How the AFC East will be won: A recipe for the Miami Dolphins
by Matty I on Sep 7, 2010 5:00 AM EDT
in 2012 Miami Dolphins News
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PrintSo I go away for a day or two and all hell breaks loose, huh? Of course, credit Mosul_DolFan and LeftCoastFinFan for keeping this place up to date. And a big thanks to all of you for commenting and writing posts of your own. Reading over many of those posts and comments really helped me get a feel for everything going through the heads of other Dolphin fans as we approach the kickoff of the 2010 season.
To be quite frank, I'll admit that I agree with one of the Dolphins' beat writers (I forget exactly which one it was, though I believe it was Omar Kelly) who said that this is the first time under this current regime that I feel like there are more questions now than there were entering training camp. Suddenly we all are wondering about the depth of the Dolphins' offensive and defensive lines (as well as the health of LT Jake Long) and the struggles of the secondary highlighted by the (hopefully temporary) demotion of cornerback Sean Smith to go along with the questions we had heading into camp that remain unanswered - such as the ability to pressure the opposing quarterback, for example.
But all of those questions aside, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Anything less than a playoff appearance - in my honest opinion, will be considered a failure for this team. This is year three for Tony Sparano and company and it's now time to start competing for a championship. I'm not saying a Super Bowl is a must this season. But a playoff appearance is.
The most direct route into the playoffs, of course, is by winning the division. And that will be goal #1 of 2010 - quiet the "experts" who are all lining up and picking the Jets or Patriots. To accomplish this feat, though, the Dolphins will probably have to follow the recipe below.
Start strong
It's been well discussed that the Dolphins have a very tough schedule in the first half of the season. Six of their first eight games are against playoff teams for a year ago. Three of those games are against their division rivals. Two of those are at home and in prime time with a national television audience. The Dolphins can't afford to get off to the slow starts they have gotten off to in each of the two previous seasons under Tony Sparano. In 2008, the Dolphins were able to overcome their slow start thanks to a very soft schedule and the introduction of the Wildcat formation. But their slow start (and rough finish) buried their playoff chances last year. They fought valiantly and had a shot. Still, the hole was too tough to climb out of.
The Dolphins could easily bury themselves this year if they aren't careful. And if they seriously want to contend for the division, then they have to split their two games against both the Jets and Pats. The Dolphins get to host both of those teams before they ever have to travel north to the Meadowlands or to Foxborough. Those two, more than any other games, are must wins. If the Dolphins can come out of those first eight no worse than 4-4 (with wins against all three division opponents), they would be sitting in very decent shape. Anything worse could be a disaster.
Improve their turnover margin
In 2008, the Dolphins were the improbable division champions. Yes, a soft schedule and "gimmick" formation helped get the Dolphins to that division crown. But their ability to protect the football was another major reason. Their 13 total giveaways was tied for an NFL record low (with the '08 Giants). And their +17 in turnover margin led the NFL. On the flip side, 2009 was ugly. They turned the ball over 29 times and they ended the year -8 in turnover margin - the sixth worst figure in the entire league. While we can't expect a repeat of 2008, and improvement over 2009 is an absolute must of this team is serious about winning the AFC East.
Avoid injuries
Fine, so this part of the recipe is more about luck than anything else. But I do remember reading in the 2009 Football Outsiders Almanac that there's a statistical connection regarding injuries on a year-to-year basis. In 2008 the Dolphins were historically injury-free. They really didn't suffer any terrible losses, though I wouldn't call Greg Camarillo's season-ending injury minor. But it occurred late enough in the season that the Dolphins could survive without him. Then in the Almanac last year, it was predicted that the Dolphins would likely suffer a number of key injuries in 2009 simply because that's what the statistics historically show - that teams always revert back to the mean. So if you have a surprisingly injury-free season, you'll likely have a very injury-heavy season the following year to make up for it. I thought they were crazy, though, for believing in that theory. I guess I was wrong, huh? Season-ending injuries to Chad Pennington, Ronnie Brown, Patrick Cobbs, David Martin, and Will Allen as well as losing Channing Crowder and Jake Grove for multiple games made me a believer in the theory presented by the guys at Football Outsiders.
So avoiding any catastrophic injuries is going to be key for this team. Already we have to worry about the health of Jake Long and Channing Crowder (who did not practice on Monday) as well as Vontae Davis (who was seen limping after practice on Monday). Hopefully these things are minor. But they just emphasize how an entire season can change in the blink of an eye.
Have some damn fun
In 2008 the Dolphins came out of the gate and struggled. But their week three thrashing of the Patriots in New England - which was a thing of beauty, of course - was a clear turning point. They busted out the Wildcat formation - we all remember that. But what we might not remember is how much fun it seemed like these players were having on the field. They were playing looser. There was no pressure. After all, they were 1-15 the year before. How could they have any expectations at all, right?
It was obvious that 2009 was a different story. The team seemed tight. The coaches seemed very tight. It just felt like the pressure created from an improbable 2008 season was getting to everyone in that building. Actually, I know for a fact that the pressure inside that building was an issue in the locker room. As the season wore on, a lack of leadership inside that locker room also became an issue. And that is something we all know for a fact. That, my friends, has to change.
