A Few Thoughts about the Dolphins Game, in no particular order

[Virgil]

I kept thinking about last season all day and my cautious optimism about possibly making the playoffs.  While this game didn't carry any playoff importance at all, I felt good about today.  I knew what this season was and feel comfortable with the progression we've seen from our core young guys.  I also know that if we are in the same boat next year at week 17, it will NOT be okay.  I was okay with a loss, draft position between 4-12 is a huge difference, but wanted Kyle to go out on top.  With that, I just sat back and tried to enjoy the game

 

1 - Kyle - I watched Kyle a lot today and seemed like he got more than his normal share of double teams.  I don't know if that's because the Dolphins weren't going to let him have his moment, or maybe I've missed that all season.  I was nervous on his catch because he had to shed a block and almost didn't.  Josh hit him right on the money and it was great to see him get the 9 yards.  On almost every big defensive play, you could see the players want to thank Kyle after, even if he wasn't on the field.  McDermott taking two knees to ensure Kyle got back on the field was true class.   I can't remember a play since the early 90's that seemed to have this level of impact on his teammates and fans as he walked off the field.  It was a truly special moment as he walked around the ring.  I hope to see him return in some form of coaching capacity and even see his number retired.  Maybe that's over the top. but I can't think of a player who has defined the team more the past 13 years.

 

*After the catch, Kyle tossed the ball to the ref, but Zay immediately ran up and got the ball back.  Those are the little things to me.  First, that Kyle is just a consummate professional and two, even 2nd year Zay understands the moment and wants to make sure Kyle gets the memory

 

2 - Allen - Josh had a pretty good day today, but still seemed like the same old Josh to me.  Hit int was a terrible decision.  He had some great runs.  He made some passes that were what we hope to see for the next 15 years.  The biggest concern for me was his complete inability to throw a quick slant.  I'm not exaggerating here, it was bad.  Many called for this kind of play all season and I'm starting to see why they haven't.  He didn't execute any of his at least three attempts how he should have.  Yes, some were caught.  But they were slow and off target.  This is a basic weapon in any QB's arsenal and Allen couldn't do it.  It was odd.  Other than that, he hit Kyle when he needed to, accounted for 5 TD's and overall stepping on the throat of the Dolphins.  Here's too a solid off-season for him, time with his weapons, support from the rushing attack, and a big step forward next year Josh.

 

3 - Edmunds - The kid was fired up today.  I'd like to believe he was pissed after last weeks performance against the Pats and wanted to prove something.  Well, if so, he definitely did.  He was all over the field today with a sack, int, and some great run stuffs .  He hit the hole with anticipation and authority.  Kid was fantastic and gave arguable his best performance of the season.  If today is a glimpse of his capacity, next season should be fun.

 

4 - Finally the door opened. It was a shock to see him shuffling into the room like an aging prizefighter, limping, beaten, but it was later when the great man squinted into the bitter glow of twilight and muttered simply, it means nothing, all of it nothing. that the true shock came it was then that the boy understood that his hero's true injuries lay hidden in a darker place, his heart. His heart once capable of inspiring others so completely, could no longer inspire so much as itself. It beat now only out of habit, it beat now only because it could.

 

5 - The Legend of Kiko - It's time for me to move on from Kiko after the incident today.  There's playing with intensity and then there's just plain being a dick.  You could tell he was out to hurt someone today and had more than a few plays that were unnecessary.  I was happy to see him ejected after the play and it actually pissed me off a little when he gave his gloves away.  Maybe the chip of the trade is still on his shoulder and I don't care.  It's over Kiko.  It's not me, it's you.

 

*Who was it that went after Kiko after the play?  People keep saying it was Mills, but I thought the jersey started with a 6.  Anyone?  Either way, how far we've come since the Gronk hit on Tre.

 

6 - Shady - It was good to see some production from Shady today and some yards beyond the line of scrimmage.  Like everyone else, he seemed to have an extra burst in him today.  It seems like ages since he scored a TD. He wasn't a dominant factor in the game, but was complimented well by Ivory who stuck to hitting the holes strong and fast (that's what she said).  Overall, it's hard to not think that age has caught up to Shady.  Even with a better offensive line, he's still not showing the explosive speed or ability to break tackles.  I don't know what the best move is cap-wise, but we need to find our future at RB this off-season.

 

7 - Foster - I like the game from Foster today, even though he didn't have a huge game.  His back-shoulder TD catch was something I've been hoping to see due to his size.  Up until now, it's been all deep balls and curls.  Speaking of curls, the Dolphins were giving him an almost 15 yard cushion.  They were not go to let him beat them deep and he was the one being shadowed by the safety on the play where Zay was left open for a TD.  I'm really excited to see what this kid does with a full season next year and believe he's given us one less spot we need to fill.

