Game 2 Mia, goats

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Shitty OL, not dynamic WRs, and some sloppiness has been a constant over the past three years with Mac.

As has been enough poor decisions and total lack of arm strength to win even one of those games.

He's not good enough. I suspect that even if things were far better surrounding him he's still be very far from good enough. He's a poor man's early career Alex Smith. That's not a compliment. He's smart, but I think his brain is much better than his arm.

 

[ShaneTrot]

They have a QB on a rookie contract. Why is this offensive roster so pathetic? They have not taken a tackle high in the draft since Wynn. The first three picks this year were on defense. Sure, the defense is good but you need offense in the modern NFL. They struggle to score 16-20 points.

 

[Jungleland]

They're going to need something out of the young WRs if the offense is going to improve. Douglas is the big goat of last night for me, one because of the fumble and two because his absence afterward was glaring. Similarly, I hope Boutte's deactivation was a teaching moment rather than a sign he's not going to play again any time soon. We know what Parker, Bourne, and Juju are, and they're all NFL caliber receivers but their limitations (current or perpetual) are incredibly obvious. Both rookie benchings were deserved, but their upside is 100% needed. Jury is out on Boutte, but it's undeniable that Pop's shiftiness is unmatched by any of the current starters.

I like Kendrick Bourne, but I can't help but think that downfield routes need to go to Thornton when he's back. He's probably a bust, but it's painful watching those plays (have to) go to guys who can't do it. Seemed like they dialed up a few things for KB last night that don't really fit his skillset.

Mini goat for the offensive playcalling - too much line of scrimmage stuff, the screen game is a disaster right now.

 

[tims4wins]

That's fair. My point remains though. Merely being in close games doesn't mean that we're ohsoclose to being good. It probably means the opposite.

I'm with you on this.

Also, they've fallen behind 16-0 and 17-3. While it's nice that they showed fight and didn't quit, how much does the other team's approach change against this team once they are up multiple scores? It's not like the Brady days where other teams had to get up by 4 scores and even that might not have been enough, they had to keep pushing. These Pats can't get to 20 without some sort of special teams or defensive score.

 

[Bongorific]

I don’t see it. The NFL produces close games. That’s just the way the league is. 10 games this week we’re decided by 1 score or less. This team likely wont play “cleaner” because they’re not good enough to do that. The OL is awful. The WRs have zero explosiveness. Mac can’t hit on a deep ball.

This is it. Until it gets to about week 14, the betting spreads in the majority of games is within 7 points. Being spoiled with Brady, I don’t think most realize how much parody there is in the league.

I live in NY so I spent every year listening to three different fan bases talk about how close they were to being a good team if only….

Look at the Bills. During our 20 year dynasty, the Bills spent almost every year winning 6-8 games and the fans always thought they were “this” close to being 10-6 instead.

This is where talent wins games. We haven’t had enough for four years to win the close ones.

 

[wilked]

I don’t think their yards captures what happened. They had 4.1 yards per play. That’s trash.

What are you expecting with that OL play? He had to release the ball in 2-3 seconds max on each play. The receivers can only run so far in 2 seconds.

I thought Mac did fine, better than fine last night. He was accurate, stood up to the rush, and short of the INT played mistake free. Even that I don't fault him too much... it's one on one, sideline play. You need your WR to either catch or ensure (via positioning) it can't be picked. That play design is a 'trust in the WR' throw that is released early, well before you can analyze any separation.

GOAT is the OL, and perhaps coaching or personnel that affects the OL. Second is WRs who didn't do much to help out.

QB play was positive in spite of the results. D played well, especially down all, those CBs. ST was great.

 

[SMU_Sox]

This is the second time in this thread someone asked me what I expected or if I am surprised. I don’t expect anything here minus what we’ve seen. I am just listing facts and then commenting on them. It doesn’t matter what I expect. What matters is what has transpired and it ain’t pretty. I had them going 0-4 to start the season and ending up with a 9-8 record to end the year FWIW. I think they will instead go 1-3. I expect the offense to struggle until either the Raiders or Colts game. If they struggle, regardless of whether I expect it or not, I’m putting it in the goats section.

