Weakest link: For Henning to start calling smart plays when it counts and for the offense to execute even the dumbest calls by Henning.
I do not know if it is the special teams coach or the special teams players, however it is special teams. Miami has a defense that can play pretty good and an offense that is capable of scoring points. Both sides of the ball need to be more consistent and there is room for improvement for both. However when it comes down to going against really good teams having such bad special teams has hurt Miami. It is putting more pressure on the defense by allowing good returns and it is not helping the offense by giving them better field position. With Miami's youth on both offense and defense combined with the type of team they are, having a good special teams would be very beneficial.
Special teams by far, in every single aspect. We have missed makeable FGs, had a punt blocked, our coverage units are getting gashed, and we still have Cobbs/Bess returning (WTF can't we even try Carroll?!?!?!). The coach has to be changed at some point if it keeps up, and we must find more dynamic returners. Having that edge has propelled several teams to victory in games they shouldn't have won (Bears) or to improbable starts (Chiefs, Seahawks, Steelers). Other than that, Tight End is in bad need of an upgrade to become more dynamic. Running Back speed and playmaking, and maybe a speed WR. Defensively we are doing alright, but could use an ILB if Crowder is done. Need to let our OLBs/S's grow into those spots, though we may have to search for a better solution to covering TEs at some point.
Oddly enough, the run game hasn't been so hot. Is it the blocking? Is it the play-calling? Has The R&R Express become a local line? I doubt the latter, but the one way or another, the run game must improve. We need to eat up time, wear out their D while preserving ours. They won't hold up for an entire season having to do so much. Obviously, they didn't hold up for 3 games let alone a season and understandably so. You could see at the end of the Vikes game that they were getting real tired. They still held up when it mattered, but having to do that for an entire season just won't cut it.We HAVE to get the run game going. It sucks that Jerry is out. He showed some real potential and was playing solid for a rook. McQuistan played surprisingly well, but maybe they're keeping the blocking schemes simple for the interior because they're new and always changing. Who knows?...but again, we have to find a way to get the run game going. Peace.
Yeremiah Bell. For all the talk about Allen, it's Bell who got embarrassed by Keller early and it's not the first time this season. Also our interior line just isn't up to snuff yet. It's why our wildcat plays aren't working very well. No real push up the middle and with John Jerry out our interior pass blocking is still sub par. Injuries aren't helping either.
Jason Allen has been targeted since game one and even though he took a step back last week, he's played better this season than any of us would have expected. I don't see him as the weakest link right now. Although that could very well be the case this Monday. I see the entire ST's coverage units as the weakest CHAIN
"Miami does a lot of different things now. They’re have a pretty broad package on offense – probably as much as anybody we see, so it’s hard to tell what number they’re going to put their chips on (and) where it’s going to be heavy and where it’s not. You have to prepare for all of it and then take it as it comes.“ Bill Belichick
I respect your opinion for sure. But, I just can't wrap my brain around the 4 straight passes with 54 seconds and two time outs. The Jets were sucking wind as much as the nfl.com guys accused Marshall of. It just seems to me that it would have been a great time to run downhill a couple of times behind an unbalanced line of Long, Carey and Incognito.
we simply werent running well. the fade to marshall on 1st was a TD if executed right so you cant blame the call there. run or marshall isolated one on one? so really it comes down to 2nd down. that is really the only play you can say a run might have been better. but with the interior of the line simply not getting the push we normally do, running just didnt seem like it was going to work. i really just think the jets took away our running game and forced us to pass on them. good defenses can do that. we have to learn to score by passing when teams take away our running game i wouldve liked to see at least one rollout in that series. thats my only gripe. one play where henne rolled to the right. on 2nd or 3rd
Our Defense is alittle young but its a given our core special teams unit is lacking. I am most worried about our new oline. we are a power running team that cant run
we had the ball inside the 5, and passed twice, we had the ball inside the 10, and passed 4 times, a grand total of 6 passes, no runs, in excellent down and distances situation's..Henning has a bad flaw.
