Where are we headed and what can we do better going forward | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Where are we headed and what can we do better going forward

EasyRider

EasyRider

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Can’t be fixed.

There are fans who are just satisfied where a win is a win and there are those like myself who have major concerns.
Yes, we faced a very crafty running QB and got laid 32 points on our D today and some people use it as an excuse. Goff’s offense also laid a big number on us so that argument goes out the window for me.

This D is going to face tough competition soon enough and how can this unit become a cohesive unit. We know we can score points but eventually the offense will stall against a tough defense especially in cold weather. However that’s all good offenses, so I accept that. However the offense can’t be expected to keep bailing out this D on a weekly basis. This team is starting to remind me of the KC team a couple of years before they finally won the SB. Great offense but defense failed them until they shored it up for their SB year.

We know the D isn’t cohesive and we have a few injuries but so does everyone else. What can be fixed? you’re not bringing in a new DC mid year. We probably won’t see Byron this year and X looks much older now. Our LBs although fast look lost. Can Chubb all of a sudden change things with a stronger pass rush? To be honest I was expecting Chubb to somewhat neutralize Fields today and that didn’t happen.

I won’t bring up Sanders because he’s here until next season. God knows we’ll probably need him at some point this year and he’s a shell right now

These trades last week were made because the brass felt like we were close. I don’t see us as that close although soon to be major players in the future. And that’s just it, this is going to take us a year or maybe two to get there. It happened in KC and I see it here now. We just don’t have the horses on defense yet and maybe not the right DC.

I get upset at games like the one we saw today because our D was stout last year and the teams decisions tell us we are ready for the big time. Not this year, I know crazier things happen but this a tough bell to answer.
I guess just enjoy what it is today and be more patient? How long? Let’s hope it follows the KC path and we reinforce the defense to SB caliber within a year or two
 
Good post. I do think a defense with the players we have is capable of playing much better than they are. So much is scheme and coaching / understanding what your opponent wants to do and trying to get them off of their game. This D has had its moments but unfortunately it’s not having them enough. Interesting that when Tua was injuries they were stingy. He starts scoring points and we start giving them out like Halloween candy. My point is I think a lot of it is mental. Mental mistakes, me am in where is the “will” to win your 1:1 matchups etc.? We know X is playing hurt but honestly, I think he’s only been thrown at about 4 times in the last 3 games as QBs are targeting the kids we have on the other side. Those kids will keep getting better. If Boyer is any good, he will settle the D down and we will be better down the stretch w Chubb, Ogbah and X getting healthier and hopefully getting Byron Jones back. If this continues I do think you e got to take a good look at Boyer and decide if you bring him back.
 
Guys rotating and perhaps playing out of position at nickel cannot be fixed, with the loss of Needham there. Also, Kohou and Crossen being rookies and maybe needing time to learn cannot be fixed.
We do not have a speed rusher at edge. Or even a rusher like Wake used to be, a reliable 3rd and long force. That cannot be fixed.

We can implement more run and pass blitzes, but then they would have to trust the back end of rookie DBs like Kohou and Crossen.

Fans want Boyer to find the answer. Maybe he can fix it.
 
LargoFin said:
Guys rotating and perhaps playing out of position at nickel cannot be fixed, with the loss of Needham there. Also, Kohou and Crossen being rookies and maybe needing time to learn cannot be fixed.
We do not have a speed rusher at edge. Or even a rusher like Wake used to be, a reliable 3rd and long force. That cannot be fixed.

We can implement more run and pass blitzes, but then they would have to trust the back end of rookie DBs like Kohou and Crossen.

Fans want Boyer to find the answer. Maybe he can fix it.
Click to expand...
Crossen isn‘t a rookie.
 
ForksPhin said:
Crossen isn‘t a rookie.
Click to expand...

New, I mean. We had a bunch of guys go down, Trill Williams, Needham, Byron Jones, Brandon Jones. There is rotation issues, communication with new guys in there, playing roles.
It's obvious they adjusted the defense to play man, and play back, and they want to count on pass rush more. But that is not happening. The defense is just out of sort.
 
