2015 Dolphins: Fire the Lazor!

[sodenj5]

 
Yeah, I just disagree with this.  They're going to go 1-5 in the division, there's no recovering from that.

I would say Miami can beat the Bills, and they probably should have beaten the Jets. They've played NE well at home the last two years. I would say they can win at least two.

If NE is locked in as the 1 seed, and AREN'T going for a perfect record, Miami could have an easier time than anticipated in Week 17. Obviously, you can't bank on that, but I see them going 2-4, maybe 3-3.

 

[JohnnyK]

Their losses against the Bills and Jets were at home, and now they are 0-3 in the division. Do you really think they beat both the Bills and Jets on the road and possibly the Patriots at home?

 

[Stitch01]

I think Romo is back for their game, which is a bad break, so I have the Dolphins at 3-8 or 4-7 heading into December.  They will be underdogs the next four games if Romo returns.

 

[mcaqua]

Their losses against the Bills and Jets were at home, and now they are 0-3 in the division. Do you really think they beat both the Bills and Jets on the road and possibly the Patriots at home?

 
I think its strange to call out the fact that they've traditionally played the Patriots tough at home, and neglect to cite the fact that they've gotten their lips ripped off traditionally at the Ralph.  I could see them stealing one at the Meadowlands or the Ralph, but not both.
 
The NFL did this team no favors in scheduling their divisional slate.

 

[DJnVa]

 
The NFL did this team no favors in scheduling their divisional slate.

 

Yeah, I mean, they got 2 of 3 at home and played their toughest division road game in October instead of a possible snowy Gillette in December.

 

[sodenj5]

 
Yeah, I mean, they got 2 of 3 at home and played their toughest division road game in October instead of a possible snowy Gillette in December.

 
They also get Buffalo in early November. It could have been worse, and Miami could have made it easier on themselves by winning one of those two games at home.
 
They also finish the season with 4 of 5 at home. Obviously it makes for long stretches like the current one with road games, but better to have that now than in December. 

 

[mcaqua]

 
Yeah, I mean, they got 2 of 3 at home and played their toughest division road game in October instead of a possible snowy Gillette in December.

 
Is this serious?  They're also the first team in NFL history to play less than three home divisional tilts.  And they had to travel on the short week, regardless of timing.  And they get the Bills next week coming off their bye. 
 
Snow looks like a picnic by comparison.

 

[sodenj5]

 
Is this serious?  They're also the first team in NFL history to play less than three home divisional tilts.  And they had to travel on the short week, regardless of timing.  And they get the Bills next week coming off their bye. 
 
Snow looks like a picnic by comparison.

 
Eh, you can thank the owner for signing up for the London game. Ross was garnering good will for a Super Bowl bid. That's not on the league. Having a divisional game in London and one on a Thursday isn't ideal, but almost all of the Thursday games are divisional games this year, so it isn't like Miami was being unfairly targeted. 

 

[Clears Cleaver]

Fuck, just heard about Wake. Doubtful you'll ever see him in Miami again or ever see him play at that elite level again. Too bad.

I have nothing to offer. I had brutal sinus and ear infection and turned it off after the safety and went to sleep. I saw the final on my phone and taped the game.

No wake and Tannehill sucking against real team....they could lose out just as easy as winning 3-4 more games.

They are tied to RT for another year. My guess is they draft a QB

 

[dwainw]

I would say Miami can beat the Bills, and they probably should have beaten the Jets. They've played NE well at home the last two years. I would say they can win at least two.

If NE is locked in as the 1 seed, and AREN'T going for a perfect record, Miami could have an easier time than anticipated in Week 17. Obviously, you can't bank on that, but I see them going 2-4, maybe 3-3.

I respect you and all that you offer here, and I admire your optimism, but I'm not seeing it.  To me their stripes were exposed last night (or something like that).  They are what they are:  a team with several very talented players, with a decent but inconsistent QB with exploitable flaws, with an inconsistent-at-best OL, and severely lacking in depth and experienced coaching.  That was case before losing Wake.  They'll win a few more games this year, probably even manage another blowout or two.  But they are no match for good teams, including those in their own division.   All of that adds up to a 7 - 9 team.  That's my entirely gut-based, unscientific analysis, but I'm sticking to it.

