When the Boston Globe recently asked me to give the name of a Dolphins player the Beantown fans didn't know but might have to learn by the end of tonight's game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, I had to think for a while.
Reggie Bush is new but he's also known.
Marc Colombo is known and if he becomes too well known tonight , I'm thinking that would not be for good reasons.
Mike Pouncey? He's a first round pick. He's not exactly under the radar, either.
I gave them Clyde Gates.
You will see him tonight as will the Patriots. He'll be the wide receiver on the outside, typically streaking over the top of the New England secondary.
That's significant. In a game where Brandon Marshall will be moved all around -- slot, X, Y, perhaps even in the backfield if somebody gets really innovative -- in order to get him away from double-coverage, the easiest way to actually get that done is give the defense another receiver to worry about.
If Gates can get behind the new New England deep secondary even once, that will pretty much do the trick. Suddenly, the safety over the top of Gates will have to respect his speed. If Marshall is inside of Gates on the same side, his chances of facing single corner coverage will then improve.
Obviously, a lot has to do with whether Chad Henne can connect on a deep pass with Gates. That didn't happen in the preseason. It was not that frequent in practices open to the media, either. But they have been practicing for several weeks in closed sessions, so maybe the timing has improved.
Gates was open deep this preseason. I will say that.
It would make sense to give the Patriots something to think about so that they cannot focus on just Marshall or Bush.
Gates and his speed is that something.
"My game is speed, but I don't want to just be known as a speedster," Gates recently told me. "I want to be an every-down player. It's technique and knowing what you're doing and just effort."
By the way, and to explain this once and for all, Clyde is not really Gates' name. It is Edmond.
"My dad name was Clyde so everyone just called me Clyde," he said. "It's cooler. Way cooler. It makes me feel cooler as well."
Perhaps by the end of this evening, everyone will know Clyde Gates a little better.
I am not sure DB, I did not see his highlights.
I can tell you this, he is not a natural streaker deep threat, so I think that jives with what you are saying about his long catches.
I think he can become a deep threat that way, but he needs to learn to find the spot on the field after seeing the flight path of the ball. then he will not be looking up the whole time allowing him to get to full speed.
Henne could REALLY use a guy that can do that. Teddy Ginn Ginn Ginn, was getting better at it, but was not naturally great at it either. Much better now.
Posted by: Poizen | September 12, 2011 at 05:35 PM
My uncles name is Edmond and obviously Ed or Eddie is the short way to say it. Nothing wrong with that name at all. Eddie Gates. Sounds good to me.
Posted by: LouD | September 12, 2011 at 05:37 PM
Posting is funny too. Its uausually not until you hit "SEND" until you see that youve added or omitted letters in certain word's.
What the heck, its not like Im being graded by my college professor, so fvck spell check! Even though I know some in this block think their college professors critiquing mis-spelling in our posts.
LOL.................................................................
Posted by: DyingBreed | September 12, 2011 at 05:37 PM
Can't even type right now, too nervous about the game. I'll be back.
Posted by: LouD | September 12, 2011 at 05:38 PM
Dammit, did it again:
"auusually" instead of "usually"
LOL...........................................................
Posted by: DyingBreed | September 12, 2011 at 05:39 PM
sure should have taken Dez last year instead of odric.
Posted by: Ken | September 12, 2011 at 05:39 PM
Damn can even type my mistakes correctly now! Must have pre-game anxiety too. LOL...
Posted by: DyingBreed | September 12, 2011 at 05:41 PM
agree there, dez is a beast. ireland and parcells have drafted awful
Posted by: dusty bottoms | September 12, 2011 at 05:45 PM
The confusion of our Offensive Coordinator's name pronunciation stems from the conversation by the owner Ross and Brandon Marshall prior to Daboll's hiring..
Ross: Brandon, what can I do to make this a winning football team?
B. Marsh: Just give me da ball!
Ross: You heard the man, get Daboll on the payroll immediately!
B. Marsh: Who?
Posted by: Tracy474 | September 12, 2011 at 05:49 PM
Dez is injury prone and still not in game condition. Lots of talent just can't stay on the field enough. He was cramped out and tired against the Jets.
Posted by: DevilsAdvocate | September 12, 2011 at 05:50 PM
My Crown Royal is poured, I'm sipping and watching the pregame, anticipating a WIN!
Posted by: redsky | September 12, 2011 at 05:53 PM
Tracy, LOL, on the Daboll conversation!
Posted by: redsky | September 12, 2011 at 05:54 PM
Wow!! I'm so pumped up right now I'm going to hit myself in the head with my clipboard.
Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!
Posted by: Tony's Clip Board | September 12, 2011 at 06:20 PM
Redsky,
It's an old joke that I posted right after we got Daboll. I decided to resurrect it since folks were talking about how to pronounce the guy's name.
We're gonna win tonight! I just feel it in my bones! (Of course it could just be from the high pressure system that moved in too).
It's a FULL MOON tonight! Where's that dang wolf at anywho? Feed that puppy!
GO FINS!!!
Posted by: Tracy474 | September 12, 2011 at 06:28 PM