Sincere question. Our records are 7-9 (2012), 8-8 (2013) and so far 5-4 (2014). Considering our records, what we are seeing on the field, and taking the new Offense into account, do you feel we are improving?
For the record, I feel we are improving. The defense this year is better than last year. The Offense, and Tannehill are better. The roster talent seems better. It's likely we go 9-7. Yet somehow, that's still oddly dissatisfying as I feel like we could win 10 or 11 games with some stronger decision making and leadership from the Head Coach. Strange situation.
Yes, absolutely. The one area that still needs more improvement is the pass protection from middle of Oline. the good news is that only a handful of teams can dominant on Dline like that. Detroit and Buffalo being two of them. The better news is that our D is playing really well (Brent Grimes was a hero today) so we can keep up with most teams in the league.
I answered no from the standpoint that I think we end up at 9-7 and out of the playoffs still. I don't see that as improvement, even though I would say that both our offense and defense are better than last year. I'm all about results though, and I think we end up staying pretty static in that regard.
Of course we are improving. The roster is improved, the defense is top 5. Offensive production is improved. Playcalling is inconsistent, changes in lineups due to suspensions and injuries affect the consistency as well. We need to improve the playcalling and depth. Overall, the roster, the system, the coaching is best we've had in decades, and the product is awesome. We've arrived, we got it, we are good for next 3 years. We are close to being dominant and that is the goal, to make the right decisions to become dominant. We are not dominant yet but we are close and young, and that's why Joe Godbin is untouchable--he is the mastermind beihnd this monumental transformation in Miami..
You can't say that our offense and defense have improved, and then say we haven't improved. Win/loss is dependent upon several things...
Yes. We have a QB. By virtue of that alone we are further along then 75% of the teams in this league. Ryan Tannehill is playing darn close to an elite level. We have a defense (even if Id still prefer it as a 3-4). We have tackles, decent special teams (Fields is good, Sturgis...we can look for a Kicker or keep developing). We need 4 things.... A new HC (since we win in spite of Philbin and not because of him), Height/Physicality at TE and WR (Rishard Matthews helps with the physicality part if theyd use him...resign Clay for a seem threat and add Jordan Cameron or a pick for red zone?...or just sign Julius Thomas lol), a power back to compliment Miller, and guard help.
Well, winning and losing can be divided between: Offensive Performance (Players / Coaches) Defensive Performance (Players / Coaches) Special Teams (Players / Coaches) Sufficient Roster Talent Which Performs To Potential (GM and Position Coaches) Big In-Game Decisions (Head Coach, Players / Co-Ordinators to a lesser Degree) And obviously all of the performance ones also relate to how well motivated the team is, how focused, how prepared, how well practices are being run, etc.. so a lot of that is also a reflection of the Head Coach in a way. If I were to score each of those out of ten (up to this point of the season) I would score them as follows: Offensive Performance (Players / Coaches) 7.5 Defensive Performance (Players / Coaches) 9 Special Teams (Players / Coaches) 6-7 Sufficient Roster Talent Which Performs To Potential (GM and Position Coaches) 8 Big In-Game Decisions (Head Coach, Players / Co-Ordinators to a lesser Degree) 5
I think that the team is improving, and is at a minimum above average, and trending towards good. But I agree with others that Philbin is holding the team back. He's bland and stubborn, and continues to try and force square pegs into round holes. If the team misses the playoffs and replaces Philbin with a better HC, I truely think that the team, with minor tweeks, could jump to a 12-win quality club.
Yes but we need to take another big step forward in four days or we'll have to do the rest of our improving in 2015. Probably with a different coach. I'm not sure that's a bad thing.
We're definitely improving. I think we have our QB, he just needs to keep growing. I fully believe we're a few players away from being a beast...we just need the coaches to get it straight consistently...Lazor is still learning too...Philbin seems to refuse to at times.
