2023 Dolphins: Greatest Show on Surf

[Dogman]

While I agree with the overall point, can we not make every thread about the Patriots? Double true for perceived sleights we had to "endure" during the greatest stretch in NFL history.

I hate the Dolphins. And while I admit to a level of schadenfreude if Tua or Hill were to go down with an injury, it really wo70, would be a shame. This offense is a lot of fun to watch.

Yep, it's right there in the pinned thread. Not everything needs to be about the Patriots.

Same with "They won their SuperBowl in week 2" nonsense. Let's end that now for good. It's trite at best.

Through 3 weeks, this is a historically good Offense and they are fun to watch. While I hate the Dolphins as well, they look fantastic and I found myself rooting for 50, then 60, then 70, then the record.

 

[BaseballJones]

Obviously SSS and the league will figure some things out, but through three games, Miami is averaging (per game):

43.3 points
550.3 yards
27.3 first downs

Those numbers are insane.

Bright spot for the Pats...

Miami vs. non-NE opponents: 53.0 points, 631.0 yards, 30.0 first downs
Miami vs. New England: 24 points, 389 yards, 22 first downs

And against NE the Dolphins had both Hill and Waddle. They were missing Waddle yesterday.

 

[pdaj]

While I agree with the overall point, can we not make every thread about the Patriots? Double true for perceived sleights we had to "endure" during the greatest stretch in NFL history.

I hate the Dolphins. And while I admit to a level of schadenfreude if Tua or Hill were to go down with an injury, it really would be a shame. This offense is a lot of fun to watch.

This may sound like a weird comp, but I get some Kurt Warner vibes from Tua (ok maybe not so weird given the thread title). Warner didn't have a huge arm, sometimes threw a wobbly ball, etc. But he was the QB for one of the best offenses of all time. He hit Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt and they went up and down the field and scored a zillion points. Warner obviously eventually ended up in the HOF; if Tua ends up there too, you'd obviously be thrilled. So, credit to Tua for what he is doing, similar to Warner back in the day. It does feel to me that other guys could be doing similarly in that offense; but again, that's impossible to prove. If I had my pick of QB to start a team Tua probably wouldn't be in the top 10 (I haven't given it a ton of thought). But he's producing and they're scoring the points and you can't take that away from him.

Haha, I'm going to link Miami and New England here; however, please note that I'm doing so as a Dolphins fan/thread contributor living in MA.

I grew up as a kid rooting for the Dan Marino-led Miami teams. He retired just as I turned 18 and my childhood ended (how fitting), so most of my adult life has been spent watching Tom Brady dominate the sport. As a result, I can't help but see some similarities in how the media and NFL fans "process" sports and the success of athletes. From a non-Patriots fan at the time, this is how I recall the progression of the narrative around Brady (simplified):

• He's a tough, smart kid. "Intangibles." Not an "elite talent," and will dink and dunk you to death in combination with a balanced offensive attack.
• Okay, he's a little better than we thought! However, it's clear that he's a product of his environment. Great coach, system, and defense.
• Brady becomes elite at the short, intermediate game. Kills teams with timing, accuracy, and knowledge of the offense. But he's still not a great athlete, doesn't have "elite" arm strength, and can't throw the deep ball.
• He's a "winner," but don't dare compare him to guys like Marino and Manning.
• Holy Randy! Man, what a deep ball!
• Alright, he's good. REALLY good. But if I was starting a team today, I'd still want Manning, Marino, Rodgers.
• He's in the discussion now ... but let's be real. He's had Welker, Moss. The greatest coach in NFL history.
• He's the fucking GOAT!

The player considered by many to be the greatest QB of all-time literally started as a game-manager and was questioned throughout his entire career progression until it his talent became undeniable. Why? Because, for the time, Brady didn't look the part. Fans/media underestimated the importance of total team context -- GM, HC/system, QB.

Today, the success of Patrick Mahomes (dominant outside play structure) and other dual-threat QBs (Allen, Jackson, Hurts, etc.) has contributed to a lot of GMs and coaches looking for the same thing. Wilson teased with out-of-structure talent like Mahomes and Fields, Lance, Jones were targeted, in large part, because of their athleticism. Meanwhile, guys like Tua and Purdy represent a bit of the "old way."

Anyway, I'm not saying Tua's another Brady. But I see similarities with the ever-shifting narrative, as the media and fans-of-other-teams try to rationalize his success. There's been a lot of, "Well, he has TWO of the fastest WR in the league!" Then, after scoring 70 without Waddle? "Hill's the greatest offensive threat of all time." And once Tua stays the course with Waddle and a bunch of Berrios types? "McDaniel has the perfect system."

