The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

We have the 4th best point differential in the NFL. We also have the best 3rd down defense in the entire NFL and second in PPG allowed.

Took a few games to start putting it together, probably due to no preseason, but our new coordinator and free agent signings are looking like they are working. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves because we almost all agreed that an 8-8 season would be a huge success, but we are a healthy Byron Jones and one or two plays away from being 5-1 and that's with a tough schedule.

If we beat the Rams in 2 weeks, maybe we can start being greedy and talking bigger things than 8-8.

I like it.  I try to temper the enthusiasm myself. My boy called me last nite and we started going over the next few games that we can win and see where that puts before the Final 4 push (and they are tough games)

I like what I see so far, but hopefully the BYE week helps with injuries on the Def side of the ball.

So...was Miami lucky or unlucky to have faced the 49ers when SF had their practice squad active? Push for playoffs? or push for better draft pick?

Miami had the worst rushing defense in the league by several advanced metrics coming into the Sunday game. Jets rushing offense has been *atrocious* so far, so we're unlikely to get much of a boost. And regardless of what stats say, the rushing D really does suck.

I quite like our pass D (so do advanced metrics) and luckily the Jets weren't able to capitalize on AVG's injury (concussion) early in the game. AVG was getting extra snaps in place of injured Van Noy, so the result was great, but I'm just not sure if it was because, well, J-E-T-S, or because we actually have good depth at linebacker. In any event, hopefully the bye week will give us a chance get healthy.

I'm not a great believer in "3rd down defense", particularly early in the season and particularly when a large part of the success is one game against a team in full meltdown like the stinking Jets.

For the Dolphins to make any kind of serious push, the rushing D would have to really step it up. Being able to move the ball consistently on the ground on offense would also help a lot.

The Rams game is a really bad matchup for the Dolphins. They are really good at pounding the ball on offense and pretty darn good at passing it as well. On the other side of the ball their pass D is ranked near the top of the league by advanced metrics. Forcing the Dolphins to run the ball - and to do so in a game that could easily see us playing from behind - is just asking for trouble.

SF, just to contrast, was almost the opposite. A great match for our strengths, especially given the injuries.

"You  play to win."

-Herm Edwards

I think those stats are slightly skewed due to the three blowout wins

Skewed?  SMH I don't think you know what the point of point differential is.  In our case, it shows we are blowing out bad teams and playing good teams close.

Yeah, after watching the Jets game it's hard to really know if our rushing defense has improved that much, or the Jets were just so bad they made us look good? That team is truly awful and dysfunctional on and off the field, the way they are going they will be lucky to find a win...

We did look really impressive in the pass rush and did better against the run because the majority of the game we set up in man coverage and had at least 8 in the box. If there wasn't pressure from the interior lineman in Flacco's face, it was Rowe or McCain on a blitz - at times it almost looked like we were doing Ryan's old 46 defense, but like I said, the Jets were just so bad it probably just seemed that way.

I like the way we managed to cover for the injuries to Van Noy and Godchaux, and it's also great the way that Howard is finding elite form again (quietly leading the league in interceptions and tying Buckley's 1995-96 team record of an interception in four straight games). After a shaky couple of years there seem to be some good pieces falling into place on that defense.

I wouldn't expect a great return on investment of your time when trying to explain football to D4L. 

My bad, I should have said

POINT DIFFERENTIAL DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING EXCEPT IN THE TIEBREAKER SYSTEM WHCH HAS ONLY COME INTO PLAY ONCE IN NFL HISTORY

Blowing out bad teams and playing good teams isn't anything to feel good about.

To make the playoffs, you have to win the close games.

Just look at the last two times Miami made the playoffs.

They won many close games in 2008 and 2016

How do you have such strong opinions when you don't even watch the games?  Point differential, while also being a tiebreaker, is just another statistic, just like passing stats.  I don't understand why you have to scream about it.

Blowing out bad teams is expected out of good teams.  We do that.  We should feel good about it.  We played two teams that are Superbowl contenders and lost by a score or less.  We should feel good about that since every expert had us as a garbage team this season.

To make the playoffs, you do have to win close games.  I think your expectations are too high for year 2 of a rebuild.  We are being talked about as a dark horse playoff team, we're almost there and ahead of schedule.

Seriously, stop being such a negative fan for no reason, or go root for the Patriots since you have such a hard on for them.

Since they are the top two trollers on the board, I have a theory that D4L is the alter ego of MyGodWearsAHoodie and they are the same person.  I'm about 50% kidding with that comment. 

There have definitely been people on this board who claimed to be Dolphins fans that turned out not to be. I called one of them out after he was very critical of Tannehill his first couple years on the team and I was hit pretty hard by a few people here saying it wasn't fair to say he wasn't a Dolphins fan and then the next year he came back with a Carolina Panthers Avatar. Guess I called that one right afterall.

Don’t insult me like that.  Yes, I am a Patriots fan, but my knowledge of football vastly exceeds his.

And for the record.  I agree that point differential and PPG stat show the dolphins are playing better than record and have a legit chance at making the playoffs.  3rd down defense is a stat that does nothing for me.

I know.  I was just being douchey to poke you a little bit.   ;)

They certainly have a legit shot at the playoffs this year.

The close losses are not something to be happy about, they are something to be concerned about and something hopefully to find solutions for. 

I do not buy this rebuilding stuff.  The Dolphins have been at this for years. 

