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pdaj

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Serious question: As Tua faces off against the Patriots without his starting 3 WR, starting TE, and starting RB, are his offense weapons still greater than Cam’s?

Serious statement: Tua leading Miami to a win while playing relatively well would be more impressive than anything Herbert’s done this year.
 

sodenj5

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Dub while missing the top 3 pass catchers on offense. No idea how or why Miami was able to run the ball down NE’s throat when the passing game was clearly on life support headed into the game.

Defense stepped up and played far better than in Week 1.

Tua did enough to win. Obviously a big mistake in the red zone, but he made throws when asked to and made a few plays with his legs.

Game vs LV on Saturday. Not sure if Mariota is a net positive or negative, but hoping at least Parker and Grant can suit up for that game. Sounded like Parker was in consideration to play today but got scratched.
 

Silverdude2167

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Pats run defense sucks is why you could run

Tua seems to have "it", should be fun to watch for the next decade +

I also think its a year early for the Fins, I think they lose one of their next two and lose the final spot to the Ravens.
 

rymflaherty

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Considering the very real track record of success Belichick has against rookie QB’s, and with extra time to prepare, I’ll take the win anyway they were able to get it.

Now hopefully some Receivers can get healthy, and the shorter week combined with LV getting extra time doesn’t turn out to be a huge determining factor.
 

sodenj5

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Pats run defense sucks is why you could run

Tua seems to have "it", should be fun to watch for the next decade +

I also think its a year early for the Fins, I think they lose one of their next two and lose the final spot to the Ravens.
Rebuild definitely a year ahead of schedule. I would have put “make the playoffs” as a goal for next year if I made a list at the start of this year.

Offense clearly behind the defense right now, but the fact that they’re knocking on the door this season with 3 rookies on the line, a rookie QB, and some questionable skill position players speaks a lot about the job the defense and special teams have done.
 

Clears Cleaver

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I can't remember Miami running the ball down someone throats since the wildcat days. definitely have some maulers amongst he kids...pass protection still dicey, but better than past.

If they beat LV and get to 10 wins, that's great. Buffalo likely will need the game for seeding so I can't see how they win up there
 

rymflaherty

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If you want to feel good (or even better) about Tua, listen to Trent Dilfer on today’s Russillo podcast. It’s around the 28 minute mark, he basically laughs at Ryen for asking if 5 years from now is there a chance Hurts is the better pro QB...then goes on to speak of Tua as a generational talent. And has him as one of the 5 QB’s he’d take over the next 5 years.
 
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sodenj5

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If you want to feel good (or even better) about Tua, listen to Trent Dilfer on today’s Russillo podcast. It’s around the 28 minute mark, he basically laughs at Ryen for asking if 5 years from now is there a chance Hurts is the better pro QB...and goes on to speak of Tua as a generational talent.
Trent Dilfer is also like Tua’s official hype man so take it with a little bit of salt.

That being said, what Tua has been doing is shades of Big Ben’s rookie season. Miami isn’t asking him to carry the load, leaning on the defense heavily.

I definitely believe that once Miami gets him some weapons, he’s really going to shine. We’ve seen him make some really great throws and not be rewarded due to drops and we’ve seen him struggle at times because none of the receivers are getting open.

People were laughing in the game thread about the announcers praising Tua for running the ball in the red zone for a TD, but it’s literally Tua learning and applying what he sees in real time. The INT he threw, he should have stepped up and taken off for a score. So what does he do? Steps up and rushes for a TD in the red zone.

His ability to process and catalog what he sees on the field and correct and apply it in real time is special.
 

Silverdude2167

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People were laughing in the game thread about the announcers praising Tua for running the ball in the red zone for a TD, but it’s literally Tua learning and applying what he sees in real time. The INT he threw, he should have stepped up and taken off for a score. So what does he do? Steps up and rushes for a TD in the red zone.
Personally, I was only laughing because the color guy kept talking about Tua developing artificial intelligence and either Tua is a robot (possible?) or the guy needs to learn the meaning of words.
 

rymflaherty

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@sodenj5 That was actually the biggest point Dilfer was making, that Tua being conservative is a clear function of the game plan and talent around him. Dilfer was stating that it’s actually a positive that he can reel it in and operate in that manner as a rookie, and we’ll see a different QB as they continue to add talent to the roster.

