Reasons For The 1-7 Start...

by DolFan 316 Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:01 am

No team in NFL history has ever come back from being more than 5 games below .500 at any point in the season to make the playoffs, let alone 6. The '70 Bengals I've mentioned already, but the other team to do it was the '14 Panthers, who came back from 3-8-1 to win the NFC South, beating the other three divisional opponents down the stretch. So in that regard the Fins can make history.

But if this draft was so good, and (as some people say) the '20 draft wasn't as bad as it seems, then how on God's green earth did the same team who suddenly can't lose now start off 1-7 to begin with? Here are my reasons, in no particular order.

1. No matter how you slice it, Grier flat out whiffed on two of his three first rounders last year, and their abject awfulness didn't help matters any.

2. Tua's injury woes. It's obvious now that no matter what you think of him he's significantly better than Brissett, who torpedoed the team worse than Ray Lucas in '02.

3. The Watson Distraction. It couldn't be more obvious that it fractured the locker room. The Fins' performance after the trade deadline compared to before is like night and day.

4. A slow start by the rookies. Eichenberg is still not up to speed. Phillips looked like a bust through 8 games. Waddle was catching passes, but for embarrassingly few yards, not to mention the infamous safety.

5. A front-loaded schedule. I touched on this, but having the Bills and Bucs in the first 8 games were 3 guaranteed losses right there. The Raiders, Colts and Pats were no picnic either.

6. Flores being a slow starting coach in general. You could overlook it in '19 since the roster was one of the least talented of any team since the merger. But when it happened again last season it was disturbing, and when anything happens 3 seasons in a row it's a trend.

Feel free to add more Cool

by finfanatic Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:29 pm

Let's not forget...

7. Flores dingbat decision to go with unproven O-line coach and the whole two-headed OC. I still say a whole host of the O-line problems are due to the O-line coach not knowing how to get the young guys to play and understand the poor blocking schemes in the Offensive gameplan.... if there is an offensive game-plan. Other than chuck and duck. Or duck and hope to chuck.

I mean, heck, most of us thought Jackson would be IMPROVED in his second year? Not to mention Kindley?

That drop-off has been precipitous to say the least.

I am wondering what the heck all the grumbling I was hearing about was caused by, but it almost certainly was or included the attitude of Ross, Grier, and Flores towards Tua IMO. The other players saw how hard Tua was working and how pathetically woeful the O-line and the OCs were at the start and knew the Phins "Braintrust" were sandbagging Tua to make it look like trading for Watson actually made sense! Instead of being one of the most bone-headed decisions since the Herschel Walker deal, or Dave Dumbstedt trading for Puffy Williams!

I still say the fact that the Dolphins were in talks about Watson for as long as they were means Grier, Flores and Ross all need to be kicked to the curb!

Just unforgivably unpardonable sins of glaring stupidity IMHO!

I haven't had much respect for Ross since the whole "Let's secretly fly out and talk to Harbaugh first, and then we can fire Sparano if we hire Harbaugh" incident. And the more the dipshyte talks the more I realize having lots of money doesn't mean you know the first thing about football.

pale

by CarsonChris Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:12 pm

Miami still has major problems. The offense sucks and has a hard time putting points on the board. Blocking and running the ball are major problems. Winning is hard in the NFL even when you play teams that aren't very good. They have won these games but still don't have the look and feel of a good team. When we can run the ball and also have big play capabilities we will be closer to where I think we should be.

by DolFan 316 Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:41 pm

HA!!! PREACH AWN, FF!!! TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS, BABY!!! cheers

by DolFan 316 Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:43 pm

CarsonChris wrote:Miami still has major problems. The offense sucks and has a hard time putting points on the board. Blocking and running the ball are major problems. Winning is hard in the NFL even when you play teams that aren't very good. They have won these games but still don't have the look and feel of a good team. When we can run the ball and also have big play capabilities we will be closer to where I think we should be.