We all know that this team has high expectations internally. Owner Stephen Ross mentioned the Super Bowl this past offseason and Tony Sparano didn't shoot that idea down when it was mentioned to him. Sparano has also made it clear that he sees this team as a playoff team. The media, though, doesn't seem to agree. Many experts believe that this division will come down to the Patriots and Jets. That means very little, of course, once the whistle blows.
Off the field, the Dolphins are a team that tries to act as professionally as possible. Their players don't say anything flashy (Channing aside, of course). They don't make bold predictions (their owner not withstanding). Many just speak the company line and move on. On the field, though, we need to see the kind of passion we saw in 2008. We need to see that fire and that emotion that fueled the 2008 team. We need to see these players - and these coaches - playing loose and having fun. And if you are unsure of what I mean, then pop in a copy of a 2008 game followed by a copy of a 2009 game. You'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
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I completely agree about them having fun
I remember re-watching the Miami vs Jest game from 2008 and noticing how much of a great time everyone seemed to be having and how that was missing all last year. Anyways I’m with you Matty, it’s playoffs or bust, we should expect nothing less.
Funny you say that
As I’d say the two Jets games last year were the only ones we had fun in. I specifically remember Ted Ginn having a LOT of fun.
Football isn't a matter of life and death - it's far more important than that.
Well said
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My take on the off-season moves and our chances
I don’t like a lot of the recent roster moves – but you know what? They’re bottom of the roster moves, who gives a damn. If we get so injured we have to use all these guys we’re already screwed – anyone would be. What really matters is how good your starting 22 and coaches are. And we’ve added Marshall and Dansby, and an excellent D-Coordiantor. So a really tough team that couldn’t catch a break last year just added two elite players. We are GOING to be good. How good is the question.
A lot of that rests on Henne, a lot on the offensive line (I still believe, dammit) and some on our secondary too.
But there’s no doubt the schedule will play a part. It’s not quite as bad as last years which was frankly ridiculous but the first 8 games are bad. I DO expect us to start slow, sadly. Young teams tend to start slow and grow into the season – there’s ‘upside’ or ‘room for improvement’.
However – we get an easy start in Buffalo (yeah there are no gimmes but in the NFL they don’t come a lot softer, really) and I honestly think the Vikings are beatable this year. We know we can beat the Jets, we’ve proven that. I think we can take one from Pittsburgh or the Bengals. Two teams that worry me are the Pats and Packers – I don’t think our secondary will cope.
But if we can make it to half-way at 4-4 or better, I think we’re in. I look at the second half and can see our young team going 6-2 or 7-1 no problem. We did it in 2008 with a weaker team (though I do wonder how much of that was down to Pennington’s leadership – can Henne duplicate this?).
Anyway, it should be fun.
Football isn't a matter of life and death - it's far more important than that.
We need leadership… We cant win when our most vocal leader is the 2nd string qb.
"My ego is not that big. . . . I just want to win." - Dwyane Wade
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by Davone_Is_BessT on Sep 7, 2010 7:49 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
That will come with time
You can’t just anoint yourself a leader. The team has to respect you and want to follow your example. Which is why guys like Dansby and Marshall can step in and take lead.
This is a young team so a lot of our starters are unproven; therefore it’s not as easy for them to just take lead. Once these young players begin to establish themselves with their play, then the locker room will begin to follow and allow them to take lead.
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by Deuce Black on Sep 7, 2010 10:27 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It will be difficult to win the division IMO,
and that’s because we have no depth anywhere, with the exception of RB, it just isn’t enough unless the other 2 teams are in worse shape than us.
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Winning the division will be hard but NE keeps adding to my optimism
that we’ll win it…
Logan Mankins….still unsigned.
Pats running game….nothing remotely resembling an answer
Randy Moss….complaining about not having a contract extension
Pats pass D….lost their best cover man by far, for the year.
Understood,
but winning because other teams are failing isn’t the answer, thats 08 again, and we really weren’t a good team which was evident against the Ravens.
Time to put up or shut up for this FO, but they made there own bed so there is no one to blame, win a playoff game, that has got to be the goal, wouldn’t you agree?
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Hmmm
I wouldn’t say quite winning a playoff game is a must, but put it this way….getting in the playoffs I think is a must and having a good showing in them too. Meaning if we don’t win, we need to be competitive and not see a repeat of ’08 where we were run off the field by the ravens.
As far as getting better through the lack of others….i’d say I see this team as a 9 to 10 win club. You change a few things and it can be 8 or 9 as easily as it can be 10 or even 11. I think big injuries to key rivals are a big part of that.
Agreed on the playoffs,
a good showing would be enough I think.
As far as how many wins, my confidence has kind of gone out the door with all our depth, lol, our O could be special, lets hope they don’t HAVE to be just to win some games, just sayin.
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Agree finster, this much rebuilding from 08 squad puzzles me.
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by fin4three5yrs on Sep 7, 2010 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
And it worries me,
teams need time to gel.
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions
But we are just shuffling backups
Most of our starters have been set for a while. Plus I think after next week, Douglas will be back and one on the youngsters will be sent to the practice squad.
