Game 7 thoughts: Rams at Dolphins

If you had told me before the game that the Rams would run 92 (!!!) offensive plays and the Dolphins would have under 150 yards of offense, I would have guessed that it would be a Rams’ blowout win.

Well, both of those things did happen – and the Dolphins won 28-17, in a game that felt like a Miami blowout despite the close score.  Behind the strength of a dominant defense, the Dolphins jumped out to a 28-7 lead in the first half and never looked back.

Today was supposed to be all about Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL start, but the way the game turned out, Tua was just an afterthought.  The rookie completed just 12 passes for 93 yards, leading the team to only 8 first downs.  Despite some good passes – including a laser to DeVante Parker for a TD – this was a forgettable day for Tua.  Tua lost a fumble on his first dropback, the Phins dropped at least 4 passes (2 by Preston Williams), the OL gave up too much pressure and the running game was non-existent, which sure didn’t help, and it seemed like Tua never got comfortable and struggled with the speed of the game.  

Myles Gaskin had an awful day at RB, losing a fumble, dropping a 3rd down pass that would have iced the game, and being unable to pick up even 2 yards most of the day.  The OL is awful at run blocking, but Gaskin’s performance today was unacceptable.

And that’s really all there is to say about the offense.

In contrast, the defense was absolutely electric, delivering constant pressure and forcing 4 turnovers.  Emmanuel Ogbah had a monster game, with numerous pressures and a strip sack that was scooped up by Andrew Van Ginkel for a 78 yard TD.  Later, Shaq Lawson got a strip sack of his own, and  Kyle Van Noy recovered and took it to the 1-yard line, leading to a Gaskin TD behind a crushing block by Christian Wilkins.  Speaking of Wilkins, he had an INT that set up the Tua TD.  Eric Rowe added an INT and played stifling coverage all day.  The Phins could have had 3 or 4 more INTs…the pass coverage was outstanding.

The defense had an incredible 13 pass breakups today, about half of which occurred at or near the line of scrimmage.  The D generated constant pressure and continually confused Rams’ QB Jared Goff.  It was truly one of the all-time great halves of football that I’ve ever seen the Dolphins’ defense play.

The run defense, as usual, was pretty bad – but it didn’t matter at all today.

Not to be outdone, the special teams played a role as well, led by a team-record 88-yard punt return TD by Jakeem Grant.  Matt Haack consistently delivered on his numerous punts.

The second half was UGLY, as the Dolphin offense continually went nowhere and the Dolphin defense was completely gassed toward the end.  But in the end, the Phins walked away with a very impressive victory.

This was a huge, season-defining win for the Dolphins.  In their previous 3 wins, there was a lot of “yeah, but…” talk….as in, yeah, but the Jags suck; yeah, but the Niners had injuries; yeah, but the Jets are the worst team in football.  Today, there is no “yeah, but”.  The Dolphins faced a 5-2 Rams team that had been firing on all cylinders, and that all the “experts” predicted would win today.  To put it simply, the Dolphins kicked the Rams’ ass today, and it wasn’t close.  The Dolphins have become a physical, disruptive bunch that play as a team, and when one part of the team falters the other parts pick up the slack.  There’s a lot to work on – but the Phins are winning while they’re learning.  The future looks bright, and once Tua gets going this team just might be unstoppable.  

Hero of the Day: The defense.  Just an incredible performance all around.  Honorable mention to the defensive coaching staff, for devising a perfect gameplan.

Goat of the Day: Gaskin, for the fumble and dropped pass.

Beer of the Day: Montauk Wave Chaser IPA

How bad was the Dolphins offense? 145 yards total. Dalvin Cook (Vikings) gained 75 yards more than our entire offense today.

DolFan 316 wrote:So Jmp is saying the team with the defensive-oriented head coach playing a rookie QB for the first time had a significantly better performance on that side of the ball? I'm shocked, SHOCKED I say!

Who woulda thunk it??

BTW...Chris Grier just might be working the phones tonight looking for a RB.

Just throwing it out there...haven't heard anything about it, but: would the Ravens trade Mark Ingram? He is banged up right now, so the Phins would have to make sure he's OK, but that might be worth a look at the right price. I can't even think of another decent RB that could potentially be available via trade.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:BTW...Chris Grier just might be working the phones tonight looking for a RB.

