Week 6: Miami Dolphins (2-2) @ Atlanta Falcons (3-1)

[Dolphinmeister]

A great win today. Cutler still struggled in the second half but he got some good breaks on penalties and a called back interception for the ruffing the passer call. Howard is struggling so far this year but I have been really excited with Tankersly's play and the O-Line seemed to do a lot better job today also in protection and giving Ajayi some running room. This is a great momentum builder and moral booster that is needed with the Jets coming to Miami next week.

[Kaiowas05]

6 hours ago, Dolphinmeister said:

A great win today. Cutler still struggled in the second half but he got some good breaks on penalties and a called back interception for the ruffing the passer call. Howard is struggling so far this year but I have been really excited with Tankersly's play and the O-Line seemed to do a lot better job today also in protection and giving Ajayi some running room. This is a great momentum builder and moral booster that is needed with the Jets coming to Miami next week.

I really dont think Howard is struggling. everything he gives up is indefensible in the NFL with the rules about contact ( slants and comebacks). He was shadowing Jones at one point today and the PI stuff is to be expected with what we ask of him

 

he's not amazing, I'm not going to advocate for that sort of platitude but he's better than the guy inactive earing 8m+

[cddolphin]

5 hours ago, Kaiowas05 said:

I really dont think Howard is struggling. everything he gives up is indefensible in the NFL with the rules about contact ( slants and comebacks). He was shadowing Jones at one point today and the PI stuff is to be expected with what we ask of him

I'm with you, I don't know if he shadowed him on all snaps or not, but 6 catches on 7 targets for 72 yards and no TDs is keeping an elite weapon in check. The defensive pressure, especially in the second half, helped the secondary a lot.

Matt Burke has done a fantastic job with the defensive so far, there isn't a DL or LB who hasn't performed the past couple weeks, our young CBs are playing aggressive and covering well.

Cutler still refuses to set his feet and is leaving a throw on the field seemingly every drive.. but the OL improved with the blocking and Landry and Stills stepped up.

Not a win I expected but an impressive one for Gase and Co.

[Swampbilly]

Howard has looked inconsistent from play to play for most of the season so far, but I think a lot of it has been because of the chemistry, or lack of, between him and Nate Allen, who has looked bad to me.  Hopefully we see Howard show more consistency once we get TJ McDonald in the game.

On the flip side, the tandem of Tankersley and Jones is firing on all cylinders right now.  They are looking formidable, and when they have Timmons moving from the underneath it's nasty.  That whole side of our defense is nasty with Wake, Suh, Timmons, Tankersley, and Jones.......not to forget Hayes who has looked really solid playing next to Suh.

[ericsvibe]

You guys are 100% correct that Nate Allen is playing way below average right now. He is almost invisible, except when he is giving up a long TD. Howard is playing well, they have him on the #1 WR each game. So he is tasked with covering the best they have. He is also playing aggressively. When you cover the big WR's, you have to be physical. His problem is he has zero help from Allen. What is winning games right now is our LB's, the Kiko-Rey-Lawrence combo has allowed the D-line to play aggressively, they don't have to try and diagnose plays. This constant pressure they are applying is rattling opposing QB's, and forcing mistakes. I saw Timmons, Kiko, and Rey all over the place. I am just praying that we don't have a major injury here. The problems with the offense stem from the O-line not knowing how to block for Cutler. They have been used to blocking for Tanny, who will take off and run if the field is open in front of him, or if the play breaks down. Cutler doesn't do this, he holds the ball looking for a breakdown in coverage. As a result, the O-line has to hold blocks allot longer, and they have to move with Cutler to keep the pocket open. This is what is causing the poor pass protection. The second half, it finally started to come together, partly because Brendel came in at C. He hasn't learned any of the Tannehill playing quirks. I can tell from a coaches perspective, it is hard to get an O-line to give max effort for 6 seconds every snap, and to have them keep blocking until the whistle. It wears players out.

[cddolphin]

4 hours ago, cddolphin said:

I'm with you, I don't know if he shadowed him on all snaps or not, but 6 catches on 7 targets for 72 yards and no TDs is keeping an elite weapon in check.

So to be more exact:

Howard covered Jones on 20 of 33 routes, allowing 3 catches on 3 targets for 37 yards.

[Dolphinmeister]

Maybe I am over reacting on Howard but it just seems to me that he is off of the receiver more often then hand fighting for position on the ball, we will see over the next few weeks. Allen does seem to struggle and that may be part of what I see, but I still feel Howard shy's away from contact when possible. Timmons is a beast and by far Miami's best middle linebacker since Zach Thomas. 

 It is definitely fun to watch this defense play and when they get some rest like they did in the second half in Sundays game they can really dominate in the fourth quarter.

[Swampbilly]

1 hour ago, Dolphinmeister said:

Maybe I am over reacting on Howard but it just seems to me that he is off of the receiver more often then hand fighting for position on the ball, we will see over the next few weeks. Allen does seem to struggle and that may be part of what I see, but I still feel Howard shy's away from contact when possible. Timmons is a beast and by far Miami's best middle linebacker since Zach Thomas. 

 It is definitely fun to watch this defense play and when they get some rest like they did in the second half in Sundays game they can really dominate in the fourth quarter.

I hope I'm not sounding too picky here, but I just want to remind everyone that Timmons isn't playing the middle for us like he did for the Steelers.  He's playing the Strong side OLB spot while Maualuga played the MLB spot the last 2 games and Hull played the MLB spot in the earlier games. I do agree that Timmons is playing great.  He is making tackles against the run and pass and I can't think of a play where I've noticed him out of position since he's been playing for us.

[Dolphinmeister]

4 hours ago, Swampbilly said:

I hope I'm not sounding too picky here, but I just want to remind everyone that Timmons isn't playing the middle for us like he did for the Steelers.  He's playing the Strong side OLB spot while Maualuga played the MLB spot the last 2 games and Hull played the MLB spot in the earlier games. I do agree that Timmons is playing great.  He is making tackles against the run and pass and I can't think of a play where I've noticed him out of position since he's been playing for us.

My over site there. I should have just said linebacker because he is the first real consistent playmaking linebacker since Zach in my opinion.

[cddolphin]

11 hours ago, Dolphinmeister said:

My over site there. I should have just said linebacker because he is the first real consistent playmaking linebacker since Zach in my opinion.

Watching him and Rey in the middle get off blocks makes Hull and Allen look like triple-A football players TBH. They are quick and seem to have good instincts but the physicality displayed by the defense over the past few games has been ramped up to 10.