It's not to say that MM and this team's talent doesn't matter. Of course, it's huge. But, again, it's the total team context. McDaniel's built the current offense around what Tua does best -- quick decisions and "elite" accuracy and anticipation. And who knows? Tua might continue to develop other aspects of his game and get better and better over time. We've seen it before, right?

 

[tims4wins]

You could absolutely be correct.

One difference to me - and YMMV on this - is that Brady's arm talent was much, much better than originally scouted. Maybe that all happened in the offseason between 2000 and 2001. But he seemed to have pretty good arm velo back in 2001. Whereas I watch Tua and I see him float that pick to Gonzalez last week. Maybe Tua will get stronger with age. Brady obviously did.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Haha, I'm going to link Miami and New England here; however, please note that I'm doing so as a Dolphins fan/thread contributor living in MA.

I grew up as a kid rooting for the Dan Marino-led Miami teams. He retired just as I turned 18 and my childhood ended (how fitting), so most of my adult life has been spent watching Tom Brady dominate the sport. As a result, I can't help but see some similarities in how the media and NFL fans "process" sports and the success of athletes. From a non-Patriots fan at the time, this is how I recall the progression of the narrative around Brady (simplified):

• He's a tough, smart kid. "Intangibles." Not an "elite talent," and will dink and dunk you to death in combination with a balanced offensive attack.
• Okay, he's a little better than we thought! However, it's clear that he's a product of his environment. Great coach, system, and defense.
• Brady becomes elite at the short, intermediate game. Kills teams with timing, accuracy, and knowledge of the offense. But he's still not a great athlete, doesn't have "elite" arm strength, and can't throw the deep ball.
• He's a "winner," but don't dare compare him to guys like Marino and Manning.
• Holy Randy! Man, what a deep ball!
• Alright, he's good. REALLY good. But if I was starting a team today, I'd still want Manning, Marino, Rodgers.
• He's in the discussion now ... but let's be real. He's had Welker, Moss. The greatest coach in NFL history.
• He's the fucking GOAT!

The player considered by many to be the greatest QB of all-time literally started as a game-manager and was questioned throughout his entire career progression until it his talent became undeniable. Why? Because, for the time, Brady didn't look the part. Fans/media underestimated the importance of total team context -- GM, HC/system, QB.

Today, the success of Patrick Mahomes (dominant outside play structure) and other dual-threat QBs (Allen, Jackson, Hurts, etc.) has contributed to a lot of GMs and coaches looking for the same thing. Wilson teased with out-of-structure talent like Mahomes and Fields, Lance, Jones were targeted, in large part, because of their athleticism. Meanwhile, guys like Tua and Purdy represent a bit of the "old way."

Anyway, I'm not saying Tua's another Brady. But I see similarities with the ever-shifting narrative, as the media and fans-of-other-teams try to rationalize his success. There's been a lot of, "Well, he has TWO of the fastest WR in the league!" Then, after scoring 70 without Waddle? "Hill's the greatest offensive threat of all time." And once Tua stays the course with Waddle and a bunch of Berrios types? "McDaniel has the perfect system."

It's not to say that MM and this team's talent doesn't matter. Of course, it's huge. But, again, it's the total team context. McDaniel's built the current offense around what Tua does best -- quick decisions and "elite" accuracy and anticipation. And who knows? Tua might continue to develop other aspects of his game and get better and better over time. We've seen it before, right?

Coming at it from a different "Patriots skewed" angle, while there are certainly other QBs who could be producing in Miamis offense, at Mac's very best, could he even come close to producing the same way Tua has over the last 2 seasons when healthy? Switch QBs right now, and even with Waddle/Hill/McDaniel, I don't think the offense is 70% of what it currently is. The drop-off takes them from a prolific offense and turns them into a slightly above average offense.

Now, that may say as much about Mac as it does Tua, but if people are still sleeping on Tua, it's time to wake up.

Outside of Mahomes & Allen, if the Dolphins could magically acquire any other QB in the NFL to replace Tua, I'm not sure there's any clear upgrade for Miami's offense. You could argue for Burrow, Hurts, or Herbert, but they have as many arguments against them as they would for them, so you probably wouldn't want to upset the apple cart.

 

[cgrove13]

Just to reassure everyone that the arc of the universe bends toward justice . .

https://x.com/badboyofscoops/status/1706274837398729164?s=61&t=QYRR_LHWcpta5i2pvLO1Zw

Speaking with multiple NFL owners, I’m told there is a common feeling that #Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel running up the score on the Broncos was “disrespectful” to the game of Football.

