Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Dolphins Can Not Stop Cam and Co.

This was a game the Miami Dolphins needed to win if they wanted to put themselves ahead of everyone else in the wild card standings.  Unfortunately they decided to blow another late game lead.

Mike Wallace makes a 53 yard touchdown catch.
Everything was looking good for the Dolphins to start the game.  Ryan Tannehill and Mike Wallace finally connected on a touchdown pass that went for 53 yards.  Wallace's second touchdown on the season.

The ball Tannehill threw was actually under thrown but Wallace made a tremendous catch against the defender to score a touchdown. 

The chemistry looked like it was starting to form between Tannehill and Wallace, something Dolphin fans have been waiting for all season. 

Tannehill actually connected with Wallace earlier on a play that went for 57 yards.  Its been a work in progress for Tannehill and Wallace but hopefully this happens more often this year.  Link to his touchdown.
http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Highlight-Tannehill-Hits-Wallace-Deep-For-TD/1bdf53cf-bfe2-4e8e-95d6-3e0483fff358?_ga=1.13078007.1922361538.1383752335

Miami was playing a great defensive game, holding the Cam Newton and the Panthers to only 13 points going into the fourth quarter.

This has been familiar with the Dolphins the last year and a half.  They have a lead going into the fourth quarter and somehow end up blowing the game late. 

Same exact thing happend on Sunday...

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, all Miami had to do was not allow a touchdown.  That's it.  But of course they somehow let Cam Newton drive down the field and end up throwing a touchdown pass to Greg Olsen with 43 seconds left in the game.
Cam Newton scores game winner
The Dolphins ended up losing 20-16 behind another close game that they should have won.  Mike Wallace was frustrated after the game.  Link to his conference.

If this team wants to be a contender in the future, they need to know how to close games out.  This has been an ongoing familiarity with the Dolphins the last two seasons.  If the Dolphins pulled this game out, they would have been in sole possession of the last wild card spot.  Instead they are tied now with six other teams.

Miami travels to New York next week to take on the Jets who are also 5-6.  This is a make or break game for the Dolphins.  If they want to make the playoffs, this is a most win game!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Dolphins Pick Up Big Win

The Miami Dolphins picked up a huge win against the San Diego Chargers.  Both teams are fighting for that last playoff spot and Miami now has a 1 game advantage over the Chargers after their win. 

With all the controversy the Dolphins are facing with Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito, it seemed like it was going to take over their season and have the Dolphins be distracted the rest of the season.  It looked that way when the Dolphins lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but the Dolphins did pick up a big win against the Chargers.

If Miami wanted any shot at making the playoffs, they had to beat the Chargers. 

Charles Clay scores on a 39 yard touchdown pass

The Chargers and Dolphins finished the first half tied at 10-10 with a touchdown from Rivers to Gates for the Chargers and a 1 yard touchdown run by Thomas for the Dolphins.  When the third quarter came around, Ryan Tannehill made a nice pass to tight end Charles Clay who went on to score a 39 yard touchdown.  Here is the highlight of his touchdown.
http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Must_See_Charles_Clay_39yard_TD_Catch_/0fde61e2-ce52-44f2-aba8-3ae64c80677b

 In the fourth quarter the Dolphins went up 20-16 on a 37 yard field goal from Sturgis to seal the win for the Dolphins.  Miami improved to 5-5 and sit tied for 6th place for the last wild card spot with the New York Jets.  Here is a highlight of coach Philbin's speech after the game.
http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Coach_Philbins_Post_Game_Locker_Room_Speech_vs_SD/3918fcef-3d57-471a-b5fc-9f422d3bc3e7

Miami has a rough road ahead of them if they want to make the playoffs.  They play the Carolina Panthers next week who are on a six game winning streak.  Then play the Pittsburgh Steelers followed by the New York Jets. 

This is tough for Miami.  They still have four division games, two against the Jets and one each against the Patriots and Bills.  If Miami wants to make the playoffs, I feel like they need to beat both the Patriots and Bills and take at least one from the Jets.  Then take one from either the Panthers or Steelers. 

Its going to be tough for the Dolphins these next couple weeks especially with the controversy still going on with Martin and Incognito.  I'm looking forward to see what the Dolphins do against the Carolina Panthers who are on a six game winning streak.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Time to Clean House

With all the distractions surrounding the Miami Dolphins, they had a game Monday night to play against the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The Dolphins needed a win if they wanted to compete still for a wild card spot. 

Hartline makes a nice catch.
They lost 22-19...

How do you lose to a team that was 0-8?  Tampa Bay lost both of their top running backs and the Dolphins still could not stop the run and the strength of this defense is against the run?  Awful.  The Dolphins had a total of two yes two rushing yards the entire game against the last place Buccaneers.  Unacceptable.