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Back ups are important,
you need quality back ups and rotation players to be a good team.
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
But I don't think they are that important to the gelling process
IMO, that’s more for the starters.
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That is for everyone who has to play,
we’re not talking about just in case of injury, we’re talking about rotational players, guys who will have to play in the first game, you will need rotational Dlineman, and LBs, nickel and dime players, guys who will have to perform this sunday, gelling is important for the TEAM.
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
NE looked to be workin the runnin game pretty good.
They don’t need much of a running game to move the ball though any improvement is good for them and the play action runs.
Disagree
It’s easier than its ever been. Can you honestly tell me either current Jets or Pats team ranks with any of the Pats teams over the past decade? No, so the division turned into a 3-horse race, but it isn’t harder than its ever been.
We have no depth,
we have no WLB back up, we have only 1 proven DE back up, and he was 4th on the DE depth chart last year, now he’s 3rd, and NOBODY behind him, CBs are thin, Safeties are thin, but we do have 5 ILBs, lol.
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
lol, it just seems that way,
they have the best depth so you don’t notice the injuries.
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
A plausible hypothesis...
or an alternative, they have good enough players in the lineup that more than make up for any backups or make the latter better…a good example would be Indy with Manning and the receivers who came in last year despite injuries to their first teamers.
Yet one more possibility, and likely the most probable,
a combination of all those things, lol, it’s never the one thing right.
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by uncle finster on Sep 7, 2010 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Except Marino....
lol
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Glad you mentioned fun
This regime has made several decisions that strikes some fans/the medias as being cold, and my worry is that the players would feel that as well. It doesn’t need to be the frat house atmosphere of the jets—I’d personally hate it if we were that undisciplined—but good teams have a deep bond across the organization. Even Belichick, as off-putting as he is publicly, was loved and respected inside the locker room of those early-aught championship teams.
We need to make sure we have that again.
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Wins = fun
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This^
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by Davone_Is_BessT on Sep 7, 2010 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Bowling...
… is that a sport?
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Take some time off and WHAMMO!!
You let it all run out through your fingetips this time. Nice post. Rec’d
Monitor Henne Closely
If Henne starts out terrible and Sparano stays with him too long, the Fish are doomed. The best players need to play. If a third string guy is playing better than a first stringer, he should play , at any position. Confidence in your first stringers is very important to their mental state but if you turn a blind eye to what is happening on the field, that hurts the mental state of the whole team. I don’t see anyone being able to predict what this team will do this year. They are a giant question mark. Sparano and the Tuna have not done the things I would have expected them to do. Matty’s opening statement is very accurate, more questions than answers.
What?
Wouldn’t that be applicable for almost every NFL team? If anyone’s first string QB plays terribly and stays in too long, almost every team is doomed. Kind of a blanket statement there.
The coahes decided on Henne and thats what they will stick with, learning curve and all.
I think almost everyone would love to have the Robots arm on CP10’s body though…
i think our guys will be fine.
they do need to have some fun out there and i think we can go 2-0 in the beginning of the season…. we should built some steam vs the bills and i think that we can beat the vikes. i
Playoffs - or season is a failure...
I totally agree – this team (1st string) has the talent to make the playoffs. Marshall, Ronnie, Ricky, Bess, Long & Carey – Dansby, Davis, Smith (?) Bell starks…We have a LOT of talented players on this team ! I for one SALUTE the FO and coaches for putting together a pretty good roster since the 1-15 season.
but now its time to move forward… time for the COACHES to step up and LEAD this team to the playoffs…. Its on them – that’s what they get paid for. show me some GOOD GAME PLANS… find ways to get matchup advantages for Marshall, Ronnie and Ricky…(plus Hartline/Bess) BE INNOVATIVE ! Be CREATIVE on offense – that’s YOU DAN HENNING !!! and for NOLAN – where’s the pass rush ? Show me the money !
No more “holding back”…. I was real happy that they made the right decisions with Moore & Wallace at WR – it showed guts to dump White and turner… because it validated these decisions as failures and big mistakes. but we move forward now…with the best players on the roster… I have no idea about cutting GRANT – that was a mistake !!!
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Coaches were saying that there is a plan to look up exzackly, what it is that "marshall like's to do" that mistafies defense's!
Then cut that down to 2 or 3 play’s, to really stick it to the rest of the leauge. Time & time again!
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by wild zion beaver on Sep 7, 2010 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions
wildcat
Why all the angst. A Super Bowl is coming this season. We all forget that we saw no wildcat this preseason. Marshall will be a game changer in this formation. They must have a safety over the top against him which will make covering the kitty impossible for defenses. No other team has held back such an integral part of their offense for the entire preseason. It’s our ace in the whole. The only thing holding us back from a super bowl is ourselves. We stay healthy we will be in Dallas in SB ’11.
by fishfan54 on Sep 7, 2010 9:27 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
The Wilcat actually was ran but just a little this pre-season. But I'm sure it was practiced quite
a bit. which is maybe why the Offense as a whole was not as good with all the time bein put in for all the different looks this offense will have this season. U take that with the effects of Marshall then yeah…if they gel together then… ok… Dallas here we come..
