RealDriscoll
Still Perfect.. and You're Not.
This is the point of the season where the true Dolphin fans rise to the top and the pretenders jump off the band-wagon. Did we really expect to beat the New England Patriots with two rookie cornerback’s matching up with arguably the best Wide Receiver to play the game in Randy Moss? I didn’t and I didn’t think there was any question that the Patriots were the better team BUT I left this game with much more faith in the direction our team is going. Our schedule is horrendous as we have played the Falcons, Chargers, Colts, Saints, and Patriots who will all be around when the playoffs start. We even had the league’s two undefeated teams in the Colts and Saints beaten for 90% of the games where we fell short. This team isn’t a 3-5 football team but when you come off a successful season it is expected that you’re schedule strength will be brutal. So we get look ourselves in the mirror and say we are 3-5 and we either are going to stay on the path and head into the right direction or we can fold; I can guarantee you a team run by Tony Sparano will never quit. The schedule gets much easier as we have the Buccaneers at home next week which is followed by games against the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Patriots at home in Miami, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and we end the season against the Steelers at home. Looking at the remaining schedule and knowing what I know about our team I think we will finish the season winning 5 of our last 8 games to give us a season record of 8-8; not too shabby in my opinion considering we are essentially starting a rookie corner and a major youth movement and roster overhaul is in process. The future is very bright in Miami with young players such as Randy Starks, Kendall Langford, Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, and Chad Henne starting to grow and mature into NFL players. Please remember that upon taking the job Bill Parcells didn’t hesitate to say that it would take a couple of off-seasons before the front-office could get their roster to their liking and ultimately it would take some time for them to turn a 1-15 into a contender for a long period of time; that’s the goal. The current regime wants this team to be competitive for a long time rather than a flash in the pan. We were spoiled by instant success last season and no one in the world saw us turning around from a 1-15 franchise to 11-5 and the AFC East division champions. Is there any question that we are a better team now than we were just two short seasons’ ago? I think we all know the answer to that.
Traveling to Foxboro to beat the Patriots to beat the Patriots is not an easy task; In fact not many can say they have found the success in doing so. Let’s not forget that we were without Jason Ferguson and Channing Crowder today and it was noticeable. Here is what I saw today…
*In a comedic moment Chad Henne reinacted another former Michigan Alumnist Chris Webber's action of calling a time-out with non-remaining; luckily for Henne it was only a 5 ard penalty and he bounced back by making the first down throw and unfortantly for the Dolphins Ted Ginn dropped another ball.
*My game-ball goes to Vontae Davis; being responsible for Randy Moss is not an easy task and Davis did struggle and give up a few big plays but this guy is tough. He was not afraid of the challenge and it showed. The play he made on that interception in the first quarter was remarkable and for a guy who had questionable ball skills during draft evaluations Davis have proven otherwise with two interceptions in which he returned one for a touchdown; 3 if you count the one he took from Braylon Edwards when the Jets went for a two point conversion.
*Chad Henne is going to be very good. This guy converts more third downs than any Quarterback I have seen in his first season as a starter. He reminds me so much of Joe Flacco in Baltimore. Henne has an absolute cannon of an arm and is a natural leader. He took some serious hits today but he kept getting up and going to work. His statistics were not great but we have to consider just how many balls our receiving core drops. Brian Hartline and Tedd Ginn Jr. both had crucial drives out our second to last possession that pretty much iced the game. Henne threw a great ball on a 4th and long in the face of a lot of pressure and Ted Ginn needs to make that catch. It’s been a common theme with this team and is is clearly obvious that a legitimate #1 receiver is the teams’ biggest need. Dez Bryant anyone?
*We clearly missed Jason Ferguson today and it was evident. I am not saying Paul Soliai played poorly because he played average in my opinion but the guy isn’t in great shape and he was obviously so winded out there that he could barely stand let alone get good penetration. Jason Ferguson is 35 and an unrestricted free agent after this season so we either look at locking him up for another year or two or we need to find a replacement. Could the Patriots let Vince Wilfork walk? Terrence Cody?
*Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams had a touch time finding yardage out there today and it was evident that the Patriots played to stop the run today. Ronnie Brown seemed frustrated to me and a little tentative with the ball in his hands. I think it’s time we wind down the Wild-Cat a bit because Ronnie’s focus needs to be on being that elite running-back we all know he can be, Ricky continues to run with a violence that is just fun to watch.
*It is very concerning just how far Anthony Fasano has falling in Miami; last season he accounted for 7 touchdowns and this season has just been an utter disaster for Fasano who is in a contract year. I think locking him up should be a priority as he could come cheap and would be a great #2 tight-end; Joey Haynos is becoming a touchdown machine for us. I like Haynos and think that keeping him around over John Nalbone was the right move.
*I must say I was a little discouraged by our Offensive Line today. The Patriots defense seemed to get a lot of pressure on Henne and controlled the line of scrimmage for the most part. I am not saying that played poorly but they failed to take control of this game and that was really the only chance we had.
*Saw a lot on confidence in Ted Ginn Jr. on kick-off returns today. He looked fast and decisive and put us in pretty good field position throughout the day.
*We might have a gem in Dan Carpenter. He nailed that 52 yard field goal in the 1st quarter which I thought he had no shot of hitting. He has been very impressive in his one and a half seasons in Miami. If we needed him to kick a game winner I would be pretty confident with the win.
*Going into this game I said the key would be getting pressure on Tom Brady that the spotlight would be on Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. Well we lost this battle as Tom Brady had plenty of time to read our defense and make the necessary throws. Joey Porter has truly lost a step as he was handled all day today. He runs his mouth too much; I wouldn’t have a problem with if it if he backed it up on game day but he hasn’t. I love Porter and he is the leader of this team but we might want to get Cameron Wake on the field some more because he got the most pressure on Brady today. When Wake was in the game our pass rush was getting to Brady; I’d like to keep JT for another season but he could end up calling it a career..
*Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell played much better today and I think they will continue to do so going forward. Despite being a veteran Gibril Wilson is a rookie to our defense and him working with Yeremiah Bell is like having a veteran pitcher like Derek Lowe working with a rookie catcher like Matt Wieters; it takes time to develop that chemistry.
*The biggest needs this off-season will be Inside Linebacker, Wide Receiver, and Nose Tackle. Luckily for us this years’ draft is loaded with these positions and also loaded at pass rushing 3-4 Outside Linebackers which we could use as well.
*Pat White impressed me especially on that long run. I am glad to see him worked into the game-plan and I think he should be the main trigger-man in the wild-cat. I’d like to see more out of him in the passing game but he is a rookie and has to develop.
* My one gripe about today’s game is that I think our coaching staff had a terrible game-plan. Why would you put a rookie corner in single coverage with the best receiver in the league at any point of today’s’ game? We did and ultimately it cost us big as the two big pass plays Moss made were what won the game for the Patriots. Also, is it just me is the Wild-Cat becoming very predictable and stale. Ronnie didn’t look very confident running it today and our execution was just poor. I think it is good to use in certain situations but I think we use it way to often and when we do teams’ know we are going to run. My main beef with the wild-cat is that it takes Chad Henne out of the game and ruins his rhythm. Henne is constantly off the field than back on then off again and taking Henne off the field after he converts two straight third downs to bring Pat White in to run a draw for a 3 yard gain baffles me. The Wild-Cat is fun to watch but if it isn’t productive we need to tone it down; the contrary would be to throw some new wrinkles in it, do some double reverses, get Ted Ginn involved in it, allow Pat White to throw out of it, etc. I think there a lot of options but we just have to take some shots.
The truth is today we fought hard and the better team won but we are close to being a very good team. I think next season we will be a very dangerous team as Henne will have a full season as a starter under his belt, our young rookie corners will have playing experience, and hopefully we address the needs we have on this roster. I am not jumping off the wagon and for those of you question this teams’ heart or direction need to look in the mirror and ask yourselves. “Am I really a Dolphins fan or am I just riding the train when it’s hot?”. Today I was impressed with the fight our young teams put forth and believe that great things are to come in Miami.
Let’s go around the league….
