bootang25
Practice Squad
I don't get to post as often as I would like, as I usually just catch up on all things Finheaven on my smartphone, and that is a pain in the butt to try and type on, but with the season just days away, I feel as if I have a pretty good view into how this team is built, and what I think is about to happen. There are 4 basic components as to why I think this Miami Dolphin team is about to be a force to be reckoned with, and I will go into them in detail.
1. Chip Kelly's Theory
Have read on here countless times since the hiring of Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator that he won't run any of the stuff Chip ran, because we don't have a Shady McCoy, or their offensive line. Any kind of comment like that tells me that the person saying that has zero clue about the beauty of the Chip Kelly offense. I have been a huge fan of Chip for a long time now, I highly, highly recommend the site Fishduck.com to anyone trying to learn about the offense. You can also check out Fishduck Minute videos on youtube where he really breaks down everything about the offense. Giving you a cliff's notes version of the offense would be to tell you that he doesn't want a 500 page playbook, he wants to be able to master a few key concepts, allowing his players to play fast and with little hesitation. A KISS philosophy, Keep It Simple Stupid if you will. Look for matchups. Create matchups. Ask and you shall receive.
He wants versatile player's who he can then align all over the formation. Through formations, personnel groupings, shifts and motions, he is trying to find, and then more importantly, EXPLOIT your weaknesses. This offense has chunk yards a plenty, and it is by design. You can almost be a puppet master pulling the strings, moving the defense however you please. One of the things I can't wait to see progress are "packaged plays' The bubble screen off of play action to Brandon Gibson vs Atlanta was a beautiful thing to watch. It starts as most Chip play's do, simply counting the numbers, is it a light or heavy box. With the three receivers to the top, Atlanta did not match numbers, so instead of Tannehill going zone read keying on the defensive end, he gives the call for the bubble screen. Matthews goes to the outside CB to block, D Williams runs up the sideline, and Gibson does the bubble action. Stealing really. And the best part is, in regular season, that will be Mike Wallace wide, and all you have to do is throw the bubble a few times, regardless of gain, and sooon enough the D hesitates even a second, and Wallace is by the defense in an instant. This is the kind of stuff that the Chip offense creates. Force the defense to be fundamentally sound, to play assignment football, and take few risks (greater consequences) All of this goes against what a defense wants to do, after the TD drive vs Atlanta, the Falcons announcers begrudgingly said that the defense was on their heels the entire time.
Contrast this with the Mike Sherman offense, where through blue 88 Go, Go Go, my wife could by week 5 of 2012, while at the sink washing dishes, tell if run or pass was coming. Combine that farce with the abysmal talent to protect the QB, or open lanes in the running game, and you have a situation where a defense can pretty much be as attacking as you can possibly be. And Ryan Tannehill still had great success despite these difficult, almost impossible circumstances. So from one end of the spectrum, getting attacked with almost reckless abandon, to having the defense now on their heels and unsure what is coming next, with plays that can make the defense wrong no matter what they do, someone please tell me how this offense isn't about to simply be MUCH BETTER.
2. Focus & Resiliency
Anyone who saw the NFL Films 2013 Season should understand this title. Simply put, this team, the same key group of guys for the most part, went through one of the longest, toughest, mentally and physically challenging season a team could endure, and they NEVER separated. No finger pointing. No blame game. Everyone stuck together, everyone fought through the adversity, and they simply came up short. Sometimes failing when it is right their at your fingertips is the last push a team needs to get over the hump. Looking at the progress of the program from 2012 to 2013, no one can say that the arrow is still not pointing up. Their was marked improvement at many positions from year one to year two, very few if any players regressed, and team chemistry has been built. They showed an ability to maintain focus, and to be resilient against seemingly impossible odds. That is something that I don't often hear this team given credit for, and frankly it pisses me off.