As much I want to sweep the division this year
I wouldn’t be surprised if the phins end up taking game 3.
by Bob_The_Friendly_Baker on Sep 7, 2010 9:52 AM EDT reply actions
Nice post
I too agree that going 4-4 in the 1st 8 games would set us up nicely for a run at a playoff spot. It all comes down to execution and the turnover battle. We can play with the teams on the 1st half of our schedule, but if we lose the turnover war by much, we won’t win. Henne of course needs to elevate his game another notch from last year, and you can talk about the defense needing to stop teams, the OL needing to get nasty, etc. but the bottom line is turnovers when teams are fairly evenly matched. We can’t afford to overlook the Bills in week 1. Go Fins!
by rintintinsoldier on Sep 7, 2010 10:13 AM EDT reply actions
Super Bowl
Mr Ross you better star buying the tickets!!!!!!
A lot of the questions that I have had about this team started after the draft in April
Where is the pass rush? Right now the only “proven” (and I use that term loosely) pass rusher that is on the team is Wake. Moving Starks, the best pass rusher from the DE position last year, to NT is going to affect his pass rushing. Getting double for 2 downs consistently and then asking to rush the passer on 3rd downs is a tough task. There is only one guy, Ratliff for the Cowboys, that is doing that now and I don’t know if Starks can get to that level.
The DB situation is still a huge question mark. Clemons has shown hardly anything in Preseason and he was annoited the position in training camp. This is the same guy who couldn’t be out Gerbil last year. Davis, while better, still isn’t great. Jason Allen is now starting for Smith. And a journeyman Nickel was traded for in Sapp who simply wasn’t very good last year. Pass defense is a huge concern in my mind.
The lack of production from a #2 WR has me worried. Hartline was annointed the starter in camp. It can’t be from his awesome production so it has to be because he was the best that was left. He has as many drops this preseason as catches (close enough). To me he has yet to prove that he can consistently get separation for a starting CB.
Henne is still a concern. John Clayton, in his rankings for QB’s, stated that teams figured Henne out late last season. It sure looked like the Falcons had him figured out in Game #3 this preseason. And then there was the bad performance against the Cowboys back-ups. If Henne doesn’t play very well, the Phins are in trouble.
All of those questions go away, if (and it is a big if) the Phins get off to a quick start which they haven’t done in the last 5 years let alone under Sparano. They have to win early and I don’t know if 4-4 will be good enough. I think 5-3 is the minimum and I also think that they need to go a minimum of 7-1 at home this year.
It’s time that Miami’s home field becomes a house of horrors for opponents. It is time for Miami to start dominating opponents. It is year 3 of this regime, and it is time to start consistently making the playoffs and winning those games. Youth is no longer an excuse. It is time to grow up and shut up your opponents. And more importantly win games.
"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." MACBETH
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Hard to win them when they haven't played them yet
Can we at least watch the Buffalo game and judge them after that? When Miami gets lighted up by Trent Edwards, I will relent and crown you king, but can we just wait 5 more days?
by Farorefox on Sep 7, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed. I am just saying that my questions for this team really haven't been answered
And I think that goes for a lot of others here, Matty included based on the post above. But like I said at the end, all of those go away with wins. Wins, plural. Just beating the Bills on Sunday won’t be a good indicator as to where this team is right now.
The Phins should beat Buffalo on Sunday. But should they beat the Vikings next week? Who do you think will be favored in that game? My bet, regardless of the outcomes this week, the Vikes will be favored. I will also be willing to bet if there were odds to come out right now for the Jets and Pats games in a couple of weeks, the Phins would be underdogs. In fact, if you look at the first 8 games of the year, there is a good possibility that the Phins will be underdogs in 7 of the 8. Yet for the Phins to be successful this year they need to go 5-3 (3-0 at home and 2-3 on the road) in those games IMO.
Let’s see if those concerns above that have been around since the draft come true or not. But don’t judge at 1 or 2 games. Let’s look at the first 8 and see what happens.
"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." MACBETH
"Walter, I love you, but sooner or later, you're going to have to face the fact you're a goddamn moron." THE DUDE (The Big Lebowski)
Two things...
Farorefox…..when any team gets “lit up” by Trent Edwards, then maybe we ought to demote them straight to the NCAA :-)
CT….I think a few points come to mind with early season games….regarding the bookies, I think a lot of the spreads/odds are based largely on last year’s performance…that’s one thing and the other, again related to early season games, is how I think you can definitely see some scorelines that would be shocking later. I say that because a talented team that hasn’t hit their stride can be beaten by an opponent with much less talent but who has good chemistry and whose offensive & defensive units are playing well together.
Hopefully we aren’t on the wrong end of such a scoreline.
I agree with your points Nat
Here is the thing that I learned about point spreads a long time ago: The people who make them are a lot smarter than me. Point spreads tell you a lot if you pay attention to them. Unlike some people on this site, I don’t like being the underdog. I don’t want to “sneak” up on people. I want the Phins to be the ones with the target on their backs. I want the Phins to be the team that everyone “wants” to be instead of the team the everyone “should” beat. Once the point spread changes from being the dog to being the favorite, the Phins will have arrived.