If a new HC comes in there would likely be significant changes, I'd think, in our Offense, Defense, and maybe personnel (draft, FA) approaches. Unlikely a new (good) HC would just inherit everything a fired HC left behind and 'let it ride' on that succeeding. They'll want their own systems, people, coaches, and 'type of players'. The best we can hope for, imo, is Lazor becoming interim coach. If we lost to Buffalo for instance, it's conceivable Ross decides to use the 'out' that "Joe Philbin has decided to step away from the game to be with his family." Ross is a softie, and that would be the one way I could see him letting Philbin go. No way Ross fires a guy without a cover-story to make it look gentle... not after the guy's Dad died. That'd be super un-Ross. So, I want us to beat Buffalo. BUT if we lose, I'd be okay with seeing Joe Philbin 'allowed' to leave while Lazor is the interim coach.
I think we have taken some strides. It may not show up in a substantial win/loss record difference this year but I do feel like we are closing to be a top tier team. Our biggest problem is we still have some major holes in important areas of our team. If we can address interior OL, OLB and a big target playmaker, then I think we have the pieces in place. The other thing is this team needs to learn to be more consistent. We haven't put together many complete games. When we have, it's been impressive. Whether that's coaching, the players, the personnel, I don't know
This. We're better, but it's dissatisfying because it's not translating into enough wins. 5-4 and we could legitimately have 1-2 more wins. Maybe even show up for the Bills/Chiefs game. People point to Philbin as the problem. I don't disagree. He's not a head coach at the NFL level. He'll never have a head coaching job again. As bad as Joe Philbin is, Bill Lazor isn't much better. He simply looks like it when compared to Sherman.
Were light years better then we have been in along time. We'd be way out of this playoff race with any of our other teams.. Save for the 2008 season
If this team was playing the 2013 schedule, then yes, we've improved. As it is, I don't expect us to end up with any different results than last year. You can call it a tougher schedule or tough breaks, but either way I'm not big on moral victories. We looked better while getting the exact same result. Yay. All that said, I'm really hoping we can pull out this Thursday game and at least give us some hope of the playoffs. I think we're in a no-win situation because I don't expect us to have the killer instinct required in today's NFL while Philbin is coach, but I also agree with others that a new coach is likely a reset button and starting over despite having decent talent. Before this game I didn't think a loss would knock us out of the playoffs, but the manner we lost I think does. I felt pretty good about the Buffalo game given the track record of road teams with 4 days to prep for a TNF game, but we lost Albert and will potentially be without Misi and Finnegan. We took a beating from the Lions and I think that works more against us on a short week than traveling does for the Bills. If we drop to a 5-5 team with Denver, NE, and Baltimore on the schedule, I think the probability of ending 8-8 at best is pretty high. I don't think we can finish 8-8 and claim improvement.
Hickey has done some good things, but hasn;t shown us that he's good at assessing D-Line talent, has he? I mean Fede is promising. McCain was really brought in as a LB, not sure if Hickey projected him to ever move to DE down the road (which I doubt he does). So that leaves us with Wake, Vernon, Starks, Odrick, Shelby... all Ireland scouting/decisions. I don;t prefer Ireland, btw, I'm just pointing out that different GMs have different strengths. Hockey seems to be better at assessing the O-Line than Ireland was. We don't know yet if Hickey can assess D-linemen as well as Ireland did. (The other argument you could make is that the DL position coach, Kacy, is just a damned good coach regardless of GM.. and that the new OL coach is better than the old one)
This year he had too many emergencies to patch up to go hard on DL IMO. And I think Fede was a great low-rounder...time will tell.
Lazor is the problem. Balanced offense is the key. He needs to start playcalling balanced offense consistently. Otherwise, I am all for firing him asap. This Year: Wins (passing attempts/rushing) (Points): Pats, 33/38 (33) Raiders, 31/35 (38) Bears, 36/33 (27) Jaguars, 32/24 (27) Chargers, 39/35 (37) Losses (passing attempts/rushing) (Points): Bills, 53/21 (10) Chiefs, 46/20 (15) Packers, 32/23 (24) Lions, 42/19 (16)
And I guess the opponent can take the run game away if they have a dominant D line... but that's exactly why Tannehill running the read option would have helped so much today.
