Week 7. We’re already in week 7. We’re already nearly close to being half over with this NFL 2018 season. For some fans of other teams in the league, they’re flying high and looking forward to every Sunday with glee because they can’t wait to see their team go out there and play like an actual NFL football team for an entire 60 minutes. We Miami fans, sort of had that feeling for the first 3 weeks although you can say that in a few of those games, the Dolphins only played well for a half or even just a quarter. Must be nice to be a fan of a team that you know when they’re out there, that they are going to be sharp and if they’re not, then they will be. And even if they lose, you know that the following week they will be looking to inflict their will on the sorry opponent who had to play them following a loss. Must be nice. Sadly, we’ve haven’t had that for most of my sports viewing life, which spans 25 years and we certainly don’t have that now. No, we have the exact opposite of all of that. We have a team that when they underperform they’ll follow that up with an even bigger kick to the nads as Coach Gase would say. This week Miami hosts the Bears of Chicago in what feels like a game between teams going in opposite directions. Chicago, led by 2nd year QB Mitch Trubisky is playing well and is coming off a 6 TD game and is ascending whereas Miami, who is led by 7th year QB Ryan Tannehill, is free falling coming off a 3-turnover game. If Miami would drop this game, their 3rd loss in a row, that would put them at 3-3 and would suck whatever confidence, attitude or swag they had left from a few weeks ago. Losing will open themselves up for some uncomfortable question such as is Ryan going to be the starter going forward and the whispers of how hot Gase’s seat is will begin to be asked just a bit louder. Fortunately, I’m here to lay out 5 dynamite goals that if followed will put the Dolphins in the driver’s seat to becoming 4-2 and honestly if you told me before the season that after 6 weeks Miami would be 4-2, I would of said “alright then, we got something here.”

Don’t do stupid things

This goal goes for everybody because I feel that everyone would be better if they eliminated doing stupid things including me. I wish I didn’t polish off my dinner tonight with 8 cookies because I know that’s going to come back on me later on. Dumb move and I shouldn’t have done it and I’ll do everything I can not to have a repeat performance l̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶o̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶ tomorrow. I’m writing this goal for everybody but, I’m only of thinking of one guy and that’s the guy who is in the second version of himself. He absolutely cannot in any shape or form have another INT where he tried getting rid of the ball under duress and spike it into a lineman only for the ball to take a magic bullet like ricochet into the arms of a defensive linemen for a TD. Just don’t do it. I can’t live through another one of those in consecutive weeks. It’s one thing to lose, but it’s a completely different story to have a completely dumb and embarrassing play attached to the loss that everyone can bring up when they’re cutting your team down because what kind of a comeback is there for that? The answer is there isn’t one. Also, not doing stupid things is good for the team and will put you in a better position to win games.

#FreeGesicki

I told you last week that the #FreeGesicki movement will be a part of my goals for this team every week until Gase and the boys do what’s best for everyone and unleash him on the masses. Last week Gesicki had 3 catches for 26 yards. That’s not freeing Gesicki. When those Filipino kids were trapped in that cave, the rescuers didn’t just get a couple of them, they got all of them. 3 catches aren’t going to get it done. You need to go all the way with Mike Gesicki. Gase did have this to say about him today…

Hey great, he’s improving his blocking. That’s some great cherries on top of a beautiful sundae that is made up with athleticism on top of really good hands. Use what got him to the dance and this offense can be that more dangerous. Fail to do so, and you will continue to hear me and the rest of the #FreeGesicki movement calling for what is right. Like that old SNL skit of Adam Sandler having the talk show dedicated to getting his ex-girlfriend back, Shannen Doherty, we will be calling for the Dolphins to involve Gesicki more in the offense until he is being involved in the Dolphins offense.

The defense has to understand that life isn’t fair and also understand that they may have to do everything

The score was 27-17 but defense only gave up 13 points. That should be enough to win a game especially when you’re up 17-3 in the 4th quarter. That really should be enough. But for Miami, it’s sadly not. For the most part this year and I say most part because they got lit up by the Patriots, the defense has been playing very stout. Causing turnovers and making big plays was what this unit was doing, but they haven’t been getting much help from the offense. They haven’t gotten much help from the offense and there’s no reason to expect that to happen any time soon. It is great if the defense stopped giving up weird plays where the QB is getting smashed and just heaves the ball in the air where the ball stays in the air for what seems like an hour and then safely falls into the arms of a person from the other team for a TD. Probably should have put this in the Don’t do stupid things portion of this blog.

Have a plan for Khalil Mack because he is really good at demolishing O-lines thus he’s really good at demolishing QBs

Hey, it was great not having to deal with Mack when Miami played the Raiders because super smart coach Jon Gruden felt that Mack wasn’t the kind of pass rusher that would work well for what he’s trying to do on defense, which is to sack the QB, only to be traded to the Bears who Miami plays this week. Miami’s swiss cheese blocking approach last week, which was helped by inserting Sam Young into the lineup after Tunsil got KOd, better have some sort of a game plan to handle Mack. The new Bears LB has 5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles on the year. It is in Miami’s best interest to identify where he is on the field at all times. Use everything they got to get in his way. Getting this guy back will also help…

Play the game like this is a make or break game because it is

I don’t know what the stats say about teams that start 3-3 and what their odds are of making the playoffs. I don’t care what they are. Sunday’s game is the season. Lose on Sunday and you might as well say goodbye to 2018 and figure out what you’re going to do in 2019. Sure, it’s possible to lose and still get into the playoffs, but I have no reason to think that could happen other than that Miami would still be mathematically still in it, which automatically gets them a one way ticket to “in the hunt” land. That’s a place where Miami has permanent residence in. Lose on Sunday and like I said earlier, the questions about Ryan’s status become very real and more in Gase’s face. His answers, which a few weeks ago to a question of whether or not Ryan was going to be his starter would have been absolutely, will start to be something like “we’re going to evaluate everybody, or all options are on the table.” Then questions about what does Ross think about keeping Gase will begin to circulate throughout the south Florida media. This is what starts to get put in motion if Miami loses this game. They also fall in the standings and that’s not good either. Come out with some pride and impose your will for once on a team and leave no doubt. Make losing not an option. Be gritty, be sharp, be a team that cares on the field not a team that tells me they care after the game is over. Do that and follow the rest of my goals and 4-2 is a real possibility.

PS- Here’s a video of the Sandler skit. It’s a really funny skit that totally shows what it’s like to be a part of the #FreeGesicki movement.

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