POLITASPORTS

I haven’t enjoyed a game this much since watching Dan Marino carve up defenses. My two boys were jumping up and down giving me high fives, even my daughters would come running into the room when we cheered to get in on the fiving. These are the games that create the next generation of DolFans and Phinatics. It has been far too long since Miami has had Sundays like this in the fall. The last two decades have required parents to force the Dolphins down their kids’ throats like we’re geese farmers in France. We have also developed a severe case of pessimism that even as the yards pile up, we keep waiting for the house of cards to come crashing down. This team feels different. Buffalo will be their first real test, and I am looking forward to it.

Coaching: (A+); Holding a team to 13 offensive points gets Fangio an “A” everyday, but doing it while putting up 70 points on the other end? It seems impossible. I am slightly disappointed thus far in the lack of sacks Miami has accumulated. Especially Sunday, Denver was in obvious passing formation and the D-Line could just go after Wilson for nearly three straight quarters without having to be concerned about play action, draws, or any type of run, and yet only managed to get one sack. As they play the Bills, Eagles, and Chiefs they’ll have to get pressure on the QB to slow those offenses, lets hope Fangio can come up with a solution.

McDaniel’s play calling is exquisite. I for one loved that he went for it on 4th and short early and from his own side of the fifty. Did I like that he gave the ball to Ingold twice when Achane and Mostert had already established they could slice Denver to pieces? No. But I like that he went for it. The D held Denver and Payton chose to play safe and punt, Miami got the ball back nearly where they left it on 4th down. I have said it for years and will continue to repeat it ad-nauseum, punts are for pansies. I despise the terms “they forced a punt” or “forced a 3 and out.” The defense has no ability to force the offense to punt. The offense must choose to give the ball back. In some instances it is the right decision strategically, in many, if not most, it is not. Miami on the season is averaging 8.4 yards per play. 4th and 4 or less should almost be an automatic “go for it” from anywhere from your own 40 yard line on.

My favorite play of the game was when he called the no-look shovel pass, again. Fool them once, great job you; Fool them twice, nana nana boo boo.

Running Backs: (A++++); Achane only having a handful of touches in the first two games is perplexing after watching that display yesterday. But when you are 2-0 and putting up large offensive numbers without him, it is hard to criticize too strongly. If Achane is the weapon he was on Sunday, along side Mostert, Miami will have the most balanced lethal attack in the NFL. The offensive line is creating lanes, the backs are spotting the holes, and their speed is turning scampers into sprints. The MAchane show combined for 375 yards and 8 touch downs. Miami had 389 total yards in their week two win. I don’t have a grade high enough.

Receivers: (A); Seven different receivers caught a pass, five had over thirty yards receiving, and four different had a touch down catch. Hill of course was the leader. With Waddle being ruled out, everyone and their mother knew he would carry the load, yet it took only three plays for him to break free for a fifty plus yard score. That is poor preparation at it’s peak. Truthfully, this grade could be higher too, but the plus signs are becoming redundant. As I mentioned last week, if the run game is effective, this offense nears unstoppable territory, if the run game is as explosive as this core of catchers? Well, we saw the historic result.

Defense: (A+); The defense was outstanding. Holding a team to 13 offensive points as previously discussed equals a victory nine out of ten games; even for the Jets. Doing it with the number one offense in football? Resulted in one of the most lopsided games I have ever witnessed. I’ve never seen the Heat win by forty, I’m not even sure I’ve seen any NBA team lead by fifty! The play that broke the Broncos, was the fumble and recovery at the end of the half. The game was already nearing “out of reach” territory, giving them another seven points with barely a minute to go in the half transformed the Denver Broncos from stallion to gelding. That they would punt down 30, 40, and 50 points proved they all had quit, including the head coach. Maybe Nathaniel couldn’t hack it, but this Payton is no Manning.

Special Teams: (C); I know it was inconsequential to the outcome, but giving up a kickoff return for a touch down will always bring down the Special Teams grade. The same way I had to dock this unit in weeks one and two for the egregious missed kicks by Sanders, this break down in coverage was the lone blemish on an otherwise spotless team performance.

Quarterback: (A+); Tua was perfect in the first half. Nearly as good in the second. Finishing the game with 300+ passing yards, 4 touch down passes, and 0 interceptions is Dean’s List worthy any week. Doing it in three quarters of a fifty point annihilation? Well that is MVP-esque. I called Tua a “quality QB” last week and I stand by that assessment. He is a quality QB, and in this league, those are hard to come by. Yesterday was a “Flawless Victory” and I hope this week will be another. Miami with a healthy starting Tua is most assuredly a Super Bowl contender and as I also mentioned in my evaluation of him after week II, will be fighting for home field through out the playoffs. Keep him upright O-Line. Please, for the love of all DolFans.

Officials: (-); Not really much to say here. How much influence can/do they have when a team loses 70-20? Denver fans probably wished they enacted a mercy rule, I wish they would’ve pulled a fútbol move and added five or ten more minutes, I could’ve kept watching all afternoon.

Overall: (A++); Undefeated. Sunday went beyond that however. When you accomplish something that hasn’t been done in nearly sixty years and not since the AFL-NFL merger, a simple “A” doesn’t give it justice. Miami is looking more and more like a really good team. They have six weeks until their bye and play both defending league champions: the Eagles and the Chiefs on the road in that stretch, along with this week’s game at Buffalo will go a long way in determining just how good, or great, they have become. Even a great team would struggle to win all three of those very difficult road games, but 2-1 in those games while continuing to take care of the “lesser” teams along the way? Don’t be shocked if the Dolphins are resting in November with an 8-1 or better record.