Week 2: Recovering From Whiplash
Week 2 left Miami and their fans recovering from whiplash.
Whiplash: jerk or jolt (someone or something) suddenly, typically so as to cause injury.
On Friday, I “caught a case” of whiplash in a car accident. On Sunday, I got a second, third and fourth helping of it during the Miami / Patriots game.
First “helping” of the ‘lash (from the game) came from the 3 quick scores by the Patriots offense and the 3 quick outs by the Dolphins.
The second was when Jimmy Garoppolo went down and hope, that even the best pay per head bookie software could predict, came rushing back in.
And the third was when Miami couldn’t stop the run, and LeGarrette Blount knocked out all legitimate hope.
They say the first cut is the deepest: the poor defensive scheme, (which duplicated the Cardinals approach – with similar results), and the slow response to amend a failed tactic left me the most wounded. This was compounded by the shell-shock response by the defense that had the secondary confused, missing assignments and tunnel-visioned as their psyche was broken.
Beaten in body is one thing. Beaten in the mind is something else.
But, the biggest problem is the coaches were beaten mentally as well.
Look, I get it. Vance Joseph and Adam Gase are rookies and they just ran a stretch of facing two of the best in the business. But, the grace period for this wholesale breakdown is up — finito, gone baby, gone.
This week Miami has the edge in just about every aspect and are at home. This week is a serious crossroads because a win, a good one, is desperately need for credibility about the possibility for success this season…and for this staff capabilities.
Joseph and Gase were young talents with limited experience. Talent was supposed to supersede experience. So far, that’s not the case.
This is not to say it won’t: I believe it will. It’s not to say this regime is a failure: so much time before that’s a real subject. What is being said is that this game is a must win — MUST WIN…and in style.
Squeakers with last minute heroics are not included.
Now, I must say, the coaches recovered quicker than the players. When Garoppolo went down, Gase got it together, but consistency is the key to wins in the NFL. Flashes are insecurities and the essence of “almost was”. The Miami Dolphins and we their fans have had far more than enough of that.
That’s not what Miami needs this week…or going forward. Go Fins!!!
It is a work in progress. Rookie coaches have a learning curve too. This Sunday our dolphins will give us a win otherwise we’ll have an early lead for a top five pick in 2017.
Yeah, Fritz…Gase needs to right the ship in a big way…the team has it’s back against the wall against an inferior team at home. ZERO excuses. I do believe it will happen, but this will be a push more than a “win” if they win. Cincy follows and the Jets nearly beat them…that would be a huge win and restore some of the lost luster. But, for now it’s the Browns and a must win/ should definitely win scenario.
…if not Cleveland, where? …when?
…I was pretty confident we’d go 1-3 to start and then start to win a few
…but our offense has been a no show
…and our defense which looked decent against Seattle, suddenly looks like swiss cheese …smells like it as well
…especially in light of what LA did to Seattle on Sunday
…this game is a matchup of the 2 worst teams in the NFL right now by both record and stats …a death match to the bottom
…trying to be fair-minded here …Gase and staff are rookies and just lost to the top 2 coaches in the NFL over the past decade …so they get some slack on those losses
…but there is no such slack vs Cleveland
…and look, guys …our offense sucks buttermilk through a straw …honest to god I think they’ve devolved from last year …17+ minutes before they completed their first pass for positive yards …their first score came against a pats defense that was setting more than half its starters
…and the defense …the pats backup QB beat the living daylights out of them …and then their 3rd string QB just kept handing it off, proving they could run on us at will
…this wasn’t a game plan loss, this was physical beating by a better team …much better imnsho
…yes Dun, Tanny showed some flash …much too little, much too late …just enough to make me want to pull my hair out by the roots and yell till I’m hoarse …just like the past 4 seasons …the guy is physically gifted …and a loser so far …he plays in spurts …always enough to create hope, never enough to win consistently
…four years now I’ve thought it was the OL …it wasn’t …it ain’t …it’s time for him to fish or cut bait …but the odds are he’ll have a wonder day vs Cleveland and all will be well in finlandia …for a week …and then?
Actually Lemmus, I think early, in the 1st Quarter, it was coaching and scheme that did in Miami D. Second Qtr it was composure and then at the end it was physically. I think with T-Hill, it’s Dan Marino or bust for many, and that’s why he has so many detractors. I see him at his best being just outside or inside top 10 — and that’s fine on a good team..you can win with that.
But, with no running game and the abuse he normally takes, too much is being asked — especially given years of terrible coaching. He is being paid like the 13th highest QB, so it works fine. Even if you pay slightly over what a QB is worth that works too. Just get him a run game and D and dont ask him to carry every week and he will be fine. I think the lack of run game strips alot of his talents in the playaction roll out…He can be a winner if Miami works in the scope of his talents…so far they haven’t — it’s been Dan Marino or bust!!!
Tannehill is most definitely not the problem. Clearly in the first quarter this team look confused and dumbfounded, which is usually bad communication which I blame on the coaching staff. Second is when everything came together blocks were being picked up and Tannehill was free to put the team on his shoulders which he did and almost gave us a miracle come back. Blame should go to horrible defense, no running game, and bad coaching. Our quarterback can only do so much on his own..
@admin, people who think its Dan Marino or bust, should go back and look the talent he had on the offensive line, Thill has nothing remotely close in that on both sides of the ball, and Marino also had the gift of playing under the greatest coach of all time, Don Sula. 17 has has Failbin and and rookie Gase so far.
Agree Shawn..also, Dan is Dan. I mean all-time talent. T-Hill may never be a top 5…but, we must realize that 85% of the league doesn’t have that. Now, if T-Hill through a combination of skills can fall into that 8-13 range, he is being paid as such, so that’s good…if he has a team around him. The run game, as Steve continues to point out, is essential to QB’s…especially those outside top 5 Qb’s and top 5 coaches. I keep watching him this year and I say more often than not it’s outside influences (RB, OL, WR and coaching) that has born more of the issues. Gase coached alittle scared week 1 and week 2 (early)…it’s a season long eval and I just don’t see him as a bust or terrible…or top5 for that matter.
Admin, Marino only had one 1000yd rusher in his career. He still was always top 2 or 3. Yes = all time talent
Lemmus, you just took 2 steps back. WOW
I do like The Tanny analogy: just enough, etc!