This game was horribly coached by Joe Philbin and by offensive coordinator Mike Sherman.  I don't care that there was distractions leading up to this game.  There is no way that they should have lost this game.

I think something needs to be done with this organization with the scandal that has come down with the Dolphins.  That is to clean house.

Get rid of Joe Philbin, Mike Sherman, Kevin Coyle, and Jeff Ireland or like most fans like to say, Jeff "Fireland."  Dolphins owner Stephen Ross had a press conference before Monday nights game.  Here is a link to his conference.
 http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Stephen_Ross_Addresses_Jonathan_Martin_Situation/6776efd9-f420-4c9c-b1fe-de6fb34efc65

This is my theory about what the Dolphins should do. 

Fire everyone in the organization.  Joe Philbin said he had no idea about what was going on in the locker room.  How the heck do you not know what is going on in your locker room?  You are the head coach, you should know what goes on in your locker room!


I want Miami to get rid of all the coaching staff and start off fresh.  What I would like to see is the Dolphins to bring in former head coach John Gruden and have him bring in his own coaching staff.  Gruden has won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers and is a great leader.

Lastly what I would like to see is this.  In next years draft, draft an offensive lineman and in the draft after that, draft quarterback Jameis Winston.  When bringing in a new coach, it usually means he wants to bring in his own quarterback.  Jameis Winston is the answer. 

This Miami Dolphins team is messed up with leadership.  In the best interest of the Miami Dolphins, it is best to clean house and once again start all over.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Dolphins Win Shadow by Incognito News

Thursday night the Miami Dolphins had a huge win beating the Cincinnati  Bengals 22-20 in an overtime win.  The win ended Miami's four game losing streak, but the win wasn't the biggest storyline after the game.
Tannehill leaps over Bengal defenders to score a touchdown.
Couple days before the Dolphins vs. Bengals game, Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathon Martin went AWOL during lunch.  Reports said that some offensive lineman asked Martin to sit with them and after Martin sat down, everyone at the table left.  Martin slammed his tray down and left the team facility.

This news about Incognito vs. Martin has hit national news.  ESPN of course has been covering this topic since it first came out, but now this topic has hit national news about bullying in the NFL.

There has been mixed feelings about Incognito and Martin.  Some anonymous sources have said that Incognito will never play a game ever in the NFL.  Others have said that Marin was a coward for the way he went about this.

With Richie Incognito, he has had problems in the past with former teams.  He was suspended at Nebraska when he was playing college football and had problems when he was with the St. Louis Rams.  News broke out though when he had a voicemail recorded that he sent to Martin.  Here is a link to the voicemail he left.http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9926139/richie-incognito-miami-dolphins-used-slurs-messages-jonathan-martin

When the Dolphins found out about the voicemail, they suspended Incognito indefinitely and said that he will never play another game with the Dolphins ever again.  Link to Joe Philbins press conference right here about the mess in Miami.http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Philbin-Discusses-The-IncognitoMartin-Situation/b9f18092-40b1-44e0-9b54-623ebd2dfc2c

This is a mess in Miami.  There is no leadership, someone should have stepped up in this situation.  However, many Dolphin players believe that Richie is not a racist and is not getting the benefit of the doubt. 

There is a lot to think about this situation.  Do I stand with Incognito or Martin?  I do not have enough information yet nor do I feel like anyone has to choose a side but there is a lot that still needs to come out on Incognito vs. Martin.

Just wait, there is more to come on this situation.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Dolphins Blow Halftime Lead

The Miami Dolphins looked like they had something cooking against the Patriots taking an early 17-3 lead going into halftime. 

Dolphins defensive back Dimitri Patterson made a nice play at the beginning of the game cutting off one of the Patriots receivers to pick off Tom Brady.  The Dolphins eventually scored a touchdown from a nice play by Ryan Tannehill.  Here is the link to the Dolphins first touchdown.http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Tannehill_TD_Pass_To_Gibson/732ef40e-4bcd-4b7d-be76-2012c6a24492

Tannehill celebrates with Daniel Thomas after passing for a touchdown
After taking an early 7-0 lead after the first quarter, the Dolphins added to their lead with another touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill.  Tannehill dumped a pass off to running back Daniel Thomas who ran it in for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-0.

New England responded with a field goal and the Dolphins were up 14-3 going into halftime.  Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was held to only 31 passing yards.  That's amazing considering how good Tom Brady is.

Then came the second half...

New England ended up scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Dolphins 27-17.  Once again Tannehill got sacked six more times and fumbled the football twice.  Plus he threw two interceptions. 

