After Crazy, Sloppy, BIG Win In Week 1… What Now?

Week 1 was sloppy as heck both on the field and with the weather…

…But a win in Week 1, without major injuries, is a great way to start the season

The obvious response to the Miami Dolphins win over the Titans on opening day is an easy one:

It was a darn good win under tough conditions… sloppy or not.

No duh, right?!

All but the most jaded fans will agree here.

But regarding the rest of the season (and what this win says about that) is where it gets murky.

…So after watching the game a few times, and letting it marinate, it’s clear: Miami doesn’t have a lack of talent.

They have issues for sure, but team-wide talent deficiency is no longer one of them.

Maybe the Titans were off? Maybe not. However you slice it, Miami manhandled a quality Titans team, despite the Phins doing their best to beat themselves.

The Titans have a Top 5 Offensive Line, quality skills, and a stout defense. Yeah, Mariota is average, but any payperhead will tell you the Titans are a solid 9-7 team.

Talent won’t be a primary problem in the Dolphins 2018 Season. Discipline and consistency, yes. Talent no.

Now maybe we can revisit this statement if there are a couple of injuries. Also, I’m not talking about every position and unit being rock solid. Every team lacks talent at a position or two and gets hit with injuries, so Miami is no different than any other team in this regard. But across the board, there’s enough talent here to win. Unfortunately, talent alone isn’t enough.

If Tannehill stays healthy, the Phins have what it takes for success.

Back in early July, Phinsnews did two articles that worked in tandem… both were given a load of credence after the Titan’s game: “Some ‘Once Bitten, Twice Shy’ About Phins Offensive Line” and “Reality Check: Facts Wreck ESPN’s Phins Prediction“.

While this is surely a little tipping of the hat to ourselves, it speaks more to the potential of this Phins team.

This Offensive Line has talent. Not elite level, but a far cry better than in 2016 and 2017… which was the cesspool in regards to run blocking. This O-Line is good enough to allow Tannehill time to find his speedy receivers and give enough space beyond the Line of scrimmage for highly talented Drake and a HOFer Gore to do some nice damage.

Since the most crucial unit in the game is the O-Line, the Dolphins having a talented group of O-linemen for a change is a big deal. Not only does a good OL help the offensive skills, keep the most valuable position in the game healthy, but Time of Possession rests the defense.

Winning the TOP regularly is a big boost to the defense over the course of a game and a season. This play big if a team reaches the Playoffs.

Did I say Playoffs? 

Also, a little-known player named Ryan Tannehill will finally get a real chance to perform to his ability with success happening in the trenches.

Even those who despise Tannehill, it’s hard to deny that he can he throw a pretty deep ball for someone who can’t throw deep… if you get my drift?   

This O-Line, if healthy, looks to be in that mid-low teen’s range.

They can pass protect, get to the second level, occasionally put a pretty block on, have chemistry, and play like they mean it.

This unit has warts, though: Both Tackles commit penalties, Kilgore will get blown off the ball on occasion, and they won’t consistently drive block on short yardage.

Yet, the entire package put together is better than we’ve seen in South Flordia in a long while.

Yes, it’s still early. But if you look at the Preseason and Week 1, there’s a fair amount of tape to provide evidence that they can make a positive difference.

The Defense has holes, but those holes are surrounded by talent

At least for one week, the replacing of Ndamukong Suh with numbers worked. Taylor, Godchaux, Phillips, and Spence did nicely. The D-ends were more a factor in run defense than pass rush, but there’s no denying that they are a quality squad. Wake and Quinn backed up by Hayes, Branch, and Harris is one hell of a deep unit.

It’s the secondary though that has a lion share of the Defensive talent… and that talent produced. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Rashad Jones are exceptional. Howard, McDonald, and McCain aren’t chumps either. This secondary is the best Miami as seen in a while. Maybe it’s thin… well see.

Notice I didn’t mention the Linebackers?

Guess it’s time to spoil a good time and mention it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

The good thing is most of Miami’s issues are correctable. That doesn’t mean they will be corrected… but it is possible. Problem is at some point trends turn into the reality… and the player is who they are and you just have to accept it.

1. Tunsil might just be boneheaded. Talented, but boneheaded.
2. See above in regards to Godchaux.
3. See above in regards to James blocking on Stretch Plays.
4. Tannehill needs to wear a glove because he has ‘eel fingers’ in the rain.
5. Grant will run east and west before north and south on punts… but I’ll take ’em on kickoffs 10 out of 10.

And then there’s the pink elephant in the room: The Linebackers.

Now, I know Kiko Alonso was the pinata for angry fans last year (me included). But this year, you need to forget all of that. Injuries and the move to WLB were devastating to his play in 2017. In 2018, Kiko is the best LB the Dolphins have. He’s not the second coming of Lawrence Taylor, but he is making plays commensurate with his pay. And that’s all you can ask of a guy.

How bad does McMillan have to play before he’s benched?

I don’t take any pleasure in this. I like Raekwon McMillan and want him to succeed… but his tape in Week 1 is near cringe-worthy. A good QB and coordinator will abuse him at some point unless he makes serious strides ASAP.

Now I don’t want to end on a down note because the Phins have ‘real-deal’ potential for success.

This 2018 Miami Dolphins team is balanced, scrappy, has big-play potential on both sides of the ball, and most of the squad is playing well. Yet, it’s the fixable hiccups that will make or break this team… just like it did with so many other talented but undisciplined teams.

At least this season there’s tangible hope right out of the box. Prior Phins teams would have bent and broken under the pressure. In Week 1, up against hard circumstances, this Dolphins team kept swinging… sometimes hitting themselves… but you can work on that. 

If this Dolphins team fails, it’s not because they didn’t have the right stuff… it’s because they didn’t meet their potential. Go Phins!!!