Sparano forced to drop conservative playbook

It took four years for the marinade to penetrate.

 

Encouraging.

 

I also think it helps him that Parcells is no longer his boss. BP IMO, handcuffed TS with giving Henning full control of the offense. It also sounds like Tony is happier to finally have some freedom.

 

...right into a fire hopefully.

 

I really like Sparano the person and motivator, hopefully he really pulls it together with the football side of it as well.

I also feel this really needs to be pointed out. Anybody else notice that since Henning is gone, we have not seen Chad Henne have to waste a timeout yet?? There has been no wasted time out yet to my knowlege. That in its self is an improvement, couldn't stand losing 2 timeout a half because Henne didn't have the play fast enough.

I also think this is something we can exploit against the Jets, I think when we see that defense we go no huddle, quick snap them, dont let them get subs in and out of the game. You screw up a lot of their packages doing that since they like to substitute so much.

 

nobodies giving us a chance anyway. I hope we go for the throat on every series on offense. Henne clearly looks better when hes got more option (im not sure theres a QB who wouldn't). We should be looking for 15-30 yd routes at least once a series and not just once a game.

 

Just throw the bomb and on the next play do it again. Was there a more effective play in lot ball?

 

We should be able to beat all scrub teams atleasee

 

Agreed. BP was raised on fewer mistakes, conservative let the defense win the game for you type of mentality. Henning was his coordinator years ago and worked for another coach, Tom Coughlin, with the same type of mentality.

 

Amen. Parcells was a bit of an albatross around Sparano's neck IMO. Be interesting to see what TS can and will do without BP looking over his shoulder.

 

I sort of disagree. BP left before last year started, he had all year to complain to Henning. I know it would have been too late to change the offense completely, but adjustments could have been made. I think this is all Sparano and Ireland. Glad they're making a change, but I don't see BP handcuffing Sparano considering how little BP was even invested in that last couple years.

Do we forget Sparano begging Henning to stay last year?
EDIT: I understand Parcells also partook in the begging for Henning to stay. My point still stands Parcells bailed out and we not only didn't get more aggressive I say we got worse.

 

He's essentially becoming his own man now.

Much like Henne admits (in the article) he couldn't fully assert himself because Chad Pennington was such a big presence on the team.

 

Yes I agree. I'm just saying, once BP left Sparano owned this. Sparano himself wasn't ready to make a bold change. I mean, complaints were rampant all year about Henning. Every day in the papers. Defensive backs telling us they know what we were going to run. Things like that were ignored all year. So I don't see BP as much of an albatross over sparano as sparano being his own albatross. No matter how you slice it he isn't the best tactician out there.

But I'm the first to say I'm ecstatic he finally sees the light. Last years offense was BORING.

 

I agree with this 100%.

Henning had no faith in Henne because he doesn't have the skill set of a Pennington or Delhomme. A good OC should be able to adapt his scheme to take advantage of his team's strengths. Well there's that and no running game to speak of.

 

So many dislike this coach for a variety of reasons, some valid, others not so much. I ask all of you, how hard would it be for you to change your stripes? Here is a guy who knows he must change and is actually trying to do it. Kudo's to you Tony, I hope you are successful.

 

Actually the reason why I didn't want Pennington on the team last season if they were going to start Henne.

 

Hard to convince yourself that your philosophy is not working anymore. Its not easy to do. The great coaches can adapt and evolve quickly, but not all are that way.

 

This could be another Tom Coughlin situation. TC was on the hot seat and came pretty close to losing his job. He learned from it and made adjustments. Hopefully, now that Sparano has made his adjustments, the team will get better.

 

I agree, my one dislike is now he is chained to Henne, which I maintain is a such a longshot that I don't like that roll of the dice.

Parcells, in the final analysis, was both good and bad for the Dolphins Franchise, there is little doubt we are a better, deeper team then when he was hired, he also stifles innovation and perhaps is a bit to dictatorial as if folks recall, White was Henning's guy, if Sparano did not like his game you can see the trouble from here.

And is this...Sparano tossing the Big Tuna...under the bus?

 

Henne's output Friday and now this, this should make every Dolphins fan smile. We haven't smiled about our offense in a very long time.

 

Honestly he is my favorite Dolphins coach since Shula, say what one will about Sparano, but this is a disciplined team with talent with a bit more juice then JJ had in the mid to late 90's.

 

The great Don Shula....
Although it was different, he went from a run first guy to a pass first guy when he drafted Marino.

 

I hear you loud and clear Padre. Others may disagree but I truly like this coach. I wish he would lose a bit of the cloak and dagger I'm not telling you anything approach but I understand why he does it.

 

Sparano is stubborn and slow to change things. He resisted playing the clearly stellar Wake for months, preferring.. i dont know, seniority? being an incumbent? just not trusting the newness of the new guy who was more risk but more upside.

He had to have a bomb go off in Ross' face on national TV with the ST's disaster, after weeks and weeks of STs disasters, and Ross putting a gun to his head imo, before he again GRUDGINLY fired the STs coach.

This is a man who cleaves to loyalty, and conservativism WAY longer than is healthy.

The ONLY reason he has a more open offense is because Ross was already interviewing his replacement!!!

Tony is not on board, or excited, or philosophoically a changed man.

He's an old school, slow-to-move, heel dragger who is being forced forwards. And you can't get very far, nor run very fast that way.

