Dolphins hold on to defeat Seahawks and improve to 5-4

by Matty I on Nov 10, 2008 12:08 AM EST in News Comment 71 comments

In a game that was a lot closer than most would have hoped, the Miami Dolphins held on, made just enough plays, and escaped with a 2 point victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

It was a very entertaining game - if by entertaining, I mean a stressful, "too close for comfort" kind of game. But a win is a win - and in this league, you take wins however you can get them.

Let's talk about some of the headlines:

A LESSON LEARNED
If nothing else, here's what we, as fans, learned about the Dolphins: don't ever "expect" a win.

I don't think the players themselves took this game for granted - mainly because I don't think this coaching staff would ever let them - but I know I was one of many fans who probably did think of this game as an easy win. But we learned today that nothing about this potentially improbable season will come easy. Somebody said during the game thread that the Dolphins are the kind of team that these struggling teams will really get up to play against - and I agree 100%. These struggling teams will certainly circle the Dolphins on their schedule as a potential win - and might be a bit sharper against the Fins than against a team that is clearly better than them. That makes these teams even more dangerous against the Dolphins than some of the better teams that this Fins team has played or will play.

And though it isn't likely that the players would ever admit it, it sure does seem like the Dolphins either play up to their competition (when they face good teams) or down to their competition (when they play the not-so-good teams). But this shouldn't come as any shock to us Dolphin fans. In fact, this game on Sunday was the 6th straight time that the Dolphins - as favorites - failed to cover the point spread. And all that shows is that when the Dolphins are "supposed" to win, they tend to struggle a little bit more than typical "Vegas favorites."

But I think this game will prove to be beneficial to the Dolphins in the long run. It was a game that they could have easily lost - but they stepped up when they had to. For a team that is learning how to win, games like these tend to be invaluable to the rebuilding process. And this game will also likely prove to be a benefit in terms of preparation for upcoming games. I fully expect the coaching staff - despite the win - to really chew this team out and get on them in practice this week.

Let's just hope the players themselves learned from this game - just as the fans did.

A DAY OF BIG PLAYS
There were moments during this game that were downright ugly for the Dolphins. But we're seeing an encouraging sign out of this team this season - the tendency to create big plays when absolutely necessary.

Obviously, two plays that stick out are the Ted Ginn TD catch and Ricky Williams' long TD run. And both were tremendous plays - especially Teddy's. He had no right catching that pass, but showed great concentration despite being surrounded by 2 defenders. He located the ball beautifully, made a terrific catch with his hands, and made sure he got both of his feet in when he could have easily have made a mental error and stepped out of the back of the endzone. And even Ginn himself confessed that he'd "never made a catch like that." It was a thing of beauty - which was aided by a perfectly placed pass by Chad Pennington.

But some of the game's biggest plays occurred during that 4th quarter. And yet again, the Dolphins showed that killer instinct and put together a drive that they absolutely had to put together. It was a 16 play, 9 minute drive and it provided the breathing room that this team would ultimately need to escape with the win. And that drive saw the Dolphins convert a 4th down (I love Tony Sparano's guts these last 2 weeks, passing up on FGs to help put the game away during these 4th quarter drives) and 3 3rd downs. And none were bigger than that 3rd & 8 pass from Pennington to Davone Bess. Pennington did an amazing job of avoiding the pass rush, rolled out to his left, and found an alert Bess - who was coming back towards Chad to make the play. It went for 12 yards and quite possibly saved the game for the Dolphins. And then that drive would be capped off with another big play - a bruising 16 yard TD run out of the Wildcat formation for Ronnie Brown, who was patient and let his teammates set up their blocks on that left side. Big plays by these guys on offense - especially late in the game.

Of course, not to be outdone, the defense - especially the secondary - made some big plays in key moments. Yeremiah Bell's breakup of that 2-point conversion pass attempt to John Carlson was huge and really shows how valuable Bell is to this secondary. Bell also contributed 9 tackles (8 solo). Time to lock up Bell with a contract extension, eh?

