McDaniel is in a tough situation with the media but I'm sure has opportunities to speak with Tua privately in a much more meaningful and impactful way. He's not powerless to convey both support for Tua and concern over his health. And the team can keep him off the field. As long as they are paying him (or, if it comes to it, reach a reasonable settlement), I have a feeling the players union will be pretty circumspect about forcing a guy with concussions back on the field given where that issue is likely to go in the coming years, as more and more becomes known about CTE and they bargain for benefits to players who had to retire early etc accordingly.
2024 Dolphins: Throw the Damn Towel
- Thread starter sodenj5
- Start date
McDaniel isn't Tuas father. Tua is a 26 year old adult. If Tua decides he wants to play, it's not anyone else's choice to make regardless of their opinion on the matter. If McDaniel wants to keep Tua off the field and tell the owners that the team is swallowing $170M, that's his choice to make, too. Although I'm sure the players association would have something to say about it.
I hoped Tua would make a better decision for his future, but was confident that retirement was not going to be an actual option in his head. All we can do is hold our breath when he's on the field.
I hoped Tua would make a better decision for his future, but was confident that retirement was not going to be an actual option in his head. All we can do is hold our breath when he's on the field.
CTE isn’t the only issue — and getting actual concussions is really bad for long term mental health.
https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/31/three-or-more-concussions-add-up-to-long-term-cognitive-problems-study-suggests
Doesn't have to be long term even. A guy I work with got badly concussed playing ECAC hockey in college and spent the next decade dealing with pretty severe consequences. It finished his playing career, screwed up his academics and then, worst of all, had continuing symptoms for several years. It wasn't all the time, but there would be periods of a month or more where the symptoms would reoccur and he'd have to basically spend every waking hour in a dark room with no stimulation, otherwise his brain would go haywire. He finally found a doctor that has helped him with the problem, so hopefully it's behind him, but it really messed him up and hurt has had lingering impact on his career progression because of all the time he missed.
As far as I know, he was never diagnosed with a concussion before this one happened.
Tua to IR. Out a minimum of 4 games (in reality it's 5 weeks since they have an early bye). Also appears he will be meeting with outside neurologists.
View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1836132402751541608
View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1836132402751541608
Probably a best case scenario in terms of handling Tua and giving him the time and space needed. If it were up to him, he would be rushing to try and get back on the field ASAP. This basically takes that decision out of his hands and they can evaluate after the bye week.
That was as bad an offensive performance that we’ve seen in the McDaniel era.
Skylar looked lost basically on every snap. They ran out there with the Tua offense with a QB that isn’t nearly as capable of making quick decisions or having quick feet. Couple that with the crowd noise, and the offense never got out of neutral.
I am not sure I’ve seen a less aware sequence of snaps that with 8 seconds left in the first half, Skylar not only didn’t attempt a quicker pass to possibly attempt a long field goal, he stood there for about 15 seconds and didn’t even attempt a heave at the end zone, he just got crushed. Illegal contact leads to an intoned down and another shot at a Hail Mary. Skylar holds the ball, rolls out of the pocket, stands there, and gets absolutely smoked from behind while AGAIN not even attempting to chuck it towards the end zone. If I see Skylar Thompson play another snap for the Dolphins, I’ll scream.
All of that being said, Mike McDaniel didn’t do him a lot of favors with essentially attempting to run the same offense when they had 10 days to draw something up.
Defense played respectably after the first two drives, but they have to come out of the gate with better game plans. Weaver seems to make good adjustments in game, but looks like he’s always coming out with the wrong thing to start the game.
Skylar looked lost basically on every snap. They ran out there with the Tua offense with a QB that isn’t nearly as capable of making quick decisions or having quick feet. Couple that with the crowd noise, and the offense never got out of neutral.
I am not sure I’ve seen a less aware sequence of snaps that with 8 seconds left in the first half, Skylar not only didn’t attempt a quicker pass to possibly attempt a long field goal, he stood there for about 15 seconds and didn’t even attempt a heave at the end zone, he just got crushed. Illegal contact leads to an intoned down and another shot at a Hail Mary. Skylar holds the ball, rolls out of the pocket, stands there, and gets absolutely smoked from behind while AGAIN not even attempting to chuck it towards the end zone. If I see Skylar Thompson play another snap for the Dolphins, I’ll scream.