Special teams appears to be the winner/loser. A few thoughts. Carpenter did kick out of bounds, miss a FG, and does not have the strongest leg on kicks. Fields did have a bad game #1 in some swirling wind. These are mostly exceptions to the rules they give us, and I very much like our two kickers. On coverage we have done pretty well for the most part but, there is need for improvement. Is J Allen still covering, and what happened to Hilliard who was sooo good last year? Does anyone have a ST line up? We are #11 in the league in punt returns, averaging 9 yards. Chances of us breaking one are dismal but, Bess is solid and I can live with about 10 yards a return. KO returns are a different story. We're #27, averaging 20.5 yards. We would be better off not returning and risking a flag or fumble. I have no solution at this point in the season. Any ideas?
In hindsight I have to consider Ronnie's hamstring problem, Rickey's not having a VG game, and recent fumble problems. On the other hand, Henne was having his best day ever. I cannot say that I would not have made the same calls, BEFORE they did not work.
STs is our weakest area, but STs impact is limited compared to other areas. Right now our DL depth is a weak link, but that should be a short term problem. ILB outside of Dansby has been and seems like it will continue to be a weak link. Offensively, there have been some questionable decisions, but I don't know if the fault lies with Henning or if the offense just isn't developed enough yet (skill-wise).
The SB contenders have had core players together for years. Our team is talking weeks. It does make a HUGE difference.
This answer has two prongs.... 1. Creating effective pass plays on offense 2. Stopping effective pass plays on defense (I was going to say the unimaginative "non"-wildcat, but the other problems trumped the issue)
AMEN! I have been saying this with great resistance for months now. The Miami Dolphins turnstile of players needs to end so the talent can gel together and develop an identity. Swapping people all the time keeps people from getting comfortable at their position and has the coaching staff constantly training new blood instead of perfecting things. This is like changing engines on every lap of a race. This train of thought is total out of balance and is yielding nothing. The continuing and endless fiddling that Jeff Ireland does is totally without merit (unless injury related). This maybe this is why Parcells has now taken over the talent end of the team and Ireland's happy *** is now doing something else. Beyond the usual draft we should be fine with who we have and if they can't find what they are looking for maybe there expectations are non realistic. This team will be fine as long as they love it and leave it alone.
HAHAHA Agreed 100%, Miami has some of the worst fair weather fans EVER! With all of south Florida sports, if your doing bad all the residents talk crap about how bad the team sucks and refuse to associate themselves with them...but then when your doing good(i.e. 08) then all the bandwagoners come out in full force.(with the exception of this forum of course) Partly because of the giant infestation of "New Yorkers" in south Florida. How many other teams do you know of, where a very large portion of the locals are all fans of their most hated division rivals?
From 2 short years ago, we have Bell starting on D, and Carey with Ronnie or Rickey starting on O. That's it. Starters from opening day last season are Bell, Langford, and Starks On D. Long, Carey, Fasano, Polite, and Ronnie. That's 14 new guys in a team game. A little patience is a good thing.
you see to me SB, I'ts a predetermined situation.. Scenario is this...If I ask you as an offensive cordinator that Iam gonna put you at the 2 yard line with the game on the line and its 4 down territory, and you tell me that your first 2 play's are a fade and a slant, when the game is on the line, then iam going to vehimently disagree with you and think that you've gone mad..That situation should be scripted before it ever happen's, and it should involve a first down run every time, for not only the obvious many reason's, but also to take burn the clock from your opponent, accomplishing 2 thing's at once. I dont care if you got Marshall 1 on one on the outside, by throwing a fade and a slant, your relying on athleticism, a low percentage, and an excellent pass's from the QB, over 3 run's.. What 3 consecutive plays do you have in your repetoire when needing to pick up 2 yard's? Iam not saying fire him, what I am saying is there is a fundamental flaw imo with any other philosophy besides smash mouth football....and going on last year in buffalo, and these two situations last week, I would say Dan Henning needs to get checked, especially when your a oline coach turned head coach..
I call BS to this! Take a look at almost all teams when they're records suck and you will see that they have the exact same things to say. Their attendance drops big time, and fans come out with bags over their heads. The NFL is full of bandwagon fans with the exception of a select few.
If you posed the same example to me right now for tonight's game, I agree with you 100%. However, if you allow me all the info, as of the moment of the play calls, Ronnie hurt, Rickey being so-so, Jet's D, etc., I agree with you 50%, questionable either way. I like Henning more than many here but, in no way, are his calls always right. A number of them deserve to be questioned. I just believe he's doing a lot more right than wrong. JMHO.
Yes he has. He was on quite a bit last week and was out of position on 2 catches and gave up a big run after the catch on another.