3. Talent
I am really tired of hearing this team doesn't have talent. Position by position, I look at this team and am unsure where we are devoid of talent. On offense, you have a QB who can run 4.62, who has elite ball placement (transitioning the WR up the field) in the short to intermediate game, has the arm strength and willingness to pull the trigger on tight window throws, who rarely makes the same mistakes twice. A guy who has shown incredible toughness. Poise. Listen to his 10 minutes with the media the first day after the Jonathan Martin bullying scandal broke, and tell me he doesn't have incredible leadership. Only people who want screamers and rah rah guys would question Tannehill's leadership. The deep ball with Wallace has a lot to do with the amount of space he has to throw that deep ball to, which will greatly increase this year as we move and manipulate Safeties on the defense. Matt Moore is a proven NFL QB, enough said about a backup.
RB was a grave concern of mine until I saw Knowshon Moreno in action game 3. He brings everything we need to this offense, the ability to make you miss in tight quarters inside, the toughness to fall forward and keep the down and distances reasonable, and the burst to really exploit creases and defeat angles. He will eat, and I find it only according that a man named Moreno (regardless of spelling) helps this team reach greatness again. Lamar Miller will resume his much more productive role as the 2nd, a la his rookie year behind Bush. And though I was very late to the Orleans Darkwa party, he brings everything Daniel Thomas didn't.
WR/TE is the strength of our team. Guys that have proven they can be successful and be featured are Wallace, Hartline, Gibson, Matthews, Clay. Anyone who saw Jarvis Landry at LSU understands what he brings. A big thing we need at WR moving forward is the ability to block on the perimeter, something Landry and Matthews have shown an ability to do, a big reason they will see the field a lot more than the number on the depth chart might indicate. Dion Sims allows for formation versatility, which is big. Strong hands, a big target. Can't have 3 Jimmy Graham's at a spot, Madden thoughts be damned. By the way, I think Charles Clay puts himself in the top TE conversation by the end of the year. He is a true weapon, and this offense loves to let weapon's eat. I wouldn't be shocked at all if he went over 1000 yards.
The offensive line is miles better both from a talent and athletic standpoint. They proved to be a major upgrade, and with having defenses on heels and tempo wearing defense's out, won't face the same pressure last year's group saw. JaWuan James was a fav of mine pre-draft, glad he has proven me right on that. Albert is a GREAT LEADER, something I don't think he gets credit for, a great personality, certainly way more of an upgrade over Jake Long there.
DLine is our other strength. Cam Wake has NEVER gotten to simply hunt with a 2 TD lead, I can't wait to see that. OV is NASTY, watch him and him only for about 5 plays and you will understand. Incredible effort. Then great depth with Jordan, Fede, Shelby, Odrick, Starks, Mitchell, Johnson. Keep the rotation fresh, wreak havoc.
LB's get killed and at times rightfully so, the thing this regime covets is aggressiveness and pursuit to the ball. They understand their really is little shutdown defense anymore, it is about minimizing damage, and being able to play in the Red Zone. All the LB's can blitz and that allows us to attack everywhere.
The secondary is about keeping everything in front, playing smart, not giving up huge plays, and they want guys who can break on the football. Delmas will bring an attitude that this team needed, in fact, Landry, Turner, Mitchell, Tripp, Finnegan, Delmas all added to bring a nastiness to this team too. Grimes is absolutely ridiculous, and Jimmy Wilson is much better than given credit for.
4. Swagger
It is almost impossible to play at your best and have confidence enduring everything that this team went through last year. Their was hardly anything resembling fun. This is a confident team. Listen and read every quote, that quiet confidence, almost bordering on ****y seeps through. They know what last year was, and they've practiced everyday together. They know what is about to happen. We beat the good teams last year, lost to the bad teams. No more losing to bad teams. Bad teams we beat up and build confidence. It is coming together. I have a feeling that this New England game is a game where this team isn't playing to survive and win. I think they want the first round knockout. They are glad this game is on the calendar where it is at. I expect Sunday to be a game a lot like the Wildcat game, a game where New England isn't sure what hit them. I have it 38-23 with Tannehill having 4 passing TD's. The schedule is tough, but this same team wasn't scared vs Pittsburgh in the snow, only one team whipped us last year (the Saints whip a lot of people at home in primetime) I predict an 11-5 season, with Tannehill having around 4400 yards, and 37 TD's. Great times are coming for the Miami Dolphins.