All of that being said, Mike McDaniel didn’t do him a lot of favors with essentially attempting to run the same offense when they had 10 days to draw something up.
Defense played respectably after the first two drives, but they have to come out of the gate with better game plans. Weaver seems to make good adjustments in game, but looks like he’s always coming out with the wrong thing to start the game.
They need to pick whoever McDaniel thinks can run his system the best. It can’t possibly be Tim Boyle and given that they acquired Huntley, it seems like McDaniel made his decision on Skyler even before his latest poor outing but there wasn’t enough time to get Huntley in the lineup as QB1.
I get where the Skyler Thompson plan happened- he showed promise as a late round rookie but this is the second time he’s been asked to play important games and has come up empty. Anyway, since they already had Mike White, released him and decided to add Huntley, I think he’s going to get the next few games to show what he can (and can’t) do.
This has to be one of the most disappointing starts to a season that I can ever remember, and that’s really saying something.
This season legitimately feels like a hangover from the end of last season. Half the team is hurt, we’re losing to bad teams, and worse, we are flat out playing bad football.
I feel like so much of the offense’s issues circle back to the offensive line being objectively terrible. I don’t think that Mike McDaniel loves calling jet sweeps and screen passes in third and 1. I think that he knows, just like everyone knows, that the line is such dog water that they can’t pick up a yard when they have to have it.
All of the answers have to be generated through scheme and deception. This team cannot just line up and execute better than the team on the other side of the ball.
This season legitimately feels like a hangover from the end of last season. Half the team is hurt, we’re losing to bad teams, and worse, we are flat out playing bad football.
I feel like so much of the offense’s issues circle back to the offensive line being objectively terrible. I don’t think that Mike McDaniel loves calling jet sweeps and screen passes in third and 1. I think that he knows, just like everyone knows, that the line is such dog water that they can’t pick up a yard when they have to have it.
All of the answers have to be generated through scheme and deception. This team cannot just line up and execute better than the team on the other side of the ball.
Jaelan Phillips suffered a season ending ACL tear during the Titans game and will miss the rest of the 2024 season.
Have to feel bad for the guy coming off a hard offseason of rehabbing an Achilles to go out in Week 4 with another season ending injury.
Have to feel bad for the guy coming off a hard offseason of rehabbing an Achilles to go out in Week 4 with another season ending injury.
Football is brutal. What was his injury status going into that game? He was wearing a brace on his right knee already right? Have to think he regrets suiting up for that one.
I believe he put the brace on in-game after a collision with Poyer and tried to keep playing before ultimately coming out of the game.
Going all the way back to his time at UCLA, the guy has been snake bitten. Hope he gets healthy and is capable of playing with relative health at some point.
McDaniel did Chubb so dirty last year, too. He got hurt in an utter blow late, late in the 4th quarter. He shouldn't have been out there.
McDaniel has cool shades, I guess. Otherwise, he's not quite the wonder boy everything thinks he is.
Last year, the Browns beat the Niners with Dorian Thompson Robinson at QB and won 6 in a row with Flacco. Huntley made the pro bowl (a joke, I know, but it happened) with Baltimore and almost beat Cinncy in a playoff game if not for a fumble on the 0 yard line that was returned 100 yards.
Miami is literally uncompetitive without Tua.
I feel like that’s probably a bit dismissive of McDaniel and the radical change that he brought to the entire offense.
Tua was a bust before McDaniel got here. He has flaws, for sure, but also he’s been one of the most creative play designers and play callers in the league the prior two seasons.
True, but as we've seen, that creativity is predicated on above-average offensive skill players. Huntley is a threat to run, and that's about it.
Tua was a bust before Tyreek Hill showed up. McDaniel may have helped some but I feel like adding Tyreek did far more for Tua than any kind of scheming.
It’s a bit of everything. We saw the offense slow down when Tyreek got hurt at the end of last season. No question Tyreek plays a huge part in the offense’s success.
That being said, Tyreek has had the two best years of his career in Miami, with Tua and with McDaniel. The way McDaniel weaponized Tyreek’s speed is far different than just stretching the field vertically.
