Game 15 thoughts: Phins at Bills

Sorry for the short write-up this week...just not feeling it...



Not for the first time, the Dolphins’ season ended today in Buffalo.  One week after dominating the Patriots, the Dolphins laid an egg against the Bills.  This game was really decided in the first half, as the Bills jumped out to an early lead and hit cruise control the rest of the way.

Behind a terrible performance by Jay Cutler, the Dolphins managed just 16 points and saw their playoff hopes destroyed.  Cutler apparently shot his load in his brilliant performance against the Pats last week, because today he had nothing in the tank.  0 TDs, 3 INTs, 4 fumbles (none lost, amazingly) and just 5.6 yards per attempt…that’s the game right there.  The offense really did nothing of note, with an inconsistent running game, barely-there passing game and a whole lot of boring, go-nowhere playcalling.  Adam Gase was on the top of his game as a playcaller last week, dialing up big play after big play.  This week, he reverted back to form with another uninspired lackluster effort.  The run game, on fire the last couple of weeks, did very little and the pass game just never got in gear.

The defense played well in the second half, but the damage had already been done early on.  The Bills dominated the first half on a mix of heroics from Tyrod Taylor, Charles Clay, Nick O’Leary and Shady McCoy.  Dolphin Charles Harris played great in the first half with a few pressures, but then fell back to his Invisible Man routine in the second half.  The pass rush was inconsistent throughout the game, the secondary was hit and miss, and the LBs were continually shredded, especially early on.  Kiko Alonso played a horrendously bad first half, getting abused left, right and center by anyone the Bills matched him up with.  Biggest need in the offseason?  A LB that can cover a damn TE.  And I hate to break it to you, but Reakwon McMillan is not that guy.

Not much left to say.  No need to go into too much detail, because the final score (24-16) speaks for itself.  Despite the close score, the Dolphins were never in this game and they are now playing for next season.

Dave Hyde is the first reporter I've seen write about what I've been saying for weeks - how Gase doesn't pay attention to the game when the Miami defense is on the field.

Dave Hyde wrote:Adam Gase is adamant that he’ll keep calling plays. And I have no problem with that, if he considers it such a strength. I really don’t. But there is a cost to calling plays as this shot of Gase on the sideline showed in Sunday’s game. The defense was in a goal-line stand at the moment. What if a play had to be reviewed? What about just showing the defense they matter? Again, I have no problem with a coach calling plays if that’s a considered strength. But this shows how you’re really coach of just half the team at times.

Here's the photo:


Anybody ever see Mike McCarthy do that? Bruce Arians? Jay Gruden? Sean Payton (when he still called plays)? Anyone???

I haven't. In fact, every NFL head coach I've ever seen is invested in the ENTIRE game. Hell, even Rex Ryan watched his offense play! It's mind-boggling that Gase could sit on the bench with his face in a computer screen while the game is going on! Are you fucking kidding me??? What kind of a head coach is that? That behavior basically tells the defense: "I don't care about you at all." Just terrible.