It was also interesting hearing Dilfer talk about Lawrence, specifically that the entire Clemson passing game involves cutting the field in half and virtually every throw is Lawrence making a single read and throwing to option 1 or 2. Trent also brought up multiple young NFL QB’s that are operating in virtually the same manner, and it reinforced what I posted last week - that Tua’s “flashes” are more subtle in the sense that it’s the fact that you can see him making multiple progressions and operating across the entire field and doing so after only a few starts.

I’ve noticed a lot of mainstream media crapping on Tua and I don’t really get it...the arguments are the equivalent of - He’s not at good as Rodgers or Mahomes after 6 starts, he sucks...I’m not sure why so many seemingly want to label him a failure so soon? Maybe it’s just to validate pre-season/draft takes that I’m not aware of? Or people hate Alabama? I don’t know.
 

sodenj5

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@sodenj5 That was actually the biggest point Dilfer was making, that Tua being conservative is a clear function of the game plan and talent around him. Dilfer was stating that it’s actually a positive that he can reel it in and operate in that manner as a rookie, and we’ll see a different QB as they continue to add talent to the roster.

It was also interesting hearing Dilfer talk about Lawrence, specifically that the entire Clemson passing game involves cutting the field in half and virtually every throw is Lawrence making a single read and throwing to option 1 or 2. Trent also brought up multiple young NFL QB’s that are operating in virtually the same manner, and it reinforced what I posted last week - that Tua’s “flashes” are more subtle in the sense that it’s the fact that you can see him making multiple progressions and operating across the entire field and doing so after only a few starts.

I’ve noticed a lot of mainstream media crapping on Tua and I don’t really get it...the arguments are the equivalent of - He’s not at good as Rodgers or Mahomes after 6 starts, he sucks...I’m not sure why so many seemingly want to label him a failure so soon? Maybe it’s just to validate pre-season/draft takes that I’m not aware of? Or people hate Alabama? I don’t know.
There’s a strange friction between Tua and Herbert, in terms of public perception. Herbert has greatly outperformed even the most optimistic projections this season. That’s great. But he also has a significantly better supporting cast and his team is also 5-9, so he’s being asked to shoulder a much larger load and keep his team in games.

Tua is maybe underperforming what people thought he would be at the next level, mainly in contrast to Herbert. Tua has a much worse skill position group, a far better defense, and is playing for a team that is in playoff contention. They’ve been cautious with Tua, asking him to mostly manage the offense and make plays when necessary.

The only things you can truly grade Tua on is his personal growth this season. The stats will be whatever they end up being, but if Tua makes it through the rest of the season healthy and accumulates more than half a season’s worth of reps and experience, that’s going to be tremendously advantageous when Miami actually has some playmakers and Tua can go from game manager mode to Alabama Tua.

Also, let’s not kid ourselves. These final 3 games (including last week’s against NE) are tantamount to playoff games. Miami almost certainly needs to win out to get in. Having Tua under center for high leverage games against good opponents at the end of the season will pay dividends down the road.
 
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Kenny F'ing Powers

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Alot of other young guys have come out guns blazing. Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, Joe Burrow, Daniel Jones...some of them may have fallen off, but all of these guys had really exciting starts to their career. Hell, even Sam Darnold had some exciting moments his first season.

I think the expectations for young QBs have risen. Tua had a lot of hype. Him coming slow out of the gate, especially relative to other young starters that have blossomed into top tier QBs, is a reason for hand-wringing. It could be worrying for worrying sake, but considering how much the Dolphins are relying on his growth/success, it would have been nice to see him come strong out of the gate.
 

