Dolphins postgame thoughts

[barrett]

There was little talk today so I figured I'd create some conversation. And if this doesn't work Chuck and I can have another grammar battle.

Run Game
I thought we blocked well early, especially in the redzone. We didn't get any explosive plays in the run game, and that was a problem. I did not notice the right side being a particular problem. In the 2nd half Kubiak showed he would still rather win 30-10 than 50-10 and it allowed the Dolphins to know what was coming. I would have no problem with this strategy to shorten the game if it was coupled with getting a few guys out of the game. Why run a slightly banged up Foster in the 4th quarter with a 3 TD lead against a team that would not score 3 offensive TDs in a month against us? Why not Tate and Forsett in that situation? Either way our run game is setup by the pass (and vice versa) and without the threat of the bootleg we don't physically whip people.

Passing game
They were out of sync early but part of it was lack of possession. The Dolphins kept us off the field and made it hard for us to get into a rhythm (and Schaub is definitely a rhythm guy). AJ was obviously great. He is so versatile. No other WR in the league is great at so many elements of the position (route running, speed, size, YAC, stretching the field, playing the ball in the air, coming out of routes, etc...). If he is healthy we are set at WR. It was also good to see the other guys start to get comfortable in a game setting. Jean's non-TD was encouraging even if he dropped it. Just the fact that he is a threat to do that and we will actually call it is great. I also thought OD looked better yesterday than at any time last season. James Casey was also used in smarter ways yesterday than we have in a while. It is no use having a FB like him if you won't use him as a weapon, but yesterday they did. The circle route on 3rd and short was beautiful and will be there all day if they match personell like he is a FB. The OL pass blocked well and again I didn't notice a huge difference between the Right and Left side performance wise or what we ran in each direction.

Run Defense
Soft early. I am talking SOFT. We penetrate so much we can just be exposed at times. Luckily NFL teams not coached by Gary Kubiak won't stay patient/stubborn in the run game. There were a number of times they were moving it in the run game and then would call a pass and end up in 2nd or 3rd and long. We are especially when Cushing is not fantastic. He missed a few tackles here and there which is a down day for him. I didn't notice Cody or Smith all day. Brooks Reed was fantastic as an edge setter and contain man. Quinn and Manning both played with no regard for Miami's passing game and were around the LOS a lot.

Pass defense
The pass rush was solid but not spectacular. I think the only sacks came from the DL. Watt is uncanny with getting his hands up and it is obviously contagious. I don't know if it is a coaching thing or our guys are just good at it. Barwin had a few pressures but was average. Same with Reed. Cushing did not blitz as much as he did at times last year. He also got shook a few times attempting to tackle Bush in space after short catches. That is rare for him. Kareem Jackson was actually very good. He got his head around on the ball a few times and even undercut a slant. He also was in the right place on the INT (like Cushing). JJ was JJ and largely took away half the field.

Special teams
Awful. Holliday needs to be confident enough that he made the team that he is not trying to force things on every return. Or cut him if you can't make him feel comfortable he has a permanent place. But don't have him out there swinging for the fences every time. His 1st half gaffes contributed to our slow offensive start by putting us in awful field position. The TD we allowed was bad. And Graham being short on that kick was odd since he hit a few from about there preseason.

Coaching
That was a safe a gameplan even for Kubiak. He knew there was no way we could lose to those guys without giving it away, so we were very patient. Hard to really evaluate the coach for a 30-10 win that should have been a 30-10 win. Hopefully how disinterested our team was in that game means it will be easier for us to be fired up for a road divisional game that could reallistically put us 2 games up after two weeks.

[Joe Joe]

I didn't record game, but it did not seem like Texans blocked well consistently for the run game early. Outside of a two or three runs by Foster, it seemed like the Texans were having to fight for a lot of the rushing yards.

