Secondary: Without Lehan and Crocker, this secondary is going to look very different for the rest of the season, and we are going to learn a lot about some young players. In their first games in their new roles, Jason Allen and Tyrone Culver played admirably, if not spectacularly. I thought the real story was that with JAllen and Goodman in the game, we could play some man press coverage. Clearly we discovered these two guys strengths, as each had easily their best games of the year. Look for the Dolphins to do more of this and mix it up as the season progresses, with JAllen often matched up on big receivers who have killed the Dolphins so far this year. He, and nobody else on this team, has the size and athleticism to match up with them.
"Victory Monday": I like it. Don't expect Sparano to make a habit of it, but it is a good way to sneak some extra rest in over the course of a long season. The key is that everybody comes to work hard on Wednesday after having some extra time away.
Wildcat: The Wildcat worked fairly well against the Bills. I was surprised the Dolphins didn't use it more. You don't like to use it as a crutch for the running game, but if it is working...
ILBs: Crowder and Ayodele did a good job when they were run blitzing against the Bills, but one reason teams have had some success running against Miami is poor gap control by these two. They sometimes get caught overrunning the play or in the wrong gap getting stuck in the muck. I hope to see Crowder improve on this by the end of the season because I really would like to see him around next year.
AFC Players of the...: The Dolphins got two players rewarded with recognition this week when not only did Ted Ginn win AFC Offensive Player of the week for his efforts (don't forget to credit Pennington for another great game), but Joey Porter earned a much deserved AFC Defensive Player of the month award for his stellar play.
Patrick Cobbs: Congrats on the 2 year extension. It's a pleasure to have you around.
Get Ginn on the field!: David Hyde had a nice article pointing out that even in Sunday's monster game against the Bills, he spent a lot of time off the field. Let's hope that after he showed what he can do, he will be spending much more time on it.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Dolphins 25 - Bills 16: A Tale of Two Halves
The Dolphins desperately needed a home divisional win against the 5-1 Bills to get back into the AFC East hunt, and they took care of business and got a great win at home. Down 16-7 shortly into the 3rd quarter only to score 18 unanswered points, this game was a tale of two very different halves, but the simplicity of what the Dolphins did differently is what really stands out.
First Half Breakdown:
-Ferguson was in the starting lineup today, which was huge for the Dolphins (as I pointed out last week, largely because it enables Randy Starks to play end). However, Michael Lehan was put on injured reserve earlier in the week (you get the feeling that he won't be around next year...), so Jason Allen took his spot in the nickel, and Tyrone Culver became the dime safety. Big tests for these two young players. Also, Ike and Mathis split time at right guard once again.
-From the first play of the game, Ted Ginn was an absolute monster. He had a lot of room in the man cover 1 that the Bills were playing, and Pennington actually under threw him on the first play. No worries: Ginn went up and made a terrific catch for a huge gain.
-The opening drive was well-called and well-executed. I say the game was a tale of two halves, but the weird thing is that if you exchange the first drive of each half, each team would have posted 30 minute shutouts in this one. Regardless, you have to love the classic Chad play-fake on the touchdown. Fasano was wide open for the score.
-All day, the Bills were playing to stop the run, and there were huge openings in the passing game. I noted during the first quarter that the Dolphins had to use the opportunity to take a big lead into the half.
-The special teams battle was an interesting one. From the opening kick, I thought if the Dolphins could merely break even with the Bills always special teams, they would have a chance to win. 0-0...let the games begin.
-The Bills moved the ball and got close a few times in the first half, but the Dolphins stayed in the game by virtue of their red zone defense forcing three field goals. The goal line defense has been especially impressive so far this year.
-Part of the reason for Ginn's success today was that the line was protecting well, giving him time to run deep routes and deep comebacks, routes that are very difficult to defend for somebody with his speed.
-It was great to see London use his body and catch a slant pass. He is developing into a solid role player.
-Great kick by Fields to down the ball at the Bills two. Special teams: Fins 1- Bills 0.
-Unfortunately, this is where the mistakes really started piling up for the Dolphins. With the lead and the Bills backed up to their goal line, Ferguson decided to go offsides, granting them breathing room. Credit the smart hard count by Edwards. Then, Hill and Will Allen both miss tackles to force a punt, and once again, number 25 missed an opportunity for a pick. As awful as his hands are, we would've been really screwed if he had actually been injured on that play. Our depth in the secondary is dwindling.
-On 3rd down, the Dolphins dropped eight for the first time that I saw this year. Excellent call, especially with the pass rushing of Joey Porter closing down and finishing the coverage sack. Who else?
-The amazing Bills special teams followed with a bad snap on the punt. Credit Moorman, who is as big a difference maker as you can have at punter, for getting it off, but with the ball on the Bills 37, the Miami special teams goes up 2-0.
-Offsides and the Dolphins have 1st and five from the Bills 32. Ruining the collective chop-licking of everybody in the greater Miami area, Ricky decided to fumble for the fourth time this year. (There was no outcry because it was only the first that he lost. However, statisticians will tell you that fumble recoveries are completely random.) It was a terrible mistake and one of the many blown opportunities to take a huge lead into the half.
-On the other side of the ball, it was penalties that were killer. Merling had two straight offsides on a Bills 3rd down, and Charlie Anderson offered 15 yards with a facemask on the same play! Again, uncharacteristic mistakes killed the Dolphins.
-By the end of that drive, Pennington was 7-8 and Edwards was 6-11, yet the score was only 7-6. As I said, the passing game was there for us but we couldn't capitalize and the only thing moving the Bills were our mistakes. We should have been up big.
-I noted towards the end of the first half that a definite bright spot was Jason Allen. He played pretty well, especially considering that he spent much of the half matched up with noted Dolphin-killer Lee Evans.
-Ginn and Camarillo blocked well down the field and Ricky Williams looked fast on a screen pass. The Ginn actually made a guy miss on a quick hitch. It seems that he plays much better as his involvement and confidence go up. When he returns kicks, he actually starts catching passes; when he starts catching passes, he develops the ability to make people miss in the open field...
-Pennington is great and was great all day. He is absolutely the best we've had since Marino by a long shot, but a big reason for our improved quarterback play not to be overlooked is our offensive line.
-Special teams gets a reality check as the Bills block a field goal. Penetration combined with a low kick by Carpenter caused this one. It's a big play, so award two points to the Bills special teams: 2-2.
-Bills get the ball back, and we continue falling apart on defense. The mistakes keep piling up, with Goodman's questionable pass interference call of the game putting the Bills in field goal range. Also, despite matching up very well and being in the right position to make plays, we are having trouble breaking down and tackling on defense. Very poor.
As I wrote during halftime, "Bad news is that we are down 7-9 in a game where we should have 21 points. We've really outplayed them, but have killed ourselves with mistakes. Two choices in the 2nd half: keep it up and dominate to victory, or let them make you pay for your sins and win a game they shouldn't even be in."
It was really true. Offensively, the Dolphins had all kinds of room to throw the ball wherever they wanted. The Bills had severely underestimated our passing game, and Ted Ginn was unstoppable. However, mistakes left us with only seven points. On the other side of the ball, the Bills really couldn't do anything. However, we made enough mistakes to keep their drives going and weren't playing as aggressively as we do when at our best, and as a result they had the lead. Special teams played them even, which was all we could ask for.
Halftime adjustments really didn't have to be anything crazy. The point was that we were outplaying them, but were beating ourselves. We didn't have to do anything different in the second half, except change our attitude. The offense had to come out expecting to score every time they had the ball and the defense had to come out ready to start really hitting people in the mouth. As I noted in the 3rd quarter, if our defense simply hits people the way they are capable of and makes the offense work to move the ball, they would be rewarded.
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Second Half Breakdown:
-The kickoff game all day was not in our favor. Carpenter's kicks were alarmingly short, and it was not by design. Special teams: Bills 3- Fins 2.
-The defense had the worst possible drive imaginable to start the 2nd half. The Bills did whatever they wanted, pushed us around, and we didn't tackle anybody. Luckily, this type of play was an isolated incident in the 2nd half.
-The Dolphins offense certainly got the halftime memo and Ted Ginn raced down the field with the football. The drive stalled because of a penalty that gave us a 1st and 15, but at least we got points.
-The defense turned it up, too (albeit a drive later than I would've liked). Blitzing worked well all day, and it was nice to see Yeremiah making a play in the backfield.
-One guy that never got going all day was Ronnie Brown. I was disappointed because even with Buffalo focusing on stopping the running game, I think we need to get the ball in the hands of the number one play maker. Whether that means Ricky can't get as many touches on days when our running backs will have less involvement, or we need to find more ways to get Ronnie the ball out of the backfield, we can't afford for him to be taken out of the game. Luckily, Ted Ginn stepped up and was our play maker today, but imagine if we got both of those guys going.
-We really got moving on offense when we got Camarillo and the tight ends involved. They are our bread and butter, our glue guys, and need to always be utilized. I especially love when Camarillo puts defenders on his back and moves the pile...it is mind-boggling.
-Excellent play calling on the goal line. What a fabulous job Henning has done all year. I love the wildcat call on first down. I have said numerous times that it is an excellent goal line play, especially if you consider that teams now have to spend time preparing for it in their base defense AND their goal line defense. Then, the toss left, which has been the closest thing we have to a favorite running play this year, hits for the touchdown. At this point the offense was working its tail off to score every time, and the defense was knocking the snot out of Buffalo. It was only a matter of time before the rewards started coming.
-And in the 4th quarter, rewarded we were. Randy Starks made a great play to cause a pick. It is an absolute crime that he is not starting because he is our best defensive end at defending the run, and this was the second interception he was responsible for this year. Meanwhile, it took a ball that a child could've caught, but Will Allen came up with a pick. Hate to nitpick, but I thought he should've taken it to the house. Follow #55!
-Offense didn't convert a touchdown out of it, but points every drive is the M.O. and we got a field goal out of it.
-The issue with offenses moving a tight end over Porter was less of an issue today. It looked like the Dolphins tried to move Joey around so that the offense couldn't dictate where he was going to be. I would rather find a way to always keep him on the weak side, but moving him around and alternating Charlie Anderson in to play the Will from time to time was a solid strategy.
