Game Thoughts: Week 7: Dolphins at Bills

The Dolphins carried a lead into halftime for the first time this season, and then blew it with a mix of turnovers and bad defense. The Bills scored 15 points off of 2 Miami turnovers, including a 98-yard momentum-changing drive set up by a Ryan Fitzpatrick goal-line INT.

The Dolphins played a nearly perfect first half, highlighted by a bend-but-don’t break defense and a smart, efficient offense. In many ways, the first half gave us a glimpse of just how good this coaching staff can be, as we saw an attacking defense that continually caused confusion, and an offense that exploited what the defense gave them. Ultimately, the more talented team pulled ahead and won the game, but I have to say I was very impressed with Miami’s gameplan and play-calling on both sides of the ball. This game left me anxious to see what these coaches can do with a legit NFL roster.

Fitzpatrick gave us a typical game today, highlighted by both good and bad. His entire career can be summed up by Miami’s lone 3rd quarter drive. Fitz was absolutely on fire, driving the team downfield with precision passing. The drive ended with an ill-advised pass that was picked off at the goal-line, and that play gave the momentum to Buffalo and they never looked back. On that INT, LT Ja’Marcus Webb gave up a pressure that forced Fitz to rush the pass. Fitz had a TD run with 1:45 left in the game on a tough run where he lowered his shoulder and forced his way over the goal-line. Overall, Fitz had a strong game and displayed quick decision-making…but ultimately he just couldn’t do enough.

Speaking of good and bad, WR Preston Williams had a strong game with 6 catches for 82 yards, but in the 4th quarter he fumbled deep in Miami’s end, leading to a Bills’ TD that sealed the game. Fellow WR DeVante Parker added 5 catches and a TD. WR Allen Hurns had a nice catch on Miami’s final TD drive, gaining a key first down. TE Mike Gesicki had an excellent acrobatic catch on that drive, picking up a first on 4th and 7.

RB Mark Walton had a very solid game, averaging almost 5 yards a carry and running hard all day. Kalen Ballage scored a short-yardage TD, and Kenyan Drake was all but invisible.

The Dolphins fielded yet another OL configuration, with Evan Boehm stepping in at C for the injured Daniel Kilgore and Shaq Calhoun and Chris Reed splitting time at RG. Isaiah Prince again saw reps as a 6th lineman. The result was a better overall OL performance, both in run blocking and pass pro. It wasn’t always pretty, but this OL definitely showed improvement. The Bills had just 1 sack, and that was on a play where Boehm stepped on Fitzpatrick’s foot, causing the QB to fall.

The defense began the game on a sour note, with DT Christian Wilkins getting ejected on the first play of the game for throwing a punch. After that the D buckled down and played a very strong first half giving up 3 FGs but consistently bringing pressure with some creative blitzes and displaying sure tackling. Vince Biegel had a sack and did his best Kyle Van Noy impression early on. Taco Charlton also had a sack on a play that featured a great blitz by DB Nik Needham. Jerome Baker had a couple of pressures early. Unfortunately, the D fell apart in the 3rd quarter, allowing that 98-yard drive, seemingly forgetting how to pressure the QB and allowing Frank Gore to run wild.

Special teams were mostly great, till the end of the game. The Phins did great in coverage most of the game, with Deon Lacy continuing to be a special teams demon. The Phins successfully executed a fake FG, with holder Matt Haack running for a first down. Unfortunately, late in the game after the Phins got within 3 points, they attempted an onsides kick that was returned for a TD.
Yeah, it’s another loss, and the tank rolls on. But the Phins played tough against a very good (and very underrated) Bills team, and I definitely saw improvement across the board. Kudos are due to the entire coaching staff, for having the team ready to play and displaying some creativity all game.

Hero of the Game: Ryan Fitzpatrick, who gave his all and never let up. Fitz proved once again that when he’s on, he’s a damn good QB.

Goat of the Game: Ryan Fitzpatrick, who choked with an ugly INT as the Phins were driving to increase their lead, swinging the momentum back to Buffalo and ultimately leading to the loss. Fitz proved once again that he is prone to bad plays at the worst possible times.

Beer of the Game: Montauk Brewing Company – a double-shot, with the excellent new Juicy IPA and the always stellar Wave Chaser IPA.

