2022 Dolphins: Our coach is cooler than yours

[rymflaherty]

Is this unique to Tua and the Dolphins or is it true of the Reddit communities for any team that hasn't had any real success in decades?

Tua seems to be a lightning rod that’s led to a tribalism I haven’t really seen in other fan bases.
Because of fantasy/gambling, I find myself perusing through most team communities, and I’ve found them all to generally be more informed and enjoyable. For instance, there’s a fatalism and subsequent humor amongst the Lions community that’s endearing. (From my brief experience)
I have theorized something similar though, that when you lose for decades the more discerning fans start to slip by the wayside and move on with their lives…the part that is unique to the Dolphins though; is the starting point for the fan base is Florida Males. I don’t want to make broad generalizations, but after watching the reactions and prevalent sentiment to something like Flores’ tenure, it’s hard not to.
Edit* - I’m sure I’m also oversensitive at the moment. The lack of civil discourse, acceptance of facts and expertise, informed arguments, etc. in this country makes my head want to explode on any given day…so I found myself wishing I didn’t have to deal with it so overtly when I just wanted to read/talk football.



As for something actually on field…
Checking out the schedule…
Buffalo to TNF in Cincinnati is brutal.
After that though they better roll if this season is going to be a success.

Very happy to get NE week 1.
Not sure if it’s fact, or it’s been spoken into a truth, but it certainly seems like the NE gets better as the season goes on. So getting them week 1, in the heat, with Bill not even knowing for sure what the offense will look like, seems to be a best case situation there.

 

[sodenj5]

Tua seems to be a lightning rod that’s led to a tribalism I haven’t really seen in other fan bases.
Because of fantasy/gambling, I find myself perusing through most team communities, and I’ve found them all to generally be more informed and enjoyable. For instance, there’s a fatalism and subsequent humor amongst the Lions community that’s endearing. (From my brief experience)
I have theorized something similar though, that when you lose for decades the more discerning fans start to slip by the wayside and move on with their lives…the part that is unique to the Dolphins though; is the starting point for the fan base is Florida Males. I don’t want to make broad generalizations, but after watching the reactions and prevalent sentiment to something like Flores’ tenure, it’s hard not to.
Edit* - I’m sure I’m also oversensitive at the moment. The lack of civil discourse, acceptance of facts and expertise, informed arguments, etc. in this country makes my head want to explode on any given day…so I found myself wishing I didn’t have to deal with it so overtly when I just wanted to read/talk football.



As for something actually on field…
Checking out the schedule…
Buffalo to TNF in Cincinnati is brutal.
After that though they better roll if this season is going to be a success.

Very happy to get NE week 1.
Not sure if it’s fact, or it’s been spoken into a truth, but it certainly seems like the NE gets better as the season goes on. So getting them week 1, in the heat, with Bill not even knowing for sure what the offense will look like, seems to be a best case situation there.

Couple of tough stretches in the schedule. NE, Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincy is a bit of a gauntlet to start, and this team wasn’t exactly good at getting out of the blocks with urgency under Flores.

They are going to get both New England and Buffalo at home in September. From a home field advantage perspective, you couldn’t ask for much more.

I agree that Miami has the deck stacked in their favor for week 1. I’m sure that Bill will be watching plenty of Niners and Falcons tape, but no one knows for certain what the offense is going to look like and game planning for both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle without a ton of reference material would seem like a headache to me.

 

[Warning Track Speed]

I prefer the schedule to be front-loaded with those road division games. It's always going to be warm in Miami for those guys coming south--I'd rather get as many trips to Buffalo and New England and the Meadowlands out of the way as possible before it gets cold up there.

(Another Sox/Celts/B's/...Fins fan here..... no figurin' some people.)

This schedule has a real nice soft underbelly to it-- @NYJ/MIN/PIT/@DET/@CHI/CLE/HOU. Won't all be easy, but a real chance to make some hay there for two months after that Cincy game.

 

[sodenj5]

I prefer the schedule to be front-loaded with those road division games. It's always going to be warm in Miami for those guys coming south--I'd rather get as many trips to Buffalo and New England and the Meadowlands out of the way as possible before it gets cold up there.