Super Nomario

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Alot of other young guys have come out guns blazing. Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, Joe Burrow, Daniel Jones...some of them may have fallen off, but all of these guys had really exciting starts to their career. Hell, even Sam Darnold had some exciting moments his first season.
Jackson and Allen were both pretty lousy as rookies (Jones and Wentz weren't great, either) and Mahomes only started one game.
 

sodenj5

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Alot of other young guys have come out guns blazing. Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, Joe Burrow, Daniel Jones...some of them may have fallen off, but all of these guys had really exciting starts to their career. Hell, even Sam Darnold had some exciting moments his first season.

I think the expectations for young QBs have risen. Tua had a lot of hype. Him coming slow out of the gate, especially relative to other young starters that have blossomed into top tier QBs, is a reason for hand-wringing. It could be worrying for worrying sake, but considering how much the Dolphins are relying on his growth/success, it would have been nice to see him come strong out of the gate.
I would much prefer the Ben Roethlisberger/Tom Brady career path of being asked to do too little before carrying the team as opposed to Carson Wentz or Daniel Jones.

I understand your point. It’s also fair to point out that a little over a year ago, Tua was undergoing hip surgery and his football career was in question. To be playing well in meaningful games at the NFL level in December is a win for him and for Miami. Seriously, if Miami misses the playoffs, I still consider this season and Tua’s rookie year a success.

Add some weapons with that draft capital, give him a normal offseason where he isn’t recovering from a hip dislocation and some training camp, and this offense can take a significant step forward next season.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Jackson and Allen were both pretty lousy as rookies (Jones and Wentz weren't great, either) and Mahomes only started one game.
I didnt say rookie. I said young QB. I know Maholmes rode the bench his rookie season for Smith.

Jackson took over a 4-5 Baltimore team and went 6-1 to lead them to the playoffs.

Allen was considered a reach in the draft and few people expected him to succeed in the NFL. By the end of his first season, he had turned the view of glass half empty to glass half full. He wasnt fantastic, but he certainly exceeded the (low) expectations. That idea goes for Jones as well. Draft pick reach, expected failure, good enough season for optimism year 2.

My point was that all of these players played well enough to create elevated expectations going forward. If Tua plays the next 3 games as he did the previous few, are Dolphins fans expectations in him elevated, or are they concerned?

Edit - I was flat wrong about Wentz. I dont even remember his rookie season. I thought he rode the pine for year 1.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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I would much prefer the Ben Roethlisberger/Tom Brady career path of being asked to do too little before carrying the team as opposed to Carson Wentz or Daniel Jones.

I understand your point. It’s also fair to point out that a little over a year ago, Tua was undergoing hip surgery and his football career was in question. To be playing well in meaningful games at the NFL level in December is a win for him and for Miami. Seriously, if Miami misses the playoffs, I still consider this season and Tua’s rookie year a success.

Add some weapons with that draft capital, give him a normal offseason where he isn’t recovering from a hip dislocation and some training camp, and this offense can take a significant step forward next season.
Oh. I agree. I think Tua will still be great. I'm just adding onto your theory about his perceived slow start. It's not just Herbert vs Tua. There was a lot of fast starts for QBs the last few years.
 

rymflaherty

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Watching Tua tonight made me question a lot of the positive things I’d said the last couple weeks, especially after seeing the offense with Fitzpatrick.

That’s the easy part, because after Tua came out, I really have few words to describe anything I saw in that 4th quarter.
The Fitzpatrick throw to Hollins was one of the most incredible throws I’ve ever seen...unreal.
 

sodenj5

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Watching Tua tonight made me question a lot of the positive things I’d said the last couple weeks, especially after seeing the offense with Fitzpatrick.

That’s the easy part, because after Tua came out, I really have few words to describe anything I saw in that 4th quarter.
The Fitzpatrick throw to Hollins was one of the most incredible throws I’ve ever seen...unreal.
First things first. Fuck you refs. That call on Jones was absolutely egregious and nearly cost Miami the season.

Second, regarding Tua, there is no debate. This is fact. Chan Gailey calls the offense differently when Fitz is under center than when Tua is. They are coaching Tua to play conservative, to not make mistakes, and to take what the defense gives him.

They plug Fitz in, and they immediately start sending Gesicki down the seam. And ripping shots. Part of it is Fitz throwing guys open, the other part is Gailey calling the game completely differently.

