Time to play the youngsters

[ethurst22]

Okay, now I see Miami as an 8-8 or 7-9 team. They are not going to the playoffs.

It's time to play the youngsters and evaluate them in real game situations. Activate J.D. Folsom and Patrick Turner and lets look at em. Miami will be home for the playoffs. Even if they win out, I don't think they will get in.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Okay, now I see Miami as an 8-8 or 7-9 team. They are not going to the playoffs.

It's time to play the youngsters and evaluate them in real game situations. Activate J.D. Folsom and Patrick Turner and lets look at em. Miami will be home for the playoffs. Even if they win out, I don't think they will get in.

Ummmmmm, JD Folsom was released a couple weeks ago. 

[Tenshot13]

It's time to see what Turner has in the tank.

[bsfins]

I thought we were playing all the youngsters?

Last I check Folsom was resigned to the practice squad a few days after he was released....

[fyo]

Okay, now I see Miami as an 8-8 or 7-9 team. They are not going to the playoffs.

That's exactly where I saw them before the season and with all the injuries... it's the HOW that's really bugging me. There's just ZERO improvement across the board -- and that includes our coaches. I really cannot overemphasize my disappointment with the play calling.

And our defense...  touched on it in the live game blog thread, but we're horrible on D and the coaches just aren't finding ways to FIX things, so it's the same problem week in, week out. The same on O... it's the same problems every damned week.

A Few Major Dolphin Weaknesses:

- We're league WORST against receiving tight ends (followed by Detroit and Cleveland -- great company!).
- We're league WORST in preventing 3rd/4th and short (2 or less).
- We're in the bottom quarter in stopping run plays for 0 or a loss.
- We're second worst in defending against runs behind right tackle (our left side).
- We're 30th in forcing fumbles (regardless of who recovers).
- We're in the bottom quarter in yards per carry of opposing offenses (our D has allowed 4.7 yards per run before today's game).
- I don't have a stat for it, but we've gotta be among the worst in stopping QB runs/sneaks/scrambles up the middle.
- We're in the bottom third in defending passes to #2 receivers (decent against #1's).
- We're in the bottom third in yards passing allowed per game.
- We're in the bottom third in yards per play allowed.
- We're in the bottom third in points allowed per game.

That's not to say the offense doesn't have issues:

- We're 30th in yards passing per game (only "bested" by Cleveland and Oakland).
- We're 29th in yards passing per play (Tampa joins Cleveland and Oakland in topping our suckage).
- We're 28th in 40+ yard pass plays (and the Cardinals join the trio above in filling out the bottom of the league).
- We're 30th in 20+ yard pass plays (Oakland and Tennessee have our back).
- We're in the bottom quarter in sacks allowed per drop back.
- We're in the bottom third in runs behind left tackle (Long).

[YoFuggedaboutit]

I thought we were playing all the youngsters?

Last I check Folsom was resigned to the practice squad a few days after he was released....

Was he?  I don't remember seeing that, but you are probably right?  

They promote him from the practice squad, cut him, then sign him to the practice squad again.  What gives?

[YoFuggedaboutit]

That's exactly where I saw them before the season and with all the injuries... it's the HOW that's really bugging me. There's just ZERO improvement across the board -- and that includes our coaches. I really cannot overemphasize my disappointment with the play calling.

And our defense...  touched on it in the live game blog thread, but we're horrible on D and the coaches just aren't finding ways to FIX things, so it's the same problem week in, week out. The same on O... it's the same problems every damned week.

A Few Major Dolphin Weaknesses:

- We're league WORST against receiving tight ends (followed by Detroit and Cleveland -- great company!).
- We're league WORST in preventing 3rd/4th and short (2 or less).
- We're in the bottom quarter in stopping run plays for 0 or a loss.
- We're second worst in defending against runs behind right tackle (our left side).
- We're 30th in forcing fumbles (regardless of who recovers).
- We're in the bottom quarter in yards per carry of opposing offenses (our D has allowed 4.7 yards per run before today's game).
- I don't have a stat for it, but we've gotta be among the worst in stopping QB runs/sneaks/scrambles up the middle.
- We're in the bottom third in defending passes to #2 receivers (decent against #1's).
- We're in the bottom third in yards passing allowed per game.
- We're in the bottom third in yards per play allowed.
- We're in the bottom third in points allowed per game.