(Another Sox/Celts/B's/...Fins fan here..... no figurin' some people.)

This schedule has a real nice soft underbelly to it-- @NYJ/MIN/PIT/@DET/@CHI/CLE/HOU. Won't all be easy, but a real chance to make some hay there for two months after that Cincy game.

Welcome, brother.

I disagree slightly. Those September games really test the road teams in Miami. I’ll never forget Lawrence Timmons barfing in the end zone in Miami. While it is always warm, nothing hits quite like 100 degrees with 100% humidity as the away team bakes in the sun in the sideline.

Absolutely agree that you don’t really want to see NE, BUF, and NYJ in late December or early January if you can help it. And of course they’ll be in Buffalo in mid December and New England on New Year’s Day.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I’ve never understood why a hot game in early September favors the Dolphins. Is it simply because they make the road team wear dark uniforms? I mean, the Pats are going to spend July and August practicing and playing in the New England heat before going to Miami.

 

[tims4wins]

I’ve never understood why a hot game in early September favors the Dolphins. Is it simply because they make the road team wear dark uniforms? I mean, the Pats are going to spend July and August practicing and playing in the New England heat before going to Miami.

Pats players have historically said it's tougher to play there in December in ~80 degree weather after getting conditioned to playing in the cold up here at that time of year.

 

[jacklamabe65]

A serious and curious question for Dolphins fans here: Would you rather have Tuo or Mack Jones as your QB?

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Pats players have historically said it's tougher to play there in December in ~80 degree weather after getting conditioned to playing in the cold up here at that time of year.

Yes, that I understand. What I don’t understand is why going from the summer heat of NE to Miami is so problematic.

 

[tims4wins]

Yes, that I understand. What I don’t understand is why going from the summer heat of NE to Miami is so problematic.

Right I agree I think it’s less problematic than December. That said the Pats pretty much always suck there no matter the month.

 

[jsinger121]

Yes, that I understand. What I don’t understand is why going from the summer heat of NE to Miami is so problematic.

Have you ever been to South Florida in the middle of the summer (June, July, August)? The heat is oppressive versus up in New England.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Have you ever been to South Florida in the middle of the summer (June, July, August)? The heat is oppressive versus up in New England.

I never have, I’ve only been in winter/spring. It gets really hot in NE in July and August, so it’s surprising that Florida gets (feels) noticeably hotter.

 

[Gash Prex]

As somebody who has spent the majority of their life in Florida and many summers in NE there is absolutely no worse time of year than September in Florida. The humidity is oppressive and it totally sucks. New England is a cake walk compared to a game in Miami in September. I made the terrible mistake of attending a Pats/Miami game in Sept in Miami and it was one of the worst experiences.

 

[JohnnyK]

I’ve never understood why a hot game in early September favors the Dolphins. Is it simply because they make the road team wear dark uniforms?

Another Factor: the Dolphins sideline is in the shade, the visitors sit in the scorching sun.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Another Factor: the Dolphins sideline is in the shade, the visitors sit in the scorching sun.

Such a rude way to treat a guest. If I was a visiting team, I'd rent some umbrella tables from a local resort and set them up on the sidelines -- when a player wants Gatorade or a towel or whatever, he could just raise the little numbered flag at his table.

 

[rymflaherty]

A serious and curious question for Dolphins fans here: Would you rather have Tuo or Mack Jones as your QB?

I’ll bite, despite my frustrations I expressed recently, I’d take Tua…
It’s not all that complicated, I’d put them both in the same tier, so if that’s the case, I’m gonna take our guy over the Patriot.

Conversely, I’d expect every Pats fan to pick Jones for that reason as well. I also get why someone would feel like he flashed more and be higher on him than Tua, but I think they have similar strengths and weaknesses and like I said, I’d currently have them on the same tier. I think they’ve both proven competent….and it’s TBD if they’ll be more than that, and there’s a good chance being more than “decent starter” is going to largely be dependent on supporting cast and coaching.

 

[sodenj5]

Such a rude way to treat a guest. If I was a visiting team, I'd rent some umbrella tables from a local resort and set them up on the sidelines -- when a player wants Gatorade or a towel or whatever, he could just raise the little numbered flag at his table.