[For the record, I'll still watch and cheer.  Lest someone call me a twat or--gasp--fair weather.]

 

 

[sodenj5]

I'll say that in my time as a competent Dolphin fan, I can honestly think of three players that could legitimately be considered the absolute best at what they do.
 
Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Cam Wake. Marino's prime was a bit before my time. it's entirely possible we've seen the last of Cam Wake, or at least the Cam Wake that plays at an all-pro level. He may be cut, he may restructure and play, but at his age and with how much he relies upon elite burst and athleticism, I have a hard time seeing him regaining the explosion needed to be at that elite level. Brent Grimes recovered from his Achilles to play at a high level again, but he also wasn't 33 when it happened. 
 

I respect you and all that you offer here, and I admire your optimism, but I'm not seeing it.  To me their stripes were exposed last night (or something like that).  They are what they are:  a team with several very talented players, with a decent but inconsistent QB with exploitable flaws, with an inconsistent-at-best OL, and severely lacking in depth and experienced coaching.  That was case before losing Wake.  They'll win a few more games this year, probably even manage another blowout or two.  But they are no match for good teams, including those in their own division.   All of that adds up to a 7 - 9 team.  That's my entirely gut-based, unscientific analysis, but I'm sticking to it.

[For the record, I'll still watch and cheer.  Lest someone call me a twat or--gasp--fair weather.]

 

 
I feel like it's one of those things where they aren't as good as they looked against Houston and Tennessee, but they also aren't as bad as they looked against one of, if not the best teams in the league, on a short week, on the road. I'm not saying Miami should be discussed in the same company as the real contenders or elite teams, but they are good enough to beat the second tier teams.
 
They dug themselves an enormous hole, but look at the records of the other teams in the AFC. There's a clear gap between the division leaders, and the mess that is everyone else. Pittsburgh and the Jets would currently hold the two wild card slots with 4 wins each. Miami and Buffalo are the only other teams right now in the AFC with 3 wins. The playoffs aren't out of reach if they can play well down the stretch. 

 

[BrazilianSoxFan]

 

NOTE TO ALL: No trolling here during and after the game. 

 

 

I'll say that in my time as a competent Dolphin fan, [...]

 
This is entrapment!! No fair...

 

[Gunfighter 09]

. Miami and Buffalo are the only other teams right now in the AFC with 3 wins. 

Nope.

View attachment 1403

 

[cgori]

If it was an ACL for Wake, how the hell did he seem to play for a couple seconds after it looked like it happened?

 
Just for absolute clarity, ACL is not Achilles (ACL = knee, Achilles = ankle).  
 
ACL tears are going to be painful in the instant but you can still be weight-bearing, just with significant instability in the knee.  You'll see guys walk off the field after an ACL tear sometimes, and then they are diagnosed that night/next morning with ACL tears and/or patellar tendon damage (or if "lucky", just an MCL sprain).  My understanding of Achilles tears is that they are also extremely painful, but you cannot put any weight on it, as you saw with Wake last night, just hopping around on 1 leg as soon as he felt it pop.
 
(I'm not a doctor, but this is my knowledge as someone who spent a long time 2+ years ago at physical therapy after a severely dislocated knee, watching tons and tons of ACL surgical recoveries rehab'ing by my side.)

 

[jk333]

As for the game, I didn't expect to win this one - but that was still a pretty discouraging performance.  The offense goes into funks where they just look terrible (nothing new to this year) and that performance last night was exhibit A.  Also worth noting, I thought Lazor's play calling sucked out loud in the first half when it was still a game.  Kudos to the Patriots for shutting down Miller and Co. but Lazor has to know that this offense can't be productive when they're abandoning the ground game.  You gotta find a way to get Miller going because when the opposition knows Tannehill is dropping back, its bad news.  The guy has zero pocket awareness.

The bolded above is 1000% true and Lazor is always going away from the run whenever it doesn't work perfectly. The Dolphins can't afford to do that; I don't know why and it may well be Tannehill's pocket awareness that's the cause but they are much better when they don't abandon the run. 
 
