Dolphins Offense...

[Diehard_Dolfan]

I like what the Dolphins are trying to do with their offense... I think they will do pretty good with it.  The problem with trying to run such an offense is... that it requires a good to great Offensive line... which we are no where near having!

The Pats have been plagued by defensive pressure problems through last season and the pre season but, didn't have any problems getting pressure against us!  I think this is just the start of issues for us with this offensive line.  If the Pats gave us this much problems we're really going to have protection issues against other defenses!

We weren't running or run blocking much last night... I don't understand why you keep running Reggie Bush inside when you have Hilliard and Johnson?  I also would have liked to see some end around runs with Gates or Hartline or even Bush from a slot position to get that speed on the edge!  It's obvious our offensive line is going to be a factor on how our offense goes this yr...

[Dolphster]

Even though I didn't agree with every offensive play call last night (nobody will ever agree with every play call in any game), I do have to tip my hat to the fact that the staff seems to have finally come around to opening up the offense and getting more aggressive in trying to gain "chunk" yardage.

[fyo]

I like what the Dolphins are trying to do with their offense...

+1

There are a few issues, though...

Our red zone troubles of the past couple of years are still there... as is our complete inability to run a toss or a sweep play. Basically, any run-type play where the runner gets the ball significantly behind the line of scrimmage is destined for complete failure. Our offensive line and tight ends are completely incapable of sealing the edge, no one gets to the second level to make the necessary blocks on the linebackers... and our wide receivers wiff on their blocks as well. Even Bush doesn't have enough speed to get around the edge when nobody helps him. I don't know if this is a personnel issue or a tactical deficiency. In any event, we need to purge these plays from our playbook until the issues are resolved.

Henne and Marshall need to get on the same page. Yes, this is the first season in a completely new offense and Henne has a lot of stuff to get right with only a very short preseason behind him. That said, they better GET on the same page fast.

The inside running game suffered significantly from Incognito playing like crap and Pouncy getting owned by Haynesworth. Pouncy is a rookie, so there's every reason to expect him to improve. Incognito hasn't exactly been spectacular, but hopefully he'll do better when not across from Wilfork...

[Pappy13]

I was actually THRILLED with what the offense did last night. Not that it was perfect, far from it, however it was an attempt at where we need to go rather than being stuck in what we were.

The only way to get better is to actually do it in a game. Practice is great for learning the offense, but to fine tune it, it has to be done during a game when everyone is going full speed against a defense that doesn't know your playbook. You just don't get that in practice no matter how hard you try.  Last night was a learning experience and for the most part it was successful.

Sure there's a ways to go, you don't completely change from a run oriented offense to a pass oriented one in 1 game. It takes time. It takes making some mistakes and learning from those mistakes, but at least the mistakes that were being made are the ones that we need to work on. Yes, Henne still sucked on the goal line and we need to find a solution for that and actually I think the solution to that is to move him around. Henne actually looked athletic, so I say use that around the goal line. Roll him out. Bootleg it. Give him more time to find an open receiver and drill him with the ball rather than these damn touch passes and "check with me" passes that he sucks at.

Yes the offensive line was pretty offensive at times, but they are now being asked to pass block first and run block second. That's a big change and no I don't know that the guys we have are the right ones to do it, but find them. Find the guys that can pass block like NE does. The last 3 years Tony and Jeff have been looking for run blockers, now they need to switch focus to pass blocking to give Henne some more time.

And all you Henne haters need to shut up even if it's just for 1 week. He had a good game, not a preseason game, a real live game. Yes it was against New England when they had a lead, still it was exciting to watch and it showed you that he CAN do it. I don't know that he's going to do it every week, but he has done it at least once. He does have it in him. So give him a break for 1 week and lets see if he can put 2 good games together.

[Guru-In-Vegas]

If we had Polite, we would have tied the game.  He would have punched it in from the 1/2 yardline and we would have never called that awful throw to Hartline.  Welker would have not grabbed a 99.5 yard pass and there would be no talk of how terrible the Dolphins are yet how we hung in there against the mighty Patsies.  Brady would not have broken a Monday night record and people would be a lot more optimistic for our team. 

That's how important gaining 1 <guaranteed> yard at a time is, dudes.

EDITED TO INSERT -                      ^^THIS^^

[MikeO]

If we had Polite, we would have tied the game.  He would have punched it in from the 1/2 yardline and we would have never called that awful throw to Hartline. 

You can't say that. Polite has NEVER gotten goaline carries in 3 years in Miami. And who's to say if he is on the roster that Daboll still doesn't throw the ball?

You are making a HUGE leap and assuming a lot

[BigDaddyFin]

I was very pleased with what I saw on offense Monday Night with two exceptions. 

1.  We abandoned the run.  I realize we're going to be throwing more this year and that we got behind but we didn't run the football at all in the second half.