Will Allen also made a huge play, diving to break up a long pass on 3rd down from Seneca Wallace to Bobby Engram on 3rd down of that final Seattle possession. Allen was beat on the play, but got a little lucky with a slightly underthrown ball and was able to make a lunging pass deflection to keep the ball from the hands of Engram. Big, big, big play from Allen.

CHAD PENNINGTON LIKES BIG MOMENTS
Pennington got off to a good start, throwing for 59 yards on that first drive that resulted in Ginn's TD off of the flea-flicker. But he got cold after that and struggled. Entering the 4th, Chad was just 16/27 for 152 yards. He missed some spots and made one very bad decision - which resulted in a pick 6 for Seattle.

But Pennington stepped up in a big way yet again - leading the key 4th quarter scoring drive. He was 3/3 on 3rd down during that drive and, in total, accounted for 49 of the 79 yards on that drive - going 5/8. And we can't forget that remarkable play that we talked about above, avoiding the rush and making the perfect throw to Bess. This is why we brought CP10 to Miami and he hasn't disappointed.

QUICK HITS
-You have to feel bad for Ted Ginn, having a kickoff return for a TD called back for the 3rd time in his young career. But even still, you have to love the excitement Teddy brings as our returner. On the other two returns he had, Ginn picked up 37 yards and 31 yards. Not too shabby. He needs to be back there for every single kickoff return.

-Speaking of returns, I like having D-Bess back there because he is better at making defenders miss than Teddy is. But what the hell was he thinking when he fielded a punt from his own 3 yard line? Let the ball bounce and hope it finds the endzone, my man.

-The offensive line is really worrying me. Vernon Carey seems to be really struggling - and that's my biggest concern. We know this team's RG, whoever it is, will struggle this year. And the line as a whole just seems to be struggling to pick up some blitzes. Improvement is needed. Oh - but Jake Long is still going to be a beast. I'm impressed with him every time I see him.

-Who said the Wildcat was dead? For those scoring at home, the formation was used on 6 plays and resulted in 80 yards and two touchdowns. I love the new wrinkles. Ricky's TD run was nice because all of his previous handoffs from that formation went outside of the right tackle. The TD run was well designed - as the defense was shifting to the right to defend Ricky and the play was designed for him to hit it up the middle. Great blocking on that one, too. And the TD run by Ronnie was equally as impressive from a design standpoint. Having Ronnie flanked by two backs makes a 3-headed monster back there. And getting Cobbs out in front to block was a great idea.

-Speaking of Patrick Cobbs, I'll admit that my "mancrush" on him grows each week. He gets involved in the passing game. He throws blocks left and right. And he makes terrific tackles on special teams. He's definitely a "Parcells type of player."

-Brandon Fields is looking better - but Dan Carpenter is really impressing me. His first 3 kickoffs were all beauties. One was a touchback, one was taken out from the endzone, and the other landed at Seattle's 3 yard line. His last kickoff, though, only landed at the 13, as I think the Dolphins were trying to help cover up their coverage deficiencies.

-Speaking of which, this team's special teams coverage is atrocious - and that's probably an under-statement.

-Run Ricky Run. It was nice to see a rejuvenated Ricky Williams out there today. But even still, Ronnie Brown needs more than just 14 touches - with many of them coming in 3rd and short situations which don't allow Brown to get out in space.

-Good news: the Dolphins were 7/15 on 3rd downs. Bad news: the Seahawks were 7/15 on 3rd downs as well.

-I had a feeling that Seattle's ground game would be a problem, which is why I highlighted it a couple different times this past week. But I didn't think it would be that effective. Average yards per carry for Seattle: 5.5.

-Walter Jones is a beast - and that's why Joey Porter only picked up a half sack. But his 12 is still a league high.

FINAL THOUGHT
Make no mistake about it. The Dolphins might have been lucky to win this game. They were aided by about 6 or 7 Seattle dropped passes - one of which would have been a key 3rd down conversion and the other would have been a touchdown. But that's the way this game is. And sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. After all, this team lost 6 games by 3 points or less last year - so karma still owes us.

