Game 13 thoughts: Patriots at Dolphins

No problem at all JMP it's all good, I know you're making your argument.

I agree that Gase needs to solve problems quicker. I'm simply acknowledging that there are worse things, and hell we've all seen them first hand.

Let's keep in mind, when Ross / Tannenbaum went this route there were going to be growing pains. We hired a rookie head coach, and a young one at that. He's learning on the job. Part of that is going to be reactions taking longer than we want, and adjustments made slower than we want.

I personally am encouraged, because problems are getting solved, and they got solved last year too. Over time, I would expect solutions and adjustments to come quicker both as Gase gets more experience, and as the roster more closely resembles the one he wants. Running back is just one example. We still don't have a prototype #1 wide receiver and we still don't have a legitimate tight end to attack the seam like we want to.

Another encouraging point is the game plan we just saw on Monday night. We had barely competed with the Patriots, but between Gase and Burke they crafted a cohesive game plan that seemed to totally take Belichek and Brady by surprise. I recognize the personnel issues they had coming into the game. No sympathy. We're dealing with our own personnel problems, like our lack of quality and depth at LB, we were missing our second starting CB (leading to a vicious targeting of Verner all night) - oh and we're playing a QB we pulled out of retirement literally after training camp started.

The fact we developed and executed a game plan to effectively shut down the Patriots is a great sign, because it proves we have Xs and Os talent on this staff. We're not going to trot out the same boring bullshit every week and get clobbered. We've seen that too, all too often.

If I am going to wander down this path of thinking, then I would be generally discouraged that the adjustments this year came much later.

That said, I don't see it. Talent evaluation is a core part of a coach, and you can't be learning that at the head coach level, particularly on offense where you're supposed to be a genius-level talent. If Ajayi didn't fit into his scheme because of his poor hands, then he should have been gone at the beginning of the season when his stock was at an all time high. I propose that this was not the case, that there were locker room problems (well publicized) as well as personal issues between Gase and Ajayi (alluded to in a Gase presser) and that is why he was moved. It was more of a fell-into-crap-and-ended-up-smelling-like-a-rose situation with Drake as he was barely touched before Ajayi's departure AND the injury to Williams. This does not indicate learning to me, but luck.

The issues with the line are well documented by the Dolfan Cave Player Personnel Consultant Group, LLC, and it was apparent a move from Pouncey was necessary well before this season even started. His physical issues are a lot worse than they let on, and I feel bad for the guy. Bushrod's performance has been very bad all season, but what the real failing of the organization as a whole has been is to fix the offensive line and build it up. You would think that after losing your starting QB to injury last year you would not only address that situation but fix it. A head coach should be pounding the table for this, particularly an offensive-minded guy.

I'm not seeing any kind of actual growth in areas of head coaching this year. I'm seeing a guy that has been the benefactor of a bad relationship and injuries that worked out in his favor. His personnel evaluation skills (or those of his staff which are by and large men of his choosing) are lacking. We all know the front office has serious issues, but the head coach isn't even using the pieces he's given correctly, and he is not getting the most out of guys that may need some different forms of support (Parker? I don't know, maybe he's just a dud, or maybe he's a guy that needs his hand held - you do whatever it takes to get a guy to perform unless they just can't).

If I were going to point to someone who seems to be growing into his job and learning, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, it's Burke.

I had no issue with trading Ajayi. My issue was that we got basically nothing for him. A 1,272 yard rusher with a year and a half left on his rookie contract is worth quite a bit more than what will end up being about the 150th pick in the draft.

Failure to get proper value in trades has been an issue for nearly two decades through numerous regimes, and that trade indicates that it isn't getting any better.

If Drake and Howard prove to be problem solvers at RB and CB long term, then that 2016 draft starts looking much better. Right now, though, given Asiata's failure to get on the field and Harris' lack of impact, the jury is still out on whether or not the continuous problems on draft day have been solved.

Great posts, Degarmo and Hal.

And white, I do get what you're saying. But my bottom line is improvement. Can we truthfully say that this year's team is better than last year's team? I can't - and I'm not even talking about the QB. I just don't see a team that's going to be ready to compete any time soon, and we're heading into an offseason that will very likely feature another big roster turnover.

And since I mentioned QB...Gase is the one who convinced Cutler to come out of retirement and gave him $10 million. Once that happened, the Tannehill injury became aa moot point...because if you're paying a QB that kind of coin, you're doing it to make the playoffs. If we don't make the playoffs, than signing Cutler was a COLOSSAL mistake...one that will be felt in the offseason when we don't have the $10 million that would have been rolled over from this season. And that's all on Gase.

And speaking of Ajayi, that's on Gase too. Learn how to deal with your players. Like I said, a 1-2 punch of Ajayi and Drake could have been HUGE for this team...but Gase never even tried that. Now we have to add RB to the list of offseason needs. And as Hal said, we essentially got nothing for Ajayi - that's a terrible job by the Phins.