"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." MACBETH
"Walter, I love you, but sooner or later, you're going to have to face the fact you're a goddamn moron." THE DUDE (The Big Lebowski)
Questions questions....
Lot of ifs and buts out there, mainly to do with our secondary and O line……..but actually every AFC East team has issues. Jets- chemistry- power running game and Sanchez. Pats- no pass rush, poor secondary and Randy Moss! Bills- an offensive line and a secondary that is far worse than ours!
The big Q for us is how are we going to approach the game offensively ? run first and try and power our way upfield, or throw and throw again to try and open up the run The next big Q for us is can we stuff Spiller? because if we can`t then we may be looking at the second coming of CJ
by Christopher Weetman on Sep 7, 2010 12:46 PM EDT reply actions
Lets all hope we start off the season strong
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""It only ends once. Everything that comes before is just progress"
Lets not hit the panic button before the first game is even played
As the 12th man, we as dolphin fans need to put our game faces on and root like crazy with tons of positive energy!
i'm ready.
i’m wearing my peril sensitive sun glasses
-LCFF
DotJPBW
(under protest)
by LeftCoastFinFan on Sep 7, 2010 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
It's definetly a shocking thought thx!!!
wopper "the king" computer
by wild zion beaver on Sep 7, 2010 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
It looks like Sparano & Co. were doing a lot more evaluating than we thought...
I’m kind of pleasantly surprised with the decisions made. I think they upgraded the spots where we had problems ie. Special Teams, and I think the way that are backups played they showed that our team does indeed have depth. I’m not hitting any panic buttons, but I’m definitely watching closely like all of us.
I was wholy and voluntarily wrong about Pat White, I made several bold predictions and he was cut by the Miami Dolphins. I was wrong, and many were right. Best of luck P-Whitty...
Driver of the "DRAFT RAS-I DOWLING IN 2011" bandwagon!!!
I just don't care about the preseason ... at all
Remember a couple of years ago when the Colts went 0-4 in the preseason and then won something like their first 13 games? I know they had Peyton Manning (who can usually cover up quite a few team inadequacies with his play), but look at some of the puzzle pieces we’ve added. We were excited going into last season, and our best linebacker was Joey Porter. Now, our best linebacker is Karlos f’n Dansby! Our best wideout last season was supposed to be Ted Ginn, and now we have Brandon “I made Kyle Orton look like Terry Bradshaw circa 1976” Marshall. Mike Nolan is our D coordinator! We’ve upgraded so many spots on this team, and while we’re far from perfect, we’ve significantly boosted ourselves on both sides of the ball.
We might not be a Super Bowl team this year, but I haven’t seen ANYTHING from the Jets or Pats this PRESEASON to convince me into thinking we have no chance of winning the East. Now let’s just hope Long’s feeling up to beating the crap out of the Bills’ sorry pass rush on Sunday.
Dolphins fan since 1988!
Nice Post Matty
I do have to say that it appears that player acquisitions made us look better in the offseason before pre-season rolled around….but like you said, I think there are more question marks now than what there were before. I do have to look at our division and say that there seems to be just as many question marks in the entire AFC East. You could read a laundry list of questions for the Jests and the Pats just like you could for the Phinz, albeit some similar and some different questions. For some reason it appears that the question bug has bitten the AFC East….or maybe it is just me that thinks this?
-lol the cop yells something like "guttenhiemerschnitzel!!" and the dog hears "kill the guy with the hat on!!"
Official Leader of the "Bring Back Zach Thomas!!" Foundation
On Matty's "Draft Sean Smith Squad" since he declared
Smacking Beck lovers for opening their mouths, since 09'
Wait a second, if you're here, then just who is fluffing Mark Sanchez?
And you haven’t beaten us in almost two years, so suck on that, trick.
Dolphins fan since 1988!
i could care less what sanchez is doing all i care about is u guys starting every year 0 and 3 and losing the division hahaha what a joke
you must've forgot..
you haven’t won the division since 2002.. and you’ve only won it twice since 1970… 40 years.
Phinsider HOF C/O 2009
Winner of Six Career Matty Awards
LN21 and MHTD - Goin Commando
Phinsider's Resident Chef
by Little Nicky 21 on Sep 7, 2010 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
2008
try a different site.
Phinsider HOF C/O 2009
Winner of Six Career Matty Awards
LN21 and MHTD - Goin Commando
Phinsider's Resident Chef
by Little Nicky 21 on Sep 7, 2010 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Shouldn't you be more concerned over why Oscar Meyer Sanchez is becoming a bust right before your very eyes?
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
ur a troll
and thats why you are banned from this site and from pp.
jets fans ugghhh…..i hope you fins beat them twice this yr
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Hang on sloopy, sloopy hang on.. O H I O
Way to show some class on another blog you freaking douche.
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"Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that."-Steve Earle
"I'd rather be a dead Gram Parsons than a live Garth Brooks"-Kinky Friedman
yeah jets are really old
Sanchez, Greene, Mangold, Slauson, Brick, Keller, Connor, Holmes, Edwards, Cotchery, Harris, Scott, Revis, Cromartie, Wilson, Leonhard, Pace, Pool- everyone of those players is a starter and is under 30. The only starters over 30 are Jenkins, Moore, Damien Woody, and Taylor (until Pace is back.