I think McDaniel’s biggest issue so far is he believes he has to outthink and outscheme on every play because the team often times doesn’t have the horses to simply line up and get 1 or 2 yards when they absolutely need to have it. The line is mostly atrocious and basically all of Miami’s backs are built for speed.
They’ve gotten away from some of the core concepts of the offense that worked really well because teams have started to figure out what makes the offense work. Now it’s on McDaniel to figure out what the next evolution of this offense looks like.
Fair. For you, it must be frustrating to have Hill/Waddle and no way to get them the ball effectively. Like, we get there is always a drop off when the starter goes down but, man, this futility is painful to watch.
The pre-game dialogue here earlier in the week fits nicely with today's post-game discussion. What's most frustrating for me? This is a typical Miami possession:
1st down: 4-yard run.
2nd down: 5-yard screen.
3rd down: 5-yard illegal motion penalty. 6-yard gain, negated by a 10-yard offensive holding penalty. 8-yard completed pass.
4th down: Punt
Or ...
Several first downs. Inside the opponent's 30.
1st down: 9-yard run.
2nd down: 5-yard illegal motion penalty. Errant snap over the QB's head.
Now 3rd and 30. 5-yard screen.
4th down: Missed FG.
I struggle to imagine a more frustrating type of football to watch. And the truth? This was an issue last year and the first game of this season, even with Tua. However, having to move off of an incompetent backup QB to a QB who has been with the team less than 2 weeks has added gasoline to the dumpster fire.
The problem (offensive organization/timing) was similar in SF when Shanny started with the 49ers, but this is now McDaniel's 4th season.
Add this issue to the others -- poor decision-making, challenges, special teams, etc., and it's a lot to overlook. My concern is that MM won't truly be a top coach until he gets his second tour somewhere else.
But, hey (deep breath).
Miami's 2 and 3 despite the following point differential (-53). They have a much-needed BYE next week. If the Dolphins can steal a win vs. Indy, 3-3 with a returning, Guardian cap-wearing Tua could lead to a run. We'll see.
I like Huntley, by the way. Sign him for 2 years and draft a QB this offseason.
1st down: 4-yard run.
2nd down: 5-yard screen.
3rd down: 5-yard illegal motion penalty. 6-yard gain, negated by a 10-yard offensive holding penalty. 8-yard completed pass.
4th down: Punt
Or ...
Several first downs. Inside the opponent's 30.
1st down: 9-yard run.
2nd down: 5-yard illegal motion penalty. Errant snap over the QB's head.
Now 3rd and 30. 5-yard screen.
4th down: Missed FG.
I struggle to imagine a more frustrating type of football to watch. And the truth? This was an issue last year and the first game of this season, even with Tua. However, having to move off of an incompetent backup QB to a QB who has been with the team less than 2 weeks has added gasoline to the dumpster fire.
The problem (offensive organization/timing) was similar in SF when Shanny started with the 49ers, but this is now McDaniel's 4th season.
Add this issue to the others -- poor decision-making, challenges, special teams, etc., and it's a lot to overlook. My concern is that MM won't truly be a top coach until he gets his second tour somewhere else.
But, hey (deep breath).
Miami's 2 and 3 despite the following point differential (-53). They have a much-needed BYE next week. If the Dolphins can steal a win vs. Indy, 3-3 with a returning, Guardian cap-wearing Tua could lead to a run. We'll see.
I like Huntley, by the way. Sign him for 2 years and draft a QB this offseason.
I think the latter is even more infuriating. There’s no excuses for the special teams miscues at all. That’s just dogshit coaching and execution. False start on a made FG attempt, and then Blake Furgeson rolls the ball back to Jake Bailey on the next attempt. A blocked punt. A doinked FG. There are no excuses for these things. None of the core special teamers are hurt and yet we keep seeing terrible ST play. Tua isn’t fixing those issues.
The defense continues to play pretty well and doing much of the heavy lifting for the team. I liked that Weaver started sending the house to seal the game because Jacoby and the Pats didn’t have an answer for it. Risky for sure, but it worked.
Huntley is doing about as well as anyone could hope. He looked better this week, and they clearly simplified some of the shifts and motions this week. He’s still missing some easy throws and is obviously not making the same snap decisions Tua would, but I can’t be mad at how he’s played.