A buffet of emotions is what I and I’m sure every Dolphin’s fan experienced during the entire day of October 14, 2018. Every emotion on the emotion spectrum was touched upon. Jimmy V said that if you laugh, cry and think once a day then you have lived a full day. If that’s true, and I have no reason to doubt a man of Jimmy V’s perspective, then I lived at least 3,000 years. I laughed, I cried, I really thought about some stuff, I sulked, I jumped for joy, I bullied my TV, I pontificated, I doubted, I accepted, I lost control, I made excuses, I danced, I questioned, I tough talked my TV, I grit my teeth and clinched my fists, I spoke to myself, and I hoped. I did it all yesterday. The roller coaster that was the Miami Dolphins was a non-stop thrill ride that still has me trying to figure out exactly what happened. All I know is that we’re six weeks into the 2018 season and for all the stupid, ridiculous, seemingly avoidable things that happened over the last two weeks, the Dolphins are 4-2. I said earlier in the week, that if you were to tell me before the season, that with this cast Miami would be 4-2 after six weeks, I’d say giddy up. Sure, the last two weeks, I crushed this team inside and out because they deserved it. I went in on dumb mistake after dumb mistake. I’ll continue to do that even in this blog. But, there’s a lot to speak highly about this week and after a day to truly reflect as deeply as I have done, that’s what we’re going to do. Now please, have a seat, take a breath reflect with me.

1. If you noticed in the first sentence, I said that we Dolphin fans experienced an entire day yesterday because things got started a about 90 minutes before the game started. That’s when we all learned that Ryan Tannehill wasn’t going to play because of a shoulder injury. Honestly, I knew he was put on the injury report earlier in the week, but no one really thought much of it and figured he’d easily play. Apparently, the injury was too much for him to go. Obviously, there’s some tough questions to be asked here and Gase has the answer for you

Some folks love that Gase did this. Personally, he looks like a guy who knows a bit more of what’s going on but doesn’t want to say it because if you’re Gase you know the questions are coming and I know he has an aspiration to be a bit like Belichick. So, that being said, he should have just said something in his non-excited tone something like; “we’ll evaluate Ryan tomorrow and see where we’re at”, and just keep repeating it over and over again. Works every time for Bill.

The emotion of laughter came over me when I realized that the Brocksmen Brock Osweiler was going to be leading the Dolphins with the vaunted Bears pass rush equipped with the beast they call Khalil Mack coming after him with an offensive line that got mauled continuously last week against the Bengals. I love me some of the 6’7 signal caller, but I had logical doubt that he couldn’t put enough points up. Man was I ever wrong. Brock did everything you can ask for out of the backup QB. He was prepared, and ready to go. His stat line was a nice one with the Brocket Ship blasting off for 380 yards, 3 TDS, 2 INTs. Yeah, a lot of those yards were amassed after his receivers caught the ball and got serious YAC, but he still got the ball. He hung in the pocket, got hit, got back up, and didn’t play scared and also didn’t take a sack.

What happens going forward is anyone’s guess and by anyone, I mean Adam Gase. I’d bet some coin he knows exactly who he’s going with next week against the Lions and I bet it will be Osweiler. I think this is the perfect way to get out from under Tannehill. Not that Osweiler is better than him, he’s probably the slightest of notches under Ryan in terms of talent. But, if the team is going to respond to Brock, I see Gase letting the second version of Tannehill get all the rest he needs and then go back to him if and when Brock ends up being the Brock Osweiler we all know. Maybe Tannehill gets a fire lit under him because of this and if and when he comes back is the spark, like a you hope a backup could be. Gase is playing some serious poker playing the long game when it comes to Tannehill if my theory is true. Slow playing like you read about.

2. Confirmed: Brock Osweiler doesn’t have as strong as an arm as Tannehill. It’s either that or Brock loves old technology because he telegraphed this ball like no ball was ever telegraphed before. It looks like Brock must put everything he has to get the ball there and it was still behind the receiver.

3. The real star of the day goes to the O-Line. They kept Brock clean throughout the day for the most part. They didn’t allow a sack and they also shoved the big bad d-line of the Bears back for the tune of 161 yards rushing, I honestly don’t know how they did it. We all saw them last week just look completely lost out there against the Bengals. To be able to turn things around the way did in one week, with who they have out there was extremely impressive.