 

[rodderick]

It is the lack of explosive plays that is particularly concerning. I don't think Mac has hit on a deep ball yet, but the YAC is almost non existent, particularly from the WRs. Rham has over 1/3 of the team's YAC (69 out of 190) but also has a total of 64 receiving yards, half of which came on one play. Dink and dunk is one thing, but some of those 4 and 6 yard passes need to turn into 15 yard gains.

They need Pop Douglas not only in the lineup, they need him playing 85%+ of the snaps and getting fed 12+ targets a game. He's the only dynamic receiver they have and giving those plays to their least explosive guy on offense instead is just leaving points on the table for no reason. I'm pulling the plug on the Juju experiment, I know it's early but he can't be on the field in place of Douglas with the way this team wants to play offense. Just can't.

 

[rodderick]

What are you expecting with that OL play? He had to release the ball in 2-3 seconds max on each play. The receivers can only run so far in 2 seconds.

I thought Mac did fine, better than fine last night. He was accurate, stood up to the rush, and short of the INT played mistake free. Even that I don't fault him too much... it's one on one, sideline play. You need your WR to either catch or ensure (via positioning) it can't be picked. That play design is a 'trust in the WR' throw that is released early, well before you can analyze any separation.

GOAT is the OL, and perhaps coaching or personnel that affects the OL. Second is WRs who didn't do much to help out.

QB play was positive in spite of the results. D played well, especially down all, those CBs. ST was great.

Come on, I think Mac played fine yesterday as well, but any time a boundary corner picks you off with a ball in his lap that's a horrendous throw. Yeah, Parker was out leveraged inside and could have made a better effort to break that up, but the pass was way too low and inside. Okay decision, awful pass.

 

[lexrageorge]

As has been enough poor decisions and total lack of arm strength to win even one of those games.

He's not good enough. I suspect that even if things were far better surrounding him he's still be very far from good enough. He's a poor man's early career Alex Smith. That's not a compliment. He's smart, but I think his brain is much better than his arm.

Mac's arm strength had nothing to do with last night's loss. He had 2 seconds to get rid of the ball, sometimes less. Often times he threw on the run into a tight window.

The decision making on the INT was horrible and inexcusable. So was Parker's lame ass attempt to run a route on that same play.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Mac's career has essentially boiled down to losing a lot of games late and close because of either his mistake or that of others':

2021:
vs MIA: Harris fumbled late down 1
vs TB: Missed GW FG
vs DAL: failed GW drive in OT

2022:
vs BAL: Agholor's fumble w/ a chance to take the lead w/ ~5min left
@ MIN: Had 3 chances to tie the game
@ LV: Meyers play
vs CIN: Mondre fumble w/ chance to take the lead w/1 min left

2023:
vs Philly: failed GW drive
vs Miami: failed Game-Tying drive

On the surface, it would seem unfair to pin all of these losses on Mac. On the other hand, he's the one constant, in most of them his play put them in the hole to begin with, and not once has he been able to engineer a drive that results in a win at the end.

Being a QB is in many ways unfair, they get a disproportionate share of the credit when they win and a disproportionate share of the blame when they lose. But. That it life in the NFL. Mac has yet to been able to get his team to win a close and late game. He's now had 2 chances to do so this season alone and has failed both times. After a while, that lack of success wears on QB and team and they lose faith in their ability to change that. And that's reflected in the team's play.

Mac's record as a starter now sits at 16-17. In his career, what is his most notable win, the one where he threw 3 passes?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Mac's arm strength had nothing to do with last night's loss. He had 2 seconds to get rid of the ball, sometimes less. Often times he threw on the run into a tight window.

The decision making on the INT was horrible and inexcusable. So was Parker's lame ass attempt to run a route on that same play.

Oh he made some nice throws last night, and I saw him extend plays as well.