But you take a win any way you can get it. In this league, at this stage in the season, there's no wrong way to win a football game. But I think the most interesting thing about this game will be how the Dolphins respond to it next week at home against another team that the Fins "should" defeat. Their response next week, in a game that is the very definition of a "trap game" - as New England comes to town in two weeks - should tell us a lot about this team, its players, and its coaches.

As always, your thoughts below...

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what would be the biggest problems on the o-line?

I agree that our play from the o-line has been very inconsistent, especially with their ability to run-block. What is the deal? Why do you think this has become a problem. I read on the Miami Herald, sorry no link, but it was in the chatter section, that it commented on Satele being inconsistent and that word from the front office is that they prefer someone with more bulk at center. Interesting indeed. Vernon Carey, on the other hand, you would expect for him to be excelling this year. He was moved to his more comfortable position at RT and is in a contract year. Not only that, but with the regime we have with Parcells and Sparano, youd expect a little bit more from the o-line. I don’t know. I guess my issues are that I wish that we wouldnt have to use any high draft picks in next year’s draft in order to address these two positions, but i feel that we may just have to. Any thoughts as to what the problem is and how or can it be fixed?

by picklescapone on Nov 10, 2008 12:28 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Jake Long

just to raise spirits even more. After the Ravens game, an interview conducted with Terrell Suggs, has him quoted as saying, once asked about who was the toughest lineman to get around, he would respond with “Jake Long” . the kid is a house and will be a staple of the O-line for the next 10-15 years.

by alwaysafan on Nov 10, 2008 11:01 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wanted to point out a few guys that have impressed me thus far.

Matt Roth; This guy is probably one of my personal favorites on the team right now. He is really coming around as a linebacker. He actually looks like a linebacker now and he has a great motor. I many people were questioning his ability but he has proven himself.

Davone Bess. Is this guy the perfect underneath slot receiver or what? I think that his role will continue to be 2-4 key catches a game as he moves the chains just when we need it.

Jake Long; The guy is just a wall out there. I couldn’t imagine not have him on our team.

Channing Crowder; OK, maybe he isn’t perfect but I love him. When he makes a play he goes all out. He is out of position from time to time but he’s a winning guy at ILB for us.

Ted Ginn. He really building up to something.

WOW, 5-4 we are 5 times better than we were last year. LOL!

"If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you."

Coach Paul Bear Bryant

by AussieKen on Nov 10, 2008 12:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Crowder had a great game yesterday, he blew up Julius Jones on one play

"How can I blame you
When it's me I can't forgive?"

-From the Unforgiven III off of Death Magnetic

by Patssuck456 on Nov 10, 2008 8:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Crowder DID have a great game. I was watching him, because he really hasn't stood out a lot

He did yesterday. Nice job Channing.

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agree with all points.

If we get a real #1-2 WR (don’t know yet where Teddy will end up), I think Bess and Camarillo end up fighing for the slot position.

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 12:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My 2 1/3 cents

I think some iof us are getting spoiled by the Fins success. Lets not forget this is suppose to be a “rebuilding year” for us. So for any of us to be “embarrassed” or “disappointed” by the way this team has performed so far reallly needs to get a reality cheack and look back to where this team has come from.

One and 15 last year, hasn’t been over .500 since 2005. Half the roster gutted. Entire front office and coaching staff replaced and we’re sitting at 5-4. With some impressive teams that we would’ve been laughed at out the state if we told other people we would beat them before the season.

Anyways, the defense was aided by some drops passes, but ya know what, at the end of the day, the defense stepped up and stopped a possible GW FG drive and won that game for us. Very important for a young team.

What can I say about the ST and OL except, ugh. The OL can’t seem to get it together and didn’t show any improvement from last week. Our ST has been a disaster all year. They are gonna cost us a couple of games if they don’t tightin up.

Walter Jones has always been a beast, but Oakland doesn’t have a WJ on thier OL.

I’m liking Cobbs more and more each game as well.

Nice catch by Ginn.

The best thing about CP (besides his passer rating) is that CH is watching him do his thing. Not a model to mold your younger and possible better future franchise QB after eh?