4. Old man Gore is now the featured back and I think it has to stay that way until he starts getting stuffed, which may be never. Gore ran with power, vision and more power earning 115 yards on 15 carries. Just look at this 35 year old RB whip up on these young dudes.

Frank is feeling good, so it makes sense to keep riding the hot hand. Expect to see more of Gore being the featured back.

5. That being all said, it means Kenyan Drake is the change up and 3rd down back for now. I’ve been saying for a few weeks that Miami needs to get him more involved in all aspects of the offense. He had 17 total touches. That’s about where they’re going to keep him. And you know what there’s a reason why Gore is the starting running back and it’s clear as day on this play. No not the one you’re thinking of.

As soon as I saw this play, I said right there. Right there is why he’s not the featured back because he doesn’t take what’s there enough like Gore is geared too. Chicks dig the long ball ,but sometimes singles are they way to go. It’s a long season and Drake will still be a part of this offense. I wouldn’t even doubt if he’s more of a contributor the later we get in the season. He should be plenty rested.

6. To many dropped balls by the receivers. Wilson had one in the first quarter on a 3rd down that if he caught, it would have been a big play. Grant and Amendola also had a drop. Miami, typically, isn’t good enough to leave plays on the field. Lets hope they go to the jugs machine and rekindle their past relationship with it.

7. Albert Wilson needs the ball in his hands more often. Entering into the court exhibit A and B.

 

The two passes traveled about 8 combined but Wilson got out from behind his fence and did the rest on his own. That’s why he was brought here. Not to take the top of the defense but to infiltrate the defense and come out the other side. He’d probably be a great spy. The one thing you can definitively say about Wilson, besides that he’s outshining Jarvis Landry, is that he’s …

8. When the NFL Network makes a top 10 of the best moments of Danny Amendola getting absolutely demolished, this play will easily be #1

9. As per @Joe_W_Dolphins, DeVante Parker is easily the most intercepted against receiver of all time. Its mind numbing that when he’s in the game, there’s a really good chance that a ball will get thrown at him and will get caught by the other team. I shouldn’t have that much dread when he’s in there.

10. Being the grandson of the 2nd greatest golfer of all time (no not, Roy McAvoy) is pretty cool Being Miami’s new starting TE and bailing them out is even cooler, I think. Nick O’Leary is now Miami’s starting TE going forward and as much as it pains me to see it because it means my guy Mike Gesicki will probably somehow get less targets, perhaps it’s for the best. O’Leary had 4 cathches for 49 yards and Miami’s first TD. He blocked very well as well. He can be a solid H-back going forward and I wouldn’t hate it if he lined up at FB and lead blocked. That’s what I think he can do. This doesn’t mean that the #FreeGesicki movement is put on hold. He still needs to be unleashed over the middle to actually use that part of the field, but it means that our fight to get Gesicki more involved is going to be harder. I’m up for the challenge.

10. The defense played very well in the first half. The score was 7-0 Miami going into the 3rd. They stuffed the running game, kept Trubisky out of rhythm all while having some awful calls go against them on 3rd down.

11. The second half, mainly the first 10 minutes of the 3rd quarter was a different story. Miami’s defense made the Bears look like the Patriots by making it look like they can flip the offensive switch whenever they want and just abuse anybody whenever they wanted. They made the Bears coaching staff look like geniuses by getting the ball to Cohen as often as possible. I hate it because we all knew they would try to do that.

Jonathan Woodard, another practice squad guy, recorded his first sack of his career. Sadly, he suffered the dreaded c-word. The d-line is already rife with injuries. For everyone’s sake, I hope he’s ready to go next week because he might be a keeper.

Vincent Taylor is also looking like a late round steal. He got a sack as well and is part of a unit that is playing solid against the run. Against the pass was a different story. There were many times that it felt like Mitch had days to throw the ball. They need Cam Wake back and Quinn needs to let his presence known.

12. Reshad Jones is a man. He’s a man that likes to punish other men. He’s a man that does stuff like this on the reg

I thought that Cohen was easily getting that first down and then like a missile, Jones fired in and brought him down. Seems like Jones makes a play like this every week. I’m cool with him keeping that trend up. He nearly snagged that INT at the end of the game. I bet he thinks he should have had it. I think he’s due for one of those blitzes where he knifes in and buries a QB. I’m expecting that next week against the statue that is Stafford.

