If I were to of done a quarterly report of the Dolphins, you would of seen a sharp line graph with each position group having a blue line start out above average, except TE’s and RB’s, gaining momentum, trending upwards only to abruptly fall off a cliff like someone just lost the yodeling game from The Price Is Right. That’s what happened last week. Our cliffhanging yodeler did a Peter Pan and everything the Dolphins built for the first three weeks was erased. Not gonna lie, as I sit here writing this, it’s tough to be 100% in on believing Miami can win this week. So much going against them right now. They have an injury report that would have Hawkeye Pierce so fed up with this crazy war that he’d forget to flirt with Hot Lips. They just cut a guy in Jordan Phillips for not just under performing, but under performing while also being a cry baby. Their QB has once again found himself as being heralded as a guy who might just be a top 20ish QB who also can’t beat any team that is considered good. Everyone in the world were close to believing in Miami but wanted to see how they’d fare against the Patriots on the road because they weren’t ready to trust them, and they were shown to be right about having some doubt. So as of right now, I can pretty much believe anything negative that could happen with this team can and will happen. I wouldn’t even be surprised to wake up with my head sewn to the carpet. That’ how things are going. A very pessimistic approach I know, but I’m trying. I’m trying really hard to be the Shepard. I’m trying to not feel like all is lost, that Miami is still currently 3-1 and it’s possible to go to Cincinnati and pull out a win even though it looks improbable. Fortunately, there is a path Miami can take that will put them in position to start a new trend and that’s by following my essential 5 goals.

Show Up 

Seems like an easy one am I right? Show up. Literally, show up for work and do what you’re told. This is something that 99% of us have to at least 5 days a week for life. So when Miami has to God forbid go and play a good team on the road, they’re expected to act like they want to be there and show up. We plainly saw that is not what happened last week. Very few showed up and the game was over in 30 minutes. Can’t have that this week. The Bengals may not be a crisp as the Patriots, but they’re very capable of lighting the Dolphins up in a hurry. The Bengals have a game already this year against the Ravens where they scored 21 points in a matter of minutes in the first half. So, if you come out of the tunnel thinking that you just need to get into the flow of them game before making your mark, you might be too late. Best to just come out like your head is on fire and get after it right from the get-go. Also, and I know this is one of the 7 deadly sins, but have a little pride here. Having some pride here won’t land you in a field begging to know what’s in the box, but it might help everyone on the team step up their game.

Take the whole next man up mantra and crank it up to 11

The one that pops out there is one of the biggest leaders on the team Cam Wake is listed as doubtful. Seeing that this week sent shivers up my spine because even though he’s having an underwhelming season, we need him out there for so many reasons. We already know that Kilgore is out for the season so the fierce duo of Swanson and Larson have to hold their own against a physical defensive line of the Bengals. DeVante Parker is still hanging on to his injury status, which is putting him in the running as a decent bet to be released during the *3rd Annual Adam Gase October Purge. A positive welcome back will be getting this guy back…

Miami desperately needs one of their other big-time leaders back with the injury to Bobby McCain, Reshad Jones back to anchoring the secondary is exactly what Miami needs especially with AJ Green looking to do a repeat performance of what he did 2 years ago. Overall, all the new guys signed off the practice squad like Nick O’Leary and others need to come in and hold their own. I don’t think I’m being selfish in wanting that.

#FreeGesicki

This will be one of the teams’ goals until ̶m̶y̶ our demands are met. If football is a poker game and Mike Gesicki is the equivalent of flopping a set, then Gase is doing his best Mike McD impersonation because he’s slow playing this hand like nobody has ever slow played trips in their life. I hate watching a guy like Eric Ebron, a guy who’s a pretty good TE on Thursday, get lined up all over the field and actually have the ball thrown to him like it was supposed to happen. I think, “why can’t Gesicki be thought enough to do that? Is he really not capable of running 12 yards and run an out or in cut? Isn’t that precisely why you drafted him? You made an effort to get the ball to Julius Thomas last year and he could barely move.” With the injury to Derby you’d think that Gesicki would be expected to do more, but last week was a big no on that thought. Explore the middle of the field with Gesicki and good things will happen. That or you think Teddy KGB has set a bear trap and you won’t take the bait, which is involving Gesicki more because you know something I will not believe.

Look to see if you have a guy named Kenyan Drake on the team and if you find him, run the ball with him.

8 carries. 8 carries is how many carries Drake has gotten the last two weeks. To put that into some kind of perspective, 30 guys had 9 or more carries just last week. That is not a good thing. Yes, there are some circumstances that are going against any establishment of a running game which are missing starting o-linemen, the game flow of some games especially last week wasn’t conducive to running the ball as the game kept getting away from Miami. But, it goes without saying that Miami needs to find a running game. I understand not wanting to beat a dead horse here, but when that horse keeps mustering enough energy to get out one little breath, then you need to stay on it. Run the ball and maybe run don’t run everything out of the gun. Might not be the strong suit for this 0-line.

Find Tackling Fuel

Anyone who watched last week’s attempt at a sporting contest saw the Dolphins do something that they didn’t do in the previous three games and that was miss tackle after tackle after tackle. So many times, Michel would be met in the hole only to do a little sneak shimmy and get by a LB, or Patterson would catch a screen pass and make Mctyer and others whiff. Like most things that could go against the Dolphins during a game, missed tackles is something this group can’t overcome. Run your feet, wrap up and don’t make 3 yards gains into 9-yard gains. Easier said than done, but something that needs to be done. So, whoever the Miami defenders need to envision to get themselves motivated to go out and bring ball carries to the ground, do it. if you have to envision Dalton, Bernard, Green, Boyd, Kroft as media members that you just want to destroy, do it. Whatever your tackling fuel is, embrace it.

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