Will Fins Continue To Play Smart, Consistent Football?
The Dolphins beat the Pats with smart football, limited penalties, and no turnovers
In the NFL you must play smart and be physically talented
The Dolphins are riding hot on a two game win streak with their last victory against a darn good New England Patriots team, despite missing Gronk. However both of those games were in Miami, and now the Dolphins are going to have to travel up north to Buffalo where the forecast is cold with a chance of snow.
Miami has been the definition of inconsistent this year, so the real question is which Miami team is going to show up this weekend against the Bills?
Miami hasn’t been good on the road this season, going 2-4. And they never do a good job against QB Tyrod Taylor.
Getting a “W” to make it three in a row will be a tough, tough task.
Taylor has faced Miami 4 times so far in his career, and he has a 2-2 record against us. However, he has played terrific, throwing for 1008 yards, 8 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a QB rating of 121.2. In addition, he has also given us problems with his mobility by running for 151 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 4.72 yards per carry average.
Dolphins must prove to be smart and disciplined
Yeah, Taylor is a little banged up coming into this game. But he’s going to play, and Miami must apply a steady pressure just like they did to Tom Brady. Though because of Taylor’s mobility, Miami must pressure as well as contain. Not easy.
In addition, Miami is also going to have to find a way to stop LeSean McCoy. McCoy has been his usual self this season, rushing for over 1,000 yards already and has added 6 touchdowns. He’s coming off a 156 yard performance against the Colts. Whether or not we contain him will be the real test for the defense. McCoy will be Miami’s main concern, because if Miami can stop him then there’s a good chance this Buffalo Offense can be limited.
On offense Miami needs to continue to do what they have been doing well, which is run the football. We’re going to need another solid performance from our O-Line and our main man Kenyan Drake. If we can get something going on the ground and early, then we should be able to move the chains, chew the clock, and be successful on offense. We also need to be able to run the ball in order to combat the Bills lethal pass rush. If the Fins can keep the Bills guessing on Defense, then they won’t be able to just pin back their ears and bum rush Cutler.
Fins can keep the dream of the Post Season alive with a win
But all of this must be backed by low penalties, especially pre-snap penalties. Miami must have another low-no turnover game and let the Bills make mistakes. The turnover battle is always extra crucial on the road. The cold and possibly wet football will test the Fins greatest weakness–clean play.
The best football betting software came out with this line as -3 for the Bills. So far, there has been just about double the amount of action on the home team Bills, and that’s definitely better than the masses pouring action on the underdog Dolphins instead.
This game worries me, especially since we are on the road against a team we’ve historically had trouble with. However, in Gase’s first year he was able to beat the Bills twice–of course he had two 200 yard rushing games to help him. So let’s see if Gase and Co. can whip something special up for this must-win game. What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans thoughts about whether or not we can get a win in Buffalo?
Again, what is your point? Are you blaming one player, Cutler, for this season? Are you hypothesizing that w Tanny Fins would have won? c’mon man, state your case. Tanny is equivalent to a Cutler except Tanny has an RG3 knee now.
Fins have far greater problems than Cutler…its standing on the sidelines and sitting up in the press box.
McCoy had how many TD’s yesterday? Thank you.
Cutler had more picks than McCoy did TD’s– so there’s that, and that’s not factoring in the fumbles and wild throws. Try to stay on topic, this “conversation” is about a single game. But if you want to talk about a season, swap Tanny’s last years numbers with Cutlers this years, Miami would have more wins for sure. No doubt. To say otherwise… well it would be… forget it.
My conversation is about this game in context to the entire season, and in context to the last 10 seasons and that until fans demand a quality product on the field nobody within the organization, from the owner down to the players, and yes, this includes the coaches as well as your beloved Gase, nothing will improve.
This has been a losing franchise for far too long. It will continue so long as “fans” make excuses for losses and continue with their irrational exuberance, hope, crossed fingers, hair on the back of their neck, whatever, short of tangible results.
Fans here, and in many places, are far too willing to accommodate mediocrity for this franchise to make the necessary changes to bring a winner back to this city.
This organization has been an embarrassment for all those who experienced the glory years dating back to Shula, Griese, Csonka, Kiick, Morris, Warfield, and the greatest of all time Dan Marino.
