was dropped.sanhez went on to win the game and it was considered a come from behind win lol.

yeah b/c 350 lb NTs are expected to catch passes. The game was not considered a come from behind win, we trailed for about 10 seconds in that game early in the 3rd qtr- that wasn't a comeback win.

Just b/c a stat says a ball was dropped doesn't mean that ball should have been caught.

 

[insomnia411]

yeah b/c 350 lb NTs are expected to catch passes. The game was not considered a come from behind win, we trailed for about 10 seconds in that game early in the 3rd qtr- that wasn't a comeback win.

Just b/c a stat says a ball was dropped doesn't mean that ball should have been caught.

Yr right - a stat doesn't mean a ball should have been picked. When a ball hits a defender's hands and he drops an easy interception, it means the ball should have been picked. Mark Sanchez happened to be lucky in that regard, I saw it with my own two eyes AND i have the stats to back it up.

 

[Sirspud]

yeah b/c 350 lb NTs are expected to catch passes. The game was not considered a come from behind win, we trailed for about 10 seconds in that game early in the 3rd qtr- that wasn't a comeback win.

Just b/c a stat says a ball was dropped doesn't mean that ball should have been caught.

We're not asking Langford to run a fly pattern, shake the coverage, and adjust his body to catch a ball. We're talking about a ball that hits him. Last I checked he was a professional athlete, and if a ball comes right to you like that its shameful that you don't get it.

With that said, I prefer to think that our defensive backs not generating picks is a bigger problem than our linemen not doing so.

 

[ny1]

yeah b/c 350 lb NTs are expected to catch passes. The game was not considered a come from behind win, we trailed for about 10 seconds in that game early in the 3rd qtr- that wasn't a comeback win.

Just b/c a stat says a ball was dropped doesn't mean that ball should have been caught
all i was saying was 9 out of 10 times sanchez throws a game losing int in that situation.everyone knows sanchez had a very lucky year last year.eli manning lead the nfl with ints but about 10 of them were off his wr hands.on the flip side sanchez had about 16 dropped ints off the defense hands.sanches had more than double drop ints than the qb who was number 2 in that stat.all im saying is mark sanchez can have easily lead the nfl with ints over eli manning last year.henne might not be great but i really think he is better than sanchez just minus the luck.i cant imagine u to agree cause your gonna bring up the playoff games.truth be told i think if u put sanchez on the dolphins last year we are a 5-11 team