Tannehill is a serviceable starter. His ups and downs are frustrating and he will never be elite but he's in the same class as Dalton who is producing because of his weapons this year. If this year ends with 6 or 7 wins they need to get better coaching to improve. 

 

[NortheasternPJ]

 
Just for absolute clarity, ACL is not Achilles (ACL = knee, Achilles = ankle).  
 
ACL tears are going to be painful in the instant but you can still be weight-bearing, just with significant instability in the knee.  You'll see guys walk off the field after an ACL tear sometimes, and then they are diagnosed that night/next morning with ACL tears and/or patellar tendon damage (or if "lucky", just an MCL sprain).  My understanding of Achilles tears is that they are also extremely painful, but you cannot put any weight on it, as you saw with Wake last night, just hopping around on 1 leg as soon as he felt it pop.
 
(I'm not a doctor, but this is my knowledge as someone who spent a long time 2+ years ago at physical therapy after a severely dislocated knee, watching tons and tons of ACL surgical recoveries rehab'ing by my side.)

Or they're Logan mankins and play half a season with a torn ACL.

 

[sodenj5]

The bolded above is 1000% true and Lazor is always going away from the run whenever it doesn't work perfectly. The Dolphins can't afford to do that; I don't know why and it may well be Tannehill's pocket awareness that's the cause but they are much better when they don't abandon the run. 
 
Tannehill is a serviceable starter. His ups and downs are frustrating and he will never be elite but he's in the same class as Dalton who is producing because of his weapons this year. If this year ends with 6 or 7 wins they need to get better coaching to improve. 

 
I think the biggest reason they suck when they can't run the ball is third downs. This offense and team is not built around picking up long third down conversions. That's why you hear them say sometimes that the offense needs to stay on schedule and they need to keep third downs manageable. It's built around quick passes and YAC. You saw it at it's very best in the Houston game. They had 3 plays go for 50+ yards, but the ball probably traveled a combined 20 yards through the air on all 3 plays. Slant to Matthews, 12-15 yd out route to Landry where he made a super human effort, and a screen pass to Miller. They take the occasional shots down the field, but the bread and butter is short, high percentage completions in tandem with the running game.
 
When Tannehill has to drop back and pick up 8-10 yards on third down, it's a struggle. The routes take longer to develop, the line can't hold their blocks well enough, and Tannehill's lack of awareness doesn't usually help. To his credit, Tannehill did make several plays with his legs last night, including the dime to Cameron on the run. I'm not sure why they don't incorporate more designed rollouts into the gameplan. It's something Tannehill does very well. 

 

[CaptainLaddie]

I'm adding nothing to the conversation but I hate, hate, hate seeing Wake go down.  Anyone who likes football should pour one out today for Wake's achilles.  Just a shitty thing.

 

[Tony C]

 
They also get Buffalo in early November. It could have been worse, and Miami could have made it easier on themselves by winning one of those two games at home.
 
They also finish the season with 4 of 5 at home. Obviously it makes for long stretches like the current one with road games, but better to have that now than in December. 

 
Was that done deliberately by the league to avoid an excess of very hot/humid games in Miami in Sept? If so it was smart, but it does seem like a bit of a disadvantage for the Fins, since that hot weather should work to their advantage and they lose that in December.

 

[Super Nomario]

The bolded above is 1000% true and Lazor is always going away from the run whenever it doesn't work perfectly. The Dolphins can't afford to do that; I don't know why and it may well be Tannehill's pocket awareness that's the cause but they are much better when they don't abandon the run. 

It's great to say they "can't afford to that," but what are they supposed to do when they're down 20 points or it's 3rd-and-10? They faced six third downs in the first half, and all were third-and-8 or longer (well, they had a 3rd-and-1 and ran it but they held, turning it into a 3rd-and-11), in large part because their running game was so ineffective. Their one successful drive (to open the second half) was successful because they were aggressive throwing on early downs.