I think the defense can get better. With the addition of Chubb, it was noticeable how much more pressure they were able to generate without blitzing. The secondary is getting healthier. So, there is talent to work with and there is some hope the defense gets progressively better.
 
Can't fix the injuries in the secondary and can't fix Sanders.

In every other respect, I'd be disappointed if there isn't noticeable improvement in the next month.
 
With the right coaching, there's no reason this defense can't be at least top 15. Jesus, we need Byron Jones back in the worse way if he can come back before the playoffs that would be huge. At our current rate we have faced 3 top 10 offenses and come out on top all 3 times, for as much as I dislike the defense I feel they really step up in crunch time. Unlike years past when they would play well but choke when we needed them most.
 
Adding Chubb will hopefully be big time.

We are strong against the run (running back, not running QB). That’s important.

I think the biggest problem is 4 of our top 5 in the secondary are out or injured. Our top 2 paid defenders before Chubb were our CBs - one hasn’t played yet, and the other has played injured all season.

Ogbah is getting paid big money to not do much, also injured, I guess.

The GM/team didn’t spend any money on the defense coming into the season with new players - just extensions etc.

So were planning to run with the same group as last year and the expectation that Brandon Jones, Jevon Holland, and Jaelen Phillips were going to take big steps forward. You could argue that they have (Phillips took a few weeks to get going).

The problem is Ogbah and AVG have been injured and our secondary has been in **** condition.

We lost Trill before the season who was expected to take the 4th CB spot from Coleman… all good.

Byron Jones situation is kind of baffling, I don’t think anyone expected it to play out like this.

I don’t think anyone expected X to look so injured/struggle this season.

Or Brandon Jones or Needham to get their seasons ended.

I mean that’s 3 full time starters out for the year so far and between X, AVG, Ogbah that’s three more full time players who have been significantly hampered by injury.

“Everyone has injuries” however you can’t really account for 4 out of 5 of your secondary being in the condition our team currently is.

The fix is to hopefully get Byron Jones and X healthy. Then Ogbah. That would be huge.
 
The offense seems to be getting better and better.
We need to improve the running game.
The defense is bend not break style.
Need to be better at tackling and pass rush.

Honestly, this is a new regime so it's been good to be able to have a winning record.
I do want the team to break away from other teams rather than keep the score close, but I think as the team gels better that should come.
 
I saw phillips losing contain on fields quite a bit today, I know fields was doing some pretty good acting on his fakes, but you gotta understand you have help to the inside. Not sure if it's a coaching thing or what. But yea this D is too talented to be getting steamrolled by Detroit and Chicago. Maybe our defensive players (LBs, DEs) by and large are more athletic than they are smart/instinctual? Something seems fundamentally wrong. And as OP said we can't rely on offense putting up this type of output every game as we play tougher opposition and play in cold/windy conditions, not if we truly want to make noise this season
 
So Easy Rider, in respect to the game today, based on Fields ability to break a rush with a long run, what I believe would have been a better solution would be to contain rush him. By that I mean stay disciplined in your lanes and just continue to try to pressure Fields in the process and force Fields to beat you with his arm deep in the pocket. Of course, you would want to designate a Spy on him just in case he breaks containment. But they just went hell bent at him and he just reacted by hitting the open gap and taking off. Btw, he has been doing the same thing to a lot of teams this year. As for the future games, I guess a lot of issues in the secondary can be solved if we can manage to rush with four and put the QB on the ground or force him to disrupt his timing. We can also put six DBs in play and disguise our coverages better that way. On obvious passing downs I think Ogbah and Wilkins could push from the inside with Chubb and Phillips coming off the edges.
 
It’s true that running QB’s with the speed and shiftiness of Fields are rare but you would think Boyer would have preached a more disciplined pass rush all week in practice. There is no reason Phillips should be running up the field and leaving those huge gaps, especially when we were in man coverage, it was too easy for Fields…looked like Ohio State against Rutgers. That’s not being prepared and that’s on the coaches.
 
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