What Happened On Offense? Pats Turn Phins Hope To Hell…

Did hope for the 2018 Phins go up in flames?

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Disasterous calamity and utter FUBAR would be good descriptions of the Dolphins v.s. Pats ‘game’.

Jimmy Bourbon is still beside himself with grief and can’t put a finger to keyboard.

As for me, I’ve been watching film… with a box of Kleenex.

The word on the street is that in typical Dolphins fashion, the Phins wet the bed in the big moment… but that ‘talk’ is both broad and not wholly accurate.

The general gist of the statements coming out is, “No one in aqua showed up”.

Again, I disagree.

Now I’m not sugar coating this shellacking. Not in the least. But broad stroking with ‘sucks or awesome’ isn’t how I roll.

For those who are having a hard time not ‘going Titanic’ on the Season, the Phins were wrecked last year in the 1st meeting and then destroyed the Pats in the second contest. and this was with Cutty at QB. This doesn’t mean we’ll get a repeat of this formula in 2018… but it does offer ‘come back from the edge’ context.

The question at hand is twofold: Is there any hope for 2018?… And is for Gase and Co. period.

Amazing how things change in the NFL… from hero to goat in just a week! With the Dolphins things change so fast you can get whiplash.

…Back to analyzing last game. The game was effectively over at 7:31 of the 2nd Qtr. The rest of the game was depressing window dressing.

Let’s explore the whole 23:29 of offense that mattered in detail.

1st Quarter Dolphins 1st Drive:

1st Play:

Tannehill has a shot at a huge play as Stills is over the top of the defense. This play could have changed the game. Tannehill has a clean pocket but throws short. Despite the chunk completion, he’s lucky not to have been picked. Great call by Gase, poor throw by Tannehill.

2nd Play:

Tannehill, like with Landry, has a tendency to go ‘deer in the headlights’ onto his security blanket. He immediately looks to the right side that’s flooded with defenders. The short side is too crowded. A quick throw to Gesicki was the better option. Instead, he picks up three with Amendola. Okay play, but Tannehill has started off this game looking tight.

3rd Play:

Miami sets up a run shorts side (why do we attack the short side so much?). There’s a good lane, except for Kilgore who is beaten inside. Was it really a holding penalty? 50 / 50. Kilgore shouldn’t have been beaten that bad either way. After 4 games with 3 game of being beaten like a drum, it’s safe to say without Sitton to protect him, Kilgore is a liability. The sportsbook management software is saying maybe Kilgore wasn’t a hot buy after all.

Rest of the drive: Short run on 2nd & 17 was a decent call that earned 5. The throw on 3rd & 12 was safe and smart this early. But, Patriots show that they are compensating for their lack of speed with over coverage, which will limit screens.

Dolphins punt.

1st Quarter Dolphins 2nd Drive:

1st Play:

Either receivers weren’t open or Tannehill couldn’t find them (no access to All 22 yet). Tannehill did have 5 seconds of protection to figure it out. This was either good ‘D’, bad play call, or Tannehill not finding the open man.

2nd Play:

Pats are in Dime with 6 DB’s. A run play is a correct call… but why do you continually run short side with a blazing back like Drake? My only guess is Gase feels the right side run blocks better… Not on this one. Davis seals but James is driven back into the pulling Larsen–FUBAR ensues.

3rd Play:

Miami gets lucky on 3rd & 10 with a defensive holding penalty.

4th Play:

Gase calls a ‘one read’ flat pass to Wilson. Pats rush four and play over with an umbrella. The defensive play is perfect for Gase’s call. No gain. A little conservative of a call on for 1st Down but not terrible.

5th Play:

Gesicki misses his block. Tannehill avoids the rush, but his timing is off. Tannehill goes for a deep strike to Wilson. Without All 22 film available, it’s hard to say who is or who isn’t open. What can be seen is Gesicki struggles with blocking this whole game. The loss of Gray and Derby are playing heavily and Sam Young trying to fill the role isn’t helping.

6th Play:

Tannehill has 4 secs before pressure forces him to throw the ball away. That’s enough time. Still, without All 22 it’s hard to see the routes to judge if Gase did or didn’t set Tannehill up for success.

Dolphins Punt.

1st Quarter Dolphins 3rd Drive:

1st Play:

Gore amazingly picks up 3 despite Sam Young getting blown up like a house of card hit by dynamite. Young is pretty good at pass blocking… not so much at run blocking, even when he’s far out on the edge. Another problem is, Young isn’t a receiving threat, so his presence is a strong tell to the defense that chances are heavy that this will be a run play.

2nd Play:

A repetitive theme: Kilgore is driven back, this time into Gore. Also, Tunsil doesn’t make his block. To put it in a Yodaism, ‘Two unblocked defenders doesn’t a run play make.

3rd Play:

A false start on Tunsil turns a difficult situation into a brutal one. At this point, Tunsil’s poor discipline and average play combined are making his pick by the Phins in 2016 more of a regret than joy.

4th Play:

3rd & long… again. Maybe Tannehill could have hit Drake? Maybe it would be a better option? But 13 yards wasn’t likely to come however you slice it.

2nd Quarter Dolphins 4th Drive:

1st Play:

The Nose Tackle is either offsides or gets an amazing jump at the snap. It’ so close it’s hard to call. But you know, if it were a Dolphins player there would have been a yellow flag for certain. The pressure gets Tannehill rattled. He has a shot at Gore for a sizeable play, but misses the target on the move and almost throws a pick.

2nd Play

Another run play DOA due to poor blocking. It’s Gesicki again… and it’s another run short side. Think maybe Gase likes running short side? Think opposing defenses know this?

3rd Play:

A deep pass play to Stills that has pressure put on it from Jesse Davis letting a Blitzer get in. Gase is having a poor day today or Tannehill isn’t making the right reads. Something is up. Either way, 3rd and Long isn’t the way to make hay in the NFL.

2nd Quarter Dolphins 5th Drive:

1st Play:

Tannehill misses the shotgun snap and the fumble is recovered. Game over. The ball hits Tannehill in the hands and he flubs it. Regardless of if the snap was early, it hit his hands, and it’s on him.

Summation… where the hell are we?

So where are we after this debacle?

Well, Ryan Tannehill needs a run game. He can’t thrive without it. This isn’t a knock. Only a few QBs in the league can make an offense roll without even average run production.

The loss of Sitton has severely diminished this Offensive Line. Kilgore has been a disaster without him. I do think his sudden lack of strength these past few weeks may have been from a Tricep that was getting ready to go.

It doesn’t matter now, Kilgore is done for the season. What irony that Mike Pouncey is still churning out reps!

Add the injuries with the penalties from this unit and the lack of blocking from the Tight End position and you have the essence of the Dolphins problems.

Tannehill can be productive and in spots make plays… but he’ll never be able to carry a team. Gase could certainly make better calls and a better gameplan. But with neither a run game or QB who can carry a team, his calls aren’t the primary problem. Gase is good enough… and with the proper tools, he can be excellent, but neither he nor Tannehill can hack it consistently without a run game.

Phinsnews said this season will go as far as the Offensive Line takes them. Miami and their fans better hope like hell for Travis Swanson to be a gem, the return of Jake Brendel from short-term IR, Issac Asiata figuring out Right Guard or a trade. The Dolphins are now desperate, thin, and weak at Offensive Line and blocking Tight End… and what happens with this unit going forward will determine the season. Go Phins!!!

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