 

[sodenj5]

 
Was that done deliberately by the league to avoid an excess of very hot/humid games in Miami in Sept? If so it was smart, but it does seem like a bit of a disadvantage for the Fins, since that hot weather should work to their advantage and they lose that in December.

 
I doubt it was done intentionally, although Ross has repeatedly tried to torpedo Miami's home field advantage by having a lot of their September games at 4:30 in the past. It doesn't make for a great fan experience if everyone's balls are in their socks, but it's an advantage Miami has over the cold weather teams of Buffalo, NY, and NE.
 
This offseason, Phase 2 of their renovation will be adding a large canopy over the seats of the stadium. In theory, it's supposed to shade something like 90% of fans, while leaving the field itself exposed to the direct sun and heat. 

 

[deanx0]

I'll say that in my time as a competent Dolphin fan, I can honestly think of three players that could legitimately be considered the absolute best at what they do.
 
Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Cam Wake. Marino's prime was a bit before my time. it's entirely possible we've seen the last of Cam Wake, or at least the Cam Wake that plays at an all-pro level. He may be cut, he may restructure and play, but at his age and with how much he relies upon elite burst and athleticism, I have a hard time seeing him regaining the explosion needed to be at that elite level. Brent Grimes recovered from his Achilles to play at a high level again, but he also wasn't 33 when it happened. 
 
 
I feel like it's one of those things where they aren't as good as they looked against Houston and Tennessee, but they also aren't as bad as they looked against one of, if not the best teams in the league, on a short week, on the road. I'm not saying Miami should be discussed in the same company as the real contenders or elite teams, but they are good enough to beat the second tier teams.
 
They dug themselves an enormous hole, but look at the records of the other teams in the AFC. There's a clear gap between the division leaders, and the mess that is everyone else. Pittsburgh and the Jets would currently hold the two wild card slots with 4 wins each. Miami and Buffalo are the only other teams right now in the AFC with 3 wins. The playoffs aren't out of reach if they can play well down the stretch. 

 
Oakland also has 3 wins, and I think they are a legit dark horse candidate for the second wild card spot. But your point still stands.

 

[Toe Nash]

It's great to say they "can't afford to that," but what are they supposed to do when they're down 20 points or it's 3rd-and-10? They faced six third downs in the first half, and all were third-and-8 or longer (well, they had a 3rd-and-1 and ran it but they held, turning it into a 3rd-and-11), in large part because their running game was so ineffective. Their one successful drive (to open the second half) was successful because they were aggressive throwing on early downs.

Agreed. I thought the play-calling was bad because they were using gimmicky screens and QB keepers that might work against another team but not against a well-coached team who employs good scouts and has smart players. When they actually dropped back and ran deeper routes they were able to beat the Pats coverage a bit. "Establishing the run" is mostly a myth.

 

[sodenj5]

Agreed. I thought the play-calling was bad because they were using gimmicky screens and QB keepers that might work against another team but not against a well-coached team who employs good scouts and has smart players. When they actually dropped back and ran deeper routes they were able to beat the Pats coverage a bit. "Establishing the run" is mostly a myth.

 
The gimmicky screens are actually something they do quite often. Your point stands that a disciplined, well coached defense likely doesn't bite on them, which is why you didn't really see them after the first few drives. Miami uses a lot of motion, options, reverses, and screens to create confusion and misdirection. The Pats were ready for most of it.

 

[Super Nomario]

 
The gimmicky screens are actually something they do quite often. Your point stands that a disciplined, well coached defense likely doesn't bite on them, which is why you didn't really see them after the first few drives. Miami uses a lot of motion, options, reverses, and screens to create confusion and misdirection. The Pats were ready for most of it.

And sometimes it works even against the Patriots, like on the opening drive against Minnesota or against the Chiefs last year. By showing it early, you can keep the D honest, too - fake a jet sweep motion, and will they crash the run as hard? It just didn't work last night.

 

[sodenj5]

Looking forward to Buffalo on Sunday, Miami is obviously going to need to try and replace Cam Wake somehow, and it seems like James is going to be out for at least this week and likely longer with a toe injury. Jason Fox is the next man up. 
 
