Dolphins coach Sparano says blocking breakdowns nothing to worry about

The OL definitely has not looked good, but I really don't see it as a talent problem. I think the talent is on the roster:


Jake Long is clearly an elite talent at LT.
Pouncey has elite talent at C but needs experience and seasoning, which I think will come before long.
Incognito has very good physical ability and an "elite" disposition. I think he can become a very good OG.
Carey is still talented and has been a well above average RT, but I don't like what I've seen of him at OG.
Colombo is not that naturally talented, but is a crafty and pretty effective player when healthy. He should be improving in that regard.
Berger is a versatile backup and solid player who can step in at C or G without hurting the OL much.
Murtha has tons of physical talent and seems to be developing, although the penalties have been a problem.
Garner is a solid backup who could develop into something more than that.
Jerry has size and physical talent, but has a long way to go technique-wise.
Ray Willis has good size and graded out as about an average starting OT in 2009 by PFF.


While I think the talent is there, they are not in synch and are not playing well as a group. I have been critical of the musical chairs along the OL in recent years, but that really hasn't been the case this preseason. If you go back to last year, however, 4 of the 5 starting spots are being manned by someone different from last year. Only Incognito is in the same spot he was in last year. So some discontinuity and "lack of synch" is to be expected at this stage.

 

Hmm, I don't see any reference to that in any of the references to the Bentsen-Quayle debate quote. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator,_you're_no_Jack_Kennedy. The way Bentsen said it was pretty folksy too.

 

I dunno. The starters have really only engaged in three long drives this preseason (two TDs, one FG) and two of them happened pretty quickly. The first long one against the Bucs was like 3 plays. The long one against the Panthers only got bogged down at the goal line. They had plays of 5, 17, 3, 20, 0, 20, -10, 17 and 5 yards...getting from their own 20 yard line to 1st & Goal at the Panthers' 3 yard line. That's moving pretty rapidly down the field, 77 yards in 9 plays, it just got bogged down because the short yardage offense stinks.

And even though they happened with Miamis' 1st string offense going up against the opposing 2nd string defenses, there was another 62 yard TD drive against the Panthers' 2nd string defense that took only 4 plays, and an 82 yard TD drive against the Falcons' 2nd string defense that only took 8 plays.

I think if you looked at last year's offense, the long drives they had probably went more like 15 plays on average.

 

1) Parcells has always been a man of the trenches & is the architect of their development wherever he goes... it is his coaching signature, it is how he builds a team. I vehemently disagree that Sparano was instrumental in the selection of the original front five. Ireland & Parcells were the primaries responsible for that construction & the general blueprint for reconstruction was all Bill Parcells work. He filled the front office, scouts, coaches, everything with people of agreement & support.
2) Tony was a parcellian experiment in coaching gone bad. Sparano was the front man, picked for compatibility & the capacity to execute Parcells' plan. When he deviated, the Tuna walked away from the organization.
3) I believe this grievous deviation was two-fold: A) the manner in which the offensive line was summarily dismissed, instead of prudently replacing it piece by piece over a period of time. B) Parcells decided Henne did not have the potential to be the Franchise QB & wanted to bench him, starting an immediate search for an appropriate fix & Sparano disagreed.

 

If you cut those drives off once they get inside the 10 yard line where things get a lot more bogged down, they were gaining 10.5 yards per play on those five long drives...about 367 yards on 35 plays. Where they keep tacking on a bunch of plays is with short yardage offense, which was actually surprisingly effective last year. Contrary to popular belief, last year our drives didn't generally die in the tight red area (inside the 10 yard line) but rather just outside and just inside the red area...and those drives probably went along at like a 6 or 7 yards per play pace.

 

Whatever, I don't care one way or the other if you believe me about it. I'm not senile yet and I know what I heard live uttered by Ronnie in 1980 with my own two ears, plain as day.

 

Friend MrClean & general forum:

they both said it @ different times, then I picked up on it.

more importantly or @ least more interestingly: what about the post on Parcells & Sparano connection? to some degree, I thought it offered a timely explanation for the situation that surrounds us now.

 

I don't know who this is that wrote this piece , nor do I say it is completely accurate , so no messenger shooting , but thought it was properly thought out an he took a lot of time to do it.

http://www.phinfever.com/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=665

 

excellent, has the ring truth & objective analysis

 

This is one of the most encouraging things about this preseason. Last year the drives had to be perfect all the way down the field - and with our mediocre running game that left you hoping that Henne could make 8-10 throws without a mistake. We saw the results.

If we are able to get some chunk yards and operate in the intermediate and long game, I think it will only help our offense.

Also, CK - you were posting about the 1st string offense average starting point being the 22 yd line - in watching a lot of preseason games, is that normal? Our 1st string O has 4 turnovers, but I'm trying to remember if our D has caused any turnovers that also produced good field position? Seems like starting at the 22 on average is pretty mediocre (and with the new kick-off rule I don't know that comparing to last year's league averages is a fair assessment).

 

I don 't disbelieve you, I just never heard about the Reagan-Carter one. A big deal was made of the Bentsen-Quayle one so I would have thought there'd have been a lot of reference to that line having been ripped off from Ronnie.

 

It's normal THIS pre season, because of the whole kickoff return thing. I haven't done any definite studies on this but I think average field position is definitely taking a step backward because of the rule change.

And no, the 1st string offense (while going against the 1st string defenses) has not benefited from any short fields due to turnovers...which is very much like last year. Those 13 drives were just over a game's worth of drives, as I said. Statistically 1 or 2 of those 13 drives should have started on a short field, although one of them did start at the MIA 48, though not because of a turnover.

Thing is, do we believe that's going to change? Is the defense going to finally produce turnovers? They've had opportunities this preseason and haven't done it.

 

I'm holding out hope that Burnett, JT and Reshad Jones (if he starts) will help increase the amount of turnovers the defense can produce. If you look at the people those three are replacing, they are all solid players but none contributed much in terms of turnovers.

 

I responded to what I thought of whether Tony should call Bill, regarding the OL.

I said: Actually O-line was never Tuna's area of expertise either. He was a linebackers coach and a DC before becoming a head coach. If you go back to college too, he only ever coached linebackers, or was a DC, or at Air Force was a head coach for 1 year. It was his only head coaching gig before taking the reins of the Giants.