Stripes Spell the End For the Miami Dolphins Playoff Hopes

Officiating in professional and collegiate sports has been awful in recent times. Affecting the outcomes of games by finding the lamest excuse to call a ridiculous penalty.

The latest example is the Miami Dolphins game at Tennessee. In overtime, Chad Henne had thrown an interception and as the defender took a knee surrendering himself, his teammate began encouraging him to get up and run. So to be safe Greg Camarillo ran over and put his hands on him to down him and make sure.

Sure enough a yellow flag comes flying out and a 15-yard penalty is charged to the Dolphin’s receiver—putting the Titans into field goal rang for their big legged kicker Rob Bironas.

The stout Dolphin’s defense stopped the Titans on three straight plays but none of it mattered, because of an insult-to-the-game call on one wide receiver making a heads up play.

Another atrocity by the officiating crew came from a lack of a review in overtime as the Dolphins clearly got the ball back as the replay showed Jason Taylor stripped the ball away from Chris Johnson on third down. Yet, instead of a review and the Dolphins having another shot with the ball, the Titans were able to kick it through the uprights and win.

There were other instances in the game where the officials screwed the Dolphins (the least penalized team in the league coming in) with such calls as defensive holding when the defensive lineman was thrown to the ground. How is that possible?

When a player is thrown to the ground usually it stands that the player who threw them to the ground should be called for holding doesn’t it?

The Titans got away with several holding calls and an illegal man down field on a screen pass, the center Kevin Mawae was clearly upfield before the pass was in the air on this play.

I’m not saying the Dolphins couldn’t have won this regardless because they could have, three times they turned the ball over in field goal range and just one of those would have won the game and reversed the score.

The offense needs to do a better job of capitalizing and I’m sure that’s what the coaching staff will take note of.

Fortunately some slim playoff hopes are still there for the Dolphins but they are just that—slim. The Phins must win their remaining games and hope for some help with losses on the part of the Ravens and Broncos to make the playoffs at a meek 9-7. 

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Dolphins Take Flight and Eek by Pats

After watching that nail biter between my beloved Phins and the terrifying Patriots all I can say is…wow!

It would appear the Dolphins have finally fueled up the pass game and taken flight. While for much of the game I had to wonder why the Dolphins abandoned the run so much, I was very impressed with the receivers and with Chad Henne.

Brian Hartline is running fade routes to perfection, Davone Bess looks like a young Wes Welker, Greg Camarillo is finally getting open and Ted Ginn is finding his hands. Henne for the most part was getting the ball on target and finding several different receivers.

This is what will make Henne great in the future, his ability to complete passes to different receivers instead of relying on one go to guy. While Davone Bess is clearly the best receiver on the team it’s not only him that Henne throws to, Hartline has been getting his fair share of catches, Camarillo has some of the best hands I’ve seen when he gets open, and Ginn is making catches when he needs to. 

Henne did make a few mistakes during this game, I don’t think he’s perfect…yet. His one interception was ugly and he missed a few wide open receivers, this isn’t an indicator of his potential though, it’s simply a case of a young QB getting a little anxious.

Henne adds so much to this offense.  Now the pass game has been seen, we just have to hope it stays consistent. If the run works like it has all year and the pass game gets going, the Dolphin’s offense will be an unstoppable force. 

With Ronnie Brown healthy next year, the Dolphins may be striking fear into opposing defenses.

I’m not taking anything away from the defense who was rock solid after going down 14-0 in the first quarter, I’m just so impressed and shocked by this pass attack that the Dolphins put together that it kind of overshadows the defense.

The defense, too, was awesome.  They gave up twenty-one points but when it came down to the key moments in the game they wouldn’t break.

This Dolphins team looked great and from here on out I think it’s just a matter of consistency.  They have the ability to win their remaining games, 10-6 could be the final outcome of the regular season and I still can see the Dolphins in the play-offs. 

Dolphans, keep believing and remember this famous baseball Yogism “It’s not over, ’til it’s over.”

