At 5-7, Phins have a clear path to getting to .500 before their critical final stretch
The Miami Dolphins manhandled a Carolina Panthers team that was in complete disarray on offense to the tune of 33-10, moving to 5-7 on the season. No way around it, this was the Phins most complete game and it was a pleasure to enjoy a blowout that had zero drama in the 4th quarter. My heart was in real need of the smooth sailing after all the drama and nail biters this year.
So, what should fans take from not only this win but the streak as a whole?
Let’s focus on the Phins good news
Let’s stick with the good news for the Dolphins that is pretty clear at this point:
- Brian Flores and Tua don’t have issues with each other and this was a media creation.
- The Dolphins locker room isn’t a house divided. As a leader of men, Flores has the right stuff. To quote LB Riley, “This is the closest team I’ve ever been on.” The civil war talk from the media was one more “Whoopsie” moment that will never get a public mia culpa. Of course, soon as things turn south, they’ll strike up the tune again and double down…
- Tua is slowly raising his floor of talent and becoming a steading influence to this offense, despite having to play behind the 45th best offensive line.
- Jaylean Waddle is showing his big play potential along with consistency as a pass catcher. While still overprice at two 1st Round picks, Waddle is doing everything needed to show he is a high-end player.
- Christian Wilkens is really coming into his own and looking well worth his draft status. Add in Zack Seiler,
- Emmanuel Ogbah (hopefully he is resigned), and Raekwon Davis and the Phins have a top shelf D-line front.
- Guess Brian Flores and Josh Boyer don’t suck! Amazing what scoring points and running the football will do for a defense.
- Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones are the real deal and excellent picks that compliment each other very well.
- Jaylean Phillips had 3 sacks and 3 tackles for loss… he’s proving to be a playmaker. If he can stay healthy and get better in run support, he could end up fantastic.
- Myles Gaskin is a legit player out of the backfield and has proved he can be a difference maker.
Keeping things in context will help fans stay even keeled
Now, despite how good the score looks, there is plenty of context to this lopsided win that fans must take into account so they don’t get swept up in the tide of zeal that’s brewing.
The Panthers offense is terrible and might be the worst offense we’ve faced this season. Cam look done and McCaffery was dinged early. Penalties, interceptions, and drops were none stop in the 1st Half. This isn’t to discount what Miami did, but you can bet with the best pay per head that the Panther offense did their best to help the Phins D out. Then there was the blocked punt as icing on the cake for the miserable outing from the Panthers that had them gaining slightly less than 200 yards on the day total!
To the Dolphins credit, they had a smart game plan on both sides of the ball and on offense ran the football from start to finish. This commitment to the run game fueled both Tua and the passing game as well as the defense, which was well rested with the clock control of 38 minuets. A well rested defense makes plays…
… And as you could see from the Panthers, a tired defense gives up plays.
This should give fans and understanding of why our defense struggled those long weeks they spent more time on the field than the offense.
Despite the winning, all eyes should still be on the offensive line
With all this winning it’s easy to get caught up in the media push of the O-line is ‘coming together’. There are many factors to why we are scoring, but the offensive line is the least of them.
- Eichenburg and Jackson are still playing terrible. At least Eichenburg, who is out of position, has an excuse. Jackson has slid in to the easier position and still looks lost.
- The center position needs way more stability. Michael Dieter is returning and he will be an upgrade in the pass game, but he struggles hard in the run game. While he’ll certainly bring help, it won’t flip the switch for this offensive line.
- Robert Hunt still loses gap integrity on stunts and twists, but he is getting slowly better. The last three games against the Saints, Titans, and Patriots will either cement or shatter his season. This will be a huge litmus test on how far he has come.
- Davis is the ‘best’ tackle we have… and that’s not good. His left knee is not in good shape and he is better suited at guard, where he has played well. Unfortunately, we don’t have any tackles on the roster, so it will be Davis till the end of the season. What if he goes down? Despite what fans may think, Davis is the glue holding this line together. Undrafted rookie Davis mostly blocks on his own with one good leg, while on the other side Eichenburg (2nd and 3rd Round picks used to draft him) and Mr. 18th Overall Jackson double team one players 80% plus of the time. All hope of anything rests on Davis finishing the season.
- Then there is the problem of next year. Hunt, Jackson, Eichenburg, and Davis are all better suited for guard. Then add in Robert Jones who has shown promise and Solomon Kindley who Miami spent two 4th Round picks on and you have a glut of players and some of them are very expensive. Miami must find two more tackle for next season if they want to go anywhere, unless Jackson has some miracle turnaround.
Don’t call me a stick in the mud, Phins fans. I just want to keep the situation in perspective. Just as I’ve been saying Flores is a good coach, the defense isn’t the problem, we need to run the football, and Tua will be fine since the 1st month of the season, I’m saying now enjoy this win streak, but wait just a little longer before get your heart tied up in this run of victories leading to the playoffs!
Yes! This is what being a fan is all about, but don’t get to crazy on your evaluation until we see how this this offense respond over the final three weeks. If we can find a way to go 9-8 or 10-7… then let your fanatic side loose. Until then, be happy and hopeful, but even-keeled. Go Phins!!!