Dolphins Game Thoughts

[deerpathdave]

1. If Sturgis hits a 32 yard field goal, all of the discussion on the board this morning may be positive. Again, the Parkey thing and the failure to acknowledge his injury in the preseason cost the team another game.

2. While there is alot to like about a healthy Bradford, I also thought he was putting himself in harms way in this game. Hold the ball too long and bad things happen.

3. The Sanchez INT was a Miles Austin INT. Looked like a great throw to me and a real poor job by a receiver.

4. WTF is wrong with Kelce? Sooner or later, you gotta stop making excuses for a guy and just think maybe he is overrated.

5. Never thought I would say this, but I am a bit of a Sanchez fan. He sells the read option run and gets this team to the line of scrimmage and on to the next play faster than Bradford. Assuming he starts next week, I expect the issues with footwork and Murray and hitting receivers in the back will go away. If Sanchez gets a couple of starts in a row here, he can relegate Bradford to the bench and effectively end his Eagles career. Sanchez may not have the same arm, but I am equally sold on Sanchez's ability to be this team's long term QB.

6. While a disappointing loss, at the end of the day, standings wise, nothing changed. They are still a half game back of the Giants and still control their own destiny. The only substantive change is that the Redskins are now in the mix.

 

[eaglesnut]

Why is Sanchez throwing into double coverage when we only need a fg? The thing about Sanchez is he will always fuck it up right at the worst time.

 

[deerpathdave]

DO you think a FG with 4 minutes remaining was going to win the game?

 

[eaglesnut]

DO you think a FG with 4 minutes remaining was going to win the game?

If the kicker makes it sure.

 

[deerpathdave]

A two point lead and the other team with last possession is I suspect about a 50 50 proposition. You take the field goal if that is what they hold you to, but you need to take your shots at the end zone. A TD there puts your team in a very advantageous position. You just need your veteran receiver to complete his route.

 

[Iggloo]

The bottom line is that we don't have a QB. Sanchez and Bradford are both backups. This is unfortunately crystal clear now.

I think Sanchez may be the better option once he knocks off his rust, but he is also a INT machine as evidenced last night. Yes, Austin should have been paying attention, but as Eaglesnut said Sanchez has a knack for making those kinds of mistakes and he has to know, given the situation, not to throw that ball.

 

[ctc]

Once again the offensive line was indeed offensive.

 

[ctc]

What i can't fathom is why any idiot thinks winning this division, with this team, would be a good thing.

It's not even close to being competitive with a competent team. Getting into the playoffs and getting smoked by whomever is a good thing? WTF!

IN what way?

This team is beginning to exhibit the characteristics of a poorly coached group. Bad penalties, stupid penalties, simple mistakes, the inability to execute on a very simple level. Poor play calling and personnel decisions. None of this is good.

 

[old duke]

Dave,
I disagree with most of your points. Sanchez was responsible, and he had Celek open right in front of him.
Bradford stinks too. Both of them throw too many interceptions.
I agree on Kelce. He is smart, but small, and gets overpowered. He is very average. Besides Johnson, all the OL should be replaced.
I really don't care that the NFC is very weak. I only care that chip has done a lousy job. I gave him the benefit of a doubt before, but now I am tired of this. Let him go where he wants to go, and we start over = AGAIN! I won't get my hopes up again on this team that I have loved for 60 years, until I see that we are a strong, contending team year after year.

 

[Iggloo]

On Kelce, is think he may need to be replaced. He is making way too many mistakes and is too small. Maybe with better, bigger guards to protect him he would be OK, but right now he looks like a weak link.

 

[deerpathdave]

While I am pretty down on them as well, I do think that much of this is the negativity is the results oriented thinking that goes on that overplays the negative on a loss and the positive on a win. Few would give a crap about Kelce, Austin, Sanchez or Bradford if they had made the other field goal and won by 2.

