Gassed? Cramps?
The Miami Dolphins?
One of the most galling things about Monday night's game against the New England Patriots was not that the Dolphins lost -- New England was favored. It was not that Tom Brady toyed with the Miami defense -- he has a way of doing that against many teams.
It was just that the Miami Dolphins, a team that trains and conditions in South Florida and should have some sort of weather advantage here, couldn't catch its collective breath.
Vontae Davis suffered cramps and couldn't come back in the game. Sean Smith cramped up and stayed in the game, although it seemed clear he was struggling, which is why he got beaten for a 29-yard completion by Aaron Hernandez.
Brandon Marshall suffered cramps. Defensive linemen were seen bent over between plays, clearly needing to catch their breath.
What's up with that?
Did the Dolphins fail to hydrate? Did they not take IVs at halftime? Were they not aware that New England's no-huddle offense -- which was on display in the preseason -- was going to tax their conditioning?
All these questions deserve good answers -- maybe before Sunday when the Dolphins play a 4:15 game against Houston.
odinseye,
why no nit-picky complaining about Fasano?
The td to Hartline in the middle of the end zone be credited to Daboll. Ever since Henning arrived we've shied away from passes in the middle, preferring to concentrate on the corners (see second attempt to Hartline).
Posted by: Carlitos Estevez | September 13, 2011 at 04:46 PM
I'm not going to nitpick Fasano just yet. He was awesome, I don't have a complaint.
However, Fasano's play here has been similar to Henne's in that one week he looks great and then follows it up with two weeks of not so great. Or in Fasano's case, he tends to disappear for weeks.
Anyway, I'm not going to nitpick Fasano or Henne after last nights performance. The both played like big time professionals in my opinion.
The TD to Hartline can be credited to Daboll..........Henne and Hartline. Good play design, play call and execution! Couldn't be happier on that one!
I hope to see a lot more of this from Daboll, Henne Hartline and Fasano.
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 05:08 PM
Have you guys EVER seen Brady man up after a defense gets to him often, and win that game? EVER? Me either.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:10 PM
I've seen him go fetal position and whine and point and cry, but never win. Not when a defense punches him in the chops.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:13 PM
It could be because that bright spot is an illusion. Henne has often played well between the twenties but then chokes slime in the red zone. Henne has always made some great throws. He just never seems to make them when they count most. Never. Henne looks like a better QB than Sanchez to my eyes, but dang Sanchez often comes through when it counts most, that is the one glaring difference.
Posted by: Sam S. | September 13, 2011 at 04:48 PM
I pretty much agree with your assessment, though I wouldn't have used the phrase: "Choked Slime"-LOL.
Hopefully Henne continues to improve and Dabolls offense contributes to erasing the "difference" as you call it.
I know it's only one game, but judging by Henne's overall play and the addition of a dynamic offense, he's improving at a lot higher rate. If he starts capitolizing in the red zone, we'll FINALLY be talking about a Franchise/Elite quarterback.
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 05:15 PM
I'm taking Henne across the water this year odin.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:17 PM
1-4 here we come...season over by week 6. sad but true. it aint happening.
Posted by: TC | September 13, 2011 at 05:18 PM
nah, we won't be 1-4, we're going to start playing defense against the Texans and send young Henne to the Pro Bowl.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:20 PM
I'm serious.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:26 PM
Jax,
If it was my team the defense wouldn't show up against the Texans either!
They'd be on life support in ICU from me running them till they drop all week-LOL!
PS: In all seriousness, I'm worried that this might happen. Couldn't blame the coaches though..........ugly.........just UGLY.........
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 05:27 PM
This loss was a result of coaching. Players were not prepared to go against the no-huddle, they were not conditioned in the off season, they did not have a game plan to defend against Brady who toyed with Mike Nolan's D. This is all falls on Sparano. Probably a nice guy but nice guys don't cut it in the league.
I know its only one game but everything was there for them, tapes of the preseason, they had an element of surprise with a new offense, packed home field, and they laid an egg. AGAIN!!
This is on Sporano! Just a few more weeks and he will be gone!!
Posted by: Angry Fin Fan | September 13, 2011 at 05:30 PM
The boys are gonna be fvcking RABID when Nolan gets through tearing that ass. I Pity da fool (Shaub, I mean).
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:31 PM
odin,
The defense might actually kill Shaub after the reaming they're going to get this week.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:34 PM
trust me i am a true fan but anyone who thinks we were in that game last night for 1 second is nuts. we are truly not competitive with the great teams. this season is going to be rough.