The thing is though, who *does* have the look and feel of a good team right now? Most of the AFC doesn't, I know that much. If this team isn't good then what does that make the Ravens?

This isn't the Gase Era, when the Fins would get lucky by tripping over something and accidentally sticking their dick in the town whore. In these last 5 wins their biggest deficit has been 3-0. The Texans, Jets and Panthers never led at all. They have as many two score wins in the last 5 games this season as Gase had in three years. Seriously.

https://stathead.com/football/tgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=career&order_by_asc=1&order_by=points_diff&year_min=2016&year_max=2018&game_type=R&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=9&cstat%5B1%5D=points_diff&game_result=W&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&temperature_gtlt=lt

by **JMP** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:44 pm

CarsonChris wrote:Miami still has major problems. The offense sucks and has a hard time putting points on the board. Blocking and running the ball are major problems. Winning is hard in the NFL even when you play teams that aren't very good. They have won these games but still don't have the look and feel of a good team. When we can run the ball and also have big play capabilities we will be closer to where I think we should be.

I don't know that I'd say "major" problems. I honestly believe that hiring a legit OL coach would make a MASSIVE difference in the play of the OL, which in turn makes both the running and passing games better. If all we did was stabilize the OL with a new coach and one strong veteran, we are a legit playoff contender. I think we can do that, as well as add another WR and a real RB, and continue to bolster the defense. Honestly, it's not that much to do. Now that we have the QB, it will be much easier to get to the next level.

Hell, we could be a playoff contender this year if we win out. Think about it: the Pats are the #1 seed right now, but if we win out and they lose both games to Buffalo (GO BILLS!!), we finish ahead of them and likely make the playoffs. The way the NFL is these days, or at least this season, you don't even need to be "great" to have a shot.

by DolFan 316 Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:51 pm

JMP wrote:Hell, we could be a playoff contender this year if we win out. Think about it: the Pats are the #1 seed right now, but if we win out and they lose both games to Buffalo (GO BILLS!!), we finish ahead of them and likely make the playoffs. The way the NFL is these days, or at least this season, you don't even need to be "great" to have a shot.

This is EXACTLY why I made the prediction I did right after the Ravens game. This right here.

Let's not forget the Pats trailed the terrible Texans 22-9 in the second half before winning. You think their fans are apologizing for that one? If the Texans don't choke, the AFC playoff picture is completely different, and that's just one game.

by HalCHorn Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:13 pm

2 more big reasons for the slow start: The ridiculous screen pass play call against the Raiders and the almost as ridiculous taking the ball out of Tua's hands on the 4th and 1 against the Jags. Those two plays IMO are the difference between 6-7 and 8-5 right now, even with all the problems elsewhere.

The defense is good with Flores making the calls, and we move the ball decently through the air with Tua even with the O-line problems. However as mentioned, every AFC team has issues right now. It is starting to look like a third consecutive Chiefs Super Bowl appearance (Ravens' injuries at DB will likely prove fatal, Titans really missing Henry) but even they have had issues on offense all year.

by CarsonChris Mon Dec 06, 2021 7:24 pm

There was an interview of Mack Hollins. The reporter asked what the biggest difference between starting 1-7 and now during the win streak. He said players weren't putting in the work in the film room or extra work off the field. He said players would say they were but they weren't.

by DolFan 316 Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:09 pm

CarsonChris wrote:There was an interview of Mack Hollins. The reporter asked what the biggest difference between starting 1-7 and now during the win streak. He said players weren't putting in the work in the film room or extra work off the field. He said players would say they were but they weren't.

That's...disturbing Shocked

by DolFan 316 Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:21 pm

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article256373787.html#storylink=rss

According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is the first time every team in a conference had four or more losses through Week 13 since the AFC in 2002. The 12 teams that sit above the Dolphins in the standings all have .500 or better records but are all separated by two games or less. And with the 22nd-hardest remaining strength of the schedule, the end-of-season slate continues to favor the Dolphins.