At the end of the day, despite what Kelly says, this is a non divisional game that really doesn't mean that much. This division will be won or lost by how the team does in the remaining games against the Redskins and Giants.

Every team in the NFL is tough and while we all had this game mentally in the "W" column, you never know how things will break. Maybe they lose to the Bucs next week as well and then beat the Patriots and Cards? None of those games are much more than a 7 point spread so anything can happen. The Packers lost to Detroit afterall.

 

[Darth Dawkins]

On Kelce, is think he may need to be replaced. He is making way too many mistakes and is too small. Maybe with better, bigger guards to protect him he would be OK, but right now he looks like a weak link.

Guards like Mathis?

 

[DutchBird]

1. If Sturgis hits a 32 yard field goal, all of the discussion on the board this morning may be positive. Again, the Parkey thing and the failure to acknowledge his injury in the preseason cost the team another game.

Might be; though of the top of my head I cannot think of a single replacement-kicker that has worked out for the team he came to.

2. While there is alot to like about a healthy Bradford, I also thought he was putting himself in harms way in this game. Hold the ball too long and bad things happen.

I can agree - somewhat here - that said, offense was putrid.

3. The Sanchez INT was a Miles Austin INT. Looked like a great throw to me and a real poor job by a receiver.

The Sanchez INT was identical - pretty much - to a couple of INT's Bradford has thrown. The most glaring mistake was throwing that ball in the first place. Throw it away, or, if hell bent on going for a TD, to the far left corner of the endzone and have Ertz or Celek go get it - you know, someone who had shown during the game that they could actually catch the ball and make a play.

4. WTF is wrong with Kelce? Sooner or later, you gotta stop making excuses for a guy and just think maybe he is overrated.

Who knows? Though - somewhat - part of the struggles might have something to do with the two new guards.

5. Never thought I would say this, but I am a bit of a Sanchez fan. He sells the read option run and gets this team to the line of scrimmage and on to the next play faster than Bradford. Assuming he starts next week, I expect the issues with footwork and Murray and hitting receivers in the back will go away. If Sanchez gets a couple of starts in a row here, he can relegate Bradford to the bench and effectively end his Eagles career. Sanchez may not have the same arm, but I am equally sold on Sanchez's ability to be this team's long term QB.

In games like this - when the O-line stinks it up, Sanchez is the better option, probably, due to his mobility. Whether Sanchez is the better QB, I do not know (and based on last year I frankly doubt it).

6. While a disappointing loss, at the end of the day, standings wise, nothing changed. They are still a half game back of the Giants and still control their own destiny. The only substantive change is that the Redskins are now in the mix.

Yup. And it looks like the team is still a disaster. The shopping list for this off-season is looooong.

 

[old duke]

Shopping list:
QB
WR
WR
OT
G
C
CB
S

Can't get more than a few that are upgrades in free agency, so we'd better have a good draft of players that are NFL ready, unlike this past draft with Agholor and Rowe,who need a good year or two to develop.

 

[deerpathdave]

Shopping list:
QB
WR
WR
OT
G
C
CB
S

Can't get more than a few that are upgrades in free agency, so we'd better have a good draft of players that are NFL ready, unlike this past draft with Agholor and Rowe,who need a good year or two to develop.

Fortunately, neither you nor Daniel Snyder owns this team and knows its more about development than shopping. Its really a waste of time to make a list before the year is out anyways as still half this story is still to be told.

 

[old duke]

I was responding more to Dutchbird's quote. Anyway, you are in a dream world if you think that the men who man the above positions are capable of being developed, ala Riley Cooper and Miles Austin. Really?

 

[deerpathdave]

I was responding more to Dutchbird's quote. Anyway, you are in a dream world if you think that the men who man the above positions are capable of being developed, ala Riley Cooper and Miles Austin. Really?

I believe Agholor and Rowe can be developed. I believe this team has done a good job as well on developing guards from Free Agents. I am also intrigued by guys like Shepherd. And of course Hicks has already proven himself.

