2018 Dolphins: Back to Gasics

[sodenj5]

No real surprise cuts for Miami. The two biggest names were probably Leonte Carroo and Tony Lippett.

Carroo obviously the bigger disappointment. I think he struggled to grasp the playbook mentally and didn’t seem to be anything special physically. That said, he’s a Rutgers guy and will probably lead the Patriots in receiving this year.

 

[sodenj5]

Carroo, Asiata, Malveaux, Poling, and Jalen Davis signed to the practice squad so far.

Miami also claimed Luke Falk, a QB they did some work on throughout the draft season back in April. Seems that either Fales or Osweiler would be on the way out now. My guess would be Fales is cut, Osweiler is the true backup, and Falk is the developmental QB3.

Also slight bonus that Falk has intel on Tennessee, Miami’s Week One opponent.

 

[pdaj]

There’s sure to be some early season roster tinkering, likely starting immediately after Game 1. Miami currently has 4 QB and 7 OL rostered. There’s no way that’s sustainable.

Not sure of the deal with the Falk signing, considering the fact that both Osweiler and Fales remain on the roster. Perhaps a quick intel grab on the Titans’ offense with an attempt to get Falk onto the practice squad later on? Though, if I recall correctly, a player picked up on waivers has to remain on the 53 for at least 3 weeks. It’s also possible that Gase is preventing a potential counter-pickup from Tennessee by hanging on to Fales (for now).

Sam Young was cut, which is a surprise, considering his versatility, and Miami’s current depth at OL. He was booted around the same time last year on a “wink, wink” agreement that lead to him being resigned a few days later. I wonder if this is a similar arrangement. If so, he should be brought back after Week 1.

Tanner McElvoy was interesting pickup. He’s a guy who played QB/WR/S in college and recorded 6 interceptions one season, which I believe was his senior year. He seems like a Rizzi type of guy on special teams, as well as another tall (6’6”) target in the red zone. He went undrafted in ‘16, and some draft folk had him pegged as a potential TE. This one will be a fun follow.

I think we’ll find out quickly if this year’s team will battle for the playoffs or be completely average. The first 3 games?

1) Tennessee at home, with the Titans a bit battered, missing several key players.

2) On the road vs the Jets and their rookie QB and lackluster offense.

3) Oakland at home minus Mack and following a brutal travel from the west coast.

This team has been presented with a fantastic opportunity to start this season off strong, 3-0. Gase and Tannehill have been prone to slow starts across seasons and games. It’s crucial that they buck that trend this year.

 

[sodenj5]

There’s sure to be some early season roster tinkering, likely starting immediately after Game 1. Miami currently has 4 QB and 7 OL rostered. There’s no way that’s sustainable.

Not sure of the deal with the Falk signing, considering the fact that both Osweiler and Fales remain on the roster. Perhaps a quick intel grab on the Titans’ offense with an attempt to get Falk onto the practice squad later on? Though, if I recall correctly, a player picked up on waivers has to remain on the 53 for at least 3 weeks. It’s also possible that Gase is preventing a potential counter-pickup from Tennessee by hanging on to Fales (for now).

Sam Young was cut, which is a surprise, considering his versatility, and Miami’s current depth at OL. He was booted around the same time last year on a “wink, wink” agreement that lead to him being resigned a few days later. I wonder if this is a similar arrangement. If so, he should be brought back after Week 1.

Tanner McElvoy was interesting pickup. He’s a guy who played QB/WR/S in college and recorded 6 interceptions one season, which I believe was his senior year. He seems like a Rizzi type of guy on special teams, as well as another tall (6’6”) target in the red zone. He went undrafted in ‘16, and some draft folk had him pegged as a potential TE. This one will be a fun follow.

I think we’ll find out quickly if this year’s team will battle for the playoffs or be completely average. The first 3 games?

1) Tennessee at home, with the Titans a bit battered, missing several key players.

2) On the road vs the Jets and their rookie QB and lackluster offense.

3) Oakland at home minus Mack and following a brutal travel from the west coast.

This team has been presented with a fantastic opportunity to start this season off strong, 3-0. Gase and Tannehill have been prone to slow starts across seasons and games. It’s crucial that they buck that trend this year.

I think you’re spot on with your Sam Young/Falk analysis. They probably try and slip him on the practice squad after week one and sign Sam Young back.

