POLITASPORTS

Game Overview

This may be the most disheartening “Dolphins’ Demerits” review of the season. Worse than the Buffalo and Tampa drubbings combined. When you lose to the worst team in the league, you become the worst team in the league. I stated several weeks ago after the loss to the Raiders “the season that started with promise has turned to poison” I also mentioned that Flores needed to “cowboy up” and start going for wins. This season is all but done. Flores job is teetering on the edge. The Dolphins have shown more regression than growth. And yet, he continues to make the wrong calls at the wrong times. I will dive more into this in the “Coaching” section, but he continues to choose prudence over points. Last week I began the “Overview” section with a graphic description of my dislike for kicking FG’s inside the Red Zone, I won’t repeat it, but you can read it for yourself here. In no scenario is 3 > 6, but in many cases it is less than 0. I would prefer coming away with no points and pinning a struggling rookie QB inside his own 5 to start a drive than settle for 3. Constant field goals equates to consistent losing.

Coaching

I will start with the positives. They pushed the ball down field. Hitting Gesicki and Smythe on several down the field throws throughout the game. It was a nice change in strategy from the previous five games this season. My praise stops here.

I have never been “gun-ho” about Flores, however, as I have admitted previously, up until this year, his teams have come out fighting every game. This has absolutely NOT been the case this year. This team has been flat since week 1. Has he lost the locker room? Have they grown as frustrated as the fans with the 4-way cautious play calling week after week? I commented just last week that Flores needs to be fired. I also included Grier in that conclusion as well. Depending on who/what you believe, Tua was not Flores’ choice, but Grier’s. Grier has been drafting for this franchise for too long to have had so few hits, let alone a homerun. If Ross determines to remove Grier and Flores streamlines his coaching staff, now, I would be willing to concede the remainder of this already lost season to allowing Flores a chance at redemption. But, if he can’t deliver at minimum a winning record, then he must go as well at the conclusion of this season. In this first extended season, that would require a 9-8 record. Leaving him little room for continued failure.

Where do they find 8 more wins when they couldn’t even beat the Jags? The remaining schedule has the Jets twice, Atlanta, Houston, and the Giants. This should be more than half the games Flores needs. Leaving 3 wins from games against Buffalo, Baltimore, Carolina, New Orleans, Tennessee, and New England. Based on the current level of play, the Bills and Ravens are almost assuredly losses. Can this team steal three wins from the Panthers, Saints, Titans, and Pats? I wouldn’t bet my job on it.

The final two plays from yesterday could be enough to seal any coaches fate, let alone a coach that is 1-5 in his third year. Flores, maybe because it is what he would’ve done, played as if the Jags would settle for OT. They rushed only 3 the final play, conceding the very yardage needed to attempt a FG. Just because you would’ve downed it twice and played for OT, doesn’t mean every other coach lacks a spine as well. I applaud the 4th down attempt by Flores that preceded Jacksonville getting possession, but I hated the play call. Up the middle for no gain. Roll out, give Tua options. Instead you hand off to your 3rd string running back? It’s not just the losses, it is the manner in which they’ve handed games away. Very disconcerting.



Demerit(s): 5

Receiving

The Tightends were the stars yesterday morning. Gesicki finished with 8 catches for 115 yards. Smythe added 5 receptions for 60. More than double their best receiver, Waddle, who accumulated 70 yards on 10 catches with two scores. Obviously I will take that slash line every Sunday, but I hoped for more than 7ypc from Waddle. For different receivers had longs of 15 yards or more, including a 32yard reception from Gesicki. His play has really put additional questions on why with Smythe also on the roster did the Dolphins use a 3rd round selection on a TE? Again, typical Dolphins. There were no glaring drops yesterday as had been the case the previous two games. And they made Tua look competent. A great day ruined by putting the ball in the hands of their least used back.