The johnny-come-lately millennial snap-chatting dingbats who cheer whenever any type of play occurs are not true fans. They contribute to the chronic malaise of this franchise and blindly support this nuevo-yor remote owner.
Until somebody has the cojones to call it like it is I will continue to blast away and opine in haste recalling the winning tradition of this once proud franchise.
Its a damn shame what this team has become and how easily “fans” are accepting of mediocrity and failure.
“….this room is cleaur…”
” until fans demand a quality product on the field nobody within the organization, from the owner down to the players, and yes, this includes the coaches as well as your beloved Gase, nothing will improve.”
If the NFL doesn’t bend to the kneeling protest, they won’t kneel to anything– time will tell on that.
“This organization has been an embarrassment for all those who experienced the glory years dating back to Shula, Griese, Csonka, Kiick, Morris, Warfield, and the greatest of all time Dan Marino.”
Agree, but everything anyone posts or the articles written– except what you say–is excuses and reasoning of the stupid.
“The johnny-come-lately millennial snap-chatting dingbats who cheer whenever any type of play occurs are not true fans. They contribute to the chronic malaise of this franchise and blindly support this nuevo-yor remote owner.”
Most on this blog aren’t that, but you still talk to people like they are idiots and trash.
“Until somebody has the cojones to call it like it is I will continue to blast away and opine in haste recalling the winning tradition of this once proud franchise.”
Of course, you’re the only one who fits that bill and the only one who “sees”. The rest are ignorant and stupid.
“….this room is cleaur…”
As for me, I live in a world where I can’t change the Dolphins–silly me. I am just a simple fan and critic of the Dolphins. I’m a former player, lover of, student of football, who tries to enjoy the team I have chosen with other fans of the team and the game. I try to be objective in the pro and con. I try to be respectful of others opinions. I try to see others points of views and points because I am not an all knowing football god… like some. I use video and written arguments to make my points. Most of all, I try to enjoy what is, and not what I want things to be, and I try to help others enjoy the little joy that is being a Dolphins fan of late. Lastly, I try to hold together Jimmy’s site and his vision of a fan based site. We are worlds apart, for sure.
I wasn’t implying people here when I describe “The johnny-come-lately millennial snap-chatting dingbats who cheer whenever any type of play occurs…” Not at all here, I meant in general because there is no outcry for change after all these years.
…phreak, the troll …the glory days of Shula and Marino …where did those glory days go, eh …you have a strange habit of only remembering the good times with either of them …but there were bad years as well and plenty of them …not knocking either, phreak …just pointing out that your whole attempt at badinage falls woefully short of reality
Shula/Marino 86 8-8
87 8-7
88 6-10
89 8-8
90 12-4
91 8-8
92 11-5
93 9-7
94 10-6
95 9-7
…not one AFC Championship, much less SB ring
…so here we have a young coach that takes over a 6-10 team and takes them to the playoffs with a 10-6 record …and then he has a string of catastrophes that would have broken Shula himself and still looks to make something of it …worst case, he ends up matching Shula/Marino’s worst season …despite losing his QB, IRMA, Timmons, Forester, and a slew of key IRs
…and trolls like you are calling for his head …just like your forbears called for Shula’s after a bad season …they were never heard from again, Shula is HoF and still holds many NFL records …neither you nor I know where Gase will go with this team in the next couple of years but he damn sure should get a legitimate shot at righting this ship
…the problem is, phreak …you whine like a little girl who wets her panties and blames it on everyone but herself, no context, coloring facts, and always negative about the team you say you’re a fan of …the very definition of fake news …go back to playing with yourself, eh …and please, change your diapers
Hey, if the Fins had gone 81-62 over the last 9 years with 10-6, 11-5, and a 12-4 sprinkled in….but we know thats not the case now dont we.
Don Shula lost his first wife Dorothy Shula to cancer in 1991 (God rest her soul), that year the Fins were 8-8, but the year prior they were 12-4, and following season after her passing Shula took the fins to 11-5. I don’t think you’re comparing the trauma of losing a wife to a wind and rain storm…I mean it didn’t impact the ‘Canes.
Again just another example of excuse making fans.
Notice I made my point without casting personal aspersions. People who resort to personal insults only signal they’ve reach the end of their intellectual capacity.
Phinfreak, you carry on like you are some football guru. But the truth is you don’t know anything. You only show up after a loss…where were you last Tuesday? You are a troll.