Miami’s schedule turns brutal towards the end of the season, so getting off to a strong start is imperative. I think the Raiders essentially self destructing this year is a nice bonus.

Week 1 should be very telling. The Titans are basically really good at what Miami sucks at and they’ve man handled Miami recently. I think Miami can score in their defense, but will the defense be able to stop their ground game at all?

 

[pdaj]

Week 1 should be very telling. The Titans are basically really good at what Miami sucks at and they’ve man handled Miami recently. I think Miami can score in their defense, but will the defense be able to stop their ground game at all?

My biggest concerns regarding Tennessee:

1) Mariota’s mobility/running ability with the read-option and scrambling from the pocket. This has been an issue with Miami’s defense during Gase’s tenure. See Kaepernick, Tyrod, et al.

2) Dion Lewis vs. Miami’s LB. If Kiko’s continually matched up with this dude 1:1, it could be a long, long day.

3) Miami’s kicking game. In what could very well be a close contest, every point will matter. That includes FGs, where the Dolphins will match out a rookie kicker. Sanders looked good in the preseason, but you don’t know for sure until the “lights are on”.

The Titans have a legit secondary, so I think this could be the Drake Show. I expect a huge game from him.

Can’t wait for some real football!

 

[dwainw]

Dolphins sign center, Travis Swanson, recently cut by the Jets. Legit depth signing, more strategery involving acquisitions of players with inside info, or a bit of both?

 

[sodenj5]

My biggest concerns regarding Tennessee:

1) Mariota’s mobility/running ability with the read-option and scrambling from the pocket. This has been an issue with Miami’s defense during Gase’s tenure. See Kaepernick, Tyrod, et al.

2) Dion Lewis vs. Miami’s LB. If Kiko’s continually matched up with this dude 1:1, it could be a long, long day.

3) Miami’s kicking game. In what could very well be a close contest, every point will matter. That includes FGs, where the Dolphins will match out a rookie kicker. Sanders looked good in the preseason, but you don’t know for sure until the “lights are on”.

The Titans have a legit secondary, so I think this could be the Drake Show. I expect a huge game from him.

Can’t wait for some real football!

Mariota is a legit concern. Interesting to see if they spy him to limit some of his running impact.

I think Jerome Baker and Minkah are going to be tasked with tracking Lewis. I think Reshad or TJ McDonald can stay with Delanie Walker, but they need someone with speed to track Lewis. I would hope they do everything possible to keep Kiko out of those scenarios where he is matched up 1 on 1 with Walker or Lewis.

Will be interesting to see Sanders. Cody Parkey was a breath of fresh air after the last few season of Andrew Franks. Sanders seems to have a huge leg but he needs to be consistent. I have faith in Rizzi’s ability to pick and groom a guy.

 

[sodenj5]

Ex-pat Bolden about to sign with Miami.


Another veteran addition. Wouldn’t expect him to see much action in the games, but Miami could use him on ST. Dropping the recently signed Swanson.

 

[DanoooME]

Tanner McElvoy was interesting pickup. He’s a guy who played QB/WR/S in college and recorded 6 interceptions one season, which I believe was his senior year. He seems like a Rizzi type of guy on special teams, as well as another tall (6’6”) target in the red zone. He went undrafted in ‘16, and some draft folk had him pegged as a potential TE. This one will be a fun follow.

McAvoy was only really interesting when throwing a pass back to Russell Wilson after a fake end-around. He has a tough time getting separation and he wasn't even a top ST guy for the Seahawks. His hands weren't very consistent either. It's not like the Seattle WR corps is loaded and yet they kept the re-anminated corpse of Brandon Marshall and a 7th round pick from last year (David Moore) over him. And their TE corps is worse than the WRs.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Excellent. Confirmed. 7.5 wins. I have the over.

You have which? Don't you mean the under?

 

[johnmd20]

You have which? Don't you mean the under?

Yes. Thanks.

 

[Reverend]

You have which? Don't you mean the under?

Yes. Thanks.

Ouch.

 

[sodenj5]

You have which? Don't you mean the under?

Yes. Thanks.

Yeaaaaaaaaaa. Do you actually have the under? I assumed you were just full of shit when you said you had the over. My offer still stands.

7.5 games. 100 bucks to the Jimmy Fund.

