Houston at Miami predictions

i debated over whether i even cared enough to think about this game...but old habits die hard.

i heard Mike Florio will be at the game sitting on the 50 yard line wearing an aqua #4 jersey.

Miami is a bad football team. Houston is a bad football team. who is worse?

who cares?

Houston - 17
Miami - 19

Texans win after the Fins blow a 3-score lead and Davis Mills outplays Tua. Media narrative shifts to accusing the Terrible Trio (Ross, Grier, Flores) of trying to intimidate Watson's accusers to get them to settle and force a trade, and they run with it all the way until at least March despite literally no evidence.

Love the Florio comment!

The Dolphins have played a bit better of late, despite continuing to lose, while the Texans seem to be stuck in 'awful mode'. With that in mind, I think this is FINALLY the week Miami plays a dominant 60-minute game. I think it's a blowout, with a big defensive effort and an offense that actually finishes drives. I'm going 31-6, Dolphins. Tua plays great, but all the haters will make the typical "Yeah, but it's the Texans" excuses.

In a lost season, these are the types of games the sorry-ass Dolphins MUST win.

BTW - Tyrod Taylor will start at QB for the Texans if he is healthy enough to go.

UPDATE: It was just announced that Taylor will get the start. Maybe I'll give the Texans a TD as a result - so I'll adjust to 31-13, Dolphins.

I just don't want to hear about Watson all game.

Texans 24 Miami 17. Flores lost the locker room. Everyone hates him. No motivation to play hard for someone you don't like. Tue sets a record for most drop backs in team history.

JEGnj wrote:I just don't want to hear about Watson all game.

Unfortunately, the media is like a dog with a bone with 'Watson to Miami'. I have a feeling the BS will continue well into the offseason.

CarsonChris wrote:Texans 24 Miami 17. Flores lost the locker room. Everyone hates him. No motivation to play hard for someone you don't like.  Tue sets a record for most drop backs in team history.

We'll see.  I really don't get the impression that Flores has lost the locker room and players hate him.  I guess it could happen if the losses continue to pile up, but as of right now I just don't see it.  He stuck up for the players in his press conferences this week, even when the media tried to bait him, and I think that will mean something to the team.

CarsonChris wrote:Texans 24 Miami 17. Flores lost the locker room. Everyone hates him. No motivation to play hard for someone you don't like.  Tue sets a record for most drop backs in team history.

I think you mean most times dropped on his back. Which with this O-line wouldn't surprise me at all.

DolFan 316 wrote:

CarsonChris wrote:Texans 24 Miami 17. Flores lost the locker room. Everyone hates him. No motivation to play hard for someone you don't like.  Tue sets a record for most drop backs in team history.

I think you mean most times dropped on his back. Which with this O-line wouldn't surprise me at all.

Seriously. Half the time he's running for his life behind this atrocious line. Seems like he's under pressure the second the ball is snapped more often than not. I have no idea what the OL coach does in practice during the week...he can't actually be coaching, not with what we see in games.

JMP wrote:Taylor will get the start.

well...

Houston quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who has missed six games with a hamstring injury, will start against the Dolphins. He’s 5-2 in seven career starts against Miami with a 113.8 passer rating, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article254863767.html

another example of the Phins defense making a journeyman look like an all-pro.

JMP wrote:I have no idea what the OL coach does in practice during the week...he can't actually be coaching,  not with what we see in games.

right. not even sure he was paying attention all throughout training camp. how else to explain... Jesse Davis has to be in the lineup somehow. Austin Jackson is the best option at LT - oh wait, he's actually better at OG. Kindley's the best run blocker, but he's not good enough to play. Eichenberg is the RT...oh wait, he's the LG...umm, i mean LT. i know, i know, every position is in flux, except for RG - Hunt is a RG no matter what, despite being a pretty damn good RT...oh, and we don't have a RT right now. huh, what, our QB is a lefty??

how did the OL coach not see this coming? why does it take nearly half way through the season to figure who should be playing where - and still not get it right?

mercury22nathan wrote:

JMP wrote:Taylor will get the start.

well...