The Bills are coming off a loss to the Jags in London, where coaches go to die. The D has been struggling, and there seem to be familiar grumblings to us Dolphins fans about the D in Buffalo being overly complicated and not using their players for what they're best at. At this point, Tyrod Taylor is clearly their best option at QB, but isn't a 100% sure thing to go Sunday. That's something to monitor through the week. 

 

[dwainw]

Looking forward to Buffalo on Sunday, Miami is obviously going to need to try and replace Cam Wake somehow, and it seems like James is going to be out for at least this week and likely longer with a toe injury. Jason Fox is the next man up. 
 
The Bills are coming off a loss to the Jags in London, where coaches go to die. The D has been struggling, and there seem to be familiar grumblings to us Dolphins fans about the D in Buffalo being overly complicated and not using their players for what they're best at. At this point, Tyrod Taylor is clearly their best option at QB, but isn't a 100% sure thing to go Sunday. That's something to monitor through the week. 

The Steelers' & Jets' losses, along with injuries to several key players--Bell's is looking like the most serious/long-term at this point--certainly changed the complexion of the AFC wild card chase.  Miami's gotta take care of business in Buffalo.  Any more conference losses at this stage could be the dagger.

 

[sodenj5]

The Steelers' & Jets' losses, along with injuries to several key players--Bell's is looking like the most serious/long-term at this point--certainly changed the complexion of the AFC wild card chase.  Miami's gotta take care of business in Buffalo.  Any more conference losses at this stage could be the dagger.

 
I would agree that this is really close to a must-win game for them. A wildcard slot is still in play for them. Winning in Buffalo is a big step in that direction. They can't keep dropping divisional games at this point. Buffalo is 24th against the run according to DVOA. Miami needs to go back to getting Miller involved early and often. 

 

[sodenj5]

WIth the trade deadline looming, I don't expect Miami to make any big moves, but it would be interesting to see what they do with Rishard Matthews. He's going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and there are plenty of teams that can use WR help. Miami is loaded at WR and they have Parker mainly collecting dust on the sidelines right now. 
 
Typically I'm not for advocating selling one of your most consistent offensive players this year, but Matthews might be a perfect "sell-high" candidate that could bring something of value in return. Teams like the Packers and Panthers immediately come to mind.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Goodnight, sweet prince.

 

[amarshal2]

Yeah. While some will talk about how it's still possible if they turn it around and X, y, z happens I'm ready to call it. This season isn't going anywhere. On that note, I'm ready to call next season too with Suh's $22.5M jump in cap hit! How can they possibly be better next year?

 

[Old Fart Tree]

Could they still make the playoffs at 9-7? I would think so, but it's hard to look at the remaining schedule and find five wins.

 

[Old Fart Tree]

Whoops I thought they were 4-4. I definitely don't see six wins in that schedule.

 

[smastroyin]

Yeah. While some will talk about how it's still possible if they turn it around and X, y, z happens I'm ready to call it. This season isn't going anywhere. On that note, I'm ready to call next season too with Suh's $22.5M jump in cap hit! How can they possibly be better next year?

The only way they get better is if Tannehill stops being dogshit against any team that puts up a fight. He seems to have given back all of his progress from last year.

 

[sodenj5]

Biggest thing is they are 0-4 in the division. Be a winning football team starts with beating the teams in your division.

Campbell going for it at the end of the first half was maybe not the smartest football decision, but running a pass play from the 1 to your 2nd TE, who's maybe your 5th best option on the field, is basically a disaster waiting to happen on a must-have play. Lazor once again got too cute. Miller scored twice yesterday from the 1. Probably should have been thrice. They also should have called the TO when Miller couldn't get out of bounds. They rushed the play prior to the 1st and goal play, but Matthews beat his man and the Buffalo defender did the smart thing and basically hog tied him to prevent the TD.

The other sequence that was pretty much horseshit was the Suh play on third down that should have been ruled a sack. If Suh slams Taylor into the turf, he's probably getting a flag and a fine. The refs don't blow it dead and Taylor tosses it away. Then Campbell accepts a holding call to make them replay third down, which was an entirely separate mistake. The next play is the Watkins bomb TD, a play where Suh is blatantly held, allowing Taylor to get the pass off in the first place. Miami did plenty on it's own to lose the game, but two big blown calls by the officials certainly didn't help.