But anything outside the numbers could be timed with a sundial. The OL stunk. But Mac's arm isn't good enough to overcome even average OL play. In my opinion of course.

 

[jezza1918]

Mac has now had a 3 year career of getting the ball late in close games with a chance to win or tie and has never, ever once been able to come through. I think it's now 8 or 9 games in 3 years. And you look at the games and say "Oh well it's not his fault since Harris fumbled and/or Folk hit the upright and/or Jakobi lost his damn mind," but Mac is the guy who puts them in the hole and he's the guy without enough arm strength to get them out of it.

I fully expect now going forward that if they are down in a close game and get the ball with one last drive to win it, they won't come through. Mac doesn't have "it."

Yes the OL stinks. Yes the WRs aren't dynamic. Yes they play sloppy. But the one constant in these games over the last 3 years is Mac.

And the team as a whole plays as if they expect to lose. They have zero confidence that they will pull it out. Thus you see boneheaded plays from players doing too much.

And goddamn, that INT Mac threw to Parker was EGREGIOUS. I can't possibly understand what he thought he was doing there.

I think Mac is/will (if he remains qb in the future) preventing them from being a true super bowl contender. But I think the OL and lack of elite skill position players are preventing them from even being a playoff type team right now. Another way of saying I think Mac's ceiling is leading a team to the playoffs, maybe a win there. But the offensive around him right now is preventing him from reaching that (somewhat limited) ceiling.

 

[rodderick]

Oh he made some nice throws last night, and I saw him extend plays as well.

But anything outside the numbers could be timed with a sundial. The OL stunk. But Mac's arm isn't good enough to overcome even average OL play. In my opinion of course.

I think you see it in the plays they run more than anything. How many out breaking routes? How many sidelines throws to his right? Everything is in breaking. It's a function of the OL and getting rid of it quickly, sure, but I do think the scheme is taking some of his limitations into account. He threw an awesome pass rolling to his left to Juju, but seems like everything else is either horizontal to the line of scrimmage or over the middle.

 

[Arroyoyo]

Mac has now had a 3 year career of getting the ball late in close games with a chance to win or tie and has never, ever once been able to come through. I think it's now 8 or 9 games in 3 years. And you look at the games and say "Oh well it's not his fault since Harris fumbled and/or Folk hit the upright and/or Jakobi lost his damn mind," but Mac is the guy who puts them in the hole and he's the guy without enough arm strength to get them out of it.

I fully expect now going forward that if they are down in a close game and get the ball with one last drive to win it, they won't come through. Mac doesn't have "it."

Yes the OL stinks. Yes the WRs aren't dynamic. Yes they play sloppy. But the one constant in these games over the last 3 years is Mac.

And the team as a whole plays as if they expect to lose. They have zero confidence that they will pull it out. Thus you see boneheaded plays from players doing too much.

And goddamn, that INT Mac threw to Parker was EGREGIOUS. I can't possibly understand what he thought he was doing there.

This is exactly where my thinking about Mac is as well.

I loved him out of the draft. I went to the “Brady return” game and, coming out of that, I was convinced Mac was the guy, even in the loss, because of the toughness and character he showed in that game.

But there’s a problem with Mac that’s become very hard to ignore over the last 1.5 seasons worth of football: he can’t beat quality opponents.

Yes, offensive line. Yes, WR’s. Yes, coaches. Sure, EVERYONE else is the problem. I’ll buy that for a second.

…but isn’t that called “adversity?” And don’t the premier quarterbacks in football - the ones he can’t beat - make a name for themselves in the moments where they face adversity and overcome it? Isn’t that the difference between the best quarterbacks in the NFL and the lifetime ~.500 ones?

If everything needs to be PERFECT for Mac to win, then why Mac? If everything is PERFECT, most average quarterbacks in the NFL will garner a lot of wins.

What I see in Mac is a kid that works hard, genuinely cares about being the best that he can be, but at the end of the day your record is your record, your numbers are your numbers, and the NFL isn’t a league where participation trophies win Super Bowls, sell season tickets, and keep fans engaged.