The joke is how little you know about the Jets team
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Is there any reason why anyone except Jets fans should know about the Jets?
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
Sanchez? a bust? hows henne doing? ohh ya i forgot he’ll suck against the jets because he won’t have anybody to throw to
As I recall, Henne is 2-0 against the Jets
And that was WITHOUT Brandon Marshall. In the 1st game he was 20-26 with 2 TDs and 0 picks. In the second game, he was 12-21 for 112 yards and a TD. And the offense didn’t have the ball much of that game because your kickoff coverage was horrible and Teddy G took 2 KRs to the house.
And while Henne hasn’t looked completely stellar this preseason (thanks to some untimely drops), he looks FAR AND AWAY better than Oscar.
So until Oscar can actually beat us, then your argument is irrelevant.
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
Nobody to throw to
Considering the Jets top two WRs have both led the NFL in drops… Holmes had 10 last year.
Long time reader, 1st time poster...
In my experience if we all would just ignore idiots like JestKing55, they eventually go away after a couple times of making themselves look even more idiotic.
As far as our beloved Dolphins I say lets hold our negative thoughts until we see the product on the field. After all the Universe is watching!
Excellent effin post!
Rec’d….
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"Let's kick their ass and get the hell out of here!" -- General George Armstrong Custer
how about
not allowing a league high 140 4th quarter points- that may be a place to start. although with Long hurting, a dismal secondary, and a QB who looks just as bad as Sanchez right now, but doesn’t have the credibility of two road playoff wins (i think henne and sanchez are both mediocre), i personally think the dolphins are worse than they were at the beginning of camp. they seem to lack any sort of direction and now with Parcells pseudo-resigning thats more understandable, I actually try to be objective despite all the noise people talk to me when i post here. i had the Phins as a 9-7 or 10-6 team while the Jets as 10-6 to 11-5. i think the gap has increased with the shot of adrenaline by the Revis signing and TRich re-signing while the Phins have been going backwards.
Jets: 12-4
Phins: 8-8
Pats: 8-8
Bills: 5-11
it’s still too early for you guys to hit the panic button, but you can’t be optimistic about what’s been going on in Miami recently
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:17 PM EDT reply actions
I think you are pissing in your own cornflakes..
but that’s just my opinion…
I was wholy and voluntarily wrong about Pat White, I made several bold predictions and he was cut by the Miami Dolphins. I was wrong, and many were right. Best of luck P-Whitty...
Driver of the "DRAFT RAS-I DOWLING IN 2011" bandwagon!!!
the Jets
are equal or better at every position- Secondary (Jets), LBs (Jets), DLine (Jets), OLine (Jets, especially with Long being hurt), QBs (equal- sorry until more evidence is in, neither is any good), RBs (equal until Ronnie goes out with his annual knee injury), TEs (Jets), WRs (even because Marshall is the best on both teams, but JCo and Braylon are better than the secondary receivers on the Fins). you guys are better at fullback, congrats
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
First of all
Running situation is not equal. Brown is clearly a better back than Greene. He has been to a Pro Bowl and has shown to be a great back when he’s on the field. Yes, he has gotten injured. But his body of work makes him better than the limited amount that Greene has. At this point in their careers, I’d take Ricky over LT as well. LT has over 2800 carries. He will not hold up and be effective over a full season. Ricky just has over 2100 carries and has shown to still hold up, even as a starting back. Right now, the running back edge goes to the Dolphins.
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
the line nullifies
that advantage a bit- the right side of the Jets line is the most underrated in football. i think that goes into account when determining the RBs. on talent alone though, I’d say the Dolphins may actually have better backs depending on the health of everyone
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Our line is just as good
We were actually a better running team last season. You guys got more yards, but you ran a lot more. We had a better YPC average than the Jets. Our tackles are better, or at least were rated better than the Jets by ProFootballFocus. Our guards were a weakness, but now without Faneca, yours are too. Despite Faneca’s deficiencies in pass protection, he was a great run blocker. Slauson and Ducasse have a lot of work to do in that area. Your center is better, but Grove is good when he’s on the field. Given the circumstances, I’d say the lines are about even.
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
Don't think we're moving backwards
The people we cut were backups. We picked up your young players that we can develop. The Parcells thing is a non-issue as it was going to happen and happened at the best time (when scouting and personnel decisions were finished). Henne, while not stellar this preseason, looks in complete command of the offense. Sanchez, on the other hand, still looks lost out there. Yes, our secondary is an issue, but Smith will get his starting job back and Davis is coming into his own. We have a solid d-line and good linebackers. Plus, we haven’t done anything but play vanilla this preseason. All during TC, the players talked about Nolan’s aggressive D, yet we haven’t actually seen it yet. So we’ll have to wait until the games count to see it.
Bottom line is that the Jets and Dolphins are similar teams. The Jets have a better defense and the Dolphins have a better offense. We are both run first teams with young QBs. Both teams should finish around 10 wins.
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
the fear for you guys
is that your basing that prediction on the assumption that Henne will take a big step this year. i’m basing my prediction for the Jets on Sanchez being the same player as last year. the Phins very well COULD have a better offense than the Jets, but the Jets will most certainly have a better defense. the gap between the defenses is greater and more certain than the gap between the offenses
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Is the salary cap a concern going forward for NY?
