Dolphins Offensive Line Gaining Steam… Just In Time
The Offensive Line will dictate the outcome, much like the first meeting against the Jets
If the Offensive Line performs like against Atlanta, Dolphins will earn a “W”
The Miami Dolphins Offensive Line has been their true Achilles heel for many years now. They have had their moments, mainly last season when Mike Pouncey was healthy and Jay Ajayi was able to rack up 3 games of 200 plus yards on the ground. However, those moments have been few and far between.
Then Last week before their sixth game of the season a shocking and embarrassing video hit social media that showed the Dolphins Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster snorting cocaine before a team meeting. Quickly after, Foerster resigned. This was yet another drama to their long list of issues for this season.
But here comes the good news, against the Falcons the Dolphins Offensive Line unit had their best performances of the entire season. Miami’s OL was able to prevent the Falcons from sacking Jay Cutler, while also creating running lanes for Jay Ajayi to rack up 130 rushing yards. Amazingly, neither Laremy Tunsil nor Ja’Wuan James gave up even a pressure the entire game according to PFF.
In addition, they were able to do this after Pro Bowl Center Pouncey was forced to leave the game with concussion-like symptoms in the second half. Jake Brendel stepped in and didn’t miss a beat. Many feel Brendel even added a spark to the Dolphins game as the offense produced all its points with him snapping the ball.
One of the biggest IF’s to the 2017 Season was about if the Offensive Line would be productive
There’s a good chance Brendel starts tomorrow against the Jets and gets the opportunity to solidify this opinion. Given the fragility of Pouncey, if Brendel does indeed start and performs well, having a diamond in the rough at Center would be a big relief going forward.
So the reality is that the loss of O-Line coach Foerster appears to have been a good thing or at least no big deal at this point. But, the second week after his departure will tell more as the emotion of ‘us against the world’ will have worn off.
The various price per head bookie services currently have the Dolphins as the -3 point favorite against the Jets, and it will be interesting to see if the Dolphins Offensive line can put up another solid performance against a Jets Defensive Line that manhandled them in their first meeting. Maybe the recipe of not having the powder sniffer as the coach was the issue? Maybe Brendel is exactly what the doctor ordered? Maybe they have simply jelled and now we are seeing the payoff? Whatever! Just give me a “W” against those bums from up north! Go Fins!!!
Just cleared 8.5 million with the release of Maxwell.
sweet news thanks Dunner… now go get another TE!!!
…kool-aid time
…Cutler was having his best game as a phin so far, 12/16, when he got hurt …Moore did what he gets paid to do but no way Gase sets Cutler if he can play
…where ever we pick in this draft, it has to be OL …I think probably an OT now and move Tunsil back to G …then a corner, then back to OL …keep taking OL until we have solid subs ready …7th week of the season and we’re already playing our 3rd string QB …ding, ding, ding”
Cutler was, but his footwork sucks compared to moore. Will moore has less arm talent, drifts better, throws a receiver open better, and sets and releases quick that Cutler has so far this season. I’m fine with them getting Cutler. Having both makes them very deep at QB. My only concern is Gase shows too much stubbornness / loyalty at times. Look how long it took him to promote Fasano and demote Thomas. This was obvious from Week 2… but it took him till now to figure it out. his stubbornness is both a blessing and a curse. Hopefully he can learn when and where rather than it being just a uncontrollable trait.
…Gase has worked with both Cutler and Moore for approximately the same length of time …he chose to go out and get Cutler rather than go with Moore …says it all for me
…Moore faced a tiring Jets defense, Cutler had a better QBR against a fresh one …stick with Cutler for now and hope TH makes it back …its an OL problem, not a QB one
You can’t think to out know Gase, but the Thomas over Fasano taking 6 games to figure out does linger that Gase has some blind spots.
ohhh, I’d say 2nd round they go Center… unless a steal of a G or T is available–or if a steal is available with a late 1st rounder. If you look at Atlanta, they have Mack and he makes that system go (near the same in run game as Fins Zone stretch). Pouncey had better get a restructure or get cut next year. Larsen, Davis, Steen, and Asiata will likely be the G core again next year. They need a premier talent that stays healthy at C. They need a TE, G, C, T RB (Williams will likely be gone, which will suck), CB, LB and QB. Thomas, Maxwell and maybe Pouncey are gone. That’s 25 million or so there. James might not make it at 9 mill if they can find a cheaper route… I do like Smith, but he needs time. Also, Cutler won’t be back… it might be more expensive to keep Moore though. Next year will be very light on FA’s and all about the draft for cavalry.