One other note: Mac threw several horrible deep passes yesterday. Why do so many of his supporters continuously gloss over it week after week? We know he doesn’t have a strong arm, but his deep passes are woefully inaccurate, slow to arrive, and 7-second heart attacks each time they’re heaved into the air like a Goodyear blimp.

If we had prime Randy Moss back there, could he even hit him?

 

[IdiotKicker]

Mac's career has essentially boiled down to losing a lot of games late and close because of either his mistake or that of others':

2021:
vs MIA: Harris fumbled late down 1
vs TB: Missed GW FG
vs DAL: failed GW drive in OT

2022:
vs BAL: Agholor's fumble w/ a chance to take the lead w/ ~5min left
@ MIN: Had 3 chances to tie the game
@ LV: Meyers play
vs CIN: Mondre fumble w/ chance to take the lead w/1 min left

2023:
vs Philly: failed GW drive
vs Miami: failed Game-Tying drive

On the surface, it would seem unfair to pin all of these losses on Mac. On the other hand, he's the one constant, in most of them his play put them in the hole to begin with, and not once has he been able to engineer a drive that results in a win at the end.

Being a QB is in many ways unfair, they get a disproportionate share of the credit when they win and a disproportionate share of the blame when they lose. But. That it life in the NFL. Mac has yet to been able to get his team to win a close and late game. He's now had 2 chances to do so this season alone and has failed both times. After a while, that lack of success wears on QB and team and they lose faith in their ability to change that. And that's reflected in the team's play.

Mac's record as a starter now sits at 16-17. In his career, what is his most notable win, the one where he threw 3 passes?

We're not actually doing QB winz, are we?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

We're not actually doing QB winz, are we?

I think it's looking at close and late team wins in Mac's career.

 

[Reardon's Beard]

Can't turn the ball over. That's on Douglas and Mac.

 

[Strike4]

Last year there was a clusterf*ck with the coaching and a talent gap. This year the coaching thing looks to be resolved but there is still such a huge talent gap on both offense and defensive. The coaching allows them to keep games close but then the talent betrays them. On offense they lack playmakers or there are turnovers or mistakes from young players. On defense, they aren't talented enough to contain other teams' playmakers for the whole game.

 

[Shelterdog]

I think it's looking at close and late team wins in Mac's career.

And you're blaming him for losses that happened when other people fumbled or missed field goals in big spots.

 

[Devizier]

Goats: 2022 draft picks
Silver linings: 2023 draft picks

 

[IdiotKicker]

I think it's looking at close and late team wins in Mac's career.

I think I'm comfortable saying that Mac can't elevate a team to be the guy to drive an otherwise mediocre team to victory. I think he can be an above-average QB provided he is given capable talent around him. What do you do with that guy when his first contract is up? I don't know, because he's probably Kirk Cousins and can get you to the playoffs where anything can happen, but do you really want to pay Kirk Cousins for how that hampers your roster construction going forward? I don't think so, because having Kirk Cousins be successful is predicated on being able to build a good offense around him to support him. I guess where I land is that I'm out on Mac because offensively over the last 4 years, BB has not shown the ability to build that kind of offense around him, but I don't put the lack of wins on Mac because the talent acquisition has been insufficient to support a quarterback of that type on this team.

 

[jezza1918]

And you're blaming him for losses that happened when other people fumbled or missed field goals in big spots.

Right, Mac has been the one constant in terms of personnel, but the other constant are massive f*ck ups. Certainly some by Mac himself, but lots of love the go around there.

 

[tims4wins]

Right, Mac has been the one constant in terms of personnel, but the other constant are massive f*ck ups. Certainly some by Mac himself, but lots of love the go around there.

Yeah last week was a great example of this. He probably could have thrown a slightly better ball to Boutte. But Bourne also could have come down with that other pass, and a better receiver than Boutte maybe comes down with that pass. Guys need to make plays. It's both Mac, and the skill position guys.