You see away teams construct canopies and they have trainers and coaches holding them over the players. Ross building the canopy over the stadium might have been his greatest achievement in shading the home team and roasting the away team.

Like many have said, there’s no escaping that heat and humidity. In NE, we have heat and humidity, but in Miami, it’s like getting slapped in the face with a wet towel in a sauna.

I’ve been to Miami in August and September and I’ve been in late December/January. Their December weather feels like a NE day in August.

Miami signed Melvin Ingram over the weekend.

Between Ingram and Michel, those guys are declarations of intent. Miami is not in rebuild mode any more. They’re in playoff push mode.

 

[Old Fart Tree]

Welcome, brother.

I disagree slightly. Those September games really test the road teams in Miami. I’ll never forget Lawrence Timmons barfing in the end zone in Miami. While it is always warm, nothing hits quite like 100 degrees with 100% humidity as the away team bakes in the sun in the sideline.

Absolutely agree that you don’t really want to see NE, BUF, and NYJ in late December or early January if you can help it. And of course they’ll be in Buffalo in mid December and New England on New Year’s Day.

I think Timmons barfed in Houston.

edit: apparently he barfed a lot of places!

 

[Groovenstein]

I think Timmons barfed in Houston.

edit: apparently he barfed a lot of places!

Willie Beamen is an inspiration to us all.

 

[sodenj5]

I think Timmons barfed in Houston.

edit: apparently he barfed a lot of places!

Timmons barfed in the end zone in Miami and then had that bizzare season where Miami signed him, he disappeared and basically tried to rejoin the Steelers before eventually getting suspended and playing a few games for Miami.

 

[sodenj5]

OTAs are under way and we’re hearing stuff from McDaniel and seeing some stuff on the field.

I could probably listen to Mike McDaniel talk about football and coaching forever. The way he talks about football, and more so how he relates and connects to these guys as humans not just players, is really refreshing.

The biggest thing I’ve taken away so far is him talking about the offensive line and how he said he’s built his coaching staff and his offseason around getting the offensive line up to speed.

Obviously going into this, the line was a massive hole, but he wasn’t just talking about fixing it, he has made it a primary focus of his entire staff. Line play is critical to the success of this scheme and he is determined to get the most out of what the team has at their disposal.

 

[rymflaherty]

We all know rooting for this team has been like Groundhogs Day the past decade plus…you can take an article/preview remove the year and it would seem to apply to any of them…offensive line issues, is the QB good enough, decent defense/poor offense, mired in mediocrity etc etc.
Above all else though what that time has lacked is elite players, “playmakers” for lack of a better term, and that’s been evidenced by the Dolphins annually being a team that’s more likely to have zero pro bowlers than multiple.

Which leads me to an exercise I was conducting today. I was trying to place an objective number on expected Dolphins pro bowlers (actual not alternate), if I was creating a betting line…
What I came up with is 4.5.

Beyond McDaniel, that’s the reason I’m most optimistic about this season. Injuries can certainly change things, but for the first time in a while, I’m going into the season thinking Miami is going to have some of the best players on the field every week.

As for the 4.5, if I’m being an optimistic homer I’d clearly pound the over….but I really think that’s a fair line, and it had me excited.

 

[Was (Not Wasdin)]

So which one of you guys was shopping at Whole Foods in Dedham today?

 

[sodenj5]

It’s the eve of training camp, fellas. We made it.

Biggest things I’ll be watching for are the following:

Offensive install. I expect the defense to be well ahead of the offense and people to wildly overreact. That’s not the stuff I care about. I want to see formations and personnel groupings and what things Miami is doing conceptually. How are they leveraging the speed of Tyreek and Waddle to create easy opportunities for everyone else and the running game?

Offensive line. Armstead is the LT. Almost everything else seems to be in flux. We’re likely to see Armstead, Eichenberg, Williams, Hunt, and Jackson, but can anyone step up and can look at least competent. I think Liam staying at one spot and playing next to a guy like Armstead will help tremendously. He was fed to the wolves last year, probably unfairly.

Second and third year player development. These are the guys that will determine if Miami finally gets over the hump. If guys like Eichenberg and Jackson take a step forward to average and guys like Holland, Phillips, and Waddle continue to ascend, this team will do some damage.