1. Chip Kelly's Theory
Have read on here countless times since the hiring of Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator that he won't run any of the stuff Chip ran, because we don't have a Shady McCoy, or their offensive line. Any kind of comment like that tells me that the person saying that has zero clue about the beauty of the Chip Kelly offense. I have been a huge fan of Chip for a long time now, I highly, highly recommend the site Fishduck.com to anyone trying to learn about the offense. You can also check out Fishduck Minute videos on youtube where he really breaks down everything about the offense. Giving you a cliff's notes version of the offense would be to tell you that he doesn't want a 500 page playbook, he wants to be able to master a few key concepts, allowing his players to play fast and with little hesitation. A KISS philosophy, Keep It Simple Stupid if you will. Look for matchups. Create matchups. Ask and you shall receive.
He wants versatile player's who he can then align all over the formation. Through formations, personnel groupings, shifts and motions, he is trying to find, and then more importantly, EXPLOIT your weaknesses. This offense has chunk yards a plenty, and it is by design. You can almost be a puppet master pulling the strings, moving the defense however you please. One of the things I can't wait to see progress are "packaged plays' The bubble screen off of play action to Brandon Gibson vs Atlanta was a beautiful thing to watch. It starts as most Chip play's do, simply counting the numbers, is it a light or heavy box. With the three receivers to the top, Atlanta did not match numbers, so instead of Tannehill going zone read keying on the defensive end, he gives the call for the bubble screen. Matthews goes to the outside CB to block, D Williams runs up the sideline, and Gibson does the bubble action. Stealing really. And the best part is, in regular season, that will be Mike Wallace wide, and all you have to do is throw the bubble a few times, regardless of gain, and sooon enough the D hesitates even a second, and Wallace is by the defense in an instant. This is the kind of stuff that the Chip offense creates. Force the defense to be fundamentally sound, to play assignment football, and take few risks (greater consequences) All of this goes against what a defense wants to do, after the TD drive vs Atlanta, the Falcons announcers begrudgingly said that the defense was on their heels the entire time.
Contrast this with the Mike Sherman offense, where through blue 88 Go, Go Go, my wife could by week 5 of 2012, while at the sink washing dishes, tell if run or pass was coming. Combine that farce with the abysmal talent to protect the QB, or open lanes in the running game, and you have a situation where a defense can pretty much be as attacking as you can possibly be. And Ryan Tannehill still had great success despite these difficult, almost impossible circumstances. So from one end of the spectrum, getting attacked with almost reckless abandon, to having the defense now on their heels and unsure what is coming next, with plays that can make the defense wrong no matter what they do, someone please tell me how this offense isn't about to simply be MUCH BETTER.
2. Focus & Resiliency
Anyone who saw the NFL Films 2013 Season should understand this title. Simply put, this team, the same key group of guys for the most part, went through one of the longest, toughest, mentally and physically challenging season a team could endure, and they NEVER separated. No finger pointing. No blame game. Everyone stuck together, everyone fought through the adversity, and they simply came up short. Sometimes failing when it is right their at your fingertips is the last push a team needs to get over the hump. Looking at the progress of the program from 2012 to 2013, no one can say that the arrow is still not pointing up. Their was marked improvement at many positions from year one to year two, very few if any players regressed, and team chemistry has been built. They showed an ability to maintain focus, and to be resilient against seemingly impossible odds. That is something that I don't often hear this team given credit for, and frankly it pisses me off.
3. Talent
I am really tired of hearing this team doesn't have talent. Position by position, I look at this team and am unsure where we are devoid of talent. On offense, you have a QB who can run 4.62, who has elite ball placement (transitioning the WR up the field) in the short to intermediate game, has the arm strength and willingness to pull the trigger on tight window throws, who rarely makes the same mistakes twice. A guy who has shown incredible toughness. Poise. Listen to his 10 minutes with the media the first day after the Jonathan Martin bullying scandal broke, and tell me he doesn't have incredible leadership. Only people who want screamers and rah rah guys would question Tannehill's leadership. The deep ball with Wallace has a lot to do with the amount of space he has to throw that deep ball to, which will greatly increase this year as we move and manipulate Safeties on the defense. Matt Moore is a proven NFL QB, enough said about a backup.
