Dolphin had one glaring issue throughout the Preseason…
…and the Titans have the potential to take advantage of it.
The Miami Dolphins are facing the Tennessee Titans in their first game of the 2018 Season in just a few hours. Today, Phins fans will get a huge helping of truth.
Did all the naysayers have it right?
Or will Gase and Co. prove that they that 3rd time is the charm?
There are no mulligans left for this Trifecta. The 2018 Season is about the beginning of a new and glorious chapter… or end of the road for this regime.
And a win or a loss will go a long way in either direction.
Unlike last year, the Dolphins will get a little boost from their home field advantage with an expected temperature of 88 degrees. This could prove to be a nice advantage going into the 4th quarter if Miami can keep it close.
A blowout of the Titans would be much safer for my heart.
Obviously, there are a bunch of things that the Dolphins can do that would help them succeed. Having Tannehill back under center should help. However, moving the ball up the field is not good enough, because they need to get into the End Zone.
Here are some ugly oldies that need a facelift today:
Scoring in the first quarter.
Don’t commit too many penalties, especially pre-snap.
Don’t be comatose on 3rd Downs on both offense and defense.
Stop the opposing QB from hurting them on the run.
Don’t let the Tight End have an ‘All-World Day’.
Limit Turnovers and get some on ‘D’
These are pretty much a ‘no-duh’ and givens on any team you might say. Well, for the most part. Although, Miami specialized in disaster last season, so maybe not.
…But the one specific and glaring issue that needs resolving or the Dolphins will get shellacked is their consistent over pursuit and vacating the backside of plays on defense.
The next three clips are all the running plays of 4+ yds that the Titans earned and the Dolphins Defense allowed over the course of the Preseason.
This 1st clip is of all the runs that kept to the play side and didn’t turn backside. We all know ‘the play’ in the first still. But beyond that one disaster, the Miami did okay, especially considering that Jordan Phillips didn’t play in the 2nd Game.
Henry is the least of the Dolphins worries today.
Derrick Henry and David Fluellen don’t have the chops to bend the play backside. It’s play side or bust unless the counter-action is designed. Henry will get his yards today, but the problem is with Dion Lewis and his ability to jump cut and hit the backside.
Only one Titan run went against the grain and picked up yards… and that was mostly due to terrible tackling. But Lewis didn’t see much action this Preseason… he’ll see a ton today. If the Dolphins D plays like it did this Preseason, Lewis will pop more than one for a big gain.
Below shows how terrible Miami was in their discipline. The Linebackers over committed on nearly every play. The Titans have 100% game planned to take advantage of this. Miami must prove that they can fix this glaring weakness.
Dolphins LBs will play a key role in the win or loss
The Dolphins D-Linewas continuously washed down the line. Add in LB’s with zero discipline, and this is a serious recipe for disaster against the Titans potent O-Line and RBs.
A huge factor in rectifyingthis issue is that William Hayes will play this week. And that’s a major bonus. Will it be enough though if McMillan plays like he has through 3 games of the Preseason? Nope. This game will be about the Linebackers. They are the weakest link… until proven otherwise. The LBs don’t have to play All-Pro… they just can’t go full retard.
Again, Miami’s offense can help this with scoring points. If Miami can score early and get a lead, it will force Mariota to pass and his inconsistency will end in turnovers.
Dunner, one of our long-time readers, made the prediction of Miami 28 Titans 17.
I hate making predictions until later in the season, but I like his… so why not? Dolphins win.
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans thoughts about what Miami needs to do in order to start the season 1-0?