The guy I really want to see shine this camp is Jaelan Phillips. Reports from OTAs were he was looking really good. He got off to a slow start his rookie year and came on fast once he got his feet under him. He’s the type of guy where is upside is the moon. He has every physical tool in the box. If he can put together a full season of production like his second half, that’s a Pro Bowl pass rusher and a massive X Factor at your disposal.

 

[StupendousMan]

Thank you for your in-depth reporting on the Dolphins. Best of luck to the team -- well, when they aren't playing New England

 

[sodenj5]

Thank you for your in-depth reporting on the Dolphins. Best of luck to the team -- well, when they aren't playing New England

Appreciate you, brother. Thanks for checking in.

 

[rymflaherty]

I think you made a mistake…I didn’t see Tua mentioned once in things you are watching for when camp opens. I’m fairly certain he is supposed to be one, two and three.

I kid. I actually mention that because in the past month I’ve had a bit of an epiphany, I realized I really don’t give a shit how Tua does…or if that’s a bit hyperbolic, it’s accurate to say, I’m not as concerned about Tua as most of the fan base is and I’m bullish on the teams future regardless of how he plays.
It’s certainly easier and preferable if he is a guy they can move forward with, but if that’s not the case, I think the team will move on, and it will be a great situation for someone to step into. And I figure, Tua has been mediocre to poor and the teams been competitive, so they can be competitive this season regardless.

So you’re unlikely to hear much ranting and raving from me during camp, as it relates to Tua. Guess the last thing I’ll say about him than is, I hope he can throw the dig route.
Call it a hunch, but I foresee a key to McDaniel’s offense being, sending Waddle and Hill on those backside dig routes. Paired with the correct concepts, those would be just an absolute nightmare to have to defend.

And now I’m thinking of Wilson/Gesicki (whomever) running a mesh. Tyreek upfield on a post or flag and Waddle coming across on the dig…and I’m excited. Lol

 

[sodenj5]

I think you made a mistake…I didn’t see Tua mentioned once in things you are watching for when camp opens. I’m fairly certain he is supposed to be one, two and three.

I kid. I actually mention that because in the past month I’ve had a bit of an epiphany, I realized I really don’t give a shit how Tua does…or if that’s a bit hyperbolic, it’s accurate to say, I’m not as concerned about Tua as most of the fan base is and I’m bullish on the teams future regardless of how he plays.
It’s certainly easier and preferable if he is a guy they can move forward with, but if that’s not the case, I think the team will move on, and it will be a great situation for someone to step into. And I figure, Tua has been mediocre to poor and the teams been competitive, so they can be competitive this season regardless.

So you’re unlikely to hear much ranting and raving from me during camp, as it relates to Tua. Guess the last thing I’ll say about him than is, I hope he can throw the dig route.
Call it a hunch, but I foresee a key to McDaniel’s offense being, sending Waddle and Hill on those backside dig routes. Paired with the correct concepts, those would be just an absolute nightmare to have to defend.

And now I’m thinking of Wilson/Gesicki (whomever) running a mesh. Tyreek upfield on a post or flag and Waddle coming across on the dig…and I’m excited. Lol

I’m not worried about Tua because the talent in this roster is nearing crazy and if he isn’t the guy, someone else will be.

I’m more rooting for Tua to succeed so that Miami can use those two first rounders next year on further roster enhancements and not on a Tua replacement.

That being said, there won’t be a better opportunity for Tua to succeed in the NFL than this season. The line is still a little shaky, but he’s working with a much better offensive staff and much better skill position players.

I think that this scheme will get the best out of Tua and highlight what he does really well without asking him to do much of what he isn’t so good at.

For Tua’s shortcomings, if you give him a clean platform to throw from, he can fit a ball in to nearly any window at almost every level of the field with pinpoint placement.

I hope to see less of Tua scrambling for his life and dodging free runners and more precision pocket passing and play action shot plays.

 

[sodenj5]

View: https://twitter.com/MiamiDolphins/status/1552022222474297348?s=20&t=YX71-ib1w5rpyoDQjE9lwA


Miami signed Mo Sanu.