 

8 - Defense - After a week where they just got gashed on the ground, the entire defense showed up today and only gave up 10 points.  They had 2 interceptions and dropped a 3rd.  The pass rush was solid and while they bent at times, they never broke.  Frazier had a solid game plan today and didn't miss a step when Tre went out with the head injury.  Tackling was an issue for a little bit, but again, made them when it counted.  Overall good game and I expect more solid results from them next season.

 

9 - Crossman - Last game of the season, last time to call for his job.  When your coach doesn't know his kicker is too injured to make a 45 yard field goal, there's a problem.  We still have Hyde fair catching punts.  The unit is just a mess and I hope McDermott does what's necessary

 

10 - The Organization - As I'm watching the game and listening to the commentary, I'm hearing how the Dolphins could be moving on from Tannehill and their coaching staff.   Then, I'm seeing the Jets score amongst rumors of Bowles about to get fired as well.  All three teams in the AFC East have been trying to put the pieces together during the Cheatriots Dynasty and seem to be turning over coaches around the same time.  As this game ended, you could still question Darnold vs Allen, but we are clearly the team of the three with the brighter future, clear path of what needs to be fixed, solid coaching, lots of draft picks as well as 90+ mil to spend.  Like I said in my intro, my expectations will be a lot higher next year by week 17, but the future is bright with optimism.

 

Go Bills!

 

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Dont understand why Mills was ejected?? Some fin was pulling his helmet down the whole time and he was pushing back, certainly not an ejectable offense.

 

 

[GRHater69]

you could still question Darnold vs Allen

 

Only if we had passed on him. We just weren't in position to draft him (although we could have been, but the Jets FO beat us on that one.) So I don't look at like I would Allen vs. Rosen. For the record I wanted Rosen, but have changed my mind.

 

 

 

 

[Seasons1992]

Today was the perfect send-off for Kyle, and the perfect springboard for the future of the franchise. Finally, after all these years, 2019 has true optimism. 

I also was hoping Josh would throw more slants with accuracy, and when he did, they worked for the most part. 

Need an RB, need a motivated Shaq Lawson, and need Josh to be more accurate. 

 

GO BILLS, happy new year TBD'ers. Thanks as always, Virgil.

[PearlHowardman]

The Miami Dolphins might just be the smartest team in the AFC East.

 

They know that the Brady/Belichick New England Patriots aren't going anywhere for at least three (3) more seasons so why waste their time trying to win the division?

 

[ProcessAccepted]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

Dont understand why Mills was ejected?? Some fin was pulling his helmet down the whole time and he was pushing back, certainly not an ejectable offense.

 

 

He was ejected because he went straight for Kiko. I love that he did that and I think the refs just didn't want to eject 2 Dolphins and no Bills. So the choices were 1 player or 3 and they chose 3. I'm fine with him being ejected and I like him more because he did what he did. The team is getting tougher under McD. 

[Virgil]

5 minutes ago, GRHater69 said:

you could still question Darnold vs Allen

 

Only if we had passed on him. We just weren't in position to draft him (although we could have been, but the Jets FO beat us on that one.) So I don't look at like I would Allen vs. Rosen. For the record I wanted Rosen, but have changed my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

Moreso in regards to who has the better rookie QB from this years draft, not if picked the right guy. 

[Buffalo Bills Fan]

1 minute ago, PearlHowardman said:

The Miami Dolphins might just be the smartest team in the AFC East.

 

They know that the Brady/Belichick New England Patriots aren't going anywhere for at least three (3) more seasons so why waste their time trying to win the division?

 

 

Gase is not a leader type HC. He might be good OC under a good leader HC. Like Bowles.. McDermott is soo much better in that regard.

[JoshAllenHasBigHands]

2 minutes ago, PearlHowardman said:

The Miami Dolphins might just be the smartest team in the AFC East.

 

They know that the Brady/Belichick New England Patriots aren't going anywhere for at least three (3) more seasons so why waste their time trying to win the division?

 

Oh...

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

9 - Crossman - Last game of the season, last time to call for his job.  When your coach doesn't know his kicker is too injured to make a 45 yard field goal, there's a problem.  We still have Hyde fair catching punts.  The unit is just a mess and I hope McDermott does what's necessary

 

Punting sucked too. Darr had a couple of ~30 yard punts with poor hangtime. How is that even possible for an NFL punter? 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

3 minutes ago, ProcessAccepted said:

He was ejected because he went straight for Kiko. I love that he did that and I think the refs just didn't want to eject 2 Dolphins and no Bills. So the choices were 1 player or 3 and they chose 3. I'm fine with him being ejected and I like him more because he did what he did. The team is getting tougher under McD. 

 

i guess but should have just been Kiko.