Bottom Line:

A win is a win. According to record yea, we should’ve dominated the hawks, but guess what? We’re not that good yet. We won 1 game last year, remodeled everything from top to bottom and already are far and beyond exceeding everyone’s best expectations for this year. At the end of the day, we should just be glad we won period, not bitching by not winning by enough.

Come on people.

Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

by Neo on Nov 10, 2008 12:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good points.

But the Special teams to piss me off. They let up EVERTIME we have a small lead – this was supposed to be an emphasis for this staff buts its been an utter failure. I expect some big changes here in the off-season.

"If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you."

Coach Paul Bear Bryant

by AussieKen on Nov 10, 2008 12:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

OL

Why don’t we start the rookie Shawn Murphy?

Isn’t this a contract year for Vernon Carey? What’s his problem?

We should be plowing defenses with Ronnie and Ricky.

by gophish on Nov 10, 2008 2:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Neo, my adversarial friend

Nicely said. I have some points to make as well, but I think I will just put them all in one post at the bottom, instead of piecemeal it throughout. But i agree with your points here bud. :)

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 12:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wanted to point out a few guys that have stood out to me thus far

Nicky Primetime—> now that he isnt here (i have guessed he is having comp problems) i kind of miss that "snot"’s wit…the guy who introduced me to SLAP!
Lcff—> he keeps me in check…(psst…he also gave me a LOL)
Husky Bear—> he said he was proud of me and “total respect”..cant forget he brought us the ultimate insult “youknowwhat” (VBF)
Negative Neo → just like saying that nickname
Rz→ has became my best friend since the whole “must defend phinsider” and now we are message box buddies
Cbdolphin —> my number 1 fan!
Mauglo —> he said he was my apprentice
Aleta —> big fan of him/her…im his/her spell check also

Matty —> the most biased, unprofessional…finsxfactor hatin….boner shrinkin…unfrontpageable…..message box abusing…sbnation crack addict in the world…but …this fat darrel loving son of a gun is the perfect host of a dolphins website

Blogs Banned From – 13
Warnings – 13
Comments – 14424522366876
Relevant Comments – 8
Frontpaged Fanposts – 0
Temper Tantrums – 6
Stalker Charges – 110
woohoo's – 67
lol's – 172
SLAP’s – 34

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 12:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Finsxfactor, I don’t know if you’re a troll or just a phinsider mascot.

"If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you."

Coach Paul Bear Bryant

by AussieKen on Nov 10, 2008 12:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

lol im a contributer

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 12:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If you say so, its questionable. :)

"If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you."

Coach Paul Bear Bryant

by AussieKen on Nov 10, 2008 12:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He has been mentioned in the past as...

the Phinsider Clown.

Mascot sounds appropriate.

y not if im wrong who will remember

by qbinfin on Apr 27, 2008 3:27 PM PDT

by DolfinPhan on Nov 10, 2008 4:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks bud

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 4:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Whose my little buddy?

Yes you are my little buddy!

y not if im wrong who will remember

by qbinfin on Apr 27, 2008 3:27 PM PDT

by DolfinPhan on Nov 10, 2008 6:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought i was lcff's little buddy.....wait a minute

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 8:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

hey bff

geesh man iu call someone stupid and get a threat box….u have balls my friend….matty dont ban the lil guy he means well

"Mom!!! The Meatloaf!!!!"
--Will Ferrell

by Rzayo24 on Nov 10, 2008 9:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

as a note...idk why those lines went through negative neo's description and rz's name

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 12:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is better....My notables

Nicky Primetime—> now that he isnt here (i have guessed he is having comp problems) i kind of miss that "snot"’s wit…the guy who introduced me to SLAP!
Lcff—> he keeps me in check…(psst…he also gave me a LOL)
Husky Bear—> he said he was proud of me and "total respect"..cant forget he brought us the ultimate insult "youknowwhat" (VBF)
Negative Neo → just like saying that nickname
Rz→ has became my best friend since the whole "must defend phinsider" and now we are message box buddies
Cbdolphin —> my number 1 fan!
Mauglo —> he said he was my apprentice
Aleta —> big fan of him/her…im his/her spell check also

Matty —> the most biased, unprofessional…finsxfactor hatin….boner shrinkin…unfrontpageable…..message box abusing…sbnation crack addict in the world…but …this fat darrel loving son of a gun is the perfect host of a dolphins website

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 12:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

really didnt need to reprint it buddy lol

"Mom!!! The Meatloaf!!!!"
--Will Ferrell

by Rzayo24 on Nov 10, 2008 9:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I have a couple of teenage sons

and they can get wound up sometimes, but they’re good kids.

