Rush To Judgement?

[So Be]

Our team has played for two games. At this point, according to assorted posters, our FO, coaches, O, and D are all horrible. Will anything change? Is patience really a good thing?

I'm trying to be fair in considering we have and how they have not done so far. We do not get much of any info on injuries not reported, and I'm also considering injuries in camp, the first two weeks, as well as new players fitting in.

RB- Miller is hurting, AJ is/was hurt.

TE- Camerron is hurting and new, Sims is/was hurt.

WR- Stills missed a lot of time and is new. Parker missed a lot of time and is new.

OL- Albert is really hurting. Douglas is new.

DL- Suh is/was hurting. Wake is/was hurting. OV is/was hurting. Mitchell is hurting.

DB- Delmas is gone. Taylor is/was hurting. Jones is hurting.

That's a whole lot of players we counted on in our preseason expectations. I see a much different tem in our near future. Ya know, kinda like the one most of us thought it would be

[cuchulainn]

I get your point with this, but it would carry more gravity if we had faced 2 healthy teams who also weren't in the same predicament... Skins and Jags were missing multiple starters as well. We played subpar to the talent on this team and we are 1 dimensional on offense.

Without good blocking or a running game, Tannehill can still do enough beat other teams, but he has to have the defense step up and shutdown opponents and hold them to less than 3 TDs to do so. Instead the defense has played poorly in back to back games. If they had held the Jags to 2 TDs or a series of FGs, we'd have won. It's as annoying as the days of when Danny would put up 4 or 5 TDs and we'd still lose, just on a smaller scale.

[FTLDOLFAN]

We look a lot like the same team we were last year. In some ways the offense looks worse and the defense looks how it looked towards the end of last year when we could not stop the run. We just played perhaps the 2 weakest teams on our schedule. I know we tend to play to the level of our competition anyway so who we just played is not that big of a deal but we just don't look like a team that is going to legitimately contend for the playoffs. The o-line gets no push in the running game and they still struggle to protect Tannehill and Tannehill looks like the same QB. I think after 6 games we will have a better idea of the kind of team we are. We absolutely must be at least 4-2 after 6 games if we want to have any chance of contending for the playoffs.

[Wulf]

We looked BETTER last year!
We allowed the Pats 315 yds when we beat them opening day, (Sacked Brady 4 times)
we also allowed 315 yds to the Bills when we lost to them in week 2. (Apparently Coyle didn't realize that Watkins was going to play that game)

[AquaXI]

Good Coaching and coaching up subpar backups to play above and beyond would help in the eye test. We are good at squeezing by no matter a team is good or bad. Is it a case of the players morphing into the lersonality of Coaches and their lethargic energy. This has gone on for 3 years and continuing on the 4th. Not judging but seeing a pattern.

[DolphinsFreak]

I guess all that high tech equipment that the Dolphins spent a ton of money is isn't working.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13665228/miami-dolphins-aim-prevent-injuries-futuristic-sports-performance-program-nfl

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000374685/article/miami-dolphins-officials-look-to-tech-to-prevent-injuries-this-season

There is no rush to judgement when talking about a team that has only been to the playoffs once in about 14 years and that once was because of a gadget play that nobody could figure out. Nevertheless, tomorrows game will be a game that tells all and will let most fans know if this is really a playoff team or just another joke of a team led by a joke of a coach. On paper this is a good team that could go far with great coaches, which the Dolphins haven't had in 20 years.

[ONole1]

Like Cuch said, Washington and Jax had injury issues as well.

It's not the two games of this season, it's the last three seasons plus two games and we see the same thing...I am tired of excuses, everyone gets hurt in the NFL and it must be a next man up mentality. The Pats have a very inexperienced O line and kept the great Buffalo defense in check. It's all about coaching...I understand you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s**** but Philbin has been a part of creating this roster, so he helped pick the groceries...

[Finatic]

I don't think it is a rush to judgement. I think it is a fair assessment based on what we have seen. As everyone else has pointed out, our opponents have had injuries etc just as well. Until this team proves otherwise they are have earned the criticism they have gotten.

[Wulf]

Our team has played for two games. At this point, according to assorted posters, our FO, coaches, O, and D are all horrible. Will anything change? Is patience really a good thing?

I'm trying to be fair in considering we have and how they have not done so far. We do not get much of any info on injuries not reported, and I'm also considering injuries in camp, the first two weeks, as well as new players fitting in.