*The score might not have shown it but the Ravens were dominated by the Bengals today. Cedric Benson is running better than he ever has as he has now had two one-hundred yard rushing games against the Ravens. Carson Palmer is back the Bengals are for real. Joe Flacco has his worst game in the NFL today and the Ravens offense was just flat. The Bengals beat them in all three phases of the game.
*Go figure Chris Chambers would have two touchdowns; I wanted him back in Miami as a fan but didn’t think the move made sense but maybe I was wrong. The Chiefs are god awful though and the Jaguars aren’t much better. Somehow the Jaguars are 4-4 and I think they are a bad football team. Jamal Charles isn’t an every down back IMO. Maurice Jones-Drew sure is though.
*It was good to see the Buccaneers win in their old school uniforms. The Packers are in trouble as losing this game truly brings the heat on Mike McCarthy, Ted Thompson, and even Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have the worst Offensive Line I think I have ever seen. Josh Freeman was pretty impressive in his NFL Debut. Unfortunately for him he comes to Miami to play the Fins next week J
*The Colts were involved in another nail bitter against division rival Houston Texans. Until the Texans can beat the Colts I am not convinced they are a legitimate playoff contender. Matt Schaub throws for a ton of yardage every week but also throws a lot of picks as well. The Colts keep trucking…
*The Redskins organization is in shambles. Their coach will not be back next season and neither will their Quarterback. This team is in choas. Michael Turner seems to be regaining last seasons' form and the Falcons are playing well. They have a ton of Offensive fire-power and their defense is playing well enough for them to win.
*Last week Kurt Warner threw 5 interceptions and this week he threw 5 touchdowns.. Larry Fitzgerald is the key to this teams' success; when he plays well they win. The Bears have been getting dominated lately. Unfortantly for them they traded away their first two draft picks this season so they are going to have to find another way to rebuild that defense.
*It wasn't easy and it actually reminded me of the Dolphins game but the Saints fought back and pulled off another win; their defense made another big play down the stretch of the game which sealed the deal. Brees and is receiving core are truly running on all cylinders and Robert Maechem is starting to make some plays. DeAngelo Williams ran his arse off but had a huge fumble down the stretch that killed them. Steve Smith has been a non-factor and this Panthers offebse is lacking an identity.
*The Lions are terrible. They go up 17-0 and lose. They need to start improving their defense; Seattle is not a very good team but they made enough plays wo win the game. Stafford hit his rookie wall by throwing 5 interceptions and was sacked like it was his job.
*Chris Johnson is the best back in the league right now and Vince Young might not be the best passer in the league but he can make plays with his feet and the team is 2-0 with him as the starter. Alex Smith did throw 3 picks but he seems to be the right guy to lead this team. Courtland Finnegan is a great player and comes back from an injury with a pick 6.
*How do the Chargers win that game? The Giants defense is playing with zero confidence and Vincent Jackson continues to emerge as a big-time receiver. LaDanian Tomlinson is really on the down-side of his career.
*The Cowboys are for real; so it Miles Austin.
Until Next Week....
Traveling to Foxboro to beat the Patriots to beat the Patriots is not an easy task; In fact not many can say they have found the success in doing so. Let’s not forget that we were without Jason Ferguson and Channing Crowder today and it was noticeable. Here is what I saw today…
*In a comedic moment Chad Henne reinacted another former Michigan Alumnist Chris Webber's action of calling a time-out with non-remaining; luckily for Henne it was only a 5 ard penalty and he bounced back by making the first down throw and unfortantly for the Dolphins Ted Ginn dropped another ball.
*My game-ball goes to Vontae Davis; being responsible for Randy Moss is not an easy task and Davis did struggle and give up a few big plays but this guy is tough. He was not afraid of the challenge and it showed. The play he made on that interception in the first quarter was remarkable and for a guy who had questionable ball skills during draft evaluations Davis have proven otherwise with two interceptions in which he returned one for a touchdown; 3 if you count the one he took from Braylon Edwards when the Jets went for a two point conversion.