-Speaking of him, how about Porter taking the ball out of Edwards' hands on that sneak. Stupid play by the Stanford grad, but once again Joey makes it happen.
-Another punt downed deep inside Bills territory by Fields. Special teams: 3-3.
-Great job again by the defense. Jason Allen and Andre Goodman had nice coverages on first and second down, and then who else but Joey Porter with a sack, forced fumble, and safety.
-More Ted Ginn and tight end involvement to get the Dolphins in field goal range to put the game away. Great football.
-Carpenter had me a bit worried after the first field goal was blocked, but he made three more, from decent distances out, too, to put the game away. Special teams: 4-3.
-As I had said, the Dolphins just had to come out, hit, and make things difficult for Buffalo on offense and they would be rewarded. After witnessing this 4th quarter we can all agree that it's amazing what some violent hitting can do for you.
-Finally, Jason Allen recovered the punt off of Parish, the dangerous return man who we corralled today, completing the special teams victory for the Dolphins, 5-3.
As I said, it was a tale of two halves, but the difference between the two halves wasn't a big personnel move or defensive adjustment. It was simply a matter of the Dolphins taking what was rightfully theirs. They were better than this Bills team today, and simply smacking them in the mouth and putting points on the board was the difference. Especially if you took the first drive from each half and switched them around (I considered doing just that to make a point in my analysis), you can see what kind of destruction this Dolphins team is capable of. In any given game, it doesn't matter so much who the Dolphins are playing...it matters whether or not the Dolphins show up to play.
First Half Breakdown:
-Ferguson was in the starting lineup today, which was huge for the Dolphins (as I pointed out last week, largely because it enables Randy Starks to play end). However, Michael Lehan was put on injured reserve earlier in the week (you get the feeling that he won't be around next year...), so Jason Allen took his spot in the nickel, and Tyrone Culver became the dime safety. Big tests for these two young players. Also, Ike and Mathis split time at right guard once again.
-From the first play of the game, Ted Ginn was an absolute monster. He had a lot of room in the man cover 1 that the Bills were playing, and Pennington actually under threw him on the first play. No worries: Ginn went up and made a terrific catch for a huge gain.
-The opening drive was well-called and well-executed. I say the game was a tale of two halves, but the weird thing is that if you exchange the first drive of each half, each team would have posted 30 minute shutouts in this one. Regardless, you have to love the classic Chad play-fake on the touchdown. Fasano was wide open for the score.
-All day, the Bills were playing to stop the run, and there were huge openings in the passing game. I noted during the first quarter that the Dolphins had to use the opportunity to take a big lead into the half.
-The special teams battle was an interesting one. From the opening kick, I thought if the Dolphins could merely break even with the Bills always special teams, they would have a chance to win. 0-0...let the games begin.
-The Bills moved the ball and got close a few times in the first half, but the Dolphins stayed in the game by virtue of their red zone defense forcing three field goals. The goal line defense has been especially impressive so far this year.
-Part of the reason for Ginn's success today was that the line was protecting well, giving him time to run deep routes and deep comebacks, routes that are very difficult to defend for somebody with his speed.
-It was great to see London use his body and catch a slant pass. He is developing into a solid role player.
-Great kick by Fields to down the ball at the Bills two. Special teams: Fins 1- Bills 0.
-Unfortunately, this is where the mistakes really started piling up for the Dolphins. With the lead and the Bills backed up to their goal line, Ferguson decided to go offsides, granting them breathing room. Credit the smart hard count by Edwards. Then, Hill and Will Allen both miss tackles to force a punt, and once again, number 25 missed an opportunity for a pick. As awful as his hands are, we would've been really screwed if he had actually been injured on that play. Our depth in the secondary is dwindling.
-On 3rd down, the Dolphins dropped eight for the first time that I saw this year. Excellent call, especially with the pass rushing of Joey Porter closing down and finishing the coverage sack. Who else?
-The amazing Bills special teams followed with a bad snap on the punt. Credit Moorman, who is as big a difference maker as you can have at punter, for getting it off, but with the ball on the Bills 37, the Miami special teams goes up 2-0.
-Offsides and the Dolphins have 1st and five from the Bills 32. Ruining the collective chop-licking of everybody in the greater Miami area, Ricky decided to fumble for the fourth time this year. (There was no outcry because it was only the first that he lost. However, statisticians will tell you that fumble recoveries are completely random.) It was a terrible mistake and one of the many blown opportunities to take a huge lead into the half.
-On the other side of the ball, it was penalties that were killer. Merling had two straight offsides on a Bills 3rd down, and Charlie Anderson offered 15 yards with a facemask on the same play! Again, uncharacteristic mistakes killed the Dolphins.
-By the end of that drive, Pennington was 7-8 and Edwards was 6-11, yet the score was only 7-6. As I said, the passing game was there for us but we couldn't capitalize and the only thing moving the Bills were our mistakes. We should have been up big.
-I noted towards the end of the first half that a definite bright spot was Jason Allen. He played pretty well, especially considering that he spent much of the half matched up with noted Dolphin-killer Lee Evans.
-Ginn and Camarillo blocked well down the field and Ricky Williams looked fast on a screen pass. The Ginn actually made a guy miss on a quick hitch. It seems that he plays much better as his involvement and confidence go up. When he returns kicks, he actually starts catching passes; when he starts catching passes, he develops the ability to make people miss in the open field...
-Pennington is great and was great all day. He is absolutely the best we've had since Marino by a long shot, but a big reason for our improved quarterback play not to be overlooked is our offensive line.
-Special teams gets a reality check as the Bills block a field goal. Penetration combined with a low kick by Carpenter caused this one. It's a big play, so award two points to the Bills special teams: 2-2.
-Bills get the ball back, and we continue falling apart on defense. The mistakes keep piling up, with Goodman's questionable pass interference call of the game putting the Bills in field goal range. Also, despite matching up very well and being in the right position to make plays, we are having trouble breaking down and tackling on defense. Very poor.
As I wrote during halftime, "Bad news is that we are down 7-9 in a game where we should have 21 points. We've really outplayed them, but have killed ourselves with mistakes. Two choices in the 2nd half: keep it up and dominate to victory, or let them make you pay for your sins and win a game they shouldn't even be in."
It was really true. Offensively, the Dolphins had all kinds of room to throw the ball wherever they wanted. The Bills had severely underestimated our passing game, and Ted Ginn was unstoppable. However, mistakes left us with only seven points. On the other side of the ball, the Bills really couldn't do anything. However, we made enough mistakes to keep their drives going and weren't playing as aggressively as we do when at our best, and as a result they had the lead. Special teams played them even, which was all we could ask for.
Halftime adjustments really didn't have to be anything crazy. The point was that we were outplaying them, but were beating ourselves. We didn't have to do anything different in the second half, except change our attitude. The offense had to come out expecting to score every time they had the ball and the defense had to come out ready to start really hitting people in the mouth. As I noted in the 3rd quarter, if our defense simply hits people the way they are capable of and makes the offense work to move the ball, they would be rewarded.
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Second Half Breakdown:
-The kickoff game all day was not in our favor. Carpenter's kicks were alarmingly short, and it was not by design. Special teams: Bills 3- Fins 2.
-The defense had the worst possible drive imaginable to start the 2nd half. The Bills did whatever they wanted, pushed us around, and we didn't tackle anybody. Luckily, this type of play was an isolated incident in the 2nd half.
-The Dolphins offense certainly got the halftime memo and Ted Ginn raced down the field with the football. The drive stalled because of a penalty that gave us a 1st and 15, but at least we got points.
-The defense turned it up, too (albeit a drive later than I would've liked). Blitzing worked well all day, and it was nice to see Yeremiah making a play in the backfield.
-One guy that never got going all day was Ronnie Brown. I was disappointed because even with Buffalo focusing on stopping the running game, I think we need to get the ball in the hands of the number one play maker. Whether that means Ricky can't get as many touches on days when our running backs will have less involvement, or we need to find more ways to get Ronnie the ball out of the backfield, we can't afford for him to be taken out of the game. Luckily, Ted Ginn stepped up and was our play maker today, but imagine if we got both of those guys going.
-We really got moving on offense when we got Camarillo and the tight ends involved. They are our bread and butter, our glue guys, and need to always be utilized. I especially love when Camarillo puts defenders on his back and moves the pile...it is mind-boggling.
-Excellent play calling on the goal line. What a fabulous job Henning has done all year. I love the wildcat call on first down. I have said numerous times that it is an excellent goal line play, especially if you consider that teams now have to spend time preparing for it in their base defense AND their goal line defense. Then, the toss left, which has been the closest thing we have to a favorite running play this year, hits for the touchdown. At this point the offense was working its tail off to score every time, and the defense was knocking the snot out of Buffalo. It was only a matter of time before the rewards started coming.
-And in the 4th quarter, rewarded we were. Randy Starks made a great play to cause a pick. It is an absolute crime that he is not starting because he is our best defensive end at defending the run, and this was the second interception he was responsible for this year. Meanwhile, it took a ball that a child could've caught, but Will Allen came up with a pick. Hate to nitpick, but I thought he should've taken it to the house. Follow #55!
-Offense didn't convert a touchdown out of it, but points every drive is the M.O. and we got a field goal out of it.
-The issue with offenses moving a tight end over Porter was less of an issue today. It looked like the Dolphins tried to move Joey around so that the offense couldn't dictate where he was going to be. I would rather find a way to always keep him on the weak side, but moving him around and alternating Charlie Anderson in to play the Will from time to time was a solid strategy.
-Speaking of him, how about Porter taking the ball out of Edwards' hands on that sneak. Stupid play by the Stanford grad, but once again Joey makes it happen.
-Another punt downed deep inside Bills territory by Fields. Special teams: 3-3.
-Great job again by the defense. Jason Allen and Andre Goodman had nice coverages on first and second down, and then who else but Joey Porter with a sack, forced fumble, and safety.