You kinda strike me the same way a bit. Too much sugar and you get a little out of hand, but you seem like basically a good guy. And sometimes, you just crack me up.

I doubt your mama knows what kind of mouth you have on you though.
;)

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 12:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Great point

I really liked the point about the bottom teams picking up their play against the Dolphins. You always look at your team trying to pick up its play against the top tier teams, but what if your bottom team is playing against a team that’s supposed to be down there with you and isn’t? I would think that would pump up a team just as much, if not more.

The Seahawks had to look at the Dolphins, one game out of their division at .500, and want to knock the upstart team off its perch.

Thank goodness that didn’t happen!

Wish I had gotten the game this week. Can’t wait to get home and have NFL Sunday Ticket again. The only highlight I have seen thus far is Ricky’s 51-yarder. What a beautiful run. I love watching RIcky run and seeing that was awesome.

Glad to hear the secondary is starting to figure it out. Hopefully the offseason will help us lock it down. Then, one receiver and I think we might be there. (Wonder what the price for Boldin will be…probably too high, but can you imagine him in Miami?)

And, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Teddy, keep it up! I really don’t want EVERYTHING Cam-Cam did for us to be a bust. (And, I know how unpopular this could be, but I don’t see John Beck as a bust. The poor guy got thrown into starting for a BAD team, and we immediately want to crucify him. I’m afraid we are going to get rid of him, he’ll go to another team, and be REALLY good. I think, even if we do have the QB of the furture in Henne, we need to hold on to Beck just to see what he can develop into…2 good to great QBs aren’t a bad thing. Just look at NE for proof of that. Cassel’s developing and they are still sitting atop this division.)

Okay…that was enough from me for now.

by Mosul_DolFan on Nov 10, 2008 2:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Might I suggest...

…heading here to see some highlights of the game.

The Phinsider: SBN's Miami Dolphins blog

by Matty I on Nov 10, 2008 2:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

may i suggest you come to my house and watch some game film with me? we can break it down old school style....

i kno its not much but i can fold the back of the futon and we can lie there and watch the game film

just one question matthew…

do you want to be the big spoon or the little spoon?

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 3:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

ew ew ew!

that’s a big 2 to the stalker charges!

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 3:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I hate to make the comparison this way...

But I’m going to anyway. They remind me of New England in the early part of this decade. Whether New England was playing a great team or a bad team, the game was always close but they usually came out on top. Sure, we got lucky with some dropped passes and we went flat on offense in the middle of the game. But we stepped up when we needed to. Scoring in the fourth quarter was big and then stopping Seattle’s two point conversion was great. I hope this will be a humbling experience for our young team to further help them realize that anyone can beat them so need to go all out every week.

by mikey2380 on Nov 10, 2008 3:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Matty again captured my every thought about this game….

Take the win any way you can get it and start preparing for the next game.
You have to have a short memory in this league when it comes to ugly games.

Jimbo

by Dolphinator on Nov 10, 2008 5:56 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Matt Roth

I thought Roth was more visible and productive with the 6 tackles (5 solo) and the half sack than I recall. Watching the highlight of him temporarily saving a sure touchdown by chasing down and tackling Julius Jones from behind will be on my personal list of player highlights regardless of how this season turns out. It represented the pure hustle and persistence this defense has shown this year. IMO

"Lighten Up Francis"
SGT. Hulka (Stripes)

by OntheGo on Nov 10, 2008 7:41 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Roth does have a nasty habit of overpersuing and missing a tackle or a sack because of that.

"How can I blame you
When it's me I can't forgive?"