This forum is for fans to discuss their team. Most on this site admit that our Phins still have some problems to deal with. We talk about the good and the bad. A true fan, while acknowledging the problems, don’t trash the team. You ignore the fact that this year the team has had to deal with key injuries. Depth is still a problem but not as bad as years past. QB has been a huge problem contrary to your “early season prediction” about Cutler. Bottom line…he really stinks. Tannehill would have done way better that the inconsistent trash from Cutler. Thank God he will be gone after 2 more games.
Phinfreak, you will never be taken seriously until you are more balanced with your diatribe. Your negativity goes mostly ignored by me. This team has a good young coach going through a learning curve and will get better. He is molding his roster and eventually will get it right.
This post is to let you know that I think you are an idiot and this will be my last response to you. So if you can’t contribute to this forum in a meaningful way, get lost. Adios…go f yourself!
he he he he…annnnnnnd they’re baaaack! They are who we, eh, I, thought they were! And to think some of you were actually thinking about Playoffs!??!!??s.
Some people just neverrrrrr learn. A good game here and there and all of a sudden ya’ll crownin their arses. Oh sure, now the barrage of monday morning quarterbacks will point to a play here, a player there, a call here, a break down there….all excuses.
The Fins caught the Pats at the perfect time. Pats came in to Miyami yawning, and for the Fins it was an opportunity for salvaging a minuscule iota of respectability ( seemingly though not really) in beating the vaunted Pats. Nope, as I told you, it was a meaningless game that barred zero impact on the outcome of this franchise this season except to lose a better draft pick.
All the Fins had to do is one thing, one scheme, one area to focus, one player to shut down…simple right? I mean Belicheat does this every week against entire teams, surely the Fins brain trust could figure out that stopping #25 would give them the best chance of pulling another upset right? Nope. Not these bums, not gonna happen here.
One player to stop was all the Fins had to do…a RB at that! not even a WR but a friggin RB! Nope.
They are what I thought they were, and I tolllllllld yuz so.
Fins drop remaining games and will be a 6-10 team….again.
Your quote: “Cutler was signed and paid to come in and take the starting QB role, it is not Moore’s job. He’s a backup. Period. Ignore the window dressing. Cutler’s arm will change how defenses play Fins. Yes, more blitzes, but more downfield plays. Pick your poison.
Cutler is a far better QB than fans are aware of, especially Miami fans. I live in Chicago most of year, watched him play last few years. He is a better pure QB than Tannehill ever was, and he played with a worse OL than Fins had.”
3 Ints, 4 Fumbles mid 50% completion %. Cutler is why they lost. That’s what you told us… child please.
Tannehill QBR 49.4 rate 93.5 2016 Cutler 40.8 80.6 2017
McCoy 20 carries for 50 yards and 46 yard passing…less 100 on the day… did you watch the game?
…its over …fat lady has sang the final notes …we lost, bill s won, ravens won …on to the draft 🙁
…they played Harris against the run too often, no contain on Taylor or McCoy …never thought I’d say we need Branch but we did today and he just wasn’t there …hope they can bring Hayes back from IR …need a lot of players to come back from IR and have a good year in ’18
…hate to see a high pick on another DE but we have no cap for one in FA …we have to get LG & C in 1st two rounds and the odds of getting an elite edge in the 3rd/4th are poor …Harris needs to be moved to LB though, he can’t play DE except on pass rushes and that’s too limited, not to mention that he exposes the defense
…besides the FA and draft, the coming off season needs to see Gase go get an OC that he trusts to make the offensive play calls and game plan …else ’18 will be a repeat …and they need a new FO …the ’17 draft is going no where fast, we need new people making those decisions along with Gase
…and then there is TH to consider …even if he recovers fully from his injuries and many never do …he was never an elite QB …yes, he got better under Gase but he never became the leader we need …Mayfield, Lock, or Thorsen could be had in the 2-4 rounds and set behind TH for a year or more …all have high leadership marks …else we are probably going with Fales instead of Moore as bu
…so on to the off season …last two games are pride and not worth losing any bonified starters over …set Drake and Williams, use the other RBs …wring Fales out …put Grant in for every series …play Asiata at LG …play Harris at LB and DE …play Brendel at C …set THomas and let MG prove he can play against KC and the Bills, both of which are still very much in the hunt