Yes Tua needs to play better, but Gailey needs to give Tua the keys to the offense and let him play.

Miami Miracle part 2 to save the season. Fitz made the throw of his life while getting his face ripped off. Raiders should have scored from the 2 yard line. What a wild finish to the game.

Also hats off to Flores for putting his nuts on the table. People are going to bitch about Tua and Fitz in and out of the lineup, but Flores cares about one thing above all else. Winning.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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What a crazy win for the Dolphins. I thought Gruden was making a big mistake not scoring a TD, even if it was less than a minute left on the clock.

Congrats to all Phins fans here. VN could have been a goat but instead could be seeing the playoffs again. The game vs the Bills will be very, very entertaining.

P. S. Deleted poll as it's been closed. Here's the final results for posterity:
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SMU_Sox

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Matt Waldman brought up a story that might give you some hope. Drew Brees was benched at least once during the season and I think multiple times in his first year starting in San Diego under Marty Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer told him something like "Look Drew, you're the guy and the future here and I am only taking you out because 1) I don't want you getting overwhelmed, 2) I want to win in the short run, and 3) you are struggling today. You're going to fix it but not in-game today." Brees took it in stride because Schotty handled it like that. He was clear with him in the here and now moment of the game but also let him know that he was still the future. Brees credits Schotty and they way he handled that temporary benching as something that helped him grow and develop. Schotty didn't play head games with him. I think Flores is handling it more like that - or at least I hope so. He has every right to. Tua was comped to Brees so it would be fitting if Flores took a page out of Schotty's development page with Brees and applied it to Tua?
37391

This was his chart pre-draft from Ben Solak at thedraftnetwork.com (Here is a link to the Full Contextualized QB Guide which is worth the $10 membership imo).

What you will see is that Tua's accuracy and placement drops dramatically when he is not going to his first read. While most QBs have this drop (it's natural) his rates were among the lowest of the class and a notable concern even though you are looking at relatively small sample sizes. It seems like that is still a problem today. What do you all think?

HT: some of you might mentioned the 2nd read thing on another platform and wanted to make sure I give credit where it is due.
 
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sodenj5

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Matt Waldman brought up a story that might give you some hope. Drew Brees was benched at least once during the season and I think multiple times in his first year starting in San Diego under Marty Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer told him something like "Look Drew, you're the guy and the future here and I am only taking you out because 1) I don't want you getting overwhelmed, 2) I want to win in the short run, and 3) you are struggling today. You're going to fix it but not in-game today." Brees took it in stride because Schotty handled it like that. He was clear with him in the here and now moment of the game but also let him know that he was still the future. Brees credits Schotty and they way he handled that temporary benching as something that helped him grow and develop. Schotty didn't play head games with him. I think Flores is handling it more like that - or at least I hope so. He has every right to. Tua was comped to Brees so it would be fitting if Flores took a page out of Schotty's development page with Brees and applied it to Tua?
View attachment 37391

This was his chart pre-draft from Ben Solak at thedraftnetwork.com (Here is a link to the Full Contextualized QB Guide which is worth the $10 membership imo).

What you will see is that Tua's accuracy and placement drops dramatically when he is not going to his first read. While most QBs have this drop (it's natural) his rates were among the lowest of the class and a notable concern even though you are looking at relatively small sample sizes. It seems like that is still a problem today. What do you all think?

HT: some of you might mentioned the 2nd read thing on another platform and wanted to make sure I give credit where it is due.
The Brees comparison sounds like it rings true. Fitz said last night the whole thing works because of how Flores handles it and communicates.

Flores has been steadfast and unwavering in his support for Tua. That means something. It’s the balance of Tua deserves to start but when he struggles, like vs Denver or last night, he isn’t afraid to call in the closer.

Still confident long term in Tua. I think that in 2020, Fitz is the better fit for Miami’s offense and personnel. What Miami basically has is size and vertical advantage when Parker and Gesicki are healthy. That’s fits Fitz to a T. That doesn’t necessarily suit Tua and what he likes to do.

