MAN! What was that against the Falcons? A hard-fought, ugly, resilient late win against a very respected playoff team. Many "experts" picked us to be 1-2 or 0-3 at this point...3-0 and 13 to go... That brings us to next Monday night's powerhouse matchup between our beloved Fish and the New Orleans Saints (ANOTHER very respected team). The Saints' offense is coming around, and Brees had a great day today against the Cardinals. Their defense seems to be much improved over years past, but there is PLENTY of film out there on Ryan's defense, I think we'll do well on offense in this game. New Orleans' defense isn't shutting running games down, so our committee should have solid production again next week. The Saints' best guy today (besides Brees) was their Tight End, Graham. This is my biggest area of concern going into this game. They're at home, loud crowd, offense is starting to click, defense is better than garbage, and Dolphins have big holes against Tight Ends. That being said...this defensive coordinator we have seems to be a master at making 2nd half adjustments. The only TD scored against us in the 2nd half so far was when Atlanta got the ball on the 11...can't really expect the D to do ALL the work for the team. I see the Saints getting a TD and a FG in the 2nd half next week...and the Dolphins cleaning up some of their mess on the O line (not all of it, but enough to get it done) and another gritty, gutt-wrenching game, and Miami holding onto a lead and squeeking it out 30-27.
I would simplify the issue against New Orleans. A number of teams that run 3-4s struggle to adjust personnel to nickel and dime packages and the best approach is to run against those groups. Get in the two-minute drill and force your talent on theirs. Brady and co. used to do it all the time to Mike Nolan. They'd simply force his nickel/dime onto the field and run/pass.
Gods I hope we get healthy for this. Monday Night in Nawlins, they will come out ballin. But so did Atlanta. We took their best shots and won. But this is our toughest game, possibly all season. Saints are playing at their prior Superbowl caliber level. They are hungry after laser seasons scandalous punishment. But we are a tough bunch of bastards! We need to stay hungry. You know who doesn't look hungry? The Niners.
I changed my pick last week to Dolphins after thinking it over. I can't think this one over. We have a small chance to win. However, we've seen really strong teams go into the Superdome for a primetime night game when the rowdy fans march in off Bourbon Street and get dominated. I just hope we don't get embarassed in Primetime and its an exciting game. Saints-30ish, Dolphins-20ish would be my guess. Hopefully the Falcons play pissed off in the Georgia Dome on Sunday & beat the Pats, then this game will be one you can watch and not worry as much about, because It should be the toughest game on our schedule. But, its possible the Saints can play flat and have a letdown. I'm doubting it though. Brees should find the endzone more than Luck/Ryan. Jimmy Graham should haunt us. And then we'll come out and take it out on the Ravens the next week. But, who knows, maybe we pull it out of our asses again in NOLA.
Honestly I want to win this game. 4-0 would look sweet, but my goal was to be 3-1 at the end of week 4, worst case scenario was 2-2, so yeah a loss would suck but we would still be in good shape
A battle of 3 - 0 teams, should be a barn burner. This is definitely a game we need as many of the injured players back that we can.
Yea it would look nice to be 4-0 but I think I'd rather take the loss this week against a non conference opponent than lose to the ravens the week after. But hey I'll take W for both, let's go!
We have to destroy their offensive line the way the bucs did. Arizona hung tough for the first half today. We'll have to do it all game. I'm more worried about the ravens right now. They seem to be getting better every week.3-2 would be deflating. I think this is a must win. Plus its primetime. Show the world that we're back
Keys to this game includes: D-Line number 1. Randy Starks and Jared Odrick have to put pressure on Drew Brees. Dion Jordans coming out party? O-Line number 2. Have to give Tannehill time in the pocket. Running game number 3. Major key to this game is Lamar Miller. He's been limited but he's like a caged animal at this point. Secondary is number 4. Limiting Jimmy Graham has be a major part of the game plan. I believe if we can limit receptions this game is ours for the taking. Saints run game doesn't scare me much. We match up well to the Saints and it should be a good game. We've played well on the road and I expect no less next Monday. Ryan Tannehill has 300 yards and 2+Td's this game.
Any given Sunday. I'd be a lot more comfortable though if we healed up and got Wake/Soliai and our CB's back.
This will be a tough tough tough TOUGH game to win. If they pull this one off then wow. Get excited but this is a big time big boy game on the road against a team that has some excellent ways to attack our weaknesses.
well, my prediction from last week was pretty close. just off by couple of points with same scenario. However, I think we lose this week. Going into New Orleans on a Monday night. Drew Brees is money at home in primetime games. I think we lose this game, but keep it somewhat close (<7 pts). then we come back home and beat Baltimore. to go 4-1. No one can complain if that scenario plays out.
I want to see how our injuries stack up before making any prediction this week. If Patterson and Wake are still banged up I think its going to be a long day. If we can get those guys healthy and pair Jordan and Wake I think we can have some success and its going to make this game a lot closer. This may very well end up just being a shoot out, if it becomes that, I like the chance our defense gives us to come up with a few stops when we need it.
I'm not even going to be upset if we lose Monday. Excellent opponent in tough place to play on that turf.
I just hope we send the blitz a lot because Brees will find someone open, doesn't matter how good the secondary is. Gotta get tons of pressure on him..
Another game we are supposed to lose. But just as the Browns, Panthers and the Colts just showed us yesterday. Anything can happen in this league. I'm done trying to guess lol.