 

[johnmd20]

Yeaaaaaaaaaa. Do you actually have the under? I assumed you were just full of shit when you said you had the over. My offer still stands.

7.5 games. 100 bucks to the Jimmy Fund.

I'm sorry, this is going to be such an easy bet to win it twisted me all up. I will take the under on Miami wins, 7.5. I'll offer up 500 dollars to the Jimmy Fund if I lose. 250 dollars if I win. The wager doesn't matter, as much as the reality of the Dolphin talent level. Note, I have generally always rooted for the Dolphins since I was a kid. I don't want to see them suck.

But they don't have a good team this year. Thanks!

 

[pdaj]

McAvoy was only really interesting when throwing a pass back to Russell Wilson after a fake end-around. He has a tough time getting separation and he wasn't even a top ST guy for the Seahawks. His hands weren't very consistent either. It's not like the Seattle WR corps is loaded and yet they kept the re-anminated corpse of Brandon Marshall and a 7th round pick from last year (David Moore) over him. And their TE corps is worse than the WRs.

Any idea on his ability as a Special Teams contributor? I believe that he had a punt block last season. It's possible that McEvoy was added mostly to have another WR option for this 1st week, considering that Parker won't be available. Though, he is intriguing as a possible TE option. Players who have moved around a lot in college, in terms of position, may take more time to find their niche in the NFL, especially when swapping teams. I'm at least curious.

I'm sorry, this is going to be such an easy bet to win it twisted me all up. I will take the under on Miami wins, 7.5. I'll offer up 500 dollars to the Jimmy Fund if I lose. 250 dollars if I win. The wager doesn't matter, as much as the reality of the Dolphin talent level. Note, I have generally always rooted for the Dolphins since I was a kid. I don't want to see them suck.

But they don't have a good team this year. Thanks!

I think that when a team has been generally bad for a while, it's difficult to get ahead of the national view and predict a change, unless you follow that particular team extremely closely. And then, even in that case, there's certainly "homer bias," at least amongst fans, which can be difficult for others to consider their optimism. Still, take last year, for instance.

Several teams projected to be bottom tier last year: Rams, Jaguars, Saints, Eagles, Vikings. And, now, these squads are headliners for '18.

Several teams projected to be top tier or playoff contenders last year: Giants, Raiders, Cardinals, and Bucs. The Seahawks were also a popular Super Bowl pick.

In today's NFL, there's so much change from year to year, it's a challenge to recognize and factor all of the variables that contribute to a successful team. Miami has a really solid HC/QB combo, which will be fully realized this season. That alone puts them ahead of half the league. I think the team's depth, particularly on offense and on the defensive line, will surprise a lot folks, in addition to considerable young talent (Drake, Wilson, Grant, Gesicki, Minkah, Harris, Howard, McCain) being overlooked.

I see 9-7 for this squad, with 10-6 a possibility with a little luck, good health, and a career year or two.

It'll definitely be fun for me following this bet.

 

[sodenj5]

Miami won 6 games with Jay Cutler. Buffalo and the Jets are going to suck this year. Maybe the Jets aren’t terrible, but still bad.

Kenyan Drake is better than Jay Ajayi. Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola will match or exceed Landry’s production. They ran the bloated corpse of Rey Maualuga out there for like 6 games as a DT masquerading as a LB after their starting SLB went AWOL and showed up at his old team’s practice. Their OLine coach and asst. head coach was literally doing lines of coke on the job. Their “star” center didn’t practice all season, but is considered a huge loss. They had no bye week and a literal hurricane cost them their home opener before they had to go from the West Coast to London.

I think people forget how amazingly bad Miami’s season went in nearly every possible way. And they still won 6 games.

 

[pdaj]

I think people forget how amazingly bad Miami’s season went in nearly every possible way. And they still won 6 games.

100%. There's a major case of recency bias occurring, with a blatant disregard for the numerous factors that contributed to Miami's demise last season. Among the AFC East teams, I think Miami's the only one that actually improved from last year, in large part to the return of Tannehill. The Bills and Jets have certainly taken a step back, and Miami's schedule, overall, is favorable.

Let the real games begin.

 

[Clears Cleaver]

Miami won 6 games with Jay Cutler. Buffalo and the Jets are going to suck this year. Maybe the Jets aren’t terrible, but still bad.

