The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

I have two main worries about the team thus far. The defensive backfield and our running game. The latter is the more complex and more interesting. It's also dragging down the passing game by taking away the deep threat. Per Sparano, opposing defenses played with two safeties deep on something like 80% of the plays (and a lot of the 20% would surely be short-yardage situations).

Our running game sucks. Let's face it.

And it's not just about R&R... Ronnie started out well, but now Ricky is playing better. That's not the problem... they're both very mediocre overall this season.

I'm convinced the problem stems from offensive line play and Henning's play calling. Allow me to elaborate...

Last year, we were in the top 2 in both "power" situations and in not getting stuffed. This year, we're down close to league average. That's not R&R -- or even Polite. That's mostly the O-line.

(We suck in "open field" yards, but that's always been the case with R&R -- just not that type of runner and without exceptional 2nd level help, they're not going to break big runs on regular basis.)

Runs to the right were the biggest problem (with an otherwise good running game) last year and if you look past the insane start-10-yards-deep sweep left plays Henning has called for Ronnie this year, the pattern is the same.

Now, the majority of our runs this year (> 60%) have been between the guards and the line has done an excellent job on those. It really is a question of what plays Henning is calling... Runs behind Jake Long and up the gut... we're doing great! But we've run far less behind Long than behind right tackle -- and those runs have sucked. Part of it is where the tight end help is, part of it is Carey needing to pick up some slack from McQuistan... but that's ultimately irrelevant. Henning needs to call more of the plays that are working and fewer of the ones that aren't.

Yes, I really do believe it's that simple.

(And smack Ronnie around a bit to get him to stop dancing quite so much... or just use Ricky... but whoever is in there, the O-line needs to step up and Henning needs to call plays that address the strengths, not the weaknesses... so no lame-ass sweeps and no trying to run behind Carey/McQuistan...)

I think I agree, we need to throw out the 1966 Green Bay Packers Vince Lombardi running game out of our play book (plays that take forever to set up),and run more quick hitters.

Is it possible that those stats are skewed based on the fact that the wildcat when we were running it was run almost exclusively off right tackle?

We got rid of Smiley, Grove, and Thomas..........why? We were the #1 rushing team in the NFL last year and in an UNCAPPED year we started pinching pennies.

Yes Smiley and Grove were overpaid (contracts we gave them mind you) but in an uncapped year there was no reason to get rid of them.

Combine making our o-line weaker we also have an injury prone RB in Brown who has lost a step. And an OLD running back in Ricky who is showing his age at times.

Hence we have no running game

"(We suck in "open field" yards, but that's always been the case with R&R -- just not that type of runner and without exceptional 2nd level help, they're not going to break big runs on regular basis.)"


I pretty much agree with everything you said except this.  Our receivers and tight ends have been doing a hell of a job blocking on the second level this year.  Our backs just don't seem to be able to make a guy miss.  They do a much better job of running at a stack of players and slipping into just the right spot to avoid a big hit and pick up an extra yard or two.  Nothing going on to concern opposing defenses though.

O-line isn't run blocking great, but it is good enough.  Wish we had a speedy guy like Sheets healthy right now for a different kind of look here and there.

Yes. We only have something like 25 runs marked as RT, so low sample size is certainly an issue. In fact, looking at the past couple games, Ricky seems to have had decent success with those runs (slightly lower than his average), while Ronnie's runs behind RT have been anemic (3 runs for 0, 1, and 0 yards, respectively).

It's perhaps noteworthy that ALL the success has been on "long" downs (8+ yards to go).

That meshes with what I've noted to myself when watching the games... that we're not getting any push on the right side.

I guess Since you keep spreading this crap, Someone better correct you....
A.) we were forth in the league in rushing last year,not 1st look it up on NFL.co...It's not that hard...
B.) Jake Grove was hurt in pre season,Smiley has not finished the year as the starting guard the past 2 years because of injuries (last year with a tricky shoulder),Donald Thomas while showing promise early,never blossomed past what he did in his first pre season,and also couldn't stay healthy.At this Time I've not been able to find Jake Grove, Nor Donald Thomas on any NFL Roster (not on ESPN,Pro foootball reference,CBSsportline,even a quick search)

On Jake Grove's cutting
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81a613d9/article/cutting-their-losses-dolphins-release-grove-one-year-into-deal (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81a613d9/article/cutting-their-losses-dolphins-release-grove-one-year-into-deal)

The last news on Donald Thomas was he tried out for the Giants,and then for the Steelers,but they didn't sign him....