*Chad Henne is going to be very good. This guy converts more third downs than any Quarterback I have seen in his first season as a starter. He reminds me so much of Joe Flacco in Baltimore. Henne has an absolute cannon of an arm and is a natural leader. He took some serious hits today but he kept getting up and going to work. His statistics were not great but we have to consider just how many balls our receiving core drops. Brian Hartline and Tedd Ginn Jr. both had crucial drives out our second to last possession that pretty much iced the game. Henne threw a great ball on a 4th and long in the face of a lot of pressure and Ted Ginn needs to make that catch. It’s been a common theme with this team and is is clearly obvious that a legitimate #1 receiver is the teams’ biggest need. Dez Bryant anyone?
*We clearly missed Jason Ferguson today and it was evident. I am not saying Paul Soliai played poorly because he played average in my opinion but the guy isn’t in great shape and he was obviously so winded out there that he could barely stand let alone get good penetration. Jason Ferguson is 35 and an unrestricted free agent after this season so we either look at locking him up for another year or two or we need to find a replacement. Could the Patriots let Vince Wilfork walk? Terrence Cody?
*Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams had a touch time finding yardage out there today and it was evident that the Patriots played to stop the run today. Ronnie Brown seemed frustrated to me and a little tentative with the ball in his hands. I think it’s time we wind down the Wild-Cat a bit because Ronnie’s focus needs to be on being that elite running-back we all know he can be, Ricky continues to run with a violence that is just fun to watch.
*It is very concerning just how far Anthony Fasano has falling in Miami; last season he accounted for 7 touchdowns and this season has just been an utter disaster for Fasano who is in a contract year. I think locking him up should be a priority as he could come cheap and would be a great #2 tight-end; Joey Haynos is becoming a touchdown machine for us. I like Haynos and think that keeping him around over John Nalbone was the right move.
*I must say I was a little discouraged by our Offensive Line today. The Patriots defense seemed to get a lot of pressure on Henne and controlled the line of scrimmage for the most part. I am not saying that played poorly but they failed to take control of this game and that was really the only chance we had.
*Saw a lot on confidence in Ted Ginn Jr. on kick-off returns today. He looked fast and decisive and put us in pretty good field position throughout the day.
*We might have a gem in Dan Carpenter. He nailed that 52 yard field goal in the 1st quarter which I thought he had no shot of hitting. He has been very impressive in his one and a half seasons in Miami. If we needed him to kick a game winner I would be pretty confident with the win.
*Going into this game I said the key would be getting pressure on Tom Brady that the spotlight would be on Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. Well we lost this battle as Tom Brady had plenty of time to read our defense and make the necessary throws. Joey Porter has truly lost a step as he was handled all day today. He runs his mouth too much; I wouldn’t have a problem with if it if he backed it up on game day but he hasn’t. I love Porter and he is the leader of this team but we might want to get Cameron Wake on the field some more because he got the most pressure on Brady today. When Wake was in the game our pass rush was getting to Brady; I’d like to keep JT for another season but he could end up calling it a career..
*Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell played much better today and I think they will continue to do so going forward. Despite being a veteran Gibril Wilson is a rookie to our defense and him working with Yeremiah Bell is like having a veteran pitcher like Derek Lowe working with a rookie catcher like Matt Wieters; it takes time to develop that chemistry.
*The biggest needs this off-season will be Inside Linebacker, Wide Receiver, and Nose Tackle. Luckily for us this years’ draft is loaded with these positions and also loaded at pass rushing 3-4 Outside Linebackers which we could use as well.
*Pat White impressed me especially on that long run. I am glad to see him worked into the game-plan and I think he should be the main trigger-man in the wild-cat. I’d like to see more out of him in the passing game but he is a rookie and has to develop.