Kenyan Drake is better than Jay Ajayi. Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola will match or exceed Landry’s production. They ran the bloated corpse of Rey Maualuga out there for like 6 games as a DT masquerading as a LB after their starting SLB went AWOL and showed up at his old team’s practice. Their OLine coach and asst. head coach was literally doing lines of coke on the job. Their “star” center didn’t practice all season, but is considered a huge loss. They had no bye week and a literal hurricane cost them their home opener before they had to go from the West Coast to London.

I think people forget how amazingly bad Miami’s season went in nearly every possible way. And they still won 6 games.

I am a fan and think they’ll be bad again BUT if they do improve it’s because tannehill is a lot better than cutler and the O-line could be markedly improved. Tunsil needs to be great (playing Quinn and Wake every day should help) and the new G/C should be an improvement. The WRs and RBs and TEs are basically commodities. Everyone talks about them but they don’t win or lose games. Gesicki could be improvement, too.

Edit: people forget how bad the offensive line has been. When they won games in 2016 it was because they ran the ball incredibly well w Ajay I and tannehill could play action down the field and not get killed. They had Albert pounce and James. All three gone or sucked last year. Get back to that with drake and gore and allow Gase to actually play call aggressively rather than from a weakened position and team could be better. The o line will determine assuming tannehill stays upright

They will be horrible vs the run and the LB still suck. They have one good CB and still can’t cover backs or TEs. There will be games where opponents have 40 mins TOP. My fear is a defense built to pressure up the field and at the line will rarely put teams in typical passing situations. Maybe the new safety can play up and they can play TJ near the as a hybrid linebacker to help vs run and defending TE. They haven’t shown that yet though (just seems logical)

If they somehow beat TN (who has dominated them recently?) then could have a decent start and interest/emotion could carry them. Lose badly and slow start and talk will start about tanking to get rebuild around a new QB and guts like wake and Quinn and jones and will be trade fodder for draft picks.

 

[DanoooME]

Any idea on his ability as a Special Teams contributor? I believe that he had a punt block last season. It's possible that McEvoy was added mostly to have another WR option for this 1st week, considering that Parker won't be available. Though, he is intriguing as a possible TE option. Players who have moved around a lot in college, in terms of position, may take more time to find their niche in the NFL, especially when swapping teams. I'm at least curious.

He never stood out, except when he committed penalties and had the block, as you note. He's pretty much your fungible 53rd guy on the roster. He's not terrible, but he won't help a lot either. Maybe Seattle wasn't using him properly, but I doubt it.

 

[sodenj5]

Miami lead the preseason in rushing. While that’s certainly not concrete evidence that the OLine is magically better, it is an indication that they’re trending in the right direction.

Also, I agree that Tannehill works best when Miami is running the ball well, which is why you’re going to see much more 12 personnel from Miami and less 11 personnel. Better rushing, and better chances to get Gesicki matched up vs. a linebacker on early downs on play action.

 

[sodenj5]

First serious injury finally strikes Miami.

Marquies Gray tore his Achilles in practice yesterday and was placed on IR. Listed as TE1 on the depth chart, he’s probably Miami’s most “complete” TE.

This likely pushes Derby up the depth chart and it’s now Mike Gesicki’s show.

 

[pdaj]

Here we are, it's time for real f-cking football.My expectation is for Miami to start out 3-0 this year. It starts today. Let's go, Miami!

 

[dwainw]

Here we are, it's time for real f-cking football.My expectation is for Miami to start out 3-0 this year. It starts today. Let's go, Miami!

I'm with you. I'd be happy with a field goal on their opening drive. Hopefully it'll give them enough momentum to go on and win the game...

But seriously.....you hate to put too much on one game, but a lot is obviously on the line here. If memory serves, they don't open the season at home very often, so they need to take advantage of that--the heat, the crowd, etc. Heavy rains may hit late in the game, so the offense needs to be sharp early. I'm hoping it can establish itself as a truly dynamic unit and take some heat off the D. Speaking of.....let's hope Wake and Quinn can do what they do and upset any rhythm that might allow Tenn to exploit the weaker links in the Dolphins 2nd level.

I'm "expecting" 8 - 8 this season, while hoping luck and an unexpected breakout season from a player or two can push them above that. We'll see.

 

[pdaj]

A 2-hour-freakin' long delay on Opening Day. This would only happen to Miami.