-From the Unforgiven III off of Death Magnetic

by Patssuck456 on Nov 10, 2008 8:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I was impressed with him on that play as well.

awesome hustle!

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 12:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ehh

ok game….last year their wrs catch those balls and we lose..this year we got some mojo workin

"Mom!!! The Meatloaf!!!!"
--Will Ferrell

by Rzayo24 on Nov 10, 2008 9:20 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Respectable Losses

Besides the Texans, who needed to get the monkey off their back for that first win and were playing at home, all our losses were against 6-3 teams (arizona will win tonight).

While we have been saying we are losing to those we thought we should win… those teams may actually be better than the teams we have beat (NE, SDG, BUF, SEA., DEN).

Anyway, our first half schedule has been tough! Our second half schedule is much, much better. If we can keep improving, stay healthy, and take it game by game, I am done talking rebuilding. To be winners, we need to think like winners. The time is now. All teams are beatable with a good game plan, some intensity, and a little luck.

I think anyone who looks at where we are, looks at our schedule, and does not think anything but the playoffs would be a dissappointment is stuck in last year’s cloud. We were not as bad as it looked last year (injuries and coaching killed us). We had a great offseason. We are in the hunt!

This was a rebuilding year, I would have been happy with 6-7 wins. Now after further review, it was a rebuilding half of a season. Job well done. 2nd half of the season is a playoff run. To play it, call it, root for it, expect it any less is foolish.

If injuries happen I will reevaluate, but with this team, I say Playoffs or bust. Once we get there…ANY GIVEN SUNDAY. I fear noone.

LETS DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers,
Homer Fins4evr

by Fins4evr72 on Nov 10, 2008 9:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Super Bowl or Bust Baby!!!!!

Yeah, Im a homer too….

by Wade on Nov 10, 2008 9:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

AGAIN,SPARANO...

At the end of the game he was FIRED UP,slappin helmets and backs as our boys came off the field.Man,it feels great to see this team really being a team.3rd and long on both sides of the ball really,really need help!Did Joey get credit for 1/2 a sack?

The main thing is to keep the main thing,the main thing! If you're from another country and they do it better there,go the #$^@ back and stay there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by dolfanator on Nov 10, 2008 10:26 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

WELL DID HE...

or didnt he? Somebody help a phan out

The main thing is to keep the main thing,the main thing! If you're from another country and they do it better there,go the #$^@ back and stay there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by dolfanator on Nov 10, 2008 11:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yes he did

he now has 12 total for the year and is leading the league

"The odds are always against you no matter what your previous history is. You have to overcome the tendency to relax."- Tom Osborne

by HuskerDolphin on Nov 10, 2008 11:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you,sir!

The main thing is to keep the main thing,the main thing! If you're from another country and they do it better there,go the #$^@ back and stay there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by dolfanator on Nov 10, 2008 11:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Diagree with Matty I

Usually im on your page 100%, however i whole heartly disagree with your take of Ronnie Brown this week. Although he didn’t get many carries, i believe the coaching staff made a decision that will help us down the stretch. Yes, he is our number one back, but he has never carried the load the entire season, and with a second running back like Ricky, they were giving Ronnie some time off. They need him to be healthy for a possible playoff push, so instead of resting him, they just gave the bulk this week to Ricky. Look for Ronnie to have another explosive game against THE RAIIIIDDDDDERRRS (insert Chris Berman’s voice). However, if he has anther 8-9 carries for 22 yards, it would not suprise me.

oh and finsxfactor, how much attention do you need? Stop posting about yourself, this is a Miami Dolphins blog, no one cares who you like or what you think about late at night.

by alwaysafan on Nov 10, 2008 10:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

i'd like

too see Ronnie a little more, but, its a team win. I’m sure if you asked him in the locker room about his day he’d say something with a “we” in it.

"The odds are always against you no matter what your previous history is. You have to overcome the tendency to relax."- Tom Osborne

by HuskerDolphin on Nov 10, 2008 11:05 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A nice victory post and read

It must be way easier to write on a win during a season where expectations are being taken care of on a weekly basis. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for you last year having to get to the computer and write something for the blog. Enjoy the ride and keep the great post a flowin’ Matty!