 

[luckiestman]

Just to reassure everyone that the arc of the universe bends toward justice . .

https://x.com/badboyofscoops/status/1706274837398729164?s=61&t=QYRR_LHWcpta5i2pvLO1Zw

God is conspiring against me to make me root for the Dolphins. Truly the darkest timeline.

 

[dwainw]

Just to reassure everyone that the arc of the universe bends toward justice . .

https://x.com/badboyofscoops/status/1706274837398729164?s=61&t=QYRR_LHWcpta5i2pvLO1Zw

That's disingenuous, at best. Anyone who watched the game could see that Denver essentially quit. The Dolphins were in game management mode the whole second half, which is when they racked up the majority of their rushing yards, including with their 3rd string RB who accounted for the last very long TD run. What are the RBs supposed to do when they're barely touched before breaking away and when opposing defenders refuse to tackle? Do they start taking a knee in the 3rd quarter? Ridiculous.

 

[sodenj5]

Just to reassure everyone that the arc of the universe bends toward justice . .

https://x.com/badboyofscoops/status/1706274837398729164?s=61&t=QYRR_LHWcpta5i2pvLO1Zw

I mean, he had the second string QB, third and 4th string WRs, and the 4th string RB in the game and they still put up 14 and decided not to rub their noses in it. Defense has to make plays too.

The Tua conversation gets frustrating because of how insane the talent is around him. Yes, Tyreek opens up the field in ways that few others do, and yes Mike McDaniel went into the lab and schemed up an even better offense. Tua is still making throws that are into windows before receivers even break. He’s now making plays that aren’t just his first read. He’s making plays out of structure like we saw against LA. He made a no-look shovel pass with his non-throwing hand.

Tua is the absolute pinnacle of what a Shanahan system QB can be. Is his game dependent on McDaniel catering the offense to what he does well? Yes. But so is every single NFL quarterback. We saw Trevor Lawrence not throw a TD for more than half a season his rookie year. We saw Justin Herbert at the bottom of the league in ADoT despite having 3x the arm Tua does.

The marriage of scheme and talent and coaching matters for every team, and Miami just happens to have the best blend of it in the NFL today.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

I mean, he had the second string QB, third and 4th string WRs, and the 4th string RB in the game and they still put up 14 and decided not to rub their noses in it. Defense has to make plays too.

The Tua conversation gets frustrating because of how insane the talent is around him. Yes, Tyreek opens up the field in ways that few others do, and yes Mike McDaniel went into the lab and schemed up an even better offense. Tua is still making throws that are into windows before receivers even break. He’s now making plays that aren’t just his first read. He’s making plays out of structure like we saw against LA. He made a no-look shovel pass with his non-throwing hand.

Tua is the absolute pinnacle of what a Shanahan system QB can be. Is his game dependent on McDaniel catering the offense to what he does well? Yes. But so is every single NFL quarterback. We saw Trevor Lawrence not throw a TD for more than half a season his rookie year. We saw Justin Herbert at the bottom of the league in ADoT despite having 3x the arm Tua does.

The marriage of scheme and talent and coaching matters for every team, and Miami just happens to have the best blend of it in the NFL today.

This probably wasn’t your intent and it’s not necessarily implied by your post, but it’s worth explicitly noting that it doesn’t matter even if the Dolphins kept their starters in and kept pushing to score. Totally fair game. Lol boo hoo, other teams.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

God is conspiring against me to make me root for the Dolphins. Truly the darkest timeline.

I can't root for Tyreek, but if there was anything that would make me consider rooting for the Dolphins, I think claims of "running up the score" would do it.

I think if I ever owned a sports team, I might start with a 10 question quiz with things like "is it ok to steal a base up 5 in the ninth" and "how do you feel about a team that takes a knee instead of going for a first down with a 28 point lead"? Maybe get bat flips in there. Then I'd fire every single dinosaur that has a problem with any of it. I'd also have a program on team computers that did a perpetual search for anyone who typed "unwritten" w/1 of "rules" and fire their ass on the spot.

 

[sodenj5]

This probably wasn’t your intent and it’s not necessarily implied by your post, but it’s worth explicitly noting that it doesn’t matter even if the Dolphins kept their starters in and kept pushing to score. Totally fair game. Lol boo hoo, other teams.

I agree 100%. Miami is under no moral obligation to stop scoring, and if they’re pulling players, it should be with the intention of not risking our guys playing in a blowout.

 

[Marciano490]

I feel like playing not to run up the score can be dangerous. You’re half checked out and playing with a different mindset. The defense is pissed off and on edge. It’s a bad combo.

