First of all, I’ll lead off with a hypocrite warning, because I thought going for two points and the win was a cool idea. Not a wise idea, and not the best idea. But intriguing for sure. So I can’t fault Flores too much. But we are all fans, and fans are allowed to do and say things based on emotion. But our head coach and chief decision-maker has to be smarter than that. Flores wasn’t. He let his emotions get the best of him and set up the Redskins for the win.
He told the Redskins, “If you make ONE play, you win this game. ONE.”
If we instead went to overtime, the Skins would have to make multiple stops on defense, as well as making numerous positive plays on offense. Our D was playing outstanding in the 4th Q, and Flores didn’t give them a chance. Our offense was gashing them up and down the field, and Flores didn’t give them a chance.
Instead, he let his inexperienced, unproven buddy Chad O’Shea call the worst-designed play of the game. He bunched three men on top of the formation, so that if Drake caught it (which he didn’t…more on that in a minute), he’d have 5 men to weave through (2 teammates and their their 2 defenders, plus his own defender.) And that’s only the WRs and CBs who are all bunched in his way. It doesn’t yet take into account the interior linemen and LBs who swarmed to him as well. There were a total of 8 people in his way. The play was doomed from the get go.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the formation, Preston Williams had single man coverage. Zero traffic. Why not roll Fitz to his right and ask Williams to zig zag? He’d either get open or else Fitz could walk in. IF Williams somehow can’t beat a single man for 2 yards and IF somehow Fitz stumbles, then you have Ballage in the backfield as your emergency outlet. I’ve just given you 3 options on one play, whereas Chad O’Shea gave you ONE option. A horrible, horrible play call. Game is on the line, and O’Shea chose a do-or-die screen pass into heavy traffic.
Meanwhile, Mark Walton was knifing through the Skins, and Ballage had just scored a touchdown to get us to within 7 a few minutes earlier. Why was Kenyan Drake even on the field? Drake has proven to be our least reliable back this year, and he did nothing to earn a shot on that final play. He is a red zone liability, and he proved it today with the mostly costly drop in recent Dolphin history.
I see the Chargers are down 24-0 to a 4th string QB. I hate that overrated Charger team. Every now and then I have to root for them (beating Pitt helps our draft picks), but the Chargers always let me down when we need them to win. Garbage team.
Man, we go no help from anyone at all. Chargers hurt our draft status by letting Pittsburgh and their 4th strong QB win. Chiefs rolled over and choked away a loss to the Texans. Pride-wise, Adam Gase got a win vs. a quality opponent.
One nice thing: Ryan Tannehill replaced an ineffective, benched Marcus Mariota and threw a pick at the end, while out backup QB came in and damn near won us the game.
Just my observation:
1. Offensive Coordinator sucks.
2. Offensive Line sucks (which is a reflection on the pathetic OC).
3. Josh Rosen is atrocious, period.
You cant honestly make any of those claims because, first of all, you dont know what they are trying to do. Are they tanking, are they working on certain aspects of the game? You dont know. Second, their talent level is well below average and your game plan changes when out manned at every position. Be patient and wait before judging the coaching.
“Be patient and wait before judging the coaching?”
Look, it doesn’t take a coaching genius to know that if your offensive line is more porous than a spaghetti strainer then its asinine to make predominately of the plays you call pass plays and that is what makes one question the offensive coordinator’s competency. And I definitely can’t understand where Josh Rosen fits in when it comes to his talent level… dude looks like a slower Tannehill to me.
The Dolphins played a win less team just like they are. Do our team stink?.. yeah.. so to have a chance to put an X in the win column at home could’ve done wonders for everyone’s dismal moral. I can’t help but be patient, but not judging the coaching?.. WRONG!!!
Was it really a bad play call or just piss poor execution? As you said fitz could have chosen to roll right, or the two blockers could have actually blocked and maybe Kenyan actually could have caught the ball. Regardless it’s probably for the best as we obviously need the first pick in the draft and now we’re tied only with the bungles . I know it hurts but this may be the way out of our 20 year wander through the desert of mediocrity…
It’s all about traffic to me. The play, BY DESIGN, was for Drake to run into traffic. At the bottom of the field were only 2 guys (Preston Williams and the CB covering him). If Fitz takes the snap and sprints to his right, he only has one defender to beat (and that defender can be blocked by Preston Williams). If the CB tosses Williams aside and is about to tackle Fitz, then Fitz jobs lobs the ball to Williams, who the CB has just vacated.
Admin, I partially disagree. It was a good decision, but it was a horrible play call. Your points are valid if we were still competing for a playoff spot – going to Overtime would have been prudent decision. Alas, we are not, so have some fun and go for it. Hopefully the coaches learn from their play calling mistake.
I’ve gone back and forth. During the live chat, I was saying “Go for two!!” Only in hindsight did I have time to assess it. Worth a shot, I guess.