-More Ted Ginn and tight end involvement to get the Dolphins in field goal range to put the game away. Great football.
-Carpenter had me a bit worried after the first field goal was blocked, but he made three more, from decent distances out, too, to put the game away. Special teams: 4-3.
-As I had said, the Dolphins just had to come out, hit, and make things difficult for Buffalo on offense and they would be rewarded. After witnessing this 4th quarter we can all agree that it's amazing what some violent hitting can do for you.
-Finally, Jason Allen recovered the punt off of Parish, the dangerous return man who we corralled today, completing the special teams victory for the Dolphins, 5-3.
As I said, it was a tale of two halves, but the difference between the two halves wasn't a big personnel move or defensive adjustment. It was simply a matter of the Dolphins taking what was rightfully theirs. They were better than this Bills team today, and simply smacking them in the mouth and putting points on the board was the difference. Especially if you took the first drive from each half and switched them around (I considered doing just that to make a point in my analysis), you can see what kind of destruction this Dolphins team is capable of. In any given game, it doesn't matter so much who the Dolphins are playing...it matters whether or not the Dolphins show up to play.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Looking ahead in the secondary
The secondary, as we know, is a work in progress. We desperately lack a playmaking, ball-hawking corner, and now former starting safety Chris Crocker has been released. Chalk him up as an Ernest Wilford bust.
There have been talks the last couple of weeks about bringing in Ty Law, who I think in a short term contract would be a great addition, but it appears that he is interested in playing for a contender. At 2-4, the Dolphins don't fall under that category.
Nevertheless, with Goodman struggling on the field and having personal problems off it, the Dolphins not only have to fill a hole at dime back, but they have a huge question mark at their #2 corner.
One possibility is that Lehan gets more playing time. He had some good coverages against the Ravens and could be moving up. Another possibility is Jason Allen. Word is that he is getting more practice time at corner and could be the answer in dime or even the starting lineup before too long. Keep in mind that he does possess the best size and athleticism to go against the prototypical receivers Miami has had trouble with. At the very least, if you just put him in man he can't screw up his assignment too badly!
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Odds and ends:
-Paul Soliai is huge for the Dolphins this week. Even if Ferguson can play, his effectiveness will be limited. We need somebody to plug that gap, and it would be much better for the Dolphins if they could use Randy Starts at end.
-Jake Long is apparently impressing every team the Dolphins have played. Just like we had hoped, teams are leaving the field knowing that the Dolphins are going to have a monster on their hands for a long time. Terrell Suggs wasted no time in already calling him "one of the best."
-Want proof that you need to build teams through the draft? Long, Merling, Henne, Langford, and Donald Thomas all have promising futures and will be starters for this team. Through the free agent market? Smiley got a long term deal and is starting, but as nicely as Starks, Torbor, and Anderson have played, none of them are starting. Oh yeah, and Wilford...
There have been talks the last couple of weeks about bringing in Ty Law, who I think in a short term contract would be a great addition, but it appears that he is interested in playing for a contender. At 2-4, the Dolphins don't fall under that category.
Nevertheless, with Goodman struggling on the field and having personal problems off it, the Dolphins not only have to fill a hole at dime back, but they have a huge question mark at their #2 corner.
One possibility is that Lehan gets more playing time. He had some good coverages against the Ravens and could be moving up. Another possibility is Jason Allen. Word is that he is getting more practice time at corner and could be the answer in dime or even the starting lineup before too long. Keep in mind that he does possess the best size and athleticism to go against the prototypical receivers Miami has had trouble with. At the very least, if you just put him in man he can't screw up his assignment too badly!
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Odds and ends:
-Paul Soliai is huge for the Dolphins this week. Even if Ferguson can play, his effectiveness will be limited. We need somebody to plug that gap, and it would be much better for the Dolphins if they could use Randy Starts at end.
-Jake Long is apparently impressing every team the Dolphins have played. Just like we had hoped, teams are leaving the field knowing that the Dolphins are going to have a monster on their hands for a long time. Terrell Suggs wasted no time in already calling him "one of the best."
-Want proof that you need to build teams through the draft? Long, Merling, Henne, Langford, and Donald Thomas all have promising futures and will be starters for this team. Through the free agent market? Smiley got a long term deal and is starting, but as nicely as Starks, Torbor, and Anderson have played, none of them are starting. Oh yeah, and Wilford...
Notes:
Offense:
-Mathis played a lot of the game for Ike at right guard. It will be interesting to see who plays there this week against the Bills, or if they will continue to split time.
-Camarillo, who I generally have no complaints about, is making a habit of making third down catches short of the first down marker. It's not a case of him running the routes short, but rather because he is so good at coming back to the ball that he usually ends up short. He needs to start running his routes a good three yards beyond the sticks as opposed to just right past them to ensure more first down receptions.
-David Martin played excellent football. Great game from him against Baltimore.
Defense:
-The Dolphins defense went offside on two early plays. Unacceptable.
-It was nice to see a corner blitz. Of course it was Joey Porter who finished anyway, but maybe Yeremiah Bell can get in on the action, too. Also, it could be a great way to keep Andre Goodman out of coverage.
-Will Allen and Renaldo Hill can't catch. Just thought I'd mention it again.
-There was a rare defensive holding call on a running play on Randy Starks. Usually you only see that in a passing situation when a defender is holding a lineman from blocking somebody else (usually somebody stunting). Rare call, and probably attributable to Starks' inexperience at nose.
Special Teams
-It's safe to say that all of Miami was cheering when they saw Ted Ginn back to receive the opening kick. He took it back close to the 50, and the Ravens started kicking away from him. If that doesn't tell Tony Sparano something, I don't know what will.
-Ginn was great all day returning kicks, and it seemed that his involvement in the special teams sparked his energy and helped him find a rhythm on offense.
-Carpenter's first kickoff was in the air forever. Let's hope he can do that consistently.
-London is a terrific special teams player. He should be the guy we put on the pro bowl ballot for special teams.
-Bess doesn't catch a long punt, and it ends up going about sixty yards and being downed at our three. He and Ginn could both use work at getting to the ball and catching it.
Play Calling:
-I think with 3rd and goal from the two, early in a game against a team against whom points will be hard to come by, you run the ball twice (or at least once and see how close you get). Hindsight is 20/20, and to be fair Pennington just missed an open Fasano, but that is my philosophy.
-QB sneak on 2nd and 16??
-Pennington took the heat for it, but why run the ball on 3rd and 11 when you are going to kick a field goal anyway? They should've been running on first or second down out of a normal formation instead.
-Mathis played a lot of the game for Ike at right guard. It will be interesting to see who plays there this week against the Bills, or if they will continue to split time.
-Camarillo, who I generally have no complaints about, is making a habit of making third down catches short of the first down marker. It's not a case of him running the routes short, but rather because he is so good at coming back to the ball that he usually ends up short. He needs to start running his routes a good three yards beyond the sticks as opposed to just right past them to ensure more first down receptions.
-David Martin played excellent football. Great game from him against Baltimore.
Defense:
-The Dolphins defense went offside on two early plays. Unacceptable.
-It was nice to see a corner blitz. Of course it was Joey Porter who finished anyway, but maybe Yeremiah Bell can get in on the action, too. Also, it could be a great way to keep Andre Goodman out of coverage.
-Will Allen and Renaldo Hill can't catch. Just thought I'd mention it again.
-There was a rare defensive holding call on a running play on Randy Starks. Usually you only see that in a passing situation when a defender is holding a lineman from blocking somebody else (usually somebody stunting). Rare call, and probably attributable to Starks' inexperience at nose.
Special Teams
-It's safe to say that all of Miami was cheering when they saw Ted Ginn back to receive the opening kick. He took it back close to the 50, and the Ravens started kicking away from him. If that doesn't tell Tony Sparano something, I don't know what will.
-Ginn was great all day returning kicks, and it seemed that his involvement in the special teams sparked his energy and helped him find a rhythm on offense.
-Carpenter's first kickoff was in the air forever. Let's hope he can do that consistently.
-London is a terrific special teams player. He should be the guy we put on the pro bowl ballot for special teams.
-Bess doesn't catch a long punt, and it ends up going about sixty yards and being downed at our three. He and Ginn could both use work at getting to the ball and catching it.
Play Calling:
-I think with 3rd and goal from the two, early in a game against a team against whom points will be hard to come by, you run the ball twice (or at least once and see how close you get). Hindsight is 20/20, and to be fair Pennington just missed an open Fasano, but that is my philosophy.
-QB sneak on 2nd and 16??
-Pennington took the heat for it, but why run the ball on 3rd and 11 when you are going to kick a field goal anyway? They should've been running on first or second down out of a normal formation instead.
Dolphins-Ravens - Defensive Breakdown
The Dolphins didn't stop the run today and didn't pressure a rookie quarterback, leading to a really poor effort against an under-talented offense. They were out-gameplanned by Cam Cameron, and the loss of Jason Ferguson led to a bevy of problems up front.
Early on, however, the Dolphins actually did a pretty nice job. They stunted and blitzed and were very active in confusing the Baltimore offense. However, as has been the case in other games this year, the attacking style eroded by the second half.
To be fair, a major cause of the Dolphins not being able to do a lo of the things that they would like might have been the injury to Jason Ferguson. When he left the game, not only did the Dolphins miss his presence in the middle, but they also didn't have any true nose tackles to replace him. Paul Solai was suspended by the team for the game, so Randy Starks had to move over into the middle, and without him at end the Dolphins problems doubled. Now, not only were they dealing without their stout nose tackle in the middle to plug things up, but they were also without their best run stopping end because he was forced to play another position. The pressure was on for the Dolphins' two young defensive ends, and the results were sub par to say the least.
All day, the Dolphins could not stop the run and generated no pass rush on Joe Flacco.
To make matters even worse, Cam Cameron figured out a way to dictate what the Dolphins were doing on defense, and he took advantage. As a couple of other teams have done this year, Cameron started trading the tight end so that he would be lined up over Joey Porter. What this means, is that he lines up on one side of the formation, then quickly switches to the other side and resets before the Dolphins can adjust. The Dolphins responded by just bumping their line all day, and the Ravens were very happy with the match up they created.
