Liam Eichenberg in action

This maybe doesn't deserve it's own thread, and I don't mean to pick on Eich, but this video clip is downright hilarious (well...sad, really, but now that the season's over I can laugh about it).

https://twitter.com/i/status/1749582032965972370

Chris Grier: (Looks at this.) Yup, we're all set at center. Everything'll be juuuust fine. I'll just cross all the draft prospects there right off my board.

You think I'm joking but I'm not. This is actually what he's thinking.

glad you posted this. that entire play is one big complete fail.

as soon as Tua motions for Achane to leave the pocket, the NT realizes its an empty set and doesn't have to respect the run. he immediately cocks his stance for a bullrush - which ends up being embarrassingly successful as Eich is put in Tua's lap. The ball actually ricochets off Eich's helmet. but even with all of that, Eich's complete fail should not have doomed the play. that pass rusher coming from the left of the screen leaps forcing Tua to pump the ball and then reset for an attempted sidearm throw around him. that pass rusher is the one who ruined the play and destroyed the timing the throw.

so who was supposed to block him? both Jackson and Hunt seem to be in a hurry to get downfield to block for the screen pass. i would really need to see the play either from the side or a wider endzone angle, but i suspect passed on his initial kickout, Jackson was supposed to at least chip him, but maybe have been too concerned to about getting downfield and missed him. it could have also been another one of those McDaniel designs where they assume the DE will take himself out of the play - but considering the backfield was motioned into an empty set there is not reason for the DE not to pin his ears back and come rushing hard. Someone should be assigned to pick him up. Cracraft is on that side, but i can not see where he is initially lined up - and well i think it would be kind of stupid to expect him to block the DE because... he's clearly supposed to get outside and block 38 so Achane can cut inside that block and follow Jackson and Hunt.

so yes, Eich is absolutely pathetic on this play, but the ball should have been away before he even got laid in Tua's lap. the real culprit for destroying this play was either Jackson (of whomever was responsible for the DE) or poor play design in not affecting the DE's rush.

Great analysis, merc! I think you nailed it: either someone screwed up, or it was a poor design.

Eich just got Blown up with being so High and having no Leverage.

finskev wrote:Eich just got Blown up with being so High and having no Leverage.

yes, yes he did.

but the funny things is... on what was supposed to be a quick screen pass, the center is actually supposed to allow the NT to gain ground in the pass rush so he's not in a good position to chase the play down from behind. you see offenses let pass rushers in all the time and then throw a screen behind it.

but Eich put up no resistance at all. but still, had the pass gone off as it was originally timed (without disruption from the DE), Eich's fail wouldn't have mattered.

merc wrote:but Eich put up no resistance at all. but still, had the pass gone off as it was originally timed (without disruption from the DE), Eich's fail wouldn't have mattered.

So, as long as the scheme lets the Phins get the play off, Eichenberg failing is acceptable to McD and Grier?

I think this is the crux of the matter and why Grier and Co. think signing a Lester Cotton or Robert Jones is the equivalent of drafting and developing a big mean nasty OG. One who can do the job required by the McD offensive scheme, but is also able to hold his pass block longer than 2.5 seconds and able to overpower the defender on a straight ahead power block should that be necessary.

As long as Grier thinks the Lester Cottons and Eichenbergs are acceptable, the Phins are going to be beaten by better teams who can out-physical the Phins.

finfanatic wrote:

merc wrote:but Eich put up no resistance at all. but still, had the pass gone off as it was originally timed (without disruption from the DE), Eich's fail wouldn't have mattered.

So, as long as the scheme lets the Phins get the play off, Eichenberg failing is acceptable to McD and Grier?

that's actually funny.  i like how you flipped that.

but seriously, i don't know if Eich's play (and failure) is acceptable to McD and Grier.  or was it that they knew Eich wasn't that good but they had no other choice and so they purposefully designed plays to work around his (and the rest of the oline) limitations.

but yes, they had no other choice because after injuries hit, they were left with Eich as the only option because they bypassed drafting a viable alternative to draft guys at other positions...who by the way, couldn't get on the field despite injuries at their positions.  now it is up to them to rectify these mistakes in the up coming draft.  will they?  i have my doubts, but we'll see.

finfanatic wrote:
As long as Grier thinks the Lester Cottons and Eichenbergs are acceptable

Both players are acceptable - as backups. Which is what they were supposed to be. The injury bug had other plans.