RB- Miller is hurting, AJ is/was hurt.
TE- Cameron is hurting and new, Sims is/was hurt.
WR- Stills missed a lot of time and is new. Parker missed a lot of time and is new.
OL- Albert is really hurting. Douglas is new.
DL- Suh is/was hurting. Wake is/was hurting. OV is/was hurting. Mitchell is hurting.
DB- Delmas is gone. Taylor is/was hurting. Jones is hurting.

That's a whole lot of players we counted on in our preseason expectations. I see a much different team in our near future. Ya know, kinda like the one most of us thought it would be

EVERY team has injuries. HOW the team plays around such weaknesses is up to the coaches.
This team seems to show ZERO aggressivenes, focus, or even desire, about 99% of the time, which is why Philbin has to work HARD to be a .500 coach...

[So Be]

I look at each year as something new. Going back 2-3 years means nothing as most players were not even here but, including last year is fair.

Every team has injuries as did Wash and Jax. However, they were not missing the play of Pro Bowl players like Albert, who killed our OL last year, and Wake. You don't lose that type of play without big problems.

I agree with all the criticism of two games but, am fairly certain that things will turn around.

[Phintim Menace]

For me the problem is the complete disarray on both sides of the ball. It isn't a weakness here and there. If in the first 2 games we were strong on the D line but weak in the LB core, or strong on RB and passing attack but weak on the O Line, we would have expected it. In the first 2 games we had nothing consistent at all in a positive manner. The only thing keeping us alive in 2 games against MUCH less talented rosters was a sort of sandlot run around shoot from the hip passing offense. Pressure on QB every single snap, no rushing attack and even the passing attack was very improvised. QB pressured out of the pocket throws up a prayer and Landry makes a play on the off target ball (and such).

When you have one of the most talented rosters in the league by virtually everyone's analysis and you can't string together any consistent play on either side of the ball, who do you hold responsible? The players are supposed to bring skill and effort, they have done that. The front office is supposed to provide talent, they've done that. The coaching staff is supposed to know how to develop a play book and game plan that takes advantage of your team's strengths and exploits your opponent's weaknesses, they have NOT done that. Instead we seem to forfeit our strengths and play into our opponent's strengths.

Another alarming trend is the huge lag in getting players ready. Our stud WR 1st round draft pick isn't contributing at all even though he is 100% healthy because he's only had 4 weeks of practice, plus OTAs and mini-camp to learn to run a route and catch a football! Seriously??? Isn't that what he was doing at a very high level when we drafted him in the first round? If our coaching staff thinks our play book is so overly complex that it can't be learned in under a year they are WRONG!

First, our offense is too simple if too anything.

Second, our coaching staff made the play book, our coaching staff teaches the play book. If you can't get star players on the field in a struggling offense you are doing something wrong.

This coaching staff was on thin ice before the season started, it has only gotten thinner these first 2 weeks! If your starting QB was surrounded by talent, but kept making bad plays his gig would be in jeopardy. Now we will see who these coaches really are. They know they are on the hot seat, the villagers are at their gate with pitchforks and torches. If they can't find anything when their time is running out, they never will. If we don't see some dramatic improvement in the on field product this week, I would say don't waste time, dump them now. Their jobs should be week to week for the rest of the season with them having the responsibility each week to EARN another week on the job.

I can only tell you that in any employment that I have ever had, I would have been fired a long time ago if I just didn't know how to do my job.

[So Be]

I watch film on all games, focusing on the OL, and sometimes the DL. What I have seen the first two games is our guys getting beat by their guys 1 on 1. This part has nothing to do with coaching.

[Phintim Menace]

I have seen that too, including Suh. We all know he can beat a single block, so what's wrong? A player can be told to read keys first, check backfield, watch QB for direction of rotation coming out from center, look for pulling guards, where is tight end, play 2 gap run control first. Line up shaded outside, twist, stunt, game, read until the delay gives up any physical advantage the players talent might have given them. Remember, 1/2 a second is the difference between a slow player and a very fast player in 40 yards. A 1/2 second delay on the line makes all pros look like second stringers. Players have to be aggressive and confident to get the benefit of their talent. The only difference between Suh last year and this year is who he plays for......coaching!

[VAIDER5120]

I'm not rushing to judgement as it's only been two games this year but the same things have rolled right on over from last year. Other crap has been here going on 4 years and that's ample time. Philbin can change and he has but will he do it in time before things get way out of control as that what worries me the most. As I posted in the poll thread the blame is on everybody. The GM, coaches and players have NOT done a good enough job so far.

[FinFan in KC]

I'm bothered by how many players have done well elsewhere and tanked with us. Is that the player or is that coaching and scheme? We have been so consistently average for Philbin's tenure that I have to believe it's him and the staff he has assembled. I agree with Phintim. Vast improvement this week or show him the door.