The ironic thing is that Cameron kept Porter at strong side linebacker all year last year, so at the time he must have thought it was a good idea. However, he knows better than anybody else how bad we were last year, so as an opponent, it was a match up that he wanted to create and repeatedly did create. Essentially, what it does is neutralize our only pass rushing threat and allow the offense to run away from our stronger run stopping backer, Matt Roth. The Dolphins desperately need to find a way to counter this strategy before next week, and the best answer might be as simple as keeping Roth on the defensive left and Porter on the right, to play against general offensive tendencies.
As the game wore on, we couldn't generate any pressure on the quarterback outside of Joey Porter, and Flacco was very efficient. The Ravens went up 17-6 at the half, and from that point on they were exploiting their match ups, putting a hat on a hat, and running at will. It was an embarrassing drive to start the second half, and though the Dolphins were lucky to escape having given up only a field goal, the pounding was just beginning.
Langford struggled to feel out screens, and with Randy Starks plugging the middle there was no replacing him. Joey Porter was also coming straight up the field all day, but with him being the only person getting to the passer (to the tune of another two sacks), it made no sense for him to be anywhere else. I thought the Dolphins were going to change the game when Yeremiah Bell forced a fumble, giving them the break they needed, but they just didn't have it today.
Merling also made his huge mistake when he commit an unacceptable personal foul penalty to set up a 1st and goal from the 5 and a Ravens touchdown. He and Langford are going to be great players, but they are officially going through growing pains.
A bad offense beat us today because we had no pass rush, got out-physicalled, and got out-coached.
Early on, however, the Dolphins actually did a pretty nice job. They stunted and blitzed and were very active in confusing the Baltimore offense. However, as has been the case in other games this year, the attacking style eroded by the second half.
To be fair, a major cause of the Dolphins not being able to do a lo of the things that they would like might have been the injury to Jason Ferguson. When he left the game, not only did the Dolphins miss his presence in the middle, but they also didn't have any true nose tackles to replace him. Paul Solai was suspended by the team for the game, so Randy Starks had to move over into the middle, and without him at end the Dolphins problems doubled. Now, not only were they dealing without their stout nose tackle in the middle to plug things up, but they were also without their best run stopping end because he was forced to play another position. The pressure was on for the Dolphins' two young defensive ends, and the results were sub par to say the least.
All day, the Dolphins could not stop the run and generated no pass rush on Joe Flacco.
To make matters even worse, Cam Cameron figured out a way to dictate what the Dolphins were doing on defense, and he took advantage. As a couple of other teams have done this year, Cameron started trading the tight end so that he would be lined up over Joey Porter. What this means, is that he lines up on one side of the formation, then quickly switches to the other side and resets before the Dolphins can adjust. The Dolphins responded by just bumping their line all day, and the Ravens were very happy with the match up they created.
The ironic thing is that Cameron kept Porter at strong side linebacker all year last year, so at the time he must have thought it was a good idea. However, he knows better than anybody else how bad we were last year, so as an opponent, it was a match up that he wanted to create and repeatedly did create. Essentially, what it does is neutralize our only pass rushing threat and allow the offense to run away from our stronger run stopping backer, Matt Roth. The Dolphins desperately need to find a way to counter this strategy before next week, and the best answer might be as simple as keeping Roth on the defensive left and Porter on the right, to play against general offensive tendencies.
As the game wore on, we couldn't generate any pressure on the quarterback outside of Joey Porter, and Flacco was very efficient. The Ravens went up 17-6 at the half, and from that point on they were exploiting their match ups, putting a hat on a hat, and running at will. It was an embarrassing drive to start the second half, and though the Dolphins were lucky to escape having given up only a field goal, the pounding was just beginning.
Langford struggled to feel out screens, and with Randy Starks plugging the middle there was no replacing him. Joey Porter was also coming straight up the field all day, but with him being the only person getting to the passer (to the tune of another two sacks), it made no sense for him to be anywhere else. I thought the Dolphins were going to change the game when Yeremiah Bell forced a fumble, giving them the break they needed, but they just didn't have it today.
Merling also made his huge mistake when he commit an unacceptable personal foul penalty to set up a 1st and goal from the 5 and a Ravens touchdown. He and Langford are going to be great players, but they are officially going through growing pains.
A bad offense beat us today because we had no pass rush, got out-physicalled, and got out-coached.
Dolphins-Ravens - Offensive Breakdown
Coming into the game, the Dolphins knew that they were up against one of the best defenses in the league. However, the Ravens were struggling with some injuries in the secondary, so the hope was that the Dolphins could find some room in the passing game, build a lead, and be able to keep the Ravens' linebackers from being a force by keeping them off balance. In the early going, they were very successful, but unfortunately had to cap off a long drive with a 21 yard field goal.
The new look today was a sort of Wildcat with Pennington receiving the snaps. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, it didn't matter what type of Wildcat they ran. With the Ravens' linebackers having no pass responsibility, they "out-athleted" (as an old football coach of mine was known to say) the Dolphins up front and stopped the Wildcat cold.
The ineffectiveness of the Wildcat could have been overcome if the Dolphins could have run out of more conventional offensive sets, but unfortunately they never really found out if they could have. This was the offensive game-planning and play calling oversight, and a big reason why the Dolphins offense struggled. They, for the most part, only tried to pass out of their base offense and only tried to run out of the Wildcat look. So, instead of keeping the Baltimore linebackers in a bind, when they saw "base" they could tee off on their pass rush and pass zones, even as early as the first half. And when the Dolphins lined up in Wildcat, they filled the running lanes and the Dolphins never even tried to throw the ball.
All day, the Dolphins were afflicted by this "curse of the Wildcat." They have been so successful with that set all year that when they saw they couldn't run out of it, they gave up on running all together. Never mind the fact that when they finally ran a draw in the second half it went for a big gain; the Dolphins had already dug themselves a whole and needed to pass at that point.
As for the Wildcat, the Ravens' safeties were up the field making the plays on a few of the attempts at running. With this being the case, if the Dolphins wanted to continue running the Wildcat, they had to take a shot at passing out of the formation to use Baltimore's aggressiveness against them. However, this never happened, and so the Dolphins were predictably running into the ground on every Wildcat play.
The ramifications extended, and with the Ravens knowing that almost every time they saw 'base' it would be a passing play, their pass rush controlled the game. They got to Pennington in all kinds of ways, making him move around much more than he would like, and the end result was that he was horribly inaccurate. As Dol-fans know, not even Tom Brady is good when the pass rush gets to him, and the most accurate passer of all time was forced into a huge mistake when he threw an interception returned for a touchdown to Terrell Suggs. This play gave the Ravens the lead, gave them momentum, and led, ultimately, to their victory.
Pennington did recover a bit, and his leadership was admirable in leading the Dolphins back down the field. He pulled the ball down a few times and moved the chains with his legs when that was what the defense was offering. However, the lack of a running game will make you a poor red zone team, and even with two long drives, the Dolphins could only manage six points in the first half.
Again, to start the second half the Dolphins had a nice drive offensively. I loved the Wildcat call on 2nd and two from the four, as it has been a great goal line play for us all year. However, when the Ravens blew that play up, it was the moment that it was clear that the Dolphins would not be able to run out of Wildcat all day. We had to try to run out of base so that Baltimore would have to be honest, but we never did. We luckily scored a touchdown here, but were flirting with disaster with a dangerous Ravens pass rush all day.
With no running game, we were only able to outscore them 13-7 when we had the ball. Add that we allowed them to hold the ball for much of the second half, and it was a disappointing day. We got out-coached and out-played; the result was a loss.
The new look today was a sort of Wildcat with Pennington receiving the snaps. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, it didn't matter what type of Wildcat they ran. With the Ravens' linebackers having no pass responsibility, they "out-athleted" (as an old football coach of mine was known to say) the Dolphins up front and stopped the Wildcat cold.
The ineffectiveness of the Wildcat could have been overcome if the Dolphins could have run out of more conventional offensive sets, but unfortunately they never really found out if they could have. This was the offensive game-planning and play calling oversight, and a big reason why the Dolphins offense struggled. They, for the most part, only tried to pass out of their base offense and only tried to run out of the Wildcat look. So, instead of keeping the Baltimore linebackers in a bind, when they saw "base" they could tee off on their pass rush and pass zones, even as early as the first half. And when the Dolphins lined up in Wildcat, they filled the running lanes and the Dolphins never even tried to throw the ball.
All day, the Dolphins were afflicted by this "curse of the Wildcat." They have been so successful with that set all year that when they saw they couldn't run out of it, they gave up on running all together. Never mind the fact that when they finally ran a draw in the second half it went for a big gain; the Dolphins had already dug themselves a whole and needed to pass at that point.
As for the Wildcat, the Ravens' safeties were up the field making the plays on a few of the attempts at running. With this being the case, if the Dolphins wanted to continue running the Wildcat, they had to take a shot at passing out of the formation to use Baltimore's aggressiveness against them. However, this never happened, and so the Dolphins were predictably running into the ground on every Wildcat play.
The ramifications extended, and with the Ravens knowing that almost every time they saw 'base' it would be a passing play, their pass rush controlled the game. They got to Pennington in all kinds of ways, making him move around much more than he would like, and the end result was that he was horribly inaccurate. As Dol-fans know, not even Tom Brady is good when the pass rush gets to him, and the most accurate passer of all time was forced into a huge mistake when he threw an interception returned for a touchdown to Terrell Suggs. This play gave the Ravens the lead, gave them momentum, and led, ultimately, to their victory.
Pennington did recover a bit, and his leadership was admirable in leading the Dolphins back down the field. He pulled the ball down a few times and moved the chains with his legs when that was what the defense was offering. However, the lack of a running game will make you a poor red zone team, and even with two long drives, the Dolphins could only manage six points in the first half.