 

[sodenj5]

Maybe Isaiah Wynn was really just a guard this whole time.




Also, this is one part coaching, one part scheme, one part Tua getting the ball out insanely fast, and one part players playing well.

 

[sodenj5]

Tua named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month, the first Dolphin in literally 30 years to win it. We used to pray for times like these.

 

[Justthetippett]

Tua named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month, the first Dolphin in literally 30 years to win it. We used to pray for times like these.

Good for him after what must have been some really scary moments least year. He's in a perfect system for what he does well.

 

[sodenj5]

A massive game in Buffalo tomorrow on several fronts.

• If Miami wins, they’ll be 4-0, 2-0 in the division, with a 2 game lead on the Bills and home field advantage for their game late in the season
• The following 2 weeks home games against the Giants and the Panthers. Very realistic chance for Miami to be 6-0 heading into Philly if they beat Buffalo.
• Lose to Buffalo, and they’re tied for first and they have failed yet again to beat the Bills

I expect a playoff like atmosphere. Ted Nguyen of The Athletic wrote up a good article explaining that it should be Miami’s running game that carries them in Buffalo as Buffalo is bad against the run, plays almost exclusively in nickel, and may try a similar approach to the Patriots of clogging the middle of the field and trying to force Miami to take the short stuff.

 

[sodenj5]

Well, the season isn’t over, but one team came very prepared and took that game extremely seriously and one absolutely did not.

The defense is torched again. I cannot for the life of me understand why Vic would chose to allow Kader Kohou get torched on the outside by Diggs and not make any kind of adjustment.

Also frustrating because Cam Smith looked very good in the preseason but has been banished to the shadow realm. I’m not kidding when I say I’m almost positive it was because he got burnt bad on a double move for a TD in the preseason and Vic dropped him to the bottom of the depth chart.

The pass rush is non existent. Jaelen Phillips didn’t play, but Van Ginkle had 2 sacks in his spot, so it’s literally everyone else. Chubb has been a massive disappointment. He was supposed to be a catalyst this year because he already knew the defense and played for Fangio. He’s missing tackles in space and not putting heat on the QB.

The offense struggled with penalties and turnovers. Not saying they had a good game, because they didn’t, but they at least looked prepared to play at times.

I expect them to win against Carolina and NY, but the defense has to start doing something different because they haven’t looked good in a single game. Jalen Ramsey isn’t going to fix the run defense or pass rush when he comes back eventually.

 

[pdaj]

I think there's a lot that Miami got right this off-season -- and there's no such thing as a "perfect" team -- but slating Liam Eichenberg to be the lone center contingency was a risky (my nice way of saying idiotic) decision. Eichenberg may develop into a decent option at the position down the road, but up until last Sunday, he had never started a game at the position. (His initial training was just a few months ago.) Can you imagine a worst first game environment for him than the Buffalo Bills ... on the road? In this motion-heavy, timing-based offense, Connor Williams' importance to this team may only be secondary to Tua and Tyreek.

Fangio has been colossal disappointment thus far, but due to his track record, he'll get the benefit of the doubt from me for the remainder of the season. It's just got to get better, right? Here's hoping.

Other than that, I'm glad that Miami got punched in the face. Better to happen in Week 4! Learn from it, let it serve as motivation, and return the favor in Week 18.

Miami's 3-1 with 3 out of the first 4 games being on the road. That's exceptional.

The next two weeks have to be wins.

 

[sodenj5]

I think there's a lot that Miami got right this off-season -- and there's no such thing as a "perfect" team -- but slating Liam Eichenberg to be the lone center contingency was a risky (my nice way of saying idiotic) decision. Eichenberg may develop into a decent option at the position down the road, but up until last Sunday, he had never started a game at the position. (His initial training was just a few months ago.) Can you imagine a worst first game environment for him than the Buffalo Bills ... on the road? In this motion-heavy, timing-based offense, Connor Williams' importance to this team may only be secondary to Tua and Tyreek.

Fangio has been colossal disappointment thus far, but due to his track record, he'll get the benefit of the doubt from me for the remainder of the season. It's just got to get better, right? Here's hoping.

Other than that, I'm glad that Miami got punched in the face. Better to happen in Week 4! Learn from it, let it serve as motivation, and return the favor in Week 18.

Miami's 3-1 with 3 out of the first 4 games being on the road. That's exceptional.

The next two weeks have to be wins.

