The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Tough to choose a shame in this game, but I have to give it to DC Paul Pasqualoni.  The defense ALWAYS gets overly conservative towards the end of the game and ALWAYS allows the opponents back into the game.  This game should have been over, but they stopped running pressure in favor of coverage and our d-line isn't good enough to get to the QB without LB or safety help.  This game shouldn't have been this close.

HM to Sparano for not kicking the FG in 4th down inside 1 minute.  Didn't you learn anything from the Patriots' game last week?

Can I give it to jake grove.  he gets those two penalties and then gets injured.  what an asshole.

My shame of the game goes to Akin Adeyle for missing tackles and being out of position on a couple of big runs. Dolphins must either play Torbor or upgrade that position.

I hate to give SOTG to anyone, but if I had to, it would be Vonte.  He got burned a couple of times by Steve Smith, then there was the TD that he overran.

In the postgame conference, Sparano explained exactly why he didn't go for the FG:

- most of the field goal unit was dinged up, and a lot of players would have been out-of-position
- the FG was far from a gimme (49 yards) and a block was a real possibility
- a failed 4th down try was better than a miss, and a hell of a lot better than a block
- if the play fails to gain the first, they had no timeouts and their play selection was going to be extremely limited
- converting the 1st ends the game

I agreed with the call.

Bullshit excuses.  I'm giving my SOTG to Tony Sparano for not kicking that field goal.  He's lucky the defense stopped the Panthers from tying this game. 

Julius Peppers has blocked two field goals in a season twice (he has 5 for his career).  You want us to attempt a 49-yard field goal with an injured special teams unit against Carolina?  A blocked kick is THE WORST POSSIBLE RESULT at that stage in the game.  I'd rather have Henne throw the ball into the end zone than kick a field goal there.

I don't care how dinged up they are.  Put your starters in on the line, and let Carpenter get you the 3.  That takes 5 seconds off the clock, which is what we did with the Hilliard run.

You do realize that farther kicks stand a significantly higher chance of being blocked, right?

the difference in field position would have been 7 yards, and the percentage of blocked FG's to attempts must be very small.  I say take the chance and put the game away.  Most kickers can hit from 49 with regularity.

I don't give a shit.  A kicker like Dan Carpenter can make that kick easily, regardless of who's blocking for him. 

My STOG goes to Sparano for not kicking that FG to put the game away.  If you don't like it, tough shit.

Apparently, this statement does not apply to the choice to try for the first down.

More regularity than the Dolphins' ability to convert a first down with 3 yards to go?

Hell, you can give SOTG to Sparano for not evaluating more injury-resistant players if you want to.  That's your prerogative.

I am not objecting to your choice for SOTG.  I am disagreeing with the idea that he should have kicked a FG.  In my opinion, Sparano made the correct decision (just as Belichick did on Sunday night).  Unlike Belichick, Sparano's defense held.

I agree with the decision not to kick the FG.

My SOTG goes to Sparano for not running Ricky on the last drive.  He's our best back.  He should be the one getting the ball in crunch time. 

There is speculation that Ricky might have been a little banged up at the end of the game.  He was having a long conversation with the training staff.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/6667/rapid-reaction-fins-24-panthers-17 (http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/6667/rapid-reaction-fins-24-panthers-17)
It's in the second to last paragraph.

I'm not sure I can come in with you on this one due to who he was covering.  Steve Smith would make Deion Sanders in his prime look silly from time to time.  You're talking about one of the best WRs in the game being played by a rookie. 

Kick the FG.

I agree with the non-FG decision.  Maybe there should be a pole.

I can't believe nobody has given SOTG to Haynos.  The guy missed on several passes that were catchable.  I don't even see a close second.

BTW, Jake Grove didn't hold anybody on that play.  May have been someone else, but Jake wasn't holding.  Everybody holds a little jersey while blocking, but his body was what was doing the blocking.

Haynos couldn't catch a cold out there. And I am seriously glad that anyone who considers BOTH the Pats and Dolphins fourth down attempts as the right decision isn't a football coach. They were both horrible choices.

I can back Sparano's choice.  You're on the opposition's side of the field.  If you don't convert, the Panthers have to drive 68 yards against your defense with a turnover-prone QB who's been getting hit all night.  They'll have no time to gash you with the running game, owing to the time on the clock.  It was a sound choice to not kick the field goal.  Not quite the same thing as giving Peyton Manning 2 minutes to go 28 yards.