 

[DutchBird]

I believe Agholor and Rowe can be developed. I believe this team has done a good job as well on developing guards from Free Agents. I am also intrigued by guys like Shepherd. And of course Hicks has already proven himself.

Let's see:

QB: Unless a miracle happens, none of the QB's currently on the roster is good enough to get us far in the playoffs.

OT: Peters is done. So a replacement OT is needed. Kelly seems not up to snuff.

OG: Based on the performance of the O-line for much of the season suggests that the they are not a long term answer either. So replacement needed, and to gamble on current PS OL to take over seems a bit risky, considering the success this year (also at WR).

C: Kelce is getting older, and the regression is remarkable. To blame it on the absence of Mathis and Herremans falls far short of a convincing explanation. First of all, Herremans was already bad last year, and has stunk this year. Mathis has also not done too well in Denver.

WR: Of the WR's currently on the roster the only ones that deserve to be her beyond the end of the season (whenever that may be) are Matthews, Agholor and - last chance - Huff. And preferrably Huff is to be upgraded as well.

OLB: Graham, Barwin and ??? Marcus Smith has at least shown up on Special Teams (saved the TD on the blocked punt), but so far there is very little to suggest that he will be a capable back up or replacement at OLB.

CB: Shepherd is intriguing, but the injury was devastating. Currently the team is still thin there, even if Rowe can be groomed as a CB.

S: Could use a capable backup after Thurmond and Jenkins.


So yeah, I believe there is still a considerable shopping list for the team, to be filled in the draft and FA.

 

[deerpathdave]

Let's see:

QB: Unless a miracle happens, none of the QB's currently on the roster is good enough to get us far in the playoffs.

OT: Peters is done. So a replacement OT is needed. Kelly seems not up to snuff.

OG: Based on the performance of the O-line for much of the season suggests that the they are not a long term answer either. So replacement needed, and to gamble on current PS OL to take over seems a bit risky, considering the success this year (also at WR).

C: Kelce is getting older, and the regression is remarkable. To blame it on the absence of Mathis and Herremans falls far short of a convincing explanation. First of all, Herremans was already bad last year, and has stunk this year. Mathis has also not done too well in Denver.

WR: Of the WR's currently on the roster the only ones that deserve to be her beyond the end of the season (whenever that may be) are Matthews, Agholor and - last chance - Huff. And preferrably Huff is to be upgraded as well.

OLB: Graham, Barwin and ??? Marcus Smith has at least shown up on Special Teams (saved the TD on the blocked punt), but so far there is very little to suggest that he will be a capable back up or replacement at OLB.

CB: Shepherd is intriguing, but the injury was devastating. Currently the team is still thin there, even if Rowe can be groomed as a CB.

S: Could use a capable backup after Thurmond and Jenkins.


So yeah, I believe there is still a considerable shopping list for the team, to be filled in the draft and FA.

So at QB, they have one that brought his team to an AFC Championship team twice...with a lousy supporting cast. They have some talented players here.

Peters is 33 years old and just happens to be dealing with an injury. Once healthy he could have a few more good years. If not, Johnson can slide over and Kelly looked pretty good there last week.

At Center, Kelce is 28. Primetime for an offensive lineman. And he was a probowler just last year.

WR. pretty much agree. Name a team out there that has more than 3 good WRs?

OLB. Need a number 3.

CB. Seem set with good depth.

S. Every team can always use another player.

Let's see how the season plays out, but this team has alot of talent. Get a consistent kicker and this team could be 7-2 and no one would be thinking about shopping.

 

[old duke]

Matthews and Agholor are keepers, but Huff? What are you smoking? He has never had a real god game. Making one play now and then does not make a good WR. So, we have 2 good WRs - not great, but good. that's it. So we need at least 2 more.

Kelce is not old, but too small. When he pulls and gets out in front of the play, he is good. He is mobile, but that is it. He gets run over against big DT's.