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Horrendous Play Calling Hurts Dolphins in Loss to The Bills

While the final score was 31-14, I will assure you this was not as lopsided a game as the score would lead you to believe. This game was tied in the 4th quarter but the Dolphins let it get out of hand.

In fact, the Dolphins should have blown the game open in the first half.

However, Dolphin offensive coordinator Dan Henning’s play calling was atrocious.

On their first drive of the game, the Dolphins were having success with the running game. However, with the ball on the one yard line, the Dolphins tried to throw the ball into the end zone. That was already an odd decision, but even stranger is the fact that it was Ricky Williams on the pass attempt. The pass was intercepted and no points came out of the drive.

The Dolphins had no business throwing the ball, let alone with their running back who hasn’t thrown a pass in years. It just doesn’t make sense. 

Over the course of the game, I noticed Henning decided to go with the pass when it just wasn’t necessary. There was never an issue running the ball. Sure you want to mix it up and give the defense some different looks, but in all seriousness why not run the ball until they prove they can consistently stop it?

This Bills team came into the game dead last in the league in run defense and we just abandoned it when it was working.

Another needless play call occurred when Henning decided to call a Ted Ginn reverse during a sustained Dolphins’ drive. What’s the logic in that? It pulled the team out of field goal range and prevented even more scoring opportunities.

Another questionable called occurred when the Dolphins needed desperately to get the ball away from their own endzone. What was with throwing twice? After the first failed pass to Ginn, the Dolphins should have tried to run the ball and get it out of there. Even if they didn’t get the first down, a couple of Ricky Williams carries would have given Brandon Fields some room to kick and get out of a possible safety situation.

All year, Henning has gone away from the running game and the wildcat at critical times in the game.

Some of the blame for the Dolphins’ woes this year has to go to the coordinating. If the Dolphins would have taken advantage of their opportunities to enhance their lead and put point up early, the game would’ve been much different and possibly would have ended in a Miami Dolphin victory.

Unfortunately as it has been all year, the Dolphins play calling was very suspect and the Dolphins missed an opportunity to gain ground in the wild card race, and possibly the division.

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A Look At The Dolphins Defense Without Jason Ferguson

As many of you are aware, the Miami Dolphins have lost Jason Ferguson for the rest of the season.

This hurts almost as bad as losing Ronnie Brown two weeks ago, as now the Dolphins have lost key players on both sides of the ball.

Ferguson was an important part of stopping the run at the nose tackle position and was a key for getting pressure on the quarterback (even though Paul P. doesn’t seem to care about that). 

This means that third year defensive lineman from Utah, Paul Soliai, will be playing nose tackle for the remainder of the year.

I haven’t seen much from the young Soliai, but the Dolphins better hope he steps up big because they need him more than anyone right now to fill the A-gaps successfully. 

This is also going to put pressure on the line-backing corps to make first hit tackles, something the Dolphins’ defense has struggled with all season long. To become more than just a good team, the defense needs to learn how to stop big plays by executing tackles properly and not giving up yards after contact. 

More pressure is also put on the secondary to lock down receivers and tight ends.  The play of the secondary has been another struggle for the Miami defense throughout the year, as long passes have plagued Miami from the start of the season.

We all remember the defensive failures against Indy and New Orleans right?

To keep the Dolphins in the playoff hunt, the defense must execute.  It is plain and simple. They must wrap up ball carriers and cover receivers down field.  Paul P. has also got to be more aggressive and attack the line of scrimmage. When the defense lays back and is less aggressive, they seem to get lackadaisical, giving up big plays and failing to execute.

Let’s also not forget that the key to stopping any passing attack is to limit the time the quarterback has to throw the ball. Pasqualoni seems to have forgotten that over the course of the season. Against the Saints, when Brees was pressured in the first half, the Dolphins only allowed 10 points, but when the Dolphins laid back in the second half the Saints scored over 30.

The Dolphins need to be aggressive and attack the line of scrimmage while also maintaining their assignments and not allowing anyone to break free.  

