This is a moderated phorum for the CIVILIZED discussion of the Miami Dolphins. In this phorum, there are rules and moderators to make sure you abide by the rules. The moderators for this phorum are JC and Colonel.
Hoping that this preseason was just a blemish, but this team and COACH seem to be in dissaray. NO EXCUSES for Sparano playing your TRUE STUD player (LONG) in that meaningless game. Sparano has shown time and time again that he's not among the elite coaches in our league and our team plays like their confused general more often than not.
I have a REALLY bad feeling about this Sunday...Spiller scares the crap out of me and we alaways have major problems playing up in Buffalo.
At this point, the only positive I see with this staff is that Mike Nolan is there and at least he HAS A PLAN. The Other douchebag doesn't seem to have a clue.
Who's call was it play LONG...cut Martin, leaving us with our best player injured and our backup TE playing against us next week?
I'm not ready to cut sporano just yet I think he inherited a mess but I also believe that 3 yrs in u should not be moving soo many pieces around to see what works and all the hits in free agency and the draft is cause for concern I was always a fan of Marty and I'm surprised no one has picked him up
I don't know if I'd say disarray yet, but I am less confident entering this year than the last few for sure. At least coming off 1-15 we knew what the plan was, now, it seems like we are all over the place.
Not hating the team, just upset with the coach. At times he looks dazed and confused with his decision making. Yes, things happen during a game, but playing LONG in that game had all the makings for a disaster...that's not 2nd guessing him, but rather questionning his lack of common sense.
I understand your anger, but I disagree with some of the extremes you put out there.
I will say this though:
Does anyone else feel much worse about this team than they did at the beginning of training camp?
I felt like despite some holes/question marks we were looking really good and I was excited about some of the new faces to come to Miami via draft and FA and about our overall prospects this year.
Now, with camp and the preseason over, I have a million questions, I'm worried about avoidable injuries that were sustained, lack of chemistry, the cutting of players I thought would positively impact this team, etc. etc. To say I'm concerned would be putting it nicely. I don't remember feeling this way (from pumped to worried) before a season started. I hope all these moves turn out to be the right ones.
Entering training camp, I felt like the OL was very good last year--add a promising 3d round rookie G and a supposed starting caliber player in Incognito and it could only be better. Now, with injuries (Garner) and cutting players, and weird decisions explainable perhaps only by injury (starting Berger, which by the way hurts our depth at OG), we've got 3 new interior starters who seem worse than the 3 we had last year. Add the injury to Long due solely to a moronic coaching decision and Carey's issues and what I thought was a top 5 unit is now a huge question mark.
Same thing with the secondary. I figurered we started 2 rookies last year; we'd take our lumps doing that but it would pay off big time this season. Vonte seems like the goods, but now we starting Jason Allen!!! for god sakes bc S Smith seems to have taken a big step backwards. Allen was a guy who wasn't good enough on the 1-15 team! It looked like the only issue we'd have was FS, but we still have that glaring issue and now one at CB, and nickle back, with W Allen out for the year. I wish we kept last years nickle back instead of letting him go to Denver.
Also QB--Henne was decent last year, his "rookie" year starting. He could only get better this year, right? Add Marshall to the mix and we'd have a solid passing game. But now I am not so sure. Still think our passing game will be improved, but if we can't run bc the OL has regressed and/or our RBs get hurt like always, then it may not matter.
LBs---Misi hasn't lived up to the hype so far, and at the last minute they decide he is not good enough to start. I still think letting Jason Taylor go was a big time mistake. Dansby is solid, but we have big issues at the other ILB spot due to injuries (Crowder, Edds) and inexperience (Mich J).
So yes, this is why I am much less confident in the team than I was 1 month ago. Still hoping for the best, but this hope seems more like wishful thinking than it once did.
I don't think anyone would disagree that the first team offense played really, really awful in the 3rd preseason game. And the line was a huge part of the problem. They needed work in the 4th game. Ideally, that would not be the case, but it's true. They had one good drive against Dallas. If they had two good drives in a row, I'm sure the starters would have been pulled. But, they didn't, they went 3 and out against the Dallas backups. So, they had to keep playing. And, really, the injury was the result of really bad blocking on the part of Long and Carey. They both got whipped by Dallas' backups, leading to a collision at the QB. Had they both held their blocks, which you would expect them to be able to do, Long would not have been hurt. It happened. Now, we move on.
For one, I was glad to see the starters playing in that 4th game. We have started each of the last 2 years slowly, and you see a lot of teams playing real sloppy football at the start of the season. And I think it has to do with not playing the regulars enough in the preseason. Things were a lot different in the old days, when there were 6 preseason games, and the regulars played a lot.
Panteraize Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I understand your anger, but I disagree with some
> of the extremes you put out there.
>
> I will say this though:
>
> Does anyone else feel much worse about this team
> than they did at the beginning of training camp?
>
>
> I felt like despite some holes/question marks we
> were looking really good and I was excited about
> some of the new faces to come to Miami via draft
> and FA and about our overall prospects this year.
>
> Now, with camp and the preseason over, I have a
> million questions, I'm worried about avoidable
> injuries that were sustained, lack of chemistry,
> the cutting of players I thought would positively
> impact this team, etc. etc. To say I'm concerned
> would be putting it nicely. I don't remember
> feeling this way (from pumped to worried) before a
> season started. I hope all these moves turn out to
> be the right ones.
I am more worried about this team than I was 72 hours ago. I still predict them at 9-7 which I think can and will win the AFC East. But I think its 1st round playoffs and good-bye.