Tua Watch: Future Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa went 11 for 12 for 155 yards and 0 TDs and a bad red zone INT in Alabama’s 35-13 win over Tennessee. Tua left the game early in the 2nd quarter with an ankle injury and is expected to miss 1 or 2 games.

I'm really getting worried Miami is trying to win a game while the Bungles aren't

JEGnj wrote:I'm really getting worried Miami is trying to win a game while the Bungles aren't

Man, that Bengals team is BAD. It really makes no sense...they have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. The Bengals-Dolphins matchup in week 16 just might be the Tua Bowl.

You know, as I sit here thinking and drinking, I really believe that the Phins are not that far away from fielding a more competitive team. If all you do is you add a QB and playmaker on offense (RB, WR or TE), and a pass rusher and ball-hawking DB on defense, this is a team - even with all the other crap on the roster - that can win some games. With smart drafting and FA signings, I truly think we can turn this disaster around quickly. It can't all be done in one offseason, of course, but adding good players at those 4 key positions could make a HUGE difference. Maybe Montauk beers are making me delirious...what do you guys think???

BTW - I just want to point out how much more exciting the Dolphins are with Fitzpatrick at QB. When Rosen is in there, it's like watching flies fuck...boring as all hell...I'd rather watch paint dry. But with Fitz, you feel like anything can and will happen - both good and bad. He's just an exciting player, and really adds fire to the entire team. You're always waiting for him to screw up, but he also has a knack for making plays. Fitz brings fun to this otherwise "just get it over with" season.

I saw the Highlights and I couldn’t tell if Williams made a Football move or not for it to be fumble.

Yeah, Williams definitely made a football move on the fumble call. He continues to impress and let you down, almost every game. I am starting to get impressed with Giesecki. He is now being targeted downfield more and is making those sensational catches that we have heard about for two preseasons now. Is the light finally coming on for him?

Looks like Fitz has even impressed the media....

Cameron Wolfe wrote:Fitzpatrick delivered a beautiful 35-yard pass to Preston Williams on his second offense drive that led to a touchdown -- a taste of magic. He later nailed DeVante Parker on the money for a go-ahead second-quarter touchdown -- a full helping of magic. Down two scores with two minutes left in the game, Fitzpatrick scored on a 12-yard rushing touchdown after lowering his shoulder on Bills safety Micah Hyde to get into the end zone -- a bunch of reckless magic.

There was an almost tangible energy surrounding Fitzpatrick and his teammates, but the juice seems to often run out this season and Sunday was no different

https://www.espn.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/90095/ryan-fitzpatrick-adds-unpredictable-excitement-for-winless-dolphins

Even the idea of tanking is kinda going out of the door...….

wrote:For better or worse, Fitzpatrick, who threw for 282 yards and a touchdown Sunday, makes this team more fun. He also is sure to scare Dolphins fans who are rooting for losses in order to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft (which, by the way, Miami is still on track to secure that pick).

This was the Dolphins' best performance of the season, a sign of their fight in a hostile environment and an indication that a win could be on the horizon. But for now, the winless Dolphins trek on.

Let's not forget that Walton also impressed....

:: wrote:I'm buying Mark Walton as the Dolphins' lead running back going forward. Walton got his second consecutive start for Miami, rushing for 66 rushing yards -- a single-game season-high for all Dolphins backs. Walton has taken advantage of his opportunity -- averaging 4.7 yards per carry -- and seems like a good bet to continue demanding touches whether Kenyan Drake is traded by the Oct. 29 deadline or not.

So my hostility for Miami trading away a 2nd round pick for Rosen isn't going away until they draft better next year. Miami surely could have picked up a OL or someone else instead of wasting a pick on Rosen. He was never great in college and he a bust now. pointless pickup

Looking back, yes, the Rosen trade has not worked out. But it's hard to argue with acquiring a 22-year old top 10 drafted QB for a 2nd and a 5th...especially when we got the 2nd back in 2020 with another trade. We essentially got Rosen for a 5th, and we're paying him the NFL equivalent of peanuts. That's a smart risk to take IMO, even if it ultimately fails.

Looking back, yes, the Rosen trade has not worked out. But it's hard to argue with acquiring a 22-year old top 10 drafted QB for a 2nd and a 5th...especially when we got the 2nd back in 2020 with another trade. We essentially got Rosen for a 5th, and we're paying him the NFL equivalent of peanuts. That's a smart risk to take IMO, even if it ultimately fails.