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Miami Dolphins Refuse to Sink

Two wins in five days have brought the Miami Dolphins back to the .500 mark. The team has shown promise as they look to make another miracle run at the playoffs. 

What makes the last win so impressive is the big story with Ronnie Brown.

Brown is out for the season now with a lisfranc fracture in his foot. Many were wondering what would happen with the wildcat, and the offense as a whole.

Let me tell you, although the Dolphins utilized the wildcat and Ronnie Brown a lot this year and last, they do not need the formation nor did they ever solely rely on it.

I hate seeing someone like Brown go down but I’m glad to see our beloved ‘Phins moving the ball with a conventional offense. This team is capable of winning games without Brown.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Ronnie Brown as much as the next Dolfan, still while he’s useful and beneficial to have out there, he is not necessary to win games.

The key is that the Dolphins are very deep at the tailback position.

I know Brown is arguably one of the best backs in the NFL but look at how Ricky Williams ran against the Panthers and the Buccaneers. He’s outstanding.  

Age is just a number and Ricky is proving it. He’s continued to take excellent care of his body and still has the ability to be an elite runner in this league.

Lex Hilliard also showed us what a strong runner he is on Thursday night. This guy shows promise, and I’m amazed he hadn’t played a snap all year (yes I know he played special teams) with how strong he is. Hilliard always keeps his legs going and we should expect to see plenty from him in the future.

Let’s not forget that lead blocker either, Lousaka Polite put the hurt on some Carolina defenders and he is a surefire first down option on short-yardage situations. 

Wow, did the defense step it up on Thursday. I know they didn’t shut Carolina out but less than 20 points is a great accomplishment the way the defense has been playing all year.

They proved one of my favorite defensive points, that playing aggressive makes you better. So much pressure was put on Jake Delhomme that it helped the DBs and it benefited the middle linebackers. Maybe Paul P. has finally figured it out. 

The pass defense took a tremendous step forward and kept from giving up the long touchdown passes that have plagued the Phins all season long. The run defense gave up some big yards but for the most part did a pretty good job after the first quarter.

Much of the credit on offense goes to the lineman.

Although an epidemic of cramps swept through the line on Thursday, they kept going and real props have to go to Andrew Gardener for playing four different positions including center.

Gardener played left guard, right tackle, center and tight end in the wildcat. Great blocking job as Chad Henne rarely got hurried and Williams was able to run the ball efficiently.

As a whole, I see this team making a run. I don’t know if they’ll make the playoffs or not but they are certainly capable.

The running back position is deep now even with Patrick Cobbs and Brown out for the season. The Dolphins remain a strong running team, with much of the credit going to the line though.

Ted Ginn is finally finding his hands and maybe will be more of a factor in the upcoming weeks. The pass game doesn’t put up the same astronomical stats the Patriots or Colts put up week in and week out, but it’s looking a lot more efficient of late.

The Miami defense is making strides in the right direction while finally being able to defend the pass attack. 

I really think all these factors are swinging the Dolphins’ momentum in the right direction down the stretch of the NFL season. With a tough road ahead of them, a playoff birth is a long shot, but we’ve seen crazier things (like the Lions winning) happen right?

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Dolphins-Panthers: Dolphins Offense Without Ronnie Brown

With Ronnie Brown out, the Dolphins will need to find ways to move the ball other than the Wildcat with Brown as the focul point.

If they want to use the Wildcat Ricky Williams is going to have to be the one taking snaps. I know Ricky is not Ronnie but he is still a great runner. The only problem is that instead of sitting back and improvising like only Brown can do, Williams will probably have to use designed plays and blocks more than Ronnie usually does.

Ricky and Ronnie are both great runners but they are two entirely different types of runners. Ronnie usually is patient and waits for something to develop so he can burst through the hole and get open space.

Ricky goes where he’s supposed to and hits the gap with conviction, which is the reason he’s not quite as effective in running the Wildcat.

The unconventional formation has shown some success with Ricky taking snaps though. Ricky could very easily break some big runs out of the Wildcat but we won’t be seeing it as often as we have in the past.

