Game 8 thoughts: Dolphins at Cardinals

On a day where the Dolphins played without 5 of their coaches, the underdog upstarts from Miami went to Arizona and emerged victorious after a blow-for-blow heavyweight fight with the red hot Cardinals.

It has often been said that teams take on the personality of their coaches. That was true of the Dolphins when Adam Gase was in charge, as we saw a Dolphins’ team that played sloppy, undisciplined, losing football. It is also true of the current Dolphins’ team, led by Brian Flores. Under Flores, we see a team that never quits and plays fundamentally sound, situationally solid winning football.

I can’t say enough about this Dolphins’ team. Remember the No Name Defense? Well, this is the No Name Team. This is a roster almost completely devoid of superstars, yet they fight till death and play as a team. Everyone contributes, from an undrafted rookie named Salvon Ahmed to a special teamer turned offensive hero by the name of Mack Hollins. It’s a testament to Flores that every single player on this roster contributes something positive.

Notice I mentioned “almost completely devoid of stars” above. Well, the Dolphins have two emerging stars – one on defense and one on offense.

Emmanuel Ogbah is quickly becoming one of the league’s top pass rushers. Today, he got things going with another strip sack, which Shaq Lawson scooped up and ran in for a TD (aided by some amazing hustle from rookie Brandon Jones). Ogbah is becoming a major playmaker, and is already one of the Phins’ best free agent signings in recent memory.

The other emergent star is, of course, Tua Tagovaiola. Today, with the Dolphin defense giving up score after score and the offensive run game completely non-existent, the rookie put the team on his back and led them to victory. Tua was throwing dimes all day, making (mostly) smart decisions and generating huge plays with both his arm and legs. This kid just oozes leadership, and he remains calm and cool even in the toughest situations. It’s amazing to think that this was only Tua’s second game; the rest of the league better be on notice, because he’s only going to get better.

The defense got torched by the amazing Kyler Murray all game, both in the air and on the ground. But when it counted, they made key 4th quarter stops on 4th down and 3rd down (aided by some terrible Kliff Kingsbury playcalling) that preserved the victory.

So many players made huge impact plays today: Kyle Van Noy, Preston Williams, Ahmed, Hollins, Andrew Van Ginkle, Jordan Howard, Elandon Roberts, Brandon Jones, and on and on. And, oh yeah – Jason Sanders. Sanders is playing out of his mind right now. The kicker set a franchise record today by kicking his 20th consecutive FG, and his 56 and 50 yarders played a huge role in today’s win. The 56-yarder occurred just before halftime, and gave the Phins a 7-point lead. That FG turned out to be enormous, as the Cards tied the game up on their opening second half drive. The 50 yarder, late in the 4th, won the game for the Phins. Sanders has been outstanding.

I can say a lot more, but after this roller coaster game I am mentally and physically drained. I’ll end by saying that the Miami Dolphins are surging right now. I don’t know how this journey will end, but I do know that the rest of the league better be ready…because the Miami Dolphins are coming!!!!


Hero of the Day: I could give it to the coaching staff, Sanders, or really the entire team. But on this day, a franchise savior began to emerge. His name is Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa, and he led this team to victory in an epic battle today. Tua is the hero we’ve been waiting for since a man named Marino hung up his cleats.

Goat of the Day: I hate to give this to Xavien Howard, but I have to. Three pass interference penalties, even if at least 2 were questionable, is just not acceptable.

Beer of the Day: Montauk Wave Chaser IPA

THANK YOU JMP!!!

One final thought: today, the usually-awful run defense was outstanding. We held Chase Edmonds to 70 yards on 25 carries! A lot of that is due to some fantastic line play by Raekwon Davis and Christian Wilkins. Those dudes were dominant today.

Yes, I know Kyler Murray ran for over 100 yards, but that's not a mark against the run D...that was just an insanely talented QB escaping pressure.

Tua was impressive in the last 2 long drives. Miami finally has coaching!

Other than our astoundingly bad ability at stopping any running QB, the team looks pretty solid. I'd dare say that the guys running the ball today looked far better than anything we've seen so far. There were some really good tough runs, not that they netted a lot of yards, but good tough between the tackles running.

The league is now about the running QB. We need to make adjustments for the future on D.

I feel that Tua fits in exactly to where the league is going, and has been for a few years now. The althletic/mobile QB that can make things happen with his legs and arm.

I can not wait until we can give him the playmaking weapons, like he had in college. Imagine how much more dynamic he will be when he can look for a taget out of the backfiled like a Ettienne or Harris, for example, as opposed to (no disrespect, a Patrick Laird, or Salvon Ahmed), or a WR like he had at Alabama, as opposed to (no disrespect, a Mack Hollins), etc.

