Defense Or Coaching ?

[DolphinsFreak]

Yes, the defense did NOT play a great game last night. Yes, Jamar Taylor should NOT be on the field for any NFL team. BUT, was it really the DEFENSE that cost the Dolphins the game last night?

We've been hearing for weeks that Campbell wants his football team to be tough. He has gone on and on about how he wants a more balanced attack and how he wants to commit to the run more.

Well, it STARTED OUT looking really good for the Dolphins in the first half with Lamar Miller rushing for 89 yards and TWO TOUCHDOWNS.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RUN GAME IN THE SECOND HALF?!?!?!?!?

Do you know how many carries Lamar Miller got in the second half last night? 1-5 ?

If Miller is not injured this coaching staff is one of the dumbest I've seen in a long time, possibly ever.

EDIT -

I forgot to mention one crucial FACT, that I know for certain that this coaching staff is aware of - The Miami Dolphins are UNDEFEATED when Lamar Miller carries the ball 15 times or more. SO, again, why didn't they give Miller the ball more in the SECOND HALF?!?!?!?

[Seadog]

Yes, it was by ALL means the D, what was Eli's comp/att last night, that right there is the whole reason we lost....

Grimes, what was he doing last night playing with those little plastic army men in the grass, setting up a battle line or something....cause he spent most of his time on his belly trying to get up...

Opps, who the hell is Odell, never heard of him, let him get wide open and forget to double him up.....

The DL must have been gassed by half time, when you have LB's that can't play, and a secondary that can't play, forget about it, it ain't happening....

[Idahomer]

I hear you on the balance Freak, but we were shredding them through the air as well. Tannehill missed a couple TD opportunities and we once again committed stupid penalties in crucial situations and dropped (or fumbled) too many passes. I have no problem throwing that many times if they are not stopping us, although I agree we need to get Miller the ball at least 15 times, especially when he is gashing them like he was. This team is weak in every area - coaching, defense, and offense. It's sad.

[marino4ever]

you forgot front office

[Idahomer]

Not sure how I forgot those idiots lol.

[Seadog]

Check me if I'm wrong, but I thought Miller did better outside of the tackles, except for a total break down in NY tackling when Miller cut back up the middle....

Looked as if NY started stopping the run as the game went on, but Ajayi couldn't get going and that may have sealed it, I would have kept running Miller, and bench Ajayi, I haven't seen much from him this year....

[DolphinsFreak]

I thought Miller looked great in the first half. Usually Ajayi looks a little better and stronger then Miller to me but last night he didn't look like he was either. Miller was definitely the better back last night so maybe there was an injury that they didn't tell anyone about. (?) But, Miller only had about 9 carries in the first half and then 3 in the second half? Ajayi had only 5 carries in the game.17 combined carries between your two running backs is NOT a balanced attack. When you want a balanced attack you can't stray away from either the run or the passing game. The defense should take much of the blame for this loss but I also blame the coaching staff because they sure didn't help matters much at all and the game possibly could have been won if they didn't make inexperienced decisions.

[Seadog]

You know something else that hindered the running game, all those stupid arse penalties, put us in long too many times, something we should consider....

[Seadog]

And...I agree the coaching staff isn't doing there job, not with the play calling, the coverage, and the penalties being committed...

Sims fumbles, drops a sure pass, and is still out on the field....what if he played on NE, he wouldn't be on the field, that's what's wrong with this team, make mistakes, np, it's all about having fun, forget about it.....

[DolphinsFreak]

I hear you on the balance Freak, but we were shredding them through the air as well. Tannehill missed a couple TD opportunities and we once again committed stupid penalties in crucial situations and dropped (or fumbled) too many passes. I have no problem throwing that many times if they are not stopping us, although I agree we need to get Miller the ball at least 15 times, especially when he is gashing them like he was. This team is weak in every area - coaching, defense, and offense. It's sad.

The Dolphins defense is bipolar, you just never know which team you're going to get each time you see them. The bottom line is that the defense stinks. I agree with you that the passing game looked good last night. Tannehill actually looked like a professional QB to me last night. He made some Tannehill-esque throws and//or mistakes but he was playing well and I can see why they were calling MORE passing plays, but to only give the ball to Miller 5 times in the entire second half, when you know your team is undefeated when he carries X amount of times is ridiculous. IMO As I mentioned, unless Miller is injured it makes absolutely no sense to me why they wouldn't give the ball to a player who scored two touchdowns in the first half and almost ran for 100 yards. UNLESS, this was Tannehill's audition? Reports BEFORE the game were that there was a closed door meeting about Tannehill and whether or not he was "the guy" who they can count on or do they need to move on from him in the offseason. (paraphrasing here)

I guess we will know more soon.................

[Idahomer]

Don't disagree at all. Tannehill still has to make that clutch throw in crunch time and he didn't. What impressed me most about Tannehill is to me it actually seemed like he was feeling pressure and scrambling around in the pocket instead of being a statue and getting crushed. He clearly changed the play at the LOS on the perfect TD pass to Stills, I liked that. But again, Tannehill has impressed before only to come back and look like a complete hot mess. I don't know that you can teach consistency. If you can that needs to be lesson number one for him!

[DolphinsFreak]

I agree. He did look good and was NOT a statue, for once, which makes you wonder if his past OC's put cement shoes on him. Until he proves to everyone that he can be consistent the jury will be out. Hopefully he can improve because it will be a pain in the butt to draft another QB and then develop him. Unless of course a miracle happens and the Dolphins draft someone who can take over the starting job and prove he can put up numbers consistently on day one.

