Victory Over Oakland Raiders Review

Posted by:

Anthony Sanchez

The Miami Dolphins were having a tough week leading up to the game in London,England versus the Oakland Raiders all due to mishandling of the quarterback situation by head coach Joe Philbin and riding a two game losing streak. All eyes were on how the Miami Dolphins would bounce back from a lackluster performance starting with Bill Lazor, Ryan Tannehill and the offense as a unit. The team did not disappoint they came out with fire, passion, purpose and they started fast and never looked back.

Ryan Tannehill had a solid outing going 23/31 278 yards two touchdowns & one interception, I saw consistency all game pretty accurate for the most part, he showed off his athleticism by scrambling out of the pocket when he had to, moved well within the pocket, spread the ball around to different receivers and the most important thing I noticed was he threw and played with confidence.

The running backs were effective and helped balance the offense; Lamar Miller ran for 64 yards two touchdowns, Daniel Thomas continues to play well since his return ran the ball hard helping the offense gain 157 yards total rushing as a unit and something I had made an effort to watch for was the blitz pickup which the backs did a good job in helping keep Ryan Tannehill clean.

The wide receivers & tight ends had a very good game, Brian Hartline was more involved this time around hauling in six receptions for 74 yards, Mike Wallace had three receptions for 35 yards one touchdown, Charles Clay had two receptions, Brandon Gibson with two receptions, Rishard Matthews two receptions, second year tight end Dion Sims with one touchdown and rookie receiver Jarvis Landry with four receptions for 38 yards all in all that spells consistency.

The offensive line is to be commended on an outstanding job in both the pass & run blocking, no sacks allowed, very few quarterback pressures, not many penalties, opened running lanes which helped the offense obtain a combined total of 157 yards rushing and in turn allowed the offense to be better balanced and kept the Oakland Raiders on their heels the whole game.

The defensive line unit continues to be the backbone of this team, the defense of line dominated up front causing havoc on rookie quarterback Derek Carr with constant pressure all game long and this unit helped limit the Raiders to just 53 rushing yards total. The linebacking unit which was viewed as a weakness continues to hold its own players like, Jelani Jenkins, Jason Trusnik & Phillip Wheeler all making plays. Jelani Jenkins has proved to be a welcome surprise making plays all over the field, Jason Trusnik played admirably he doesn't wow you, but is a player that knows his assignments and will be in the right spot and then you have Phillip Wheeler playing better his tackling has improved and is playing fast which is the reason he was brought here to fly around use his athleticism to make plays. The secondary as a group was flying around, forcing turnovers, playing aggressive and smothered the Oakland Raider receivers. The first interception of the season was made by pro bowler Brent Grimes followed by two more from Jimmy Wilson and rookie cb/s Walt Aikens and not to be left out making an impactful play was Cortland Finnegan with a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.

The coaching staff deserves credit for this win just as we bash them for bad games we need to recognize improvement and a job well done. Head coach Joe Philbin looked a bit more animated on the sidelines, he seemed a bit more vocal and he looked like a guy that was allowing his coaches to coach. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor had a great game plan heading in, Ryan Tannehill and the offense executed it beautifully. I noticed the offense of play calling & execution was more aggressive, assertive, confident and plenty more balanced. Defensive Coordinator Kevin Coyle called an aggressive game which did not allow the Oakland Raiders to ever get in an offensive groove. Kevin Coyle did a good job of dialing up zone blitzes and allowed our physical cornerbacks to play more press coverage an frustrate their receivers.

The Miami Dolphins now have a bye week which normally would be considered early, but for this team it is coming at the right time. The team will be welcoming back safety Reshad Jones, Mike Pouncey could be coming back from his injury and the bye also allows other players with injuries to recover. The next match up is a home game versus the Green Bay Packers October 12, 2014 at 1pm, the packers just finished dismantling the Chicago Bears 38-17 behind a very good performance by Aaron Rodgers 302 passing yards with four touchdowns zero interceptions, Jordy Nelson's ten receptions 108 yards receiving along with two touchdowns and do not sleep on the packers defense who pack a pretty good pass rush led by Clay Matthews and are a very opportunistic group that creates turnovers.