I think the 2023-2024 Dolphins needs to be summed up in a way that really defines why we ended in a disappointing season. We all become sideline coaches, analysts, involved fans or whatever you wanna call it. We scrutinize our team, we GM to death about whats about to happen whats not gonna happen and we hope and pray that this team resurrects our good feelings.

I sum this team up in one phrase "Mental Toughness". The whole team. The coaches and the players. "mental toughness".

Say what you want about 1 play doesnt change the game but In my honest opinion. Every play changes the game. Every play that you make increases your chances of winning. Every play you don't decreases your chances of winning.

Bone head penalties, bad playcalling, bad special teams plays. wrong route, missed assignment, missed field goals. all contributed to Miami's brutal decline. We were in every one of those games at least until halftime. Then all the Mental issues began to happen. Selfishness and greed set in. We get blown out.

We had the most talented roster we've had in over 25 years. We had all pro's and pro bowlers on both sides of the ball. We were talented. When talented teams cant win, it boils down to "mental toughness" and we aint got it.

Well said, Umix.

We simply made too many mistakes, and missed too many opportunities, when we played good teams. There's definitely a huge mental toughness angle to that.

Every game that was nationally televised we lost. The Titans game was the biggest stinger. Why did we lose the Titans game? We came out at the start of the game like we already won. We came out with a big celebration like this was going to be a walk in the park. It was fucking embarrassing watching the start of the game. These players making up elaborate TD celebrations. Our defense gifted the offense 14 point lead off turnovers and the offense couldn't do shit. We are physically and mentally weak. 

I wish we had kept Campbell as our head coach. We need no nonsense motivation.

CarsonChris wrote:Every game that was nationally televised we lost. The Titans game was the biggest stinger. Why did we lose the Titans game? We came out at the start of the game like we already won. We came out with a big celebration like this was going to be a walk in the park. It was fucking embarrassing watching the start of the game. These players making up elaborate TD celebrations. Our defense gifted the offense 14 point lead off turnovers and the offense couldn't do shit. We are physically and mentally weak. 

I wish we had kept Campbell as our head coach. We need no nonsense motivation.

I'll respond by posting most fo what I just did on Youtube, with a couple of additions. (Ahem.)

You know what Campbell's head coaching record was after the Fins beat the Lions last season? 9-26-1! I'm no math whiz but that's almost THREE TIMES as many losses as wins! And this was SEVEN YEARS after leaving Miami. Why did no other team hire this brilliant mastermind from 2016-21 until the Lions, hmmm? Now what he's done since that Fins loss is mind-blowing, but let's stop the revisionist history that Dan Campbell was the modern day Vince Lombardi the whole time. BTW the Lions scored fewer points and allowed more than the Fins, they're just lucky enough to be in the watered down NFC where Jared Goff might be the second best QB in the conference.

The first 6 quarters of the Campbell Era in Miami were absolutely glorious. The rest of that season? Not so much. The players went right back to sucking just like they had under Philbin--and they're the ones who essentially chose him to be the interim coach! Note the record and performance right after the Texans game. Even in the Ravens and Eagles wins they were badly outplayed and had no business coming out on top.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/2015.htm

CarsonChris wrote:Every game that was nationally televised we lost. The Titans game was the biggest stinger. Why did we lose the Titans game? We came out at the start of the game like we already won. We came out with a big celebration like this was going to be a walk in the park. It was fucking embarrassing watching the start of the game. These players making up elaborate TD celebrations. Our defense gifted the offense 14 point lead off turnovers and the offense couldn't do shit. We are physically and mentally weak. 

I wish we had kept Campbell as our head coach. We need no nonsense motivation.

I don't care about the celebrations at all - every team does them, and it's just a part of the game now. What I do care about is that this team seems to get complacent very easily...when things are going good they act like they can just show up and win, and when things are going bad it seems like they just give up. Again, that comes down to a lack of mental toughness.

Campbell wasn't ready to be a head coach back then...but he has certainly grown into the role.