Plus, he is doing this with basicaly NO running game, to speak of. Give him a playmaking back that can consisteently get in the end zone from inside the 5, and one who can grind out first downs, to run the clock out (as in the Rams game), and he will be that much more effective.

He is basically learning on the job. He can greatly improve his decision-making when under pressure. That should come. He is a rookie, after all. He needs to be decisive when throwing the ball away, not just heaving it, and hope it goes out of bounds. He needs to become more decisive on avoiding the rush and side-steppping defenders. This too, will come IMO.

I absolutely LOVE the designed-impromptu runs/scrambles, whatever you want to call them. His athleticism is a HUGE weapon. Do not hold that back. I am not advocating a single-wing, veer option, but let the kid use his atheticism to the team's advantage. Just like all the other top QB's of the modern era do.

I can not wait until next year's draft to add more pieces to plug in around Tua. Our OL needs to keep improving. We have three good looking rookies to buid around. These guys are getting valuable exprience forming a cohesive unit. We all know O lines need consistency. They need to play next to each other for a couple years to know what the other guy is doing and to know they can depend on the other to have their back. Keep adding depth there.

I feel we still need a disruptive-playmaker off the edge. BTW, did anyone else notice the debut of Jason Strowbridge in the game? I saw him in on a few plays. Seemed to be around the ball. The kid is a monster. Hopefully, he can develop into that type of disruptor on defense. Still need a saftey.

Have Greer and Flores hit on every single draft pick or FA pick? Absolutely not. But, we see contributions from guys like VanGinkle, Seiler, Ogbah, Shaq, and many more. You don't hit home runs on everyone. But the thing I like about these guys is they do not hold onto mistakes longer than they need to. If a guy can't play (Weaver, Rosen) he is gone. Big change from previous regimes.

Good time indeed to be a Dolphin's Fan. And things are only going to get better.

i wish the defense would stop making it so close, but Tua really stepped up and showed nerves of steel...as well as some real escapability in the pocket.

mercury22nathan wrote:i wish the defense would stop making it so close, but Tua really stepped up and showed nerves of steel...as well as some real escapability in the pocket.

The Cards ain't no joke. Playmakers everywhere. IMO their coach blew the game. Kyler was destroying us on runs. Planned or otherwise. Why in the world would he hand off to the RB on 4th and inches, when Murray could have named his yardage gain? And then, on 3rd and one, he THROWS (incomplete), when again Murray running would have been the smart option.

I'll take it, but once again, in the modern NFL, we see over and over again, Head Coaches and Coordinators have to prove how smart they are by doing just outrageuosly stupid things. Last week, the Rams were running the ball down our throats. We had no answer. They were gouging us for 5 to 7 yards gains consistently. What does the coach do? He continues to drop Goff back, when we were pounding him into submission, only to see sack after sack, turnover after turnover, hurried pass attempt after attempt.

I'm glad to get out of there with a win. We deserved it. But, I'll take a little fortunate play-calling by the opposition coach any day.

scotgif wrote:I feel that Tua fits in exactly to where the league is going, and has been for a few years now. The althletic/mobile QB that can make things happen with his legs and arm.

I've been hearing that mobile QBs are The Future for 20 years or so now. Meanwhile, pocket passers like Brady and Brees are playing at a high level into their 40s. Where is Kaepernick now? How's Cam Newton faring lately? WAke me when Lamar Jackson wins a playoff game. A QB will always need to PASS THE BALL to be a long-term success in the NFL. Otherwise, he's just a glorified RB who will fade away after a season or three of making a big splash. And these mobile QBs tend to get sacked far more than conventional wisdom would have you believe.

The ideal modern QB is one who *is* mobile, and *can* run, but uses that mobility to evade defenders in the pocket long enough to complete passes downfield, as opposed to just running for running's sake.

scotgif wrote:The Cards ain't no joke. Playmakers everywhere. IMO their coach blew the game. Kyler was destroying us on runs. Planned or otherwise. Why in the world would he hand off to the RB on 4th and inches, when Murray could have named his yardage gain? And then, on 3rd and one, he THROWS (incomplete), when again Murray running would have been the smart option.

I'll take it, but once again, in the modern NFL, we see over annd over again, Head Coaches and Coordinators have to prove how smart they are by doing just outrageuosly stupid things. Last week, the Rams were running the ball down our throats. We had no answer. They were gouging us for 5 to 7 yards gains consistently. What does the coach do? He continues to drop Goff back, when we were pounding him into submission, only to see sack after sack, turnover after turnover, hurried pass attempt after attempt.

I'm glad to get out of there with a win. We deserved it. But, I'll take a little fortunate play-calling by the opposition coach any day.

The Fins have given so many games away with that exact same approach over the years that I would think people would be glad and grateful to see the opponents doing it for once. How many Super Bowls did the Pats win due to coaching blunders they had no control over? I don't see their fans ever complaining or feeling guilty about it.