 

Im all about the Toughness but i think Mills should be replaced.

 

 

[ProcessAccepted]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

 

i guess but should have just been Kiko.

 

Im all about the Toughness but i think Mills should be replaced.

 

 

 

If we can get someone better then absolutely. He's certainly hasn't performed at a level where he is safe. I'm just liking that the team reacts to guys like Kiko. Just like in the Jags game the guys won't let themselves get pushed around especially in their own house.

[Ray Finkel]

21 minutes ago, Virgil said:

I kept thinking about last season all day and my cautious optimism about possibly making the playoffs.  While this game didn't carry any playoff importance at all, I felt good about today.  I knew what this season was and feel comfortable with the progression we've seen from our core young guys.  I also know that if we are in the same boat next year at week 17, it will NOT be okay.  I was okay with a loss, draft position between 4-12 is a huge difference, but wanted Kyle to go out on top.  With that, I just sat back and tried to enjoy the game

 

1 - Kyle - I watched Kyle a lot today and seemed like he got more than his normal share of double teams.  I don't know if that's because the Dolphins weren't going to let him have his moment, or maybe I've missed that all season.  I was nervous on his catch because he had to shed a block and almost didn't.  Josh hit him right on the money and it was great to see him get the 9 yards.  On almost every big defensive play, you could see the players want to thank Kyle after, even if he wasn't on the field.  McDermott taking two knees to ensure Kyle got back on the field was true class.   I can't remember a play since the early 90's that seemed to have this level of impact on his teammates and fans as he walked off the field.  It was a truly special moment as he walked around the ring.  I hope to see him return in some form of coaching capacity and even see his number retired.  Maybe that's over the top. but I can't think of a player who has defined the team more the past 13 years.

 

*After the catch, Kyle tossed the ball to the ref, but Zay immediately ran up and got the ball back.  Those are the little things to me.  First, that Kyle is just a consummate professional and two, even 2nd year Zay understands the moment and wants to make sure Kyle gets the memory

 

2 - Allen - Josh had a pretty good day today, but still seemed like the same old Josh to me.  Hit int was a terrible decision.  He had some great runs.  He made some passes that were what we hope to see for the next 15 years.  The biggest concern for me was his complete inability to throw a quick slant.  I'm not exaggerating here, it was bad.  Many called for this kind of play all season and I'm starting to see why they haven't.  He didn't execute any of his at least three attempts how he should have.  Yes, some were caught.  But they were slow and off target.  This is a basic weapon in any QB's arsenal and Allen couldn't do it.  It was odd.  Other than that, he hit Kyle when he needed to, accounted for 5 TD's and overall stepping on the throat of the Dolphins.  Here's too a solid off-season for him, time with his weapons, support from the rushing attack, and a big step forward next year Josh.

 

3 - Edmunds - The kid was fired up today.  I'd like to believe he was pissed after last weeks performance against the Pats and wanted to prove something.  Well, if so, he definitely did.  He was all over the field today with a sack, int, and some great run stuffs .  He hit the hole with anticipation and authority.  Kid was fantastic and gave arguable his best performance of the season.  If today is a glimpse of his capacity, next season should be fun.

 

4 - Finally the door opened. It was a shock to see him shuffling into the room like an aging prizefighter, limping, beaten, but it was later when the great man squinted into the bitter glow of twilight and muttered simply, it means nothing, all of it nothing. that the true shock came it was then that the boy understood that his hero's true injuries lay hidden in a darker place, his heart. His heart once capable of inspiring others so completely, could no longer inspire so much as itself. It beat now only out of habit, it beat now only because it could.

 

5 - The Legend of Kiko - It's time for me to move on from Kiko after the incident today.  There's playing with intensity and then there's just plain being a dick.  You could tell he was out to hurt someone today and had more than a few plays that were unnecessary.  I was happy to see him ejected after the play and it actually pissed me off a little when he gave his gloves away.  Maybe the chip of the trade is still on his shoulder and I don't care.  It's over Kiko.  It's not me, it's you.

 

*Who was it that went after Kiko after the play?  People keep saying it was Mills, but I thought the jersey started with a 6.  Anyone?  Either way, how far we've come since the Gronk hit on Tre.

 

6 - Shady - It was good to see some production from Shady today and some yards beyond the line of scrimmage.  Like everyone else, he seemed to have an extra burst in him today.  It seems like ages since he scored a TD. He wasn't a dominant factor in the game, but was complimented well by Ivory who stuck to hitting the holes strong and fast (that's what she said).  Overall, it's hard to not think that age has caught up to Shady.  Even with a better offensive line, he's still not showing the explosive speed or ability to break tackles.  I don't know what the best move is cap-wise, but we need to find our future at RB this off-season.