Again, to start the second half the Dolphins had a nice drive offensively. I loved the Wildcat call on 2nd and two from the four, as it has been a great goal line play for us all year. However, when the Ravens blew that play up, it was the moment that it was clear that the Dolphins would not be able to run out of Wildcat all day. We had to try to run out of base so that Baltimore would have to be honest, but we never did. We luckily scored a touchdown here, but were flirting with disaster with a dangerous Ravens pass rush all day.
With no running game, we were only able to outscore them 13-7 when we had the ball. Add that we allowed them to hold the ball for much of the second half, and it was a disappointing day. We got out-coached and out-played; the result was a loss.
Ravens 27 - Dolphins 13
After last week's loss to the Texans, the Dolphins needed a win to get back to .500 and avoid a 2-4 whole. Heading into a stretch of their schedule with five out of their next six games at home, they had an opportunity to win some games and make a run. However, they were beaten soundly by the Ravens, and it was an ugly sight for Dol-fans to see Cam Cameron getting a Gatorade bath on the opposing sideline.
I thought when it came down to it, the reason we lost this game is because the Ravens were a better version of us today. Both teams like to hit up front and are lacking at receiver and corner right now, so the game was going to come down to either who out-hit who or somebody's little guys stepping up and making the other team's look bad. On this day, it was the Ravens out-hitting us on both sides of the ball, and our little guys didn't do enough to tilt the balance. All day long, the Ravens could run and we couldn't, and they pressured the passer while we didn't. The result was their rookie quarterback playing very efficiently while our veteran looked like a rookie, throwing a pick six. It was our second straight week giving up a return touchdown and, not surprisingly, our second straight loss.
Oh yeah, and we got out-coached by Cameron...ouch.
I thought when it came down to it, the reason we lost this game is because the Ravens were a better version of us today. Both teams like to hit up front and are lacking at receiver and corner right now, so the game was going to come down to either who out-hit who or somebody's little guys stepping up and making the other team's look bad. On this day, it was the Ravens out-hitting us on both sides of the ball, and our little guys didn't do enough to tilt the balance. All day long, the Ravens could run and we couldn't, and they pressured the passer while we didn't. The result was their rookie quarterback playing very efficiently while our veteran looked like a rookie, throwing a pick six. It was our second straight week giving up a return touchdown and, not surprisingly, our second straight loss.
Oh yeah, and we got out-coached by Cameron...ouch.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Special Teams
Our special teams are bad, and even more than our defense, they cost us the game against the Texans. I'm gonna be short and sweet because the problems are simple.
-Our coverage teams are terrible. Absolutely awful. Before we even got to halftime we witnessed a long kickoff return and a punt return touchdown.
-We missed 11 special teams tackles against the Texans. Eleven.
-Where is Ted Ginn on returns? I've said it before and I'll say it again. He at least needs to be in on kickoffs. In fact, I thought it was pretty telling that with three seconds left and the Dolphins absolutely needing a return touchdown, he was the one in the game. Too late, Tony. Don't make the same mistake next week.
-Our coverage teams are terrible. Absolutely awful. Before we even got to halftime we witnessed a long kickoff return and a punt return touchdown.
-We missed 11 special teams tackles against the Texans. Eleven.
-Where is Ted Ginn on returns? I've said it before and I'll say it again. He at least needs to be in on kickoffs. In fact, I thought it was pretty telling that with three seconds left and the Dolphins absolutely needing a return touchdown, he was the one in the game. Too late, Tony. Don't make the same mistake next week.
Fins-Texans: Defense
Well, we certainly know where our strengths and weaknesses are on defense, and the bad news is that other teams do too. The Texans had a great game plan, going to their big receiver Andre Johnson often, and exploiting Goodman and Crowder in coverage. When they ran, they followed the Jets' blueprint by going after Kendall Langford, and they also tried to attack Joey Porter on the ground, part to neutralize his pass rush, part to stay away from big #98 on the other side. We had a chance to step up and make some plays, but when it came down to it the Texans beat the heck out of our defense all day en route to victory.
-Early in the game, it was (who else) Joey Porter rushing the quarterback and Akin Ayodele getting a much deserved pick.
-Great goal line stand by Joey Porter (again), forcing two straight incompletions with pressure.
-Despite Mr. Porter's finest efforts rushing the passer, our coverage was horrible all day long.
-The problems on D were summed up by a note I wrote early in the second half. 1) We needed to take Andre Johnson out of the game the way we did against Randy Moss. 2) We needed a real, sustained lead to make them one-dimensional. 3) We needed to manufacture more pressure on the quarterback to force more mistakes.
None of it happened.
-Crowder, despite his current limitations in coverage (he is improving), is such a valuable asset to this defense because of how hard he hits. I have been going back and forth on what I've thought of him all year, and he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to come back with a long term deal, but the value of the pain that he inflicts is undeniable. He had 13 spine-crunching tackles against the Texans, and is indisputably the spiritual leader of this hard-hitting defense. A very impressive game for the Gator.
-Langford did not do a good job against the run today. Holliday and especially Starks do a much better job. Despite what everybody in the organization says about Langford being big and a stout run defender, I believe we need to make a change on the defensive line. At this point in his career, Langford is more of an energy shot than an every down grinder, and instead of being a liability on first down, I think he can excel in the game in passing situations. Couple that with the type of year that Randy Starks is having - I think you could make a legitimate pro bowl case for him if he were starting - and I don't understand why Starks isn't our starting end, with Langford taking his role in passing situations. As we have it right now, they are backwards.
-Renaldo Hill, though he hits extremely well and has really made a difference in the secondary, has no hands. That makes 50% of our secondary who absolutely cannot catch the ball, so I ask once more for a ball-hawking cover corner in the offseason.
-While it was disappointing, Hochuli made the right call who Porter hit Shaub as he was throwing. Maybe I'm growing soft, but I have to defend Hochuli here and really feel for him after that tough mistake he made earlier in the year. It's tough to say because I am a biased fan, but he is a great referee who made the right call, and the Texans did deserve to win this game.
-Sparano said it best: we got our hands on the ball on 5 of Houston's last 11 plays, but they were the ones who were able to make the plays to win. We have to capitalize on opportunities, and with a loss in Houston, we have to win at home next week to avoid a whole at 2-4.
-Early in the game, it was (who else) Joey Porter rushing the quarterback and Akin Ayodele getting a much deserved pick.
-Great goal line stand by Joey Porter (again), forcing two straight incompletions with pressure.
-Despite Mr. Porter's finest efforts rushing the passer, our coverage was horrible all day long.
-The problems on D were summed up by a note I wrote early in the second half. 1) We needed to take Andre Johnson out of the game the way we did against Randy Moss. 2) We needed a real, sustained lead to make them one-dimensional. 3) We needed to manufacture more pressure on the quarterback to force more mistakes.
None of it happened.
-Crowder, despite his current limitations in coverage (he is improving), is such a valuable asset to this defense because of how hard he hits. I have been going back and forth on what I've thought of him all year, and he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to come back with a long term deal, but the value of the pain that he inflicts is undeniable. He had 13 spine-crunching tackles against the Texans, and is indisputably the spiritual leader of this hard-hitting defense. A very impressive game for the Gator.
-Langford did not do a good job against the run today. Holliday and especially Starks do a much better job. Despite what everybody in the organization says about Langford being big and a stout run defender, I believe we need to make a change on the defensive line. At this point in his career, Langford is more of an energy shot than an every down grinder, and instead of being a liability on first down, I think he can excel in the game in passing situations. Couple that with the type of year that Randy Starks is having - I think you could make a legitimate pro bowl case for him if he were starting - and I don't understand why Starks isn't our starting end, with Langford taking his role in passing situations. As we have it right now, they are backwards.
-Renaldo Hill, though he hits extremely well and has really made a difference in the secondary, has no hands. That makes 50% of our secondary who absolutely cannot catch the ball, so I ask once more for a ball-hawking cover corner in the offseason.
-While it was disappointing, Hochuli made the right call who Porter hit Shaub as he was throwing. Maybe I'm growing soft, but I have to defend Hochuli here and really feel for him after that tough mistake he made earlier in the year. It's tough to say because I am a biased fan, but he is a great referee who made the right call, and the Texans did deserve to win this game.
-Sparano said it best: we got our hands on the ball on 5 of Houston's last 11 plays, but they were the ones who were able to make the plays to win. We have to capitalize on opportunities, and with a loss in Houston, we have to win at home next week to avoid a whole at 2-4.
Fins-Texans: Offense
The truth is that the Dolphins offense played pretty well against the Texans; putting up 28 points is playing well enough to win. Also, the offense really got it done late in the game when it counted, scoring the go ahead touchdown that should've sealed the game. My only gripe was that we didn't really move the ball or possess it at all in the first half, and while it may seem like nitpicking to complain that we scored on two long plays, the fact is that our inability to hold the football allowed the Texans to stay in the game. The rundown:
-Hagan was inactive for a second consecutive week, and joining him was Wilford. Once again, I didn't miss either of them at all. Also, I'm happy that London has been in the lineup because he is becoming one of our best special teams players and he made a key block on Cobbs' 2nd touchdown. Sparano's snap count counting has worked very well, and right now I am much happier to see Ginn, Camarillo, Bess, and London getting snaps than the invisible duo.
-The Wildcat flea flicker was just tremendous design. I don't think I've ever seen a receiver more wide open.
-Smiley, Satele, and London each executed terrific blocks on Cobbs' screen pass for a touchdown. When eleven guys execute perfectly, you get 6 on the scoreboard. Great job.
-Inexplicable to slide the protection away from Mario Williams, leaving David Martin alone to block him. Bad mistake by Samson Satele, who I assume was responsible for that line call.
-Early in the second half, it was a great passing drive to go up 21-20. It's always key that this offense involves Camarillo and the tight ends. It is our strength, and I would even venture to say that that is where our offense starts, even more so than the running game. We need to make sure to always keep them in our offense, or else we will struggle to move the ball, as we did in the first half.
-The Andre Johnson fumble was a great break for this team, but with a 1 point lead we failed to take control of the game by moving the ball, putting points on the board, and killing the clock. This was our problem on offense for a lot of the day.