That's how I look at it and I'll add this. Having a talent like Rosen behind the starting QB is a good thing. MUCH better than falling back to a Matt Moore, or a phone call to Jay Cutler to lure him out of retirement.

Rosen will continue to develop. He will be a good backup at the very least, and at best he will turn into a solid NFL starter. It's still so early in his career, I don't understand how so many are ready to toss him aside.

Don't get me wrong Rosen has the ability to be a good QB but he has the look of a Jay Cutler that we had last year. He wasn't involve and he seem like he doesn't want to be there and Rosen is showing those same traits

I think you're all dead wrong. I think Rosen's ceiling is not that far off. He can't perform essential tasks that are rudimentary to the QB position that are not teachable things. They won't get him to make quicker decisions, at least not so quick that he'll be worth anything. At most, absolute most, Rosen is a mediocre to shitty backup, after he develops. I believe Rudock has more upside than Rosen does.

There, I said it. I'll go sit quietly in the back of the room now

My issue with Rosen isn't even how he played - it's what rightchea pointed out: it seems like he has the Cutler vibe, where he's just not really into it and comes across as disinterested and disconnected. I know it can't be easy being a Dolphin this season, but Rosen is playing for his career. Instead of stepping up and taking control of the team, he crawled into a shell and hid. That's what it looks like from the outside. And it rubs off on the other players. With Rosen, everyone seemed disconnected, just like him. In contrast, it is amazingly obvious that the team wants to play for Fitzpatrick - everyone is energized when he's in. That type of leadership and attitude usually can't be taught...you either have it or you don't.

I agree JMP, and the "IT" factor has several components. Rosen seems to be lacking the "gives a shit" category in spades.

Okay, I have to say something.

The Fins could just as easily have gone 0-16 with Fitz and Rudock. That second they traded for Rosen? Erik McCoy was sitting right there for the taking. Think they couldn't have used him, especially with Kilgore suffering his annual injury? Now they have to draft a center anyway next year, on top of all the other crying needs. And Rosen will likely be gone as well.

But hey, I can totally trust these same guys to get the next two drafts right. Right?

while i was not thrilled by the Rosen pick at the time (or now either), i have a hard time outright bashing the idea. i think they took a look at Fitz's history of inconsistency and the thought of only having one QB on the roster with any experience and decided a former 1st round QB was worth the price of insurance (and possible development). to question the move is okay, to call in downright wrong is a bit a hindsight.

DolFan 316 wrote:Okay, I have to say something.

The Fins could just as easily have gone 0-16 with Fitz and Rudock. That second they traded for Rosen? Erik McCoy was sitting right there for the taking. Think they couldn't have used him, especially with Kilgore suffering his annual injury? Now they have to draft a center anyway next year, on top of all the other crying needs. And Rosen will likely be gone as well.

But hey, I can totally trust these same guys to get the next two drafts right. Right?

I would agree with you if we weren't talking about a QB. If you don't have a QB, you do whatever you can to get one. Trading minimal draft capital for a QB that was a top 10 pick the year before is never a bad idea IMO. Sure, we could have had Erik McCoy...but if Rosen turned out to be a good QB, it would have helped the franchise a lot more than a center. Nothing is more important than getting a QB - nothing. And who knows - maybe Rosen still develops into a quality backup...we're paying him nothing, so it doesn't hurt to hang onto him.

I think you're all dead wrong. I think Rosen's ceiling is not that far off. He can't perform essential tasks that are rudimentary to the QB position that are not teachable things. They won't get him to make quicker decisions, at least not so quick that he'll be worth anything. At most, absolute most, Rosen is a mediocre to shitty backup, after he develops. I believe Rudock has more upside than Rosen does.

There, I said it. I'll go sit quietly in the back of the room now

Ha! No need to do all that.

This is what's great about our forum. We can all agree and disagree on various topics, and it's always a good solid discussion.

The different view points are a pleasure to read. I'm going to stick with my optimistic view, given the history and variability of the offenses Rosen has had to learn over the years. I'm thinking he will continue to develop and turn into a solid QB. IF he stays here (or somewhere else) in the same system for more than a single season.