"The odds are always against you no matter what your previous history is. You have to overcome the tendency to relax."- Tom Osborne

by HuskerDolphin on Nov 10, 2008 11:04 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Last year was tough...

…but writing almost became therapeutic for me, to be honest. After some of those losses, it felt good to type up something and then create some discussion. I just had to make sure I kept it clean. lol

The Phinsider: SBN's Miami Dolphins blog

by Matty I on Nov 10, 2008 12:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yea like

Cam hasn’t really done that bad of a job and he needs another year because it was his 1st HCing job and because of injuries.

Tony looks to be doing just fine in his 1st HCing gig. So does the Falcons HC and the Ravens HC coach and the…….

Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

by Neo on Nov 10, 2008 2:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

ROFL!!!

those are the days that are best left forgotten….

;)

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 2:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ronnie needs the damn ball

screens……runs..i dont care…less than 10 carries is not right.

Phinsider Warnings for calling a fellow blogger "Stupid" - 1

by Rzayo24 on Nov 10, 2008 11:12 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good Post as Always

Not looking to NE will be tough……I have a hard time at it because NE is coming here to kick our ass so we better be ready…….Whenever Belicheat says he was out coached and his players out toughed, his boys will be ready for revenge…..this will be a true test of were we are, but first thing first…….I agree with alwaysafan that Ronnie work load needs to be monitored. We cant forget he is coming off a major knee injury and fatigue is going to set in at some point….We will need him for all 16 games and hopefully the playoffs so its ok for him to have 10-12 touches every now and then,,,,,,,The star of this game IMO was the D. They were pitching a shutout in the first half and then in the 2nd half special teams gave the ball to seahawks at midfield most of the time so they were playing on half a field. Not to mention they are starting to make plays at the end of the game instead of giving up the lead. They are learning how to close games out…….And you have to love the O coming up with the big drive when the team has to have it 16 play drive 9 min- Awesome……..Now lets get through Oakland so we can get to Patriot week……..I’m loving this………..

by jvw on Nov 10, 2008 1:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

A.Thomas OUT FOR YEAR

big

Phinsider Warnings for calling a fellow blogger "Stupid" - 1

by Rzayo24 on Nov 10, 2008 1:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

that's Huge.......

I didnt know he was hurt

by jvw on Nov 10, 2008 6:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So, once again, nice write up Matty

Since I agree with most everything, I will just add my perspective.

I know everyone expected the Fins to manhandle the ‘Hawks. And because they have been such a poor team this year, the consensus is that the Dolphins didn’t play well.

I don’t really agree with this view. First, the Fins made some mistakes; the pick 6 from CP was uncharacteristic, the D was not defending the pass especially well, and STs (again!) missed tons of tackles. But the D has been up an down a bit, and STs didn’t get worse, they just didn’t get any better (this needs to be fixed, i agree!).
But the Seahawks played MUCH better than expected… the probably played their most complete game of the year; and this after travelling east, which everyone points out is a disadvantage. I have to give huge props to Holmgren. He is the lame duck of coaches, with everyone knowing he is retiring, and the new coach already annointed. And this team is struggling due to a rash of key injuries more than anything else. But Holmgren got this team up to play the game yesterday, Wallace played very well for a Seahawks QB not named Hasselbeck, Bobby Engram was active, and they put together a good defensive game.
This Fins team beat a team playing solid football yesterday, not the team we expected to come in here and lay down.

Now, as I said, there are a LOT of things for the Dolphins to work on cleaning up this week, but folks… this is a good thing! For the first time in forever, teams are not going to overlook the Dolphins. We are not going to be a “trap” game for someone. The advantage of surprise is gone. Teams are going to bring their “A” games to the Fins, and the Fins are going to have to be ready. After winning a few solid games, the Fins might have been in danger of letting down; losing focus, but I think that now they will have their hackles up (do dolphins have hackles?) for every opponent!