Posted by: TC | September 13, 2011 at 05:35 PM
That would certainly be a first and would go a long way with establishing our street cred.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:36 PM
Sporano will be gone in a couple weeks? We will be 1-4 in a couple weeks? LMFAO!! Neither one will happen.
Posted by: bobbyd12 | September 13, 2011 at 05:37 PM
Gotta feel sorry for those losers at the stadium. On tv the cheers for the Pats were louder than for the fins. People still pay for a crud product.
Posted by: Sam S. | September 13, 2011 at 05:40 PM
I am for leaving them alone until after Houston's Game.
Posted by: oscar canosa | September 13, 2011 at 05:41 PM
No O line. Inside the 2 twice (thanks to great play by Henne), and came away with 3 points.
D terrible too, of course, but we should have had 11 more points and been driving for the win the last 4 minutes.
Posted by: Fins 38 Patsies 9 | September 13, 2011 at 05:42 PM
I can just see the headlines now: "Wake hosts Wake for Shaub" or "Dolphins Maim QB" or "SHAUB DEAD, WAKE INCARCERATED but DLine DOES JAILBREAK RUSH!" or something along those lines would be nice.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:43 PM
Jax,
Seriously, I think you're on the money.
What better way to improve your defense than having them play against the best. Especially the best no huddle offense out there.
With a few exceptions, I think our defense learns and improves with this demoralizing loss. The few exceptions being some guys that I thought had no business seeing the field last night.
I don't want to point any fingers(I'm lying-LOL)so I'll just say I would be giving Will Allen a call and getting Jimmy Wilson a lot of reps in practice this week.
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 05:43 PM
It has been a tradition here, after Shula left, for the Dolphins to be wildly inconsistent. That will not be acceptable anymore.
Posted by: oscar canosa | September 13, 2011 at 05:45 PM
odin,
Darn right, we KNOW they're better than that. Time to look ahead and put Shaub in the crosshairs, as it were.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:47 PM
Yesterday has now made the next game far more interesting on many levels.
Posted by: DevilsAdvocate | September 13, 2011 at 05:48 PM
I was wanting to see more of Jones at FS, but all he did was make me wish for Clemons.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:50 PM
Too bad Shula's kids can't fvcking coach.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:53 PM
Hell, for that matter Don in his eighties would be better than what we have at HC now.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 05:56 PM
I had hoped fo more from Jones, but he played like Jones(so far).
Some nice plays, close to the ball(not close enough)then some terrible bone headed plays. This time, critically boneheaded plays.
He's young, so I'm still hoping for a break through(hoping, praying, begging, offering sacrifices to the football Gods........)
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 05:57 PM
Hey guys! I got it! Let's get these guys some UnderArmor so they can 'protect this house'. Or maybe it was UnderRoos...
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 06:00 PM
Did anybody notice that three different times(not the injury run off with the clock continuing either)the clock kept running on us when it clearly should have stopped?
It turns out it didn't matter, but still, extreme bullshyt if you ask me. I didn't notice it until the second half, so it might have been more. With NE leading and us trying to claw our way back into the game, we lost at least 50 seconds due to improper time keeping by officials.
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 06:01 PM
To be honest, odin all I saw was red after halftime. Shoulda been Johnny Walker. It doesn't surprise me though, you know the patsies are the 'darlings' of the league. The refs love Tommy terrific. All we had to do was hit him and the game was ours!!!
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 06:09 PM
sparano said rashad jones had a heck of a game. Did he watch the same game as everyone else? rashad jones missed on help over the top at least twice in the game.
Posted by: BoulderFinFan | September 13, 2011 at 06:15 PM
Shaub ain't no Brady, but then, neither is Ocho Stinko Andre Johnson(Gulp)!
I have to help two kids with their homework and then start going over the Texans game from Sunday.
ValHalla!!!!
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 06:16 PM
odinseye, it's what I always say, everything is not black and white. Unfortunately some people seem to be color blind so they only see in those terms. Lets get one back next week. I want to see Hnne come out and have another strong game. He needs it to prove he can be consistent. A bad performance and those nagging inconsistent labels come right back.
I also want to see the defense come out MAD AS HELL. You get embarrassed like that on opening night on your home field you had better come out angry and playing with a sense of urgency. I want to see some pushing and shoving out there. I want to see defenders knocking the crap out of guys. They need to show that it was a fluke last night and they need to show it now. They have Bryan Cox on the sideline, he never would have let the team come out passive when he was a player, hopefully he gets in some guys faces this week and they sack up and find some pride.
