New blog post: Music City Misery

[Brian Fein]

I waited a couple days to write this one, although I had researched and formulated most of this on Sunday.  Had I written this Sunday night, it would have sounded a whole lot more whiny.

http://www.thedolphinsmakemecry.com/content/music-city-misery

Hope you like...  Would love feedback.

[bsfins]

Nice write up Brian,I appreciate the perspective.

[Pappy13]

Nice write up Brian, but I'm really getting tired of people calling Bush the best offensive weapon Miami has (it's not just you, it's everyone). That hasn't been true since he was hurt in week 3. Since Bush got hurt he has rushed for 253 yards and 2 TD's on 76 carries for a mediocre 3.3 yard average. He's also caught 11 passes for 107 yards. That's a total of 360 yards of offense for an average of 4.1 yards per play. Thomas has been about as effective during that same period rushing for 150 yards and 2 TD's on 42 carries for a 3.6 yard average. He's also caught 10 passes for 76 yards for a total of 226 yards of offense and an avg of 4.3 yards per play.

The best offensive weapon that Miami has had in the last 6 games has been Hartline. Hartline has caught 36 passes for 539 yards for an average of just under 15 yards per catch and a TD. Bess has caught 29 passes for 362 yards for an average of 12.5 yards per catch.

I'm all for giving Bush credit for being a playmaker, but he's fallen off severly since being hurt and I've seen nothing lately to suggest he's Miami's best weapon anymore. Bess and Hartline have been Miami's best chance at generating offense lately.

[Brian Fein]

numbers don't support it, but Bush is the most talented playmaker on the offense.  Hartline has been good, better than expected, but Bush can do things by himself, and could touch the ball 20+ times a game.  If Hartline touched the ball 20 times a game, he'd be approaching an NFL record.

[Dave Gray]

The issue I have with Bush is that he's a feast or famine type back.  He is sometimes slow to find the hole.  If he finds it, he's the best back we have (open field and all), but if things are slow to open up, he gets caught for a loss more than the rest.  Daniel Thomas isn't going to get you as much positive yards on a break, but he makes one move and then goes, regardless.

In short, when things aren't going well for Bush, it puts us in 2nd and 12 situations, instead of 2nd and 8.  Our offense just isn't capable of dealing with 2nd and 12 situations.

[MikeO]

The issue I have with Bush is that he's a feast or famine type back.  He is sometimes slow to find the hole.  If he finds it, he's the best back we have (open field and all), but if things are slow to open up, he gets caught for a loss more than the rest.  Daniel Thomas isn't going to get you as much positive yards on a break, but he makes one move and then goes, regardless.

In short, when things aren't going well for Bush, it puts us in 2nd and 12 situations, instead of 2nd and 8.  Our offense just isn't capable of dealing with 2nd and 12 situations.

And he isn't getting any younger. Miami should offer him a modest 2 year deal (with most of the money in year 1) if he says no then say thanks for the 2 years of service and let him walk!

RB's are a dime a dozen in this league these days. It's a pass-happy league anyway so no need to overspend on an injury prone RB who's  best days are behind him

[Landshark]

And he isn't getting any younger. Miami should offer him a modest 2 year deal (with most of the money in year 1) if he says no then say thanks for the 2 years of service and let him walk!

RB's are a dime a dozen in this league these days. It's a pass-happy league anyway so no need to overspend on an injury prone RB who's  best days are behind him

I have to agree here.  I think Daniel Thomas is a serviceable power back when he is healthy and Lamar Miller has shown glimpses of being an elite back.  If Miller can improve his pass blocking, then there's no doubt he'll be the starting running back in the years to come.

Like you said, it's a passing league.  This team needs to shore up at the receiver position.  Do you think Hartline and Bess would make anyone else's roster, let alone be a number one and two receiver?

[EKnight]

I think you're waaaaay overestimating Miller and Thomas, and not giving Bush the credit he's due. Thomas fumbles as much as Bush does, AND he's had injury issues. I'm not, and have never been sold on Miller as a RB. -EK

[Brian Fein]

Do you think Hartline and Bess would make anyone else's roster, let alone be a number one and two receiver?

Are you kidding?  There would be teams lining up to get Davone Bess if he became a free agent.  He's exactly the type of WR that teams love - great hands, not afraid to run over the middle.

Not saying it doesn't need to be addressed, but Bess and Hartline wouldn't be ignored on the free agent market.

[EKnight]

Bess leads the team in dropped passes, and is tied for 4th in the AFC for most drops. Not sure that qualifies as "great hands." He actually has more drops than Marshall this year on about half the number of targets.  -EK

http://stats.washingtonpost.com/fb/leaders.asp?range=nfl&type=receiving&rank=232

[Cathal]

Bess leads the team in dropped passes, and is tied for 4th in the AFC for most drops. Not sure that qualifies as "great hands." He actually has more drops than Marshall this year on about half the number of targets.  -EK

http://stats.washingtonpost.com/fb/leaders.asp?range=nfl&type=receiving&rank=232

There are some really good receivers on that list that are either tied with him or have one less. What's your point? Bess would be taken in a heart beat if the Dolphins let him go.

[Pappy13]

Do you think Hartline and Bess would make anyone else's roster, let alone be a number one and two receiver?

You need to take a gander at the top recievers list on ESPN's website. It might shock you. Hartline would make every team in the league's roster and would be the #1 receiver on a couple of them. Bess is not having the year I expected. I'm disappointed in him this year.

[EKnight]

There are some really good receivers on that list that are either tied with him or have one less. What's your point? Bess would be taken in a heart beat if the Dolphins let him go.

That is my point- there are some really good receivers on that list. Bess is not a really good receiver. The guys on that list who are ahead of him or tied with him almost all have significantly better production to go with those drops. I'll take 5 drops if you're giving me Wayne's 931 yards or Gronk's 8 TD's, but for a guy with only 42 receptions and no TD's, 5 drops is bad. He's not having a very good year at all, and certainly doesn't have the "great hands," someone said. He's been consistently top 20 in dropped balls for three years now, despite getting far fewer targets than many of the other guys on the list. Go look it up if you don't believe me- the numbers do not support your stance. -EK

[MikeO]

Like you said, it's a passing league.  This team needs to shore up at the receiver position.  Do you think Hartline and Bess would make anyone else's roster, let alone be a number one and two receiver?

They would make every teams roster and start for more than half the teams in the league. Problem is in this league you need 3 or 4 legit WR. 2 doesn't cut it anymore.