More proof that Ireland is an idiot: Lousaka Polite

[Spider-Dan]

You may remember that at the beginning of 2011, Ireland chose to cut one Lousaka Polite.  Some posters on this board assured us that this move was addition by subtraction.  I recently came across some data on this subject.

Football Outsiders has a stat called "Power Success," defined as the percentage of runs on third or fourth down, two yards or less to go, that achieved a first down or touchdown.

In 2009 (with Polite), MIA's Power Success was 79%, #2 in the NFL.
In 2010 (with Polite), MIA's Power Success was 83%, #1 in the NFL.
In 2011 (after cutting Polite), MIA's Power Success was 46%... the worst team in the league.

I look forward to differing interpretations of these facts.

[MikeO]

we also went from Ricky/Ronnie (two tough up the gut runners) to Bush/Thomas in that time frame. Which I think has MORE to do with it than Polite.

This team isn't missing out on wins because of Polite.

[Dave Gray]

I noticed it yesterday when Lane failed to get 1 yard (actually he got it, but got a shitty spot that went unchallenged).

[el diablo]

we also went from Ricky/Ronnie (two tough up the gut runners) to Bush/Thomas in that time frame. Which I think has MORE to do with it than Polite.

This team isn't missing out on wins because of Polite.

Not necessarily. Polite may not have been a game winning QB or kicker. But he was a drive sustainer. That leads to less 3 & outs, longer sustained drives, and ultimately more points. That does win you more games. Its one of those intangibles that I keep hearing about.

[Spider-Dan]

we also went from Ricky/Ronnie (two tough up the gut runners) to Bush/Thomas in that time frame. Which I think has MORE to do with it than Polite.

...except that in those power situations, it was Polite (and not R/R) that was getting the ball.

If immediately going from the best to the worst short-yardage running team in the league is not proof that cutting Polite was a bad idea, what else do you need?

It would be one thing if his production had actually dropped off.  But this is not New England and Ireland is not Belichick; he should not be cutting a bargain-basement player that's leading the league (in ANY stat) just because he thinks that player might be due for a decline.

Jeron Mastrud.  Philip Merling.  Jason Trusnik.  Austin Spitler.  Ryan Baker.  Julius Pruitt.  Any of these players should have been tossed to the curb before Polite.

[CF DolFan]

I thought the Polite thing was pretty dumb. I didn't know the stats but I did know it went way down. Polite was almost a gimme for 1 yard.

[EKnight]

Didn't be go like nearly two full seasons without missing a 3rd or 4th and 1? Big loss, IMO. -EK

[tepop84]

Polite was terrible at everything else,  No biggy that he has moved on.

[Landshark]

I thought the Polite thing was pretty dumb. I didn't know the stats but I did know it went way down. Polite was almost a gimme for 1 yard.

So is Lane.  He got that first down.  The refs gave him a horrible spot.  I called it in the game thread.

[BigDaddyFin]

The fact that we dropped off has more to do with the fact that we decided in 2011 to install a spread offense, despite having only two decent recievers and our best offensive player once again was our running back.

Lane behind that offensive line will be gimme from a yard.  So cutting Polite and replacing him with Lane who is a better reciever isn't something I'd be in a hurry to shit on Ireland for. 

I'd be more upset at the fact that we have a secondary who couldn't cover the Golden Girls and that we have so many holes at WR before I'd get mad about Polite.

[Fins4ever]

The fact that we dropped off has more to do with the fact that we decided in 2011 to install a spread offense, despite having only two decent recievers and our best offensive player once again was our running back.

Lane behind that offensive line will be gimme from a yard.  So cutting Polite and replacing him with Lane who is a better reciever isn't something I'd be in a hurry to shit on Ireland for. 

I'd be more upset at the fact that we have a secondary who couldn't cover the Golden Girls and that we have so many holes at WR before I'd get mad about Polite.

I would say that about wraps it up, lol BTW, those Golden Girls can be tricky. Did you know Betty White runs a 4.4 40?

For the record, Miami got more out of Lou than anyone else did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lousaka_Polite

[Spider-Dan]

The fact that we dropped off has more to do with the fact that we decided in 2011 to install a spread offense, despite having only two decent recievers and our best offensive player once again was our running back.

Which Miami RB made the Pro Bowl in 2011, again?  Because I can think of at least one other MIA offensive skill player that did.

In 2009 Miami's receiver corps was one of the least threatening in the league (not unlike now).  Combine that with their first-year-starter at QB, and their top-flight tandem of RBs, and they had one of the most lopsided offenses in the league.  Every team knew exactly what MIA was going to do on x-and-short, and yet the Dolphins were the second best in the league at doing it.  Adding Marshall to the offense in 2010 just made it better.

The installation of the spread offense has nothing to do with MIA's Power Success rate, because that rate is based on when MIA chose to run the ball.  Players that are extremely effective at short-yardage run plays do not instantly become less effective because your general offensive philosophy on other, different plays changed.

[bsfins]

Bigdaddy stole my thunder...

IMO Polite was a 29 year old FB,one trick pony,and his one trick wasn't that good...Crying over spilled milk now 2 years ago 

You're knit picking one stat that isn't telling the whole story about Lou Polite...

In hindsight,I feel Ireland and Sparano were Polites biggest fans,and the reason he made it to the final cut.In the run the ball and play good defense you bound to have a ton of 3rd and 1,3rd and short situations.Brian Daboll wanted throw the ball,west coast style,short passing game.I imagine Daboll,and the Special teams Coach (Bonemego,or Rizzi) probably really wanted Lex Hilliard over Polite...Hilliard was a good special teams guy....

He's done nothing since leaving the Dolphins...

Better link for Fins4ever
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PoliLo00.htm

[Dave Gray]

You can say Polite sucks at everything else, and maybe you'd be right.  But when you have guys like Naanee on the roster that do NOTHING, why not have a Polite that gets you a yard when you really need it.

[Spider-Dan]

Unless you are making the argument that converting 3rd/4th and short is not really that important, the question "but what else can Polite do?" doesn't particularly matter.  He did one very important thing extremely well, and I just named off 6 players that did NOTHING particularly well.

If you have a player on your team that does absolutely nothing but tackle kickoff returners behind their 20 (and he's the best in the league at it, by a sizable margin), guess what?  This is a player worth keeping.