A day to think about this, and I’m realizing what a bad decision Flo made. You can’t treat a professional game like Madden 2019.
Going for 2, fake punts, onside kicks, etc. That’s really childish. We tried the onsides twice this year, and both times were offsides. That is a serious lack of discipline and practice.
And the final play to Drake? Drake himself revealed that he had not practiced that play at all. Makes a bad call seem even worse now.
Honestly I don’t mind them being aggressive and going for two. What the hell, we’re 0-4 and not going anywhere anyway. Let’s go big or go home in that situation. Now the play call as everyone else already pointed out was friggin ridiculous. You’re got big receivers in Williams, Parker, Gesicki etc.. someone is going to get single coverage in that situation I’d much rather see one of those guys go up and beat a defender for the ball then some gimmick play that didn’t fool one single person in red.
So my vote on this one…. Flores… why not… go for it not going to slam you for it. You do it when the game REALLY matters and I’ll be pissed but in this situation, this year… screw it why not?
But someone PLEASE fire O’Shea and get an experienced play caller in there next season when we’re supposedly going to take a big first step forward!?
I’m still gnawing over the Jets beating the Cowboys-Jets are pumped and we don’t need that when we can’t get anything going and are playing Buffalo in Buffalo-just call in the loss and stay home…having Sam Darnold back set them in motion! And that’s what happens having a QB that the team respects. Our team will not get there until we have THAT type of respected QB…we can’t have a draft pick be a dud of a leader. That’s going to be a disaster so whoever is selected, he better be the leader we need…so I’ll say it again, the coaching stinks bec. the GM and owner stink…neither knows how to hire.
I keep reading that “Chris Grier” is highly respected in NFL circles… but I do struggle to see why. I know this last draft was supposedly the first where he truly ran the show but while it’s too early to judge it’s far from a home run… and the drafts before where at the very least he has been involved haven’t been all that impressive as a whole. Couple “hits” in there like X, perhaps Baker and Godchaux… but lots of wasted high picks like Charles Harris, Tankersley, Gesicki etc.
Basically there’s not a track record you can point to and say “oh hell yeah can you imagine what this guy is going to put together with all the draft capital we’ve accumulated?!”
Well, we hear from whatever grapevine we are drinking from that this a good GM but where are the results??? My questions are always the same: why do other teams pick from the same pot and have the same info on draft picks and this group misses the mark? I’m not putting down the players bec they have worked hard at their craft and deal with injuries, rehabbing and coming back to perform at high levels…so they are doing what they can do with their God given ability…BUT the ones who select this talent is questionable. Not every player in the NFL is going to be mega talents like Rodgers, Brady and the like., but geezuz, can we get a player that surprises us and have some excitement about and feel like we got ourselves a winner??
Rosen now out for Fitz. Either they’ve given up on the young QB who’s in a tough spot behind a horrible oline or they don’t want to get him killed in buffalo. Not sure but I hope it’s the latter as I’m still hoping that Rosen can be something if anything a solid backup or trade bait.
That last interception Rosen threw in the game against the RedSkins showed that he is either trying to get benched or quarterbacking in the NFL is something he’s not cutout to be doing. Either one, I don’t think he’s the one the Dolphins should invest their future in. Or maybe a quarterbacking class with Peyton Manning may improve his game and then after that he can demonstrate his worthiness… maybe.
Personally I think Rosen has gotten a bit of a bum deal coming into the NFL. First he has to play behind a crap OL with limited weapons around (no offense to one of the all time greats in Larry Fitz of course but his best years are in the rear-view let’s be honest)…..
And then he gets traded to Miami who is so gung ho on the “purge” for picks that they essentially assembled one of the worst professional offensive lines I’ve ever seen and no “proven” weapons around him. Sure there’s guys that “flash” here and there but no consistency at all. So he’s pressing and trying to force things in order to move the ball that he might not in an offense with a decent OL and some consistent play makers around him.
Now having said all that, do I believe he’s the answer at QB? No definitely not, but is he as bad as he looks this year? Also definitely not.
Rosen is not as bad as he looks this year?.. are you kidding? Basically everything you said are the same excuses I’ve heard and seen given for Tannehill’s shortcomings. And after all the coach hirings, o-line draft picks, and years of patience to see if those accommodations is what Tannehill needed what did the Dolphins finally do with him?.. they decided not to experiment with him anymore and got rid of him. You think Rosen got a “bum deal coming into the NFL?” Let me remind you, Rosen was not a second, third, or fourth round draft pick, he was a first rounder, picked 10th overall in 2018. All the accolades Rosen received in high school and college has no reflection on his decision making in the NFL on game day. Is Rosen totally at fault for the Dolphins woes?.. no, I don’t think anyone is saying that. But I will not tell my eyes that they are lying about what they see. I can’t bemoan the decision coach Flores made to bench Rosen if Rosen is just a bargain based experiment this year. Rosen got benched for a reason, and I don’t think that reason has anything to do with the Dolphins dismal o-line or him having no proven weapons around him. I believe Rosen’s decision making leaves much to be desired. So in my estimation, is Rosen “as bad as he looks this year?” For now.. yessssss!