The one positive thing I took away from that game is Jay Ajayi looked pretty good in the touches that he got. I believe he averaged 8 YPC and looked fresh and ran with power.

I would pretty much call this season a wrap. Miami is going to carry over cap space this year to soften the Suh salary spike next year. That's probably why Evan Mathis is a Bronco and not a Dolphin this year.

 

[mcaqua]

Can't say I'm surprised by the outcome of this one. Buffalo has traditionally been a house of horrors for this organization and yesterday was no exception.

There were some blown calls for sure, but Buffalo is just a flat out better football team. They kicked Miami's ass twice this year, so I can't get too torqued about the outrageous no-call on the Watkins touchdown. Speaking of Watkins, I'd love to see a breakdown of his production against Miami and the rest of the league. It sure does seem like he does jack shit against the field, yet terrorizes Miami, since entering the league.

A couple of other thoughts:

Brent Grimes was awful. Just atrocious. I don't know what the advanced metrics say, but for my money that was the single worst performance by a member of the defense yet this year.

Campbell (or should I blame Rizzi?) looked like a clown after the miserable display of clock management at the end of the half. Not calling a TO after Miller failed to reach the sideline most definitely cost them points, perhaps a TD. I didn't have a problem going for it after putting yourself in that position with the boneheaded usage of your TOs, but of course the play call was laughable. I've seen enough of Lazor - his red-zone playcalling has been just one of his many deficiencies as a OC. He sucks.

Tannehill has me concerned. I think there is some validity in claiming that certain factors are holding him back (pick one): horrific OL play, poor coaching, a lack of a run game, but they're starting to feel more insufficient by the day as the division losses pile up.

Hue Jackson has to be the top-target on Tannenbaum's wishlist this offseason, right?

 

[sodenj5]

Tannehill has me concerned. I think there is some validity in claiming that certain factors are holding him back (pick one): horrific OL play, poor coaching, a lack of a run game, but they're starting to feel more insufficient by the day as the division losses pile up.

I think it's becoming clear that Tannehill is a QB in the mold of an Alex Smith or Andy Dalton. He's an average starting QB and if everything surrounding him is going well, he goes well. He is not capable of masking the deficiencies of the team surrounding him and he's not capable of making an average team good or great. He's only as good as what surrounds him.

Miami has a receiving corps that should be the envy of almost any other team. Tannehill has weapons to get the ball to. IMO, it all starts with the offensive line. It's beginning to sound like a broken record, but it's hard to take shots down the field and use a guy like Stills when Tannehill has someone harassing him after 2 seconds every play.

 

[5dice]

IMO, it all starts with the offensive line. It's beginning to sound like a broken record, but it's hard to take shots down the field and use a guy like Stills when Tannehill has someone harassing him after 2 seconds every play.

Then adapt, and don't take shots down the field. 2 seconds is the new normal. Design plays for those talented receivers that aren't predicated on jump balls 40 yards downfield. Bunch the numerous great receivers, rub, confuse, cross and use some YAC. There is a nother team in the division doing this with less talented receivers and a severely damaged OL.

 

[5dice]

Then adapt, and don't take shots down the field. 2 seconds is the new normal. Design plays for those talented receivers that aren't predicated on jump balls 40 yards downfield. Bunch the numerous great receivers, rub, confuse, cross and use some YAC. There is another team in the division doing this with less talented receivers and a severely damaged OL.

edited-typo

 

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

Miami has a receiving corps that should be the envy of almost any other team. Tannehill has weapons to get the ball to. IMO, it all starts with the offensive line. It's beginning to sound like a broken record, but it's hard to take shots down the field and use a guy like Stills when Tannehill has someone harassing him after 2 seconds every play.

Miami tried to build their offense from the outside in (same as the Colts). I am bewildered as to why NFL teams fall into this "Fantasy Football" mentality when building their team. Running back is easily the most fungible position in the NFL, but I think that WR is not far behind. Having a rare talent like Julio Jones or Antonio Brown is one thing, but building your team around a bunch of very good but not all world WRs is just asking for trouble.