Fangio’s defense has left me scratching my head multiple times. I just don’t understand letting Diggs expose you like that, and not game planning to take him away. We didn’t even go down swinging with X beating Diggs. At least our best on their best, and you can live with that. We made it way too easy for them to get Diggs isolated on Kader and he made them pay.

The other thing that is starting to aggravate me is the banishment of Cam Smith. He played literally zero snaps last week. It makes me sour on Vic a bit because Cam looked really good in preseason and we clearly have some issues at DB. This feels like old man doesn’t trust young guy to not screw up his defense, but the guys ahead of him aren’t not screwing up the defense either.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Mike McDaniel is kind of good at a this...

View: https://twitter.com/schadjoe/status/1711122615362883910?t=6CjNNI-bmP-ItM99FG3vKw&s=19

 

[sodenj5]

Would be an impressive return to action from Ramsey if he’s back that fast.

Would also give Miami a fair bit of runway for Ramsey to get himself back into playing shape and work into the defense before the final month of the season and possibly playoffs.

 

[sodenj5]

Remember when Miami was down 14 at the end of the first quarter? Yea, that was weird. Felt like both sides of the ball forgot to actually start playing when the game started.

Offense scored 35 unanswered at one point before Mike White threw a pick 6 late in the fourth.

No De’Von Achane or Connor Williams and Miami is still gave Carolina the business on the ground.

 

[pdaj]

All I have to say is ... I haven't had this much fun watching football in a very long time.

SNF vs. Philly should be a blast!

 

[sodenj5]

What’s really interesting is we’re seeing this year more of what we probably expected from the offense. They have the ground game absolutely humming right now. Partly because the offensive line is playing significantly better this year, partly because Achane and Mostert are running like prime LT, and partly because teams are absolutely paralyzed trying to defend this team.

The one game they get beat against Buffalo, they became one dimensional because they started to have to chase the scoreboard. If the defense can keep them within striking distance, the offense is so good it feels like any game within 2 scores in the 4th is still winnable.

 

[sodenj5]

I don’t like kicking a man when he’s down, but putting old friend Mike Gesicki in this position is malpractice. A traffic cone is more effective.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

I don’t like kicking a man when he’s down, but putting old friend Mike Gesicki in this position is malpractice. A traffic cone is more effective.

Considering the line was -3 and I had the Raiders, I disagree with your assessment and thought it was a fantastic play design.

 

[pdaj]

I don’t like kicking a man when he’s down, but putting old friend Mike Gesicki in this position is malpractice. A traffic cone is more effective.

Considering the line was -3 and I had the Raiders, I disagree with your assessment and thought it was a fantastic play design.

If a documentary were to ever chronicle "The Downfall of Belichick", at least 10-15 minutes of an episode would need to be dedicated to his decision to target ex-Dolphins, DeVante Parker (via trade) and Mike Gesicki (via FA). The two of them, working together, couldn't carry Wes Welker's jockstrap.

 

[sodenj5]

If a documentary were to ever chronicle "The Downfall of Belichick", at least 10-15 minutes of an episode would need to be dedicated to his decision to target ex-Dolphins, DeVante Parker (via trade) and Mike Gesicki (via FA). The two of them, working together, couldn't carry Wes Welker's jockstrap.

What I truly do not understand for the life of me is why they bothered to sign Gesicki with Hunter Henry already on the roster.

I won’t belabor the point, but that rep against Crosby, they literally put him out there as a traffic cone to widen Crosby and maybe get in his way, and he couldn’t even do that.

 

[Silverdude2167]

I don’t like kicking a man when he’s down, but putting old friend Mike Gesicki in this position is malpractice. A traffic cone is more effective.

Of course, if the shit QB threw the ball to the wide-open RB, there is no safety.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Gesicki is pretty good as a passcatcher, he's been quite good at it this year. It's just Jonnu all over again though in that you have no TE blocking and then they stick a bad blocker in to block anyway.

If you run Atlanta's offense you can have 2 receiving TEs, but we don't our line stinks and we need (and want) our TE to block

 

[sodenj5]

Gesicki is pretty good as a passcatcher, he's been quite good at it this year. It's just Jonnu all over again though in that you have no TE blocking and then they stick a bad blocker in to block anyway.

If you run Atlanta's offense you can have 2 receiving TEs, but we don't our line stinks and we need (and want) our TE to block

Which is essentially my point. Having Henry and Gesicki would suggest you want to run more 12 personnel, but Gesicki is so bad at blocking, you’re just shooting yourself in the foot if you do that.

He doesn’t get the mismatches guys like Kittle and Gronk get because everyone just treats him like a WR.

 

[sodenj5]

The bad man is coming.