 

[pdaj]

It's really difficult to assess the performance of a team when the scheduled 1 PM game ends after 8 PM. There were two 2-hour weather delays due to reported lightening. It really put a ... damper on the opener, but hey, a win is a win.

1-0.

On to Jets week!

 

[rymflaherty]

Mariota going out also skews things, but yeah, nice to get the win.
FWIW I was bullish on the Titans coming into this season, so unique circumstances aside, that was a nice win to start the season. Now I just wish I had had more confidence in the Fins because picking against them is going to cost me money in the DraftKings Pick’em. When I’m on the fence, I tend to hedge, so I’ll gladly take the Win.

 

[sodenj5]

Pluses: Miami hit big for a couple of explosive plays. Grant TD return and the bomb to Stills. Stills might legitimately be Miami’s WR1. They also had a 98 yard TD drive that looked like everything Gase has been trying to do since he got here.

Secondary looked very good. Minkah made the play of the game early coming up with the fourth down stop near the goal line. Reshad has two picks and a huge TFL on Lewis when Tennessee was rolling.

Tannehill looked decisive and accurate for the most part. That Gesicki lob ball INT was hold your nose bad. Underthrew the fade and Gesicki made no play on Butler. The other pick I’ll probably chalk up to a wet ball because it seemed to sail on him.

Minuses: running the ball with the heavy 3TE look is awful. Miami doesn’t have the personnel to move the other team’s line. They looked good running zone from more spread out formations, but trying to power it through failed basically every time.

Penalties on offense. Tunsil had a hold and a false start, James had a hold as well as
Sitton.

Running game looked strong early and they went away from what worked later in the game.

1-0 is 1-0. We’ll take it. On to the Jets.

 

[Mugsy's Walk-Off Bunt]

I fully expected the Titans to manhandle the Dolphins. Nice win, congrats! Good luck against the jets next week.

 

[sodenj5]

Side note: William Hayes played that read option 1000% correct on the play where Mariota got hurt. The QB is a runner on that play. If you don’t hit the QB, they’ll keep running that over and over. Hit the QB, and they think twice about it.

No one wants to see anyone get hurt, but Mariota is a bit frail. That’s a good, physical play that ended up changing the course of the game.

 

[pdaj]

A few Monday thoughts:

- The weather delays really seemed to work against Miami -- especially the 1st one, when the Dolphins seemed to be playing more physical and superior energy. By the time the game resumed, all of Miami's advantages -- the heat, the pace, and the crowd -- were nullified. Still, they managed to grab the game. Good early season sign.

- Take those 2 picks away from Tannehill, and the game narrative would be a lot different today. Sure, you can say that about a lot QB performances, but considering Tanny's history of limiting interceptions, I expect that part of his game to get cleaned up quickly.

- Man, Gore was running the ball like he was shot out of a cannon yesterday. Who knew he still had so much juice left? Health permitting, as always, he could be a lot of fun to watch this season.

- I love Miami's receiving group, which is easily their deepest and most talented position group. (Also, the most underrated nationally.) Stills, Amendola, Wilson, and Grant will all contribute, and Parker is set to return soon. Once Gesicki starts rolling, this offense will have Top-10 potential.

- After many reviews, the holding call vs. Sitton was BS. It was seemingly one of those, “There’s no way in hell the pass protection can be that good without holding,” type of flags that only Rodgers and Brady are able to avoid. I thought the interior line had a pretty stellar day in pass protection.

- Alonso wasn't awful yesterday, but he's so up and down. This LB group may end up being the death of me. Please, please, football gods, allow for McMillan and Baker to be half-way decent by mid-season. I wouldn't be shocked to see Chase Allen starting at some point this season.

 

[sodenj5]

Jets looked better than expected. This might be a very competitive game. Darnold looked competent mixing some bad plays with some good. The defense looks fast and aggressive.

I would expect a lot of play action with Miami trying to take advantage of their aggressiveness.

 

[pdaj]

Jets looked better than expected. This might be a very competitive game. Darnold looked competent mixing some bad plays with some good. The defense looks fast and aggressive.

I would expect a lot of play action with Miami trying to take advantage of their aggressiveness.

These division games are never easy, especially on the road. It seems like the Jets have had viable defense for a while now; and, overall, I think Bowles is a solid coach. The defense and power running game are my biggest concerns heading into this one.

