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Should we really be that surprised?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Clark Kent, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. Clark Kent

    Clark Kent Fighter of the Nightman

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    A lot of us, myself included, are stunned this team is 1-2 and has struggled to do much of anything good. Why though? History is just repeating itself. The team at the end 2014 is basically the same team we fielded to start 2015.

    2014 Offensive vs. 2015 Offense: The team got off to a slow start in '14. Mainly due to the offensive system being new. The first few games were rough and full of inconsistency. We rebounded quite nicely as the offense gelled into the system. Miami found its groove and played very well for a long stretch. Brandon Albert got hurt and Miami's oline looked like a game of musical chairs. Pouncey at RG, James at LT, Thomas at RT, etc...

    This season, Miami actually downgraded the offensive line. Albert was coming off a blown knee, that occurred mid-season. He spent the off-season resting and doing rehab instead of conditioning. A lot of us guessed his play would be a problem early on. And given his previous injury history combined w/lack of football conditioning, it was a gamble he could stay healthy. As far as the interior line is concerned, Miami upgraded the C position by moving Pouncey back, but downgraded the two guard positions by promoting Thomas and starting a 4th round rookie. JJ struggles at RT are a little surprising. He's still young and there's still time to improve this season, but it's concerning.



    2014 Defensive vs. 2015 Defense: 2014 and 2015 are mirroring one another too. Early on last year, the unit looked strong. Grimes, Jones (when he came back), and Delmas were a solid trio. And Finnegan, while unspectacular, held down the fort at CB2. He was very solid for us. When Finnegan got hurt, CB2 became a liability. Offenses were attacking that side of the field at will. Our secondary degraded further w/o Delmas. This season, CB2 and FS are no different. McCain has no business starting outside and Taylor hasn't ever lived up to his draft status. Delmas is gone w/an injury, and we're just as lost at S as we were last season.

    The defensive line struggles are surprising... I think more of it has to due w/scheming than talent. Cam Wake's injury isn't helping, as he's our best pass rusher. I'm not shocked Vernon is floundering, I've always felt the fan base overrated him beyond his ability. Suh hasn't had the impact we thought he would, but he's playing too much 1 technique and is getting double and triple teamed all game long. Which could be a good thing, if anyone else bothered to take advantage of their 1-1 match ups and get after the QB. At the same time, Miami has to scheme around it's deficiencies at LB and in the secondary... What came first, the chicken or the egg? I don't see the defense improving tbh. Unlike the offensive line, which has a better chance to improve as time passes. A lot of that depends on Albert getting healthy and in football shape, and the growing pains slowly passing from JJ and Douglas. Thomas is hopeless, obviously...



    The point? Miami didn't really address any of it's needs. Miami completely neglected the secondary, LB corps, and offensive line. All of whom were to blame for the struggles this team endured at the end of 2014. The problems those positional group caused from around mid-season onward are clearly still problems. Strap in. It's going to be a long year. The roster is set and there's not much to be done about it now.
     
  2. gunn34

    gunn34 I miss Don & Dan

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    Very good. I agree. Everyone looked at the soft schedule and forgot all our holes.
     
  3. MonstBlitz

    MonstBlitz Nobody's Fart Catcher

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    Not to mention Joe ****ing Philbin is still the head coach.
     
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  4. jw3102

    jw3102 season ticket holder

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    Not everyone. I saw a few posters who stated the Dophins would finish 8-8 or worse. While I picked them to finish 9-7, I was told that I didn't know anything about football when I posted that the Dolphins would finish behind the Bills in the division and that going 4-2 or possibly 3-3 over the first six games wouldn't be a surprise to me.

    I thought that after two 8-8 seasons they should be able to win at least one additional game this year. I just never anticipated that the defense would be as bad as it is and that the players would stop playing for Philbin so early in the season. They usually don't stop playing for him until later in the season, but I guess this year they just tired of him and his coaching staff a lot sooner.
     
  5. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

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    Players are being misused and mismanaged. That's been evident since we drafted Dion Jordan. If it's happening with established franchise players like Suh, I can only imagine the amount of talent being squandered with these younger players. It's a shame because we have enough talent on this team to be in the postseason.
     
  6. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    I think yes we really should be surprised (in fact we are!). Almost no one predicted this. Who here predicted a loss to the Jaguars? Who here predicted the DL would be so weak? There have been so many (so far) inaccurate predictions, including for player evaluations (I'm no exception here, especially with Suh and the DL), it's actually relatively unusual compared to years before.

    So yes it's surprising. And it's been totally surprising to Vegas too.
     