In a 3 day span I have never seen a team make so many self-inflicted wounds that made their own team worse. Getting younger is one thing, but not at the expense of "wins" and not with the 49th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, and 53rd guy on the roster! The bottom of your roster are guys who can contribute and help you win in small ways. NOT total project players who you hope will help you in a year or three!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2010 02:28PM by MikeO.
I do find it amusing that the people saying don't panic, its no big deal. These guys know more than message board posters. Are mostly the same group that were calling for Chris Clemons to not be the starter or even make the team based on preseason results. AND wanted Dan Henning's head on a platter after his playcalling for a preseason games....lol
LOL, everyone has their breaking point moments. For some its Clemons and Henning. For others its Ireland/Parcells/Sparano!
After making huge strides in 2008, we have done nothing but regress. Last season and this preseason have been totally frustrating, but all can change if they simply WIN! If you don't beat a weak Buffalo squad this week, then someone needs to take the blame: I'd say it would have to be Ireland/Sparano and Parcells.
I hope I'm wrong, but the mistakes keep mounting.
Throw a tonne of CASH at Cowher if things go sour early.
My biggest concern so far is the tinckering so close to the start of the season. Highest paid O-Line, Highest paid WR, and Highest paid LB their seems to be no middle ground here, we either go all out and over pay or we start relying on players that are unproven. We have made some pretty big blunders in the last two years and instead of getting better I think we are stuck on Neutral. Time will tell ofcourse but my gut tells me otherwise
There is no doubting the team is confused, how else do you explain the frantic moving of all the pieces? Last two seasons we have started 0-2 but this year we start against a soft opponent, we should get a pretty good gauge of what to expect from that first game
dolphaholic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Like SOLB for instance, IAF and Misi...for all we
> know both could suck."
>
> Or for all we know both could turn out great.
True, but since neither have a history at OLB aside from this training camp....it might take them a while before they are "great" at OLB. And starting and unproven guy who is backed up by an unproven guy at a spot like that against the Vikings, Jets, Pats, GB, Pitt...they will find ways to expose those guys through their "learning process".
just gotta get three wins in the first eight and i think we can win six or seven of the last eight.
concerned right now but I have confidence in Nolan and thus have confidence in the defense. Also have confidence in the progression in Henne so I have confidence in the offense. these final cuts will no doubt have a huge impact and hopefully it turns out positive. no one can really know how these waiver wire players will perform so no one should freak out. but seriously, pray that Fasano doesn't get hurt. Also, with keeping only one playable tight end, I forsee many more three wide receiver sets.
WHoever posted this topic and those who jumped on the bandwagon again bashing our team are lost, plain and simple lost... Sorry that is all the explanation or comment such a useless simple minded topic deserves..
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2010 02:25AM by Crowder52.
MikeO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dolphaholic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > "Like SOLB for instance, IAF and Misi...for all
> we
> > know both could suck."
> >
> > Or for all we know both could turn out great.
>
>
> True, but since neither have a history at OLB
> aside from this training camp....it might take
> them a while before they are "great" at OLB. And
> starting and unproven guy who is backed up by an
> unproven guy at a spot like that against the
> Vikings, Jets, Pats, GB, Pitt...they will find
> ways to expose those guys through their "learning
> process".
So which one is it Mike, did you want the 2 old guys around for locker room presence or as starters? The only way Misi and IAF will get any better is reps in real games, and to assume that Grant and Douglas are good role models would be purely speculation on our parts as we have zero info on thier leadership abilities. Look, i'll agree some of these moves are head-scratchers but to assume every move is "clueless" is just as wrong as praising every move. And to answer the post title; if the team was actually in dissaray (which I dont think it is) I think it would fall more on Ireland right now then Sparano.
dolphaholic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MikeO Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > dolphaholic Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > "Like SOLB for instance, IAF and Misi...for
> all
> > we
> > > know both could suck."
> > >
> > > Or for all we know both could turn out great.
> >
> >
> > True, but since neither have a history at OLB
> > aside from this training camp....it might take
> > them a while before they are "great" at OLB.
> And
> > starting and unproven guy who is backed up by
> an
> > unproven guy at a spot like that against the
> > Vikings, Jets, Pats, GB, Pitt...they will find
> > ways to expose those guys through their
> "learning
> > process".
>
> So which one is it Mike, did you want the 2 old
> guys around for locker room presence or as
> starters? The only way Misi and IAF will get any
> better is reps in real games, and to assume that
> Grant and Douglas are good role models would be
> purely speculation on our parts as we have zero
> info on thier leadership abilities. Look, i'll
> agree some of these moves are head-scratchers but
> to assume every move is "clueless" is just as
> wrong as praising every move. And to answer the
> post title; if the team was actually in dissaray
> (which I dont think it is) I think it would fall
> more on Ireland right now then Sparano.
1) I never said the team is in dissaray
2) Douglas and Grant are DE, not OLB. So I don't understant your comparison
dolphaholic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My bad, I confused multiple posts where you were
> complaining about them 2 getting cut with your
> comparison about SOLB
Hoping for the best, but if you think Sparano is a great coach then you are all dillusional.
Coaching is so important...aka...decisionmaking at crucial times and he has shown time and time again how clued out he can be.
Hope I'm wrong and this team does great...but if the preseason is any indication of how things might go...we could be very bad.
Oh Yah...to Crowder52...I think you are the one who is lost...if you don't like the topic, then don't respond to it and your boy Crowder sounds like another wasted draft pick....injury prone from College until the present.