Dolphins critics were shocked to see Brady have one of his worst nights ever
With good reason critics questioned everything, but now they must do so again
The Dolphins loss to the Pats was certain… the only question was by how much. But the Dolphins decided to show up anyhow and shocked just about everyone with a dominating 27-20 victory, reigniting evaluation of this regime.
Without a question the 2017 Miami Dolphins have floundered most of the season and were deserving of all the criticism they received. But after two outstanding wins in a row it’s only fair that there’s a reassessment by even the best bookie software sites.
Does this win mean the Fins are certainly on the right track? NO! Consistency will be the tell-tale sign of that. But a re-evaluation is without a doubt a fair response after the Fins knocked the snot out of the ‘best team’ in football and turned prince Tom Brady into a frog.
Now Miami must continue in this fashion to turn sour fans back into believers. But this young staff and young team has shown they can beat the worst and the best in back-to-back weeks with excellent offense and defense.
Were flaws still on display? Yup. But they weren’t glaring.
Critics of this regime must reaccess the Fins over the next few weeks
Strong improvements in the three critical areas of rushing, clean team play, and pass defense are unquestionable. Can they be consistent over the next 3 games? Now that’s the big question.
Another unquestionable reality is that the Dolphins are better off with Jay Ajayi gone.
Ajayi is without a doubt a beast at running the ball, but defenses take away what you’re good at and force you to overcome your weakness. Jay didn’t like to study. Jay was very focused on his ‘brand’, clothing lines and such. Jay complained a lot. Jay hasn’t had more than 10 carries a game in Philly.
Adam Gase has looked far more comfortable with Jay gone. The offense appears too be flourishing with a back who can pass block consistently and be a major factor as BOTH a runner and receiver. Over the last couple of weeks fans have witnessed ‘the Gase’ they were expecting. Whether it’s Kenyan Drake or Damien Williams, this offense has been night and day since the trade. This system is designed for a complete back.
This offensive improvement has trickled down and been a big shot of adrenaline in the arm of the defense.
Last night’s smothering of Brady lends serious credence to what was been said by the Fins for quite some time, “This defense plays better with the lead.” Maybe it wasn’t rhetoric?
The last piece of the puzzle, and THE most important, was clean play: low penalties–especially presnap, low turnovers, and wise decisions from the staff in their play calls. Last night the Dolphins not only out played and out coached the Patriots, but most importantly, they were far more disciplined.
Now were critics stupid to criticize? No. Are critics wrong? Given the last couple of weeks, critics have certainly not been proven right. A fair critic would say the jury is still out and a double take is needed. The next 3 weeks could go a long way towards indicating that the death of this regime has been greatly exaggerated. Either way, wasn’t last night sweet?!! Go Fins!!!