Obviously the Dolphins are not going to win their division. And, this team has repeatedly flattered to deceive with a couple of wins and a bad game. There are, however, tiny inklings in this team that remind me a bit of the 2001 Patriots. That team seemed to win a lot of games where they just seemed to play very mediocre. Most of their wins that year for the Pats had me walking away thinking, "They probably should have lost that game." I do think the 01 Pats were a better team than this Dolphins team. They had a better coach whose defensive schemes were cutting edge and whose players were prepared for every possible situation. This is not the Dolphins. They also had a young, second-year QB - like the Dolphins - who had an uncanny poise and calm in big situations. But, Brady was also more mature in his play and had a better set of coaches preparing him for games. So there are some significant differences. While this game will not win the division, it could give Miami a kind of confidence to beat anyone and often it's confidence that often launches teams to success. Again, this is premature. But, this team seems to win games - at times - in spite of itself. I actually think if they can play smarter and be more prepared in details they have the talent to beat some good teams. Who knows whether RT will finally click with Wallace. If he did link on a couple of big plays with a win, I think Wallace would start playing better and more aggressively. Of course, a loss could - really in any of the next three games - could send them right back into mediocrity. And, one of the dangers of mediocrity is you start to think, "We'll, we're not as good as we want to be, but we're not all that bad." And, teams get lulled into thinking they are not too far away. The reality is, not many teams in the league these days creep their way up. Teams don't go 6-10, to 8-8, 9-7, 10-6, 12-4 and win. The league is far more mercurial than that. If they wind up 8-8, the FO needs to go. Especially after last year's draft (when a Sam Brenner is actually playing pretty well and getting PT and your 3rd round pick Dallas Thomas is useless- and he's not the first poor OL pick in the mid to high rounds - there are issues). These next three weeks are going to be interesting for the future of the franchise and whether a) they go to on a run, get confidence and win in the playoffs; or b) tank into mediocrity and then whether Ross gets seduced by 9-7, 8-8, etc., and keeps the FO or goes in a different direction.
I do think this week's game is probably the biggest game the Dolphins have played in a few seasons. I have no stats to back this up, but the feeling in my gut is that if we beat the Pats we will make the playoffs by accomplishing 2 things: (1) setting ourselves up to go into the final 2 games of the season against inferior competition on a winning streak, a scenario where we SHOULD win out and finish 10-6, and (2) Sending the Patriots into a primetime game against the Ravens coming off a loss, which history indicates would likely end with a Pats victory that would finally work out in our favor. With all the injuries the Pats have sustained this year there is no reason we shouldn't beat them at home. If we can't, I think the season is lost and we finish 8-8.
Agreed. This team is different than previous Dolphin playoff teams. They have WR's and TE's that can catch the ball and a QB that can deliver it. Our D is good enough if our offense plays to it's potential. I truly believe we can go to Indy and/or the Bengals and win on the road. If we can do that and wind up playing in NE in round 2, we could win. We should have won in NE and they are due for a massive letdown as lady luck is going to run out on them eventually. Now @ Denver is a different story, but can you imagine the momentum this team will have if they make it to the AFC Championship game? Stranger things have happened. The Ravens were universally predicted to get smoked in the playoffs last year and barely snuck in. Flacco was written off and Cameron was fired..
Also, outside of the Jets game in 2008, this is the biggest game this team has played in since 2002. Think about that for a second.
This gm sets up as well as any can for us, Gronk is out, we are coming off a huge road win, and it's at home in December where the Pats historically have trouble
ITs all about getting over the hump. The Dolphins were 7-6 in both 2009 and 2010. They choked and finished 7-9, as we know. Last year after starting 4-3 they lost 5 of 6 and never recovered. They haven't been able to shake it or pull away. Being 1 game over .500 before floundering has been the way it is...we'll see what happens. Its also a huge game because they haven't beaten the Patriots since 2009. The Jets and Bills have. The Jets a few times, including with freakin GENO SMITH this year. The Patriots defense just gave up 494 YARDS to the BROWNS at HOME. Go out in Miami and make a damn statement instead of floundering and earn a playoff spot. Sure, losing and beating the Bills and Jets and making it into the playoffs if the Ravens falter with a tougher schedule would be nice...but come on, we have got to beat the Pats, its been too long and they are wounded. Tom Brady is going to play well as usual, but we have to find a way.