 

[mcaqua]

Miami tried to build their offense from the outside in (same as the Colts). I am bewildered as to why NFL teams fall into this "Fantasy Football" mentality when building their team. Running back is easily the most fungible position in the NFL, but I think that WR is not far behind. Having a rare talent like Julio Jones or Antonio Brown is one thing, but building your team around a bunch of very good but not all world WRs is just asking for trouble.

I'm not sure I agree with this assessment - just look at how they've acquired the balance of their OL, for instance. We've discussed this at length before, but show me another team that has invested as heavily in the OL as the Dolphins have recently. Albert was a big ticket signing last offseason and, when healthy, they have two former 1st rounders among their starting five (Pouncey and James). Jamil Douglas was a third rounder in 2015, Billy Turner was a third rounder in 2014, Dallas Thomas was third rounder in 2013 and Jonathan Martin was a second rounder in 2012. The Dolphins problem along the OL has been their complete inability to develop talent and adequate depth without investing huge capital (either FA money or high draft picks) or making poor personnel decisions on draft day.

I don't think I need to elaborate on the level of investment along the DL. Jordan Phillips was a second rounder in 2015, Vernon was a third rounder in 2012 and they blew a top 3 pick on Dion Jordan back in 2013. They signed Earl Mitchell to a FA deal last offseason and gave Suh his monster deal a mere couple of months ago.

Its not like they've made a conscious decision to ignore the trenches.

 

[amarshal2]

Yeah, I agree. I think the Dolphins are guilty of building a stars and scrubs team that has no depth. I don't think they're guilty of ignoring lineman. You also have to remember that they basically had to start over again on the OL after the Martin/Incognito year.

 

[soxfan121]

We've discussed this at length before, but show me another team that has invested as heavily in the OL as the Dolphins have recently.

http://insidethepylon.com/nfl/front-office/2015/10/28/offensive-line-investment-they-pay-these-guys-how-much/

It's a common refrain: "show me another team that's spent as much as us!"

The Dolphins problem along the OL has been their complete inability to develop talent and adequate depth without investing huge capital (either FA money or high draft picks) or making poor personnel decisions on draft day.

Aye, now you're onto something.

 

[sodenj5]

I'm not sure I agree with this assessment - just look at how they've acquired the balance of their OL, for instance. We've discussed this at length before, but show me another team that has invested as heavily in the OL as the Dolphins have recently. Albert was a big ticket signing last offseason and, when healthy, they have two former 1st rounders among their starting five (Pouncey and James). Jamil Douglas was a third rounder in 2015, Billy Turner was a third rounder in 2014, Dallas Thomas was third rounder in 2013 and Jonathan Martin was a second rounder in 2012. The Dolphins problem along the OL has been their complete inability to develop talent and adequate depth without investing huge capital (either FA money or high draft picks) or making poor personnel decisions on draft day.

I don't think I need to elaborate on the level of investment along the DL. Jordan Phillips was a second rounder in 2015, Vernon was a third rounder in 2012 and they blew a top 3 pick on Dion Jordan back in 2013. They signed Earl Mitchell to a FA deal last offseason and gave Suh his monster deal a mere couple of months ago.

Its not like they've made a conscious decision to ignore the trenches.

This is pretty accurate. Miami has spent a massive amount of capital in terms of dollars and draft picks on their line. Albert and Pouncey were hurt last year. Incognito was a Pro-Bowler before being chased out of town. They just haven't been able to take someone that isn't a first round talent and fill in the gaps. It seems like every time a Patriot lineman goes down, a fifth or sixth rounder steps in and plays without any issue. Part of that is Brady being a machine, the other part is outstanding coaching and preparation.

A guy like a Dallas Thomas or Billy Turner or Jamil Douglas or John Jerry should be able to be coached up into being a serviceable guard.