He’s probably a long shot to make the roster, but he has tons of experience in the Shanahan system and with Mike McDaniel, so the worst case scenario is he’s a veteran mentor that can help school some of the other guys on the finer points of the offense.

 

[j-man]

my 02 cents am i wrong that let say tua does not work out and then miami gets a star qb in 23 like denver did that miami couild win the afc in 23

 

[j-man]

and for the record miami reminds me of denver last year but with better WR and OLS

 

[sodenj5]

my 02 cents am i wrong that let say tua does not work out and then miami gets a star qb in 23 like denver did that miami couild win the afc in 23

Miami has built up a talented roster. The rumor is that if Tua and Mike McDaniel don’t find success this season, it could be Tom Brady and Sean Payton in 2023.

That’s obviously complete speculation, but there’s been quite a few links with Miami and Brady and he would be a free agent after this season.

I’m personally still rooting for Tua to succeed because Tom Brady would be a temporary solution for a season or two at best.

 

[sodenj5]

I also just wanted to touch on expectations for the 2023 season in general.

I think it’s fair to expect the offense to take a step forward and the defense to take a slight step backwards this year. Miami was 24th in offensive DVOA and 29th in rushing DVOA last year. They actually took a step backwards from Tua’s rookie year when they were 18th in DVOA.

McDaniel’s priority is getting Tua to play up to his potential, but a huge component of that is correcting the run game, which is Mike McD’s forte. If the run game is firing, the playaction passing and chunk plays will follow. McDaniel built his coaching staff to emphasize offensive line play.

The defense will be interesting to watch, because we don’t know how much Josh Boyer had to do with their success or their slump to open last year. My gut tells me that Boyer is a good tactician and game planner, but not a great play caller on game day. Flores felt like an excellent play caller and I believe that’s why it appeared Boyer was stripped of play calling during last year. None of that was confirmed, but heavily speculated. We will find out for sure this year.

The expectation has to be playoffs, which seems unfair to a first year head coach, but he’s taking over a roster that had back to back winning seasons and was handed Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead and 4 new running backs. McDaniel is taking over in a far more favorable position than most first time head coaches.

 

[scott bankheadcase]

View: https://twitter.com/MiamiDolphins/status/1552022222474297348?s=20&t=YX71-ib1w5rpyoDQjE9lwA

Miami signed Mo Sanu.

He’s probably a long shot to make the roster, but he has tons of experience in the Shanahan system and with Mike McDaniel, so the worst case scenario is he’s a veteran mentor that can help school some of the other guys on the finer points of the offense.

I’m watching the Niners opening camp pressers today and Aiyuk just talked extensively about his first year looking to Sanu for everything.

Saying Sanu was key in teaching him the playbook and how to handle being a pro.

I’m sure coach McD knows all about that as he tries to install his offense (which Sanu knows well). I have a feeling this signing wasn’t for on field stats (of Sanu himself at least).

 

[sodenj5]

I’m watching the Niners opening camp pressers today and Aiyuk just talked extensively about his first year looking to Sanu for everything.

Saying Sanu was key in teaching him the playbook and how to handle being a pro.

I’m sure coach McD knows all about that as he tries to install his offense (which Sanu knows well). I have a feeling this signing wasn’t for on field stats (of Sanu himself at least).

100%. Also, the practice squad rules have changed, so my guess is Miami tries to keep him stashed on the practice squad as a veteran mentor/emergency WR depth.

If he gets claimed by someone else, at least he’s there for training camp and preseason to help get this thing off the ground.

 

[sodenj5]

The haters will say it’s fake.

View: https://twitter.com/pff/status/1553408856239259650?s=21&t=MHe9OaTntPS6XDVDLPcsOw

 

[Silverdude2167]

The haters will say it’s fake.

View: https://twitter.com/pff/status/1553408856239259650?s=21&t=MHe9OaTntPS6XDVDLPcsOw

CGI is getting really good...

 

[johnmd20]

CGI is getting really good...

My concept of a rocket is certainly different than PFF's.

 

[sodenj5]

My concept of a rocket is certainly different than PFF's.

Some are never satisfied.

