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So proud of these guys

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by tirty8, Nov 10, 2019.

  1. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

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    Honestly, I haven't had this much fun watching a Dolphins' team in a long while. I know we haven't won a ton of games, but this feels like a winning organization.

    I know a lot of you guys on this board believe that Gase is the answer, but I always felt like we were squeaking out victories. Coach Flo has 25% the talent Gase had, but he has these boys with him. A lot of the big Gase fans on this board thought that a win was a win. It didn't matter if we squeaked by or got lucky as long as we won Gase was the reason. Now look at Flo. This is how we win. We come out and play solid D with a bunch of no-names in the secondary. Flo isn't making excuses. Flo isn't blaming the players. Flo is scheming around this guys. The staff is coaching up guys like Needham. THIS IS WHAT A GENIUS LOOKS LIKE. Just wait. Just wait till this guy gets talent around him.

    I love watching this team grow and settle in!
     
  2. mlb1399

    mlb1399 Well-Known Member

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    Many people were predicting us to be 2-14 even before we traded Alonso, Tunsil, Drake, Stills and Fitz.

    For the first time in a LONG time, we are seeing players coached up and playing better than their talent level would indicate.
     
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  3. Hooligan

    Hooligan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Fins Up. It must $uck to be a Bengals fan, nothing to cheer about, nondescript coaches and, pinning all my hope on some college kid.
     
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  4. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

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    YES, YES, YES!!!!

    Dude, you know it! Instead of blaming the players, we are getting the most out of these guys! I have been wanting this for sooooo long!

    #PhinsUp
     
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  5. bbqpitlover

    bbqpitlover Well-Known Member

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    So we all can get beyond the tanking thing now?
     
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  6. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

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    How bout this? How bout we get behind this coaching staff getting a ton of talent.

    The future is bright!
     
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  7. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

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  8. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

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    I'd say 100% teams pin their hopes on college kids. LOL duh
     
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  9. PhinFan1968

    PhinFan1968 To 2020, and BEYOND! Club Member

    See how quick Flo got back into HC face after the brief lapse in stoicism? hahahaha....good stuff.
     
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  10. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    It's making me think Flores might have something. Some of the terrible playcalling gaffes are still really concerning, but keeping team spirit up and building a culture of toughness (leading to winning) is a challenge in it's own right. We will see where we end up in the draft, but this is the kind of development that I thought was a key to seeing if he was the right man for the job longer term.
     
  11. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

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    Honestly, what is he developing?

    Nobody on this roster is going to be here in two years.
     
  12. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    That's unlikely to happen, at least on the defensive side of the ball. We definitely need some playmakers on both sides of the ball though, sure.

    Overall though, it's about developing a locker room. To be trite, a culture.
     
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  13. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    It shouldnt be shocking we won. We had the better QB and still just barely pulled it off.

    It's not going to feel as good when we go into next season with Fitz starting again lol
     
  14. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    You don't really know that though. Some of these guys may be in depth roles on this team for years to come.
     
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  15. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    It's a deep QB class, with at least 2 more super prospects in 2021. The question isn't "will we have a QB" so much as "will we have the RIGHT QB with the RIGHT coach."
     
  16. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

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    Flores is the Head Coach. It's his job. What's he going to do, sit around and wait for better players? He's learning, working, trying to implement his vision. All of that matters. That's what he's developing.

    In other words, culture and atmosphere. The whole roster isn't going to be ditched in one go. If he can create an atmosphere where current players have bought in and are working hard, training hard, coming early, staying late, holding one another accountable, etc.

    Bottom line, these are his Dolphins. He's starting as he means to go on.
     
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  17. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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  18. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    I dont really consider the class deep this year. Nor do I believe having the right coach will make an untalented QB succeed.

    Burrow is probably the only QB in the draft with any chance of being special.

    No thanks to a QB who lacks talent. If we were going to settle we should have just stuck with Tannehill as hes better than everyone in this class not named Burrow or maybe Tua if he can handle top competition.

    Speaking of next year, it's irrelevant. If we dont finish #1 or #2 this year we will not be getting a top QB. The team should be better next year regardless, meaning we will be stuck in mediocrity again. Yay.
     
  19. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    Your opinion is yours, but you are also about the only one who has this particular morose outlook.
     
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  20. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    From any draft you are lucky to get one successful QB. The odds are just much better if you can choose the one you want. A deep QB draft class happens once every 10-20 years honestly when all is said and done.

    I'm just being a realist. Everyone here has complained for years about spending proper resources to fix the QB position and now no-one wants to do it.

    You all just want to draft any guy and hope he works out. That's a recipe to fail.
     
