GLOOM!!! DOOM!!! ABJECT DESPAIR!!!

DEVASTATING!!! HEARTBREAKING!!! OUTRIGHT SOUL CRUSHING!!!

When even the mighty Skylar can't save us, all hope is lost





6-11 guaranteed, with the other 3 wins only coming after the Fins have been eliminated from any meaningful playoff contention.

Ya gotta hand it to the Dolphins...when the wheels fall off, they fall off in EPIC fashion.

JMP wrote:Ya gotta hand it to the Dolphins...when the wheels fall off, they fall off in EPIC fashion.

They sure do know how to sprint to last place in the AFC East, that's for sure!

This has regressed into a 2019-style tanking situation, where they might as well see what the young guys have. Not that it'll do any good with Grier still around to screw up another offseason...

Youse guys are too funny.

At least give MikeMc a chance to see what he can salvage from the wreckage.

I said it in the preseason, any injuries at a few critical spots would DOOM the Phins, because they have NO DEPTH... on the Oline, and at DB especially. When you have to play Iggy, you know the team is desperate!

Skylar is going to be a good NFL QB... one day, but throwing him out there when the Jets knew what was coming was a tough test.

McDaniel calling the first play from the 2 yard line as a play action pass with Teddy the Slow Responder at QB was a gargantuan mistake. (I swear, Teddy reminds me so much of former FL Gators QB Emory Jones. He had all the attributes you want, but expecting him to be in time with the passing offense was a lost cause. He was a heartbeat behind on every pass and slow making the reads!)

And the defense... They look great for play or two and then look like they have no clue.

Anyway... We have to hope Tua comes back and can re-energize the team.

I was thinking 8-9 to 10-7 and so far the Phins are on that track. Anyone who was fooled by those two early LUCKY wins against the Ravens and the Bills is going to have make some major adjustments in their expectations.

The Phins have some good pieces, but they have depth issues as well as a Defense that cannot count on the bend but don't break crapola philosophy Boyer likes to play.

All teams have depth issues. The Patriots just beat one of the best offensive teams in the league 29-0, with a 3rd string QB.

Fact is, this defense SUCKS and the Dolphins won't go anywhere if it isn't fixed in a hurry. Of course, we face the Vikes on Sunday and that's a guaranteed 45+ points against this defense.

And the defense... They look great for play or two and then look like they have no clue.

And let's not forget who demanded that Boyer be retained, and the new head coach work with him. BEFORE the offer was made. Chris. Grier.

Yes, I'm calling for his head now. If this team fails it's because....

- After investing multiple high-round draft picks on the offensive line, he successfully selected ONE player that looks good (Hunt). The rest are busts.
- In order to "beef up" the line he signed the most injury-prone LT in the league. Surprise, he's hurt.
- He fought - and lost - a contract battle with X Howard. Yet another player with an extensive injury history. This was done while acknowledging that the Boyer defense DEMANDS two elite, shut down corners to function. In order to plan for the inevitable injuries, he drafted Iggy (another first round bust).
- His defensive line picks look good against the run, unfortunately they are unable to impact the passing game with pressure and sacks. Which is really the most important thing you can do to stop the opposing offense.
- J Phillips still looks like the wrong pick. The Bills (surprise) got it right by drafting Rousseau later in the first.
- I won't delve too far into the Tua vs Herbert pick because that's been done ad nauseum other than to say this:: Primary concern on Tua? Injuries. Notice a pattern? And that concern is becoming more and more real every season now.

I believe that McDaniel can and will be successful in the NFL. Witness the capable performance from Thompson, a 7th round rookie with no practice time stepping in after the first play of the game. Combined with the running game powered by Mostert, we had the game at 17-19 early in the fourth quarter. The offenses obvious limitations were a problem, but our defense was worse. As usual when we need them most, they failed us.