That being said, Miami is on the doorstep of the playoffs in year 2 of a complete rebuild. With an offense starting 3 rookies on the OLine and a rookie QB running an offense catered more to the veteran backup. This is likely Tua’s floor, and it’s good enough to win football games consistently.
 

sodenj5

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What a crazy win for the Dolphins. I thought Gruden was making a big mistake not scoring a TD, even if it was less than a minute left on the clock.

Congrats to all Phins fans here. VN could have been a goat but instead could be seeing the playoffs again. The game vs the Bills will be very, very entertaining.

P. S. Deleted poll as it's been closed. Here's the final results for posterity:
View attachment 37390
I said the same in the game thread, but going up less than 3 points at the end of the game, you’re a fluke play away from a loss.

I felt like they should have at least attempted to score on third and not taken a knee. Then you can live with the result saying you either scored a TD and they drove the entire field in under a minute, or you attempted to go up by 7, but settled for 3 and accept the risk with under 20 seconds left.
 

rymflaherty

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I honestly think some of the Gesicki routes were less about Fitz and more so a function of the game situation and circumstances.

It seems pretty clear that he was “available” and not healthy and it seemed to me like the game plan was to use him sparingly, That is, until it was 4th quarter, down a score, playoffs on the line...then it was throwing caution to the wind.
 

sodenj5

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Good day for the fins. Indy, Cleveland, and Houston all lose.
Miami at a 74% chance to make the playoffs now, and would clinch with a win at Buffalo, or a loss by the Ravens, Browns, or Colts.

Currently the 5 seed if the postseason started today.

Also Houston’s draft pick currently a top 5 pick and it seems unlikely Watson plays next week with a hand injury. (Top 4 pick if Carolina holds their lead)
 

rymflaherty

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I have to say, it’s a rather surreal feeling to be on YouTube watching Ja’marr Chase and Devonta Smith highlights and top 10 mocks while also contemplating week 17 playoff scenarios for the team.
 
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sodenj5

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I have to say, it’s a rather surreal feeling to be on YouTube watching Ja’marr Chase and Devonta Smith highlights and top 10 mocks while also contemplating week 17 playoff scenarios for the team.
Miami currently with the THIRD overall pick right now.

http://www.tankathon.com/nfl
Absurd. At 3, you might be thinking Sewell, moving Hunt to guard, and figuring out if Jackson or Sewell should be the RT.

I would still be pretty jazzed about Chase, but the gap between Chase and Waddle and Smith isn’t as enormous as the gap between Sewell and every other tackle. Wouldn’t love Parsons, just because the need on offense is far more urgent.

Also trading out would be an intriguing option if the Jets go Sewell and Fields is on the board. Turn that third overall pick into a top 10 and maybe another first next year.
 

rymflaherty

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I didn’t realize the strength of schedule wasn’t favoring Atlanta anymore, I guess it hadn’t updated last time I checked.
Which is great, because now I don’t have to be annoyed by all the games Atlanta should have won.

In truth, as long as they were in position to get their receiver of choice, I’ll be more than ecstatic, but if it does wind up at #3, I think the dream scenario does become the trade down option...where someone like Wilson continues to rise and a team is willing to give something up to move up a few spots.
Dolphins get another pick(s) and a 5 star talent receiver. Admittedly, that plan and how far they’d be willing to move down would likely depend on them actually wanting one of the wideouts to begin with, and if they actually did prioritize Smith or Chase, or would be fine with either.
 

BaseballJones

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I hate the Dolphins with a passion, but I gotta say...your franchise is in good shape and the future is really bright. Lots to like if you're a Dolphins fan.
 

sodenj5

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I didn’t realize the strength of schedule wasn’t favoring Atlanta anymore, I guess it hadn’t updated last time I checked.
Which is great, because now I don’t have to be annoyed by all the games Atlanta should have won.