FiveThirtyEight currently gives the Dolphins a 13 percent chance to make the playoffs. Those odds increase to 83 percent if the team can win its final four games and finish 10-7 in what would be a historic feat after starting 1-7.

by Umix10 Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:33 pm

The co offensive coordinators didn't help. The injuries didn't help. Boyer calling games didn't help.

by **JMP** Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:35 am

To me, there are 3 reasons we started off so poorly:

1. Flores should have been calling the defense from the start. The first half of the year, we played scared, reactionary defense. Since Flo took over, we've dictated the tone and played aggressively.

2. The Deshaun Watson debacle, which is connected to the coaching staff not trusting Tua, and doing everything they could to undermine him and put him in bad situations. If they recognized what they had and played to his strengths sooner, it would have led to more wins and the rib injury likely doesn't happen.

3. The rib injury also doesn't happen if the coaches realized from the start that the OL was garbage. At some point the light switch got turned on, and the coaches realized that we needed to use a quick-pass offense based around Tua's strengths and stay committed to the run (even though the run game blows).

by DolFan 316 Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:38 am

JMP wrote:To me, there are 3 reasons we started off so poorly:

1. Flores should have been calling the defense from the start. The first half of the year, we played scared, reactionary defense. Since Flo took over, we've dictated the tone and played aggressively.

2. The Deshaun Watson debacle, which is connected to the coaching staff not trusting Tua, and doing everything they could to undermine him and put him in bad situations. If they recognized what they had and played to his strengths sooner, it would have led to more wins and the rib injury likely doesn't happen.

3. The rib injury also doesn't happen if the coaches realized from the start that the OL was garbage. At some point the light switch got turned on, and the coaches realized that we needed to use a quick-pass offense based around Tua's strengths and stay committed to the run (even though the run game blows).

Yeah, it's called "stop sabotaging Tua or we won't be around to get Watson next year". And yes, the media is STILL saying that trade will happen even IF Tua wins out!!!

by HalCHorn Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:49 am

We don't have journalists, we have activists, and that's just as true for sports as it is for other news. Then once it becomes obvious they aren't going to get their way (Watson to Miami) and Tua is the real deal they'll try to pretend they were never advocating it in the first place and shame the Fins for "wanting to trade for this criminal when they had a great QB all along!"

At least that's my prediction for the not so distant future. I remember reading a lot of wishing that Andrew Cuomo could be the Prez circa March 2020, but now suddenly no one will admit they were calling for him to be drafted at the convention. Imagine that.

by DolFan 316 Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:59 am

HalCHorn wrote:We don't have journalists, we have activists, and that's just as true for sports as it is for other news. Then once it becomes obvious they aren't going to get their way (Watson to Miami) and Tua is the real deal they'll try to pretend they were never advocating it in the first place and shame the Fins for "wanting to trade for this criminal when they had a great QB all along!"

At least that's my prediction for the not so distant future. I remember reading a lot of wishing that Andrew Cuomo could be the Prez circa March 2020, but now suddenly no one will admit they were calling for him to be drafted at the convention. Imagine that.

Hell, I remember when the news broke about Bill Clinton being "serviced" in the Oval Orifice...um, Offiice by Monica Lewinsky, and the mediots falling all over themselves to sweep that under the rug, to the point where we've never heard a word about it over 25 years later, at a time when men everywhere are having their lives ruined over incidents from decades ago. So...yeah.

The most infuriating part is that people like Brian Miller at Phinatic are pushing this garbage Evil or Very Mad

by HalCHorn Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:07 am

Yes, it isn't just legacy media. In a lot of cases alternative media is even worse than the MSM--but the former is still your best *chance* at actual journalism, FWIW IMO.

by **JMP** Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:15 am

DolFan 316 wrote:And yes, the media is STILL saying that trade will happen even IF Tua wins out!!!