Here's what 7 games have told me, thus far this year.  Our offensive line can't run block hardly at all.  They do okay at certain times during the game, but certainly not on a consistent basis.  We cut a few guys from the o-line to start the season, so I can only assume they were sucking...but this year's line is definitely not able to move people off scrimage on a consistent basis.  Of course, it doesn't help that Ronnie looks like he's auditioning for Dancing with the Stars almost every time he hits a hole.

This team needs to see THIS line run block if its going to be successful at all in the long run.

What I don't understand is why we run to the right so much?  I mean, shouldn't we run to the left, where our star LT is at?  When Seattle had their elite Superbowl caliber team, all they did was run to the left and it was successful.  Why can't we do the same?

because we don't have a left guard or center. So Jake Long by himself can't block 4 guys.

At least on the right Carey and Jerry are half-way decent

its crazy how the dolphins have thrown soooo much money at the offensive line over the past few years, sparano made his nfl living as an nfl o-line coach, and when it comes to run blocking the offensive line is just plain offensive.

i think the biggest problem contributing to this is that on offense the team has a serious lack of speed. they play boxed in a phone booth, and there is no speed on the outside to open things up a little. everyone on defense is bunched in tight to the line of scrimmage and it makes it harder on the running game.

basically halfway through the season, and you pretty much know what this team is and isn't. call it wannstache version 2.0. pretty good defense to keep games close, don't turn the ball over, good field goal kicker with range, slug through a drive or two in hopes of a touchdown. doesn't matter if they play buffalo or the steelers, all the games will be relatively close and come down to the last drive.

Lets be honest here folks, some of this has to do with the offensive line, but some of it has to do with the opponents as well.  We are talking about Pitt, NYJ, NE, Minn and GB.  4 of those 5 teams are ranked in the top 11 in yards per attempt and the 5th team just held the Jets, one of the best running teams in the league to 3.7 yards per carry if you don't count QB scrambles.

Ricky and Ronnie had 108 yards on 25 carries yesterday and Hartline added a 30 yard run.  Sure you would have liked to have seen a little more out of them maybe, but that's not a bad days worth of work.

The running numbers would look a LOT better if you just take out the Wildcat.

Good point, unfortunately we do have to play the Jets and Pats again.  I have noticed Ronnie dancing quite a bit more this year, probably a combination of his fault and the O-line.  Ricky seems to be running hard though, just doesn't have the power to break through some of the tackles like he use to.  I'd like to keep Ricky for another year, trade Ronnie for a couple draft picks.  Pick up a couple line prospects through the draft, and hopefully pick up a durable back through FA.

I like the idea of drafting more blue chip O-line prospects, but think the idea of getting "a couple draft picks" for Ronnie is a little unrealistic. Every trend in the NFL lately shows the devaluation of RBs in trade, and RBs with past injury issues...doubly so. I honestly don't expect to get "anything" from Ronnie or Ricky when they finally leave Miami...except an open roster spot that we can drop another new RB into.


This is a very good call. Miami faces a sickeningly brutal run-D gauntlet this season, which raises the age-old question...which came first, the ranking or the matchups?

MIA encompasses, at most, 1/7th of the defensive ranking, so I'm pretty sure that they aren't the proverbial chicken in this chicken-or-egg scenario.

It was a relatively facetious question...the match-up egg "always" comes before the rankings chicken in that sort of situation.

Ronnie will be a FA he can't be traded. Not to mention if you could trade him (which you can't) you would be lucky to get a 6th round pick for him today. Ronnie has lost a step and is on the decline. Short shelf life for NFL running backs. Ronnie has already peaked.

My Bad on the FA thing.  However, if he could be traded there is always a sucker team, errr the Vikings, that would trade a third or fourth round pick.

I pulled up all the "right guard" plays for the Cincy game and they were quite good overall. The first one comes with 7:17 remaining in the first quarter. If you have the game DVR'ed, it's actually a VERY nice play. Now, the Bengals d-line isn't exactly great, but Jerry does a good job.

We're lined up with Henne under center, inverted wishbone with Ronnie as the deep back receiving the handoff. Cincy's in a basic 4-3 with all three linebackers coming up to run block (no attempt is made to conceal it's a run), but no blitzing. Vernon Carey DOMINATES his opponent, pushing him maybe 5 yards to the side. It's clearly set up for Ronnie to primarily go with Jerry, so his block is critical. He stands up his defender and gets him back and out a yard or so. Not dominating, perhaps, but his man is effectively taken out.

