Phins Are Picasso In The ‘Art of Beating Themselves’
Phins Are Picasso In The ‘Art of Beating Themselves’
Phins showed heart, but brains are what they need most
Phins have returned to the ‘Art of Beating Themselves’
What is there to say? The painful journey from ecstatic to crushed took under a 1/2 an hour.
This was as a gut-wrenching loss as I can remember in recent times. It was so inexplicable that I laughed before I screamed.
The end began with the Dolphins up by 14 points on 3rd & 1 with 3 mins left in the 3rd Quarter. We are gonna’ win this… 4 and 1 baby here we come!
NOPE!
The game was so close to being sown up… close, but no cigar.
Gase should have called a run.
Instead, he called a Play Action, boot roll out with 3 tiers of passing options. Very nice play… but far too cute for the situation. Gase went neurosurgeon when he just needed to whack it with a hammer.
Gesicki missed his block, and the rusher knocked Wilson off his route… easy complexity was ratcheted up to very difficult with a long bomb to stills.
This missed opportunity was the first critical mistake.
Up until this point, and despite misperception, Swanson, Larson, and Davis had done fairly well managing the interior of the Offensive Line. A simple QB sneak, RPO (like the one that netted a 1st Down in the 4th), or a dive with Gore should have been the call.
Even still, this missed opportunity wasn’t the end of the world. Miami was up 2 scores with 18 mins left to play.
But in typical Dolphins fashion, it was the 1st movement in a string of events that would lead to disaster.
The Phins are the NFL Picasso in the ‘Art of Beating Themselves’.
Also, this would also be Laremy Tunsil’s last play. Tunsil has been all sorts of average this season, but that’s light years better than Sam Young.
Is it possible to have played any worse than Sam Young?
Tunsil going down was the second body blow to the Dolphins.
T.J. McDonald would commit the 1st critical player mistake on the subsequent Bengals drive. This would start the beginning of the end. McDonald obviously saw the ball go through C.J. Uzomah hands. This was an inexcusable mistake.
What struck me though was this:
And this:
I get the system Gase has in place. Delegation is key to running any major operation… problem is lack of discipline has been a systemic problem for 3 seasons. So at what point does Gase consider that his system is flawed at its core? At what point does he consider a foundational change… before or after he gets fired?
I have zero problems with Gase calling the plays… if the ship was running smoothly.
The problem the ship isn’t… and now, the failure isn’t about talent or heart.
Miami had the #4 Bengals offense beat down on their tuff with just over a quarter left to play. You don’t suck and get to that position.
Gase must consider that his love of calling plays may not be the best course for this team. He must consider that his love of play calling may be causing him to miss the forest among the trees.
‘Musan’t‘ he?
But the key in the ‘Art Of Beating Themselves’ has been Ryan Tannehill. Now to his fans, I’m not hating. I even went to extraordinary lengths in 2016 with this video to show how he’s just a piece of the puzzle.
Tannehill’s passing isn’t what ails the Dolphins. But…
…the reality over his last six games is that 5 of those games (dating back to Week 14 of 2016) Tannehill has made at least one critical and boneheaded play. I think Tannehill is good enough to be a piece of a successful puzzle, but not with 2-3 major miscues per game.
The 1st pick this week on a ‘screen pass’ was terrible and as inexcusable as the McDonald hit. This revealed Tannehill to be oblivious of the situation. You’ll never win consistently with this type of foolish play ready to rear its head at any moment.
I believe in patience and not overreacting one way or the other… but at some point, it is what it is.
Here’s another reality, Tannehill is guaranteed $26 million in 2019. He’s not going anywhere till 2020. Even elite QB’s would be hard pressed to overcome the mistakes he has mad consistently. It’s not about his reads or ability to throw and lead the team. Tannehill is capable. We have all seen it. The primary issue with Tannehill is his mindboggling mistakes.
At this point in his career, the sloppy play might just be hard-wired into Tannehill
Will Gase change? Can Tannehill play smart? Will this be another season in the toilet?
Given the total lack of a predictable nature with this regime, other than being unpredictable and sloppy, every prediction is chucking darts blindfolded.
Here come the Bears this week. The odds with the pay per heads like AcePerHead.com are good that the Dolphins will be 3-3 after Week 6. All I can do is hope to beat the odds and say, GO PHINS!!!
It is difficult to correct an offense with so many broken parts. This offense has to become a successful running offense supplemented by shirt and intermediate passes. Third and long demands complete discipline for the offense. Penalties are killing us. The defense is getting better but needs the offense to generate longer drives. They need rest in second half
“This offense has to become a successful running offense supplemented by shirt and intermediate passes. Third and long demands complete discipline for the offense. Penalties are killing us.”
Yup and we are short on discipline… so it isn’t good.
“The defense is getting better but needs the offense to generate longer drives. They need rest in second half”
We have picked up some very nice pieces. When Wake and McCain are back this will be a very good D. McMillan had a good game this week, he looked a bit faster. Still, he had limited duties and wasn’t the focus of blocks most of the time. It could be the DL is pulling them away from him. In this case, maybe he’ll be an asset. Taylor and the return of Malveaux offers a lot of young run defenders. Baker is looking very good! It was a real shame to waste their effort last week.
I’ll tell you though, Swanson is good. Not great but a smart and technically sound player. Expect the run game to get back on track. Kilgore is one and done if this level, or near it, continues. Nice surprise.