In truth, as long as they were in position to get their receiver of choice, I’ll be more than ecstatic, but if it does wind up at #3, I think the dream scenario does become the trade down option...where someone like Wilson continues to rise and a team is willing to give something up to move up a few spots.
Dolphins get another pick(s) and a 5 star talent receiver. Admittedly, that plan and how far they’d be willing to move down would likely depend on them actually wanting one of the wideouts to begin with, and if they actually did prioritize Smith or Chase, or would be fine with either.
Houston plays Tennessee next week and Tennessee needs a win to get in. That loss vs Green Bay last night hugely helpful for Houston’s draft pick.
 
I didn’t realize the strength of schedule wasn’t favoring Atlanta anymore, I guess it hadn’t updated last time I checked.
Which is great, because now I don’t have to be annoyed by all the games Atlanta should have won.
I think Atlanta's and Houston's strengths of schedule are close enough (.550 vs. .542) that results across the league in the next seven days could easily change who finishes 3rd and 4th, assuming of course that they both lose their games on Sunday. To make a long story short, because Week 17 is all inter-divisional games, you can focus solely on the two games in which only one team is involved that you played earlier in the season (as all of the other games will be SoS-neutral). For Atlanta, those two teams are Seattle and Dallas, and for Houston, those two teams are New England and Kansas City. New England's game tonight factors into that as well: basically, Atlanta will be rooting for SEA/DAL and against NE/KC, and vice versa for Houston.
 

luckiestman

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Any chance Fish front office looks at the draft board and says “Fields is better than Tua, we should draft him?”

I don’t know how to evaluate college QBs so this isn’t my opinion on Fields v. Tua, I’m just wondering how set Miami is on Tua.
 

sodenj5

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Any chance Fish front office looks at the draft board and says “Fields is better than Tua, we should draft him?”

I don’t know how to evaluate college QBs so this isn’t my opinion on Fields v. Tua, I’m just wondering how set Miami is on Tua.
Fields? I’d say there’s a .000000000000001% chance of that happening. I think Fields is a worse prospect in nearly every regard with the exception being his scrambling ability, but Tua is no slouch there.

I won’t beat a dead horse here, but we’re likely seeing the worst football we’ll see from Tua at the NFL level. He’s playing with a coordinator that came out of retirement to call plays for Fitz, a guy he’s coached for 6 years on 2 different teams. Gailey was dumbfounded when he saw that Tua can run no huddle really well. Like the dude had no clue Tua was capable of doing it.

I will go out on a limb and say Chan Gailey will not be back next season, and Miami’s skill position group will look significantly different next season. Judge Tua when he has an offense and a play caller tailored more to him and not Ryan Fitzpatrick.
 

swiftaw

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So, win an we're in. Lose, and we need one of Baltimore, Cleveland or Indy to lose.

Also, Houston's pick is currently #3. It can't get better than that, but could drop anywhere down to #8 if Houston wins in Week 17.
 

sodenj5

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So, win an we're in. Lose, and we need one of Baltimore, Cleveland or Indy to lose.

Also, Houston's pick is currently #3. It can't get better than that, but could drop anywhere down to #8 if Houston wins in Week 17.
Correct. The Indy and Cleveland losses opened up the door to Miami getting in without a win. Before that, they essentially had to win out or needed Baltimore to drop a game.

All of the aforementioned losers are currently pretty heavy favorites to win their games while Miami will likely be an underdog.

The most likely path to the playoffs is still Miami winning.
 

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The Colts, in particular, are playing a pretty bad Jacksonville team. I know Cleveland is playing Rudolph, but the Steelers at least have a good defense. At present, both point spreads are over 10 points.(10.5 and 14) So it does seem like Miami needs to win, but Cleveland is Cleveland and Phillip Rivers is Phillip Rivers.

So anything can happen.
 

axx

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Played with the playoff machine and I actually think the Dolphins are going to get a break. What I think is going to happen is the Steelers are going to go in full tank mode and once they get down big, I think the Bills will pull their starters. Steelers need Miami to win basically to avoid playing the Ravens.

Didn't play with the permutations that much so I may have missed something.
 

sodenj5

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Played with the playoff machine and I actually think the Dolphins are going to get a break. What I think is going to happen is the Steelers are going to go in full tank mode and once they get down big, I think the Bills will pull their starters. Steelers need Miami to win basically to avoid playing the Ravens.