To be honest id rather keep playing teams we are supposed to lose to considering we are 3-0 against them so far. might as well ride it out
Tell me about it.. Its not like we beat the Wilson led Seahawks last year or anything...... Quick tell Philbin to rest all the starters next week since we cant win! /rolls eyes
Tampa was seconds away from beating this Saints team...TAMPA. Make them pay for using their tiny RB and 'TE' that doesn't pass-protect. Blitz these guys like crazy - make Sproles and Graham stay in to block or at least chip. Those two are the real defense/matchup killers, imo, so take them out of their game. Keep those guys in the backfield and rough-up the QB.
I have a hard time thinking Brees plays better than Matt Ryan by all that much. Its not really all thst possible. Key will be keeping them to FGs like we have been all season.
Brees is a better QB than Matt Ryan. He's also going to be playing at home, at night, which makes a huge difference for him and the Saints, historically.
I think the key to this game will be to shut down their running game early, because 1)they WANT to abandon the run (this is Brees we're talking about...Marino never met a running play he liked and Brees is cut from the same cloth) and 2)we've let scrub RBs run all over us the last couple games. The Falcons weren't running on anyone until they came to Miami. God, I hope Solai is back for this game. If we can get them to just start slinging passes, then we can sell out for the pass rush and I think we can get to Brees. We also have to establish our own running game quickly, even if that includes short, high percentage passes as well as runs. We have to keep Brees off the field. We've got to get some lights-out play from our DBs though, or we'll be in too big a hole to worry about gameplans. I don't think we can win a scorefest with the Saints, so we'd better not try.
Saints fan here. Kind of surprised at how humble you guys are for this game considering you're 3-0. Most fans would be super confident. I honestly think the Saints will win this game. Their defense has played almost dominant this season (they're top 5 statistically). Alot of people remember how bad that defense was LAST YEAR and say "Pshh, we'll move the ball easy on the Saints, we just have to match score for score with that O." Nah man, it's not like that this season. Remember these names Dolphins fans - Cameron Jordan, Junior Galette, Akiem Hicks, Glen Foster, Tyrunn Walker, and John Jenkins. That's our new young D-line that's been wreaking havoc. Most of those guys you've never heard of. Most of them are undrafted FA and are all young, but man have they been getting after the QB. It's b/c of their play that we don't have to blitz and still get pressure. Hope the Dolphins O-line is solid because you will be tested. Not only from the Saints D, but trying to combat the crowd noise. Tannehill and his offense will have to practice hand signals and good communication all week. On offense, it is true our running game has been nonexistent. Alot of it has to do with Sean Payton force feeding Ingram the ball when he hasn't been a good fit in our system. If Pierre Thomas carries the rock, he's more than capable of keeping the Dolphins honest. As for the passing game, what can I say its our bread and butter lol. Drew is an assassin. The problem teams have when playing us is trying to decide if they want to double Graham or not. If they do, it leaves 1-on-1 matchups for Sproles which he wins almost every time. As a matter of fact it surprises me how opposing fans remember Graham but forget how dangerous Sproles is. Then there's always Colston. Saints do a good job of lining him in the slot during zone coverage where he's like another tight end running seam routes on LB's than can't keep up. For that Dolphins D, alot of your problems will be remedied if you get consistent pressure on Brees. If your front seven can confuse the O-line with exotic blitzes and keep Brees on his toes, he's prone to throw a weird INT. So you will have your opportunities. The Dolphins just HAVE to make sure they get to him cause if not, he will pick you apart. Like the Cardinals, they may hang tough in the first half, but as the game wears on that defense tire and those mismatches will get exploited. That's my 2 cents. Hoping for an injury free and tough game Monday night
Depends on which Saints team we play. If we play the team that routed the Cardinals, we probably lose. If we play the team that barely eked past the Bucs and won only because the Bucs coach is an idiot, then, we could win.
While your guys defense may and looks to be better this year. Last 2 games have been against bad offenses. While I don't believe Miami's offense is elite quite yet. This will certainly be a test for the NO defense.
If we get back Wake, Solia, Patterson and the young corners....we need to fly around and be aggressive like the Cleveland game. Force turnovers and get NO's crowd out of it early. Our young guys will be amped and confident for MNF....its gunna be fun to watch!
We're the second best offense you've faced so far next to the Falcons and our defense is better than theirs (if healthy). That said if I was a betting man if have to take the Saints. I'd say you have probably something like a 70% chance of a victory. Just don't be surprised if there is a period of the fourth quarter where it's a one posession game and your heart is in your throat.
I'd feel more confident in this game if it wasn't in NO or on MNF. Talk about stacking the deck. As for those defenders you mentioned, I don't think most are UDFAs. You mentioned a 1st rounder (Jordan) and two 3rd rounders (Hicks and Jenkins), so there's obviously some "known" talent there. Pierre Thomas is a good back, so I suspect that he'll get a number of chances vs us. Graham and Sproles will surely be the most dangerous pass catchers IMO (not to say someone else won't catch one deep or that Colston/Moore aren't going to do anything). Unless the Dolphins defense can get pressure and the offense can avoid turnovers, this could be a bigger win for the Saints than I'd like to see.
Most important thing to stifle Brees is interior pressure. They love their guards in NO. Grimes needs to shut down Marques Colston, the most underrated player in the league.
Also, considering how awful we've been picking up confusing blitz packages, you gotta wonder if Rob Ryan doesn't have our number in this one.
I like our DBs and redzone D. Pass rush needs to step up. Tackling needs to be better. Can't have another Colts game. It's no secret that we need to stop Brees. As far as O, same formula. No turnovers, no penalties.
I'm not saying he isn't 100x the QB Ryan is. My point is that its highly improbable he puts up a better statistical game than Matt Ryan did because he was efficient as can be. As long as we continue to limit huge plays, I don't see an issue here.