Albert a wait-and-see for Sunday

by mercury22nathan Mon Nov 14, 2016 2:42 pm

Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert returned to Sunday’s game after he dislocated his left wrist, but that doesn’t mean he will simply be able to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article114679723.html

his return from a previous injury helped bolster the o-line, but the older he gets, the more often this injuries are going to pop up.

how critical is Albert's health to the Phins continuing their winning ways?

by white1 Mon Nov 14, 2016 3:01 pm

Critical piece. When Albert is in, he plays great both pass blocking and run blocking, and Tunsil is becoming an excellent guard.

When Tunsil kicks over to left tackle, we suffer a downgrade at both spots. Sounds like Urbik got the call at left guard when Albert got hurt yesterday, so that's the next man up.

Hopefully they can brace the wrist and he can play.

by **JMP** Mon Nov 14, 2016 3:44 pm

Urbik is a decent player, so it's not as big a loss as it could be. But there's no doubt that this team plays better with all 5 starters in the game.

by DolFan 316 Mon Nov 14, 2016 6:22 pm

Albert needs to suck it up and play as long as he can before the inevitable season-ending injury strikes. Because this isn't it.

by Degarmo Mon Nov 14, 2016 6:50 pm

Jesus Christ with this guy. He's always nicked up.

by DolFan 316 Mon Nov 14, 2016 6:53 pm

Degarmo wrote:Jesus Christ with this guy. He's always nicked up.

Maybe Tunsil falling into the Fins' lap is a sign, just like when Pennington did in '08. This season's starting to remind me of that one more and more...

by white1 Tue Nov 15, 2016 10:37 am

It is a decent risk to take IMO, because when Albert does play he is elite.

Great at both pass blocking and run blocking. Really no complaints.

The problem remains, as with much of the roster, in the depth behind the starter. If we had a better LG-in-waiting it's not nearly the concern it is right now, because Tunsil can play LT very capably, and he will only improve with time.

I would advocate keeping Albert next season, and continuing to draft for guards. We are looking at bigger holes elsewhere, it's not wise to open a hole up where there isn't one now.

Final thought, a wrist is much better than a leg injury. Doesn't take nearly the punishment that his knees do, for example.

by mercury22nathan Wed Nov 16, 2016 3:28 pm

Tackle Branden Albert will not play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, the team confirmed Wednesday.

http://www.miamidolphins.com/team/roster/branden-albert/291e6a26-1e61-451c-a9e6-d54cae508917/

by finskev Wed Nov 16, 2016 3:51 pm

Suck it up Butter Cup and Play some ball. Albert needs to tell the coach he can Play and do it, No time to be a Pussy with 7 games left.

by rightchea Wed Nov 16, 2016 4:24 pm

Miami just need to replace him. It would be cheaper and better for Miami

by Birdmond Thu Nov 17, 2016 6:24 pm

So now Pouncey is hurt. Good lord I cannot wait until Albert and Pouncey are former Dolphins.

by rightchea Thu Nov 17, 2016 8:11 pm

They both need to be replaced. Miami can't afford to have the OL horrible at this moment especially with such a good shot at making it to the playoffs.

by **JMP** Thu Nov 17, 2016 8:14 pm

Birdmond wrote:So now Pouncey is hurt.

Apparently he pulled himself out of practice today because the hip was bothering him again. That's a bad sign...these guys usually try to play through everything.

But as I said, if Albert and Pouncey are going to miss time, I'm just glad we're playing the Rams and 49ers the next two weeks. We don't need Albert and Pouncey to win those games, so let's just get them healthy (or, as healthy as they can be) for what will hopefully be a playoff run.

by **JMP** Fri Nov 18, 2016 12:21 am

Albert had wrist surgery and there are now reports saying that he may miss 2-3 weeks!

Sucks, but I really think we'll be fine with Tunsil at LT and Urbik at LG. (Now if one of those guys gets hurt...we're screwed...)

by Degarmo Fri Nov 18, 2016 2:15 am

If Albert and Pouncey are both out again, forget running the football.

by DolFan 316 Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:53 am

JMP wrote:But as I said, if Albert and Pouncey are going to miss time, I'm just glad we're playing the Rams and 49ers the next two weeks. We don't need Albert and Pouncey to win those games, so let's just get them healthy (or, as healthy as they can be) for what will hopefully be a playoff run.

Jmp, you're walking down a dangerous road. I haven't seen you act like this since...the Fins were 8-6 with two games left in '13 coming off a win over the Pats.

(Shudders in horror at the memory). affraid

I am now not only predicting, but GUARANTEEING a loss. Way too many bad vibes this week.

by Birdmond Fri Nov 18, 2016 6:45 am

In theory JMP is correct. You should never lose to a team with aweful QB play no matter how good the D is.

by white1 Fri Nov 18, 2016 8:16 am

If Albert and Pouncey are both out again, forget running the football.

I totally hear where you're coming from, but I'm not so sure. Tunsil has developed into a pretty good run blocker. I don't know where Urbik falls on the spectrum. Steen seemed fine, at least in pass blocking, it's a good bet he's not up to Pouncey's level in the running game - Pouncey is elite there.

However, when we started Dallas Thomas and Douglas against Tennessee, there are a couple things to consider on why it went so badly.