I think Foster's injury was overblown. I suspect the whole Foster injury was out of the Shanahan playbook of misinformation. Got to have a few fake/minor injuries listed as probable or questionable so that when Kubiak lists a guy as probable that has no chance at playing, the opposing team still has to plan on playing him. I still would have liked to see more Tate as there was no reason for Foster playing in a game that has been decided.

[Arky]

I think the reasoning for Foster still in the game in the latter stages was that he is the "most trusted" RB we have, i.e. least likely to fumble. I think the announcers even mentioned it once.... With such a large lead, I think I might've tried Tate or Forsett at least until they committed an error.....

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I thought pre-game that the final score might be 30-10, but I had no idea it would play out the way it did. It was an ugly 30-10.

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No turnovers = lovely.

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Gosh, it sure is nice to have a competent football team representing the city... In case you've been under a rock, the Texans are forcing their way into the national consciousness.... To use a slightly degenerate example, the Texans opened as 7.5 pt favorites against the Jags this week and for a while, had already moved up to 9.5 pt favorites...

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Understatement alert: this is a really good team..

[HPF Bob]

I wondered too if they didn't stick with Foster too long when the game was no longer in doubt. Holliday scares me in kick returns the way Jacoby Jones did - it might be great or it might be terrible. I sometimes think the best return man we ever had was J.J. Moses. He lacked the fourth gear but he rarely made mistakes.

Jags didn't look too impressive against the Vikings but they almost pulled it out. I'm guardedly optimistic whenever we play in our second home state.

[barrett]

I don't think fumble concerns should be an issue with a 3 TD 4th quarter lead against the dolphins. You have to get Foster off the field there.

[Roy P]

I am wondering about OT Ryan Harris, and just how long he needs to practice with the team before he supplants Newton at RT. I think he was a great signing after Butler's injury and would believe he'd be an upgrade in the Run Blocking department & possibly better pass protection as well. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I was not pleased with the way Miami was able to run the ball. MJD will have a field day against us if we don't figure something out.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Roy P

I am wondering about OT Ryan Harris, and just how long he needs to practice with the team before he supplants Newton at RT. I think he was a great signing after Butler's injury and would believe he'd be an upgrade in the Run Blocking department & possibly better pass protection as well. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I was not pleased with the way Miami was able to run the ball. MJD will have a field day against us if we don't figure something out.

I honestly think we were just as soft at times last year (maybe even softer against Miami last year when Daniel Thomas gouged us). I just think NFL teams rarely stay with the run. Miami abandoned the run even with Tannehill having no success and over a half to play. Most OCs are passing game guys to start with, and then they can't be labeled an offensive genius or get a head coaching job for calling a hand off. Great running teams are always looking for ways to prove they are now passing teams.

Plus, when you are running game centered, one penalty or one run for loss kills your drive. Or if you do get down field, things usually stiffen in the redzone.

So as long as we put points on the board and the opposing offense has to keep up, I doubt anyone exposes our soft underbelly too badly.

[Nconroe]

All true. I was thinking after first quarter our defense adjusted some and one or two guys would stay home up the middle. Once they did that Miamis runs became much less successful as well.

[Nconroe]

Btw, thought Kevin Walters had several good receptions as well.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Holliday scares me in kick returns the way Jacoby Jones did - it might be great or it might be terrible. I sometimes think the best return man we ever had was J.J. Moses. He lacked the fourth gear but he rarely made mistakes.

Jags didn't look too impressive against the Vikings but they almost pulled it out. I'm guardedly optimistic whenever we play in our second home state.

I'm thinking Holliday is on a real short lease and one more game like Sunday and he's gone. And isn't Tuesday the day they often release players ? First he's gotta get thru today ?
Looking at the Minny-Jags stats, Gabbert had 2 TDs and 0 pics with 2 sacks so maybe he's playing better his soph year. Wonder if Barwin is getting excited right now after getting 4 sacks on Gabbert last year in one game ? Connor sure looked bigger Sunday, and not as quick as last year I thought ?

[Keith]

I expected to see an injury report on Schaub's shoulder the way his passes lacked velocity. I know he doesn't have a strong arm, but man his passes looked different to me on Sunday. Maybe he just slept funny on his shoulder Saturday night.