[VAIDER5120]

Same things as all year. EVERYTHING! Abandon the run, penalties, dropped passes, bad passes, O does good then D does bad, poor secondary, no pass rush, D does good the O does bad, ST does good then D folds, LBs suck, STs fold,............................................. ................................on and on and on.......... Poor coaching, poor drafting, poor FA signings just piss poor EVERYTHING the past decade. Then I'll get suckered in next year, AGAIN!!!

[DolphinsFreak]

I wonder how well this team would be playing if the defense played well in the same game that the offensive line decided to block ?

[Idahomer]

Our starters only had to play a couple series in Pre-Season. It's when they are forced to play all 4 qtrs. that the real Dolphins show up, and the real Dolphins are pathetic right now. I still think with the right coaching staff we can turn this around after one draft and offseason, but they CANNOT continue to ignore the guard position, or the LB/CB position if we are to make any strides at becoming a real football team next season.

[DolphinsFreak]

It's strange to me that the team that lives in Miami gets tired the most from the heat/humidity while the other teamS seem to be handling the weather much better.

[Phinatic514]

In my opinion, it was all on the defense last night. I love Grimes, but he played like crap yesterday. Suh was sleeping for the entire game. Vernon did nothing, etc. Take no blame away from Tannehill. He played ok, but those few overthrown passes cost us the game. If he could learn to throw to anyone besides Landry consistently, we could have done better. Just split passes around. If Landry is covered, we are screwed.

I do believe we have found our next HC. We don't need another middle-aged, presumably-fired recycle. Campbell is our guy. He dumped Coyle. Labor, etc. He might even dump Tannehill.

[Seadog]

Campbell has zero chance of becoming our HC, he is in way over his head....

[DolphinsFreak]

I agree. I really like Campbell a lot as a person and as a coach, just not as a head coach. He just doesn't have enough coaching experience. I don't understand the logic in fans wanting him to be the next head coach. He was an intern for the Dolphins just five years ago and now he is somehow qualified to be the head coach of an NFL team? To my knowledge he has absolutely no other coaching experience on any level other then the five years he has spent with the Dolphins. From Intern to Tight Ends coach, being surrounded by coaching buffoons what possible knowledge could he have picked up that would be useful? The Dolphins have had bad coaches for the past 15-20 years but I feel that the worst coaching has been in the past 7-8 years, and Campbell was 'learning the ropes' under these incompetent coaches during that time. I would have to take a hard pass on Campbell for the head coaching position, despite Gruden's endorsement, who seems be love everybody while he is broadcasting.

[Seadog]

LOL, I agree about Gruden, and many broadcasters that use the term (he's the best ______ that's ever played or coached), is a commonly use phrase......makes me laugh every time I hear it....

Also agree I like Campbell and he might make it down the road in this league, but he has no idea what's going on right now, best thing is to become a DC or OC, and learn under a very good coach...

I'm not all about how much players are in love with our coach, I'm more about how they play on that field on any given day, you can be best buds after you retire.....

[hawkfinfan]

This team is OVERATED and every player is tradeable!

[cuchulainn]

Coaching... hands down. But also depth. I'm fine with Campbell, but he inherited a Mongolian Cluster Fook that lacks key talent and depth.

[ONole1]

It's both coaching and talent. This is a poorly coached team with a simplistic approach. Unfortunately a simplistic approach will not take you too far. With that being said the talent level on the D in certain areas is horrid. They need all new LB's, a starting boundary corner and a DE or two. Not too much to ask is it? lol

[Phintim Menace]

I think you are right on DP, where was the balance? Why did we start with that and then give up? I know that with any team's rushing game, even the best in history, it tends to get stronger as the game goes on. It is very hard to judge the success of the running game in the 1st quarter. There is a timing for the oline and RB that develops. Mismatches in personnel that make some plays work in a particular game and not others. The great backs get more yards per carry in plays 20-25 than in plays 1-5. How can we judge the oline, or Ajayi (I know Miller can play) with so few looks? The play callers have to be committed to the rushing attack and the toughness. Not in talk or coaches muscles. In philosophy and determination. Shula, Landry, Knoll heck even Belicheat whom I hate are all tough coaches. Forget winning or losing games, win matchups first, win plays, win possessions and field position. If you win those you will win the games.

[IMAWriter]

Same things as all year. EVERYTHING! Abandon the run, penalties, dropped passes, bad passes, O does good then D does bad, poor secondary, no pass rush, D does good the O does bad, ST does good then D folds, LBs suck, STs fold,............................................. ................................on and on and on.......... Poor coaching, poor drafting, poor FA signings just piss poor EVERYTHING the past decade. Then I'll get suckered in next year, AGAIN!!!

Dolphin fans are a cross between Charlie Brown and Michael Corleone.

[DolphinsFreak]

Or is it Charlie Brown and Fredo? :-O

[VAIDER5120]

Dolphin fans are a cross between Charlie Brown and Michael Corleone.

Yup but you'll have that on them big jobs

[IMAWriter]

Dolphin fans are a cross between Charlie Brown and Michael Corleone.

Well, it was Michael who said .."just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." That's my reference to being a Dolphin fan. You're disgusted at the end of the year, then come February, hope springs eternal, and you're dragged back in. Charlie Brown gets the ball jerked away by Lucy, but comes back for more. Those 2 examples are the definition of a Dolphins Fan.