That's not to say the offense doesn't have issues:

- We're 30th in yards passing per game (only "bested" by Cleveland and Oakland).
- We're 29th in yards passing per play (Tampa joins Cleveland and Oakland in topping our suckage).
- We're 28th in 40+ yard pass plays (and the Cardinals join the trio above in filling out the bottom of the league).
- We're 30th in 20+ yard pass plays (Oakland and Tennessee have our back).
- We're in the bottom quarter in sacks allowed per drop back.
- We're in the bottom third in runs behind left tackle (Long).

And we're the league worst in points allowed in the 4th quarter. 

[fyo]

They promote him from the practice squad, cut him, then sign him to the practice squad again.  What gives?

That's SOP when signing someone from the practice squad to cover for an injury.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Yeah, the improvement is just not there outside of Henne and Vontae. Ginn just can't get it done as a receiver despite his speed. I still like Bess though, though not as a number 1.

[fyo]

Yeah, the improvement is just not there outside of Henne and Vontae. Ginn just can't get it done as a receiver despite his speed. I still like Bess though, though not as a number 1.

WTF happened to Camarillo? He's still catching almost EVERYTHING thrown his way, but he's only seen 33 balls in his direction all season. Ginn has been the target of 53 passes! Bess 65. (All before today's game). Even before Pennington went down, Camarillo basically wasn't seeing the ball, so it's not just due to the quarterback change.

This is one of those issues where I feel the coaching staff shares a LARGE part of the responsibility. If you have a quality player, you need to get him involved. It really is as simple as that.

EDIT: I looked up Camarillo at footballoutsiders.com to get a feel for the "value" of those passes he's gotten. Were they against bad defenses? Short of the marker on 3rd/4th down? In garbage time?

No, turns out Camarillo's reception have been very valuable (which fits with my recollection). In fact, in value per play (DVOA), he'd be THIRD... if he qualified for their primary ranking table, which requires a couple more passes his way. Has catch rate is BEST IN LEAGUE (receivers with more than 10 receptions).

[ethurst22]

That's exactly where I saw them before the season and with all the injuries... it's the HOW that's really bugging me. There's just ZERO improvement across the board -- and that includes our coaches. I really cannot overemphasize my disappointment with the play calling.

And our defense...  touched on it in the live game blog thread, but we're horrible on D and the coaches just aren't finding ways to FIX things, so it's the same problem week in, week out. The same on O... it's the same problems every damned week.

A Few Major Dolphin Weaknesses:

- We're league WORST against receiving tight ends (followed by Detroit and Cleveland -- great company!).
- We're league WORST in preventing 3rd/4th and short (2 or less).
- We're in the bottom quarter in stopping run plays for 0 or a loss.
- We're second worst in defending against runs behind right tackle (our left side).
- We're 30th in forcing fumbles (regardless of who recovers).
- We're in the bottom quarter in yards per carry of opposing offenses (our D has allowed 4.7 yards per run before today's game).
- I don't have a stat for it, but we've gotta be among the worst in stopping QB runs/sneaks/scrambles up the middle.
- We're in the bottom third in defending passes to #2 receivers (decent against #1's).
- We're in the bottom third in yards passing allowed per game.
- We're in the bottom third in yards per play allowed.
- We're in the bottom third in points allowed per game.

That's not to say the offense doesn't have issues:

- We're 30th in yards passing per game (only "bested" by Cleveland and Oakland).
- We're 29th in yards passing per play (Tampa joins Cleveland and Oakland in topping our suckage).
- We're 28th in 40+ yard pass plays (and the Cardinals join the trio above in filling out the bottom of the league).
- We're 30th in 20+ yard pass plays (Oakland and Tennessee have our back).
- We're in the bottom quarter in sacks allowed per drop back.
- We're in the bottom third in runs behind left tackle (Long).

This is a good analysis. From these facts, we're lucky to be 5-6.

Here's the problem on defense. Parcells in not a 4-3 type of guy and Sparano wouldn't dare change it. I always thought that the 4-3 was best suited for a young defense instead of a 3-4.

Miami doesn't have the linebackers that the 3-4 requires to make big plays. Does Crowder even have an interception for Miami in the five years of being here?

If you had a starting lineup of Starks, Merling, Mc Daniel and Langford with McDaniel in the rotation and the new guy who had two sacks today with Wake in the mix, we could probably get more pressure on the QB.

Sooner or later, Miami is going to have to find a MLB or change the scheme. They have the talent but it could be the scheme.