That and why are we signing an extension the day of the opener? Might that have given the starting QB a restless night or something?? I dunno. In the 2nd half the passes were a little sharper iirc.

[popanot]

Originally Posted by Keith

I expected to see an injury report on Schaub's shoulder the way his passes lacked velocity. I know he doesn't have a strong arm, but man his passes looked different to me on Sunday. Maybe he just slept funny on his shoulder Saturday night.

I agree and posted in the gameday thread during the first half that his passes had zero zip on them. He did look better in the second half, though. I'm hoping it was just rust from not playing for awhile and perhaps a sprinkle of him just playing it safe and not trying forcing things while getting reacclimated with the speed of the game. This game did count so maybe he was a bit apprehensive. I certainly hope it's not an injury.

[popanot]

I think a big reason for the struggles with stopping the run is the lackluster play at ILB. They seemed to be waiting for the RB to hit their area rather than moving forward and attacking the LOS. We all know Cush is great, but you can tell those ribs are still bothering him (and definitely after that body-slam on the INT). James is a mess and you can't rely on the other guys.

This D could be SanFran 49er good with an upgrade at the other ILB position. We might be wishing we had never traded Demeco, especially if Cush can't regain full strength. Demeco had lost a step, but he was fearless and attacking at all times. This may sound insane, but I think they should try Mercilus or Reed at the other ILB (I'd try Reed).

[popanot]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Holliday scares me in kick returns the way Jacoby Jones did - it might be great or it might be terrible.

I know they wanted to evaluate Holliday, but for the life of me I can't understand why they didn't give Martin a few reps at KR/PR during the preseason. If it's because the fall back plan was/is Manning, that's just poor planning, IMO, when you have an ideal low-risk/non-critical candidate in Martin sitting there on your active roster. He's done it in college but he still should have had some preseason reps if he is in fact option #2 or #3.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by popanot

I think a big reason for the struggles with stopping the run is the lackluster play at ILB. They seemed to be waiting for the RB to hit their area rather than moving forward and attacking the LOS. We all know Cush is great, but you can tell those ribs are still bothering him (and definitely after that body-slam on the INT). James is a mess and you can't rely on the other guys.

This D could be SanFran 49er good with an upgrade at the other ILB position. We might be wishing we had never traded Demeco, especially if Cush can't regain full strength. Demeco had lost a step, but he was fearless and attacking at all times. This may sound insane, but I think they should try Mercilus or Reed at the other ILB (I'd try Reed).

I agree it was an issue sunday. The truth is that Cushing has to be a mad man for our scheme to work. He was less than that Sunday and it showed. Hopefully it is not an injury that lingers and hopefully nobody is patient enough to make us pay for it.

But I am not worried about Demeco being gone. If they have to turn to Dobbins he is fine when it comes to filling the hole and playing forward. Playing Mercilous or Reed would mean 6 guys on the field who can't cover. I am not excited for that since we already struggled with Bush out of the backfield the other day.

I'd say just play more Nickel/Dime but we cut Nolan for a ST guy (and then promptly gave up a return TD). So if it comes down to what we have at ILB on early downs or a DE/OLB or Keo, I say play with what we have. The way Quinn and Manning started getting into the backfield the last 3 quarters helped too as long as we aren't playing a great passing team.

[cadams]

i think it seems pretty clear that cushing's ribs were bothering him on sunday. one other thing i did hear during an interview was that they kept waiting for bush to try to bump his runs to the outside as he has in the past to avoid big runs, and that bush consistently took the cut back lane to the inside. not sure if this is just spin, but it makes at least a little sense. hopefully that was one of the big causes of the issues. we will see if it was this weekend, because mjd is going to run right at them.

[WMH]

Texans DE Antonio Smith said he was fined $21K for kicking @ Dolphins G Richie Incognito. Smith said he was defending himself & will appeal. -- Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26)