-Camarillo forces the fumble after Pennington gets picked to give Miami new life. As if we needed another reason to love him...
-Our pitch left was a great running play for us out of base all day against the Texans.
-Hagan was inactive for a second consecutive week, and joining him was Wilford. Once again, I didn't miss either of them at all. Also, I'm happy that London has been in the lineup because he is becoming one of our best special teams players and he made a key block on Cobbs' 2nd touchdown. Sparano's snap count counting has worked very well, and right now I am much happier to see Ginn, Camarillo, Bess, and London getting snaps than the invisible duo.
-The Wildcat flea flicker was just tremendous design. I don't think I've ever seen a receiver more wide open.
-Smiley, Satele, and London each executed terrific blocks on Cobbs' screen pass for a touchdown. When eleven guys execute perfectly, you get 6 on the scoreboard. Great job.
-Inexplicable to slide the protection away from Mario Williams, leaving David Martin alone to block him. Bad mistake by Samson Satele, who I assume was responsible for that line call.
-Early in the second half, it was a great passing drive to go up 21-20. It's always key that this offense involves Camarillo and the tight ends. It is our strength, and I would even venture to say that that is where our offense starts, even more so than the running game. We need to make sure to always keep them in our offense, or else we will struggle to move the ball, as we did in the first half.
-The Andre Johnson fumble was a great break for this team, but with a 1 point lead we failed to take control of the game by moving the ball, putting points on the board, and killing the clock. This was our problem on offense for a lot of the day.
-Camarillo forces the fumble after Pennington gets picked to give Miami new life. As if we needed another reason to love him...
-Our pitch left was a great running play for us out of base all day against the Texans.
Texans 29 - Dolphins 28
This was a tough game. Matt Shaub, who seemed hurt by the boos he was hearing early in the game, and his Texans teammates fought hard and got a much deserved win. It was one of those games where both teams wanted it, but the Texans just did a little bit more to escape with the victory.
As for the Dolphins, the special teams play is unacceptable. That was a clear difference in the game, and it needs to be addressed. Pennington and the offense got it done at the end, but we really didn't move the ball well enough all day. Finally, when it came down to it, the defense had chances to make plays to win the game, but they got beat. We had a chance to separate ourselves and win a big road game, but we quite simply weren't there yet.
As for the Dolphins, the special teams play is unacceptable. That was a clear difference in the game, and it needs to be addressed. Pennington and the offense got it done at the end, but we really didn't move the ball well enough all day. Finally, when it came down to it, the defense had chances to make plays to win the game, but they got beat. We had a chance to separate ourselves and win a big road game, but we quite simply weren't there yet.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The (big) little things
Staying healthy and limiting turnovers, penalties, and dropped passes. These are all things that any coach would tell you are extremely important to having a successful season. The Dolphins have done amazingly well in all of these areas through the first quarter mark, even in the two losses.
Health is a really big one. The Dolphins have had only one loss for the season, and it was a big one in Donald Thomas, but beyond that the injury report has been shockingly empty (to the point that ProFootballTalk has cried foul). You've got to credit the coaching staff, as it seems that Sparano knows every players play count off the top of his head. They've got a really good system of rotating players and keeping them fresh, with the belief being that injuries happen when players get tired. So far it has worked, and a little bit of luck never hurts either (No awful pun intended).
Turnovers? One on the last pass of the game against the Jets and the fumble by Bess against the Chargers to remind us of what the last four years were like. Besides that: nothing. Amazing job. Couple that with being among the lead leaders in fewest penalties, and you see why the Dolphins are playing so much better.
Finally, for a team with such a dropped passes problem in the preseason, the receivers seem to have glue on their hands. One side of me wants to say it's just because we haven't passed the ball to the receivers very much, but the fact of the matter is that we haven't dropped the ball this year. Eliminating the mistakes we made last year, along with the injuries, has played a big part in improving the 2008 Miami Dolphins.
Health is a really big one. The Dolphins have had only one loss for the season, and it was a big one in Donald Thomas, but beyond that the injury report has been shockingly empty (to the point that ProFootballTalk has cried foul). You've got to credit the coaching staff, as it seems that Sparano knows every players play count off the top of his head. They've got a really good system of rotating players and keeping them fresh, with the belief being that injuries happen when players get tired. So far it has worked, and a little bit of luck never hurts either (No awful pun intended).
Turnovers? One on the last pass of the game against the Jets and the fumble by Bess against the Chargers to remind us of what the last four years were like. Besides that: nothing. Amazing job. Couple that with being among the lead leaders in fewest penalties, and you see why the Dolphins are playing so much better.
Finally, for a team with such a dropped passes problem in the preseason, the receivers seem to have glue on their hands. One side of me wants to say it's just because we haven't passed the ball to the receivers very much, but the fact of the matter is that we haven't dropped the ball this year. Eliminating the mistakes we made last year, along with the injuries, has played a big part in improving the 2008 Miami Dolphins.
Notes (and philosophy):
-In a way, we should all be thankful for last season. We all can remember a day when we took playoff births for granted, but now we surely have been set straight. I am excited to watch the Dolphins on every Sunday this year, no matter the opponent, because I've learned what an opportunity it is to win a football game. Really appreciate and savor the special moments.
-How did Parcells and company rebuild this team? They took care of the quarterback position and line on offense, laying the groundwork for success on that side of the ball. On defense, making a simple philosophical change and (again) building up front has planted the seeds of success, and it is amazing what just one good draft can do for you.
Another thing that is nice (and I can't remember the last time this happened) is that the strengths and weaknesses of this team are exactly where we expected them to be. We knew we would be lacking at receiver and corner, but by building up front first we were able to see not only what we have at those positions, but also who has earned the right to stay and who needs to go in the skill positions. You can't do it the other way around, as last year's regime certainly proved. Now, we can look forward to a strong group of players up front next year to go along with the improvements we make on the edges.
-Not only in Miami, but around the NFL there seems to be a trend of young teams and (finally) young quarterbacks with a lot of promise, and they are upsetting the understood order of the the league and making things pretty interesting.
-One of my absolute favorite things in the world (and most bothersome when it is going against me) is being able to run the ball for first downs to seal a game. The defense knows exactly what is coming, but they are powerless to stop it anyway. It is a beautiful thing, and the Dolphins did it against the Chargers.
-Here's an interesting one: to this day, Dave Wannstedt putting up lobster traps all those years ago to warn players of "trap" games is still one of the biggest jokes in Miami. However, Parcells' similar mouse traps in Dallas and Sparano's saying, "Don't eat the cheese" are considered smart motivational tactics. Why? Three words: winning changes everything. Everything. If you are losing, it doesn't matter if you are doing the same exact things as a winner. You are considered stupid, wrong, etc...until you win, that is.
-On a similar note, the last few weeks have really underlined just how important the GM and head coach are. First of all, the GM decides who the players on the field are. It doesn't get any more important than that. I don't care who your coaches are, the players are the ones on the field every week, and therefore the talent level of your roster is going to be what sets the baseline of how good you are going to be. The coach can only take you from there.
Now, I will say that by the same token it is also very important who your last GM was, because since drafting is so important in this league, you are going to inherit the players that your last GM brought in, and they will be the heart of your team (at least at first). This is why the Dolphins have struggled for the last few years: remnants of the Rick Spielman era. (And going back to the last column, winning changes everything, so if you inherit bad players it is tough to be a "good" coach because your team will probably struggle, at least at first, which can doom you.)
Back to the coach, and the head coach is so important because he is the one who is responsible for taking things from there. There are two really important factors, though, in why he is so much more important than probably even all of the other coaches combined. For one, like I said before, every organization takes the personality of its leader. It is so important that your team has the right kind of character to win games in the NFL. The other thing is, even if your assistants are genius and have all kinds of great suggestions, as David Lee did with the Wildcat, it is up to the head man to take those suggestions or let them rot away with his team. No matter who your assistants are, the head coach is the one in the end with the power.
In sum, it all starts with the GM (who can be largely handicapped or helped by the last GM), because he is the one who decides who the players on the field are going to be. From there, and only from there, the head coach is of supreme importance because he sets the personality of the team and is the only one who can decide which of his and his coaches' many ideas will make it to the field. Throw in the fact that winning changes everything, and I think you have this year's lesson is football philosophy.
-How did Parcells and company rebuild this team? They took care of the quarterback position and line on offense, laying the groundwork for success on that side of the ball. On defense, making a simple philosophical change and (again) building up front has planted the seeds of success, and it is amazing what just one good draft can do for you.
Another thing that is nice (and I can't remember the last time this happened) is that the strengths and weaknesses of this team are exactly where we expected them to be. We knew we would be lacking at receiver and corner, but by building up front first we were able to see not only what we have at those positions, but also who has earned the right to stay and who needs to go in the skill positions. You can't do it the other way around, as last year's regime certainly proved. Now, we can look forward to a strong group of players up front next year to go along with the improvements we make on the edges.
-Not only in Miami, but around the NFL there seems to be a trend of young teams and (finally) young quarterbacks with a lot of promise, and they are upsetting the understood order of the the league and making things pretty interesting.
-One of my absolute favorite things in the world (and most bothersome when it is going against me) is being able to run the ball for first downs to seal a game. The defense knows exactly what is coming, but they are powerless to stop it anyway. It is a beautiful thing, and the Dolphins did it against the Chargers.
-Here's an interesting one: to this day, Dave Wannstedt putting up lobster traps all those years ago to warn players of "trap" games is still one of the biggest jokes in Miami. However, Parcells' similar mouse traps in Dallas and Sparano's saying, "Don't eat the cheese" are considered smart motivational tactics. Why? Three words: winning changes everything. Everything. If you are losing, it doesn't matter if you are doing the same exact things as a winner. You are considered stupid, wrong, etc...until you win, that is.
-On a similar note, the last few weeks have really underlined just how important the GM and head coach are. First of all, the GM decides who the players on the field are. It doesn't get any more important than that. I don't care who your coaches are, the players are the ones on the field every week, and therefore the talent level of your roster is going to be what sets the baseline of how good you are going to be. The coach can only take you from there.