Didn't play with the permutations that much so I may have missed something.
One of the downfalls of the 7 team playoff format is the 2 seed doesn’t really matter anymore. The Steelers would host the Bills in a playoff game if they went all out and tried to win against the Browns and Buffalo lost. They seem fine with that fate and would rather rest their QB and some others vs worry about a home or away game vs Buffalo.

Buffalo hasn’t said if they’re resting anybody, but I’m going to assume they will, or pull some players during the game now that they know Pittsburgh will.

I don’t care either way. Miami likely needs a win to get in based on the projections of the other matchups. They need to treat it like a playoff game regardless of who plays. They came out flat vs Vegas. A slow start could cost them the postseason in Buffalo.
 

rymflaherty

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I think the #2 seed would matter, even without the bye, if not for the pandemic.

If you were having to head into Buffalo or Pittsburgh with a full stadium of rowdy fans that’s a much different proposition than an empty stadium.
As it stands, I understand either team not prioritizing home-field advantage considering they are fairly close geographically and weather/game conditions.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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I think the #2 seed would matter, even without the bye, if not for the pandemic.

If you were having to head into Buffalo or Pittsburgh with a full stadium of rowdy fans that’s a much different proposition than an empty stadium.
As it stands, I understand either team not prioritizing home-field advantage considering they are fairly close geographically and weather/game conditions.
The difference, of course, is that Buffalo is a far superior team and you're much better off playing a Pitt team that hasnt looked good in 6 weeks.
 

luckiestman

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Fields? I’d say there’s a .000000000000001% chance of that happening. I think Fields is a worse prospect in nearly every regard with the exception being his scrambling ability, but Tua is no slouch there.

I won’t beat a dead horse here, but we’re likely seeing the worst football we’ll see from Tua at the NFL level. He’s playing with a coordinator that came out of retirement to call plays for Fitz, a guy he’s coached for 6 years on 2 different teams. Gailey was dumbfounded when he saw that Tua can run no huddle really well. Like the dude had no clue Tua was capable of doing it.

I will go out on a limb and say Chan Gailey will not be back next season, and Miami’s skill position group will look significantly different next season. Judge Tua when he has an offense and a play caller tailored more to him and not Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Jeremiah addressed this question on his podcast yesterday. Says Fish should grade the QBs against Tua and if they like one better, draft him.
 

rymflaherty

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The Bills game is off the board at most books.
Sharps were pounding Miami, Supposedly following a Bills coaching meeting that was in regards to how to handle week 17. So rake it for what it’s worth, but Vegas no longer seems to think that Buffalo is going to be going all out.
 

luckiestman

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The Bills game is off the board at most books.
Sharps were pounding Miami, Supposedly following a Bills coaching meeting that was in regards to how to handle week 17. So rake it for what it’s worth, but Vegas no longer seems to think that Buffalo is going to be going all out.
This is bad for Colts right?
 

dwainw

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Fitz is out with Covid. No idea how much contact he and Tua have had, but there certainly seems like a reasonable possibility of exposure for Tua. The next 3 days will be fun waiting for this potential shoe to drop.

It's insignificant in the big scheme, of course, but it seems about right that 2020 would stick its nose into a feel-good little Dolphins playoff push on its very last day.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Mentioned in another thread -- Fitzy was handing out tons of bro-hugs to Dolphins and Raiders alike after last week's miracle finish. Mask some, but not all the time. Hoping this really is contained, but I'd be concerned.
 

sodenj5

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Mentioned in another thread -- Fitzy was handing out tons of bro-hugs to Dolphins and Raiders alike after last week's miracle finish. Mask some, but not all the time. Hoping this really is contained, but I'd be concerned.
So far, no news of other positives. For reference, the NFL doesn’t consider outdoor, open air contact with a positive case close contact. Otherwise half of the Dolphins roster would be quarantined right now.

Obviously they will continue monitoring and testing, but most everyone besides Fitz practicing today likely means Miami has been following the protocol pretty closely.