…there are probably only 30 +/- on the current 53 that should legitimately be back next year …plus 5-7 from IR …gives us a need to find 12-15 better players in FA/draft/UDFA/camp …lots of fodder to go through …need to sign Landry and cut some others to free up cap space …only go after FAs on their 1st FA contract …Suh’s contract is a bone breaker but he earned a lot of it this year, hard to see us squeeze much …TH’s value is sound and I don’t anticipate much there either …Landry is a top value and will probably cost in the 11-12 mil range if he gives the phins a discount to stay, we really need to keep him but I’d not blame him if he tested the market …Pouncy should be renegotiated for him to stay …he has had a pretty bad year against the run and teams are exploiting him much as the bills did today …we need a young, healthy 1-2 rounder to replace him, either now or after a year behind him
…alas, we are what we are, a 7-9/8-8 team at best but we had our moments …I’d not give up that Pats beatdown to move up a couple slots in the draft …but as it is we will draft 10th at best which isn’t going to command a trade down value worth taking if Nelson or McGlinchy are there
…so here goes, my first phins draft board for ’18 …Nelson, McGlinchy, Brown, Okolsfor, Williams, Hernandez, Ragnow, Skelton …in that order …any below McGlinchy would generate a trade down value and a possible DE selection if a true Edge prospect is still there …but Nelson or McGlinchy are my real wish list with one of the others in the 2nd …3rd round we start looking at QBs/Edge but OL remains the need …no need for hee-haws, its very early and lots will change, especially if the QB run goes deep into the 1st and some Juniors come out early that fit our needs …but we need to start somewhere and that’s who I’m looking at right now …and if you wonder why OTs are there, I’m convinced James is gone and not happy with Tunsil at LT …he had another bad day from what I saw
…as always, its a duck shoot 🙂
…one play defined the game for me …2Q, bils 3rd and long, ball in the air (missed) on the left side and Venner gets called for hold on a WR on the right …bills got 1st and 10 in our territory, then scored …it was a senseless penalty and probably the eventual difference maker …without it, its our ball and we were moving it at that point …but that call put it away for them imnsho …there were other moments but for me, that was the one …kind of defined the game and the season …we were in it and then we weren’t …que sera, sera
…I gave up after the Cutler interception early in the 3rd …he was off all day …did some needed weed pulling in the garden …have I ever mentioned how much I hate pulling weeds? …much akin to rooting for the phins this year 🙁
That play and a couple others, Howard 5 yarder, Culter fumble on 3rd and 5, stick in my craw.
“did some needed weed pulling in the garden”… we need a weed puller in the offseason.
Given me Tannehill 7 days a week and twice on Sunday over Cutler. LG is the biggest issue on the O ext season. Only a coke head would see Larsen as a starting LG. Pouncey goes or gets restructured. Cutler is obviously gone. We need someone who can cover a TE. Verner needs to go. Timmons needs to go. Dolphins need another LB–stud, LG, and DE. Still no solid eval on Parker… guy is a posterboy for inconsistent . Kiko get made too look ugly too much. Give me another QB mid draft.
On a good note: Harris does seem to be inching his way forward (still would have preferred Watt), Davis had another good enough performance, Drake is legit, Gray is a nice piece, Young has played well enough to come back as depth(want to see Eric Smith get a start though), Phillips played well, Howard did too (penalty was was very iffy), McDonald is good but his coverage of a elite TE isn’t enough, McCain continues to do well, Godchaux makes this interior DL a big strength, sign Landry– but he needs to be smarter (those 35 yards in penalties was terrible… but not as bad as Cutler’s fumble on 3rd and 5).
Playing Harris on some of those downs was bad they should have played Fede or Mal…didn’t like that. “odds of getting an elite edge in the 3rd/4th are poor”… a few teams did it this year. It’s bit of a crap shoot, but can be done.
“Landry is a top value and will probably cost in the 11-12 mil range if he gives the phins a discount to stay, we really need to keep him but I’d not blame him if he tested the market”
“alas, we are what we are, a 7-9/8-8 team at best but we had our moments …I’d not give up that Pats beatdown to move up a couple slots in the draft …but as it is we will draft 10th at best which isn’t going to command a trade down value worth taking if Nelson or McGlinchy are there” If we had discipline we’d have made the playoffs. Ravens are an example of a lesser talent team that plays smart ball and produces over their heads. We are the opposite.