This is where Gase should be expected to earn his money. Offense is his expertise, and his team now has the weapons to be formidable. This combination must lead to points on Sunday in New York. Can he get 24 or more on the road? It hasn't happened very often.

 

[sodenj5]

Josh Sitton was on the injury report with a shoulder injury. Hopefully not anything serious, but something to monitor.

 

[sodenj5]

Fucking hell.


Josh Sitton has a torn rotator cuff which will require surgery. He’s going on IR and is out for the year.

Sitton looked good in game 1 and all offseason Miami was talking about the importance of continuity on the line. Ted Larsen will step up to fill in. Issac Asiata will also likely move up from the practice squad.

 

[sodenj5]

2-0 baby!

Defense looked fantastic in the first half.

Offense looked sloppy for most of the game, however Tannehill made some big plays with his legs and Frank Gore made that huge catch and run on third and forever to ice the game.

Some sloppy turnovers prevented this from being a blowout. Tannehill fumbled on a dropback and Kilgore botched a snap.

Overall, Miami looking good heading into what should be a winnable game at home vs Oakland.

 

[pdaj]

The Sitton injury is really unfortunate; his addition seemed to really sure up the pass protection. Larsen's solid, and possibly better for the run game, but his pass blocking will bear watching.

Today, Miami won on the road vs. a division rival, so I don't have too many complaints. Though, I think it's back-to-back games where the offense left a lot on the field. The phantom Kilgore fumble was the worst of the bunch. Miami has to clean that sh-t up; but early in the year, that's to expected. It's nice to get wins while working through the early kinks. Tannehill's been a sight for sore eyes, but he needs to be a lot better going forward, and I'm confident that he will be. Missing as much time as he did, he deserves credit for a really solid start to the season.

Getting a 1:00 PM home game vs. a California team is a beautiful thing. It's an opportunity I think Miami has to take advantage of, if 9-10 wins is going to be a realistic goal. I don't expect Miami to go into NE and win, but heading into that game 3-0, with the Patriots minus Edelman? Who knows? It could get interesting.

But first, let's chop the head off of the Chucky Doll.

 

[sodenj5]

The bomb to Wilson was a huge missed opportunity. Gase dialed it up at the perfect time and Tannehill threw it off balance. Just put it too far in front for an easy TF to ice the game.

I’m with you. A division road win is big, even though this could have been lopsided.

Also, Minkah Fitzpatrick is an absolute stud. He might be the best player on our defense already.

 

[pdaj]

Also, Minkah Fitzpatrick is an absolute stud. He might be the best player on our defense already.

Agreed. And while even a broken clock is right twice per day, yada, yada, Mikey T. has seemed to strike gold on the Robert Quinn acquisition this offseason. Of course, maybe it was a Chris Grier decision. Regardless, he looks really good coming off the edge.

 

[dwainw]

Not to quibble with the overall point about the importance of an early-season divisional road win like this--however they may have pulled it off--but as many mistakes made and missed opportunities as there were by the Dolphins, the Jets may well have surpassed them, effectively relinquishing whatever one believes Miami "left on the field." Miami was the better team today, but after two games it's still awfully tough to figure out who or what they can be this season. This applies to several different components of the team, starting with Tannehill, who has been mostly effective, but still perplexing after some glaring lapses in both games.

That said, my glass half-full takeaway and to give credit where it's due, it's apparent that the Dolphins added some nice complimentary pieces to some good, young, raw talent on this team, both of which have contributed to a very nice start to the season. And knowing there is still plenty more potential and room for improvement leaves me--what else--cautiously optimistic that they have what it takes to remain competitive in the weeks to come.

Just don't take any damn team for granted (not that they would), starting with an embittered and desperate Oakland team next week.

 

[Clears Cleaver]

Finally got to watch the game last night. I felt like the Jets controlled the line of scrimmage most of the game it’s just Dolphins capitalizes on great field position from the turnovers (duh) and the punter. He did a great job.

Tannehill wasn’t good and a couple of the sacks are on him. Plus the missed opportunities down the field as was mentioned

Agreed on minkah. Fantastic player. He and Quinn and also improvement from Phillips and godchaux have definitely helped vs the run. Kiko had like 14 tackles but many were down the field. Raekwon is not showing much. It’s still a weakness.

