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Run the damn ball!!

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by The_Dark_Knight, Nov 11, 2014.

  1. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    I swear to God I wish I could walk into Philbin's office, pound my fist on his desk and scream just that, "Run the damn ball!" Number DON'T lie.

    When we've rushed the ball for 25 times or more per game, we win. When we don't we lose. The only exception this year was against Jacksonville, where we rushed the ball 24 times.

    Bottom line the formula is simple, run to win.
     
  2. Alex13

    Alex13 Tua Time !!! Club Member

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    its a passing league now
     
  3. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    I'm not saying we shouldn't run the ball more, but rushing 25 times is not a magic number.

    The games we've won, for the most part, have been by multiple scores, which means we are running more AFTER the game is more or less won to run down the clock.

    What we should be looking for, is more balance, IMO.
     
    Da 'Fins, brandon27, Stitches and 2 others like this.
  4. GARDENHEAD

    GARDENHEAD Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    You are confusing correlation with causation. Please read this: http://www.footballoutsiders.com/info/FO-basics
     
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  5. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    Running the ball is a smart idea, but as others have said, sometimes the larger number of rushes come from being up big and running up the clock. We ran the ball almost every play in the fourth quarter against the Chargers, for example, but didn't score any points after taking the starters out. I want the team to run and be balanced, but I also want them to play smart and do what works. Not force something that isnt there.
     
  6. CrunchTime

    CrunchTime Administrator Retired Administrator

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    Actually the name of the game today is balance.You cant have one without the other.We didnt have much of a running game vs the Lions so the defenses keyed on Tanny and the passing game.
     
    dolphindebby likes this.
  7. vt_dolfan

    vt_dolfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    The Miami Dolphins are first in the NFL in Red Zone Chances.

    We are in the bottom of the league in Red Zone Scoring.

    Thats where we need to improve. KB and some others brought up a very good point. We dont have a LEGIT Red Zone target, a big WR or TE. Thats just something we lack....remember the advantage we had when OG was in there? We will add that in the draft most likely as there are some very good BIG WRs in this draft as well as some TEs.
     
    speed and Fin D like this.
  8. thisperishedmin

    thisperishedmin Well-Known Member

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    On top of the lack of a big red zone target, we dont have a grind it out and pound RB.

    Get one of each and watch the difference next year.
     
  9. Vinny Fins

    Vinny Fins Feisty Brooklyn dolfan ️‍

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    Lamar Miller was basically too banged up to be effective last week and our other RBs are a joke.

    That's why we were pass heavy.

    It ain't rocket science.
     
  10. Sceeto

    Sceeto Well-Known Member

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    Wait, Miller was dinged up. We had back-ups going against one of the best Ds in the league. Being able to run the ball is great, but look at the circumstances.
     
  11. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I was just reading up on these types last night for next spring's draft. Didn't seem to me that the draft looks all too deep, but I haven't been able to watch very much college football this year.
     
  12. jw3102

    jw3102 season ticket holder

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    The Dolphins haven't had a lot of success running the ball against the Bills defense. They now go into the game with their best offensive lineman on IR and their top RB still recovering from an injury.

    This is going to be a game where Tannehill and the passing game are going to have to provide most of the offense for this team.

    To win the this game, the Dolphins defense needs to limit the Bills offense to no more than 16 points. If they can do that, I believe the Dolphins offense, even without a running game, can score at least 17 points to pull out a close win.
     
  13. Fin4Ever

    Fin4Ever Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I definately agree with you here. We need three things first and foremost in the draft I feel.1) Big Fast Wide Receiver who is strong and of course, can catch in the clutch.2) Big fast strong Tight end that is clutch in Red Zone Catches!3) Big running back like Todd Gurley. With him and Miller...What a tandemHell, if Hickey needs to jump back in the first round do it.Also it would be nice to get a really good guard, Safety, and CB..and maybe hits on some additional UDFA.
     
  14. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Not sure I agree with the premise.

    You always want to run the football. But in this game the more important thing for the Dolphins offense to establish is the pass. We need to get Mike Wallace, Charles Clay and Jarvis Landry running loose in their secondary. We need to challenge our banged up OL to give Tannehill enough time to hit them.

    We need to run out to an early lead and then allow our defense to frustrate them with futility, making a multi-score lead start to look insurmountable until they start losing their wind in front of the other team's raucous home crowd.

    They have a fearsome pass rush and we have a banged up line. But they're on the road coming off a short week. I doubt they're going to come out of the gates red hot in the pass rush department. We need to take advantage of that and get Mike Wallace the ball on late developing deeper routes like deep crosses and the like.

    Once you've established the danger of the passing game you can start to find room to run the football. But if we come out of the gates trying to run the football with banged up OLs, TEs and RBs against the likes of Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, Mario Williams, Brandon Spikes, Nigel Bradham, Preston Parker and DaNorris Searcy...then they're going to stuff the hell out of those runs and put us in 3rd & 8 or so, at which point their pass rushers will really start to get going.

    So I say throw the ball 1st down, throw the ball 2nd down, when you get a conversion hurry up to the line for the next series of downs and don't let them substitute...tire out their DLs and make it seem to them like they can't quite get into a rhythm.
     
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  15. Nappy Roots

    Nappy Roots Well-Known Member

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    The "we run the ball this many times we win" theory is bogus. Of course numbers tend to point towards more runs when you run. Because teams tend to run the ball out at the end, making their rushing totals go up. A big reason we lost was running to much at the end.
     
    BlameItOnTheHenne likes this.
  16. muskrat21

    muskrat21 Well-Known Member

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    it's weird. everyone says run the ball at the end when you have a lead. however everyone is pissed at philbin bc they ran the ball at the end with a lead.
     
  17. 54Fins

    54Fins "In Gase we trust"

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    We couldn't run the ball all day against Detroit. So what do the Fins do?
    When we had the ball to "try" and chew the clock down on OUR last drive, they run the ball on 1st and 2nd down......??
    Well, this works if you know how to get yards running to get at least 1 or 2 first downs. This wasn't the case against a stout run D.
    We were passing pretty well in the 2nd half (again) so why didn't they this game?
     
    Da 'Fins likes this.
  18. Dolphins1Beatles

    Dolphins1Beatles Ziggy Stardust

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    Its a passing league but they still need to run. When Tannehill throws 40+ times the Dolphins are 1-8. Miami needs to be a balanced team.
     
    77FinFan likes this.
  19. BlameItOnTheHenne

    BlameItOnTheHenne Taking a poop

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    Are you being serious? Daniel Thomas and Damien Williams were are only backs on Sunday and Detroit has a stingy run D. Simply running the ball over and over isn't the answer.
     
  20. PhinFan1968

    PhinFan1968 To 2020, and BEYOND! Club Member

    Certainly not running it up the gut right into their #1 strength, with that #1 strength having an awesome day...friggin' ridiculous some of those calls...particularly with the ball, and under 4 minutes to play with a lead.

    Which makes me wonder...who's responsible for those calls anyway? Lazor or Philbin, or both? The Packers game taught them nothing.
     
    Da 'Fins likes this.
  21. Da 'Fins

    Da 'Fins Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    This is exactly right.

    It has to be Philbin, imo. It's his personality.

    I think Lazor's experience in Philly under Kelly would teach him to be aggressive to the end of the game.

    It's aggressive, balanced, and unique play-calling that gets the Dolphins there. Don't change that.

    But, Philbin is still old-school NFL (even if he was WCO - it's not the Chip Kelly NFL) and I think his mind says, use the clock.

    Miami has potentially choked away one for certain, potentially two games this year because of coaching. That really, really sucks.
     

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