The 2011 Giants were 6-6 and fighting for the playoffs. They finished 9-7 and ended up winning the Super Bowl after 3 playoff wins. The only difference between them and us is that the Giants were able to win the division with that record because they swept Dallas at the end. Anything can happen and the Giants are proof of that.
Don't underestimate the energy of the home crowd in a game like this..I think they set the tone, if it's dead inside, and the fans are late, you risk a letdown by the team because they don't feel like we have their backs.. As far as the team goes. Whatta you think..chess match time?, or dictate to Brady.. I mean I think they will think that we will bring pressure so their gonna get the short quick stuff and we'll have to watch out for their backs outletting into the flat and the screen game, should we try to pressure with our front guys and play zone against their small receivers, or should we dictate to Brady and pressure the pocket leaving our corners one on one..?
This is the kind of game that will announce our arrival if we win. It's a statement game. A game that will turn heads, especially with all the BS we've dealt with involving the Martin/Incognito fiasco.
Announcers FINALLY mentioned we are 4-2 since that crap, the plain fact is, Incognito and Martin..were bad enough players to have their roles filled by McKinnie, who was benched in Baltimore, and Sam Street FA Brenner.
and? The Giants had a better overall roster than the Dolphins. They didn't have glaring holes like Miami has that has kept Miami from being truly competitive this year and has cost them games. Better linebackers...better OL....better receivers.....etc.
Not better safeties or cornerbacks. The Giants secondary was as bad or worse than Miami's OL. The pass rush is a wash and the QBs are TBD. Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Really? Because they had the 25th ranked scoring defense. We're currently 9th. They averaged 3.5 ypc. We're currently at 4.3. They had 20 defensive INT's. We're currently at 16. They had 48 sacks. We're at 40. Our stats all have 3 games remaining. My point was that a team that was 6-6 could actually do something in the postseason.
Well, we played the pasties earlier in the year, with a less than 100% Gronk and they beat us, albeit a game we could/should have won. I don't think there is much difference between them not having Gronk now and what they had with him earlier in the year. This could be a 'statement' game but this team has had a history, even this season, of losing a game they perhaps shouldn't have. It's time for them to step up to the plate and break down the 'loser' mentality and win a game that we can, period. And yes, it's as big a game as we've had for several years... Everything they've worked for the last two years under Philbin is sitting there waiting for them...
We've lost 4 of our 6 games by 4pts or less, and only were outmatched in the New Orleans game. I don't see how we haven't been truly competitive this year. We beat Indy at Indy (a playoff team this year), we beat Cincy at home (a likely playoff team this year), we lost by 10 to NE (a playoff team this year - but we were certainly in the game until some questionable officiating), lost by 4 to Carolina (a likely playoff team this year), and lost to Baltimore by 3 (a potential playoff team).
There is no comparing the '11 Giants and us at this point. The nucleus of that team had won a SB. That alone is a massive difference. But, KB is right, they clearly had a better and more proven roster. They had 3 great pass rushers still bringing it (Pierre-Paul; Tuck and Umenyiora). They had a very good pass-blocking and experienced OL that gave up only 28 sacks in 16 games. That stat relative to Miami's trumps nearly all the others. They also had 3 great WR's - two of them capable of big plays at any moment. (Not dissing our WR's with that, but …) They had more experienced and better RB's. They had a SB winning QB who had already proven himself in big games having won a huge one in 07. There is just a world of difference between this team and the '11 Giants the nucleus of which won a SB in '07. You simply cannot compare a team like Miami with a team that had already proven itself in winning a SB. Btw, Stringer Bell - they did not have Gibril Wilson. You are confusing the '11 Giants with the '07 Giants (who had a tremendous pass rush then also - including a HOF DE; and as a team had 53 sacks that year). The '11 Giants had Antrelle Rolle and Aaron Ross at CB. That's not too shabby. Amukamara was the #3 CB.