 

[Arroyoyo]

And you're blaming him for losses that happened when other people fumbled or missed field goals in big spots.

If he was consistent series after series, would a dropped pass or a fumble really be costing them games?

What we see are endless drives throughout the entirety of the game that go nowhere.

Every team has turnovers, including some of the best in the history of football. You want to minimize turnovers, but if the requirement for a QB to notch just ONE quality win is “absolutely no one on the roster can make a single mistake at any point for 60 minutes,” then is that QB really all that good?

A turnover or two sucks, but know what sucks more? One stalled drive after another. When you don’t score points and a drive ends, outside of field position (sometimes), does it really matter if it was a fumble or play/play/play/punt? Especially when you’re continuously punting from your own side of the field to a dynamic offense?

 

[jezza1918]

Yeah last week was a great example of this. He probably could have thrown a slightly better ball to Boutte. But Bourne also could have come down with that other pass, and a better receiver than Boutte maybe comes down with that pass. Guys need to make plays. It's both Mac, and the skill position guys.

Kinda where Im at exactly. Im nowhere close to a football expert, but from a higher level I just look at last night - and the season outlook for both teams to boot - and think if Tua and Mac are swapped, not much is changing for either team.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

And you're blaming him for losses that happened when other people fumbled or missed field goals in big spots.

I said in my initial post that it wasn't all on him.

At the same time, they scored 16 points in the game they lost when Harris fumbled. 17 when Folk missed the GW kick, etc. Yes those plays were not Mac's fault, but he's not productive enough offensively to avoid those situations in the first place. And these games keep happening with him at the helm and they've lost every single one of them. At some point your QB has to lead his team to victory in adverse circumstances and the only time Mac has done that in his career is a game where he threw it 3 times.

I think IK said it best: he's not the kind of guy who can get a team to punch above their station.

 

[jezza1918]

I said in my initial post that it wasn't all on him.

At the same time, they scored 16 points in the game they lost when Harris fumbled. 17 when Folk missed the GW kick, etc. Yes those plays were not Mac's fault, but he's not productive enough offensively to avoid those situations in the first place. And these games keep happening with him at the helm and they've lost every single one of them. At some point your QB has to lead his team to victory in adverse circumstances and the only time Mac has done that in his career is a game where he threw it 3 times.

I think IK said it best: he's not the kind of guy who can get a team to punch above their station.

Totally agree with that last sentence. I just think the station itself is in need of more repair than Mac...

 

[lexrageorge]

Last year there was a clusterf*ck with the coaching and a talent gap. This year the coaching thing looks to be resolved but there is still such a huge talent gap on both offense and defensive. The coaching allows them to keep games close but then the talent betrays them. On offense they lack playmakers or there are turnovers or mistakes from young players. On defense, they aren't talented enough to contain other teams' playmakers for the whole game.

I think that's a bit of an unfair assessment of the defense. They were missing 3 starting DBs most if not all of the game. Miami had just come off putting up over 500 yards on total offense the prior week; there is only so much a defense can do when playing against a high caliber offense. That 43 yard TD run was awful, but that seemed to be a miscommunication or a missed substitution or something as opposed to a talent gap. Dungy noted the lack of LBs that lined up for that play.

 

[rodderick]

Totally agree with that last sentence. I just think the station itself is in need of more repair than Mac...

I agree because the guys they have now would put a ceiling on offensive production even if you had top tier QB play. I don't get the point. There's a world out there where Mac is Joe Burrow and we're talking about their inability to win on the road in the playoffs because they have no play makers instead of their struggles to put together drives to close out games. I don't know why they've set the team up that way.

 

[Jungleland]

Last year there was a clusterf*ck with the coaching and a talent gap. This year the coaching thing looks to be resolved but there is still such a huge talent gap on both offense and defensive. The coaching allows them to keep games close but then the talent betrays them. On offense they lack playmakers or there are turnovers or mistakes from young players. On defense, they aren't talented enough to contain other teams' playmakers for the whole game.

