This is why I think you de-emphasize passing to the WRs and start getting Clay, Fasano, Bush, and Miller into the passing game as your primary targets. Focus on the guys who can draw mismatches, and keep the defense guessing as to how you're going to use those guys when they're on the field.
NE's approach, the problem is if JMart is as bad as he has been playing, we don't have that option. Unless the run lots of rollouts and waggles etc and defenses catch on to those quickly.
He was so bad it was scary last night, if we are starting a rookie Qb and a rookie RT (especially one that looked that bad last night) we could be looking at having a very long year on offense. And with our 1st string defense looking like it did last night it could be a long season. There are a ton of things to fix in 2-3 weeks, its not giving me a ton of hope, we have a tough division to get through.
I thought I saw Solder having a bad day last week, too. Even the kid from Houston, Duane Brown, was terrible his rookie year IIRC and now he's an All Pro.
ditto about the Cordy Glenn thing, too. All American zone blocking tackle from Stanford. I probably would've rather he fall to me as well at the time.
Are you proposing that there is some sort of heriditary left tackle/right tackle genetic trait? Or do you have some sort of knowledge on the pitfalls of switching the sides a tackle plays on?
Or Murtha, or Garner, or Cook, or Feinga, or basically anyone but McDonald, because he isn't near ready either.
I have to wonder if he is a kind of guy that if he makes 1 mistake it will bury him for the rest of the game because he gets in this slump.
I definitely think we need Clay and Fasano in the game at the same time. As for WR, last night at least showed why we should probably keep Gates. Even if all he does is line up wide and run fly pattern after fly pattern, he could be good for drawing at least one long PI penalty a game.
Brown stunk up the joint as a rookie. He improved to the bottom third of the league among tackles in his 2nd year. He was a top 11 left tackle in this third year. Last year he was top 3 left tackle and allowed no sacks in 1071 snaps. He recently got a huge contract extension because the Texans kept him, didn't get impatient, and developed him. One thing with Martin's pass blocking, I think he handles speed better than power and he'll see more power rushers and less speed rushers playing RT. He can improve though, same as Duane Brown did.
I thought he had serious weaknesses in college, felt that Luck and the super elite prospect that he was,protected Martin in a lot of ways in terms of not racking up bad stats, there were balance issues for me, slow reactionary ones as well, I isolated him in every snap in some games and the results were not good imo..
Yup, and that needs to change. Fasano is too good catching the football to be in blocking on a majority of passing plays.
Fasano has never pass blocked on a majority of plays as a Dolphin. He's done it more than most at times, but I don't think he's ever been served poorly by it. In fact, I'm pretty sure he blocked less last year than he ever had in Miami but he wasnt any more productive in terms of yardage. Releasing from pass protection is a legitimate part of his game as a receiver, he isn't an oversized WR guy. Also you've got to consider that Fasano in pass pro means someone else like Bush or Clay is free to run a route, and it's better he blocks in almost all cases than they do
im just hoping this is growing pains for martin, he was brutal last night, i think he his the link that keeps the oline from being pretty decent IMO
I was thinking the same thing about Luck making him look better. Also wasn't DeCastro playing LG beside him at Stanford? That could have been a few reasons he "looked" better there. Overall, I was just surprised by how flat out bad he was in every blocking category (be even let a couple runs get blown up). The one play where he tried to chip block the DE was almost comical it was so bad.
You had to expect a learning curve for this guy even more so being moved over to RT. Having said that, he is going to have to get stronger.
I don't think the coaches have any choice but to demote him. We can sit here and make all the comparisons to Colombo we want. But, IMO, that was worse than anything Colombo produced last year. I haven't seen such a bad display of pass blocking from a Tackle since Winston Justice gave up 6 sacks to Osi Uminyiora in one game. (And his run blocking wasn't much better. Add to that the penalties)
Nope. Last season DeCastro played RG, IMO to spread out the talent on the OL, because the other 3 were relatively inexperienced.
According to PFF in the regular season he played some on both sides, though more on the right. In 2010 and before, he played only on the left side.
I think there were two issues that Martin had against CAR: 1. Pad level - He needs to drop his pad level when engaged. He needs to put on muscle, which was already known, so he needs to get by with quality pad level early on. Early in first quarter, there was a run where he got pushed back probably a couple yards instead of moving the line of scrimmage forward. He made good initial contact, then raised up and got moved back. Conversely, on one of the last plays in the first quarter on a third and long, he got knocked back but then sat in his stance with his pads dropped and stood up Charles Johnson's bulrush. 2. Footwork - He needs to move his feet more when he's looking to punch or make contact, in general, with the rusher. He's looking to make contact by standing still, so he ends up going forward and bending at the waist or just flat out missing. Look at him early in the second quarter on third and ten: kick-slides, punches and keeps sliding his feet laterally. No problems. He's having technique issues, which is expected from a rookie IMO. I think these are correctable, and based off this game, it doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to be an awful player in the season. It's about consistency with him. You can mask some of his issues schematically, with deeper alignments, half-slides and chips from the backs or tight ends or both.
Rather pick up someone to start, and give him a year in the weight room and with his position coach working on fundamental technique.
Honestly, I don't know if there's a quality option out there. I think you can improve his technique; it's the strength that will be a problem.
If goddamned Levi Brown doesn't tear a tricep we probably have a shot at a Matt Moore for their backup OT trade... not now though.
Even if Levi doesn't tear his triceps, to trade Matt Moore for their backup OT is just a terrible idea. For one thing, do they even have a backup OT who is better than our backup OTs?
I think he is somewhat overwhelmed right now. He is practically flat footed by the second quarter and that, to me, means his legs are dead or shaking. Nerves can do that to you...
Lol as I try to picture how an OT looks playing worse than Jonathan Martin. Pretty goddamned funny looking, in fact. But seriously, Martin's technique is not too far off... here is a cut-up of his last two games: [video=youtube;2MPMXwvAt54]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MPMXwvAt54[/video] Bit of a waist-bender, but other than that.
good observations. I also believe you have to account for his general lack of strenght. I know the lifting at the combine is not a overall true reflection of how strong he is because guys with long arms have trouble with the bench press. However, I think the review for him even before the combine is that he needed to get stronger.
Totally agree that strength is a major thing for the kid. At times he seems a boy among men. A year in the weight room and eating like a horse would serve this kid well. Send him to DJ for a year.
It appears the coach is ready continue taking the lumps that Martin will provide. "He wasn't God awful. Wasn't like he got beat right off the bat," coach Joe Philbin said, describing one of the sacks Martin allowed. "He had a bad holding call. A really bad holding call, and I thought he maybe could have got called for another one later." So what was the lesson learned from the second preseason game? "Stick to your basics, your technique," said Martin, who started three years at left tackle for the Stanford Cardinals. Martin's intelligence was one of the reasons the Dolphins valued him enough to make him a second-round selection, and make him the clear-cut starting right tackle from day one. During the final two weeks of the exhibition season the Dolphins hope he accelerates his learning process. Martin admits he needs to work on fighting through adversity, making sure he doesn't compound his mistakes by repeating them. "I've learned a ton," Martin said. "That's what the preseason is for, improve your skills. I'd rather make these mistakes now than against the Houston Texans in a couple weeks. I'm going to watch the film and make sure I don't make these same mistakes again." http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...ebook-0819-20120818,0,1461123.story?track=rss
The kid has enough potential, work ethic and intelligence. Let's hope the progress begins to show soon.
I don't know, what my imagination visualizes HAS to be more horrible than any possible- Had a sudden flash of Kimbo Slice trying to rape an angry manatee.