While they can’t completely dismiss the Wildcat, the Dolphins need to make sure they get their conventional attack going to minimize the loss of Brown.

It hurts that Patrick Cobbs is out for the year because this is the time Miami needs him to be a threat on the end-around out of the Wildcat. Sure Lex Hilliard could be a good runner but we just haven’t seen enough from him to know what his strengths are.

What will most likely take the place of the Wildcat in the absence of Ronnie Brown is the Pistol, or the “Wildpat,” which features QB Pat White.

Yes the Dolphins need to ask for more out of the rookie from West Virginia. White will definitely need to step it up and maybe complete a few passes against the Panthers.

The option will be key out of the Pistol in keeping the defense off balance. Instead of relying on Ronnie’s intelligence in the backfield, the Dolphins will need to keep Carolina looking at White and guessing what he might do.

Lex Hilliard will need to prove himself as a runner this week too. He hasn’t been utilized at all offensively for the Dolphins but now is the time for him to show what he can do as I’m sure Ricky won’t carry the full load.

Offensively, the Dolphins need big games out of White, Williams and Hilliard to beat the Panthers.

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Why the Dolphins Aren’t Winning

The Dolphins are off to a rough start to say the least.

Their two wins over the Jets and a victory over the lowly Bills stand as the only successes of this season.

With a 3-5 record at the midway point, I have given plenty of thought as to why the Phins are losing—especially in games where they own the ball for 45 minutes or lead by 21 points. 

There are three main reasons I believe the Dolphins aren’t winning games, and I will begin with the most obvious.

 

Lack of Receivers

Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess have been the most consistent wide receivers the Dolphins have had on the team so far this year.

Sure they both have pretty good hands, but neither really presents a big play threat or gets open regularly enough to be a favorable target for Chad Henne. 

Ted Ginn Jr. has been the biggest disappointment, as he has had a case of stone hands. He just can’t catch anything (except a kick).

It’s amazing how many games could have been won that haven’t because of a dropped pass or two, not just from Ginn but also from the likes of Anthony Fasano and Brian Hartline.

When your receivers can’t catch and can’t get open, there is a serious problem with your offense. It prevents big plays from happening and makes the team one dimensional.

While a run game is extremely important to any team, it can’t do anything if defenses don’t have to respect the pass.

 

Play-calling

Paul Pasqualoni has been horrid as a defensive play caller.

His concepts are respectable, but it seems when something begins to work he stops doing it.

I don’t know if any of you readers have noticed, but when the defense is aggressive and attacks the line of scrimmage with blitzes and whatnot, the defense plays better as a whole.

For example, against the Saints there was the perfect formula to stop that explosive offense and the Dolphins nearly held them to just three points in the first half.

There’s been a common trend though: after the first half they try to make too many adjustments it seems. They come out in a protective, “don’t blow it” mentality instead of continuing to attack and destroy the opposing offense.

The same is true of the offensive play calling.

I love—and I mean love—Dan Henning’s playbook and schemes, but his play calling is indeed questionable. When the running game is getting into a groove he starts trying to pass the ball to the unreliable receivers instead of continuing to pound it down his rivals’ throats.

The toughest part of it all is that neither of these strategies work. They haven’t worked at all, but they continue to do it the same way.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting better results is not the way to do it.

 

Irresponsible Clock Management

Tony Sparano is a great guy and I think he has the team headed in the right direction.

But in games his use of timeouts (yes, I know sometimes it’s Henne’s fault) is bizarre, and the clock management at the end of halves is terrible, because they don’t have two or three timeouts, they have zero or one. 

If any of you remember the Colts game—which is one all Dolphins fans wish to forget— the hurry-up offense was horrible, and Miami couldn’t get into the red zone even with  almost four minutes.

This not Sparano’s fault. As far as I know it’s the players being sluggish and not hustling the whole way. 

Then, of course, some of it is the aforementioned play calling. Ehen you come out in the second half and throw on five out of six plays—resulting in two three-and-outs—not only do you give up the ball but it stops the clock. That’s why the Saints had enough time to come back against the Phins. 

 

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