Yep, I heard someone mention it on local sports radio just this morning. People are such sheep.

by CarsonChris Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:42 am

HalCHorn wrote:Yes, it isn't just legacy media. In a lot of cases alternative media is even worse than the MSM--but the former is still your best *chance* at actual journalism, FWIW IMO.

https://sharylattkisson.com a real news journalist that was fired from her job for doing her job.

by DolFan 316 Tue Dec 07, 2021 12:45 pm

Good thread by all cheers

But to steer it a bit back on track, another reason I hadn't really thought of was the bungling of the bye week. I say "bungling" because it was the team's own choice to have it now instead of right after the London game like every other team. Instead of having a bye they lost to the Falcons, and that loss looks like an absolute killer now, while having the bye at this point does them little good and may completely throw the brakes on all the momentum they had going. I did take this into account when I made my prediction of winning out but at the same time I maintain that nothing halts a team's momentum--good or bad--the way a regular season bye does. There are far too many examples over far too many years for me to list but let's just say if you study NFL history even a little you'll be amazed at how often a team is playing one way before their bye, and the opposite way afterwards.

Would they have beaten the Falcons if they'd had a bye first? We'll never know, but it wouldn't have hurt.

(Speaking of the Falcons, don't let their 5 wins fool you. They actually have a worse point differential than the 1-win Lions! Seriously. This is a Very Bad Team winning via Gaseian smoke and mirrors.)

by CarsonChris Tue Dec 07, 2021 2:35 pm

DolFan 316 wrote:
CarsonChris wrote:There was an interview of Mack Hollins. The reporter asked what the biggest difference between starting 1-7 and now during the win streak. He said players weren't putting in the work in the film room or extra work off the field. He said players would say they were but they weren't.

That's...disturbing

That's what I was thinking. Makes me wonder about the leadership within the organization including the coach.

by CarsonChris Tue Dec 07, 2021 2:39 pm

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mack-hollins-gives-blunt-reason-193004892.html

by **JMP** Tue Dec 07, 2021 3:01 pm

I've certainly been critical of the coaching this season, but when I hear something like that I immediately go to team leadership. The coaches can't force a player to work hard or do extra work - that's entirely on the players. Where were the leaders on the team when that was happening? Hell, Hollins is a team captain...he knew this was happening, so what was he doing to try to remedy the situation?

Of course, you could argue that this lack of extra effort ties into the whole Watson situation as well.

Anyway, there is a clear difference in coaching schemes and philosophy between now and then, and I think that's the #1 reason for the "tale of two halves" we've seen this season. The coaches failed miserably early on in their evaluation of the team's strengths, and they didn't put the players in the best position to win.

by HalCHorn Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:13 pm

Finishing strong is crucial. Obviously it's one game at a time, but we'd need to see at least 8-9 (and hopefully over .500) for the regime getting one more year to have solid backing. Solve the offensive line/running game issues, and this team could make a strong leap next year. Neither Buffalo nor New England looks insurmountable to me.

by DolFan 316 Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:07 pm

JMP wrote:I've certainly been critical of the coaching this season, but when I hear something like that I immediately go to team leadership. The coaches can't force a player to work hard or do extra work - that's entirely on the players. Where were the leaders on the team when that was happening? Hell, Hollins is a team captain...he knew this was happening, so what was he doing to try to remedy the situation?

Typical millennial logic. I have no agency, therefore I can't be held responsible for my own actions and behavior, but I'm gonna complain about having no agency.

Of course, you could argue that this lack of extra effort ties into the whole Watson situation as well.

It couldn't be more obvious now. Millennials will look for any excuse to quit at the drop of a hat. It's reached the point where we should all be grateful they decided to actually show up and do their jobs lately, since that's apparently now way too much to ask of anybody under 35.

Anyway, there is a clear difference in coaching schemes and philosophy between now and then, and I think that's the #1 reason for the "tale of two halves" we've seen this season. The coaches failed miserably early on in their evaluation of the team's strengths, and they didn't put the players in the best position to win.

This has been a pattern for three years now, and if it's not fixed next season then I would say Flores needs to go. If he can win after November 1 then there's no excuse for his horrible record before.

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