 

[Shelterdog]

This is pretty accurate. Miami has spent a massive amount of capital in terms of dollars and draft picks on their line. Albert and Pouncey were hurt last year. Incognito was a Pro-Bowler before being chased out of town. They just haven't been able to take someone that isn't a first round talent and fill in the gaps. It seems like every time a Patriot lineman goes down, a fifth or sixth rounder steps in and plays without any issue. Part of that is Brady being a machine, the other part is outstanding coaching and preparation.

A guy like a Dallas Thomas or Billy Turner or Jamil Douglas or John Jerry should be able to be coached up into being a serviceable guard.

I think the issue is slightly different--it's not that they should be able to coach up those particular players, it's that they should be able to pick players with the physical and mental attributes they can coach up.

 

[sodenj5]

I think the issue is slightly different--it's not that they should be able to coach up those particular players, it's that they should be able to pick players with the physical and mental attributes they can coach up.

Could be a little of column A and a little of column B. A guy like Turner is physically capable of being an NFL player, no question. Coming from a small school, learning a new position, and learning a new blocking scheme might be a bit of a steep learning curve. It seems like the light is starting to come on for him though.

Dallas Thomas is another guy that has struggled mightily, but has played somewhat respectably the last few weeks. He was jockeyed around in so many different positions earlier in his career, it may just be a matter of letting him settle into one spot. He was actually Miami's second highest graded player by PFF against the Bills with a +3.7, behind only Jarvis Landry.

Jason Fox was clearly the weak link against the Bills, getting a -6.6 after being abused by Jerry Hughes. If James is out for an extended period of time, Fox could be the undoing of the line.

 

[soxfan121]

PFF's scores might as well be voodoo, especially their OL scoring.

 

[sodenj5]

So the good:

Miami finally toughed out a win on the road where it looked like they did everything within their power to give it up, overcoming injuries and a self-inflicted slow start. Jay Ajayi continued to look really good in the snaps that he got, and Suh has finally started to play like a dominant force in the middle of the D-Line the last couple of weeks. Reshad Jones made the game saving INT in the red zone when it looked like Philly was about to seal up a game winning FG. (Thank you Sanchez and thank you Chip Kelly for dialing up a passing play there. Now we know where Lazor gets it from.) Bobby McCain and Jamar Taylor played well, McCain stepping in for Grimes, and Taylor putting a huge, huge hit on Matthews to save a first down. Also, a huge play on ST with the blocked punt to set up the Lamar Miller TD.

The bad:

A couple of key injuries to Jenkins and Brice McCain. ANOTHER safety after Williams muffed the kickoff and inexplicably tried to run it out of the endzone before falling down at the 1. The pass blocking was underwhelming, allowing a free blitzer to crush Tannehill on the safety. Some hair pulling playcalling when Miami had the lead and should have been pounding the ball to grind down the clock, or at least make Philly burn their TO's. They got burnt several times on the exact same play with the playaction and then a pass to the TE, who was wide the fuck open, for huge gains. Terrible adjustments and discipline.

Miami's schedule looks less daunting than it did when it was first released. The Cowboys will have Romo back this week in Miami, but the Colts, Ravens, and Chargers are all much worse than initially anticipated. Miami needs to get hot to have any chance of making the playoffs. 5 of their last 7 games are at home. It's still far-fetched, but certainly not impossible to get that 6th spot.

 

[mcaqua]

Solid win against a terrible team on the road. Not much to add outside of the refs taking points off the board with that bullshit roughing the passer call at the end of the half on Bradford, negating the INT. The game should've been tied going into the half.

Also, there was something so satisfying about watching that clown Sturgis miss a 32 yarder in the second quarter. As we've all known for a while, he sucks.

 

[sodenj5]

Solid win against a terrible team on the road. Not much to add outside of the refs taking points off the board with that bullshit roughing the passer call at the end of the half on Bradford, negating the INT. The game should've been tied going into the half.

Also, there was something so satisfying about watching that clown Sturgis miss a 32 yarder in the second quarter. As we've all known for a while, he sucks.

I had forgotten that roughing the passer call. Bradford took a shot, but it wasn't late, it wasn't low, it wasn't with the helmet, he wasn't lifted up and slammed down. It's like the refs decided he can't be hit that hard. An absolutely terrible call.