I don't think we are any better or worse than we have been since Dan Marino retired. We are good in some areas, and typically weak in others. We do not dominate any one. We are middle of the pack. Par for the course as usual. Even our vaunted defense couldn't close the deal. Same old Dolphins.
I'd say Earl Mitchell was one of Hickeys absolute best moves. He's been a stud among that beast d-line.
The Players are improving slowly. The Coaches and Owner couldn't be a bigger group of clowns since J.R. and Shula
Yes.We have QB.A real QB.Nota Jay Fiedler, hope it works out type QB. AN Actual real QB. That is the most important thing. The rest is improving and what isn't will come.
Being better than Fiedler doesn't mean we have a real QB. Tannehill still has his moments. He threw one INT in the redzone that could of cost us big time (Optimus Grimes FTW). Then he almost threw another INT in the endzone that was dropped. Let's not get carried away with anointing Tannehill. He's been hot and cold like that all season.
Fede looks promising, Mitchell is a nice pickup, Hickey has shown a lot in his short tenure with this team, he gets the key
I don't know how we could knock Hickey at this point. When's the last time we had our 1st rounder and our 2nd rounder pan out? Prior to Hickey, we had a wasted decade of 2nd round picks. Landry looks like he could be a game changer. On top of that, it looks like he has contributors in later rounds with Aikens and Tripp. Fede could develop into a solid piece as well. That's not even including Turner. I think the offseason signings were pretty good. Mitchell was a great signing. Locking up Starks was a great move. Albert has been playing lights out before the injury. When you consider we had to completely makeover our starting OL, LB and half of our secondary, I'd say he did a pretty good job.
We still have an inexperienced qb who looks like he has arrived one week, and then reverts the next. Everyone mentions Clay's dropped pass in the endzone but THill was late. Watch it again and notice Clay clapping his hands calling for the throw when there was a big window. As always, we'll improve as fast as the qb improves. IMO the team is improving at a snail's pace.
I don't know that it's a good idea to go by those numbers (run/pass ratio). The KC game we ran effectively but it's tough to focus on the run game when you're down by 2 scores much of the and half which is where the disparity widened. The KC game was probably Millers best game of the year. The disparity got widened at two points; in the 2nd quarter when we went down by two scores for the second time and in the fourth quarter after the chiefs got a couple quick strikes to give them the 34-15 margin they won by. Yesterday the running game was completely ineffective. That was probably a product of poor scheme design (you can't run laterally vs Detroit, too much team speed) and miller being hurt. The other two games we can argue about all day. Buffalo we were playing from behind all day. They could have done more to keep balance but the run game wasn't especially effective and it's tough to do anyway when you're down 2-3 scores all game and aren't moving the ball. The GB game was my biggest beef with Lazor who IMO has otherwise done a fine job. GB he went conservative late when he needed to be aggressive and he was passing a lot early when he needed to be more balance. That's more a rhthym/feel for the game issue. Other then that I feel Lazor has done a fine job. Moreno was brought in to compliment Miller and he went down and it's been the Lamar Miller show all year. After a poor year last Millers shown a lot of improvement under Lazor. And Tannehill is night and day better. Lazor is the least of our problems on this coaching staff.
I haven't been crazy about some of Lazor's play calling and overall performance as OC, especially yesterday, but I am willing to cut him some slack. After all, this is his first stint as a NFL coordinator, and he has some learning to do. However, he has a lot of great coaching qualities that are just waiting for more experience to grow.
Fire him? I believe that is a very foolish thought. This offense is significantly better than last year because of his scheme.
Earl Mitchell was a fantastic evaluation of talent. Not resigning Big Paul was a fantastic evaluation of talent. Fede is a seventh rounder. Why even bring him up? I completely disagree with your statement.
I'm not sure I'd re-sign Clay. He dropped the GW pass yesterday. He plays like the Phins of teams past...good numbers, but can't be counted on in crunch time. I don't want those kinds of players.