Now, I will say that by the same token it is also very important who your last GM was, because since drafting is so important in this league, you are going to inherit the players that your last GM brought in, and they will be the heart of your team (at least at first). This is why the Dolphins have struggled for the last few years: remnants of the Rick Spielman era. (And going back to the last column, winning changes everything, so if you inherit bad players it is tough to be a "good" coach because your team will probably struggle, at least at first, which can doom you.)
Back to the coach, and the head coach is so important because he is the one who is responsible for taking things from there. There are two really important factors, though, in why he is so much more important than probably even all of the other coaches combined. For one, like I said before, every organization takes the personality of its leader. It is so important that your team has the right kind of character to win games in the NFL. The other thing is, even if your assistants are genius and have all kinds of great suggestions, as David Lee did with the Wildcat, it is up to the head man to take those suggestions or let them rot away with his team. No matter who your assistants are, the head coach is the one in the end with the power.
In sum, it all starts with the GM (who can be largely handicapped or helped by the last GM), because he is the one who decides who the players on the field are going to be. From there, and only from there, the head coach is of supreme importance because he sets the personality of the team and is the only one who can decide which of his and his coaches' many ideas will make it to the field. Throw in the fact that winning changes everything, and I think you have this year's lesson is football philosophy.
Dolphins-Chargers Analysis
Stopping LT and HITTING:
It became clear very early on that in order to beat the Chargers the Dolphins were going to have to stop LT, a difficult task considering how skilled he is and the number of other playmakers on the Charger offense. Keying Tomlinson and tackling him were crucial, because it was clear that San Diego would hand him and throw him the ball all day if given the opportunity. The Dolphins stepped up to the challenge.
After early struggles keeping the Chargers off the field, success came when the Dolphins took the lead, which stunned San Diego a bit. At that moment, Rivers seemed a little bit shook, and it was clear that #21 was who they had to rely upon. The Dolphins really stepped up and started hitting. In fact, by the second half it was clear that Tomlinson was hurting. He seemed to want out of the game from being so battered by the Miami defense.
To make matters worse (or better), LT wasn't the only one who was feeling the effects of some especially brutal hitting. Chris Chambers also took a painful hit, this one delivered by Renaldo Hill and Channing Crowder, two of the roughhousing leaders all day long.
In football, you never wish injury on any opponent, but you do wish to beat the hell out of and hurt all of them. The Dolphins defense this year physically abuses teams until they say uncle, and it was key in shutting down LT and the Charger offense.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Keeping the defense off balance:
Dan Henning and Chad Pennington had another masterful game, using all the weapons of the Dolphin offense really well. Early on, it was fun to watch the Dolphins move the football. They were hitting Ginn, mixing in the Wildcat, going to Fasano...the ball was all over the field.
As for the Wildcat, it creates a really nice element when you can go back and forth to and from it whenever you want. I worry that overusing it can disrupt rhythm a bit, but as a bit of a football purist, I love lining up in a formation and telling the defense, "We are going to out-beef you. Try and stop it." The fact of the matter is that most teams can't, so they commit safeties to help. Now comes the pass. It's like high school all over again.
The other thing about the Wildcat is that it is great in the red zone. Any time you've got a short field, the running game (and more importantly threat) becomes paramount to success. As I said above, the Wildcat gives you a little bit of extra beef, which is exactly what you need in those situations, and with defenses being forced to attack with their backs against the wall, creases start to develop. You saw that happen, even with the broken play, on Ronnie's touchdown.
Mix that in with the rest of the offense, and you really can't understate the job that Henning is doing. From getting the ball to our playmakers in space to little wrinkles with the hurry up here and there, this offense is definitely fun to watch again. Even on a call that didn't work out, when the Dolphins took their shot deep as they moved into field goal range up 17-3, you've got to love the reasoning. You're in range to make it a three score game, and you have your opportunity to put the other team away, so it's the perfect time to go for it. It wasn't there - fine - but what's important is that the right type of thinking and the process was there. The field goal was missed, but that's a different story...
______________________________________________________________________________________
Facing adversity and stepping up:
As I was saying, the Dolphins missed the field goal to go up by three scores and effectively put the game away, but then things got worse. Goodman got beat on a long pass play, and soon after Chambers beat Will Allen for a score. Suddenly, after a missed field goal and a San Diego TD, the Dolphins found themselves in a game.
To make matters worse, Bess fumbled on the kickoff and with the Chargers quickly getting to 1st and Goal, it looked like they would tie it up. Another typical Miami meltdown, just like last year.
But then something happened.
The Dolphins decided they were not going down that easily.
We stopped them stone cold on 1st and 2nd down, and on 3rd down Chambers may have made the catch, but he certainly regretted it. Hill and Crowder, as I said before, hit him so hard that they hurt him and forced him to leave the field. Then on 4th down, one of the best goal line running backs in history was not even close to reaching the end zone when Crowder and company hit him again. The Dolphins simply didn't allow the Chargers to take the game from them, and their statement was emphatic.
They say every organization takes the personality of its leader. Guess what? This team is tough.
______________________________________________________________________________________
The return game:
On a very separate note, the Dolphins need to take a look at their special teams. The coverage teams were a bit better today, but it is hard to believe that Bess is still the one returning kicks.
Ted got one chance to return a punt, and I'll be honest: it wasn't pretty. However, you cannot downplay the speed that he has and the fact that he has proven his explosiveness. I think of it like this: if you were the coach of another team, who would you prefer to see back there? The answer is clearly Bess, which is exactly why he shouldn't be in there. He hasn't done anything at all yet this year, especially with kickoffs, and more importantly he doesn't really scare anybody.
Add the fact that Bess fumbled a kick return at a crucial point in the game, and it would be very surprising (and dumb) if Ginn were not returning at least kickoffs next week. I understand the "Bess makes the first guy miss" argument on punts, so I can deal with a little bit of stubbornness in keeping him back there for a few more weeks, but I cannot deal with Ginn not being on the field for kickoffs.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Coaching decisions:
In a game where the Dolphins were faced with some interesting coaching decisions, let's examine the logic.
On the drive that ended in Camarillo's magnificent touchdown catch, the Dolphins were faced with a 4th and 1 and decided to go for it. I thought it made a lot of sense and was a good decision. The Dolphins were moving the ball well, so they were rightfully confident in their ability to make a yard, and they were close enough in on the field to scoring that it made sense. From a little bit further out, even if you get the first down you might end up kicking the field goal anyway, but this was a decision made because Sparano sensed the end zone. He was playing for the win and firing up the crowd, and it worked, so it would be hard to argue that this wasn't the correct call.
Later in the 2nd quarter, the Chargers completed a 3rd down pass short of the 1st down marker, so they had to punt. However, the pass covered about 15 yards, and replays showed that it clearly should have been ruled incomplete. Is it worth using the challenge, which will no doubt be correct, to gain back the 15 yards of field position? It was a tough call, and the Dolphins elected to keep their challenge, but using it might have been wise, as the Dolphins didn't end up using even one for the rest of the day anyway.
On the drive after the goal line stand, the Dolphins made it to the Charger 40 and had 4th and 1 up by a touchdown. They elected to punt and pin the Chargers deep, but I might have gone for it in that situation. How scared would the Chargers have been to see a Wildcat formation there, and a field goal would have put the game away. However, credit the Dolphins because their call worked as they won the game. Offering a momentum switch right there might have been ill-advised.
That is all. Post a comment and let me know what you though of these decisions...
It became clear very early on that in order to beat the Chargers the Dolphins were going to have to stop LT, a difficult task considering how skilled he is and the number of other playmakers on the Charger offense. Keying Tomlinson and tackling him were crucial, because it was clear that San Diego would hand him and throw him the ball all day if given the opportunity. The Dolphins stepped up to the challenge.
After early struggles keeping the Chargers off the field, success came when the Dolphins took the lead, which stunned San Diego a bit. At that moment, Rivers seemed a little bit shook, and it was clear that #21 was who they had to rely upon. The Dolphins really stepped up and started hitting. In fact, by the second half it was clear that Tomlinson was hurting. He seemed to want out of the game from being so battered by the Miami defense.
To make matters worse (or better), LT wasn't the only one who was feeling the effects of some especially brutal hitting. Chris Chambers also took a painful hit, this one delivered by Renaldo Hill and Channing Crowder, two of the roughhousing leaders all day long.
In football, you never wish injury on any opponent, but you do wish to beat the hell out of and hurt all of them. The Dolphins defense this year physically abuses teams until they say uncle, and it was key in shutting down LT and the Charger offense.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Keeping the defense off balance:
Dan Henning and Chad Pennington had another masterful game, using all the weapons of the Dolphin offense really well. Early on, it was fun to watch the Dolphins move the football. They were hitting Ginn, mixing in the Wildcat, going to Fasano...the ball was all over the field.
As for the Wildcat, it creates a really nice element when you can go back and forth to and from it whenever you want. I worry that overusing it can disrupt rhythm a bit, but as a bit of a football purist, I love lining up in a formation and telling the defense, "We are going to out-beef you. Try and stop it." The fact of the matter is that most teams can't, so they commit safeties to help. Now comes the pass. It's like high school all over again.
The other thing about the Wildcat is that it is great in the red zone. Any time you've got a short field, the running game (and more importantly threat) becomes paramount to success. As I said above, the Wildcat gives you a little bit of extra beef, which is exactly what you need in those situations, and with defenses being forced to attack with their backs against the wall, creases start to develop. You saw that happen, even with the broken play, on Ronnie's touchdown.
Mix that in with the rest of the offense, and you really can't understate the job that Henning is doing. From getting the ball to our playmakers in space to little wrinkles with the hurry up here and there, this offense is definitely fun to watch again. Even on a call that didn't work out, when the Dolphins took their shot deep as they moved into field goal range up 17-3, you've got to love the reasoning. You're in range to make it a three score game, and you have your opportunity to put the other team away, so it's the perfect time to go for it. It wasn't there - fine - but what's important is that the right type of thinking and the process was there. The field goal was missed, but that's a different story...