 

7 - Foster - I like the game from Foster today, even though he didn't have a huge game.  His back-shoulder TD catch was something I've been hoping to see due to his size.  Up until now, it's been all deep balls and curls.  Speaking of curls, the Dolphins were giving him an almost 15 yard cushion.  They were not go to let him beat them deep and he was the one being shadowed by the safety on the play where Zay was left open for a TD.  I'm really excited to see what this kid does with a full season next year and believe he's given us one less spot we need to fill.

 

8 - Defense - After a week where they just got gashed on the ground, the entire defense showed up today and only gave up 10 points.  They had 2 interceptions and dropped a 3rd.  The pass rush was solid and while they bent at times, they never broke.  Frazier had a solid game plan today and didn't miss a step when Tre went out with the head injury.  Tackling was an issue for a little bit, but again, made them when it counted.  Overall good game and I expect more solid results from them next season.

 

9 - Crossman - Last game of the season, last time to call for his job.  When your coach doesn't know his kicker is too injured to make a 45 yard field goal, there's a problem.  We still have Hyde fair catching punts.  The unit is just a mess and I hope McDermott does what's necessary

 

10 - The Organization - As I'm watching the game and listening to the commentary, I'm hearing how the Dolphins could be moving on from Tannehill and their coaching staff.   Then, I'm seeing the Jets score amongst rumors of Bowles about to get fired as well.  All three teams in the AFC East have been trying to put the pieces together during the Cheatriots Dynasty and seem to be turning over coaches around the same time.  As this game ended, you could still question Darnold vs Allen, but we are clearly the team of the three with the brighter future, clear path of what needs to be fixed, solid coaching, lots of draft picks as well as 90+ mil to spend.  Like I said in my intro, my expectations will be a lot higher next year by week 17, but the future is bright with optimism.

 

Go Bills!

 

 

I think it was McDermott who jumped on Kiko.

[John from Riverside]

Josh played pretty damn good today for a player that IS our offense.......we had what....less then 50 yards rushing today that did not come from a QB today?

 

EVERY QB MAKES BAD THROWS IN A GAME......every one

 

PS....Darnold looked like crap today.......just like every rookie QB does when they play the patriots

[Billsfan1972]

How can you be negative on Allen?  The int though his fault is bad coaching and playcalling.  There was over a minute and Miami had timeouts.  The first down play was garbage setting up the need to get a first down.  The whole second quarter was classic MvD/Daboll play with the lead.

 

Allen is dynamic and fun to watch.  Things to work on but has me excited for the first time in ages.

 

Obviously you're biased when you have to make a point of Foster's TD, when it had little to do with him and was a great pass by Josh.

 

Btw Darnold folded vs. NE and Mayfield not fairing well vs. Baltimore 

[nucci]

Just now, John from Riverside said:

Josh played pretty damn good today for a player that IS our offense.......we had what....less then 50 yards rushing today that did not come from a QB today?

 

EVERY QB MAKES BAD THROWS IN A GAME......every one

 

PS....Darnold looked like crap today.......just like every rookie QB does when they play the patriots

[billsfan1959]

Just now, Billsfan1972 said:

How can you be negative on Allen?  The int though his fault is bad coaching and playcalling.  There was over a minute and Miami had timeouts.  The first down play was garbage setting up the need to get a first down.  The whole second quarter was classic MvD/Daboll play with the lead.

 

Allen is dynamic and fun to watch.  Things to work on but has me excited for the first time in ages.

 

Obviously you're biased when you have to make a point of Foster's TD, when it had little to do with him and was a great pass by Josh.

 

Btw Darnold folded vs. NE and Mayfield not fairing well vs. Baltimore 

Not specifically meant for the OP; however, I don't think I have ever seen a QB, much less a rookie QB, whose every pass is so over analyzed by a fan base.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

5 minutes ago, ProcessAccepted said:

 

If we can get someone better then absolutely. He's certainly hasn't performed at a level where he is safe. I'm just liking that the team reacts to guys like Kiko. Just like in the Jags game the guys won't let themselves get pushed around especially in their own house.

 

We have the culture now we are getting the players, CANT WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR !!

 

 

[RochesterRob]

  Considering where JA was starting from in terms of experience I am fairly pleased at where he wound up and as the commentators said it will take an intensive offseason for JA to take the next step or two but he certainly can do it.

[The Frankish Reich]

Joshlin Allenick!  Kaep is back in the NFL after all, but he's 22 years old again, he wears #17 in a Bills jersey, he looks kinda different, and I hear he stands for the anthem.

Seriously ... this was what I saw out there today. The "let's take the speed regulator off of him and see what he can do" Allen, who does remind me of exactly what the old/good/almost-won-a-Super Bowl Kaepernick used to do. I want more games this season just to let this play out a little bit!