Miami would have 3 weeks to activate him, which coincides with their bye week. I think the most realistic timeline is he’s back with Achane and Armstead after the bye week, but Ramsey is probably going to be frothing to play in that KC game in Germany before the bye.

I think if there’s a shot at him playing in Germany, we may see him next week vs NE on a very limited basis just to give him some game speed action and see how his knee responds.

 

[sodenj5]

Trying no to get too hyped up for this game tonight, mainly because Philly is a mismatch for Miami in a way few teams are. They are happy to run the ball and tush push each other 10 yards at a time to keep Miami off the field.

Combine that with the fact the game is on the road and basically everyone on Philly’s Injury report strapping it up for this game, and it feels like Buffalo redux, where Philly is taking this game extremely seriously. Will be interested to see if Miami can match their energy.

Rapoport posted a report this morning detailing how Ramsey was able to make it back so quickly. Long story short: basically all of the media outlets were wrong and Ramsey had a trim done and not a repair because the tear was to the outer rim.

 

[pdaj]

Connor Williams reportedly aggravated his groin injury vs. the Giants and is not expected to play tonight (or, possibly, until after the BYE), which is a tough loss for the Dolphins on the road. While Liam Eichenberg played well vs. Carolina, it's going to be a much tougher task in an environment with deafening crowd noise. With all of Miami's motion, communication/timing, of course, is key. Miami's really improved in their limiting of offensive penalties (delays, offsides, illegal motion/formation) from last season to this season, and the Tua-Williams' relationship has likely been a big part of that.

I think that Fangio will have to call a more aggressive game tonight for Miami to pull this one out. Philly will be more than happy to nickel and dime their way down the field all game long, scoring points and limiting Miami's possessions. Instead, they have to force Jalen to hurt(s) you as a passer, which I still view as a below-average aspect of his game. Hurts excels off of Philly's rushing success and by holding the ball/creating. He's a bit of an anti-Tua in that quick decision-making isn't his thing. If Miami can get to 3rd and 6 or longer and get pressure, they might (finally) be able to force a turnover or two.

In regard to this season overall, I'm thrilled that Miami's been able to overcome early season injuries. There's a lot of luck involved with health, but with Ramsey, Armstead, Williams, Achane, Cracraft set to all return at some point, I'm hopeful that the Dolphins will peak at the perfect time.

Final thought: I'm interested to see how Jeff Wilson looks tonight! Headed into the season, I thought he had a good chance of becoming Miami's lead back. His fresh legs could be part of the recipe for a victory.

 

[sodenj5]

Connor Williams reportedly aggravated his groin injury vs. the Giants and is not expected to play tonight (or, possibly, until after the BYE), which is a tough loss for the Dolphins on the road. While Liam Eichenberg played well vs. Carolina, it's going to be a much tougher task in an environment with deafening crowd noise. With all of Miami's motion, communication/timing, of course, is key. Miami's really improved in their limiting of offensive penalties (delays, offsides, illegal motion/formation) from last season to this season, and the Tua-Williams' relationship has likely been a big part of that.

I think that Fangio will have to call a more aggressive game tonight for Miami to pull this one out. Philly will be more than happy to nickel and dime their way down the field all game long, scoring points and limiting Miami's possessions. Instead, they have to force Jalen to hurt(s) you as a passer, which I still view as a below-average aspect of his game. Hurts excels off of Philly's rushing success and by holding the ball/creating. He's a bit of an anti-Tua in that quick decision-making isn't his thing. If Miami can get to 3rd and 6 or longer and get pressure, they might (finally) be able to force a turnover or two.

Not only that, but Philly’s interior D Line is so good, it puts a tremendous burden on the middle 3 of the interior. I would expect to see a lot of the same stuff we saw against the Giants, with the Dolphins getting the ball out fast and wide and making Philly tackle and chase.

 

[sodenj5]

So this played out almost exactly the way I thought it would. Eagles dominated TOP, chugging away with 3 yards and a tush push the entire final drive. Officials were genuinely horrid.

Miami withheld Howard and Williams from the game, and I think it was the right call. Would have been nice to win this game, but it means next to nothing in terms of playoff seeding and tie breakers.

Get those guys right for NE and KC.

Hard to take too much away from the offense. Missing Armstead, Wynn , and Williams against that front was always going to be a disaster. Defense actually showed really well, I thought. Much better against the run than I thought.

 

[Over Guapo Grande]

Wynn on the IR? Who ever could have seen this coming?