* My one gripe about today’s game is that I think our coaching staff had a terrible game-plan. Why would you put a rookie corner in single coverage with the best receiver in the league at any point of today’s’ game? We did and ultimately it cost us big as the two big pass plays Moss made were what won the game for the Patriots. Also, is it just me is the Wild-Cat becoming very predictable and stale. Ronnie didn’t look very confident running it today and our execution was just poor. I think it is good to use in certain situations but I think we use it way to often and when we do teams’ know we are going to run. My main beef with the wild-cat is that it takes Chad Henne out of the game and ruins his rhythm. Henne is constantly off the field than back on then off again and taking Henne off the field after he converts two straight third downs to bring Pat White in to run a draw for a 3 yard gain baffles me. The Wild-Cat is fun to watch but if it isn’t productive we need to tone it down; the contrary would be to throw some new wrinkles in it, do some double reverses, get Ted Ginn involved in it, allow Pat White to throw out of it, etc. I think there a lot of options but we just have to take some shots.
The truth is today we fought hard and the better team won but we are close to being a very good team. I think next season we will be a very dangerous team as Henne will have a full season as a starter under his belt, our young rookie corners will have playing experience, and hopefully we address the needs we have on this roster. I am not jumping off the wagon and for those of you question this teams’ heart or direction need to look in the mirror and ask yourselves. “Am I really a Dolphins fan or am I just riding the train when it’s hot?”. Today I was impressed with the fight our young teams put forth and believe that great things are to come in Miami.
Let’s go around the league….
*The score might not have shown it but the Ravens were dominated by the Bengals today. Cedric Benson is running better than he ever has as he has now had two one-hundred yard rushing games against the Ravens. Carson Palmer is back the Bengals are for real. Joe Flacco has his worst game in the NFL today and the Ravens offense was just flat. The Bengals beat them in all three phases of the game.
*Go figure Chris Chambers would have two touchdowns; I wanted him back in Miami as a fan but didn’t think the move made sense but maybe I was wrong. The Chiefs are god awful though and the Jaguars aren’t much better. Somehow the Jaguars are 4-4 and I think they are a bad football team. Jamal Charles isn’t an every down back IMO. Maurice Jones-Drew sure is though.
*It was good to see the Buccaneers win in their old school uniforms. The Packers are in trouble as losing this game truly brings the heat on Mike McCarthy, Ted Thompson, and even Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have the worst Offensive Line I think I have ever seen. Josh Freeman was pretty impressive in his NFL Debut. Unfortunately for him he comes to Miami to play the Fins next week J
*The Colts were involved in another nail bitter against division rival Houston Texans. Until the Texans can beat the Colts I am not convinced they are a legitimate playoff contender. Matt Schaub throws for a ton of yardage every week but also throws a lot of picks as well. The Colts keep trucking…
*The Redskins organization is in shambles. Their coach will not be back next season and neither will their Quarterback. This team is in choas. Michael Turner seems to be regaining last seasons' form and the Falcons are playing well. They have a ton of Offensive fire-power and their defense is playing well enough for them to win.
*Last week Kurt Warner threw 5 interceptions and this week he threw 5 touchdowns.. Larry Fitzgerald is the key to this teams' success; when he plays well they win. The Bears have been getting dominated lately. Unfortantly for them they traded away their first two draft picks this season so they are going to have to find another way to rebuild that defense.
*It wasn't easy and it actually reminded me of the Dolphins game but the Saints fought back and pulled off another win; their defense made another big play down the stretch of the game which sealed the deal. Brees and is receiving core are truly running on all cylinders and Robert Maechem is starting to make some plays. DeAngelo Williams ran his arse off but had a huge fumble down the stretch that killed them. Steve Smith has been a non-factor and this Panthers offebse is lacking an identity.
*The Lions are terrible. They go up 17-0 and lose. They need to start improving their defense; Seattle is not a very good team but they made enough plays wo win the game. Stafford hit his rookie wall by throwing 5 interceptions and was sacked like it was his job.
*Chris Johnson is the best back in the league right now and Vince Young might not be the best passer in the league but he can make plays with his feet and the team is 2-0 with him as the starter. Alex Smith did throw 3 picks but he seems to be the right guy to lead this team. Courtland Finnegan is a great player and comes back from an injury with a pick 6.
*How do the Chargers win that game? The Giants defense is playing with zero confidence and Vincent Jackson continues to emerge as a big-time receiver. LaDanian Tomlinson is really on the down-side of his career.
*The Cowboys are for real; so it Miles Austin.
Until Next Week....