 

[Shelterdog]

The haters will say it’s fake.

View: https://twitter.com/pff/status/1553408856239259650?s=21&t=MHe9OaTntPS6XDVDLPcsOw

No that’s exactly what I Expect from the dolphins defense against bad quarterbacks

 

[sodenj5]

No that’s exactly what I Expect from the dolphins defense against bad quarterbacks

Good news is you’ll be the first team to find out how terrible Tua is this year. 1-0.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Good news is you’ll be the first team to find out how terrible Tua is this year. 1-0.

LOS is the 40. Hill caught it at the 10. Is 50 yards a rocket? 50-60 yards seems to be the minimum for NFL QBs.

 

[Reverend]

LOS is the 40. Hill caught it at the 10. Is 50 yards a rocket? 50-60 yards seems to be the minimum for NFL QBs.

I jeez—I hadn’t read closely and thought “rocket” applied to Tyreek Hill.

It made a lot more sense that way.

 

[Mugsy’s Walk-Off Bunt]

Tua may work out and Tyreek, despite being an actually terrible human, is a dynamic player and a true weapon. BUT: How is that throw a “rocket?”

 

[BigSoxFan]

Tua may work out and Tyreek, despite being an actually terrible human, is a dynamic player and a true weapon. BUT: How is that throw a “rocket?”

Clearly not a rocket but nice throw nonetheless. Where was the safety?

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Clearly not a rocket but nice throw nonetheless. Where was the safety?

Right. I mean, it's a nice throw. But NFL QBs should be able to reach 50-60 yards in practice situations just about whenever they want.

 

[sodenj5]

Clearly not a rocket but nice throw nonetheless. Where was the safety?

Good play design. Defense sent pressure and Holland came up to take Waddle on the deep crosser.

Either he stays back on Tyreek and Waddle is running free, or he plays the more likely pass with pressure and makes Tua put the ball on Tyreek 50+ yards down field.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Good play design. Defense sent pressure and Holland came up to take Waddle on the deep crosser.

Either he stays back on Tyreek and Waddle is running free, or he plays the more likely pass with pressure and makes Tua put the ball on Tyreek 50+ yards down field.

I think we’ll see a lot of this. Waddle and Gesicki will have tons of room to operate over the middle. Question I have is how will the Dolphins engineer looks for Hill. Can’t just send him deep all the time. Chiefs moved him around the formation so I figure the Dolphins will too.

 

[pdaj]

Holy haters. Tua unleashed that dime from the 30, and Tyreek reached and grabbed it inside the 10, at about the 5. It was approximately a 65-yard throw. Why is it a big deal for Dolphins fans? Because we've been hearing from every media "analyst" that Tagovailoa doesn't have an "NFL arm" and can't throw it farther than 10-15 yards.

Tua's strength is still going to be a "Brees-like" game --a lot of short/mid-range completions with above-average anticipation and accuracy/placement. But he also can beat the defense deep, when the opportunity arises. Two years removed from the hip injury and now surrounded by more than barely-average NFL talent, he's set to have a helluva season. That's my expectation.

Can't wait for the games!

 

[sodenj5]

I think we’ll see a lot of this. Waddle and Gesicki will have tons of room to operate over the middle. Question I have is how will the Dolphins engineer looks for Hill. Can’t just send him deep all the time. Chiefs moved him around the formation so I figure the Dolphins will too.

Miami’s entire offense is built around creating conflict. They want to run the ball so well that teams keep a safety in the box.

So you can either play two deep and let them continue to chip away at you with Edmonds and Moestert and Michel, or you can play single high and invite Tyreek and Waddle and Gesicki and Cedric Wilson to start carving you up with chunk plays.

Their speed is going to make playaction passing really ferocious. Teams will be flying outside to try and protect the edge from Miami’s speed at RB and they’re going to have guys running wide open in the 2nd and 3rd levels.

 

[Mugsy’s Walk-Off Bunt]

I may be confused. Of course Tua can throw it that far. It was a pretty pass. I think I associate “rocket” with throwing HARD as much as far. It’s all beyond silly, though. It was a nice throw in training camp. We shall see.
This I know: Not looking forward to watching Tyreek and Waddle run around for the next five years.