Do you feel like they’ve gone all-in on this year?
That’s one thing that I feel can go either really good or really bad, while the individuals on NY’s defense are hard to doubt, will that fully translate to the team level?
Not attacks, not insults, just curiousities I’ve had.
per the cap
the way the Jets are setting up is to have A list starters with crummy backups. next year- their priorities will be to re-sign Harris, then Braylon/Holmes/Cromartie. i think that because Revis’ deal was not super over the top, that’ll be entirely possible. the problem is if people go down. the Jets have a ton of pro bowl caliber players, but behind them is a bunch of dreck. that’s the risk you run, it’s a result of the Jets constantly trading picks and such.
they’ve decided to put out the best possible starters, but woe are they if a lot of people get hurt. i guess the thinking is that if there’s a lot of injuries- the team will suck no matter who backs people up, makes sense to me, but it is a fear
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I remember talking with someone over the offseason about the depth concerns.
I’ve always wondered if trading picks for free agents and small draft classes would effectively burn the candle at both ends. It’s hard to build depth without cheap young talent. I think if nothing else the lack of cap was a welcome reprieve for NY. But, as you said, the team will suck no matter who backs people up. When you’re relying on 2nd and 3rd stringers to give you 60 minutes and win games, you’ve got bigger issues.
Could that Revis deal have been any more 11th hour by the way?
we jet fans
were all a bit nervous, but i’d trust rex to gameplan anyways- he put a top 5 D on the field with some trash corners in Bmore. i think it actually worked perfectly for the Jets- Revis has enough time to prepare (he’s been training and doing his usual film study all throughout), Wilson got to practice with the 1s and looked very good, the Jets get a huge spark right at the beginning of the season (and they will need it with three whoppers to start the season with Balt, NE, and @Mia). i couldn’t be happier with the way the Jets off-season has turned out. they had major weaknesses last year-
Jones wearing out
No serviceable second CB
Weak FS
Weaknesses at NT with the Jenkins injury
A turnstile at LG
A receiving corps that lacked a true #1
And a rookie QB
Everyone of those needs was addressed in some capacity this off-season and I believe they’ve had improvement at every one of those positions (assuming you replace Jones’ production with Greene, not LT’s). I think Phins fans have a lot to look forward to as well, they have a solid young nucleus on offense with good vets sprinkled in. The big ? is that D though, Davis can play, but I saw what happens when good passing teams go against a team with a very good corner and a bunch of garbage on the opposite side. I am not sold on Smith or any other CB on the Phins roster. If Dansby has a big year and Nolan coaches up a storm though, the Phins could have a formidable D. Hell, the Jets were number 1 in D last year after being like 22nd the previous year. I have said before that I see the Phins as a team very similar to last year’s Jets team (I mean that as a compliment). I just think it will take another year for the D to truly blossom.
by Crimetime Island on Sep 8, 2010 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions
This is all wrong
You too are making assumptions. You are assuming that your defense will remain the same. It should, but its not guaranteed. You’re assuming that your running game will be as good. I don’t think it will. For all the crap about Faneca having a bad year, he is still a good run blocker. The LG position is key for that, and it showed this preseason that whoever your LG is, they can’t run block nearly as effectively as Faneca. You are also assuming that everything will go your way again. You were a 9-7 team last season. Not 13-3 or 12-4… 9-7. You have completely ignored that two teams laid down for you to get in the playoffs. In the playoffs, you beat a terrible Cincy team that peaked before week 8 and struggled down the stretch. You beat a SD because their FG kicker choked. And that was without a great deal of serious injuries (Jenkins being the only one).
And now for the big one. It is very nearly impossible for teams to win the Super Bowl with a mediocre QB. Sanchez will have to take the next step, or you won’t win. This isn’t just my opinion. Check out this article. It pretty must says that an elite defense can get you to the playoffs, but you need elite QB play to win it. Of course, you’re going to say Henne needs to take the next step too. But Dolphins fans aren’t clamoring about the Super Bowl either. Instead of worrying about what Dolphins fans are saying, worry about whether your players can cash the checks that their coach is writing for them. For your sake, you better hope they do. Because if they don’t, it’ll be a long season and offseason for the Jets.
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
You are also assuming...
that we haven’t improved at all. And based on what? That we cut some backups that could be back after next week? So far, our d-line looks like the strength of the team. Its versatile, quick, and aggressive. Our linebackers are getting better and seem to be very good. Dansby is as good as advertised, if not better. Crowder looks better next to him. Micah Johnson looks like a decent player and a real gem. Dobbins is solid. In our secondary, Davis is starting to play like a shutdown corner. Is he as good as Revis? No. Does he need to be in order for us to win? No. Smith is struggling, but has been solid and will work through his struggles. Carroll looks like a good pick for us. I actually see him starting one day for us. We have the best SS in the division. Clemons has been average. He’s not making big plays, but he’s not allowing big plays.
