Move Aside, '70s Fins!!!

Speaking of 70s Phins...did anyone else think of Mercury Morris while watching Achane today? I sure did!

HalCHorn wrote:People forget that the 1972 team was 3rd in the NFL in yards per pass play (they were 6th the following year) on offense.  They could throw the ball as well as anyone, they just chose not to since they didn't have to all that often.

Oh, if this 2023 team can get to THAT level.....

If this new-found Dolphins running game is in fact the real deal and not just an early-season mirage, then literally I don't see how any team can stop this offense if the key players stay healthy. Having the ability to both pass AND run - with explosive plays a regular occurrence both ways - makes this offense an absolute juggernaut. But let's see what happens in Buffalo - that is the true test.

JMP wrote:

HalCHorn wrote:People forget that the 1972 team was 3rd in the NFL in yards per pass play (they were 6th the following year) on offense.  They could throw the ball as well as anyone, they just chose not to since they didn't have to all that often.

Oh, if this 2023 team can get to THAT level.....

If this new-found Dolphins running game is in fact the real deal and not just an early-season mirage, then literally I don't see how any team can stop this offense if the key players stay healthy. Having the ability to both pass AND run - with explosive plays a regular occurrence both ways - makes this offense an absolute juggernaut.  But let's see what happens in Buffalo - that is the true test.

I agree, Hal. I keep thinking, surely someone is going to devise a defensive strategy to stop the McD offense, but then you have to remember the old saying "Speed kills."

The Broncos Defense even when they were not totally "cornfused" by the motions and Tua's adept handling and footwork, were not speedy enough to stop the play.

No, I think the best strategy to limit the Dolphins Offense is going to be to keep them on the sidelines. I suspect the Dolphins D will see a steady dose of running to limit the Phin's Offensive chances.

Those sudden sprint motions by Hill and Berrios were totally unexpected by the Broncos D IMO. And I HOPE McD is planning to show the same plays and formations as he did vs Denver against Buffalo, but change up the play enough to leave the Barfalo D as "cornfused" as the Denver D was.

I am also thinking the best chance a D has is to be able to just bulldoze into the backfield and disrupt the play's timing and or Tua. Hopefully, the Dolphins Oline can hold up to the challenge.

finfanatic wrote:

No, I think  the best strategy to limit the Dolphins Offense is going to be to keep them on the sidelines. I suspect the Dolphins D will see a steady dose of running to limit the Phin's Offensive chances.

...

I am also thinking the best chance a D has is to be able to just bulldoze into the backfield and disrupt the play's timing and or Tua. Hopefully, the Dolphins Oline can hold up to the challenge.

I disagree on both.

The Dolphins can score TDs on one-play drives, or they can score on 10-play drives - it really doesn't matter. Limiting their possessions isn't going to stop them from scoring. It's like when the Colts beat us in 2009(?) when they had the ball for less than 15 minutes and only ran 35 plays or something like that: we couldn't prevent them from scoring when they had the ball, and we couldn't score when we had the ball. More recently, the Chargers had the ball for 5 more minutes than we did week 1 - but they couldn't score on their final drive, and we did. So I'd say the key to beating the Dolphins is to play perfect on offense and score as many TDs as possible. If we get just 5 possessions in a game, we just might finish with 35 points - so your offense better damn well find the endzone all day long, or you lose.

As for defenses trying to disrupt Miami's timing by getting into the backfield, good luck when Tua gets the ball out before anyone can even get near him. And if you want to blitz: bring it on. I'll take Hill and Waddle in single coverage all day. And now, add in a dominant run game and it's off to the races.

Buffalo has a great defense - maybe/probably one of the league's best. But they ain't facing Zach Wilson or Jimmy G this week...they're facing something they've never seen, and something that, right now, looks like it can't be stopped. Buffalo's only hope is for Josh Allen to have a monster game, and for their offense to have the ball last at the end of the game. And even that may not be enough...just ask Justin Herbert.

DolFan 316 wrote:Sorry FF, gotta side with Jmp on this one. Just last season in the first game the Bills held the ball for over 40 and a half minutes...and lost

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202209250mia.htm

In fact the Bills LOST the time of possession battle in the rematch that they won.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202212170buf.htm

That infamous '09 Colts game taught me once and for all that it's not how long a team holds the ball, it's what they do with each possession that really matters. Also, barring relatively rare events like special teams and defensive scores, both teams will have the same amount of drives in a game anyway regardless.

But let's assume for argument's sake that the Bills hold the Fins to half what they scored VS Denver (a fair assumption I'd say). Guess what--35 points still would've been enough for them to win both games in Barfalo last season.

Yep. I'd also add that despite their big win last week, the Bills had just 16 points entering the 4th quarter - and then they got a defensive TD and another TD on a short field after another turnover. So it's not like they were an unstoppable juggernaut that dominated the game. Their D did have 9 or 10 sacks since the Washington OL sucks and Sam Howell holds the ball forever, and they did force 5 turnovers, but I don't see either of those things happening against the Dolphins.