Grier is a talented politician who constantly positions himself as serving the head coach. Presenting your head coach with choices of flawed players it not what I would call capable. The roster is thin at many key positions, and only presents the illusion "we're close" when totally healthy and mostly against weaker opponents (this season Buffalo and Baltimore wins are notable exceptions).

I believe a new GM should be hired, one that shares the primary vision of McDaniel, and I'm encouraged by how passionately he spoke about defensive linemen. Witness the 49ers defense - that's what McDaniel wants. Whatever Miami is trying to do on that side of the ball... it's not working and it's not sustainable. Too much money for too little performance.

The problem is - and has been - Grier. McDaniel is his third coaching hire (at least) and the best one to date IMO. Also, Boyer had his shot and he has failed. He must go also.

white1 wrote:- J Phillips still looks like the wrong pick.  The Bills (surprise) got it right by drafting Rousseau later in the first.

I'm always up for a good Grier bashing session, but this is the *one* thing I don't quite agree with. Believe it or not, Phillips is actually still clinging to second place in sacks in the '21 draft class. Even I have a hard time believing that the guy who set the Fins rookie record for sacks suddenly sucks. IMO it's just another symptom of bad Boyer blundering. Conversely, Rousseau might be looking better than he really is due to being on a team with better coaching and a better roster.

But yeah, the rest was absolutely on point

Also, read my other post about the '76 Fins replacing their DC in-season with Arnsparger (who wound up sticking around for the next 7 seasons). The precedent has already been set, so why not at least see if Fangio's interested? As long as it's McDaniel making the inquiry instead of Ross, nobody even has to find out if he turns down the offer. Boyer won't be around next season anyway so why not? If McDaniel's as smart as people keep saying he is, the decision to fire Boyer has already been made.

The precedent has already been set, so why not at least see if Fangio's interested? As long as it's McDaniel making the inquiry instead of Ross, nobody even has to find out if he turns down the offer. Boyer won't be around next season anyway so why not? If McDaniel's as smart as people keep saying he is, the decision to fire Boyer has already been made.

Totally agree with this. I *believe* McDaniel made a run at Fangio this past offseason. Knowing he would be an upgrade. Fangio decided to sit out and take what the Broncos owe him.

I also think Fangio was the planned DC in the famed "Sean Payton - Brady" plan.

While still possible... might not be feasible until next offseason. I'm only assuming Fangio has made up his mind not to work this season, and look at opportunities next offseason.

I would LOVE it if we could get him now!

white1 wrote:Totally agree with this.  I *believe* McDaniel made a run at Fangio this past offseason.  Knowing he would be an upgrade.  Fangio decided to sit out and take what the Broncos owe him.  

I also think Fangio was the planned DC in the famed "Sean Payton - Brady" plan.

While still possible... might not be feasible until next offseason.  I'm only assuming Fangio has made up his mind not to work this season, and look at opportunities next offseason.

I would LOVE it if we could get him now!

I thought you might If an offer's made and Fangio turns it down oh well, but McDaniel needs to at least try.

And yes, it's painfully obvious now that last season's D only improved because Flores shoved Boyer aside and took it over himself.

I like the idea of bringing in Fangio. Even hiring him as a "consultant" might pay dividends!

The thread title makes thinking of this inescapable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6xrIu4mABo

As always, Hal bringing the classics!

On Fangio: I believe he is consulting with the Eagles now.

JMP wrote:As always, Hal bringing the classics!  

On Fangio: I believe he is consulting with the Eagles now.

That would explain why they're 5-0...

We might have to suffer through Boyer this season. I think without X and Jones Boyer is going to play more of the zone defense that the Phins cannot play. He's in a tough spot because I do not think they Phins can play man to man either. The only hope would be an immediate intense pass rush, but without solid cover CBs...