This really is a sweet play and I gotta say I have some love for the inverted wishbone. Ricky and Fasano were the split backs and Ricky shot the gap to lead block for Ronnie and pushed the left linebacker back a bit. Incognito double-teamed the right defensive tackle with Berger, who released nicely and got a decent second-level block on the middle linebacker. Berger doesn't *quite* get the MLB and without him, Incognito cannot hold the right defensive tackle (not Incognito's fault... he's on the the left shoulder (as designed), so blocking him to the right is not possible). Berger has the MLB 4 yards off the line of scrimmage and that's where Ronnie gets to.

If you want to look at it as a negative nancy, you could say that Ricky and Berger didn't manage to split the linebackers enough for Ronnie to get through (Berger's linebacker actually came around his left to make the tackle while Ricky's linebacker was just clogging things up and grabbing).

Still, a sweet, powerful play and I'll take 4 yards on 1-10 any day.

Just to (not-so-)quickly run down a few of the other "right guard plays" (there were 10 such plays by Miami in the game, 9 without the Wild Cat)...

Ricky on a 2nd and 1 with 13:03 left in the 2nd quarter: Cincy in a 4-3 with the safety up to run block (so basically 4-4). Miami with Hartline lined up tight right, Fasano in motion from slot right sets up inside Hartline. Ricky and someone in an offset I. With that amount of power up front, Cincy's d-line is dominated and Jerry is freed up by Fasano taking on the defensive end (successfully) and Carey blocking the DT. Our fullback double teams Carey's DT. That's the safe play, of course, but we could've used the second level block. As it was, Incognite pull-blocked the left linebacker and didn't quite get enough of him and he made the tackle (could've used the fullback there!). Still, 6 yards before Ricky is taken down from behind.

Ronnie on a 2nd and 4 with 2:17 left in the second: Cincy showing 2 guys blitzing up the middle with the 4 front guys leaving a huge gap that they step up in pre-snap.  Ronnie as the line back in the shotgun set, with just the regular 5 Dolphins run blocking (no TE/FB help). All 6 guys on the D-line charge with one guy flying backwards. Yeah, middle linebacker on Berger is a bit of a miss-match. Unfortunately, so is John Jerry against a linebacker... Jerry gets beat by pure speed and the linebacker gets around him. The problem here was numbers. Jerry had to choose between the defensive tackle and the linebacker. Whichever one he doesn't take has a clean shot at Ronnie. Choosing the quicker guy was probably the right move, but there was no room to run for Ronnie with the DT charging up his running line and a linebacker coming around at him from the left. Fortunately, Ronnie decides NOT to dance and just bounces it to the outside and gets 13 yards by going end around (the play probably should have been marked right end and not right guard, but whatever).

Ricky on a 1st and 10 with 21 seconds left in the half, ball at midfield. Bengals in a 3-4. Miami in a pro-set with Ricky the running back and Fasano at split back, 3 receivers. Our tackles go for the second level blocks and look pretty bad (they're just too slow for that). McQuistan, in at left guard, completely misses his guy and falls down. Still, the reason Ricky only gains 4 is that Berger doesn't get the inside shoulder of his man, allowing him to make the tackle along with the linebacker McQuistan fell down in front of.

Ronnie on a 1st and 10 with 6:08 left in the third: Bengals in a 4-3 with a safety up for run support. Dolphins in the I-formation with Polite blocking for Ronnie, two TEs and a single receiver out wide. Berger starts out double-teaming the left DT with John Jerry, quickly releases and makes a nice 2nd level block. Vernon Carrey owns his opponent, pushing him out wide... and out of the play. A linebacker shoots the gap between the DT and DE and Polite delivers a hit on him. It's almost in the backfield, though, which forces Ronnie slightly more inside and causes him to basically run right into Jerry, who was doing his usual solid "holding" job. In slow motion, it's tempting to think Ronnie might've had room to cut hard right and avoid Jerry... would've been interesting because there were a lot of solid 2nd level blocks. Instead, Ronnie gets just 2 yards.

Polite on a 3rd and 1 with 4:48 left in the third: Dolphins go no-receiver on the right, Marshall tight left, splitting out Fasano to keep the D at least a little bit honest, but motioning him in to block before the snap. Cincy keep their base 4-3 in, with their cornerbacks lined up right with the D-line and looking pretty lost. Neither ever so much as touches an opponent. Dolphins in the offset I, with Polite looking very much like he's getting the ball (which he does, of course). Mastrud lined up outside the right tackle and attempts to block the DE. Not pretty. Polite is quick and an arm tackle isn't doing much. Berger struggles with his man who makes a nice spin move and in an apparent attempt to help him, Carey slams into Berger taking him out of the play. Berger's man makes the tackle right at the first down marker, but somehow Polite gets another two yards (3 total). Not pretty blocking by the Dolphins. Marshall actually takes on a DE (with help), but it's so far off the play as to not matter.

