Reality Check

[Dave Gray]

We need to realize this for what it is -- a loss on the road to a good team.

We lost the turnover battle by 4 and still only lost by 12 points.  We can't make those mistakes, but there were some good things and some bad things.  I think that one thing about this team has been its ability to adjust and make corrections.

Our big problems were turnovers and ineffective 3rd and long stops, as well as inconsistent blocking from our line.

We had the opportunity to put points on the board, but kept coughing it up or missing throws.

Also, all this talk about the wildcat being ineffective is lunacy.  We ran it 4 times and one of those times was a surefire TD, if White can make a throw to a guy who's open by 10 yards.   Some of that will come together.


But we also have to realize how hard our schedule is to start.  The nest two weeks, we'll be underdogs, so it's probable that we'll start 0-3.

[MaineDolFan]

Listening to the local talk this morning on my way to work and I kept hearing a recurring theme about this game:
"Miami got crushed by Atlanta."

Really?  I don't see it that way. 

12 point loss on the road.  Miami's defense, in my opinion, looked pretty freakin' good.  The offense, also in my opinion, looked off step more than they looked bad. 

I think Miami will be fine.  Weren't going to do undefeated this year.

[Phishfan]

It wasn't a pretty game. The sky isn't falling, but I didn't enjoy it at all.

[Defense54]

True.  4 Turnovers.......4 TURNOVERS , and still we only lost by 12 points.  Correct those mistakes and we were right back in the game.  But you can't win with that many mistakes. Last year we were 0-2 so......... Its Time for Soprano to show why Parcells handpicked him. 

[dolphins4life]

Also, I just watched the highlight tape and we might have had a TD taken away from us on the Camarillo catch.  He was never touched.  If they had let the play run, as they should have, he might have scored.

That's the breaks.  We got a lot of those last year, like in the Denver game.

But still, the point is, we were only a couple plays away from reversing the outcome of the game. 

[Phishfan]

^^^ I said the same thing during the game.

[dolfan13]

biggest concern is the offensive line. the falcons d line was playing in our backfield the entire game, and it wasn't even using 8 men in the box. no forward push from the o line whatsoever. they basically got physically manhandled.

its a worrisome carry over from the pre-season. im hoping its something that can get fixed with more playing time together, but it certainly seemed like they were just physically overmatched from an individual perspective (maybe donald thomas was the lone exception to that).

[CF DolFan]

Don't say that ... the sky is falling. Bring in the lefty and let the future begin!! Ok so he's not a lefty but you know what I mean. Seems another rookie did just fine in NY yesterday so let Henne play. The Matt Ryans and Mark Sanchezes are getting too much of a head start.

editors note ... I would be saying the same thing if we had won.  I just think think the Penny thing is a waste of time and I can't even sell my sideline Monday night tickets at face value. That is all.

[Sunstroke]

I was so dead-on about this game during Saturday's show. I said that I expected Miami to stuff the box up front to stop Turner, and force the Falcons into being one-dimensional on offense. I thought Miami did exactly that...Turner had a down game for sure. We just couldn't put points up on the board because we kept turning the ball over and failing to sustain drives.

[David Fulcher]

biggest concern is the offensive line. the falcons d line was playing in our backfield the entire game, and it wasn't even using 8 men in the box. no forward push from the o line whatsoever. they basically got physically manhandled.

its a worrisome carry over from the pre-season. im hoping its something that can get fixed with more playing time together, but it certainly seemed like they were just physically overmatched from an individual perspective (maybe donald thomas was the lone exception to that).

I was thinking the same thing myself while at the game, and have already said so in two different threads.  Like you, I hope it's something that can be fixed with time (and not much time, either!  ), but I am worried that it might not be something that can be switched or turned around so quickly.  Surely at least Jake Long can return to form, though, hopefully.

Don't say that ... the sky is falling. Bring in the lefty and let the future begin!! Ok so he's not a lefty but you know what I mean. Seems another rookie did just fine in NY yesterday so let Henne play. The Matt Ryans and Mark Sanchezes are getting too much of a head start.

editors note ... I would be saying the same thing if we had won.  I just think think the Penny thing is a waste of time and I can't even sell my sideline Monday night tickets at face value. That is all.

Sometimes I feel this way also.  I like Pennington and think he's a tough player, but unless we build a very elite team around him, which is so tough to do in this league, I just don't see him being the player that will carry us to victory against the better or best teams.  I know that he had a phenomonal season last year, and I still think that he can be a good player for us, but at the same time, I wonder if some of our younger talent, particularly our wide receivers such as Ginn, wouldn't develop better with a bigger arm tossing them the ball. 
 
I don't want to give Pennington too much crap, though, even with his limitations.  He seems to be a good leader and, from what I've read, a good mentor to the other quarterbacks.  I wouldn't mind seeing him hang around in a coaching capacity one day, though I'm sure he's not ready for that yet.   

[USO-ORLANDO]

Lets put the cap back on the panic button,its only week one,we lost the first 2 games last season!!