  7. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    The DLine has been by far the biggest surprise. Suh and Wake are invisible. We were worried about Grimes falling off due to age, but so far it appears that Wake should be the concern there. I know people have said he's nicked, but if he's out there playing that's all we can look at. I didn't think he was all that good down the stretch last year either, fwiw. You have to wonder - like with Grimes - how long an undersized guy can play at a high level as they age past 30.

    I've been unpleasantly surprised by Ju'Waun James as well. Guys are taking advantage of his questionable strength, imo. Here we were under the impression that we had a solid RT for the next ten years...and he comes out and gets pushed around for three weeks. Hoping he can show something against a good Jets front.

    Other than those things, no real surprise. Same HC-QB duo...same results.
     
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  8. Kud_II

    Kud_II Realist Division

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    I'm not surprised. We are often the off season champions as someone else previously stated on this board. They get us hyped all offseason, then the team comes out flat flopping around like dying fish.
     
  9. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    I am surprised by the D-line, but I thought we had downgraded the O-line, WRs, LBs and CBs this offseason and said I wouldn't be surprised if we were worse on both sides of the ball, which we are.

    I especially got a lot of flak for the WRs, because they were a group that "fit Tanne's skill set", which I said was a joke, because THAT is a QB problem, if you need WRs that "fit your QB's skill set".

    Also got a lot of flak because I thought the D was going to be worse, or should I say, because I didn't think Suh was a cure all.

    Took a ton of flak for those observations, I have been taking flak since I started posting online, but when I'm right, those folks that said I didn't know anything about football, or that I was just plain stupid, lol, there is no "my bad", it just gets forgotten until next year, when I won't know what I'm talking about again.
    :lol:
     
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  10. Clark Kent

    Clark Kent Fighter of the Nightman

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    That's what I'm saying. No one predicted this, but were rostering what amounts to the same team with the same weaknesses that crushed us from the mid point onward in 2014.
     
  11. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    Predicting we are going to be bad is easy when youve been bad since Huard took over at quarterback..
     
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  12. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    Holes???

    We have all new receivers and almost all new linemen. What did we expect was going to happen. Virtually a offense that has never played together

    Throw in multiple changes on defense and we have what we have

    You are dead on the money about neglecting our needs!!

    I will go as far as to say that the stadium renovation and the signing of SUH were to distract from what most are now realizing. This team is not good and probably isn't going to be for a while. I just hope blowing our wad on one player like we did doesn't handicap us like I think it will for 4,5 maybe even 6 years.

    Signing SUH was a sell tickets and merchandise move. If the upper brass really wanted to improve the team they would have addressed the line and linebackers. But that doesnt sell tickets. New seats so we can watch the game in style and creating excitement by winning the SUH sweepstakes sells tickets. Spending money on linemen and Linebackers just isnt sexy.
     
  13. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    Vegas bought into the same hype 80% of the people on this board bought into.

    I will give you one example. We brought in Kenny Stills from New Orleans who was supposed to be the answer to all our prayers. At least many on this board acted like he was some kind of savior. Probably because they over looked the obvious because they want to win so bad. Just an observation. , Stills is close to base pay this year and next. So when his contract comes up for renewel and we now don't have the cash then what? What has he done for us lately?? # catches in 3 games for 22 yrds. If he has a yr like his last year in 2014 - 931 yrds. Stills will want at least 3 mill a yr going forward. We simply don have the coin for that so Stills is a stop gap.

    SUH will never carry this team like a lot of people thought he would. Good player, but over paid in my opinion.

    I predicted the line would be atrocious and got bombarded. I questioned what happens if someone gets hurt. I was told I am always negative. We can not spend league minimum on 70% of the replacements, signing guys off practice squads and guys no one else wants. Salary dictates ability. The reality is Tannenbaum is good at creating hype. I can only imagine he had no idea it will fall as quick as it did.
     
  14. Tin Indian

    Tin Indian Rockin' The Bottom End Club Member

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    The only unit that has upgraded this offseason is the WR's. Jennings is a disappointment but he can still get his groove back. They really haven't gotten Stills involved enough yet.

    O line is just as bad as end of the year last year. The surprise there is that JJ is having a hard time this year. Last year when he was at RT he played extremely well. When he had to move to LT is when he struggled.

    LB's were my biggest worry coming into the season on D. At this point I want to move Misi back to middle and go with Jenkins and take my chances with Chris McCain on the opposite side.

    Honestly, I never thought our secondary would miss Delmas as much as they are. They cant seem to play without him.