 

[RedOctober3829]

“Tyreek's ailment is hip. Not seen today in locker room. Didn't practice. Tua said we will see Hill again "down the line"..McDaniel speaks before practice, so this didn't come up today. Mostert (ankle), Rob Jones (personal), Holland (concussion), Ingold (foot) also didn't practice”
—Barry Jackson

Sounds like Hill is in jeopardy of not playing Sunday. Would be some kind of game changer.

 

[sodenj5]

“Tyreek's ailment is hip. Not seen today in locker room. Didn't practice. Tua said we will see Hill again "down the line"..McDaniel speaks before practice, so this didn't come up today. Mostert (ankle), Rob Jones (personal), Holland (concussion), Ingold (foot) also didn't practice”
—Barry Jackson

Sounds like Hill is in jeopardy of not playing Sunday. Would be some kind of game changer.

Tyreek makes the offense go more than anyone.

Dolphins have had horrid injury luck the last two years. No one is really talking about it because they’re 5-2 right now, but the injuries they’ve sustained have been wild.

 

[Justthetippett]

Tyreek makes the offense go more than anyone.

Dolphins have had horrid injury luck the last two years. No one is really talking about it because they’re 5-2 right now, but the injuries they’ve sustained have been wild.

Every team feels this way. The injury attrition in the league right now is brutal.

 

[luckiestman]

Tyreek makes the offense go more than anyone.

Dolphins have had horrid injury luck the last two years. No one is really talking about it because they’re 5-2 right now, but the injuries they’ve sustained have been wild.

A league wide problem. need more TB-12

Just in AFC East

Bills: 2 major ones on D

Jets: besides Rodgers played with deep backups in secondary and oline last week

Pats: Judon, kid CB.

 

[sodenj5]

Every team feels this way. The injury attrition in the league right now is brutal.

The following players have missed games or are on IR:

Terron Armstead
Jalen Ramsey
Xavien Howard
Jaelen Phillips
Connor Williams
Isaiah Wynn
De’Von Achane
River Cracraft
Erik Ezukanma
Nik Needham
Jaylen Waddle

and this week David Long Jr., Jevon Holland, Raheem Mostert, and Tyreek Hill all have missed practice to start the week.

 

[pdaj]

So this played out almost exactly the way I thought it would. Eagles dominated TOP, chugging away with 3 yards and a tush push the entire final drive. Officials were genuinely horrid.

Miami withheld Howard and Williams from the game, and I think it was the right call. Would have been nice to win this game, but it means next to nothing in terms of playoff seeding and tie breakers.

Get those guys right for NE and KC.

Hard to take too much away from the offense. Missing Armstead, Wynn , and Williams against that front was always going to be a disaster. Defense actually showed really well, I thought. Much better against the run than I thought.

It seems as though a national media was begging for the opportunity to say that the Dolphins are "frauds," and for some reason, they think that losing to a legit Super Bowl contender on the road is that evidence. Despite injuries, unfavorable calls, and a couple of missed opportunities (or catches), Miami had a shot to win in at the end. I thought Tua played well, and the defense looked improved. I'm excited by this team's potential ascension.

Wynn on the IR? Who ever could have seen this coming?

Bingo. He was a cheap, late FA add for a reason. Although not surprising, however, it is a bummer, as he was playing solidly.

The following players have missed games or are on IR:

Terron Armstead
Jalen Ramsey
Xavien Howard
Jaelen Phillips
Connor Williams
Isaiah Wynn
De’Von Achane
River Cracraft
Erik Ezukanma
Nik Needham
Jaylen Waddle

and this week David Long Jr., Jevon Holland, Raheem Mostert, and Tyreek Hill all have missed practice to start the week.

Despite this list, last year was worse. Tua's health, the added depth, and benefits of MM and the coaching staff being in their 2nd years have all contributed to this team better navigating the injury front. And with just a little hope and optimism, one can envision the team getting healthy and putting it altogether at the perfect time.

But, in the meantime, while it sucks to not be at (or closer) to 100% when facing teams like Philly or KC, keeping Miami's head above water absolutely involves winning home games vs. teams like New England. A loss would be quite devastating.

 

[sodenj5]

It seems as though a national media was begging for the opportunity to say that the Dolphins are "frauds," and for some reason, they think that losing to a legit Super Bowl contender on the road is that evidence. Despite injuries, unfavorable calls, and a couple of missed opportunities (or catches), Miami had a shot to win in at the end. I thought Tua played well, and the defense looked improved. I'm excited by this team's potential ascension.



Bingo. He was a cheap, late FA add for a reason. Although not surprising, however, it is a bummer, as he was playing solidly.