To be fair when the oline was healthy Tanny was very good. His problem was that he couldn’t handle the passrush. That’s why many of us gave him time as the oline was never solid more than a few games in a row when it was they would win. Most QBs are in the same boat look at Dak oline good so is he but as soon as they had injuries 0-3. The Fins current oline may be the worst ever so is it fair to say anyone is shit? Fitz has struggled too but has been around long enough to get out of some trouble. If anything Rosen needs to learn that. Go ahead and send him to NE and magically he’d be decent and everyone knows this…
Please… Tannehill would throw to receivers that were covered by two defenders and sometimes he would throw to a receiver who definitely had no chance of catching the ball because there would be three defenders in the area. Don’t second guess your eyes because Tannehill would definitely do BS that would make you shake your head. Enough of the no more than eight wins a season under Tannehill no matter how good the Dolphins o-lines were. Tannehill was treated more fairly than any quarterback in the history of the Miami Dolphins. And the dolphins don’t need a “decent quarterback.” We fans have suffered too long for just something that’s “okay.” The Dolphins could’ve had Lamar Jackson at quarterback and passed on him, and what did he do his first game against the Dolphins?.. he lit their ass up!
I wasn’t endorsing him as our QB of the future… I think I clearly stated that. Just saying NO quarterback in the league is going to have success with the worst OL I’ve ever seen in front of him. Tom Brady would retire if he had this OL in front of him.
So again, is Rosen great or the long term answer? NO. Is he worthless as an NFL QB? I don’t think it’s fair to say that either yet. But I COMPLETELY agree we’ve had mediocrity at QB for WAY too long and whether it’s Tua, Herbert or whomever…. we need a true fanchise QB… and we absolutely NEED an OL that can give him a chance of playing to his potential.
I actually wouldn’t mind them taking the same approach the Redskins took a few years ago when they took RG3 and Cousins in the same draft. Other than Peyton Manning and a VERY small handful of others… there is no guarantee that college greatness will translate to NFL greatness… why not double down on one of the others guys that will inevitably fall to the second round…
Hey MIKE, point to any comment that said you are “endorsing him (Rosen) as our QB of the future? Don’t defend yourself against your own misconceptions. You can point to the o-line all you want but when you see a quarterback ignoring check downs and ignoring wide open receivers and throwing stupid interceptions, you can’t just choc that up to a bad offensive line. No one is expecting Rosen to be the second coming of Joe Montana, but his mental mistakes are only his to correct.
Relax man, we’re on the same team here. Comparing him to Tannehill seemed to me that you were insinuating I was willing to be patient and let him grow as a QB like the Dolphins mgmt did for so long with Tannehill. My bad if I took that the wrong way. Save the aggression for Patriots fans…
Relax? Your perceptions do run wild don’t they? I don’t insinuate anything. I made a comparison of what you think and said about Rosen and the Dolphins offensive line and the weapons he has to work with, with basically the exact same language I heard and read about Tannehill. I’m not new to this site, I have been reading and making comments for years here. If you address me, then I’ll address you back. That is what you did to me first, right? I don’t assume a person’s disposition, that is, unless that person uses insulting language towards me. You used the word “aggression.” Do you always start conversations and then feel you are losing so you must make the readers feel the other person is somehow getting “ill-tempered?”
Rosen definitely needs more time to learn but I wouldn’t write him off yet. At the same time definitely draft another QB hedge your bets. Hopefully they end up with two good ones or a starter and a backup would be nice. Remember how long Rodgers sat and no one wanted him earlier in the first round…
FLYERFINFAN, if you are asking me about Aaron Rodgers, remember, Rodgers sat and observed Brett Favre for three years. Fitz is no Brett Favre. It is amusing to me how quickly Arizona wrote Rosen off after making his their first pick in the first round of the 2018 draft. Was it because of his constant annoyingly mental mistakes? I know all of us were hoping Rosen was just a QB on the wrong team and thought he might’ve not been given a chance that we think he should’ve gotten from the Cardinals and hoped we got a diamond in the rough that we purchased basically on the cheap. But after seeing Rosen play, can anyone really second guess Arizona about what they did?
Good points Smith…so we now go back to Fitz and hope they can break through and get a win somewhere. I hate to not give Flores an opportunity to turn this thing around, bec. he deserves it like any other person who starts a new job, no matter what the job is….BUT I would like to see smarter decisions…guess that’s where experience is golden.
Yeah but Fitz will be Fitz…. he’ll look amazing in some games and terrible in others… he didn’t exactly light things up in those first couple starts either. I like the dude, he’s got that gunslinger mentality you can’t help but love but… “live by the sword, die by the sword”….