The Jets have potentially the best defense in the entire league and just had 30 dropped on them by Dallas. Good offenses score on good defenses in the modern NFL, especially when your own offense is continually setting the D up to fail.

If you think about it, it's a really strong argument for how backwards the current roster construction is, and I say that as someone who's been almost entirely glass half full about what they're trying to do on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[rodderick]

The Jets have potentially the best defense in the entire league and just had 30 dropped on them by Dallas. Good offenses score on good defenses in the modern NFL, especially when your own offense is continually setting the D up to fail.

If you think about it, it's a really strong argument for how backwards the current roster construction is, and I say that as someone who's been almost entirely glass half full about what they're trying to do on the offensive side of the ball.

It's why I don't think the close losses are an issue of context or mental toughness, lack of clutch or whatever, Bill set the team up like that. It's by design. They don't have the horses to score with the good teams, but they have the horses to keep the good teams down somewhat. The fact they keep losing these games is a feature, not a bug.

 

[Shelterdog]

I agree because the guys they have now would put a ceiling on offensive production even if you had top tier QB play. I don't get the point. There's a world out there where Mac is Joe Burrow and we're talking about their inability to win on the road in the playoffs because they have no play makers instead of their struggles to put together drives to close out games. I don't know why they've set the team up that way.

It's not complicated, they just keep taking the wrong guy! Agholor, Smith, N'Keal, Thornton, and at this point JuJu were all costly acquisitions and they all sucked; at least last night Stange (a costly acquisition) Reiff/Anderson (more mid level acquisitions) were bad (strange) to terrible (Anderson).

They didn't go wild and get a Hill but they did get a bunch of ten million dollar a year free agents and use high picks on receivers (and tight ends as well) and strike out time after time. The team's playmakers should be 2019 first round draft pick, 2022 second round draft pick, and some of their free agents and they're getting nothing

 

[GPO Man]

I'm going to say O'Brien. He's been pretty disappointing so far. We already know the O-Line needs work. Pats should be running a spread offense with the running backs supplementing the pass game. Instead, the first half we get the same old run it on first down, pass later. This needs to be a quick striking, in-rhythm pass offense (that takes pressure off the O-line).

And you need to be using play-action at least some percentage of the time. Have we seen it even once this year?

Can’t blame BoB. He just doesn’t have skilled enough personnel to accomplish his offensive game plan.

 

[wilked]

On the INT, I just rewatched it

Xavien Howard Toe-Taps Sideline for Highlight-Reel INT (miamidolphins.com)

I wonder what the play is designed to be.

Parker takes the outside / sideline route, which would seem to signify the play is designed to go to the end zone/ lead the receiver. Mac throws it inside/sideline, a throw that relies on the receiver gaining inside position.

Any thoughts on how BoB drew it up and what Parker/Mac were supposed to have done here?

Watching live, I thought the receiver ran a bad route and didn't protect the inside position resulting in the INT.

 

[rodderick]

It's not complicated, they just keep taking the wrong guy! Agholor, Smith, N'Keal, Thornton, and at this point JuJu were all costly acquisitions and they all sucked; at least last night Stange (a costly acquisition) Reiff/Anderson (more mid level acquisitions) were bad (strange) to terrible (Anderson).

They didn't go wild and get a Hill but they did get a bunch of ten million dollar a year free agents and use high picks on receivers (and tight ends as well) and strike out time after time. The team's playmakers should be 2019 first round draft pick, 2022 second round draft pick, and some of their free agents and they're getting nothing

But getting a bunch of ten million dollar a year free agents is precisely how you end up with Bourne, Parker, Juju, Henry and Gesicki. How many teams in the NFL have five solid, competent, professional pass catching options at the top of the depth chart? After Hill and Waddle the Dolphins had Berrios and something called Cracraft. But that's the thing, if you have the top tier talent, everyone else is elevated. They went the quantity over quality route, and one approach is just better than the other. Give me Gronk, give me Moss and I honestly don't care who you surround those guys with.