    Single biggest disappointment is obviously the D Line. I refuse to believe that all of a sudden those guys forgot how to play football. That Wake has found the Reverse Fountain of Youth (The guy is in great shape) and that Vernon doesn't know what a football is. Vernon couldn't have worse possible timing for his sudden case of football amnesia since this is his contract year. And Suh is the second coming of Haynesworth. Anyway I dont buy any of that. I think it is all on the gameplan and scheme as passed out by Coyle.

    The one thing I would change immediately is to move Phillips in and Mitchell out of the starting D Line.
     
  15. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Pretty sure the players want coyle fired
     
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  16. DolfinFan

    DolfinFan New Member

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    Im not surprised either...as a fan im more pissed off. Seems like they always create alot of noise in the offseason hype up the fans and once the season starts its same old. We lack explosive plays on offense, no deep balls, no running game. We added #1 defensive free agent on the market and we're worse than we were last year. How the heck is that possible I dunno, but to be its gotta be coaching. I think its all on coaches and Mr. Ross and GM gotta make some changes, get rid of some coaches, bring in a diff system so we can actually use the talent we have on offense and defense. Cuz whatever Philbin is doing its obviously not working! And I really liked Philbin at first, players liked him, but in this league u gotta produce, and if ur not producing then changes gotta be made. Simple as that, fire Philbin bring in someone new.
     
  17. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    #27

    Another one of Week 3's brutal games. In the offseason, Miami shelled out more than $200 million on Ryan Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh. Here's the return on investment from Sunday: a 59.7 passer rating, zero impact plays and a 41-14 home loss.

    Dear Fin fans,

    We feel for you.

    Sincerely,
    Power Rankings
     
  18. Sceeto

    Sceeto Well-Known Member

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    Big neglect of the OL and LBs.
     
  19. Rock Sexton

    Rock Sexton Anti-Homer

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    I didn't. I was on record with every single one of my concerns. I'm not saying that to gloat - I just don't understand how it was so hard to see.

    I saw a lot of Kool-Aid being passed around because of the Suh signing and Tanny supposedly elevating his play with his new receivers ..... of which I still wasn't that impressed with. I like Parker but he was gone for almost all of TC and preseason. Jennings is old and Stills benefited tremendously from the Saints O.

    Nothing we did solved our depth problems, O-line issues, and secondary issues. This is now compounded by the fact that our disgustingly expensive D-Line is imploding before our very eyes. Our coaching problems were always still there - outside of Lazor I've had no faith in any of them ..... but even he has become stubborn in trying to air it out with Tannehill.

    It's early ...... but the familiar stench of "more of the same" is still swirls around this franchise. It always will until this coaching staff is long gone. Getting the doors blown off in the home opener after the renovations and the hype is absolutely inexcusable ...... especially at the hands of a heated rival.
     
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  20. muskrat21

    muskrat21 Well-Known Member

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    but, but, but, everyone said that suh would improve our lb'er play and db play. and that losing wheeler and ellerbe was an improvement so how can it be worse than last year? now we are in cap hell and have no way to fix anything. thanks suh and tannebaum/ross.
     
  21. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    yup, I was one of those peeps...not much to say either..Suh is playing without intensity, were trying to figure that out as we speak
     
  22. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    Bingo
     
  23. Tannephins

    Tannephins Banned

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    No, we shouldn't, because optimism in an area like this is always likely to be based far more on hope than on something realistic and tangible.
     
  24. roy_miami

    roy_miami Well-Known Member

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    I am surprised. I was against the Suh signing for a few reasons, mainly because I watched the Patriots easily scheme around him like what they did to the Bills, but Suh has historically been pretty good against lesser QBs for the most part. Taylor and Bortles should have been held in check but both had career games against us. Let that sink in for a sec: back to back career games!!

    Now to be fair Taylor might actually be a very good QB, and if he is the Bills are poised to be the team to take over as the AFC East champs when Brady goes off into the sunset, but either way its a surprise. Its a surprise if Taylor turns out to be the next Russell Wilson. And its a surprise if Suh allowed him to look like the next Russell Wilson for a game.
     
  25. Phins_Fan_87

    Phins_Fan_87 Phins and Heat fan Club Member

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    [video=twitter;649413403770007553]https://twitter.com/LRiddickESPN/status/649413403770007553[/video]
     
  26. roy_miami

    roy_miami Well-Known Member

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    I know I was, and concerned isn't the right word but curious to see if the "simplified defense" mandate by Philbin would make us better or worse. I think most took it for granted that we would be better but when you make a change like that there is always a possibility it goes the other way too. Seems like we gambled on making the defense worse so the younger/dumber players could play in it easier but it sure hasn't worked out.
     

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