Posted by: LouD | September 13, 2011 at 06:18 PM
Nobody's secondary can defend against Brady for very long without pressure up front to hurry him up. Pass rush is the key.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 06:18 PM
Jones did play "SOLID(at best)" for the most part, but the critical errors made it simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
"A heck of a game" is more than just stretching it. I would normally defend the Coach by saying, well he shouldn't blast his team in the press.
In this case it just doesn't apply. He simply should have just kept his mouth shut!
As ALoco would say; "A heck of a game MY A SS"!
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 06:21 PM
Ok, y'all take it easy. Need a break from the mayhem.
Go Dolphins!
Look out Texans.
Posted by: JaxDolphin | September 13, 2011 at 06:26 PM
He just said it was a heck of a game because he doesn't want to hear the questions about why they went with Reshad over Chris. Sparano probably hasn't watched any defensive plays from the game yet. Probably too busy watching the offensive line play because he's still trying to get it right. So Sparano was an o-line coach, why did we assume he was a good one because apparewntly we were dead wrong. And bobbyd12 I hear ya with the over reactions about Sparano losing his job in week 4 but you have to give the poster some credit.
He/she is dead on in the game assessment. I have never watched a game that was so obviously lost because of poor coaching. The players conditioning sucked and they were confused on defense. There were also no working half time adjustments because any adjustments they made actually made it worse. People can blame Nolan all they want, just like we blamed Henning last year but ultimately the teams play falls on the coach. He just doesn't ever have a good read on what is going on with the entire team. It seems as if he's still stuck in the assistant coach role in his mind.
Or did he just listen to the players too much. They told him he was too hard on them, too much micromanaging everything from workouts to what they ate. So did he abandon his philosophies because of a couple of players? And that was the result last night from a camp that was more laid back and less detail oriented? Any way y6ou look at it this all falls on Tony S. These players had they not been drafted by the Dolphins would have been drafted by other teams and could be playing a hell of a lot better for all we know. I'm really starting to take a close look at this head coach. It doesn't seem to be working. (I have been the biggest Sparano backer for the past three years, that's changed now).
Posted by: LouD | September 13, 2011 at 06:33 PM
Yeah Nolan Carroll had a great camp and preseason. That's why I feel good about letting Will Allen go and using Nolan and Benny Sapp against Tom Brady and the Patriots come Monday. The fans will see we are "Hungry Like the Wolf."
Posted by: Tony Sparano | September 13, 2011 at 06:39 PM
I haven't heard a word out of Armando about Henne lately...........Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Maybe he's choking on the crow?
Don't you dare spit it out! You eat every bit of it, ya here - LOL!
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 06:42 PM
Look for some "shake ups" people.
Somethings going to change and probably a Head or Two will ROLL!
BTW, we kept Trusnik over Edds for what I'm assuming were his alledged ST's skills.
Aside from not making any tackles, he set two possesions back inside our own twenty!
NICE!!!!
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 06:46 PM
@LouD, really you've been a Sparano backer for 3 years? Wow, must've been tough to swallow now that you have doubts like the rest of us.
Posted by: cosmodo | September 13, 2011 at 06:47 PM
This is the thing(one of many) that incenses me about this Team. Why wait until B. Sapp fuc-s up if Juana and su hermana knew he sucked, to let him go? It took Terrel (an adversary) to point out that Jason Allen was a liability out there. WTF!
Posted by: oscar canosa | September 13, 2011 at 06:48 PM
This lose was not because of sparano, it was because nolan does not know how to coach. If we just show some more faithfullness in sparano he can take this team to playoffs and all you idiots will see it. If fins smart we sign sprano to extension and let him motivate the defense because he is a master motivater. I see you all doubt henne and now he is possible to be top 5 qb in the nfl, and you all look stupid whose doubting. Give sparano the chance and he is guarantee to be leading this team for 5 more years.
Posted by: ALoco | September 13, 2011 at 06:52 PM
My kids are growing up pretty quick.
Getting SMART too!
They don't want my help with their homework-ROTFLMAO!
Oh well, there's always Happy Hour!
PS: Blog Hit Troll don't miss this opportunity you worhless piece of rodent dung! You can twist this into "Odin took his kids to happy hour to do their homework". Freakin worthless piece of Hover-Round riding Donkey Dukie!
Posted by: odinseye | September 13, 2011 at 06:55 PM
Man, Fidel Castro, as a highly competent and intelligent man, never made me feel like this. Fu-k this sh-t. Like my older Son says, I HATE mediocrity.