Despite this list, last year was worse. Tua's health, the added depth, and benefits of MM and the coaching staff being in their 2nd years have all contributed to this team better navigating the injury front. And with just a little hope and optimism, one can envision the team getting healthy and putting it altogether at the perfect time.

But, in the meantime, while it sucks to not be at (or closer) to 100% when facing teams like Philly or KC, keeping Miami's head above water absolutely involves winning home games vs. teams like New England. A loss would be quite devastating.

I think that they’ve been intentionally withholding players, specifically to try and align them with the timeframe of the next two weeks before the bye.

Ramsey’s rehab timing aligned nicely, but if last week’s game was in December with the playoffs on the line, I think Williams and Howard are both playing, and a guy like Achane is probably not even on the IR to begin with.

 

[Van Everyman]

keeping Miami's head above water absolutely involves winning home games vs. teams like New England. A loss would be quite devastating.

Pats fan here. Sundays game is going to be fascinating. Tua has never lost to the Pats but he’s also never played terribly well against them either. And the last game I was struck by the postgame interview Tua did – he was more humble than I expected and clearly felt a little relief to have come out with a win.

I actually wonder whether it’s less that a loss would be devastating as much as a win for the Dolphins would be a shot in the arm given the Patriots big win against Buffalo last week and Miami’s health challenges.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

I agree - a loss would certainly hurt their chances at the bye, but I don’t think it moves the needle much for Miami in terms of the division. Buffalo already has two division losses, too, and Miami probably has to win that second head to head matchup anyways.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

The following players have missed games or are on IR:

Terron Armstead
Jalen Ramsey
Xavien Howard
Jaelen Phillips
Connor Williams
Isaiah Wynn
De’Von Achane
River Cracraft
Erik Ezukanma
Nik Needham
Jaylen Waddle

and this week David Long Jr., Jevon Holland, Raheem Mostert, and Tyreek Hill all have missed practice to start the week.

It really isn't that obscene. Every team has injuries. Not to make this a Patriots thread, but for comparisons sake...

32 guys from the 53 man roster have missed time on the Patriots:

Offensive Line
Cole Strange
Mike Onwenu
Trent Brown
Sidy Sow
Tyrone Wheatley
Riley Reiff
Tyrone Wheatley Jr
Calvin Anderson

Skill Players
Kayshon Boutte
Devante Parker
Juju Smith-Schuster
Demario Douglas
Tyquan Thornton
Tre Nixon
Ty Montgomery

Secondary
Jack Jones
Jonathan Jones
Christian Gonzalez
Marcus Jones
Isaiah Bolden
Adrian Phillips
Jalen Mills
Shaun Wade

Front Seven
Anfernee Jennings
Matthew Judon
Josh Uche
Keion White
Raekwon McMillan
Lawrence Guy
Terez Hall
Daniel Ekuale
Sam Roberts

 

[NortheasternPJ]

It seems as though a national media was begging for the opportunity to say that the Dolphins are "frauds," and for some reason, they think that losing to a legit Super Bowl contender on the road is that evidence. Despite injuries, unfavorable calls, and a couple of missed opportunities (or catches), Miami had a shot to win in at the end. I thought Tua played well, and the defense looked improved. I'm excited by this team's potential ascension.

It's not the National Media begging for it, but this is part of being on top, you get more attention, more headlines and more hot takez.

if you want to say Frauds, the Dolphin's schedule has been full of them:

Chargers - Awful and overrated. 2-4
Patriots - Awful and maybe underrated at best, may be the worst team in the league some weeks.
Denver - Stinks
Buffalo - May not be great, Dolphins lost by 28.
Giants- Stinks
Carolina - Stinks, generally the worst team in the league
Eagles - Lost

The schedule is the schedule and you can't control that. I'm more inclined to think the Dolphins are a very good team than the Boogeyman Patriots and as Brady said the worst 8-0 team.

The issue I see is that the Dolphins have a cup cake schedule:

Raiders, Jets, Washington, Titans, Jets, Dallas, Ravens, Buffalo.

I think it's fully possible we go into the playoffs with the Dolphins in a top 2 seed and have no idea if they're really good or not. Once the seasons turn and if they don't have home field advantage it could get very rough very quickly.

For the record, I think the Dolphins are very good and good could be great. I think they're a step ahead of the Bills as the best team in the AFC East. I could totally see them dominating or coming off the rails. The injury arguments above are nonsense, it's the league at this point. The league is a war of attrition and health is the main factor.

 

[sodenj5]

Jalen Ramsey either is or isn’t playing vs NE.

My guess is he plays on a pitch count on Sunday to get him some game speed action before KC.