…Center is certainly a valid need but I’m more concerned about the OTs, James is high cost vs play ups/downs, and Tunsil hasn’t been solid at LT …Davis got beat a few times and teams will focus on his weaknesses if he is in there more …think Pouncey is gone unless he has a solid second half of the season, so far he’s not shown much cost benefit
…depends on the draft and our position in it …there is a primo G that will go 1st round and a few OTs that will go high as well …don’t see any Cs mentioned …if we take an OT high, look for Tunsil to go back to G where he did well after a learning curve …that said, still hoping he pans out at LT, just disappointed so far
…good point on the need for TEs, that’s a definite hole with Gase’s offense going forward …good TEs are a treasure …think Gronk …or even rookie Howard
…Moore is already at the high end for bu QBs and under contract for another year iirc …still think he could be trade bait if he has another good game …but his family is hard core south Florida according to reports and would stay here if he had to play elsewhere
…just don’t see Steen making it if there is real competition at G, his game is limited and he generally stinks at pass protection …Bushrod has to be gone …so we’re looking at an almost complete rebuild of the OL as a real possibility …unless of course, Larsen proves to be better than his past suggests
…there are a slew of Williams type RBs available, he is valuable but not irreplaceable by any means
…Caroo and Grant haven’t proved up despite plenty of opportunities so I see a lot of need to keep Parker despite his injury bug …Scott should see a lot more time at WR this week
I’m a big fan of Williams… even though he was taken as an off the street FA, I think as a complimentary back he is special. I think his mindset and attitude have been his biggest issues. No matter what, they will go best value available… whether we like it or not. Because of the market value at G, if a immediate starting top end G is available I do think they’ll grab one. I think Tunsil will develop and take one of the T spots, James… not sure if he is worth it, although they will likely keep him next year for the price. Davis is no way a starting T on either side, but his value is inside and as depth ATM… which as you can see is huge value. I still see Asiata playing right and Larsen as LG for next year, with Steen as a value guy at C and G… maybe with an outside shot to start at C, although Brendel is another good find, but might not be anything more than Abv average at best. Still a long way off, really looking to see if Larsen ends up an upgrade. Urbik still not picked up… must have been injured pretty bad… he’d have been signed if not.
Totally agree Admin. At the time I thought the turning point of the game was early on, when Miami had NY in a third and looong (19, I think). That simple screen pass was converted by Forte. Seemed as though Miami was starting to gain momentum and they were about to establish field position, etc. You could see the disappointment throughout when that happened. I like the thinking of Phillips, trying to club the ball out of Forte’s hand from behind, but more importantly was the tackle/stop. It took a quarter and a half for this team to persevere, persevere they did.
How many teams are on their third string QB? If any, how many are having success/winning? This team has endured as many if not more injuries than any team in the NFL, yet here they sit at 4-2. Say what you want about the O-Line, about the drops (WRs), about this porous defense, they continue to play as if they were ahead or behind, starters in or out.
Tank finally faced some adversity. Hope he learns from it and improves. Sure that he will, he sure doesn’t lack in confidence.
If Branch is out this Thursday, Harris may get his first NFL start. Next man up, with the Ravens run game Harris is going to have to think run first and focus on setting the edge, then rush the passer. There was one particular play where Harris steps inside for the inside run and it was bounced outside where he was easily sealed for a big gain. He must avoid such plays Thursday or at least keep them to a minimum. Next man up, move on.
Wake is a BEAST
Timmons is a BEAST
Jones was everywhere yesterday
Nice to see Stills doing the dirty work, curls, sticks, over routes. Stills was a big mismatch vs Skreen, and Moore exploited it. People were critical of the Stills signings because he was said to be a one trick pony (deep passes, go routes, not so fast). All this success with the pass without Parker. Hope Parker can go Thursday.
Speaking of Parker. Parker and Laundry are on their last year of their contracts. If Miami can only sign one of the two next season, is there or should there be any doubt which one should be re-signed??? Laundry by a landslide. I understand we need a Parker type player to keep defenses honest and to have a good 50/50 guy, both Stills and Laundry won their 50/50 opportunities yesterday. No way should Miami choose Parker or Laundry. NO WAY!!!
Great opportunity for the Fins this Thursday vs a team that has their #. We rarely beat them regardless where the game is played. Would be so gratifying for this team to beat the Ravens for once. Not to mention a 5-2 record with 10 days off (finally) to follow.
Must ask; Freak, did you have your post already completed in the third quarter only to have to hit delete in the end? Not so fast, again!!! 🙂 🙂 😉 😉
…afaik Parker is not on his last year, Landry is a year ahead of him and will likely be franchised if a deal doesn’t get done
…there will however be a lot of pressure to pay Parker if he has a good year
Yea, knew that, didn’t think till after post was submitted.
