Great analysis. Thank you for this video review.
To those who always wanted to criticize Jesse Davis … now you know why we started him instead of Larsen. Davis is doing a good job all in all. Larsen is still shaking the rust off. We _really_ miss Josh Sitton … and not only because he was our best lineman, but also because his position is often extremely hard because while the LT typically takes the best speed rusher, the LG usually takes the quickest DT and sees a lot of stunts/twists. Plugging someone into that spot is always rough, because the LT needs competent help, and the C is usually overmatched physically, so the LG usually has little margin for error. Larsen isn't there yet, and had a very rough day. But, for the Patriots, 53 beat everyone he went against at least once … and sometimes the other team plays well too.
Earlier in the season we saw what this offense can do with pass protection and open run lanes … and those times looked pretty good honestly. But with the OL having so many breakdowns, that "weakest link" typically wrecks the play, wrecking the set of downs, and grinds the offense into the mud. We need to get this worked out. Losing both of our free agent solutions really hurt. Watching Pouncey have a healthy season in San Di.... errrrr Los Angeles doesn't make Dolphins fans feel particularly lucky. Our FA choice at C, Kilgore, looked decent, albeit not great. But his replacement, Swanson, looked highly challenged, out of his depth quickness-wise, and jittery making a bad snap. Wouldn't it be great if Jake Brendel were healthy right about now? Now we bring in Wesley Johnson, a journeyman with average quickness and power who was cut loose by the Jets. Not a recipe for success.
At the end of the day, we're not an all-star team. We're a team with strengths and weaknesses, like every NFL team. Our challenge will be to figure out how to use those strengths and camouflage or de-emphasize those weaknesses. Gase is good at that, but he picks his spots. The trick plays against the Raiders were the best expression of that. Great game plan, wonderful use of speed, nice setup, and good problems to present to opposing DC's. But most of all, they made a difference that may have tipped the game into the Win column.
But, if we don't get this OL sorted out … not sure we'll be close enough to have those trick plays and good game planning really tip the scales. Tannehill's luck with OL hasn't been great.