As far as injuries go, JMP... there is a difference in a club having an injury when they have a serviceable backup and what the Phins have. Yeah, every team has injuries, but most teams do not lack legitimate backup players at some positions. The Phins do not even have serviceable starters at some positions on the Oline IMO. So when you lose a starter and the drop-off is not a backup on the 53 man roster, but is a newly signed guy who was on the practice squad or just signed off the street, that is a huge problem and IMHO, in no way should be construed as an "every team has injuries" situation.

Yes, the Phins, namely Grier, are to blame for the problem. And apparently expecting Grier to fix the problem is actually the cause of the Problem!

finfanatic wrote:
most teams do not lack legitimate backup players at some positions. The Phins do not even have serviceable starters at some positions on the Oline IMO.  So when you lose a starter and the drop-off is not a backup on the 53 man roster, but is a newly signed guy who was on the practice squad or just signed off the street, that is a huge problem and IMHO, in no way should be construed as an "every team has injuries" situation.

I completely disagree. Depth in the NFL is a huge problem, for nearly every team at nearly every position. Legit backups are difficult to find, and that problem gets even worse when you focus in on OL. I would argue that there are maybe 5 or 6 teams that you can say really have good starting OLs. And once you start looking at backups, it gets really ugly. Almost every team that has to start a backup OL sees a huge drop-off in play - that is not exclusive to the Dolphins. Think about it...how many great linemen can we even name these days at each of the 5 OL positions? Not many - at all.

As far as starting a "newly signed guy", I guess you are referring to Brandon Shell. But Shell is a 7-year veteran that has started 61 games in his career, including all 10 games he played in for the Seahawks just last season. That doesn't make him good, but it does make him more than some random off-the-street player. I'd rather have him than a lot of other backup tackles I've seen around the league, and I think signing him was the best option available. I'd also point out that the Phins had Shell playing at LT last week, despite the fact that he has played almost exclusively at RT in his career. I'm sure that was a result of being an in-game replacement, but moving forward if he and Little continue to play I would rather see Little at LT and Shell at RT.

In any case, the Dolphins have invested heavily in the OL the past few years, both with free agents and high draft picks. I have no problem at all with McDaniel taking over and wanting to give opportunities to Eichenberg, Little, Jackson and Hunt. That was the right thing to do, IMO. What we've all learned is that, at least through 5 games, Eichenberg and Little suck, and the jury is out on the injured Jackson. Hunt is a keeper. I have no doubt that we will once again invest heavily in OL in the coming offseason - just like every other team in the NFL.

Injuries are a part of the game and every team deals with them - some better than others (again, the Pats just shutout the Lions with a 3rd string QB). But I can't think of too many teams that don't get worse when they lose multiple starters to injuries at the same time. That's not an excuse and it doesn't mean the GM is bad - it's just an issue that all teams must deal with, and unfortunately good depth is hard to find.

I agree overall that quality depth is a concern for all teams, I disagree about Miami being just like all other teams. Shell may be a vet, but they JUST SIGNED HIM and he is playing LT. For the 3rd string, rookie, 7th round QB!

How many teams have those occurrences?

I just don't see how any of this can be construed as the regular "injuries happen in the NFL." I do not remember this sort of chaos for the Phins in long time. If ever...

In any event... It is all Grier's fault. If he could draft, and if he could do a simply competent job in free agency, the Phins would not be in the shape they are in season after season... after season...

Grier is the one constant in this process and the results speak for themselves IMO.

finfanatic wrote:I agree overall that quality depth is a concern for all teams, I disagree about Miami being just like all other teams.  Shell may be a vet, but they JUST SIGNED HIM and he is playing LT. For the 3rd string, rookie, 7th round QB!

How many teams have those occurrences?

I just don't see how any of this can be construed as the regular "injuries happen in the NFL." I do not remember this sort of chaos for the Phins in long time. If ever...

In any event... It is all Grier's fault. If he could draft, and if he could do a simply competent job in free agency, the Phins would not be in the shape they are in season after season... after season...

Grier is the one constant in this process and the results speak for themselves IMO.