Nice to see TJ make a play. Getting him near the line with tashad and minkah would be helpful.

Quinn. Is really good but it helps he’s opposite wake. Jets doubled wake a lot more frequently yesterday than Quinn did. Nice problem to pose.

Beating the raiders and getting to 3-0 would be nice for team morale. Then New England/cincy/Chicago. Get to 4-2 through six and you can start thinking 9 wins with two left w Buffalo, jets, Tampa, Houston and Detroit left. Of course the other games are NE, gB, Minnesota, Jax

 

[sodenj5]

It was certainly important to get off to a strong start because as Clears pointed out, the schedule certainly gets tougher. However, you can only win one week at a time.

You can see Adam Gase’s vision starting to play out now. The offense looks far more dynamic than it has the last few years. Guys like Wilson and Grant pose problems for defenses. Problems that didn’t exist when we were pumping it to Landry 14 times a game. I feel like the offense has put it together yet, and when they do, they can put up a few big games.

Quinn is going to start making teams pick their poison. Jets decided to try and block him with a TE at one point and that lead to a sack by Phillips. He has been outstanding the first two weeks. Also Xavien Howard has been a lockdown corner the first two weeks. Darnold didn’t even look his direction very often and when he did, he picked him off for a huge momentum shifter in the end zone.

A lot of young talent is starting to kick in for Miami. Potential is turning into production. That’s huge for this year and the future.

 

[dwainw]

One thing that bears watching in the coming weeks is the mini-drama surrounding DeVante Parker's unexpected non-activation last week and how he responds once he gets into games. Parker said he was surprised, while Gase offered some opaque references about Parker's health. Not an ideal portrayal of player/coach communication.

I think the decision revealed a lot about Gase's confidence in his wide receivers (and perhaps about his attitude toward Parker's ability to function at anything less than 100%), but it's hard not to be excited about the added dimension Parker could provide that corps if all the stars are aligned. Meanwhile, the pressure is continuing to build on DeVante who has yet to approach his full potential, and who was already under the microscope going into the season. It's anyone's guess how he'll manage.

Fortunately, this won't generate nearly the type of controversy it might have under different circumstances, but man it would be nice to see the guy go off for a game or two to alleviate questions about his fortitude, and more importantly, help the offense kick things into the another gear.

 

[sodenj5]

One thing that bears watching in the coming weeks is the mini-drama surrounding DeVante Parker's unexpected non-activation last week and how he responds once he gets into games. Parker said he was surprised, while Gase offered some opaque references about Parker's health. Not an ideal portrayal of player/coach communication.

I think the decision revealed a lot about Gase's confidence in his wide receivers (and perhaps about his attitude toward Parker's ability to function at anything less than 100%), but it's hard not to be excited about the added dimension Parker could provide that corps if all the stars are aligned. Meanwhile, the pressure is continuing to build on DeVante who has yet to approach his full potential, and who was already under the microscope going into the season. It's anyone's guess how he'll manage.

Fortunately, this won't generate nearly the type of controversy it might have under different circumstances, but man it would be nice to see the guy go off for a game or two to alleviate questions about his fortitude, and more importantly, help the offense kick things into the another gear.

While I was watching the game on Sunday, I thought to myself, “I’m not sure where DeVante Parker fits in this offense.”

Gase has been using Wilson and Stills and Grant in multiple positions doing a variety of different things. Their ability to generate separation and play with speed have been a huge difference between last year and this year.

I worry that if they try and shoehorn Parker back in the lineup, they go back to more 3 WR sets and it’s to the detriment of Wilson or Grant.

Having over 2 yards per route run is considered very high end, borderline elite in the NFL. Miami currently has 3 players averaging over 2 yards per route run. While they haven’t been throwing the ball all over the field, they’ve been extremely efficient in doing so.

If Parker wants to play, he needs to show up at practice and out perform Stills, Wilson, or Grant. Until he does, his snaps should be earned, not given.

 

[dwainw]

Good post, soden, as always. Could you also add the course of the development of Mike Gesicki as a potentially complicating factor here? Meaning could his and DeVante's overlapping skill sets ultimately prove redundant--or would there be ways to incorporate both, while maintaining the advantage(s) of the depth of the rest of the receiving corps?