I think my knowledge of football is far greater than most of you want to admit.

I am not being negative, I am being skeptical for now.

If they do make the playoffs, I will be delighted.

The road is certainly going to be hard to the playoffs.

https://dilo7031.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/motivator5221526.jpg

Your football opinions are about the best example of Dunning–Kruger one can find.

Oh no...that distinction is held by Donald Trump...on everything.

Do you guys have to bring up Trump in everything?  C'mon man!

Agrred, C’mon man, we don’t need no malarky in this thread

I about died laughing when he said malarkey in the debate, I've used it ironically for years, lol.

I didn’t watch it.  Purpose of the debates is to help undecided voters make up their minds.   My ballot has already been delivered to the town hall.

Engine engine #9 on the Newyork transit line. If my train goes off the track Pick it up! Pick it up! Pick it up!
Derailed thread  ;D

I use the Dunning–Kruger effect charts constantly when evaluating programmers.

If you haven't ever been at the peak of mount stupid and through the valley of despair, you aren't a senior developer.

Well, to try and get this thread back on track, if you watched the Seattle v. Arizona game last night you have to be impressed with how Arizona played. It's probably the first time I watched one of their games in a couple years, but Kyler Murray played fantastic.  Great receivers.  Edmunds ran the ball great after Drake went out with an injured ankle.  Miami has Az after AZ comes back from a bye in two weeks and I think it will be a true test for how good Miami's defense is.

Dolphins currently have the 3rd fewest points allowed in the NFL. The two teams ahead are Baltimore and Pittsburgh but we played one more game than them. Pittsburgh is unlikely to give up enough points tomorrow for us to catch them but the Ravens only lead us by 10 so very likely we pass them for the 2nd spot whenever that game is played.

Get a few more weapons on offense and we are looking good for 2021.

Xavian is just toying with this QBs out there. He baits them to pass and then just keeps making picks.

At this pace, it isn't crazy that he finishes with 11+ picks this year.

At what point does he start getting DPOY votes? Are we already there?

Last year's DPOY had 6 INTs for the season, so yeah I'd say we're there.

Like his years in Dallas, QBs aren't even throwing to Byron's side so he doesn't have the lofty INT totals but he's doing his job.

We have allowed 1 point more than the Steelers through 12 games. 2 points fewer than the Ravens in 3rd but they play tonight so that will likely go up.

Now we face the Chiefs and that is certainly a test to see how good our defense is.

Defense still wins championships not QB's. Has always been that way, will always be that way. Now it certainly doesn't hurt to have a franchise QB as well, but that alone won't get it done.

2nd best scoring offense in the league vs. the 2nd stingiest defense. This is going to be interesting. In all honesty, this is going to come down to Tua. If he plays like he did in the 2nd half last week, we have a chance. If he plays like he did in the 1st half, the Chiefs will be on the field a lot and no defense in the world can stop them if they aren't rested and always give up favorable field position.

Can't play fantasy football with your heart... I hope they do fine, but I wouldn't put my fantasy playoffs life on it.

Through 15 games, we have allowed the fewest points in the NFL. Even if we give up 60 next week, that is a dramatic one year turnaround.

Turns out we didn't need a franchise QB, just a defense. Been saying that for like the last 10 years. I'm pretty sure no one will listen to me even now.

Why not both?

No reason in fact that would be great, but a franchise QB alone won't get it done. The Dolphins best chance is to put a complete team on the field. That's how you win championships. Do that and you can give the QB all the credit if you want, I'll know the truth. The Dolphins could have won with Tannehill as the QB IF the rest of the team would have been up to the challenge. It wasn't.

The defense has been key but you can't win it all without a good QB. Doesn't have to be a Top 3 guy, but he can't be a negative on the team. While he has had his moments of sucking, Tua has basically played mistake free and that's what has allowed us to win when combined with our defense.

Agreed but Tannehill was not a negative QB he just never had an ensemble cast around him the way he now has in Tennessee. That was the missing component. I'm hopeful this team is getting to the point of supporting it's QB rather then relying on it's QB to win games for them. I think the team is close. The injuries are a problem, but that's true for every team around this time. A couple more pieces here or there will help counterbalance that issue and we'll be ready to compete for the playoffs year after year. Once you make the playoffs then anything can happen.

The defense has played well above my expectations; Howard has really been fantastic (he's going to be expensive next contract). I think it's just another example of a much better level of coaching.

Love the way this defense has led the NFL in creating turnovers much of the year too.

As good as it is now, I get the feeling we are one or two players off being a truly elite unit. Maybe another top quality linebacker (or if Van Noy is healthy and plays his best the full season), and upgrade at Safety over McCain. Another pass rusher could make it even more devastating!

Good thing we don't have to worry about it for quite some time.

"On May 9, 2019, Howard signed a five-year, $76.5 million contract extension with the Dolphins with $46 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the league."

Just  because nobody else has rolled out the old saying yet......"Defense wins championships."    ;)

I think it every time I watch the Titans play. I want to root for them a bit, given the Dolphins connection, but man, those are some painful games to watch.

I've come to realize that purely in terms of watching games I'd much rather have at least a competent defense than have whatever the offense can produce be blown by the defense, putting even more pressure on the offense.

Sorry, you missed it, Pappy said it earlier in the thread. lol

Dang it, that's what I get for not reading every post.  Apologies to Pappy who beat me to it.