As a guy that has Carenter on his Fantasy Squad, I was screaming Kick the Field Goal,Kick the Field goal....When I heard the press conference,I said it was a good call,He didn't say dinged,he said the whole unit ,was patch work right now,and a lot of guys would have been playing in positions they've never played in....I also think Carpenter slipping on the opening Kick off of the game,added to the patchwork,O-line.Came into play on that decision....



I'm so Glad someone Mentioned this...Haynos,plays like Ted Ginn.....It reminded me of The movie Mystery Alasaka.I think Sparano needs to give him the tree speech...
Johnny: Am I  a big Guy tree?
Tree: Yeah Johnny You're a big guy....
Johnny :No tree I'm a little guy,You're a big guy....
Eventually Tree knocks Russell Crowe on his ass....Sparano needs to explain to Haynos,that's He's 6'8" 270#'s....

I'd have to say, the refs should be given an honorable mention here.  I can identify at least three bogus calls. 

1.  The Jake Grove holding call.  He barely touched the guy. 

2.  The illegal contact call on Tyrone Culver.  Again, he barely touches his guy and the ball was way overthrown and obviously uncatchable. 

3.  The neutral zone infraction on Cameron Wake.  He jumped but scooted back and didn't make contact.  The Carolina O-Lineman moved, but the call was against Wake. 

The kick wouldn't have been a 49 yarder. Where does that number come from? Sparano? Then he deserves SOTG just for being clueless.

The ball was INSIDE the 30. Play-by-play says 28. That's a 45 yard figgie. 4 yards makes a huge difference there.

And I say GO FOR IT.

If you really don't believe the risk is worth it, try the FAKE FIELD GOAL.

You are not allowed to induce the OL to flinch by (wrongly) jumping the snap count.  The OL did actually flinch before the snap, which means that the play has to be blown dead and a penalty has to be called on either the offensive player that flinched or the defensive player that induced him to flinch.

Do you really think a fake field goal has a better chance of picking up 3 yards than our offense?

The point is Sparano didn't think that it was a good idea to try the field goal when guys that don't usually participate on field goals would have had to participate due to injuries to other guys.  The Cats had a minute and change to go from the 27 or 28 yard line (72 yards) with a QB that was being harassed constantly by our pass rush.  He ran out of time, and by a long shot, too.  The Cats only got to our 26 and only got one shot at the end zone.  It was the right play. 

I can maybe agree with the first one, but Grove's hands were outside the defender which usually gets the call. The second one was contact past 5 yards which did happen. I don't think the ball being catchable even applies there. The third one was already addressed. Some ticky tack possibly, but still fouls in all three cases.

1.) Agree, that was a phantom call.  Not the first, won't be the last...
2.) The ball doesn't even have to be in the air to be illegal contact.  The fact that it was uncatchable is why it was illegal contact and not pass interference.  Catchability of the ball has nothing to do with illegal contact.  it was a good call.
3.) If the o-lineman is induced to move by a defender crossing the line, the play is blown dead and "neutral zone infraction" (note: not offsides) is the call.  Again, this was a good call.

Tommy, you should study the rule book a bit.

edit- damn Phish beat me to it...

Actually, I want to credit the refs for what I thought was a well called game.  They didn't throw a lot of flags and let the guys play it out, for the most part. 

whoever's decision it was not to kick the field goal on our last drive.  I would have kicked it instead of going for it.  Even still it's not really shame worthy because it's a 50/50 judgement call.

Steve Smith is NO Joke! I'd put him in a class with Hines Ward. he totally cleaned Channing Crowders' clock on one play and got up laughing about it.

Unlike Ward, who's a nice guy, Steve Smith is a f*cking lunatic.

Both will clean your clock, though ;)

Jake Grove...Not for getting hurt though, but for the 2 penalties.

If he hadn't had the 2 penalties, he's still get a dishonorable mention for losing his helmet on the sideline and wandering around like a buffoon looking for it, while walking past it 3 times.

You didn't hear the announcers saying that it's common for coaches to intentionally hide an injured player's helmet to keep him from going back on the field?

^^^

No. The bar was crowded and very loud. I couldnt hear the speakers very well. Did they say that? I don't see the point. I'd think that all a coach would have to do would be to say to him "You...Sit down!"

Haynos, easily.  I think he blew a couple of blocks too (at least one) but I haven't really watched the game on TV since I was at the game. 

As for going for it, I think it was a good call.  If Delhomme can beat you with 39 ticks on the clock and no timeouts from that far away, you don't deserve to win.