I'm gonna start with something I haven't seen anyone bring up but was a major issue with us the past few seasons...dropped balls. Guess what? I'm 99% sure we didn't drop ANY balls in this game...and that's great progress already. I think the O-Line was very inconsistent. At times they looked pretty good, and others well, not so much. However, they're a young group and I think they'll be fine. Ronnie Brown needs to start against Arizona. He looked better than Ricky. I think they need to move Ted Ginn around more, he's still a work in progress and I think with his speed he needs to be put in motion more to help him get open on shorter routes. I also think Pennington's arm is going to hurt Ginn at times this season. Speaking of Pennington, I thought he did ok but he struggled a lot as well. But I can see the accuracy, heart, and smarts that have been advertised, and that's certainly encouraging. The front 7 was just like the O-Line IMO...inconsistent. They were smothering Thomas Jones at times and put some great pressure on Favre too...but they also got burned quite a bit. Will Allen to me is still one of the most underrated players in the game. He just does what you want a CB to do...shut down the WR. Other than him, and Bell, I was not impressed with the secondary that Coach Sparano said would be one of our strong points. The receivers as a whole are a concern but I'm not panicking with them yet, I expect them to get more involved and improve as the season goes on. I was VERY encouraged with what I saw from the TE's. Anthony Fasano looks like a stud and someone must have taught David Martin how to catch. People can say what they want about rebuilding but losing to me will always hurt like hell, no matter the situation. I'm praying the team as a whole, and the coaching staff, can fix some things this week and go to Arizona and play some better football and hopefully get a win. thanks for listening and GO DOLPHINS!
If arm strength really is an issue then a change needs to be made, if we cant run our power running game with our horses, which to be effective needs a QB to be able to threat the defense with all the throws, then everything else is a moot point
It all starts with the offensive line. Pennington needs the time for his receivers to get into their zones because he just doesn't have the strength to zip the ball into tight spots if he needs to. I really like what Pennington brings to this team but I just think that if we don't have a running game we will be in major trouble. So like I said, it all starts with the offensive line.
We dont have any WRs to help Pennington. He was making big throws, but no WR bothered to catch up to them or make attempts to fight for the ball. We have no home run WRS and no possesion WRs. We have a motley crue bunch of guys who have business starting. And I still think Ginn is better off as a #3, a Dante Stallworth type.
Fortunately there are some solid talents available at WR this year who can certainly help. One of them is actually on our bench. While Hagan may drop some at least he'll get open. I'd rather have a WR who drops one then a WR who gives his QB no option and makes him throw a terrible pass or get sacked.
I thought this was typical of a young team playing their first game. At times we moved the ball and looked great, and at times we looked horrible. On some plays Pennington had all day to throw it, and there were a couple plays were the Jet's defenders ran straight at Pennington unblocked. We made too many mistakes, dumb penalties, and we also got shafted on a few calls. Arizona is a team that can score lots of points with Warner throwing it to Boldin and Fitzgerald...our d-backs have to step it up and play better. Hopefully we will play four quarters today, and not wait untl the end of the game to get it going.
I agree witht that. It was a typical of a team filled with new faces. Good and bad but lacking in consistency.
You can't throw to the WR's if they don't get open, that was the main issue. Not Pennington's arm strength.
I think we still have the problem from the last few years that affected Pennington, the WRs (even tho I didn't understand why they put the guys in they did and pulled out the guys at certain times that they did, etc), the RBs (seriously, Cobbs in over Brown as a 3rd down back ??) and the TEs (until the unit changed tactics and ran the hurryup, which may explain why Fasano and Martin started getting open so late in the game)...These guys weren't the issue... The problem was an inconsistent at best and nonexistant at worst OL...this unit really dissappointed me...I expect a lot better play from them...Carey wasn't the same after getting banged up (hope it's not something serious), the combination of Smiley, Thomas and Satele was horrid...they should have just put up a sign saying "revolving door...this way) and Long was just another OL today...not the first pick of the draft. I know he'll get better, and he showed some good signs out there, but today he was a rookie... When we can get the OL to play like it did during the preseason, we might have a WR actually get a ball thrown to him...And I don't blame Sparano for not using R&R, where would they have gone ?? Nowhere...
On a side note: Did anyone see the Cowboys game ?? Now that's how to give your QB some time...I think Romo had time to write love letters to Jessica between the time the ball was snapped and the time he had to throw the ball...