13. Not too much to say about Xavien Howard other than the Bears wanted nothing to do with him the entire game. That was smart on that part because of observation 14.

14. Torry McTyer is some sort of awful out there. It felt like Trubisky was going after and completing pass after pass to Taylor Gabriel who was being covered by McTyer because he 1,000,000% was completing pass after pass to Taylor Gabriel who was being covered by McTyer. You’re telling me that there isn’t someone on the roster better than him? That there isn’t someone out in free agency just sitting around that isn’t better than him? That Tankersley isn’t better than him because if he’s not, he has to go too. You can’t have a team pick on the same guy all day. It’s not fair to everyone and this should be about fairness.

15. TJ McDonald, made a great play stepping in front of the only big mistake Mitchapalooza made all day. It was a major play that stopped what looked like a game sealing Bears TD and morphed into the first TD that Wilson had. McDonald is having a sneaky good year and he’s not getting paid a ton to do it. We’ll take that.

16. Kiko Alonso is playing at a pro bowl level. He led the team in tackles once again and created another turn over by causing a fumble on the goal line. The guy is on a real heater. Is he a liability in pass coverage, sure is, but he makes up for it by making impact plays.

17. There was a pretty loud Bears chant in Miami Gardens. I was completely indifferent towards it because I’ve heard that before. Not the first time a visiting team’s fans gets louder than than the Miami fans and it won’t be the last.

18. Cody Parkey might be the clutchest player Miami has ever had. Without Miami signing Parkey back in 2017 and then releasing him, the wheels would have never been put in motion for him to miss two kicks resulting in victories for the Dolphins. The everything happens for a reason crowd will be all about this take.

19. On the contrary, Jason Sanders, who hasn’t been asked to kick to many FGs this year, eats and drinks for free, for this week. He made a 50 yarder earlier in the game and then every tortured Dolphin’s fan thinking the worst because no way he makes that kick, right? Right?

As Gorilla Monsoon would say, this place was going bananas. Sanders is perfect this year on FGs and I think he’s going to be needed to win a few more games. Like, it’ll be all on him.

20. Not sure how to feel about Gase. Miami won and all that, but the play calling is Highly Suspect. Couple of reasons why. 1st, how you keep forcing the WR screen to Wilson after he made those big plays as if the Bears didn’t know they were coming was baffling. Yes, Wilson should be more involved, and you should ride his hot hand, but going to him over and over again with the same play is dumb. You’re telling me that that you don’t have the idea to maybe run that screen but have a slant or post working behind it? Come on, I have that thought and I’m a lowly freshmen football coach. 2nd, Drake was rolling them on one of the last drives with a few nice runs and then you take him out to put Gore in. Why? Keep feeding him if he’s producing. Lastly and the biggest error of them all, why oh why on 2nd and goal, in overtime, needing a score to win, from inside the one yard line, after Gore just put the team on his back to get you there, do you take him out to put Drake in when you should easily be able to run a QB sneak with your 6’7 QB? That shouldn’t be that hard to figure out. Maybe Gore was gassed. Okay, but sneak it with Brock. Drew Brees does it all the time and he’s half his size. You got lucky that the outcome of the game went in our favor because you’d be getting crushed for that, not that I think you care, but still, you’d be having to answer for it.

21. Can’t feel any better for Drake. The guy entered a world of sadness and he got a reprieve like none other. Love father Frank coming in telling him everything will be okay.

Self-Actualization- I could of wrote 50 more observations about this game. It had everything you want in a football game if you’re into having your emotions played with like the Scarlet Witch was in your head. 4-2 is what Miami is and I’ll take it. I don’t know what the rest of the season will bring. My guess is more gut-wrenching moments that’ll take years off my life. That’s fine. At least it will keep me into it the whole way through. With a weak AFC, I think this team will be gunning for one of the wildcard spots. Who’s going to be the QB is still up in the air, though I think Gase and his slow playing of Tannehill is the hand he’s going to play. We’re onto Detroit, a team that quite literally doesn’t run any real offensive plays besides just get open. It’s a winnable game and it’s a home game. I say, Miami should go out and win it. Whatever happens going forward is written in the stars. As for October 14, 2018, this young man was all of us.

Follow me @2ndSatSports

 

BE SURE TO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK:  CLICK HERE