If you were to try and decide which roller coaster the 2018 Miami Dolphins are, I think you would have to choose Steel Force from Dorney Park. The beginning of the ride is this big rise up, something like 200ft. and then straight down. Take that part of the ride and multiply it by 100 and you have the 2018 Miami Dolphins. Week to week they’re just one big up and down roller coaster over and over again. They get roughed up by the Patriots and Bengals, then they beat the Bears in dramatic fashion. Everything seems lined up for them to beat the Lions at home on Sunday, only to get outplayed every which way. The natural feeling is to think that there is no way Miami goes on the road to Houston, with all these injuries and ridiculous but typical situations that seem to always follow the Dolphins and hang with the Texans who have won 4 straight games. But this team will probably go out there, shock the world, win the game and have everyone confused on how it happened because why the hell not. This team is all about proving folks wrong while also letting down the die-hards. If Miami is actually serious about beating the red-hot Texans, accomplishing these goals that I am laying out for them will certainly put them in position to do just that.

The front 7 have to respond from last week’s throttling by the Lions’ o-line and not except getting mauled.

Look, I’m rather sure the Dolphins’ front seven didn’t intentionally give up 248 yards rushing. But, it’s completely within reason that their approach to stopping the typically pedestrian Lions’ running game was ill advised. Watching only a little bit of the game highlights show that Miami had a terrible time setting the edge. That’s to say that the defensive ends were consistently jumping inside instead of having any kind of outside contain. Doing that lets even the worst of running teams have all day to run the ball. This week sees former Dolphin Lamar Miller in a sort of revenge game. Miller has been just alright this year, but last week he had 100 yards against the Jaguars. So, he’s very capable of running all over Miami. Maybe Quinn, Wake, McMillan, Baker, Alonso and the rest of the front seven decide that they don’t like to be thought of just another defensive unit and physically push back the Texans 0-line. Or, they get ripped apart again and Miami plays from behind, again. Oh, an actually getting to the QB, something they call a sack wouldn’t hurt either. I’m told Wake and Quinn are supposed to be good at doing that. And yeah, I know Wake is getting older and has done a lot for this franchise, but when you say you’re going to be Santa and you do nothing to warrant such a claim, I’m going to ask you to back it up.

Maybe think about scoring points early

Would you like to know how many points the Dolphins average a game in the 1st quarter? Of course, you do. The 2018 Miami Dolphins average a blistering 2 points a 1st quarter this year. If you’re keeping score at home that’s down from their solid 2.6 points a game that they put up in 2017. You’d think the Dolphins’ offense were one of those running backs that get better as the game goes on. I simply can’t put my finger on why they can’t start with any confidence other than they don’t perform well unless they have too. In the late 3rd and 4th quarter, when they are typically losing, the offense has to play fast. In the 1st quarter, the game is still around 0-0. No real pressure I suppose. How about playing like the game can be lost in the 1st quarter because it very well can. I’d love to finish a 1st quarter with 10 points. That’s something that multiple teams do every week. I don’t think Miami has done that since the Ford administration. Thursday is the perfect time to break that alleged stat.

#FreeGesicki even though he’s on the injury report

 

Gesicki had his best game as a pro on Sunday with a whopping 3 catches for 44 yards. It’s a start and the #FreeGesicki movement have no choice but to take it. Our cause took a hit when Gesicki took a hit and wound up on the injury report. He practiced in full today, so it appears he will be ready to go.

Others however, are not good to go. No Still, no Harris, no Wilson a questionable Derby makes for an uphill battle especially for the offense. Miami promoted WR Leonte Carro from the practice squad. You remember Carro don’t ya? He was the guy Miami traded up for in the 3rd round in 2016 who has a well-rounded 10 catches for 98 yards and a TD in 28 games. Now he joins a receiving core that is Amendola, Grant, Gesicki, Drake, Derby, O’Leary and the return of DeVante Parker. Yes, the guy has only played in two games so far this year because he was dealing with some really bad injuries, who was a healthy scratch this past Sunday, who has been the discussion of many trade talks, whose agent said on Sunday night that Adam Gase is incompetent for keeping his client out is going to be heavily relied on to carry Miami’s pass catchers. For now, Parker is saying all the right things but if he balls out on Thursday that’ll be the best talking he can do. I personally, believe Parker has tons of talent, he just can’t get out of his own way. Hope Thursday is the day he takes his career seriously and shows what he can do if he’s featured.

Gase needs to open the playbook even if he thinks he can’t

I agree, Miami’s has a ton of injuries. They have injuries all over the offense. From the 0-line, to the WRs, to the QBs. So like vigilante Blade said, some suckers like to ice skate uphill. Gase isn’t a vampire (I think) but he has once again been given a roster that anybody would have a difficult time to work with. But, that’s why he gets paid the big bucks. I’m sure he feels that with the injuries upfront, that there’s only so much he can squeeze out of the running game. I know with the loss of his starting QB for the second year in a row he understands that the whole playbook just isn’t an option. And now, with the loss of Wilson for the year and Stills for at least this week, he’s thinking there’s only so much that can be realistically accomplished with this group. But, he needs to use that big brain he has and figure something out. It’s not like the Texans defense are world beaters or anything. They’re a middle of the road squad that can be scored on. Change some things up. Maybe go no huddle right out the gate. Use a trick play to get everyone humming. Something other than the predictable short throws and runs up the middle. Give it a shot. It might just score some points early. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Osweiler has something to prove so let him do it

Yeah Osweiler was signed by the Texans to a $72m contract and Osweiler pretty much did nothing to warrant 2% of it and was promptly traded as soon as Houston could find someone to take him. Osweiler has been a punching bag pretty much his entire career. He signed with Miami mainly because he knew Gase’s system. Naturally, the stars aligned and was thrust into the starting role. Since that happened, the Brocksmen has actually played well. Like when it was found out that Howard Stern’s ratings were surprisingly going up when it appeared that he would flop with NBC, Osweiler has been decent. He made the plays that needed to be made against the Bears and he was not the reason Miami lost last week. The throw he made for the TD to Amendola was near heavenly. Let Osweiler gain more confidence by having confidence in him. As much as I’m sure Gase doesn’t want to, if he wants to jump out to an early lead for once, he needs to trust the Brocketship. Yes, Brock doesn’t have a deep ball, but he does stand in the pocket with poise. Let his receivers get open and give him the opportunity to hit them with the ball. Not many are going to bury Gase if he loses with Osweiler though he was the guy he went out and got to backup Ryan. You know Brock wants to stick it to Clowney and the rest of the Texans. Let him do it because sports is weird enough to let Brock make the Texans look stupid. I’d love to see that and so do you.

 

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