DolFan 316 wrote:

scotgif wrote:I feel that Tua fits in exactly to where the league is going, and has been for a few years now. The althletic/mobile QB that can make things happen with his legs and arm.

The ideal modern QB is one who *is* mobile, and *can* run, but uses that mobility to evade defenders in the pocket long enough to complete passes
downfield, as opposed to just running for running's sake.

I am not suggesting running for running sake. I am suggesting that the top QB's of today are the ones who can avoid pressure and make plays with their legs AND arm. I agree about not wanting to just see a QB just run and run. THAT is a glorified RB. But, you can't tell me that Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson are "glorified RB's"

I want Tua to throw from the pocket as much as the next guy, (and he does, BTW) but when the pocket breaks down, what are you supposed to do? Just NOT run. You GTFO and either run or make a play downfield. To me, that is Russell Wilson's best trait. When things break down, he is always looking to fire the ball downfield. Same can be said for Brees and Aaron Rogers, for that matter.

scotgif wrote:I am not suggesting running for running sake. I am suggesting that the top QB's of today are the ones who can avoid pressure and make plays with their legs AND arm. I agree about not wanting to just see a QB just run and run. THAT is a glorified RB. But, you can't tell me that Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson are "glorified RB's"

I want Tua to throw from the pocket as much as the next guy, (and he does, BTW) but when the pocket breaks down, what are you supposed to do? Just NOT run. You GTFO and either run or make a play downfield. To me, that is Russell Wilson's best trait. When things break down, he is always looking to fire the ball downfield. Same can be said for Brees and Aaron Rogers, for that matter.

Mahomes actually has yet to run for even 275 yards a season, which may surprise you (although he's on pace to run for over 300 this year, still not a high number for a mobile QB at all). It might also shock you that Wilson has just one season with more than 600 yards rushing, and has failed to top 400 yards rushing in three of his previous four full seasons. In other words, Mahomes and Wilson are the exact kind of QB I was talking about.

DolFan 316 wrote:
Mahomes actually has yet to run for even 275 yards a season, which may surprise you (although he's on pace to run for over 300 this year, still not a high number for a mobile QB at all). It might also shock you that Wilson has just one season with more than 600 yards rushing, and has failed to top 400 yards rushing in three of his previous four full seasons. In other words, Mahomes and Wilson are the exact kind of QB I was talking about.

So, just who are these "glorified RB, run for sake of running QB's" that you speak of?

Speaking of running, I just now noticed that somehow, some way, Howard is averaging just 1.2 yards a carry this season which makes Kalen Ballage's 1.8 yards per carry last season look great by comparison

Meanwhile. Ballage is averaging 4.6 yards a carry this season. Maybe the problem is somehow team or coach-related? It doesn't seem humanly possible for an NFL team to have two different RBs average under 2 yards a carry two seasons in a row. That would be a truly historic (and embarrassing) anomaly.

scotgif wrote:

DolFan 316 wrote:
Mahomes actually has yet to run for even 275 yards a season, which may surprise you (although he's on pace to run for over 300 this year, still not a high number for a mobile QB at all). It might also shock you that Wilson has just one season with more than 600 yards rushing, and has failed to top 400 yards rushing in three of his previous four full seasons. In other words, Mahomes and Wilson are the exact kind of QB I was talking about.

So, just who are these "glorified RB, run for sake of running QB's" that you speak of?

Well, you were the one who brought up how running QBs are now all the rage, so...

But to answer your question, Jackson and Murray are really standing out from the pack this season in terms of rushing yards. In fact Murray has just one fewer rushing yard now as he did in 16 starts last season Mahomes is actually on pace for a career high in rushing yards, and Wilson's on pace for his highest rushing total in four years. Josh Allen always seems to turn into a glorified RB whenever he plays the Fins, although he's on pace to run for fewer yards than last season, which is fewer yards than his rookie year, which indicates to me either he or his coaches want him running less.

I'll have to also look up how many yards all QBs have rushing VS the Fins this season and then compare it to Murray's season total, which currently leads all QBs. Even if it just exceeds 400, that would be pretty bad.

Don't know what the reason is, but Howard seems to have the exact same "Ballage disease" he had with the Fins. He just can not hit the hole. He spends entirely too much time in the backfield looking for the hole to open, as opposed to just hitting it up in there and picking up the "obligatory" at least 2-3 yards, as opposed to getting those great 1-yard or no yard gains.

I don't see it as a coaching problem. Some backs are just slow to hit the holes. Look at Brieda, Gaskin and Laird. Those guys pound it up in there. They are at the LOS in no time. No hesitation. Are they great backs? Absolutley not. Just pointing out the different running styles.

Whatever the reason, Howard has been a MAJOR disapointment.

DolFan 316 wrote:
Well, you were the one who brought up how running QBs are now all the rage, so...