First, they are not close to the caliber of Tunsil / Urbik. I'm pretty confident they are not even on a practice squad right now. That illustrates how poor they are from a raw talent perspective.

Second, Gase was still trying to work his up-tempo, pass-heavy offense. So we were putting that bad line into pass protection most of the time.

Finally, our defense was playing much worse than it is now. Complementary football was not in the equation at all.

I still think we will stick to the run tomorrow, which takes pressure off the offensive line. Ajayi will almost certainly break a few long runs once he reaches the second level.

Our defense should be able to handle the Rams well enough to win time of possession, allowing us to wear down the Rams defense. I expect some turnovers also, either poor decisions by Goff or sack/fumble turnovers.

We will have to play well to offset the loss of Albert and Pouncey, but it can definitely still happen. We can't afford sloppy play or special teams gaffes in this one.

by rightchea Fri Nov 18, 2016 8:53 am

IMO, Miami will have to try a different approach if they are going to run the ball but at the same time Gase has had time for those players to become better blockers. There is no reason for Miami to do bad this game and not win.

The fact that Pouncey and Albert keep getting injured and their backup aren't the greatest means that Tannebaum wasn't planning on them being injured. Depth has to be better

by white1 Fri Nov 18, 2016 10:24 am

The fact that Pouncey and Albert keep getting injured and their backup aren't the greatest means that Tannebaum wasn't planning on them being injured. Depth has to be better

Totally agree.

While healthy, each of them is still a probowl caliber talent. From a roster planning perspective, you MUST have a contingency ready knowing they will each miss at least 4 games of the regular season.

I'd go with Albert probably one more year, then hand the reigns over to Tunsil. This way, if you keep Pouncey it's only one injury-prone guy you need to plan for instead of 2. It's also possible that Steen can be developed into a very good backup center, which would be great to have.

We still need a guard too, I'd be open to buying an elite player there on the free agent market, if one is available. The guard that went to the Raiders last offseason may have been a good move for us. Admittedly, I don't know if he would have fit our scheme, but some of the Fins beat writers wanted him to be signed here.

by **JMP** Fri Nov 18, 2016 10:57 am

DolFan 316 wrote:
JMP wrote:But as I said, if Albert and Pouncey are going to miss time, I'm just glad we're playing the Rams and 49ers the next two weeks. We don't need Albert and Pouncey to win those games, so let's just get them healthy (or, as healthy as they can be) for what will hopefully be a playoff run.

Jmp, you're walking down a dangerous road. I haven't seen you act like this since...the Fins were 8-6 with two games left in '13 coming off a win over the Pats.

(Shudders in horror at the memory).

I am now not only predicting, but GUARANTEEING a loss. Way too many bad vibes this week.

Totally different vibe than 2013, because this year, I really don't care that much. Even though I'm expecting to win the next two games, I won't be all that upset if they lose. Sure, I'll kill the team here on the board for losing to crappy teams (ha!), but my expectations for this season were so low that they've already been exceeded. Anything positive that happens from here on out is gravy.

That said, we can run the ball without Albert so I'm not worried about that at all. Pouncey is another matter. Steen is decent enough in pass pro, but in the games he played this season we couldn't run AT ALL. He simply isn't a good run blocker, and he will hurt the running game. But, there's no reason we can't beat the Rams regardless. The Miami D alone should be able to win this game, even if the offense sputters. Not worried at all about this game.

by white1 Fri Nov 18, 2016 11:18 am

I love the optimism!

If we do get "blown up" because our offensive line plays like hot garbage, we have another opportunity to crucify Tannenbaum and his roster decisions.

Injuries are a fact of life, you need more than a hope and a prayer when the inevitable happens and you lose key starters.

by finskev Fri Nov 18, 2016 1:59 pm

I Worry about Aaron Donald spending All day in Our Backfield because he lines up over the left guard and center the Whole Game and he is a Beast to Handle with his quickness.

by **JMP** Fri Nov 18, 2016 2:50 pm

finskev wrote:I Worry about Aaron Donald spending All day in Our Backfield because he lines up over the left guard and center the Whole Game and he is a Beast to Handle with his quickness.

Donald is a great player and if Pouncey is out than he could cause problems. But, that's why Gase is here - to scheme against players like that. It worked against the Bills and Jets, who both have excellent defensive lines, and it will work against the Rams even without Pouncey. If Gase is truly an offensive guru, this is where he needs to earn his keep - by calling plays that put his OL in the best possible position to succeed.

And think about this: every game Aaron Donald plays, he is usually better than the offensive linemen he is up against. Yet despite that, the Rams have lost 4 of their last 5 games.

Trust me - I know the Rams have a strong D. I've been using them on and off on my fantasy team all season, and they've done well. But the fact is, that D is simply not good enough to make up for the Rams' garbage offense - which only figures to get worse in Goff's first start. There will be plenty of games for Dolfans to worry about on the remaining schedule - but this isn't one of them.

by **JMP** Fri Nov 18, 2016 3:12 pm

Heard that Pouncey was visiting a specialist today about his hip. I''m just going to assume that he's not playing Sunday. And I won't be surprised if he's out for awhile...

So I guess we'll find out if I'm right about the Phins not needing Albert and Pouncey to beat tha Rams! Basketball

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