2.  Didn't run the ball on the goalline.  First we had the Paul Soliai fullback experiment and why he stopped in the hole is totally beyond me.  That cost us 4 points.  Then on 4th and a foot we threw a wide side fade to Hartline when even a quarterback sneak probably would have gotten us the touchdown.  On the ensuing possession Toast Sapp gets burned for a 99yard TD pass. 

I'm just wondering if we called actual running place twice the score isn't alot closer or possibly we're ahead with 5 minutes to play.

[MikeO]

I was very pleased with what I saw on offense Monday Night with two exceptions. 

1.  We abandoned the run.  I realize we're going to be throwing more this year and that we got behind but we didn't run the football at all in the second half.

We don't have the RB's or O-line to run the ball this year. We are gonna be passing 80% of the time

[Diehard_Dolfan]

We don't have the RB's or O-line to run the ball this year. We are gonna be passing 80% of the time

Larry Johnson?

If he can't run up the gut... which he made his living prior to Miami all those yrs in KC running between the tackles...then why is he on the roster?  Lex Hilliard is a tough inside runner as well...

[Diehard_Dolfan]

  First we had the Paul Soliai fullback experiment and why he stopped in the hole is totally beyond me.  That cost us 4 points. 

That is the dumbest thing I've ever seen!   I was expecting him to just blow through there creating some room and he stops in the hole helping the defense shut the play down!  He tried to push a defender away instead of plowing through the guy...

[Doc-phin]

Considering this is an enormous change in offensive philosophy and several adjustments in personnel, I will absolutely give a pass on any of the minor deficiencies I saw Monday night.


I would only have a few suggestions if I was in a postion to do so. 

First, find a way to put Moore on the field as our 4th receiver.  I know that Gates is being groomed as a returner and we don't want to activate a guy we don't have to, but Moore is speed guy that is game ready now and Gates needs more time. 

Second, make sure the second tight end we ultimately end up with this season is a receiving threat and not a pure blocker.  From what I can tell, we won't be running out of a two tight end set with Bush which means any blocking tight ends are really just pass blockers.  Even small guys can pass block.  Big guys are edge control duty. 

Third, practice the shit out of and run the shit out of screen plays to Bush.  Our O-line is athletic enough to get into space if they just get their blocking assignments practiced.  Bush looks like the real deal in space.

Fourth, run more inside slants.  We really have the receiving personnel for this and it takes pressure off the O-line.  Henne looks like he is making decisions fast enough to be effective.  If we get better at the quick inside game, it can also help us in the red zone.  Outside passes have more boom or bust potential and unfortunately the bust is a turnover.  Currently, I have seen more 10 yard in routes than anything else to get the ball to middle of the field.  That is ok and all but it takes longer to develop.

From what I can tell, the philosophy is to get everyone deep on the outside and get Bess to the middle of the field about 12-15 yards out and send Bush underneath if there is no free blitzer to pick up.  Its not a bad philosophy and very aggressive, but it is only going to work if Hartline or Gates can take the top off.  Right now Fasano is our best option for drawing out a safety and nobody seems convinced enough to bite on it, thus Fasano is somewhat open.  Hartline can do it against certain guys but Gates just can't get around the DB early enough yet.  Still, this is all very good considering to absurd offense we were running!

[tepop84]

If we had Polite, we would have tied the game.  He would have punched it in from the 1/2 yardline and we would have never called that awful throw to Hartline.  Welker would have not grabbed a 99.5 yard pass and there would be no talk of how terrible the Dolphins are yet how we hung in there against the mighty Patsies.  Brady would not have broken a Monday night record and people would be a lot more optimistic for our team. 

That's how important gaining 1 <guaranteed> yard at a time is, dudes.

EDITED TO INSERT -                      ^^THIS^^

No Polite wouldn't have punched it in at the goalline.  Calling any pass there is horrible, but that isn't just a dolphins problem that is a league wide problem.  I can't believe the number of teams who get fancy play syndrome and call passes from the 1 yard line, multiple times.  And mostly from shotgun. 

[Diehard_Dolfan]

  I can't believe the number of teams who get fancy play syndrome and call passes from the 1 yard line, multiple times.  And mostly from shotgun. 

Agreed!

I think we should have at least had some kind of TE in the backfield lead block options... Fasano is not a great blocker but should be good enough to lead block on a 4th and half a yard?

We have four TE's on the roster... you mean to tell me not one of the four can be a lead block?

[Spider-Dan]

No Polite wouldn't have punched it in at the goalline.

When we have needed a yard, he has been the best in the league at getting that yard.

You have no evidence whatsoever to the contrary.

[tepop84]

When we have needed a yard, he has been the best in the league at getting that yard.

You have no evidence whatsoever to the contrary.

Yes, if you want to compare his 1 yard runs vs. everybody elses 1 yard runs + their goalline 1 yard runs he is good.  It is obviously a lot harder to get the 1 yard at the goalline than it is on the 40 yard line, but keep saying how much better he is than everybody else.