I agree. They will, of course, continue to use Amendola and the Welker-Clone on the short across the middle passes. They have really been attacking teams with their RB's going deep also - and that will be a problem for Miami. Our LB's cannot guard their RB's. So, they will be attacking our LB's for the most part - on the short crossing routes that is their staple and RB's going deep; and then try to exploit our #2 and #3 DBs. Will be interesting to see if they can run on us - that could be huge for Brady if they can. I think if we blitz Brady (except by surprise or zone blitzes) we will lose. The best hope to beat Brady has always been to drop 7 and be able to bring a pass rush with 4 that gets pressure in his face (we will need some stunts on those 4). If he can stand in his classic statuesque position - he will have quite a day. Offensively - will need to run the ball. If RT can actually connect with Wallace on a couple of deep balls that will be huge to have those big plays and then it will really open up Hartline and Clay underneath. Even though we play the Pats well - Brady and co. are fearless at the end of games this year. They have been insanely good in the clutch. If we are up on the Pats by less than a TD under 3 minutes and they have the ball - they will win. If our D has to stop a final drive down the stretch I don't think we can win. We might be able to win on our own final drive, though.
Our key has to be knocking Brady around, and controlling the ball on offense. We need to have long, sustaining, touch down ending drives. If the Patriots are in it within 5 minutes of the 4th, we havent done enough. We have to come out like we did defensivley against the Panthers. Hitting Brady, and hitting him hard. I want to see guys jumping around, yelling, celebrating, hi-fiving and all around acting like this is a must win situation! Put Brady and his goons in dark blues, and lets get a loud playoff caliber crowd at Joe Robbie, and LETS DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not really sure why anyone thinks this game is bigger than some of our games from the 7-9 years where we were in a very similar must win to get in situations... Fact is, every game from here on out is a must win if we're going to make the playoffs. Baltimore losing 2/3 and us winning 2/3 is likely our only hope to get in. Considering we're 1-2 against our next 3 opponents, finishing 2-1 would be a happy surprise.
The teams emotional state ( jumping around, hi fivin, actin like kids usually doesn't happen at sun life, were usually a subdued bunch) will be dictated by the crowd, it's human nature, unless they have gotten to the point mentally where they have a singular focus and are able to block it all out.. We can change that though, the fans have to take action, which is to accept the disadvantage, but not feed into more by being late and passive, we must combat the disadvantage by being earlier and more engaged...the team has done it's job...the fans cannot take their last bitterness into this game and just let it all out..and deal with the outcome..just like you want your team to lay it out all on the field, truly the same thing can be said for the fans, it should be draining.
IMO Because those teams all had glaring holes and feasted on poor teams. We dont have those same questions and holes now as the team is coming together. Back then our defense had to carry us every game, now we have an emergibg offense to pair eith it. Imo our long term expectations of this team make the game bigger. My two cents.
This is a franchise-changing game against New England. In front of the home fans against the team that's dominated this division for over a decade, in the thick of the playoff race. Pats have beaten us 7-straight games now; but at the moment they're ravaged by injuries to some of their best players. Put an end to their win-streak, stop the thought that they can just sweep us every damn year. Defend home field and make a statement.
They're absolutely franchise changing games. They could save so many jobs, if not in the short-term, but long-term. I think beating going 4-0 in December down the stretch against cold weather opponents, would mean a lot. I think it does more for Ryan Tannehill and the perception of Ryan Tannehill as a franchise QB.
I'm sure we would. I'd be completely shocked if that all happened though. Although the potential 1st round matchup vs Indy or Cincy would be such a break for Miami.
Maybe I have too many flashbacks of the late December games in Buffalo 20 years or so ago, but IMO that is the toughest remaining game and most likely loss. We seem to always struggle in Buffalo in late December.
Not to hijack my own thread. But, the way Brenner played (as well as the other new O-linemen) really demonstrates to me how poor the team has scouted players - including their own players in deciding who to start. Give these guys opportunities.
Pro Day Results: Dates: 03/20/13 Height: 6023 Weight: 307 40 Yrd Dash: 5.03 20 Yrd Dash: 2.90 10 Yrd Dash: 1.74 225 Lb. Bench Reps: 29 Vertical Jump: 29 Broad Jump: 08'08" 20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.76 3-Cone Drill: 7.56 I'd call him similar to Brian Schwenke, but Sam was more versatile in college. Utah even used him at LT.
It does seem the choice of starters is a bit off sometimes. Seems like every time a starter goes down, the replacement plays better. Its great that we have depth, but it also says something about the choice of starters. makes me wonder about some of the other guys still waiting to make contributions.
Actually the 2013 Pats remind me of the 2001 Pats. And what do you know, we have the same coach and QB! Don't flatter yourselves.