______________________________________________________________________________________
Facing adversity and stepping up:
As I was saying, the Dolphins missed the field goal to go up by three scores and effectively put the game away, but then things got worse. Goodman got beat on a long pass play, and soon after Chambers beat Will Allen for a score. Suddenly, after a missed field goal and a San Diego TD, the Dolphins found themselves in a game.
To make matters worse, Bess fumbled on the kickoff and with the Chargers quickly getting to 1st and Goal, it looked like they would tie it up. Another typical Miami meltdown, just like last year.
But then something happened.
The Dolphins decided they were not going down that easily.
We stopped them stone cold on 1st and 2nd down, and on 3rd down Chambers may have made the catch, but he certainly regretted it. Hill and Crowder, as I said before, hit him so hard that they hurt him and forced him to leave the field. Then on 4th down, one of the best goal line running backs in history was not even close to reaching the end zone when Crowder and company hit him again. The Dolphins simply didn't allow the Chargers to take the game from them, and their statement was emphatic.
They say every organization takes the personality of its leader. Guess what? This team is tough.
______________________________________________________________________________________
The return game:
On a very separate note, the Dolphins need to take a look at their special teams. The coverage teams were a bit better today, but it is hard to believe that Bess is still the one returning kicks.
Ted got one chance to return a punt, and I'll be honest: it wasn't pretty. However, you cannot downplay the speed that he has and the fact that he has proven his explosiveness. I think of it like this: if you were the coach of another team, who would you prefer to see back there? The answer is clearly Bess, which is exactly why he shouldn't be in there. He hasn't done anything at all yet this year, especially with kickoffs, and more importantly he doesn't really scare anybody.
Add the fact that Bess fumbled a kick return at a crucial point in the game, and it would be very surprising (and dumb) if Ginn were not returning at least kickoffs next week. I understand the "Bess makes the first guy miss" argument on punts, so I can deal with a little bit of stubbornness in keeping him back there for a few more weeks, but I cannot deal with Ginn not being on the field for kickoffs.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Coaching decisions:
In a game where the Dolphins were faced with some interesting coaching decisions, let's examine the logic.
On the drive that ended in Camarillo's magnificent touchdown catch, the Dolphins were faced with a 4th and 1 and decided to go for it. I thought it made a lot of sense and was a good decision. The Dolphins were moving the ball well, so they were rightfully confident in their ability to make a yard, and they were close enough in on the field to scoring that it made sense. From a little bit further out, even if you get the first down you might end up kicking the field goal anyway, but this was a decision made because Sparano sensed the end zone. He was playing for the win and firing up the crowd, and it worked, so it would be hard to argue that this wasn't the correct call.
Later in the 2nd quarter, the Chargers completed a 3rd down pass short of the 1st down marker, so they had to punt. However, the pass covered about 15 yards, and replays showed that it clearly should have been ruled incomplete. Is it worth using the challenge, which will no doubt be correct, to gain back the 15 yards of field position? It was a tough call, and the Dolphins elected to keep their challenge, but using it might have been wise, as the Dolphins didn't end up using even one for the rest of the day anyway.
On the drive after the goal line stand, the Dolphins made it to the Charger 40 and had 4th and 1 up by a touchdown. They elected to punt and pin the Chargers deep, but I might have gone for it in that situation. How scared would the Chargers have been to see a Wildcat formation there, and a field goal would have put the game away. However, credit the Dolphins because their call worked as they won the game. Offering a momentum switch right there might have been ill-advised.
That is all. Post a comment and let me know what you though of these decisions...
Friday, October 10, 2008
Dolphins-Chargers Selected Player Analysis
Pennington - Another great game. Chad did an excellent job of spreading the ball around and executing the game plan. It is a whole new ballgame when you have a quarterback who not only "doesn't lose the game for you," but also makes plays to win the game. Understated is his ability to seamlessly move in and out between the base offense, Wildcat, and no huddle. Additionally, the Chad Pennington play fake is back, and I'll bet that's going to translate into big things for Ted Ginn before too long. Finally, what a big play when Chad got stepped on and went down in his own end zone, only to get up and throw the ball away while avoiding a safety. The man is a winner.
Ronnie Brown - Special.
Jake Long - Although his pass protection skills still need development, I'm already going to come out and say that he is our most important offensive lineman. He trucks people while run blocking and is integral to our unbalanced and Wildcat game. I hope to see Ronnie running behind him for many years.
Ike (not spelling the rest) - Improving. He looked pretty good pulling and blocking in space. Vernon Carey had some nice efforts as well.
Camarillo - Part of the reason Wilford hasn't done anything is because the coaching staff doesn't want to take this guy off the field. I can't blame them. He ran a beautiful route on his touchdown, understanding the need to widen the corner before making his cut, and then making a spectacular touchdown catch (also credit the coaches for making the call and the o-line for giving enough time for the play to develop). But that's not even the most amazing thing about the kid. Besides having great hands and an even better understanding of the game, Camarillo has many obvious shortcomings, but you would never know it as he was seemingly carrying three defenders on his back before he was tackled on every catch he made. Truly incredible.
Ginn (WR) - Teddy continues to make strides as a receiver. San Diego was respecting his speed and giving him a big cushion, so he was effective all day with the comebacks and quick hitches. I would like to see him improve his run after the catch skills a little bit, especially late in the game as he twice ran out of bounds while the Dolphins were trying to kill the clock. Nevertheless, his progress was indisputable on the crucial first down catch late in the game where he was physical with the press coverage coming off the line, ran a great route, and made the critical reception with both feet in bounds. He is really fixing up the weaknesses in his game, and I believe that he will explode by the end of the season.
Hagan - Notably inactive...I didn't really miss him. It was important to get London in on special teams against Sproles.
Matt Roth - Another huge game by this beast of a linebacker. Early in the game, the Chargers caught Miami in a blitz on a screen pass, but Roth managed to hit Rivers, force the incompletion, and hurt Rivers a bit. That's a great job on a play that might have been a big gainer. Not long after, he had a tackle for a loss and drew a facemask penalty on the offense. All day he was blitzing well, stopping the run, and hitting people ferociously, and no play was bigger than his huge sack late in the game.
Bell - He is something else, all over the field on play after play. On one series in the second half he forced two incompletions in a row, once with a big hit and next with a break up. Then, later in the game he did it again with a run-stopping tackle on a 2nd down and a pass defensed on 3rd. He is everywhere.
Goodman - Unfortunately, even though Renaldo Hill has really solidified the secondary, there is definitely a weak link. Goodman just flat out isn't that good. As San Diego was mounting their comeback, they really picked on him, and it wasn't pretty. However, it seems like either him or Lehan is going to have to be in there for the rest of the year. They are certainly going to have the microscope on them, so it's up to the two of them to step up.
Ronnie Brown - Special.
Jake Long - Although his pass protection skills still need development, I'm already going to come out and say that he is our most important offensive lineman. He trucks people while run blocking and is integral to our unbalanced and Wildcat game. I hope to see Ronnie running behind him for many years.
Ike (not spelling the rest) - Improving. He looked pretty good pulling and blocking in space. Vernon Carey had some nice efforts as well.
Camarillo - Part of the reason Wilford hasn't done anything is because the coaching staff doesn't want to take this guy off the field. I can't blame them. He ran a beautiful route on his touchdown, understanding the need to widen the corner before making his cut, and then making a spectacular touchdown catch (also credit the coaches for making the call and the o-line for giving enough time for the play to develop). But that's not even the most amazing thing about the kid. Besides having great hands and an even better understanding of the game, Camarillo has many obvious shortcomings, but you would never know it as he was seemingly carrying three defenders on his back before he was tackled on every catch he made. Truly incredible.
Ginn (WR) - Teddy continues to make strides as a receiver. San Diego was respecting his speed and giving him a big cushion, so he was effective all day with the comebacks and quick hitches. I would like to see him improve his run after the catch skills a little bit, especially late in the game as he twice ran out of bounds while the Dolphins were trying to kill the clock. Nevertheless, his progress was indisputable on the crucial first down catch late in the game where he was physical with the press coverage coming off the line, ran a great route, and made the critical reception with both feet in bounds. He is really fixing up the weaknesses in his game, and I believe that he will explode by the end of the season.
Hagan - Notably inactive...I didn't really miss him. It was important to get London in on special teams against Sproles.
Matt Roth - Another huge game by this beast of a linebacker. Early in the game, the Chargers caught Miami in a blitz on a screen pass, but Roth managed to hit Rivers, force the incompletion, and hurt Rivers a bit. That's a great job on a play that might have been a big gainer. Not long after, he had a tackle for a loss and drew a facemask penalty on the offense. All day he was blitzing well, stopping the run, and hitting people ferociously, and no play was bigger than his huge sack late in the game.
Bell - He is something else, all over the field on play after play. On one series in the second half he forced two incompletions in a row, once with a big hit and next with a break up. Then, later in the game he did it again with a run-stopping tackle on a 2nd down and a pass defensed on 3rd. He is everywhere.
Goodman - Unfortunately, even though Renaldo Hill has really solidified the secondary, there is definitely a weak link. Goodman just flat out isn't that good. As San Diego was mounting their comeback, they really picked on him, and it wasn't pretty. However, it seems like either him or Lehan is going to have to be in there for the rest of the year. They are certainly going to have the microscope on them, so it's up to the two of them to step up.
Dolphins 17 - Chargers 10
The story was simple. Coming in, nobody knew whether the win over the Patriots was a fluke, a one time thing, but after beating the other team that competed in last years AFC Championship game, it is pretty clear that the Dolphins have a team this year.
Actually, the Dolphins played just about as well against the Chargers as they did against the Patsies. The only real difference was a few mistakes and that the Chargers played a better game than the Patriots did last week (re: Patriots aren't that good). Nevertheless, the Dolphins fought hard and proved they can win a tough game.
Actually, the Dolphins played just about as well against the Chargers as they did against the Patsies. The only real difference was a few mistakes and that the Chargers played a better game than the Patriots did last week (re: Patriots aren't that good). Nevertheless, the Dolphins fought hard and proved they can win a tough game.
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