Look at the lengths the Patriots went to in order to avoid getting burned over the top yesterday. Look how much space that created for everything else the Dolphins did. Who's devoting specific coverages to stop a Patriots receiver? Just play your defense.

 

[SMU_Sox]

It was a back shoulder fade and he made a poor throw. But even a good throw goes INC or INT because Howard completely owned Parker on the route. You throw that just like he did in Buffalo last year on timing. He timed it up ok. bad throw and even worse route.

 

[Shelterdog]

But getting a bunch of ten million dollar a year free agents is precisely how you end up with Bourne, Parker, Juju, Henry and Gesicki. How many teams in the NFL have five solid, competent, professional pass catching options at the top of the depth chart? After Hill and Waddle the Dolphins had Berrios and something called Cracraft. But that's the thing, if you have the top tier talent, everyone else is elevated. They went the quantity over quality route, and one approach is just better than the other. Give me Gronk, give me Moss and I honestly don't care who you surround those guys with.

Look at the lengths the Patriots went to in order to avoid getting burned over the top yesterday. Look how much space that created for everything else the Dolphins did. Who's devoting specific coverages to stop a Patriots receiver? Just play your defense.

Hey I wouldn't say no to top three all time WRs or TEs and they would help the team. And certainly adding players the caliber of a Hill, Waddle, or Brown (all top 10 receivers in my book, some people put Waddle more like top 15 but outstanding) would help as well. But in a world where JuJu was playing up his standard from last year and thornton was providing something and Jonnu Smith was playing to the level of Henry, I think you would have enough on offense to be decent in the passing game.

 

[Strike4]

I think that's a bit of an unfair assessment of the defense. They were missing 3 starting DBs most if not all of the game. Miami had just come off putting up over 500 yards on total offense the prior week; there is only so much a defense can do when playing against a high caliber offense. That 43 yard TD run was awful, but that seemed to be a miscommunication or a missed substitution or something as opposed to a talent gap. Dungy noted the lack of LBs that lined up for that play.

@rodderick said it more eloquently than me in the two posts below.

 

[rodderick]

Hey I wouldn't say no to top three all time WRs or TEs and they would help the team. And certainly adding players the caliber of a Hill, Waddle, or Brown (all top 10 receivers in my book, some people put Waddle more like top 15 but outstanding) would help as well. But in a world where JuJu was playing up his standard from last year and thornton was providing something and Jonnu Smith was playing to the level of Henry, I think you would have enough on offense to be decent in the passing game.

Bill wouldn't make the Adams, AJ Brown or Hill trades in a million years, and I think this team would be miles better, just fundamentally better if he did. Those guys never become available in free agency and they've struggled to identify receivers through the draft, so what's left?

Edit: I guess if their philosophy regarding receivers won't change, they'd be better off moving on from Mac and betting on elite physical traits at the position in order to find a QB that is a play maker. Someone has to make plays on offense.

 

[SMU_Sox]

Bill knows the importance of good weapons. We went from Branch and Brown to Welker and Moss to Gronk and Jules and others who were solid options for years. Then he missed on AB, Harry, Sanu, Thornton, Agholor, Jonnu, etc.

 

[GPO Man]

Hopkins isn’t doing much in Tennessee, so I’m not sure he would have helped.

 

[Jungleland]

Last night was as strong an argument for investing in a legitimate top tier receiving option as you’re going to see. They have plenty of good players, they just don’t have a single excellent one on that side of the ball. No game is on the line more likely to get it done than not guy, no must be double covered at all costs guy. Mac’s limitations don’t help, but the lack of a 1A is so clearly the biggest culprit in why they have to dink and dunk down the field with no margin for error. And I do think it’s more of a receiver issue than Mac, you can argue it goes all the way back to 2018 and 19 with Brady.

 

[Cellar-Door]

On the INT, I just rewatched it

Xavien Howard Toe-Taps Sideline for Highlight-Reel INT (miamidolphins.com)

I wonder what the play is designed to be.