I would love to be in that optimistic room with you, White, but there are just a couple things about Rosen I can't get over.

Regardless of his tools, I think he's got the Tannehill disease. I don't think he's a champion or a leader. That will end him as much as anything, because the leader guy is the one that gets the others to run through that wall.

I'm concerned about what Grier is going to do with the picks. I don't have the trust in him yet.

Degarmo wrote:I think Rosen's ceiling is not that far off.  He can't perform essential tasks that are rudimentary to the QB position that are not teachable things.  They won't get him to make quicker decisions, at least not so quick that he'll be worth anything.

i think Chad O'Shea agrees with you.

So what should Rosen be working to improve between now and his next opportunity?

He generally needs to speed up. People who have studied his game tell me he needs to process the defense quicker, read what he sees quicker (when plays ask him to make multiple reads), make quicker decisions on where to go with the football, and get the ball out quicker.

All of that is important because compared to Fitzpatrick, Rosen’s operation is slower. And that shows up in that Fitzpatrick has attempted 105 passes and been sacked six times. Rosen, meanwhile, has attempted 109 passes and been sacked 16 times -- more than twice as many times and almost three times as many.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things,” offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said Tuesday. “Certainly, we were fortunate in this last game that we had really good protection from the offensive line, but I also think that Fitz does a really nice job of playing on-time in the pass game and has great awareness and understanding of when he needs to get the ball out.

“I think that his knowledge and understanding of the defensive scheme that he’s facing is very helpful in anticipation of getting the ball out when he needs to. But I certainly think a lot of this resulted from a combination of a lot of efforts from the offensive line protecting well to the running backs, really – Mark (Walton) was another one that protected really well in the game and did a nice job being physical.

“The offensive line did a good job for us in protection, and then Fitz has a kind of an inner clock and just a good feel for when the get the ball out and when to scramble.”

So let me say what O’Shea isn’t saying: Rosen needs to improve all those things the coach just praised Fitzpatrick for. Rosen’s inner clock, his understanding of the defensive schemes, and playing “on time” have to be better.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article236547413.html

Rosen’s inner clock, his understanding of the defensive schemes, and playing “on time” have to be better.

Let's not forget: this offensive scheme, more or less, is supposed to be similar to what the Patriots are running. And what is the very first thing you notice when you watch the Patriots' offense? It's this: Tom Brady almost always gets the ball out in under 2 seconds. He is able to identify the defense and know exactly where the ball is going to go - PRE-SNAP.

Now, I don't expect Rosen or anyone to play at the speed Brady does...but the point is, in this offense the QB needs to be able to identify coverage, make the proper line calls and know what his best match-up is all before the ball is even snapped. Fitz is OK at that (and Tua is excellent at it, by the way)...Rosen is awful at it. Maybe Rosen can get better...but he's in the wrong zip code at this stage. But even if he does 'get it' on the field, I just don't see any leadership ability in him at all.

Good discussion, I'll keep it going by clarifying a bit around my optimism.

First there's this:

He generally needs to speed up. People who have studied his game tell me he needs to process the defense quicker, read what he sees quicker (when plays ask him to make multiple reads), make quicker decisions on where to go with the football, and get the ball out quicker.

All of that is important because compared to Fitzpatrick, Rosen’s operation is slower. And that shows up in that Fitzpatrick has attempted 105 passes and been sacked six times. Rosen, meanwhile, has attempted 109 passes and been sacked 16 times -- more than twice as many times and almost three times as many.

Totally agree. He's too slow right now. IMO this CAN be coached, and a lot of it has to do with knowledge of the system and repetition. Rosen has neither. He's jumped offenses his whole career. He's adjusted to a new system almost every season. He's playing in a new offense with a team that's woefully undermanned, especially where it counts - in the trenches right in front of him.

Of course a veteran like Fitzpatrick will handle this better. He's a long-time NFL veteran QB.

Where the beat writers drive me nuts is they've already written off Rosen. My argument is it's way too early to do that, and odds are he'll be in Miami for 3 more years. Even as a backup to Tua, he probably has more value to us than what another team would be willing to give up in trade.

Regardless of his tools, I think he's got the Tannehill disease. I don't think he's a champion or a leader. That will end him as much as anything, because the leader guy is the one that gets the others to run through that wall.