Houston quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who has missed six games with a hamstring injury, will start against the Dolphins. He’s 5-2 in seven career starts against Miami with a 113.8 passer rating, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article254863767.html

another example of the Phins defense making a journeyman look like an all-pro.

Yep, it is ugly - but I don't think he'll beat us Sunday. That Texans roster is a disaster...surely even the Dolphins can handle them.  Right????

mercury22nathan wrote:

JMP wrote:I have no idea what the OL coach does in practice during the week...he can't actually be coaching,  not with what we see in games.

right.  not even sure he was paying attention all throughout training camp.  how else to explain...  Jesse Davis has to be in the lineup somehow.  Austin Jackson is the best option at LT - oh wait, he's actually better at OG.  Kindley's the best run blocker, but he's not good enough to play.  Eichenberg is the RT...oh wait, he's the LG...umm, i mean LT.  i know, i know, every position is in flux, except for RG - Hunt is a RG no matter what, despite being a pretty damn good RT...oh, and we don't have a RT right now.  huh, what, our QB is a lefty??

how did the OL coach not see this coming?  why does it take nearly half way through the season to figure who should be playing where - and still not get it right?

Hunt has been the biggest disappointment by far. He seems to get worse every game. I don't think it is the position change - he seems like a natural fit at guard IMO. But something happened to him...he has been horrible the whole season. When you see a young player go from 'pretty good, with the arrow pointing up' to 'flat-out terrible' practically overnight, again, I have to blame the coaching.

On the somewhat positive side, I think Jackson is actually settling in at guard. The last 2 games he has been much better - not good enough, but at least it's something. He's still good for 2 penalties a game, but it seems that he has cut down on pressures, at least from what I've seen.

It's. coaching. Has to be. Lineman are supposed to get better not worse. By every metric these players are getting worse.

JMP wrote:I don't think it is the position change - he seems like a natural fit at guard IMO.

so perhaps theoretically, the move to OG was a good idea, but in practical implementation it has been a failure. especially considering that the RT position has gotten worse - no matter how good or bad Hunt plays at RG. and yes, that is on coaching. i imagine it went something like this...

OL coach: we're moving you to RG.
Hunt: ok. can have some tape to study?
OL: right guard.
Hunt: sure, what about hand placement?
OL: right...guard...
Hunt: i can learn, but last year i...i mean, can i see the blocking scheme to study the position?
OL: guardus rightus.
Hunt: technique?
OL: you'll figure it out. lalalala [fingers in ears]

mercury22nathan wrote:

JMP wrote:I don't think it is the position change - he seems like a natural fit at guard IMO.

so perhaps theoretically, the move to OG was a good idea, but in practical implementation it has been a failure.  especially considering that the RT position has gotten worse - no matter how good or bad Hunt plays at RG.  and yes, that is on coaching.  i imagine it went something like this...

OL coach:  we're moving you to RG.
Hunt: ok.  can have some tape to study?
OL: right guard.
Hunt: sure, what about hand placement?
OL: right...guard...
Hunt: i can learn, but last year i...i mean, can i see the blocking scheme to study the position?
OL: guardus rightus.
Hunt: technique?
OL: you'll figure it out.  lalalala [fingers in ears]

Yep, that sounds about right!

I get the feeling that Hunt would have sucked this season even if he stayed at RT. Just look at Davis - he was never a great lineman, but he was at least mediocre and sometimes actually good...now he completely sucks, just absolutely embarrassingly bad and getting worse. Coaching is the only way to explain it.

Apparently DeVante Parker had a "setback" this week and is now doubtful for Sunday.

Parker is doing exactly what Grier planned for, I'm sure he's preparing to hand him another multi-year contract extension!

What a disaster for Tua. Not only does he have no OL, he also has to deal with having just 2 legit receiving options nearly every game when Parker is out.  Sucks.

So, yeah, Parker is on IR. Wow, didn't see that one coming.

JMP wrote:So, yeah, Parker is on IR.  Wow, didn't see that one coming.  

If I were you Jmp, I'd be very careful. You might get cancelled from society stating facts like this instead of buying the narrative that trading for Watson would've somehow made Parker indestructible and turned the O-line into a bunch of studs. The truth today is called "misinformation".