Polite on the next play, 1st and 10. The Dolphins must've like what they saw, because they dial up the exact same play (motion and everything). Cincy respond with the exact same formation. The Bengals cornerbacks repeat their "wtf are we supposed to be doing" performance, although since Marshall doesn't block, there might've been some mild touching this time around. The interior of the Dolphins line gets a bit more push this time and Polite gains 4 in a messy jumble of flailing bodies. Fasano is apparently split wide so often the announcers call Mastrud the "lone tight end" on the play. *shrug*

Ricky on a 1st and 10 with 12:02 remaining in the 4th (on Cincy's 19). Dolphins in the I with Ricky the deep back, Cobbs to block. Cincy in their usual 4-3 with a safety who drops back immediately on snap well into the endzone (reacts very slowly and tackles Ricky on the 1). Cincy really f*ck themselves on this one. Cobbs was desperately looking for someone to block, but everyone is on their ass. Both on the line at the 2nd level. The Cincy comedy of errors starts with the DT lined up a shade to Berger's right. He may not have even touched Berger, who runs right past him to get the MLB. Instead McQuistan lends the DT's momentum a helping hand and pushes him far to the left and out of harms way. Like Berger, Carey slips by his defender and eliminates the outside linebacker. Carey's DE goes unblocked since Mastrud just fakes his block and sets up in the flat instead. That DE is the key. With no one blocking him, he should've had a clean shot at Ricky, but he completely botches it. For some reason, he doesn't see that Henne handed off the ball and gets so badly out of position, Cobbs doesn't even bother blocking him. Not so much a great play by the Dolphins (although it's nice to see something other than straight-ahead blocking) as it was a bungled play by the Bengals. 18 yards for Ricky on that one.

Ronnie on a 1st and 10 with 8:58 left in the game: Dolphins in the offset I, Marshall wide left, Hartline in the slot and Fasano in motion from outside Hartline to his usual TE position. Cincy, once again, in their base 4-3 with a safety up for run support. Hartline and Marshall don't even pretend to run routes, but just screen off the cornerbacks. John Jerry and Carey double-team the left DT and push him almost 10 yards downfield. The fullback nicely picks up the safety blitz. Incognito pull blocks, decides to go upfield and takes out a linebacker. Long chases the DE around with neither looking particularly effective. Two problems on this play: Fasano is 1-on-1 with a DE, which doesn't go particularly well, and Berger doesn't get any push. The right defensive tackle and left defensive end both grab Ronnie as he tries to shoot the hole. Ronnie carries them for all 4 yards of his gain.

A few thoughts:

Fasano 1-on-1 with a DE is a 50/50 proposition at best. He really needs a bit of help to contain. He can pretty much hold the guy there, rarely getting pushed back too much, but lateral movement is a problem and he doesn't occupy the defender enough if the running back comes close.

Jerry was solid, but unspectacular, basically just standing up his opponent on every play.

McQuistan was only on the field for two of these plays. Fell down once, pushed a guy who was already off balance on the other.

Berger was probably the weakest link overall on these plays.

Carey played REALLY well.

Not too much to say about the left side of the line. The focus here was on the right.

^^^^^
Posts like this just freak me out. fyo ... that's a lot of effort for a message board.  :D

Probably not necessary to quote the whole damn thing ;)

Anyway, I like looking at line play. I also like jotting down what I'm seeing because by the time I've looked at more than a couple of plays (many times, in slow), I've completely forgotten wtf happened on previous plays. Taking those notes and making more or less complete sentences out of them isn't all that much work.

WOW .... you are mighty fast. I posted that and modified it the very next minute!!

May I ask ... do you take notes on every game?

No... I'll obsess over some silly thing (line play, for instance) every couple of weeks and spend what my wife considers way too much time on that ;).

I don't take notes during live games. Even when I'm not watching with others, that would ruin the experience.

What Ive noticed is that the 2 glaring weaknesses all stems from the lack of maturity from chad...1st his inability to go through his reads in a timely manner , as was stated before / he stares down his receivers , NEVER throws deep , unless its Marshal in double or triple coverage...For a guy his size , maybe he should work on his overthrows in the middle of the field...If he would through deep and recognize single coverage , less routes would be jumped and an occasional big play would develop...2nd , I see this happen every week , we run the ball with success , straight ahead and occasionally outside , score our one lone touchdown and try to pass pass pass , wether its called for or not...If we have success against someone , why don't we make adjustments when THEY prove they can stop us...Our defense is sooo much fun to watch , how about a little consistency on offense...If Chads not intelligent enough to play the position yet , try thigpenn or pennington