There's a lot written around this and I don't know if it's true or not. We will probably never know. I will offer this, in that I think Tannehill has ruined us because the team gave him 7 years to prove without a doubt he was not a starting NFL QB. However, was it really Tannehill? Or was it Gase and Philbin, the head coaches failing to lead the whole team?

Being a leader and champion is important, and both are nearly impossible when he's taking 16 sacks and turning the ball over because he's too slow, and not ready to start.

Yes we gave him a shot. It was smart to do so. Now, it's smarter to give the team who they know gives them a better chance to win.

The leadership aspect around Rosen may or may not be true. He would have to start, and play to the expectation of a starting NFL QB. Then and only then would you see if he can effectively lead when the chips are down, and win games that are close in the 4th quarter. We won't see that from him this season, but we may at some point in the future.

I'm concerned about what Grier is going to do with the picks. I don't have the trust in him yet.

I think we all share that concern to some extent. I'm leaning on Marvin Allen and McKenzie, both of whom are well respected. Allen is renowned for his capability to evaluate college players and project to NFL performance.

Let's not overlook player development, also. Under previous regimes we've seen players regress or stay flat in their performance. The guys we've seen emerge like Charlton, Godchaux, Walton, Parker, Gesicki - these are all positive signs that those players with talent are starting to perform better over time.

A HUGE part of drafting is not only drafting the right player, but finding the right role and coaching that player into a position where they can succeed. Drafting is only the first part, the rest is totally on the coaching staff. Flores is at least showing signs he can hold up his end of the bargain.

People will likely throw Minkah in my face. I'm not sure that was a wise pick, in retrospect, and we know Gase had a lot of control over personnel. Hell he got even more power after year one based on his playoff berth. Had Minkah gritted his teeth and worked at what the coaches were preaching, I'm confident he would have played a meaty role and turned into a great center piece for this defense. Clearly he didn't want to do that, and was one that was disenchanted with the idea of losing a lot of games this season.

In any case, while I agree I'm concerned about Grier's track record, it's a credit to Grier that he made immediate moves to bolster his scouting organization- namely by hiring both Allen and McKenzie. I would be even happier if we saw some of the long time leaders in scouting released, but that may or may not be coming.

Great post, white. I'd like to see Rosen live in this playbook for awhile and really get it down before he plays again. Because you're right - that is the key to playing 'fast' - you have to know exactly what is happening all around you, and you have to be able to diagnose at a moment's notice. That only happens when you know the playbook backwards and forwards.

As for Grier, he's never been in a position where he has a boatload of picks in the first three rounds, so we really don't know what to expect. His first draft class as the true GM looks very underwhelming so far, but to be fair there was only so much he could do with limited picks. What I like is that Grier is clearly willing to adapt, and he's clearly willing to work with other people's input. It also seems like Grier and Flores work well together. These are all positives. At this point, all we can do is hope.

If we keep all three picks in round one, it would be great to come out with a QB, pass rusher and OL IMO...so let's see what this staff can do with all the ammo they have. I'd LOVE a first round with Tua, OT Andrew Thomas and DE Yetur Gross-Matos! We'd need that Steelers pick to be top 10 to get both Tua and Thomas...but it could happen!

I don't know.  I've been down this "development" road before, and I just don't see it with Rosen.  I mean, look at the greats.  Other than Terry Bradshaw, when did one of them need a couple years to get comfortable enough with a system before you could see they were "the guy"?  

I'm torn on what to do with the picks.  If it looks like we're going to miss out on Tua, I have a strong urge to try and pick up more picks, and in next year's draft.  At 2, I'd jump at a mid-round swap and a 1 in 2021.  

Also, as I've been saying for literal years now, I'd be concentrating on the offensive line this year as Priority 1.  We can address other positions, but we NEED a legit starting center, a real anchor player.  I'd be looking for a center, a guard, and a tackle.  I'd be looking to build a unit, and not just get guys to plug in.  It's a fairly successful strategy in the NFL.  If you have a successful offensive line (not the highest rated, but a good unit that works well together) you can go far.  It's a great starting point, particularly when you're looking at having a rookie QB in the mix.

There are lots of holes, so this isn't a 1-year fix by any means.  We'll need both these drafts to net us a good deal of players.  Grier and company are going to have their work cut out for them, but the job they've done amassing the picks so far has been excellent.