I planned to write as soon as I got home from work today and mention three points about this loss. You beat me to the punch. 1. A bonehead 3rd and 1 call 2. More stupid penalties, the TJ one really hurt 3. The bonehead Tannehill plays
So! Where does this leave us? Many thought Cinci was going to roll right over this defense. Little did we know that it would be the banged up defense that would give us a chance to win. We have some major issues on the OL now and we face the vaunted Khalil Mack coming up next. But! I’m going to remain optimistic ONE MORE WEEK! I’m going to hope that Gase figures out something this week. Go Dolphins!
This team is good enough. They have heart and talent… but they just can’t stop screwing themselves. I really like Tannehill as a person and think he has the stuff to be good enough… but for such a smart guy, he can be sooooo dumb. I just don’t get it. I personally think if Tunsil doesn’t play, or likely even if he does, they lose. But they’ll get a bunch of pieces back the next week and I can see them going on a 2-3 win streak after that. Lions and Jets at home and Texans on the road are very doable… if they don’t shoot themselves half a dozen times a game.
Such a waste of a good game… I was so damn thrilled… until…
How about 38-24, Bobby 🙂 My faith in prediction is heavily shaken with this return to Mr. Magoo football… I hope you are right. My random thought is we lose this week and go on a 2-3 game tear after that. I like your prediction much more though!
Great article – I’m not sure Miami will ever get the weak ass offensive line corrected (how many decades has it been?) or be completely rid of the plague that has beset the roster with stupid penalty players, but Gase HAS to make that damned 3rd and short call a power running play, especially after they ran the ball quite efficiently.
The O-Line did well enough for 5.8 YPC and the lead, but to your point, Young and Larson and James just collapsed in the 4th. They played so poorly they made a house of cards look like a fortress. Gase made a mistake… and it began a landslide. It’s beyond me how any team can get such a string of poor actions consistently week after week. Even the refs like to throw in their biz. They didn’t screw Miami this week though… it was all Aqua power… Glad you enjoyed the read… wished it was about happy times though. Maybe I’ll eventually get to write about Dolphins success at some point 🙂
It is difficult to correct an offense with so many broken parts. This offense has to become a successful running offense supplemented by shirt and intermediate passes. Third and long demands complete discipline for the offense. Penalties are killing us.
The defense is getting better but needs the offense to generate longer drives. They need rest in second half
“This offense has to become a successful running offense supplemented by shirt and intermediate passes. Third and long demands complete discipline for the offense. Penalties are killing us.”
Yup and we are short on discipline… so it isn’t good.
“The defense is getting better but needs the offense to generate longer drives. They need rest in second half”
We have picked up some very nice pieces. When Wake and McCain are back this will be a very good D. McMillan had a good game this week, he looked a bit faster. Still, he had limited duties and wasn’t the focus of blocks most of the time. It could be the DL is pulling them away from him. In this case, maybe he’ll be an asset. Taylor and the return of Malveaux offers a lot of young run defenders. Baker is looking very good! It was a real shame to waste their effort last week.
I’ll tell you though, Swanson is good. Not great but a smart and technically sound player. Expect the run game to get back on track. Kilgore is one and done if this level, or near it, continues. Nice surprise.
I planned to write as soon as I got home from work today and mention three points about this loss. You beat me to the punch.
1. A bonehead 3rd and 1 call 2. More stupid penalties, the TJ one really hurt 3. The bonehead Tannehill plays
So! Where does this leave us? Many thought Cinci was going to roll right over this defense. Little did we know that it would be the banged up defense that would give us a chance to win. We have some major issues on the OL now and we face the vaunted Khalil Mack coming up next.
But! I’m going to remain optimistic ONE MORE WEEK! I’m going to hope that Gase figures out something this week.
Go Dolphins!
Hey, Swanson was a bright spot! O’Leary too!
It’s such a shame Fritz!
This team is good enough. They have heart and talent… but they just can’t stop screwing themselves. I really like Tannehill as a person and think he has the stuff to be good enough… but for such a smart guy, he can be sooooo dumb. I just don’t get it. I personally think if Tunsil doesn’t play, or likely even if he does, they lose. But they’ll get a bunch of pieces back the next week and I can see them going on a 2-3 win streak after that. Lions and Jets at home and Texans on the road are very doable… if they don’t shoot themselves half a dozen times a game.
Such a waste of a good game… I was so damn thrilled… until…
Fins 26, Bears 20. Said it.
How about 38-24, Bobby 🙂 My faith in prediction is heavily shaken with this return to Mr. Magoo football… I hope you are right. My random thought is we lose this week and go on a 2-3 game tear after that. I like your prediction much more though!
Great article – I’m not sure Miami will ever get the weak ass offensive line corrected (how many decades has it been?) or be completely rid of the plague that has beset the roster with stupid penalty players, but Gase HAS to make that damned 3rd and short call a power running play, especially after they ran the ball quite efficiently.
Go Fins, beat Da Bears.
The O-Line did well enough for 5.8 YPC and the lead, but to your point, Young and Larson and James just collapsed in the 4th. They played so poorly they made a house of cards look like a fortress. Gase made a mistake… and it began a landslide. It’s beyond me how any team can get such a string of poor actions consistently week after week. Even the refs like to throw in their biz. They didn’t screw Miami this week though… it was all Aqua power… Glad you enjoyed the read… wished it was about happy times though. Maybe I’ll eventually get to write about Dolphins success at some point 🙂