On Tunsil he had one very bad snap as I recall. Had a Christmas party at the house so I was distracted…. need to rewatch. But he is a Parker esc headscratcher.
Inclement weather comes with the game. Stay focus and just win the game.
No focus by Cutler… zero.
This one is going to be a tough one. A win is possible if there are zero turnovers and very few penalties. Unlike the New England game where I sensed an UPSET, this one has me feeling “queasy like Joe.” Had it not been that our Phins have been so inconsistent, I would say there is a good chance for a win.
I believe that Gase is riding a high right now and will come through with a good game plan but…the players still have to execute. Not only will it take good execution by the players, it will also take great coaching. Since McDermont is a rookie coach, Gase should have the upper hand and with Burke now getting better at calling his defense, the Phins should be in good position to win.
Keys to the game:
Drake must have a monster game
Defense must stop McCoy and contain Taylor
Cutler must continue on the streak he is currently on
We just don’t know…and that is why they play the games…GO PHINS!
Thankfully there appears to be no snow on the way. I feel a lot better about their chances with a clean field. Cold is one thing, but snow is totally other and predictable monster. I feel pretty good about their chances… great if they don’t have a turnover. I do with Williams was a go though.
“Queasy like Joe,” 🙂
…it’s the defense that worries me …Branch is out and Harris is starting in his place …he has not shown much against the run and that is a real liability against the Bills …Tank is also out and Howard has been sick all week
…on offense, we have the same OL that has played well the last 2 games with Drake at RB …it comes down to Cutler and the weather
…I’m in on Miami winning outright, limiting McCoy and keeping Taylor contained …but like everyone else, its the inconsistency that scares me …and the cold, especially Drake holding onto the ball in freezing weather …if he can, we win …inmnsho of course 😀
I do like Cameron Malveaux he is powerful and I think Fede and him can control the pocket… I’d prefer Branch for sure, but for this game, with those two, it’s not disaster. I think Harris will be more on pass downs…least I hope so.
Tank is out again tooo… thin.
Fritz… I now have your queasy feeling…terrible start.
…I was hoping Gase would throw caution to the win and go for it on 4th rather than the field goals …I know its not generally the smart thing but what did he get with the fgs? …nada, 3 pts and gave up the lead instead of trying to get it back …he needed the lead to play his game, especially with the defense not able to corral McCoy
Yeah, I kinda was on the fence… I could go either way. But when one guys has 3 picks and 4 fumbles… everything else in secondary.
We can officially start talking draft now!
Yes sir. The absence of Cutler will be addition by subtraction. Gase did himself and this season a disservice by jamming Cutler into the fold…
…respectfully disagree …Gase had Moore every day for an entire season including 4 games as his starting QB …he didn’t think he could get it done …so he looked at the options …which boiled down to Kaepernick …or Cutler …he knew kap was trouble with a capital K and once you get past his social “martyr/hero” status, he isn’t a Gase type QB, much less a good one …but he did know Cutler and Cutler knew his system …so he rolled the dice and signed him …if he got the 2015 Cutler, he was going to be ok …but what he got instead was a former 2nd tier QB ready for the broadcast booth …but ready to take 10 mil and a guaranteed start for one last shot at glory …if I’d been in Gase’s shoes, knowing what he knew then, I’d have made the same choice …and so would have you …and dare I say it, phreak as well (he has the most convenient memory when it comes to eating his own words)
…in hindsight, who is to say that any other QB would have been better? …personally, I’d have liked them to try Fales after Moore was exposed, rather than bring Cutler back …but then I liked Fales in camp and pre-season …and what do I know? (other than a shitload more than freak), eh 🙂
…TH is the defacto starter come August, but I hope they draft Mayfield, Lock, or Thorsen in the 3-4 rounds and set him behind TH for a year …unless the rookie wins the job in camp …I’m antsy about the QB roll in the 1st round …I count at least 7 teams, not including the phins, who are desperate for a QB upgrade …if they go all in for one, none of the three I like in the 3/4 would be around for us …and then there is the cap issue …Cousins is about to become the first $30 mil plus per year QB …and there will be at least one more …which is going to make TH damn reluctant to take a cut to alleviate the cap problem in Miami