Parker has been consistent in being inconsistent, and that is troubling. At this point, I agree with Dunner, Landry has this one by several lengths–if there is an either or. I do agree with you that Landry might be a franchise tag, but Landry for all his awesomeness isn’t worth 15 mill. If they can get him for 13 or so, then I’d go that route and move on from Parker, or franchise him on 2019. Remember Still’s contract is up by then. Maybe by then he’ll be consistent enough to warrant to money. BTW almost back to full strength. Jimmy said he’ll get me an article today and I’m working on one myself. So the site should be more consistent again… while we are speaking of consistent.
Freak is more about his ego than trying to be objective and having a rational discourse about football. He likes arguments, and it seems he comes here just to try and prove this site and the writers wrong. Been watching him do it for years all the way back when I was just a reader. Also, didn’t he disappear about the same time last season.
Tank had one play he was beat with a slight push off and the second TD was Jones’ fault as he made a very poor decision in coverage. Glad they got jacked by the screen and still win. This is a play that the Pats run to near perfection and the D was getting sloppy with it’s aggression. The film study of this and the abuse Burke will give them will serve the defense in the future… if they are learners. kiko is also playing a little too soft too often in coverage… that needs to get fixed. He makes the tackles, which is nice, but he will start to get picked on going forward unless he tightens up.
My opinion about the offensive line is quite simple. We have a few young guys that have some individual qualities and if each individual can improve on their weaknesses, we may have a decent line with some depth.
I would like to see more of Brendel. He came on for Pouncey today for a few snaps. At 6’4” 300 lbs he has the size and he is strong. I also hope for the re-signing of Urbik. He was coming on. Eventually Asiata has to show if he can develop into a serviceable guard in the NFL.
I know Lemmus will disagree with most of my points, but at the end of the day, a group of linemen need time to develop and gel together.
Todays game started with a pass on first down out of the 2 TE set and against the Jets this was exactly what I was hoping to see. The Jets were going to continue to put 8 or more in the box and Gase went pass happy enough to challenge them. Moving forward, I feel Ajayi is going to have more room to run specially if the line can continue to gel.
A good win today and as usual the Phins roused all possible emotions out of this fan. But the last emotion was the most important…joy from a win. Go Phins!
Gase and the offense started out fast and that is refreshing and growth. The line is like the team trending up but still in need of work. This offseason expect the draft to include at least 1 OL in the top 3 picks. But for now, Steen has developed nicely and Davis stepped in at T and was solid and looks to be a good piece along with Brendel. That’s not including Asiata and Smith. This is a developing squad, but likely still needs more talent. Larsen will be a nice addition. I loved Urbik, but I think he is injured pretty bad. He’s would be on a another roster if he was healthy. Dolphins are trending up and many IF’s are starting to look like Yes… still along way to go, but this team and staff has to offer hope to all but the most negative of fans.
…basic lack of talent at G with constant subs/replacements at LG plus lack of practice time with starting C made it damn difficult for this OL to “gel”
DILLY!!! DILLY!!!
Defense struggled, came on strong in the forth and made the game changing play.
Want some Moore, we might get it? Team seems to have more energy when hes in.
Great come back win again. Lots of inprovement needed. A WIN is a WIN baby!!!
Kool-Aid time
The screen game hurt them early. Moore plays with more confidence in himself and his receivers… sometimes too much as with Fasano who didn’t get his head around. The franchise and regime is taking a step forward, not saying they are Superbowl caliber, because at this point they aren’t. But this team is at a higher level than last year. First his team is on it’s third string QB for all intent and purposes. You don’t win your last what is it 11 or 12 games in the 4th without something good going on in the back ground. They need to get the lead and keep it for sure, but this team is starting to let others beat themselves and that is a big part in being good. They are showing discipline in the 2nd half as well as making plays… Jets are a pretty good team. As a division rival it makes this game a big W.
Admin, the Jets are pretty darn good team.
Did anyone notice the absence of Tunsil???? Didn’t think so, me either!
I think Davis did a fine job, but he was beat bad 3-4 times on outside move and with the swim. Tunsil gets beat outside, but isn’t as susceptible to the swim. If Davis starts this week, Suggs worries me as the hand game is one of his major strengths. I’d feel a lot better with Tunsil, even though he has been a let down mostly this season. Steen is injured as well. This will be a tough game. Ravens do well against Miami. And a beat up OL won’t make it any easier.
Thing with the Jets their team strength is at DL and it matches well against the Dolphins team weakness of weak and less talented G’s / and C’s. You are right, overall they are a solid team… still remember getting laughed at( and called some unpleasantness on FB ) with Jimmy and my article before the first game… We’ll at least we split.