  21. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

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    This isn't a fun season personally for me. The year Ricky Williams ran wild out of his mind, yet we still missed the playoffs was way more fun than this if we're talking about "fun" in correlation to watching bad Miami teams. I just wanted to see us compete and we are definitely doing that. I'm just taking a caution like approach with coach Flores for right now. I absolutely hated the trading of Minkah Fitzpatrick, and I think Flores not using him correctly left a bad taste, but who knows what really went on behind the media and rumors.
    Aside from that, i'm taking it slow with coach Flores. It certainly seems as though he is building something here in Miami. If the guy can change the mindset and actual culture of this franchise, then he's already a keeper in my mind. I think the main issue with this franchise over the years has been mainly the players not being put in positions to succeed. All of a sudden Flores seems to be doing that with players that were cast offs from other teams. This reminds me of what Jim Harbaugh was able to do in San Francisco his first few years there. Find guys that absolutely love playing football and want every opportunity they can get at doing it. It makes sense, eventually you find a few talented ones and everything starts to take off.
     
  22. brandon27

    brandon27 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Well, look... I get it there's a feel good element to what's happened the last two weeks with two W's in a row but lets not blow this out of proportion either. Yeah, I think Flores has done a good job to this point with what he's got to work with. It's pretty impressive to see a team of nobody's competing, and that same team of nobody's improve since the first few games of the year when we were blown out. You can tell there's improvement there from the nobody's, as well as some somebody's like Gesicki & Parker.

    That being said, lets not forget we beat a Jets team that has it's own obvious set of issues. We just beat Indy with Brian Hoyer at QB, and their best WR on the sidelines as well. Lets not forget that Hoyer is essentially their 3rd option at QB with Luck's retirement and Brissett's injury. I'm willing to bet that it Brissett & Hilton played, we're probably not having this conversation right now.

    I do agree with your general principle though. Flores appears to have this group who was written off by virtually everyone with an opinion playing fairly well. They're putting them in the best positions based on their skillsets IMO and that's the ultimate goal of the coaching staff really. So that's a good thing.

    As I said earlier, I'm sold right now on Flores & the staff & the job they've done to this point. I just think it's also important to keep things in perspective. Three solid performances in a row, 2-1 record in the stretch. The wins are Indy (with Hoyer & no Hilton), The Jets (they're a mess, really) & a solid first half performance against Pittsburgh in primetime, but without Ben. It was 3 matchups with some pretty favorable circumstances. Either way though, they've played well, and done what they've had to do against those put in front of them. Can't complain about that.
     
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  23. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    Yea im getting sold on Flores.. the emotion he shows on the sidelines, during a bad call or a great play, or sealing the win... he is a players coach and the players are eating it up..

    Not to mention hes got our defense playing out of their minds, half the guys there have no business being in the NFL yet look at the plays theyre making... those are some big time plays...


    We are learning that McCain, Baker and McMillan and Biegel are guys you can build with.. some may be depth next season, but theyre going to set a foundation for the future of the defense..

    and then our offensive line has been playing relatively well.. they gave up a few sacks and some TFL but theyre still giving Fitz time to make plays..

    The next two drafts and free agency to improve the talent on some areas, we are going to be set ..
     
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  24. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

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    That's not true. Certain posters have *****ed about QB while a bunch of us have argued that you can't neglect the oline and have a successful QB and team.
     
  25. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

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    How are we blaming Flores for Minkah? Come on. Guy pumped his draft stock buy running with the "Swiss Army knife" narrative, then complained all off season because he didn't have a set position. Bottom line, Flores has this crappy roster playing tough and seemingly bought in. That's enough for me.
     
  26. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

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    Dude, did you not read my bolded part that I also underlined so that a comment like this wouldn't come up? With all due respect please re-read that part if you didn't. Nobody is blaming Flores for Minkah Fitzpatrick....I thought the bolded/underlined text would be a dead giveaway that I wasn't in fact blaming Flores. Sheesh, i'll try color next time.
     
  27. brandon27

    brandon27 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I would have loved to have sat in on the conversations with the staff & Minkah to be honest. From the outside looking in, it appears this staff has done a good job of getting guys to buy in, trust the judgement of the coaches regarding what they're asking them to do scheme and position wise. So, I'd be curious to hear how those discussions went with Minkah since it ultimately ended up in a trade.

    Talking pure speculation here on this, but I suspect Minkah's opinion on what he was being asked to do in this defense was "Hell no". He had his own reasons for that likely. Whether it was not being told soon enough so he could prepare himself physically, or if he didn't feel it was best for his game, or if he just simply didn't want to live through the losses this year; who knows. The impression I got from things we read after the trade it just seemed like Minkah wanted out though.

    I think this staff has done a good job putting their players in the right positions to succeed. I think we've also seen them look at from the standpoint of well, if you don' fit, or don't want to buy in, then you've got to go. That's normal too when you've got a coaching change. I just get the impression that's where things went with Minkah. The player had one idea, coaches had another & the FO had an offer on the table. You can't let the inmates run the asylum, especially early on in a new regime. All speculation here on my part, but I just think some interesting conversations must have taken place leading up to the trade. Maybe it was simply all about having a talented player they could move and get draft capital for, who knows really. It's interesting though to see the defense seemingly playing better WITHOUT Minkah, than they did with him.
     