RB was a grave concern of mine until I saw Knowshon Moreno in action game 3. He brings everything we need to this offense, the ability to make you miss in tight quarters inside, the toughness to fall forward and keep the down and distances reasonable, and the burst to really exploit creases and defeat angles. He will eat, and I find it only according that a man named Moreno (regardless of spelling) helps this team reach greatness again. Lamar Miller will resume his much more productive role as the 2nd, a la his rookie year behind Bush. And though I was very late to the Orleans Darkwa party, he brings everything Daniel Thomas didn't.
WR/TE is the strength of our team. Guys that have proven they can be successful and be featured are Wallace, Hartline, Gibson, Matthews, Clay. Anyone who saw Jarvis Landry at LSU understands what he brings. A big thing we need at WR moving forward is the ability to block on the perimeter, something Landry and Matthews have shown an ability to do, a big reason they will see the field a lot more than the number on the depth chart might indicate. Dion Sims allows for formation versatility, which is big. Strong hands, a big target. Can't have 3 Jimmy Graham's at a spot, Madden thoughts be damned. By the way, I think Charles Clay puts himself in the top TE conversation by the end of the year. He is a true weapon, and this offense loves to let weapon's eat. I wouldn't be shocked at all if he went over 1000 yards.
The offensive line is miles better both from a talent and athletic standpoint. They proved to be a major upgrade, and with having defenses on heels and tempo wearing defense's out, won't face the same pressure last year's group saw. JaWuan James was a fav of mine pre-draft, glad he has proven me right on that. Albert is a GREAT LEADER, something I don't think he gets credit for, a great personality, certainly way more of an upgrade over Jake Long there.
DLine is our other strength. Cam Wake has NEVER gotten to simply hunt with a 2 TD lead, I can't wait to see that. OV is NASTY, watch him and him only for about 5 plays and you will understand. Incredible effort. Then great depth with Jordan, Fede, Shelby, Odrick, Starks, Mitchell, Johnson. Keep the rotation fresh, wreak havoc.
LB's get killed and at times rightfully so, the thing this regime covets is aggressiveness and pursuit to the ball. They understand their really is little shutdown defense anymore, it is about minimizing damage, and being able to play in the Red Zone. All the LB's can blitz and that allows us to attack everywhere.
The secondary is about keeping everything in front, playing smart, not giving up huge plays, and they want guys who can break on the football. Delmas will bring an attitude that this team needed, in fact, Landry, Turner, Mitchell, Tripp, Finnegan, Delmas all added to bring a nastiness to this team too. Grimes is absolutely ridiculous, and Jimmy Wilson is much better than given credit for.
4. Swagger
It is almost impossible to play at your best and have confidence enduring everything that this team went through last year. Their was hardly anything resembling fun. This is a confident team. Listen and read every quote, that quiet confidence, almost bordering on ****y seeps through. They know what last year was, and they've practiced everyday together. They know what is about to happen. We beat the good teams last year, lost to the bad teams. No more losing to bad teams. Bad teams we beat up and build confidence. It is coming together. I have a feeling that this New England game is a game where this team isn't playing to survive and win. I think they want the first round knockout. They are glad this game is on the calendar where it is at. I expect Sunday to be a game a lot like the Wildcat game, a game where New England isn't sure what hit them. I have it 38-23 with Tannehill having 4 passing TD's. The schedule is tough, but this same team wasn't scared vs Pittsburgh in the snow, only one team whipped us last year (the Saints whip a lot of people at home in primetime) I predict an 11-5 season, with Tannehill having around 4400 yards, and 37 TD's. Great times are coming for the Miami Dolphins.
