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!!!