USA Today: Biggest surprises of NFL preseason
- Thread starter gafin
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ohall
A Miami Dolphins fan, not a players fan.
It's there for the Dolphins to take advantage of. It's been there the last 2-years IMO as well. Now they need stay healthy and just do it. The talent is on this team to make a push towards taking the AFC East for real. Hopefully Philbin is a changed HC and it will happen.
A ton of positive press for the Dolphins this year. Will it mean anything? Let's ****ing hope so.
The press, positive or negative, won't shape the Dolphins season. Never has, never will. If they can stay relatively healthy we'll make the playoffs. This team is ready to win games when it counts. The QB is ready and that's the most important thing.
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Looking at the Philbin Dolphins there are a few things I realized. For instance:
1. The team performs well until there is an injury to key personnel.
With everyone healthy, we start out good enough to win and improve as the year goes on. But a key injury like losing Brandon Gibson and Dustin Keller really compounded our offense's ability to execute the possession routes that offense needed.
The loss of Mr. Versatile Knowshon Moreno really limited what our offense could do.
Brandon Albert going down crippled our OL and magnified other weaknesses.
Not replacing Soliai exposed our weak LB corps.
Pre-Wallace, our lack of a deep threat lower teams to smother our short and intermediate routes and stuff our run game. While Wallace opened all of that up, the lack of chemistry between Tannehill and Wallace never really gave the offense what it needed from explosive plays.
2. Our defense is good at being good, but not great when needed.
We had good statistical years, but one year we caused the fewest takeaways ever for a Dolphin team. Another year they couldn't hold a lead late in the game. Last year they couldn't stop the run and got consistently exposed once other teams realizes that.
Coyle needs to step it up, because we have enough talent and the offense is primed.
3. We have de-emphasized Special Teams play.
Gone are the big contracts of big time producers Carpenter and Fields. Gone are the specialized return guys. Now we need to win it on offense and defense, because specials only guys just aren't welcome here anymore.
4. We are built to beat the Patriots, not win the division.
All 3 of the Dolphins, Jets and Bills are built to beat the Patriots. The ridiculously dominant DL, many sources of A-gap pressure, and lots of resources at CB makes everyone trying to be a Brady beater.
The problem is that the Dolphins aren't Jets beaters or Bills beaters. Until we can also built a strong OL, we will be unlikely to win the division.
This article is encouraging. I do think we can challenge and we are a playoff team. But we need to execute on offense against tremendous defenses to win the division. I don't think our OL is up to the task, even if everyone stays healthy.
1. The team performs well until there is an injury to key personnel.
With everyone healthy, we start out good enough to win and improve as the year goes on. But a key injury like losing Brandon Gibson and Dustin Keller really compounded our offense's ability to execute the possession routes that offense needed.
The loss of Mr. Versatile Knowshon Moreno really limited what our offense could do.
Brandon Albert going down crippled our OL and magnified other weaknesses.
Not replacing Soliai exposed our weak LB corps.
Pre-Wallace, our lack of a deep threat lower teams to smother our short and intermediate routes and stuff our run game. While Wallace opened all of that up, the lack of chemistry between Tannehill and Wallace never really gave the offense what it needed from explosive plays.
2. Our defense is good at being good, but not great when needed.
We had good statistical years, but one year we caused the fewest takeaways ever for a Dolphin team. Another year they couldn't hold a lead late in the game. Last year they couldn't stop the run and got consistently exposed once other teams realizes that.
Coyle needs to step it up, because we have enough talent and the offense is primed.
3. We have de-emphasized Special Teams play.
Gone are the big contracts of big time producers Carpenter and Fields. Gone are the specialized return guys. Now we need to win it on offense and defense, because specials only guys just aren't welcome here anymore.
4. We are built to beat the Patriots, not win the division.
All 3 of the Dolphins, Jets and Bills are built to beat the Patriots. The ridiculously dominant DL, many sources of A-gap pressure, and lots of resources at CB makes everyone trying to be a Brady beater.
The problem is that the Dolphins aren't Jets beaters or Bills beaters. Until we can also built a strong OL, we will be unlikely to win the division.
This article is encouraging. I do think we can challenge and we are a playoff team. But we need to execute on offense against tremendous defenses to win the division. I don't think our OL is up to the task, even if everyone stays healthy.
hoops
Tua time!
Oline looks more stout on contact this year...at least in the preseason...we arent soft anymore...although it does have to be said we havent faced the most physical of dlines yet...
Still its encouraging...
Still its encouraging...
^^ Beat me to it.
****, You have Ryan Tannehill...a good receiving core and an average o-line...that right there is enough for 9 wins...
You add in a a dominate front 4 that can get consistent pressure a solid LB and a top end S and CB and you add another 2 wins...
11-5...barring a major injury is my thought...12-4 is very reasonable...
You add in a a dominate front 4 that can get consistent pressure a solid LB and a top end S and CB and you add another 2 wins...
11-5...barring a major injury is my thought...12-4 is very reasonable...
I could've sworn Alex Marvez literally decided who got into the Super Bowl each year. No?