Just throwing it out there...haven't heard anything about it, but: would the Ravens trade Mark Ingram?  He is banged up right now, so the Phins would have to make sure he's OK, but that might be worth a look at the right price.  I can't even think of another decent RB that could potentially be available via trade.

Meh. If they're 4-3 with no running game to speak of (apparently, just going by what you guys are saying) then why bother giving away draft capital? This team's doing a fine job of proving just how utterly irrelevant the running game is in the modern NFL. (BTW how are the Cowboys doing with that Ezekiel Elliott guy they broke the bank for?) Just draft a RB next year--if America is even in existence next year.

Yeah, the draft is always my preference and we are winning without a running game. But I do think a running game could really put this team over the top. If we can add a back for a late round pick, I'd explore it.

That said...I think the real problem is the OL. They just can't run block, at all.

Back to Tua...those 4 drops really hurt his day. All were good passes. That pass to Gesicki down the sideline was a thing of beauty...Gesicki simply misplayed it and allowed the defender to get position. It was a perfectly placed pass. And the slant that Williams dropped would have been a first down...that's a simple catch and Preston needs to make it. The Gaskin drop was absurd...hit him right in the numbers.

Anyway, I think Tua did some good things. Gailey called an ultra-conservative gameplan in an attempt to protect Tua from the Rams pass rush - and because we were winning big. I expect a more open passing game and more RPO as Tua adjusts. Baby steps...we got a win, and Tua came out unscathed and gained some experience. I'll take it.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:That said...I think the real problem is the OL.  They just can't run block, at all.

If the O-line's the problem then that makes trading for a RB an even worse idea, since no RB will be able to function without blocking.

Weren't there supposed to be a couple of O-line rookies that were mauler types? What happened to them?

Yeah, adding a RB probably isn't the answer...it just kills me to see all these 1 and 2 yard runs!

The rookies are playing great - Kindley and Hunt. But at this point, they are better pass protectors than run blockers. I think the center, Karras, is the weak link when it comes to run blocking. Seems like he rarely gets push. And Davis at LT is a liability in the run game. Seemed like the other rookie, Jackson, was coming along nicely before his injury.

Funny, all these years we couldn't find pass protectors...now we have them, but they can't run block! And these guys are all BIG dudes - they should be better at it.

Next we have to see Tua light it up. It was great to have D and ST play great games so Tua could break in easy. Took a few hits and threw a few balls for some real game action but really didn't need to over do it or get pounded. We have to get this one right.

JEGnj wrote:Next we have to see Tua light it up. It was great to have D and ST play great games so Tua could break in easy. Took a few hits and threw a few balls for some real game action but really didn't need to over do it or get pounded. We have to get this one right.

When Tua got bodyslammed on the fumble, it was great to see him just bounce right up with no problems. He said it was good to get that first hit.

The Cardinals game next week could be a tough one - I think we're going to need Tua in that one. Let's see if he's ready to take charge!

anyway you slice it, this was going to be a tough game for a rookie QB making his first start. the Rams defense is legit. they are no. 2 in the league in yards allowed per game (2nd against the pass, 4th against the run and 3rd in points allowed). so to see an offense struggle against them is no surprise.

with that in mind... while i realize Gaskins is not an all-pro, i am not yet ready to give up on him as a serviceable RB for the remainder of the season. the OL struggled to open lanes for him and he wasn't able to make anything out of what little he had...but that's almost always going to be the case for anyone against this Rams defense.

and while Tua wasn't great in this game, i think he was playing with handcuffs (playcalling) because of the Rams defense. on the 2nd play fumble, Donald steamrolled Flowers right back to Tua and hit his arm. but you know what the rookie QB playing one of the best defenses in the league for is very first start didn't do... he didn't lose the game. he didn't throw a horrible, game-changing pick. after the offense handed the Rams a couple of very short fields, the rookie QB didn't shit his diaper and roll over into the fetal position. he hung tough with a struggling cast around him and didn't implode.

the defense played awesome. Ogbah is really coming into his own. Flores used the same basic concepts the Pats used to beat the Rams in the Super Bowl and Goff clearly struggled to read it.