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Miami Dolphins Post Game Review After Losing To The Kansas City Chiefs

Posted By;

Anthony Sanchez

The Miami Dolphins are now (1-2) coming off the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past sunday and there is not enough positive remarks to help salvage this latest loss. Head coach Joe Philbin's demeanor and or lack of aggression is not providing enough motivation to help this team get off to better starts, through the first three games we have been down at the half. The offense is regressing there is no consistency, too many dropped passes, the execution of Bill Lazors offense was dismal, the defensive play was ok and as a whole the coaching in this game was down right bad.

I have reached a point where I can no longer make excuses for Ryan Tannehill, right now mentally he is not where he needs to be as a quarterback you need to have a clock in your head that tells you I need to move and he does not have that ability. Tannehill seems to really be struggling with confidence, accuracy, holding onto the ball too long and does not have the natural instincts a quarterback should have, especially in year three considering he has started since day one here in Miami. The offense as a whole has been inconsistent you can point to dropped passes, average offensive line play although the unit did play better compared to a week ago against Buffalo, missed field goals, third & fourth down offense were horrid, overall just no continuity on offense up to now.

The Defense played well for about three quarters and a half getting after the quarterback with five sacks, forcing a safety, Jelani Jenkins linebacker played well and has shown improvement, defense did a decent job early on in the run game and then it all came crashing down allowing to be gashed with runs, missed tackles, allowing dump passes out of the backfield to running back Joe Mcknight and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle getting soft and conservative with his calls in the fourth quarter.

The coaching staff as a whole is becoming my biggest pet peeve, there is not just one area of concern anymore with every game so far you see a step in the wrong direction. The philosophy of the offense is an has been inconsistent, head coach Joe Philbin seems to be coaching with caution needs to let loose and be more aggressive. Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle's play calling in the fourth quarter was suspect, vanilla and just overall soft no excuse with the type of players on that defense. The Miami Dolphins coaching staff really needs to get things in order, I would like to see them make adjustments not just reacting be more proactive before things get out of control.

The next game is Sunday September 28, 2014 in London, England against the Oakland Raiders, the Miami Dolphins must get back to basics on offense, block up front, protect the ball, do not give up on the running game, quarterback play from Ryan Tannehill must improve in the areas of accuracy, third down conversions and would love to see him just let the ball fly stop second guessing himself and worrying about making mistakes. On defense I would like to see defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle really get on these guys about their tackling, lack of turnovers and from him as coach I want to see aggression, stop having the cornerbacks playing so far off the wide receivers and do not be afraid to force the issue with pressure. In the upcoming game versus the Raiders it will be important for the Dolphins to come out of that game victorious going into the bye week at (2-2) and hopefully gaining some momentum.   

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Miami Dolphins Post Game Review Versus The Buffalo Bills

Posted by;

Anthony Sanchez

The Miami Dolphins reverted back to their old ways on Sunday when they took on the Buffalo Bills the offense struggled with minimal production in the run game, pass protection was average at best, Ryan Tannehill was holding onto the ball too long, not moving around the pocket enough to buy time and the mystery of the deep ball connection continues, there is plenty of blame to go around in this loss starting with the offense, coaching and special teams.

The Miami Dolphins offense was stale to say the least, there was no flow or consistency throughout the game. The injury to Knowshon Moreno early on in the game seemed to be like a punch in the gut because after that the team never showed any grit or fight for the rest of the game offensively. Ryan Tannehill played at a below average level, his throws were continously high an behind wide receivers. Ryan Tannehill's accuracy is really starting to concern me having trouble with the deep ball is one thing, but to start missing wide open receivers is another. Watching his play yesterday I noticed him struggling with his read progressions almost like he is over thinking and over analyzing every throw. Taking a look back at the game you almost see a guy with very low confidence not sure of himself even his body language reflected that with every over throw and under thrown deep ball.

I refuse to place all blame squarely on the shoulders of the quarterback, because there were times Tannehill found an open receiver and they could not come up with the catch or big play in key moments. The offensive line who played outstanding a week ago looked average, especially right guard Shelley Smith who was being pushed around in both running an pass blocking assignments. The offense had no balance to it due to the lack of running lanes, pedestrian pass protection and not enough impactful plays on offense. The special teams play was a nightmare total opposite from a week ago, the Dolphins special teams allowed a punt block, a fumbled punt, a CJ Spiller 102 yard kick off return for a touchdown and Brandon Fields shanked a few punts which is on heard of for him.

The coaching staff starting with head coach Joe Philbin does not get a pass here, in this league you need to have fire, passion and none was shown by the team as a whole. I understand staying calm in the face of adversity, but a deceased person has more life in them compared to what I saw from coach Joe Philbin on Sunday. I am still shaking my head and confused by coach Philbin's decision with roughly over two minutes left before halftime and three time outs to not urge the team to try an add points knowing they would get the ball after halftime as well, instead he chose to run the ball consecutively in turn running out the clock, in my opinion left the chance to build momentum & add points on the field.

If you are looking for a silver lining it has to be the defense, although not its best day still found a way to keep the team in the game. The Miami Dolphins defense held its own considering how often it was placed in bad situations having to defend short fields and the defense bent but did not break mostly giving up field goals. I will say the defense did struggle with defending the crossing routes, dump off plays to the backs and as the game wore on giving up chunks of yardage in the running game.

All in all I would not hit the panic button just yet, in my opinion they came out flat, uninspired and were maybe still riding high from last weeks victory over the New England Patriots. Today head coach Joe Philbin and his staff really need to look in the mirror, ask the question what can we do better as a staff to not have the same let down this upcoming Sunday. The focus now must shift to September 21st, 2014 at 4:25pm against the Kansas City Chiefs who are coming off a loss to the Denver Broncos and now have a record of (0-2). I think we will see a Miami Dolphins team that will be angry, hungry and excited to prove to everyone that this will not be a repeat of last years team. I will be looking to see how Ryan Tannehill can bounce back from a rough road loss and if he can elevate his game to again regain confidence in himself.

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2014 Season Opener versus New England Patriots

Posted by:

Anthony Sanchez

The Miami Dolphins have plenty to feel good about today after yesterdays victory over the New England Patriots 33-20. The game couldn't of started any better, started with a good defensive stand, blocked punt that was recovered and the offense converting it into a touchdown. The Offense did a good job all game of moving the ball up an down the field, the negative was they had three straight drives in the first half with turnovers and all three drives looked as if they were leading to scores.

Miami Dolphins offensive line played outstanding in the run game, pass protection was much improved only giving up one sack and Branden Albert showed why he is a premier left tackle in the NFL. Center Samson Satele held his own against defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, Ja'wuan James the rookie right tackle played a very good game considering this was his first official start in an NFL season proving he was the right first round choice for this team. The offense looked dynamic an unpredictable as a matter of fact the offense got different players involved; Mike Wallace, Knowshon Moreno, Lamar Miller, Charles Clay, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson all made contributions.

Ryan Tannehill had a up an down game his short to intermediate throws were pretty good, but his deep throws were still coming up short and or behind the receivers, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor
will make it a point of emphasis to focus on those issues in preparation for the Buffalo Bills.

The defense was solid an quite impressive all game playing stout against the run, applying pressure with minimal blitzing using their four down linemen to get after Tom Brady. Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon, undrafted rookie FA Chris McCain who had a block punt an sack and can not leave out Jared Odrick and Randy Starks working hard in the trenches. You have to tip your cap to the back up linebackers who stepped up for three injured starting linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, Phillip Wheeler and Koa Misi and it will need to continue because reports have come out that Danell Ellerbe is out for the season and placed on injured reserve. The defensive backs as a whole played well especially Cortland Finnegan an Will Davis who were targeted often and did not back down, overall excellent effort as a defensive unit.