All teams have injury occurrences. The Jets and Ravens, for example, have had to dig deep into their OL depth this season. In fact, right before the season started, the Jets were forced to give a big contract to old, washed up OT Duane Brown - a player no one wanted that was on the verge of retirement. He's now starting for them. The Bills lost almost all their secondary at some point and were forced to start a 6th round draft pick. The Bucs lost all their receivers early this season and were forced to sign Cole Beasley off the street and start him...and he has since retired. As already mentioned, the Pats are starting their 3rd string QB.

None of this is unusual...EVERY team in the league has to deal with injuries at some point, and they often have to scramble to fill the open position(s). If you have any stars on your team - and every single team does - it eats up cap space and prevents you from having quality depth at every position. That's the price you pay for having guys like Tyreek Hill and Xavien Howard on your team.

You want competence in free agency from Grier? OK...how about the players he signed this offseason: Melvin Ingram, Raheem Mostert, River Cracraft, Trent Sherfield, Connor Williams, Terron Armstead, Alec Ingold...all major contributors to this team and all a huge part of the 3-0 start. And the draft? How about Tua, who was arguably the top QB in the NFL at the time of his injury, Waddle - one of the top WRs in the game, Wilkins - who set a record for tackles by an interior D lineman last season, Jae Phillips - who, though struggling so far this season, set a Dolphins record for sacks by a rookie last season, or Jevon Holland, considered one of the best young safeties in the game? I get it...Grier has made mistakes, just like every NFL GM in league history. But to say that the guy is incompetent and can't draft or sign quality players is just plain wrong and not backed up by reality.

JMP wrote:Grier has made mistakes, just like every NFL GM in league history. But to say that the guy is incompetent and can't draft or sign quality players is just plain wrong and not backed up by reality.

I didn't say he had not hit on some players, what I said was he is responsible for fixing the problems; but since he is the one CAUSING the problems, I don't think he can fix it.

How long has the Oline been a significant problem and yet... here we are and it is still a problem and may ultimately DOOM this season to no playoffs as well.

How long do you give a GM to fix the problems?

His good picks are not enough to overcome his bad picks is what I am saying.

His free agents that work out are more than offset by the free agent failures and complete wastes of money. He apparently thinks oft-injured players will be magically healed by the heat and humidity in Miami!

What you end up with is a team treading water... they don' get a lot better but they ain't drowning either.

I think the difference in the team is the addition of someone who understands offense in McDaniel. Other than that, the Phins, even with Ty Hill, are still treading water IMO.

And will be as long a Grier is picking a Holland and then an Iggy, a Tua and then a Jackson... etc...

If the Phins miss the playoffs again this year, and the only constant is Grier and Boyer... wanna bet they jettison Boyer and keep Grier. And he does the same sort of "treading water" fooferaws we have come to expect from him. One good player, one stinker, one sorta okay, another stinker, assuming he doesn't trade everything away again...

If you are happy with "treading water" then Grier is your man. I just don't think Grier's approach is going to get the Phins where they need to be.

The decisions on this season's roster are on McDaniel. He wasn't going to completely overhaul the roster in year one, inheriting a team that won 9 games the previous season. They made 2 big moves with the OL in free agency, and gave the three younger linemen an opportunity to develop. They made major additions at WR and RB. They also kept the defense intact. We'll see how those decisions turn out after 17 games, but if the team fails to make the playoffs then Grier and McDaniel will reload.

And if the D continues to suck, yes, Boyer will get fired. Grier isn't going anywhere unless the team ends up with a losing record. And even then, I doubt he gets fired.

One good player, one stinker, one sorta okay, another stinker, assuming he doesn't trade everything away again...

You just described a typical NFL GM. That is not unique to Grier.

I just want to say...

HA!!! FF OUT HERE DROPPING TRUTH BOMBS!!! PREACH AWN, BRUTHA!!!