I don’t think the Fins let down for this game, but I think they were a little over-confident. They came out of the gate and went up 14 points… and got a little, well…, cocky. They certainly did NOT come out flat, which is what has disappointed in the past.

As for Ronnie v. Ricky, this is going to be a problem as long as we have two great backs sharing the backfield. Yes, Ricky is also a great back. It is amazing to me that people have been talking about how Ronnie needs to get 20-25 touches to be effective, but no one seems to mention that Ricky needs the same. Early in the season the talk was about who should start, and it was mentioned that Ricky could be effective coming off the bench. But whether starting or coming off the bench, Ricky has always needed 20-25 touches to be effective. So how do you get both backs that many carries? I think that if you want to keep both guys unengaged this season, you may need to alternate letting each guy take a lead role, and then ride the hot player. I agree that Ronnie is the primary back, since Ricky can be unreliable and is getting older. But if Ricky plays for the Fins for a couple of more years, you will still want to keep his head in the game.
And the end of the day, I think we should be measuring the success of the running game, and not worrying so much about how we are getting there.

Because this game gave everyone a little scare, I fully expect our players to be fully focused on improving this week. This is better for the team than a blowout win.
IMO

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 10, 2008 1:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

good stuff Lefty

And I totally agree with your last line, that this is better for the team than a blowout win. Especially with a supposed “weaker” team coming in next week. I think we’ll see better play in all 3 phases of the team next week because of this.

"The odds are always against you no matter what your previous history is. You have to overcome the tendency to relax."- Tom Osborne

by HuskerDolphin on Nov 10, 2008 2:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

i agree....im sure Lil Nicky would too....: (

Phinsider Warnings for calling a fellow blogger "Stupid" - 1

by Rzayo24 on Nov 10, 2008 2:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

LOL LOVE Your SIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(im exclamation mermaid)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 3:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

DESPITE MATTY I PROCLAMATION ON EXPECTATIONS

i fully expect the dolphins to beat the raiders and improve to 6-4

xman can i get a

WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

IAMLEGEND

by woomar on Nov 10, 2008 2:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHhOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 3:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So what was the answer to the movie quote?

LOL…sorry, nothing to do with the article, but I KNOW I’ve seen that film (" Jets fans, A1 sauce, no shit sherlock" line). I can almost picture Steve Buscemi sayin’ it. Yes I am a movie geek and this is killing me. Wich segway’s me into the article.

As usual a good writeup, and both this weeks 4th quarter drive and last weeks shows this tem, and these coaches, are playing a full 60 mins. More importantly, they mostly seem to be on the same page.

That said, I don’t know how much more I can take..hehe. I said to someone on Tim Grahms ESPN East blog that if a playoff spot comes down to that final Jets game, I will need to be duct taped to the sofa for fear of trashing my house. Win or Lose..lol.

All in all, when this season is done, I think we have a lot to smile about. Then again, so did we all after Saban’s first season…and then look what happened. BUT , I see a little more commitment and character from this group. The coaches are really trying to…as Bill Parcells said to the players " [Let’s] Do something."

Now feed me that movie quote answer please :D. I’m dying here.

by RVZ77 on Nov 10, 2008 6:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

wdf this isnt cbdolphins post

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 8:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

no movie quote here

that’s in cbdolphin’s post…later in the week.

The Phinsider: SBN's Miami Dolphins blog

by Matty I on Nov 10, 2008 8:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

hey matty i guess you overlooked my question....

but do you want to be the little spoon or the big spoon?

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 8:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

XMAN

are u xx or xy
xxyx

IAMLEGEND

by woomar on Nov 10, 2008 9:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

stop being creepy

The Phinsider: SBN's Miami Dolphins blog

by Matty I on Nov 10, 2008 9:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

still havent answered the question infante

by finsxfactor on Nov 10, 2008 10:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

lmao!

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 11, 2008 12:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ahh OK

Kind of a noob here. Damn this is KILLIN me! This is gonna be one of those “Kick myself in the ass for not knowing” but I’m pretty sure I might have an idea.

Ah well, the Phins won.

by RVZ77 on Nov 10, 2008 9:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs