this Ravens team was last years Super Bowl champion, and we could have won this game! We were winning at half time. To lose by only a FG is not too bad.

the defense was pretty solid all around, just some iffy P.I. call helped the Ravens get into the 20 points range.

I like what I am seeing from Dion Jordan, he is built like an ubermensch ...a beast that will dominate other teams for many seasons.

Fields is back to booming his punts again, 60 in the air consistently WOW.

The HARD part of the schedule is over.
THe pats look very beatable....and we are only 1 game behind them in the standings. We are still on course to win this Division.

so it is good to lose?

Honestly, it's not that we lost that bothers me the most. It's that I know that until the offensive line can improve to being even average, the team won't be a contender. Defensive coordinators must be salivating about going against our linemen. What's worse, instead of getting better, they seem to be getting worse. Even if it's only for a message, someone should be benched (preferably Clabo).

The good news is.....

NE plays NOLA next week even though the game is in NE. This (2 losses) could cause a downward spiral for NE...hope hope. They face the Jets the following week and a tough defense once again.

We have a bye week to get healthier. Need to get Patterson and Wake back in gear. We come back to host the Bills.

Beat the Bills in two weeks (week 7) and we could be 4-2. The Pats will most likely be 5-2 when we travel to NE in week 8. If we are really lucky the Jets beat the Pats and the Pats fall to 4-3 and we take over first place.

The bad news....The Bills just beat the team that beat us (Ravens).

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

The bills have a good pass rush. They beat the ravens with 5 qb sacks I believe. They are going to be coming after RT on every snap.

Hooligan2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The bills have a good pass rush. They beat the
> ravens with 5 qb sacks I believe. They are going
> to be coming after RT on every snap.

EXACTLY. Wonder if Philbin 'the system guy' will just keep on trying to pound the square peg into the round hole, of if he'll come up with a game plan that actually takes our opponents weaknesses and our strengths into consideration?!?!?!?! I swear if this bunch had been coaching the '85 Dolphins they would have just had Marino dropping straight back, not tried to run the ball and the Bears would share our 'undefeated' record.

You have the word "just" in the wrong place eesti. They just beat us but the Bills beat them.

Yeah, the Bills look better than they have in the past. They won't be a pushover.

Bottom Line, I agree with whoever said, it's not THAT you lose, it's HOW you lose.

The team that played the whole game against the Ravens got beat worse than by New Orleans although the score was closer.

At New Orleans, the coaches have them pitching the ball back five yards on 3rd and an inch and who knows what, IF ANY, affect it had on the game.

Here, they pull a "Last year's Jet game in overtime" and have Tanny back to pass OUT OF FIELD GOAL RANGE when already in field goal range AND COST US THE FIELD GOAL that would have ensured overtime at least.

That coaching error DID cost overtime and thus may have cost the game.

toko34 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> this Ravens team was last years Super Bowl
> champion, and we could have won this game! We were
> winning at half time. To lose by only a FG is not
> too bad.
>
> the defense was pretty solid all around, just some
> iffy P.I. call helped the Ravens get into the 20
> points range.
>
> I like what I am seeing from Dion Jordan, he is
> built like an ubermensch ...a beast that will
> dominate other teams for many seasons.
>
> Fields is back to booming his punts again, 60 in
> the air consistently WOW.
>
> The HARD part of the schedule is over.
> THe pats look very beatable....and we are only 1
> game behind them in the standings. We are still
> on course to win this Division.

*********************************************************

This is not the same Ravens team that won the Super Bowl. They didn't play very well vs Miami yesterday, and Miami managed to lose, which tells me Miami played worse than the Ravens did.

Sure, we could have won this game, but we didn't, and it's because of the same problems Miami has been having since the season began. I honestly don't see how Miami can improve enough to make a run at the playoffs; far too many areas that need correcting with no means of doing so.

I must disagree with your statement "the defense was pretty solid all around." I will give you the DLine played well (but not as good as they are capable), but our DBs were terrible. Sure, I know there are a lot of injuries back there, but that weakness is going to kill the Fins, especially at crunch time. Opposing teams aren't afraid to throw at us. Agree, tho, in that second PI call against Grimes was bogus.

Dion Jordan, thus far, is just another body out there. Wake has been out the last couple of weeks, so Jordan, et al, needed to pick it up; they didn't. Yeah, Jordan had two good plays at the end, but was basically invisible the rest of the game. For a guy Miami traded up to take at the number 3 spot, much more is expected of him. Some here will say that he has had an injured shoulder, along with not practicing much, especially during training camp, and they could be right, but in just rushing the passer, a lot of practice time is not that necessary. Miami's D needs Wake back ASAP.

The hard part of the schedule may be over, but the way Miami is playing, there is no easy schedule. Jax would probably give Miami a hard time. There are way too many problems with Miami that cannot be resolved during the season. We just have to hope the coaches and Ireland can come up with something to where Miami could have a decent team until the real action occurs after the season.

Despite how NE has looked, they will be pulling away from the rest of the division and win it by at least three games. None of the other three teams can offer any real competition.

Good point about Wake's absence, Cap. I thought Jordan would be another Wake and when Wake came to us from Canada he was "Wake" immediately.

I thought that the addition of Jordan would make us unstoppable (that's why I desperately wanted us to take Ryan Kerrigan two or three drafts ago).

But the fact that Jordan is not "Wake" when Wake is absent means that maybe he needs more time to get used to the pro level.

The only POSITIVE I'd concede at this point is we have done pretty well in Run Defense. Everything else has been terribly inconsistent or just plain terrible.

KB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The only POSITIVE I'd concede at this point is we
> have done pretty well in Run Defense. Everything
> else has been terribly inconsistent or just plain
> terrible.


***********************************************

That is true and something I have mentioned, as well.

With the problems Miami is having with their DBs, it would really ease some of the pressure if our DEs got steady pressure on the opposing QBs. With Wake out, it just hasn't been there on a consistent basis.

" The bad news....The Bills just beat the team that beat us (Ravens)."

Fortunately, one game has nothing to do with the other. On any given Sunday....

Rick

They will have Jordan dropping back in pass coverage again.

dolphan4545 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> " The bad news....The Bills just beat the team
> that beat us (Ravens)."
>
> Fortunately, one game has nothing to do with the
> other. On any given Sunday....


Both of those games aside, the Bills look much better than under Ryan Fitzpatrick. Is their new QB hurt?

EJ Manuel (the Bills Q did get hurt on Last Thursday night's game. Right now it is believed that he will be out for 2 weeks, which means we won't see him. I still stand by all I said in my opening comment in this thread, I expect improvements and the Division Championship at seasons end.

I would like to see the following:

Improved play from the offensive tackles and RG position.
More defensive play calls geared toward throttling opposing passing games.
Improved performance from the running game. (Do we need a better OL coach? Or does the OL need new guys manning the trenches?)
More pass route variety for Gibson/Hartline/Wallace.
Tannehill accelerating his mental "hit clock" by one second and learning to throw the ball away if nothing is open.

toko34 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> EJ Manuel (the Bills Q did get hurt on Last
> Thursday night's game. Right now it is believed
> that he will be out for 2 weeks, which means we
> won't see him. I still stand by all I said in my
> opening comment in this thread, I expect
> improvements and the Division Championship at
> seasons end.

************************************

Fitz has given Miami problems in the past.

*************************************
>
> I would like to see the following:
>
> Improved play from the offensive tackles and RG
> position.

*******************************************

Our guys are what they are. The right side can get no better with who is playing. The left side is good, but can get better. Incognito is good and tough; Martin can be good but definitely needs to improve. Pouncey is fine as is. Philbin has said he is staying with what he has. Not a good sign.

*********************************
> More defensive play calls geared toward throttling
> opposing passing games.

*******************************

Two problems with that: (1) A strong pass rush is required, which doesn't show up consistently. Wake is out, so that is probably the main culprit. (2) Our DBs just aren't very good. Have you seen how wide open the opposing receivers are? Some posters here mentioned the injuries to Miami's backfield. OK, I understand that, but the talent isn't there even if all were healthy. Our two rookies have yet to prove themselves.

************************
> Improved performance from the running game. (Do we
> need a better OL coach? Or does the OL need new
> guys manning the trenches?)

*************************

The only improvement for the OL would come from new players on the OL. Miami has some backups that they could play, but refuse to do so. About the only change a OL coach could do would be, as has been suggested, stop the outside runs and just plow forward. That's what THIS OL is built for.

*******************************

> More pass route variety for
> Gibson/Hartline/Wallace.

************************

I'm pretty sure that the routes are varied. Doesn't do any good when the OL can't give RT time to find the open receiver and also when the receivers can't get separation.

***************************

> Tannehill accelerating his mental "hit clock" by
> one second and learning to throw the ball away if
> nothing is open.

****************************

RT can improve on that, but I think it is more on the coaches, i.e., Sherman. With the OL the way it is, Sherman is the one who has to change the way his offense is set up, i.e., OL can't give RT time to throw, then (1) roll out some and (2) 3-step drop and release. That 3-step drop will force defenders to move up to cover the short routes, which should open up Wallace to the long ones. Staying status quo will get RT a quick trip to IR.

******************************

toko34 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> The HARD part of the schedule is over.
> THe pats look very beatable....and we are only 1
> game behind them in the standings. We are still
> on course to win this Division.




I like your post and still have a positive outlook. However the other thing that looks very beatable right now is Jeff Ireland.

GO DOLPHINS!!!!

Yeah yeah......for now your right anyways. Check again with me around New years .

GO DOLPHINS!!!!

Losing 2 in a row after a great start is disheartening but going into week 6, we had the exact same record as Cincy and the 49ers. Two playoff teams that we in the SB discussion....and Miami, who many thought would be an 8-8 team.

The Texans are 2-4!, Dallas is 3-3, Baltimore is 3-3, Packers are 3-2, Falcons are 1-4!!!


Who woulda thought? Another unpredictable season so far. As of right now we are the 6th seed in the AFC.

This is a huge week for coaches to show they can adapt (and coach). It will say a lot about them by how we play at home vs Buffalo....who by the way, lead the AFC East in points scored but are -21 in net points at 2-4.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

KB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hooligan2 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The bills have a good pass rush. They beat the
> > ravens with 5 qb sacks I believe. They are
> going
> > to be coming after RT on every snap.
>
> EXACTLY. Wonder if Philbin 'the system guy' will
> just keep on trying to pound the square peg into
> the round hole, of if he'll come up with a game
> plan that actually takes our opponents weaknesses
> and our strengths into consideration?!?!?!?! I
> swear if this bunch had been coaching the '85
> Dolphins they would have just had Marino dropping
> straight back, not tried to run the ball and the
> Bears would share our 'undefeated' record.


Square Peg into round hole was definitely Tony Saprano's deal. I think Philbin is better then that. This is his time to shine. I won't give him as much leeway if he continues with the same old same old.

GO DOLPHINS!!!!

This Bills game is going to challenge the physical conditioning of this Dolphins squad. I know the Bills run the fast break offense, that's why their points are so high..their defense is adequate but not special. I believe we will see a relatively high scoring game with the Dolphins pulling out this important divisional match-up in the second half. I'd love to see our own team start running some kind of variation of the fast strike offense from time-to time. I believe we have the personnel to make it happen.