To sum it up the Miami Dolphins gave us all a glimpse of what this team can accomplish when all three phases of the game work in unison offense, defense and special teams all contributed to the win. Now it is time to shift the focus an attention to the Buffalo Bills who are coming off an unexpected win over the Chicago Bears and this game is another division foe. The Buffalo Bills will provide a better opportunity to see how our defense can defend the run and show if the offensive line can protect Ryan Tannehill against an overall tough defense who stops the run & rushes the passer well.

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2014 Miami Dolphins Preview

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                                                                         Anthony Sanchez

The Miami Dolphins seem to be heading into the 2014 season more focused and vested into bringing back the wining tradition that this organization is use to. The players, coaches and upper management have made it a point to commit to one another on & off the field. The team has adopted the slogan "Stronger Together", you can see it on the practice field, on the sidelines, during the preseason games and in general whenever they talk about the team & organization as a whole.

This is Dennis Hickey's first year as general manager for the Miami Dolphins and up to this point has done an outstanding job of overhauling the team with talent. Dennis Hickey wasted no time once he was brought on board by attacking free agency adding players of need, the big splash was the signing of left tackle Branden Albert who has been all the Dolphins expected. Ultimately Judgement was going to be given on the draft and he proved to us what some knew, but many did not and that is Dennis Hickey has an eye for talent. The priority was offensive line and he began the draft by taking in the first round with the nineteenth pick right tackle Ju'wuan James who so far has been solid throughout the preseason. Many of the Players drafted this year by Dennis Hickey have made contributions to the team whether at their positions or on special teams all throughout training camp and preseason games. Another player that was drafted by Hickey is wide receiver Jarvis Landry from LSU who was taken in the second round pick sixty three and he has been playing pretty good, making tough receptions, returning kicks and just seems to be a player that will develop into something special.

 This is year three for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, there was limited growth with Mike Sherman as his offensive coordinator, but now under new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor he seems to be doing more as far as going through his reads, getting the ball out quicker and moving around the the pocket.

I am the first to admit there are no more excuses for Ryan Tannehill, the offensive line looks better, there is depth at wide receiver with Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Rishard Matthews and Rookie Jarvis Landry, the running backs are Lamar Miller, Knowshon Moreno and Damien Williams, the tight ends Charles Clay, Dion Sims and Harold Hoskins.  An important point to bring up is also the style of offense that Bill Lazor brings which should fit the speed an quickness that is on the team.

The defense in my opinion should be even better, I have them being a top ten defense that can continue to cause turnovers and bring pressure especially with their talented defensive line. There were some additions to the defense in the off season; defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, safety Louis Delmas, cornerback Cortland Finnegan and the move to resign defensive tackle Randy Starks was huge. The defense will also benefit from the young cornerbacks Will Davis and Jamar Taylor 

who seem to be healthy and both had very good training camps.

The Questions that still remain unclear are; will coach Bill Lazor's offense bring versatility and in turn translate to more touchdowns? Will making the move of linebacker Koa Misi from outside to middle linebacker and moving Danell Ellerbe from middle to outside linebacker stabilize the linebacker unit? Will cornerback Cortland Finnegan regain his Pro Bowl caliber style of play? Will the suspensions of defensive end Dion Jordan and safety Reshard Jones have a major impact?

In my opinion the Miami Dolphins will have a pretty solid year and yes make the playoffs, I might be alone in this sentiment nationwide, but I see a pretty good offensive line, I see an offense with additional weapons & dynamic offensive style, a top ten defense and I finally see a better collaboration between coaching staff and management. I believe at the end of the season the Miami Dolphins will finish 10-6 and in the playoffs.

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