Posted by: oscar canosa | September 13, 2011 at 07:03 PM
not to mention Haynesworth and Wilfork are straight up beasts on that Dline why did we let polite go?
Posted by: beerphin | September 13, 2011 at 07:12 PM
You think beating Cleveland and all those other sh-itty Teams on our schedule will satisfy Us, then you have a different Beast coming. You beat those Texans on Sunday, yahear.
Posted by: oscar canosa | September 13, 2011 at 07:17 PM
man i hate when im right
Posted by: dusty bottoms | September 13, 2011 at 07:18 PM
LouD, I certainly agree there was some questionable coaching moves last night, BUT, you also have to give Coach Sporano the credit for taking off the leash and letting DaBol give Henne and this offense the opportunity to open it up. I read your post on playing ball for 15 years. You should know, sometimes no matter how good the coaching, sometimes these games just happen. No way did this defense go from really good last year to dismal. Game one, it happened. Let's wait and see what we got against the Texans. Like Odinseye said, these guys are not going to have a fun week in practice. Go Fins!!
Posted by: bobbyd12 | September 13, 2011 at 07:19 PM
When should we start soprona watch?
I think he is gone, only chance to not get fired is playoffs and that is NOT going to happen my sad phins fan.
If we do overhaul, Henne is tied to soprano at the hip so unless he turns into Dan Marino...
Posted by: alaindelon | September 13, 2011 at 07:20 PM
the most surprising thing was that even with a bad conditioned defense and a perfect game by Brady, they were only able to score 38 pts. on us.
scary!
The most discouraging facts about last night were 1) Reshad Jones couldn't cover anybody and kept making mistakes on coverages.. 2) Wake didn't beat Solder more than 50% of the time, not grabbed the refs attention for all the Holding penalties Solder was commiting on him.. 3)the ILBs (the stregth of the team) not being able to create game-changing plays... Where were the captains all night long???? Extremely disappoiinted..
I'm comfortable with the offense's performance, not satisfied, as I think we can still improve and need to address some issues (i.e. OL trouble, and lack of power RB)..
Posted by: dfins006 | September 13, 2011 at 07:25 PM
the whole staff will be gone after the season, even ross cant messs it up this time
Posted by: dusty bottoms | September 13, 2011 at 07:25 PM
Oh I forgot, when will dolphins suicide watch start?
Posted by: alaindelon | September 13, 2011 at 07:25 PM
You thought Henne showed improvement? He became the fourth QB in NFL history to accomplish 400 passing yards and 50 on the ground. I'd say he improved. He was poised, accurate (mostly), and wasn't afraid to take shots and innovate. He played like a starting qb should. Only took Miami this long to allow him to audible. Brilliant.
Posted by: Dishpan | September 13, 2011 at 07:26 PM
it defies logic that sporano would say the free safety had a heck of a game. this is outragous. by definition, no one in the secondary had a heck of a game when the defense gives up 500 yards passing. presumably, the free safety is partially responsible for covering the tight ends in the middle of the field. i mean, do they really expect dansby and burnett to cover hernandez, who is a glorified wide receiver? in any case, jones bit on the play fake on the first possesion, allowing the receiver to get inside davis for the long completion. thats 50 yards, and set the tone. he dropped a sure-fire pick six on the goal line, which could have turned the entire complexion of the game. finally, it is fine to cut benny sapp. but doing after the fact is worthless. they correct personnel decision (keeping will allen) should have been made to begin with. how can we be confident in these decisions? how can a player they decided to keep over a proven professional be so bad the next week that he deserves to be released? this is nothing more than an indictment on sporano's judgement.
Posted by: austin | September 13, 2011 at 07:27 PM
If we start 0-2, the coach watch talk will get rolling in full gear. This team really should beat the Texans at home if they have improved.
Posted by: DevilsAdvocate | September 13, 2011 at 07:29 PM
Bennie Sapp cut....Soprano trying to save job. What a knee jerk reaction. I actually miss the Wansted days!
Posted by: alaindelon | September 13, 2011 at 07:44 PM
Can soprano fire himself?
Posted by: alaindelon | September 13, 2011 at 07:46 PM
Bill, you's allright as a Coach, but Bro, what a heritage!
Posted by: oscar canosa | September 13, 2011 at 07:47 PM
How the hell did we end up with an offensive line coach as Head coach of the Miami unfreaking defeated legendary Miami Dolphins.
By the way fat ass tuna is still getting paid, while he is ESPN laughing at Ross!!!!!
Posted by: alaindelon | September 13, 2011 at 07:55 PM