 

Agreed. He was brought in as a conservative coach because thats what the regime wanted and thats how hes coached, how he was taught to coach at this level. Hopefully this carries in to the regular season because there is nothing not to like about Sparano other then the fact he was too conservative at times. Now we will see whether he lets Daboll do his thing

Lets hope it turns out the same...with an unlikely SB victory, this time for Miami

 

Not playing bad run defense? Wake was very raw in 2009 and had the better run-defending Roth in front of him with an already good pass rusher opposite Roth. He probably figured better for Wake to become a complete player before being elevated which isnt unreasonable imo

 

They didn't change a whole lot, honestly. What makes them good is that they stick to what they know and build off of that. Their offense really hasn't changed since Weis has been there.

 

Hmm, didn't Sparano present his new approach to Ross before his Big Adventure in CA?

I seem to recall he did, but then again, what can Sparano do when the owner goes Wayne H on him?

As for Wake v Porter, keep in mind BPK, there is no larger fan of Cam Wake, on this board, then I am, and even then I do not think what happened in 09 with Wake v Porter as some great failing on Sparano's part, in fact the Stealers do that exact same thing.

Now I do have some problems with Sparano, particularly when it comes to the Oline and maybe being overly loyal to some players, otherwise, eh, no complaints, his moves are logical at least.

 

I am not complaining , we are not giving ourselves a handicap any more , welcome to today's NFL.

Like I mentioned previously , coach either had an epiphany or was told he had one. We'll say he has adjusted his mindset on his own , it was needed , and was done , so kudos to him for arriving where we are .

 

If I recall correctly, though, on long yardage and 3rd downs there were still many occasions where Wake wasn;t getting on the field, which Tony justified many different ways.. but mainly came down to double-speak about Cam improving and eventually getting out there.

Agree his run D wasn;t amazing, though it sure improved fast once he was allowed to see the field. Again, though, he would blow up enough plays 9even run plays) to more than make up for the times he screwed up, imo. Not in Sparano's though.

Gradual is the name of the game for Tony.

Which works when you are the Patriots, I guess, and have gre4at production from your starters, but makes no sense when you aren;t getting that.

 

Well, it means something, as you point out, for you to support him given your positive position on Wake. Also, Tony may have started 'reforming' when every fan, the national and regionl media and surely everyone in and around the Dolphins orgamization were saying Tony could get fired after week 17... whether his Come-To-God moment occurred just before or just after the Harbaugh incident it's the same gun-to-the-head, save-my-*** motivation to 'change'.

Hey, I am glad he's been forced forwards, but I'll believe he can effectively run a wide-open throttle type team when I see it. It runs counter to all his training, experience and instincts. Even Sparano seems to say as much.

The real incongruity in-house came the minute Huizenga brought Ross into the picture. Steven Ross and Parcells/Ireland/Sparano simply were not a match made in heaven, philosophically.

 

Which really does mean that Sparano pushed all in on Chad Henne, this offense "should" be tailored to his strength, and I have to say for the complaints about Hartline, Bush, Beast and Bess are the drivers of this offense at the skill positions, Hartline is 4th fiddle at the end of it all.

 

Chad Pennington is a great person, but he isn't a personality on a Deon Sanders like level. Pennington is pretty even keel and moderate in behavior. Attributing Henne's inability to take over the team do to Pennington's "outgoing personality" seems off the mark. Maybe he is different on the field? Has anyone seen him on the field act different in that respect than press conferences and public appearances?

If author was to say it was because of how well Pennington was respected, trusted, looked up to etc. I would be more on board with that then the current argument put forth by the author.

 

I'm sorry, but Henne couldn't stand out as a leader at a high school prom. He simply doesn;t have that kind of personality. I watched the press conference after his 'big win' against the league's worst team, when he supposedly had a lot of swagger (according to some), and I'm lookin at him and listenin to him and feeling "I still wouldn't want this guy in charge if I was heading into battle. I'd have no urge to follow this dude. Magnetism needle at zero."

Now, sure, he can be a leader through actions too. That's important. But hopefully we all agree that having the presence and personality to lead is ALSO important.

There's a difference between a guy like Gen. MacArthur and a Mr. Magoo.

 

I can only speak for myself; I don't "dislike" the man. I don't know the man—only his actions as the Head Coach of the team I love more than most people I've known, for longer than most people I know have been alive.

I don't like much about the way he coaches; about the way he conducts team business; about the way he conducts his staff; about his thoroughly misplaced sense of loyalty to people instead of the team as a whole; about the way he regards people outside the organization—media, but especially fans; about his extreme conservatism in the game and the way it's played; about his stubbornness and intractability in the face of being absolutely, undeniably wrong; about the anachronistic way he regards the positions which have become important in the game as it's played today; and about the black-ops, exclusionary attitude he has about even the most unimportant, innocuous matters.

I generally don't "suffer fools gladly," and Sparano seems just intelligent enough to be dangerous, but not intelligent enough to get out of his own way. He seems dense and dull-witted—even outright stupid.

That's just my opinion, based on impressions gleaned from watching the man mire the team I love in mediocrity for the last three seasons.

Now, my hope is that even if he doesn't actually change—since people never really change—that at least he changes his approach to the executive position that he inhabits, embraces delegation in terms of both the Offense and Defense, and lets the capable men under him do the jobs they're paid to do...kind of like he did last year by relinquishing the fate of his team's season to a senile old **** who was clearly not conducting the O in the best possible way...but for the right reasons this time and to the right people.

And, more than anything else, right there, is the reason I will never be in Sparano's corner: he betrayed the team. He betrayed its best interests by permitting Henning to do what he did, all season long.

I may or may not ever forgive him for that; but I'll never forget.