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Warning Signs

inFINSible

Don't believe everything you think.
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Two years ago we had a decent running game and poor QB play.....Last year The QB play improved but the running game digressed.......What do both of these things have in common?

They were the first problems to come to light when the season started and they were ultimately directly responsible for the results of the season.

So I look around....and I see the first warning flag of what could be a formidable problem.....Poor defensive line play.....I accept the answers of "it was designed that way" and "you can't expect 5 sacks a game every game"...or "they scored all their points in garbage time"......but, in the back of my mind I wonder if this will be our achilles heel this year.....

From my experience, I know it's always something.

I want to be as positive as the next guy but once a weakness is discovered it is attacked until it is fixed.

I worry about the first time a team with a good RB comes in and feeds him 30 handoffs.....How will our Run D hold up?(Will we find out the answer this weekend?)

How will our pass defense hold up against the Bills or the all of a sudden pass happy Raiders?( We go to KC next weekend, will we find out then)....

There are still some questions that need to be answered.

I want to see this team clicking like the Pats....then I'll relax and enjoy the ride.

What do you guys think?
 
wawarning signs.............

i agree 100%. we have some major warning signs on this team right now. and we should get 3-5 sacks a game, thats not to much.

if you can't stop the run and rush the passer, you do not go to the superbowl. thats a fact. i know the finz brass is putting a spin on the colt game but i thought tom olivadotti had come back for that game sunday.

it is one thing to not get a sack. it is another to not get anywhere near the qb.

and "staying possitive"? well, i am as possitive as the next guy, but possitive thinking by fans has absolutely NO effect on the players on the field. hell if all we had to do was think possitive, i would have us get 75 sacks a year and we would always be in the superbowl.

but there is a reality. 32 years of watching this team has taught me that. all this "you guys gotta think possitive" is for blind homers who think jay fiedler is going to the hall of fame. [another warning sign, can't make the deep pass].

it's early, but these signs all started last year. it isn't just the colts game. they might need to re- think this defense in the offseason.

___________________________________________________

PROSECUTE THE FLORIDA 3!!
 
Originally posted by inFINSible
I worry about the first time a team with a good RB comes in and feeds him 30 handoffs.....How will our Run D hold up?(Will we find out the answer this weekend?)

What do you guys think?

Well... the first time a team (possibly the Jets) with a good RB does come in and feeds him 30 handoffs I would certainly hope, and imagine (reasonably assume, that is) that our coaches would either 1) put eight in the box or 2) bring up the safeties to support the run.

Until we see how we respond under THOSE circumstances I think it's totally unfair (and stupid) to judge the ability of our defense to stop the run.

What we did in Indianapolis was BY DESIGN. And I have to admit that though I didn't like it... I liked the results! ;)

And that's why I'm pushing papers across my desk instead of coaching in the NFL! :p

GO 'PHINS!!!

:monkey: JETS
 
[another warning sign, can't make the deep pass].

Good point too......what happens when teams start playing tight on the underneath stuff because the percentages say that Jay can't make the throws consistently enough to beat you deep? Is that going to slow the running game down too?

This is not stuff we make up just so we have something to bitch about.....It's quite the opposite really.....i want problems addressed and corrected at the first sign of trouble so that I don't have anything to be negative about. I'm just trying to find the problems before they start glaring.

I love all the good things that are happening and I love to read and write about it, but the fact is, OUR OPPONENTS are searching for ways to beat us and these are the weaknesses that I see. Like it or not they deserve discussion.
 
Couldn't...

... agree with you more. Sorry if my post came off as "dissing" your original post. That was not my intention. In actuality, I was trying to concur (Is that the word?).

In any event, I think the beauty of this year on BOTH offense and defense is that we have the players AND the coaches to adapt, or adjust (whatever), both before and during games... depending on what the opposition presents.

Our coaches (and players) merely have to act quickly on this. Case in point, I would have liked Madison to switch with Fletcher a little sooner in the second half. Personally, I don't think it took too long to see that Fletcher was drowning against Harrison. Or was I watching another game? :D

Still, that's an example of how this team is able to adjust during the game. And effectively, too, I might add. Other teams can't even consider some of the adjustments we have available to us.

And as far as our d-line... I'd like to think that the Jets are going to be in for a long day considering how hot it will be and how many linemen we have available to rotate in and out (and, thereby, keep fresh). I havve to assume that the coaches are thinking about this... relentless rush... we have the players for it.
 
Whats this crap about Jay not completing long throws? You all remember Chris Chambers last season right? How about that pass that hit McKnight between the 8 and the 0 during the play-off game? Honestly, if other teams defend the underneath pass, Norv will send Chambers deep and Jay will hit him, count on it. The run D thing may be a little overrated though. We all know how much Wanny respects Manning, and he should. He was playing the safeties deep to prevent the big play. There is little big play threat against the Jets O, so that won't be the case this weekend. I'm very confident in that......
 
You may be completely right.
We have alot of talent and we should be able to play with anybody and make the necessary adjustments....but, I remember it took Madison having to TELL Bates that he was going to cover Harrison, before Harrison/Manning stopped killing us.....Bates is the Chan Gailey of defense and that worrys me a little.....