I never said RUNNING QB's. I said Mobile/athletic QB's that can make things happen with their legs AND arms. That is FAR from espousing the "Running QB". Big difference.

Bobby Douglas (way old reference) was a running QB. From that same era Fran Tarkenton was one of the first of what you see today. The mobile/athletic QB that can make things happen with his legs and arm.

scotgif wrote:Don't know what the reason is, but Howard seems to have the exact same "Ballage disease" he had with the Fins. He just can not hit the hole. He spends entirely too much time in the backfield looking for the hole to open, as opposed to just hitting it up in there and picking up the "obligatory" at least 2-3 yards, as opposed to getting those great 1-yard or no yard gains.

I don't see it as a coaching problem. Some backs are just slow to hit the holes. Look at Brieda, Gaskin and Laird. Those guys pound it up in there. They are at the LOS in no time. No hesitation. Are they great backs? Absolutley not. Just pointing out the different running styles.

Whatever the reason, Howard has been a MAJOR disapointment.

Howard's YPC did decrease from 5.2 his rookie season to 4.1 to 3.7 in three seasons with the Bears before rising back to 4.4 in Philly last season (albeit on just 119 carries). At least he hasn't lost his knack for scoring TDs. But we're still talking about a RB who averaged 4.3 yards per carry over four seasons before this one. Even Ballage averaged 5.3 YPC his rookie season under Gase (caveat, really small sample size) and 4.6 this season but just 1.8 with the Flores Fins. The evidence is starting to mount that there's something wrong with the Flores-Era offense itself.

scotgif wrote:

DolFan 316 wrote:
Well, you were the one who brought up how running QBs are now all the rage, so...

I never said RUNNING QB's. I said Mobile/athletic QB's that can make things happen with their legs AND arms. That is FAR from espousing the "Running QB". Big difference.

Bobby Douglas (way old reference) was a running QB. From that same era Fran Tarkenton was one of the first of what you see today. The mobile/athletic QB that can make things happen with his legs and arm.

Some QBs run a lot more than others, though. I would say more than 600 rushing yards from any QB in any given season is running for the sake of running. (Again, Wilson has just ONE season with more than 600 rushing yards and Mahomes has never rushed for even 300.) Murray IMO is running for the sake of running this season. Josh Allen *was* doing that, but apparently the Bills coaches realized this and have gotten him to tone it down and improve his passing.

I think we are still to find out just exactly what Flores wants his offense to be. I seem to think, being a defensive, old school coach, he would prefer a ground and pound, and then hit them over the top for the big play.

He has been so devoid of talent here, that I think he has just had to take whatever offense he can get. Once he gets more of "his type" player, whatever that may be, we will se what his offensive plan is.

Also, I do not see Chan Gailey as the long-term OC. No shocker there, but he may be grroming one of his assistants to take that role in a year or two. He may be one of these "modern-day offensive gurus" that are all the rage today.

I don't know if it is running for the sake of running, but Murray makes that offense go. He SEEMS to know how to avoid the big hits too. He is just so goood at running that it would not make sense to stifle that from their offense. Why try and make him something he is not?

And he throws a pretty nice ball, as well. As seen on the long strike for the TD that beat Jones. He seems to be very accurate too. This was my first game watching him, so my sample size is limited, but I came off very impressed at his ability.

Not impressed with him waliking off the field without even acknowledging his counterpart on the other team. Came off to me as a little bit of a little bitch move. He has history with Tua. Not bad, just they have battled each other in the past. My god, they were on the same Heisman stage. There should have been at least an "elbow bump"(Covid Style).

BTW the FIns have allowed 227 rushing yards to QBs so far this season. 106 of them were to Murray, who leads the league in rushing yards by a QB. No real shame there. That leaves just 121 rushing yards to QBs allowed in the previous seven games, and 75 of those were against Cam, another run-heavy QB. HOWEVER...Josh Allen ran for just 19 yards after having destroyed the Fins in the ground in four previous games. Wilson BTW ran for just 5 yards on 4 carries.

So the sample size to me is inconclusive so far, and I'd have to see if they give up big yardage to any mobile/running QBs left on the schedule before concluding that they just can't stop any QB from running all over them.

(Apologies to Jmp for hijacking the thread BTW.)

I think Josh Allen and Wilson had so much success tearing us apart in the air, they felt no need to run. Those guys put up big numbers against us in the air.

scotgif wrote:Not impressed with him waliking off the field without even acknowledging his counterpart on the other team. Came off to me as a little bit of a little bitch move. He has history with Tua. Not bad, just they have battled each other in the past. My god, they were on the same Heisman stage. There should have been at least an "elbow bump"(Covid Style).

Tua even said that during Heisman week, Tua introduced his parents to Kyler Murray. He's (murray) competitive and a young kid.  Not the best sportsmanship but, kinda of a sign of maturity if you ask me.