First and foremost, the Dolphins Defense deserved this win.  They were clutch and really gave it to Goff.  We could have easily had 5 picks.  Not to mention we had several tipped balls at the line.  Incredible film study by all.  Wilkins is my favorite player in this game.  He is the type of player that just loves to compete and enjoys the competition.  

RB is a situation that must be addressed.  Gaskin is essentially a change of pace back.  I don't see him bearing the load.  I think his indecisive style makes it difficult for him to gain positive yards.  The play calling and scheme doesn't fit his running style.  Its also difficult that the shot gun scheme kills any kind of outside runs.  Outside Zones, Stretches, Tosses are what would suit Gaskin or even better Breida.  During the game someone mentioned if we could run a play on first down other than Gaskin up the middle.  It seemed as if they were trying to set up the RPO by sacrificing 1st down.  

I still don't know what Tua is because the playcalling became super ultra conservative.  I don't understand why we consistently keep doing this.  We can't run the ball for shit.  What we do know is that Tua excels at the short and mid passing game. Let him play.  Isn't that the reason why we made the switch?

There's video floating around of every Tua throw in the game. After watching it, I feel better about his performance. He didn't do obvious things that most rookies do, like locking onto receivers and telegraphing his passes. And there were a couple of plays where he used his eyes/head movement to freeze or move the safety and then threw to the opposite side - the Gesicki sideline pass is a great example. That's veteran-type stuff. He made a couple of bad passes, but most were on target and well-placed and thrown with plenty of zip when needed. He occasionally showed "happy feet" - to be expected against a nasty pass rush, especially in his first NFL game.

Overall, despite the few mistakes, ugly numbers and ultra-conservative playcalling, for a rookie starting his first game in a year I thought Tua did a good job. A lot to work on, but he's going to be just fine IMO.

i hope that we resign Fitz to another year. At the very least mentor Tua and the back up

Umix10 wrote:i hope that we resign Fitz to another year.  At the very least mentor Tua and the back up

I think Fitz is going to retire after the season. I don't see him getting into coaching, at least not while his kids are still young.

But I was thinking about who we could get to be the backup next season...maybe Sam Darnold?

I'm joking, of course, but I'm not really sure who will be available.

Funny you mention that JMP. I think that we should bring in Marcus Mariota. Although there are similarities between Tua and Marcus the Dolphins would not have to change the offense at all from one to the other. The knock on Mariota is that he is too injury prone. I think this would be a great opportunity to bring him in and see.

Actually, that's a great call Umix. Makes a lot of sense. Go with the Hawaiian connection!

Mariotta sucks. Why bring him here?

We need all our draft capital for next years draft so we can draft an NFL caliber QB. No trades.

scotgif wrote:Mariotta sucks. Why bring him here?

Because we'll need a veteran backup, and Mariota can play in a similar offense, with RPOs, rollouts, etc. I don't even know if he's healthy, but I think he's worth a look in the offseason for sure.

You've got to realize: the backup QB position in the NFL is AWFUL. Almost every team in the league has a crappy backup - that's just the way it is. There's not a lot of good QBs to begin with, and all the really good ones are starters. So, by definition, any backup is going to be covered in warts. I think the key is to get a backup that can at least understand and run your system if need be. I think a healthy Mariota can do that for Miami. If there's someone better, by all means go for it - but I do think Mariota fits the bill.

Look at it this way: Andy Dalton was supposed to be the best backup in the NFL, and before his concussion he played like a steaming pile of crap. So unfortunately, when it comes to backups you just have to take what you can get and hope you at least find someone that can run your offense.

CarsonChris wrote:We need all our draft capital for next years draft so we can draft an NFL caliber QB. No trades.

I'd be willing to part with a 5th, 6th or 7th if we could find a decent NT or RB, but yeah, I don't want to trade any high picks. I've heard Todd Gurley's name mentioned, and I'd be all over that for a 5th or 6th, but I've also heard Kerryon Johnson - and I wouldn't take him for free. But really, I don't see anyone good becoming available anyway at our positions of need.