Jay Cutler: Poster Boy Of Dolphins 2017 Season
3 Ints and 4 Fumbles is quite an epic stat line
Cutler has been consistent at one thing… being undependable
Inconsistent and undisciplined fully sums up Jay Cutler‘s performance against the Buffalo Bills… as well as the entire Miami Dolphins 2017 Season.
We need to thank our lucky stars that both Jay and this snake bitten season will be forever in the rear-view mirror come 2018.
But while the Fins and their fans will be free of Cutler, the most crucial question is, will there be an end to this team-wide, undisciplined play?
You can point to this issue and that issue, this play and that player, every problem takes a back seat to the TEAM’s amazing talent in beating themselves.
It doesn’t take a great pay per head service to realize this issue begins with Chris Grier and Mike Tannenbaum and ends with Adam Gase,
Cutler is a perfect poster boy for all that has gone wrong with 2017. This isn’t to say Cutler is solely responsible for the Dolphins underachieving this season–he isn’t. But consider the polarity of his back-to-back weeks. One week he houses the reigning champs and the next he plays like this:
What team could win with this level of Quarterback play? What team can win when their players aren’t dependable?
And let’s be clear, Cutler isn’t the only undependable player.
Cutler symbolizes all that’s wrong with 2017
Reality is Gase took over a disaster of a squad and with all the holes to fill their wasn’t enough ammo to fix the backup QB situation. And sadly, the reality is also, backup QB isn’t the only position that needs help.
But 2018 will have zero room for those excuses for Gase. Players who aren’t Gase’s guys should just about all be gone by year three. This team will be what Gase has made them.
In the 2016 Season Miami overachieved. The blowout by the Steelers in the Playoffs could fairly be blamed on being outclassed.
This season, the team was marked by ineptitude, inconsistency, and lack of discipline… and spotted by moments of excellence. The Pats and Atlanta games showed it’s not physical talent that’s their main issue, rather it’s professionalism.
IF the Fins play smart, they can hang with anyone… and when they don’t they lose to the bottom dwellers.
Miami must shape up the players they have or find players who can be mentally tough and play like pro’s–even if they are less talented.
The Fins don’t have to have a roster of freaks, but they must be disciplined. No team can have All Stars at every position, but they can have a roster of dependable players (see 1972 Dolphins).
The beautiful thing is that you can find those type of smart, consistent players in every round, and even after the draft ends (see Pats roster).
Dolphins must take a page from the Patriots build guide, who perpetually outlast their opponents with a few elite pieces backed by a dependable and mentally tough, but under-talented roster.
Penalties and turnovers are the backbone of winning or losing in the NFL
It’s not to say Miami will be the Pats with smart players–unless they get a HOF QB and TE. But consider the Ravens: beat up, under talented with one elite player. They are #1 in turnover differential and #4 in least penalized… and they are headed to the Playoffs.
Miami is currently averaging 8 penalties a game (2nd worst in the league) with a turnover differential of -11, (3rd worst). In 2016 they averaged 7.7 penalties (4th worst) and had a +2 turnover differential (14th best).
With two seasons of being the Top 5 most penalized team in the league, Miami must not make it a hat trick in 2018.
Under Gase Miami has proved they can take care of the football adequately (2016), and when Cutler is gone that area of team play will make a strong bounce back. But Gase has yet to field a team that consistently plays with low penalties. Gase must take a page from Shula’s handbook and figure out a way to coach this team up, weed out the mentally weak, and find players who are dependable.. if he wants to win–and if he wants to be back in 2019. Go Fins!!!
“The Pats and Atlanta games showed it’s not physical talent that’s their main issue, rather it’s professionalism.” WRONG! it’s COACHING.
Consistent poor play, consistent under achievement across all areas of the team is pure and simple poor coaching. One of the most highest penalized team? That points to coaching.
One of the worst turnover ratios? Coaching + scheme.
Cutler is seemingly the sacrificial lamb on this blog. Cutler got off the couch to play this year, Moore who has been around since forever and a day, wouldn’t have done any better, and in fact, aside from a come back miracle here and there – which is why backup QB’s get paid, he would have done much worse.
Tannehill is quickly developing a chronic knee (ya’ll recall RGIII ?) and he was never, nor will he be the answer either.
In today’s NFL you win with a franchise QB and a good defense, neither of which this regime has put together.
Next year will be like this year unless Tannenbaum pulls one out of his arse and finds a QB that can carry a team on his back. They’ve been out there, see Rams, Eagles, Texans, Jaguars, Dallas, Seattle,….and look where the Pats found Brady.
Until this happens to the Fins nothing will change much…that is if your goal is the SB (vs backing in to a Wild Card playoff one-n-done).
…excellent summary of the most critical problem needing to be resolved …and yes, 3rd year is the charm …not in having to win it all because there are way too many variables in that algorithm …but in coaching discipline, yes …win or lose next year, Gase has to show he can teach discipline and develop talent …do those two and the wins will come
…its critical in both FA and draft to focus on players who are not only talented, but have a history of disciplined play …don’t let the FO go gaga over the athleticism if the mindset and discipline is lacking
Salguero wrote an article today in agreement: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article190690689.html
Ravens went from bottom 5 to #1 from last year to this year. Things happen and things can change fast. But three years in a row of bottom 5 in most penalized is a trend and a strong indication Gase can’t run a tight ship…. in which case he must go.
FINALLY ! I bet ya a cup of coffee that Gase is not the answer.
…don’t drink coffee, but regardless, Gase gets at least one more year …he won last year, he had an extraordinary raft of things go wrong this year that were outside his control …no way does Ross can him now.
…that said, he does have to instill discipline or he will not be here in 19
Rank of penalized teams (high bad, low good):
2017 31st Dolphins, Seahawks 32nd, Chiefs 28th
2016: Dolphins 29th, Ravens 28th, Seahawks 25th, Steelers 24th
2015: Dolphins 28th, Saints 27th, ravens 26th, Seahawks 23rd
2014: Seahawks 32nd, Pats 28th, Dolphins 3rd
2013: Seahawks 32nd, Ravens 25th, Dolphins 3rd
2012: Baltimore 31st, Seahawks 26th, Dolphins 3rd
2011: Seahawks 31st, Dolphins 4th
2010: Dolphins 2nd
Gase has suffered from low takeaways AND high penalties this season along with several other issues, where team like Ravens, Pats, Seahawks, and Steelers get loads of takeaways to compensate. Gase needs to show his team can show some control. They don’t need to be top 10, but even middle of the pack would due. Some of it is lack of talent, some of it is Gase, some of it is bad luck, some of it is the NFL refs have favs, some of it is youth… they just need to move the needle up from me to be happy. Gase needs to evaluate better, prepare the team better, and call better… just a few ticks up… and all of this positive mojo would show in a drop in penalties. But to say it’s a lost cause at this point would mean fire Harbaugh, Carroll and hire Philbin. Philbum did run a tight ship, and it took a crap coach to a middle of the pack record. If Gase can put discipline in his toolkit all will be well in 2018, but that would mean talent has risen, youth is older, he has coached better and prepared better. Low penalties creates and environment of low mitigation and consistency. This type of play for a weak roster elevates a team and for a team with a good roster makes them play great. Fins don’t have an elite QB or elite team wide talent, so Gase must register this an find a way to get an edge. I won’t say he will or won’t, but I will say he can turn this crucial aspect around in 2018…