 

[sodenj5]

Good post, soden, as always. Could you also add the course of the development of Mike Gesicki as a potentially complicating factor here? Meaning could his and DeVante's overlapping skill sets ultimately prove redundant--or would there be ways to incorporate both, while maintaining the advantage(s) of the depth of the rest of the receiving corps?

Gesicki is actually why I don’t see a need or a perfect fit for Parker any more. Gesicki is a bigger, better athlete, a better red zone threat, and can line up in line or split out wide like a WR. Basically he can do everything Parker can do in the red zone, but better with more versatility.

Parker can still be a down field threat, but Miami isn’t going to line up a ton of three or four WR sets and chuck it down field. That’s just not how their offense is built. He needs to really show something we haven’t seen before in order for him to make a significant impact.

 

[pdaj]

Happy Friday, fellas! Man, I wish it was Sunday already, which demonstrates just how great of a start it's been to the Dolphins' season. Aside from a couple of injuries, the year couldn't have been scripted any better (thus far). The only thing that could ruin it would be a setback (loss) against the Raiders, as a few of us pegged a 3-0 start as a real possibility and a near necessity for a legit playoff run this season.

Oakland's traveling from California to Miami following a tough, physical loss to the Broncos last Sunday. It's a 1 PM game, and it's supposed to be hot. Additionally, Miami looks to match up pretty well vs. the Raiders, especially offensively. This has to be a win, fellas. I expect a big game from Drake, and possibly Tannehill, as well. Defensively, Reshad Jones has been limited this week with a shoulder injury. Hopefully he can go.

Regarding DeVante Parker, I'm more in the middle on his return. Last week, Amendola was nearly decapitated. Had he not been able to return, having a 4th WR option would have been nice, right? Additionally, I like Parker as an additional RZ option, and I'm curious to see if he gets moved around a little bit, including the slot. I'm a Gesicki fan (long-term), but he's yet to establish himself as that TD guy. So, in the meantime ...

DeVante's got size and the ability to win vertically, and "we" no longer have to count on him being healthy week in and week out. Seems like a win/win, right? I'm not sure it ever makes sense to complain about having too many weapons. Plus, I'm curious to see if the current situation has lit a fire under his ass. Let's not forget how in 2016, for a decent stretch, Parker took over multiple football games. He's also been a little bit of a Patriot killer. It'll be interesting, indeed.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Oakland's traveling from California to Miami following a tough, physical loss to the Broncos last Sunday. It's a 1 PM game, and it's supposed to be hot. Additionally, Miami looks to match up pretty well vs. the Raiders, especially offensively. This has to be a win, fellas.

This is an excellent point. Not only do the Raiders lack talent, but they're in an absolutely brutal scheduling spot having to play their second straight road game following a tough division loss and go cross-country for a 1:00 start in the heat. I expect Miami to win convincingly - the 3-3.5 spread seems pretty low.

 

[sodenj5]

This is an excellent point. Not only do the Raiders lack talent, but they're in an absolutely brutal scheduling spot having to play their second straight road game following a tough division loss and go cross-country for a 1:00 start in the heat. I expect Miami to win convincingly - the 3-3.5 spread seems pretty low.

They aren’t a big favorite in terms of the spread but they’re a pretty fair favorite on the money line. So it seems like Vegas thinks Miami should win in a relatively close game.

As mentioned above, there are a lot of things pointing in Miami’s favor for this game. This should be a W.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

They aren’t a big favorite in terms of the spread but they’re a pretty fair favorite on the money line. So it seems like Vegas thinks Miami should win in a relatively close game.

As mentioned above, there are a lot of things pointing in Miami’s favor for this game. This should be a W.

Not to turn this into a gambling thread, but the money line is commensurate with them being a 3-3.5 point favorite. I just think both should be higher.

 

[pdaj]

Not to turn this into a gambling thread, but the money line is commensurate with them being a 3-3.5 point favorite. I just think both should be higher.

Yeah, if you're going to ever bet on the Dolphins, it's best to do so:

1) When they're playing in Miami. Statistically, their HFA has been quite significant; however, it's remained seemingly undervalued by Vegas.
2) When they're playing a West Coast team at 1 PM. Historically and recently, they've fared very well under these circumstances.

Add the fact that Oakland hasn't been able to stop the run or get to the passer, and this should be a 4-7 + win by the Dolphins, if not a 2-score (8+ point) victory.