On offense, our o-line is still as good as ever. We’ve still got the two great tackles. Our guards have improved. Center is an area of concern, but when Grove’s healthy, he’s a very good center. We still have the great running back combo. Henne is improving and has looked better this season. Drops have hurt his stats a little, but he is making good decisions and protecting the ball. Our WRs have gotten better. Of course Marshall helps with that. But Hartline showed progress last season and should continue to make progress. Bess is now the best slot WR in the division since Welker isn’t 100% He should have another huge year for us.
My point here is not to compare the two teams. I’m trying to show that we have positives as well that you are writing off and you guys have negatives that you either ignore or shrug off like its no big deal. But like they say, that’s why you play the games and we’ll find out this weekend.
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
the D assumption
is based on the fact that every year, Rex throws out at least a top 5 D. they have the same players everywhere except glaring weaknesses last year (see FS, NT, and 2nd CB) have been addressed.
Faneca was awful in all aspects of the game last year- the Jets ran to the right every time. Also Jones was not good- Greene and LT are better backs and will show it this year. Also, how did LG show up as bad for running in the pre-season. The Jets ran for 7.5 ypc this pre-season against 1st team Ds. They just didn’t run much, so as not to beat up their backs.
This is the most complete Jets team I’ve ever seen and I am one of the more pessimistic fans out there. Last year’s record of 9-7 was very deceptive in more ways than those two games at the end of the year. Sanchez had 4 games of 4 ints I believe (0-4 in those), the coaching staff then decided not to let him throw the ball anymore and they became a much better team. The Jets outplayed the opposition in 4 losses last year (@Bills, Jax, Mia 2, and Atl). You obviously can’t look at games like that positively during the season that they are happening in, but you can look at it as evidence for the future. The Jets under a new coach and new QB last year outplayed the opposition in many losses- they were thrown away by a rookie QB or in some other fluke ways. Should they have won those games? No, they didn’t do enough to- but they lost many games in very odd fashion. The Jets were by no means a prototypical 9-7 team last year.
Also, if Sanchez looks like he did last year- the Jets will not wait until week 11 to tighten the leash this time.
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
If Sanchez looks like he did last year
You are still a 9-7 team. Like it or not, your title dreams are resting on his shoulders. If he plays equivalent to last year, then you’ll never get by NE or Indy or any of the top teams to win a SB. It takes top QB play to win championships. We are hoping that Henne gets there. You should hope that Sanchez makes a lot of improvement. Otherwise, you won’t get there either.
The two SB teams last year were ranked 18th and 25th in total defense. But they had superb QBs. Defense is important. But QBs win SBs. So unless Sanchez can make a lot of improvement, then the Jets will still be on the outside looking in.
aka "The Duke"
Proponent of I-AA Football
Driving the Roberto Wallace Bandwagon
Unofficial Phinsider DJ
Basing this on last year
If you want to go based the Jets and Sanchez based on last season, Miami would have the advantage of QBs since Henne went 7-6 as a starter and had a winning record. Sanchez likely would’ve gone 7-9, but two teams laid down for him. Chicago and Buffalo won’t be winning the divisions and getting homefield, thus NYJ won’t have those teams to lay down for them. :)
yeah
the bengals really looked like they laid down in that game after they talked a bunch of crap beforehand and then got embarrassed on national TV with their starters in- answer me this, if the Bengals were laying down, why the heck did they put their starters in to begin with? as for the Colts, would the Jets have probably won that game? No, but they were down 3 with possession and were running all over the Colts (as they did in the AFCCG before Greene got injured)- that’s not exactly a drubbing. Also, you don’t think that playing an aggressive, blitzing D swayed the decision to take Peyton and Co. out of the game? you can only beat who is in front of you and the Jets did that. I love how everyone says those were two losses a 37-0 torching of a team playing their starters and a 3 point deficit with the ball running for about 6 or 7 ypc (against the entire starting D I might add). give me a break
by Crimetime Island on Sep 8, 2010 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I think that people discounted the death having such an affect on Cincy but they
were not the same team after that they were before.
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"Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that."-Steve Earle
"I'd rather be a dead Gram Parsons than a live Garth Brooks"-Kinky Friedman
watch them
play D sometime and that was with Leigh Bodden. i’m also assuming Welker is not 100% and that the giant hole at LG will be exploited
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
they just
strike me as rebuilding right now- their D, especially without Bodden is really a spectacle to behold. they could be top 5 in passing O and bottom 5 in every other category. it’s really impressive how many picks BB has missed on
by Crimetime Island on Sep 7, 2010 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions
It is peculiar. It's not like him at all.
If nothing else, they’re an easy team to bet on this year. “Over”
A Recipe With All The Right Ingredients BUT Are They Already Missing One Ingredient
Matty, of course, provides the perfect recipe but unfortunately one ingredient is already missing. How do players have fun when they leave training camp and preseason with more questions then when they went into camp? A depth chart changing daily and more than a few players coming in AFTER the last preseason game doesn’t present a team, and especially a coaching staff, that’s loose. Staying with the recipe theme, making sure they have all the ingredients is how they START to win the AFC East. The key is a STRONG START. A Miami win in Buffalo is the key to the season. A win will relieve some of the tension but a lose will probably mean a season that’s no FUN for any of us.
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