How Concerning Is The Tunsil Injury?
So goes the O-line, so goes the season… and Tunsil is THE primary piece to success
The winning formula for the 2019 Phins is what we saw in Week 1 of the Preseason: bend-but-don’t-break defense, winning the discipline battle, tough, and some big plays to make up for a slightly under-talented squad. But all of this hope must be supported by at least a semi-stable offensive line that gains steam as the young pieces grow. Laremy Tunsil providing a breakout campaign to take a load of pressure off the rest of the line makes him THE most important player on the team for 2019 success.
This is why his undisclosed injury is concerning.
And even with this ‘winning template’ going right for most of the season, my ‘hope barometer’ for this regime is 6 wins. Without Tunsil providing that anchor of talent on the most important squad, the end results for 2019 will be what the pay per head sites like www.AcePerHead.com are betting on… south of 6 wins.
I’ll say it again, the O-line makes or breaks the O-skills and quality offensive drives win the Time of Possession battle and rests the defense. No other unit has such a broad impact.
While Tunsil missed Week 1 of Preseason, I considered his absence more about trying out other players than his health. He did practice Tuesday but missed Wednesday. Now he’s a question mark for Bucs game tomorrow. This absence, the mystery around it, and him being irreplaceable, puts the Dolphins at one more critical juncture so early in the 2019 Season.
The Phins have a ton of key storylines that are balancing on a razor’s edge
- Will Miami finally learn to tackle
- Who will play the corner opposite Howard
- A hundred and one questions along the O-line
- Who is Josh Rosen?
- Does Miami even have one QB?
- Who will provide edge pressure?
- Is Flores miscasting Minkah?
- Injuries are mounting?
- Will Mike Gesicki, Charles Harris, Raekwon McMillan, and a few other top picks get it right?
This is just a quick list off the top of my head… there are many more.
I’m not saying this is a doomsday list for a season already lost. It isn’t. This is just the reality of the issues that Brian Flores must tend too. We can’t expect him to fix it all this season, but he needs to find some flowers among the weeds this year.
As I (and most fans) have said, the offensive line must get straightened out to get on the winning track.
While the starting lineup of LT Tunsil, LG Deiter, C Kilgore, RG Calhoun, and RT Davis doesn’t have me dancing for joy (ATM), it doesn’t concern me either. This cast is at least comparable to the lineup of the last two seasons and it’s potential is far greater. We managed 6 and 7 wins in 2017 and 2018 with a similar talent level and coaching going ‘full retard’. If Flores can clean up the lack of discipline and add some smarts to gameplans, play calls, and Half Time adjustments, we should match that level of ‘success’ and a little more…
.. that is IF Laremy Tunsil can manage 14 + games and they can find some quality depth on the O-line.
An added problem is while Calhoun is gelling with Davis, Deiter isn’t with Tunsil. Lack of chemistry has been an issue on the Phins O-line for years. Miami needs good chemistry in 2019 to offset lack of talent and experience.
Big night tomorrow as plenty of storylines will creep closer to being answered against the Bucs. Let’s hope Tunsil playing Friday ends one of them on a positive note. Go Phins!!!
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