Its the same problem every single week for the Dolphins!  Pass protection and turnovers.  Tannehill got sacked multiple times again and still has a fumble issue.  Here is Ryan Tannehill after the Patriots game.http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Tannehill_Speaks_After_Patriots_Game/3ec6e6e3-edac-45b4-884f-e17072b0b746

 
 


This is the fourth straight loss for the Dolphins.  First time since 2002 that a team has started 3-0 and then lose their next four games.  Last team to do that was the New England Patriots.

If Miami wants to save their season, this next game against the Cincinnati Bengals will make or break their season.  If they win and improve to 4-4, they still have a shot at making the playoffs.  If the Dolphins lose, I say their season is in turmoil and is pretty much over. 

Dolphins play this Thursday against the Bengals.  Let's hope they can come out on top with a win!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Crucial Loss at the End of the Game

Another loss for the Miami Dolphins...

This is definitely getting old now losing 3 straight games after winning the first 3.  The Dolphins looked like a serious team that had a chance at taking over this AFC East division.  I honestly do not think that way anymore.

This game against the Bills was a HUGE game since it was a divisional game.  The Dolphins needed a divisional win to put themselves above the Bills in the standings.  Go figure though they blow this game at the end.
Gibson makes an acrobatic catch for a touchdown

Tannehill started the game by throwing a pick six that put the Bills on top of the Dolphins early in the game.  The Dolphins found themselves down early 14-0 but got back in the game when Tannehill threw a touchdown to Charles Clay.  Link to his touchdown right here.http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Highlight_Tannehill_7Yard_TD_Pass/2096107d-7ab4-4be5-8f76-69a0ec4d9210

Late in the game the Dolphins had themselves up 21-20 with 3 minutes left in the game.  Tannehill has had a huge problem with sacks and fumbles this year.  What does he do with 3 minutes left in the game?  He gets sacked and fumbles the ball that set up the winning field goal for the Bills.

It is getting old seeing Tannehill getting sacked and fumbling the ball every single game!  He has to learn how to protect the football.  Dolphin fans I'm not going to lie here but I'm not on the page with others that Tannehill is the right answer. 

He has not shown any improvements from last year to this year.  He is making too many mistakes and needs to improve on a week to week basis.  I'm not saying that he is a horrible quarterback and that he has no talent.  Tannehill has the talent to be a star QB but he needs to improve and not make silly mistakes.

Here is highlights of the game with Tannehill fumbling at the end of the game.http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Highlights_Bills_vs_Dolphins/e2667418-8882-41a5-9e89-941cddbe8e99 

With losing three straight games, the Dolphins find themselves 3-3.  They play a huge divisional rival game next week facing the Patriots at New England.  This is going to be a pivotal game for the Dolphins if they want to get back in the race in the AFC East. 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Coming Off the Bye Week

This past week the Miami Dolphins were coming off of their bye week at a record of 3-2.  The Dolphins had a lot of work they needed to accomplish on their bye week.  Three key factors the Dolphins worked on was the running game, Tannehill getting on track with the receivers, and trying to get healthy.

If the Dolphins want to get back on track winning again, the running game needs to get going.  You can not just blame it all on the running game though.  In order to have a good running game, you need a good offensive line.  Dolphins have not had that this year.  Giving up way too many sacks and can not block for the running game.

The Dolphins worked on their offensive line and the running game this bye week.  Hopefully it gets going against the Bills this upcoming week.
Team getting ready for team photo took during the bye week.
Tannehill worked on chemistry with his receivers during the bye week.  Tannehill has said that he feels like the offense will take it to the next level and coming off the bye.

Tannehill feels like he has gotten a lot more familiar with his receivers and especially Mike Wallace.  Tannehill wants to throw the ball more down field and he has the opportunity now with Wallace.  The two worked on connecting with each other this past week.  I hope we get to see that happen against the Bills.

Here is Tannehill speaking at a press conference. 
http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/Tannehill-I-Feel-Like-We-Are-Right-Back-On-Track/2c4bc1b2-9ef8-4869-9aff-8fbffd5d50c4

The Dolphins feel like they are getting back healthy.  Defensive end Cameron Wake has been playing hurt the last couple of games.  He feels like he has improved health wise tremendously so hopefully we get to see the real Cameron Wake who racks up sacks each game!  Below is a link to Wake talking at a press conference.http://www.miamidolphins.com/multimedia/videos/Wake-Feeling-Good/0cda6849-6f10-492b-b70a-9f3da80ff6de

The Dolphins will play the Buffalo Bills this upcoming Sunday which will be their first divisional game of the year.  The Dolphins need to step up their game to get back on track winning again.
 
Coming off the bye, hopefully the Dolphins are refreshed and ready to win again! LETS GO DOLPHINS!!!