Parker takes the outside / sideline route, which would seem to signify the play is designed to go to the end zone/ lead the receiver. Mac throws it inside/sideline, a throw that relies on the receiver gaining inside position.

Any thoughts on how BoB drew it up and what Parker/Mac were supposed to have done here?

Watching live, I thought the receiver ran a bad route and didn't protect the inside position resulting in the INT.

Parker is supposed to win the route, he got worked.
Mac is supposed to throw it to somebody else because Parker was never even close to open.

Mac never looks anywhere else, he decided he was throwing that before he left the huddle. Both underneath guys are open, and honestly of the 5 men out on routes, Parker is the one in the worst spot.

 

[Gash Prex]

Pretty sickening watching the O-line on this play. What are we doing here?

View: https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1703610947770700032


How can we have enough lineman and yet 2 guys let Miami jailbreak on the crucial play? It wasn't even disguised - and this isn't Aaron Donald. Andrews and Strange just let him run right through the line?

 

[Garshaparra]

Bill constructed a lousy OL. I've been beating that horse to death since before training camp.

I also completely reject that TT is an explosive guy. He's a lousy receiver and a bust until he proves otherwise.

Chucking the ball deep a few times a game with a QB who's not good at deep balls, throwing to WRs who can't win the fights for those balls, isn't a viable strategy.

This is exactly where I am on all 3 topics. Good o-line play was a hallmark of the Brady years. We were absolutely spoiled with at least 2, if not more, Pro Bowl talents on the line for the better part of 20 years. Damien Woody, Matt Light, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins, Brian Waters and Nate Solder all made the PB at least once. There's literally not one PB-caliber OLman on the roster any longer, and that includes Trent Brown, past his prime for sure. TT has shown virtually nothing other than his small frame can't last under duress (sadly, we're seeing the same for Marcus Jones). And Mac not only doesn't have receivers with talent to get open downfield, but he will not get it to him. Collinsworth was praising his decision to go deep to Bourne late in the game, but it was double-covered and nearly picked again.

 

[Mooch]

Sure the Offensive line is bad and the weapons are mediocre but at what point do we just realize that Mac isn't very good? 28th in the league in YPA is putrid and a lot of this has to be at his feet. He's a checkdown QB who rarely has the arm strength to challenge the intermediate sideline areas. I mean, can he even through a strong 15 yard out? When you've got a QB who can't make every throw, the offense becomes limited and predictable which is what we're now seeing with Jones. I'm skeptical that he can be anything more than a good backup in this league. The body of work isn't impressive.

 

[Phil Plantier]

I'm not sure any QB in the league could have overcome the play by the OL last night. And there is only so much you can scheme around a broken OL that can neither run block nor pass protect. OK, Mahomes/Kelce would make some plays, although KC fans would be holding their breath every play if Mahomes had to play behind this line.

We saw Mahomes play behind a line like this - it's why Brady has his 7th Super Bowl.

 

[Mooch]

Pretty sickening watching the O-line on this play. What are we doing here?

View: https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1703610947770700032


How can we have enough lineman and yet 2 guys let Miami jailbreak on the crucial play? It wasn't even disguised - and this isn't Aaron Donald. Andrews and Strange just let him run right through the line?

Watch that play again and slow it down. Mac needed to deliver that ball when Gesicki was into his break. The rush shouldn't have mattered on this play.

 

[Cellar-Door]

On a lot of the O-line stuff, I'm curious who is making the calls, is it still Andrews? Because there are a ton of plays where guys confidently go to a block... and a guy has nobody blocking him. Couple posted here, where Andrews and Strange both seem to think the other guy has someone. The one above, Strange clearly thinks he's just giving help to both the Tackle and Andrews, sets up for it, puts a hand on the DE then tries to help back to the middle, Andrews for some reason thinks he's helping the RG? Both guys help away from the middle with a hand in the middle to "help" the other... which the DT runs right through because there is no body on him....

Though also, a quicker harder throw from Mac still gets a completion and a 1st down there likely.