POLITASPORTS

I’ve held off writing this longer than usual to cool down a bit. Last Saturday’s game was great to watch, until it wasn’t. There are no imaginary victories, though one should always look to learn from losses. Part of that process is identifying the positives not just seeing the negative. Miami showed incredible resolve in weathering Buffalo’s early lead and coming back in the second half before the storm moved in. In years past, as evidenced by years past, Miami would have crumbled like a table in the Bills’ parking lot. Instead they fought. Tua rose to the occasion as opposed to years past when he and the team withered in must win games late in the season. Of course, the game also exposed some deficiencies, most notably in the defense. Miami had no answers for the Bills’ Josh Allen on the game tying drive. Allen simply left the pocket and strode up field ad nauseum. The defense played well in the second half, after an atrocious effort in the first segment of the game, but on the last two Buffalo drives, could not get off the field. Yes, Buffalo deserves credit, they tied and then won the game, but the defense had some egregious sequences.

Coaching: (B-); They were prepared and showed up in prime time in a rowdy environment with very cold weather. Could they have run the ball on a couple third downs? Perhaps. Should they have kicked the extra point after their second touchdown? Maybe. Knit picking a coach is not what I enjoy doing. He made the calls he thought were best in the moment. And all those saying “run on third and short” will also scream when they do against a stacked defensive line that knows that is exactly what they intend to do. Players have to make plays, and sometimes, it is the defense that makes them. As for Boyer? He had no answer for Allen. The person it would seem you would game plan to stop. They did well against the run, they held Diggs in check, but Allen did whatever he wanted to do. For the entire game.

Running Backs: (A+); Mostert averaged eight yards a carry on seventeen attempts for one hundred and thirty six yards on the ground. If it wasn’t for a horse collar tackle, he would have had three more yards and a touchdown. That tackle proved invaluable as Miami couldn’t punch it in and settled for three points, a decision I decried at the time. FGs inside the five are deplorable. Ahmed added forty three yards with only six touches for an average above seven yards a carry himself. The line was outstanding last Saturday.

Receivers: (C-); Waddle finally broke out of his slump, turning a slant into a sixty seven yard score and finishing with one hundred and fourteen yards. Hill nearly had double digits receiving, though his yards per catch took a hit. The unit dropped two touchdown passes. Coupled with Mostert not getting in the end zone, that is potentially eight points off the board. Unacceptable against the number one team in the Conference.

Defense: (D); They don’t deserve a failing grade. They held Buffalo to four consecutive punts to start the second half, but the final two drives added to the first half and the grade plummets. They got to Allen twice, but when they didn’t and he left the pocket he gouged them for nearly eighty yards rushing and all four of his touchdown throws came when the secondary broke down as he scrambled. Again, where was the game plan? Miami’s defense has allowed teams to score twenty five or more points in half of their games. They need to bring that down if they want to advance in the post-season.

Special Teams: (B); Sanders was three for three on FGs, though two he never should have had to take, and Morestead put three of four punts inside the twenty yard line.

Quarterback: (B+); Tua started a bit shaky with several errant incompletions to start the game, but settled down to have a nice game in the frosty air. His completion percentage should’ve been higher if not for outrageous drops and he would also have had one more TD and probably a victory. If Tua gives this type of performance over the final three games, the Fins make the playoffs. The ceiling for Miami rests in Tua’s left arm and the defense tightening up just slightly.

Officiating: (D); I have left this segment out this year as it shouldn’t affect the game, nor should a team use them as an excuse for losing. However, there were some awful calls, especially late. I felt the two point conversion should not have been overturned. The NFL needs ball technology. If the World Cup can determine a players hair was beyond the defenders and raise the offside flag, the NFL can have the technology to determine if the point of a football touched a line. Even then, it would have been difficult to say beyond questions, as the replay rules state, that the ball wasn’t already being fumbled as it touched the line. If it had been called successful, the evidence would not have overturned it, so why overturn it if it is called unsuccessful? My largest qualm was with the late pass interference call that all but gave the game to Buffalo. It was ticky tack on any day, and outright horrendous on a day Waddle and Hill were being molested with no flags to show.

Overall: (B-); A’s are for wins. I am glad they at least fought hard and played tough. After the last two weeks out West, Miami fans needed to see this team could win against playoff caliber teams. It showed not only is that a possibility, but it could become reality. This team can make a run. The offense can compete and score against anyone, the defense needs to shore some things up and give Tua, Hill, Waddle, Mostert, and company a fighting chance. Any opponent that can’t score twenty eight or more against Miami should be fearful. But, first, they need to advance and to do so with confidence, they should win out. Lets start the seven game winning streak on Christmas.

I appreciate every one of you that has taken the time to read my posts. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Remember as you celebrate the birth of Christ, why God sent Him into the world: John 3:16-19 “…For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved…”