If we went into the Jets game with the intent of shutting down the pass and the Jets come out pounding the ball down our throats....How long would it take Bates to change his scheme?
 
You're right, and I share your worries there. I say let Wanny run the D. We should have let Bates go to Washington and hired Marvin Lewis......
 
Originally posted by BMarion31
Whats this crap about Jay not completing long throws? You all remember Chris Chambers last season right? How about that pass that hit McKnight between the 8 and the 0 during the play-off game? Honestly, if other teams defend the underneath pass, Norv will send Chambers deep and Jay will hit him, count on it. The run D thing may be a little overrated though. We all know how much Wanny respects Manning, and he should. He was playing the safeties deep to prevent the big play. There is little big play threat against the Jets O, so that won't be the case this weekend. I'm very confident in that......

No one said he couldn't complete the long ball.....He just can't throw it consistently enough for the opposing team to fear it.

For every example of a long ball he has hit there are three he missed....not to mention the fact that Chambers has never caught one in stride, he is always climbing a ladder to pull them down.
 
Both of you are correct... sadly.

Bates (for our defense) does not appear to be in the same catagory as Norv is on offense.

But, hey, at least he was willing to listen (and act on) what Madison had to say. Right?

Think Buddy Ryan ever did that with the Bears or as head coach of the Eagles? [Correct me if I'm wrong.]

I don't know. I think Wanny has the final say and HE should be responsible for whether or not we play agressively enough or not this Sunday.

IF we were to lose... I'd rather do so in "going for the kill" than playing NOT TO LOSE. Gailey demonstrated the effectiveness of that, on offense. That is, it was NOT effective.

And, if nothing else, it's cowardly.

Dammit! Players should at least be given the chance to WIN the game. Much more exciting stuff to watch and cheer for!

My .02!
 
Originally posted by BMarion31
You're right, and I share your worries there. I say let Wanny run the D. We should have let Bates go to Washington and hired Marvin Lewis......

Is it possible that Wanny IS running the D......the same way that he ran the O last year?

We all know about Wanny's feelings on change and continuity. He wouldn't even hear of talk of a QB controversy here because of what he went through in Chicago, do you think that attitude is reflected in his coaching staff? Maybe it all starts with our head coach and his reluctance to stray from "the plan".
 
You have to admit...

... "the plan" is looking pretty good so far.

What is it with us Dolphans? Why are we all such hypocondriacs? :o

Seriously, I think the plan has and always will be to dominate on the ground. And that's what Wanny IS doing.

Now, the rushing DEFENSE "may" need some work, but I still think it's waaaay too early to start throwing up EMERGENCY SIGNALS. Case in point, the NY Giants are currently ranked last in the NFL in sacks (defensively). Do you seriously think that they're worried about that? I don't. If they're STILL ranked last by week four THEN, maybe, you can start to get a little excited. And by mid-season... definitely. Same thing goes for our defense.

On a different tangent...

As for our passing game, I'm totally fine with saving the air game for running the proverbial "stake through our opponents hearts"... just so long as that's what we actually end up doing and NOT what we saw against the Colts.

That game really should have been something more like 31 or 38 to 13... or 20, even. But ZERO points in the second half WAS disappointing. No doubt about it.

And Wanny and Norv, I'm sure (can't think it to be any other way), have it clear in their minds that this team MUST develop a "killer instinct" by season's end.

THAT, folks, is what I'm looking for. Hopefully, this Sunday will provide the first true signs that this team is finally ready for the "NEXT LEVEL".

GO 'PHINS!!!
 
Now, the rushing DEFENSE "may" need some work, but I still think it's waaaay too early to start throwing up EMERGENCY SIGNALS.

The thread is called WARNING SIGNS...;)

And I'm not making declarative statements.....I'm asking questions....I don't know what's going to happen....I hope you're right and everything is under control.....

I'm sure the coaches would NEVER tell us that everything is fine if they had ANY concerns

;)
 
but i thought tom olivadotti had come back for that game sunday


If that were the case...we would have lost...:lol:

Instead...the D won the game for us...
 
LOL!!!

Originally posted by inFINSible


The thread is called WARNING SIGNS...;)

...

I'm sure the coaches would NEVER tell us that everything is fine if they had ANY concerns

;)
[/QUOTTE]

lol!

Too funny, man!!!

And I agree, TOTALLY, the coaches would NOT try to blow sunshine... well, you know!

And so... on the subject of warning signs... I will say this:

Our linebackers should, IMHO, be our greatest area of concern right now... with Special Teams runninga close second. (Especially kick returns... mostly on punt return, though.)

We need more aggresive play from our LB's. I don't know if that's a personnel issue or a coaching one, but something has to give. I'm having fits watching other teams pull their linebackers up to the line to either fake a blitz or outright unload on the opposing quarterback. I'm not saying to use this on every other down but, dammit!

Hey, has anyone ever noticed HOW WELL the blitz has worked for us in the past when we HAVE used it? That's what kills me the most. IF it works so well...

I don't know. YOU tell me! :confused:
 
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