Demerit(s): 1

Running Backs

As I re-read these posts, I hate that I have to type the same words over and over. But, what the heck are the Dolphins doing with their running backs? I feel as if they still think these are pre-season games and they are tinkering. Gaskin has a career day and Flores follows that up with only 7 touches? He has by far been their most productive back, both from the backfield and out of the backfield, yet they put him on ice. For the second game this year they gave RB1 duties to Brown, and he let all of us down, again. It is wholly inexplicable what they are trying to accomplish. The staff went in with a game plan to win it in the air, yet put the ball on the ground for the most pivotal 4th down play of the season. The more one dissects Flores, his staff, and their decisions the more you come back to “he needs to go.” If not him, then someone. Who is responsible? The trio of Gaskin, Ahmed, and Brown finished with a combined 55 yards on 17 carries for a middling 3.2 yards per run.



Demerit(s): 5

QB

Tua looked like a passable QB1, until of course, he didn’t. Difficult to frown at the numbers he put up; 70% completions, 329yrds, and 2 scores. Too bad it didn’t stop there. That one completion. Not even removing the paint covered overalls, cutting it’s hair, wearing a dress, and putting on contacts could transform that Laney Boggs. It was a horrendous. He threw into 3 defenders without a teammate in sight. No one fell down on their route, no one zigged instead of zagged, nor was he under pressure. He just dropped back, and threw the ball downfield to the other team.

Demerit(s): 2 (it was an awful turnover)

The Trenches

I can’t recall the last time a Dolphins’ QB went a half let alone a game without being sacked. He was of course hurried a few times and flushed from the pocket on occasion, but a clean sheet is a clean sheet. The Dominator didn’t lose a shutout b/c a puck hit the post. In pass blocking, they performed well enough. Pushing the Jags off the ball? That is another story entirely. Unfortunately, to be an O-Line, you need to do both. Though I despised the 4th and one up the middle play call, any average line should be able to move the line of scrimmage 3 feet.

The other side of our trench had a better than usual game as well. They got to Lawrence several times including two sacks, batted down crucial ball at the line, and the gorgeous strip sack leading to the Dolphins’ lone takeaway. They two have a two have a head and a tail however, and giving up nearly 4.5 yards per carry and getting pushed around in run stoppage leaves us wanting more. Last year our defensive line was a surprising strength. Causing havoc in the backfield helping Howard to lead the league in interceptions and being a reliable barricade against the run. This year they have regressed. Still haven’t seen enough flashes from Phillips to justify a top 20 selection.



Demerit(s): 3.5

Secondary

Ouch. This game hurt. Lawrence had maybe his best day as a pro against this group. I know, the PHins were depleted. That is not an excuse. They allowed two receivers to average over 14 yards per catch and get open at will. Even on the final play when Flores chose to only send 3 and drop everyone else back, thy couldn’t cover. Giving up a 13 yard gain on 4th and 12 leading to the game losing FG. A very heartless effort by this entire group.



Demerit(s): 5

Officiating

There was a questionable roughing penalty. Perhaps the letter of the law that call stands, but in real world real time, that did not appear to be worth of 15 yards. It kept a Jags drive alive and lead to 7 points. Gonna have to dock them a few for that. But losing to an 0wen team is not the fault of zany zebras,

Demerit(s): 3

Special Teams

They missed a long field goal to end the half and made one they never should have attempted inside the five yard line. Please for the love of trying, let this be the last time this jabroney sends out his kicking team inside the Red Zone! Every time, and yes I mean EVERYTIME the offense gets the ball the ONLY thought should be touchdown. No more punts from the 50, no more FG inside the 20.

Demerit(s): 2.5

Overall

I know it may appear otherwise, but I don’t like writing negative things about my team. “That’s rich, coming from the guy who named his recap post ‘demerits'” I hear you thinking. It is true, I would prefer to have only “high praise” for the Phins and zero demerits. Flores and fam however make that difficult.

As mentioned above, the Dolphins have 11 games remaining, to perhaps save Flores’ job they need to win 8 of them. If I put on my Mora hat and contemplate playoffs; they need to take 9 or 10. The way they played Sunday, neither will happen. I just hope they “can win A game.”

Demerit(s): 5