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  28. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    Okay to say everyone was a bit silly. I dont mean literally everyone, I'm just noticing a trend.

    I'd also like a good to great line but I dont think that's something you need to build separately. It will most likely take q couple seasons of finding all the right guys that not only have talent but fit together.
     
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  29. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

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    Please explain how you can wipe contradicting statements, and then act like that isn't questioning Flores on that? You stated that Flores didn't use him correctly.
     
  30. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    I would have been fine keeping Tannehill if we got in coaching that hired linemen based on being linemen. We hadn't had that in awhile and it clearly showed that our bubbas weren't ready. I blame the coaches for that, not the players.

    We aren't finishing #1 or #2, but that doesn't mean all is lost. Grier just needs to put on his big boy pants and deliver after gutting the roster. But heck, if you get Fitz a little more protection, a little better ground game and a little better defense...I personally feel that might not be mediocrity. Almost anyone can throw to Parker and Williams, they're both beasts, and this team really isn't that far off from being special.

    For instance, you guys cry about Minkah but I haven't heard a single person mention how well McCain has stepped up and played at safety...it's not a massive net-loss like everyone claims.
     
  31. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    The only complaint I have about the Minkah situation is that we took him with a good pick and never seemed to have a plan to use him. Then traded him away after a year for what could be less than we spent.

    I dont have any issues with replacing a safety regardless of how talented, it's more how it happened.

    Fitz will be like 84 years old in a couple years. The idea if building anything around him is silly to me. By the time you build it he will be useless.

    Parker and Willians are both far off from even being average receivers. Parker has stepped up lately a bit but I'm not high on Williams. I dont care how many great catches he makes until he makes the easy ones.

    This team is ridiculously far off. So far off that people are sold on Flores after 2 wins.

    I know you all want something to cling to but all of our previous coaching hires started just as if not more promising. I think people are starting to slip into fairy tale land.
     
  32. Conka

    Conka Member

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    Miami just gets to play spoiler this year. watch them still split with Pats again lol.
     
  33. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    They had a plan.
     
  34. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    Technically everyone has a plan for everything they do.

    Maybe what I should have said is they didnt have a legitimate plan.
     
  35. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    Why was it illegitimate?
     
  36. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    This team is easily the least talented roster in the NFL- there were only about a dozen players at the start of camp that could make another squad. Two of those players- Jones and Howard, have barely played this season. We traded four others (Drake, Tunsil, Minkah, Stills). This season had 0-16 written all over it and for the first month, this was the worst team in the history of the NFL.

    Just think about that for a moment- the worst team ever assembled. That's what Grier gave Flores to work with.

    Yet somehow we're on a two-game winning streak and we've been competitive in the last six. I personally think we'll win 4 more games and end the year 5-11, which is an absolute freaking miracle. These kids have been coached up to the point where we're the lowest penalized team in the league and we're covering much more talented players on every single snap. Again- freaking miracle.

    I didn't like Flores from the start and tried to find reasons to hate him, but it's pretty clear that he wasn't ever involved with the "tank". Heck, I'm sure he's pissing off Grier something fierce with this little win streak, and I personally applaud the guy for not folding like a cheap suit. Maybe he's not our coach 5 years from now but for the moment, I'm 100% all-in on Brian Flores and whatever he's putting in the Kool-Aid.

    Also, I know Fitz is old and his time is limited, but you're assuming that Rosen is a complete bust after one bad game. You're also assuming that Tua and Burrows are the only QB's worth having, and I personally don't believe that's the case. Grier has a job to do and if he does it well, QB will not be our biggest problem in 2020. The bigger worry is developing whoever we do end up drafting and making them fit our system.
     
  37. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

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    I don't think a QB can be developed though. I really believe you can either play the position or you cant.

    Certain circumstances might dictate how successful you can be but at the end of the day a guy can play or he cant.

    QB will be our biggest worry until we have a QB.

    I'm not assuming Rosen is a bust but he needs to see the field if hes not going to be a mistake by us.

    I'd also like to point out we beat the Jets who are awful and a Colts team led by Hoyer. Those are only good wins because we set our expectations so low.
     
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  38. mlb1399

    mlb1399 Well-Known Member

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    Agreed. Sounds like he didn’t buy in to the way our coaches wanted to use him, aka our system. Obviously a huge talent and is producing in Pitt which makes it tough. But what do you do with a player that won’t buy in? How does that impact other players that see that? We before Me, always.
     
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  39. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    No those are good wins because we need to see our team progress and see results from our coaching staff. We arent going to field 52 brand new players next season, we need to develop who we got and see what they. An do for our future.

    we need a foundation, a brand that attracts free agents, attracts viewership, attracts college athletes, and that gets people to buy tickets and attend games.

    going 0-16 and playing dreadful only sets us back further. That means starting from scratch again next season.
     
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  40. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

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    What I meant was Flores should have given him a position. Fitzpatrick stated.. that, that was all he was looking for with all this.
    You simply misunderstood my narrative, or maybe I worded it wrong...That certainly may have happened. Have a good day.
     
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