Suh What???

It’s always hard being a Miami Dolphin fan. We just always seem to be a few tweaks away from a consistent contending, winning team…then something else pops up.

So far this season our team has looked unmotivated, undisciplined and uninspired. The Washington game wasn’t too bad but the Jacksonville and the season home opener against Buffalo were the worst displays of no confidence play I have ever seen. Or play of any kind.

One thing I do know. The problem on the Defensive line is NOT Ndamukong Suh or even Cameron Wake. I’ve watched all three games and paid particular attention, as much as TV coverage would allow, on that line. Suh most times is getting double and triple covered. Wake almost always draws double coverage. So we have 5 offensive line bodies on Suh and Wake and if you know the composition of an offensive line and a basic blocking scheme on a basic pass rush who’s left to block and cover the rest of our defensive line? With that above scenario, if Suh and Wake are not the problem here, who is? THAT is where we should be focusing our attention on. The guys being covered by tight ends and running backs need to step up and beat that coverage. Why we ever let Odrick go is beyond me.

Our linebackers need to blitz a lot more as do our safeties. THAT is one problem. You want to loosen up double/triple coverage on your start passing rush line? Blitz their asses a few times. That’ll loosen them up. Rashad Jones is a blessing to have on this team right now. Let him blitz more. Our linebackers have been a sore spot for some time now. Our linebackers need to pass protect better. They can not cover Tight Ends and when we play New England, you can best bet the Pats will score 50+ on us. The Linebackers are the field commanders on defense. They should be the one calling the play, setting/adjusting the coverage. They need to lead.  We have two good linebackers in Misi and Jenkins. We have two rookie linebackers on the roster and I don’t know why. We need to draft better linebacker’s ad we need to be willing to pay the money for better linebackers through free agency.

Our secondary is a definite “work-in-progress”. We play the softest coverage ever. Our secondary allows for pass completion and then hit after the catch. While that might work with an experienced quality set of Defensive Backs, it ain’t working here in Miami. If you are going to play a soft coverage, you need to be able to hit and tackle effectively. We aren’t doing that. We need to cover the receivers. Press coverage, man coverage whatever. They need to stick on them like flies on poop. We need to hit the receivers as they come off their line. Can’t do that from 5-10 yards away. Our secondary basically allows for opposing offenses to have near complete air superiority over us. You can win no battle without air superiority. So take it away from them.

I don’t know what to say about the leadership. I think our defensive coordinator needs to be let go. I haven’t seen anything to reflect the influence of a respected coach here on this defense. I don’t see any kind of inspired play calling. I think it’s simple here. Coyle is past due and needs to go. We need an aggressive coach. One that will sit there and tell a player “If it were up to me I would cut you this day” and mean it. One that when having said, the player responds in a positive, disciplined manner with respect, professionalism and a desire to do everything to change that coaches mind about him. Prove him wrong. Coaches do more than call plays. They lead. They inspire and they motivate. They see the potential of a man and they bring it out of him and make it second nature.

It just seems our defense lacks in motivation, discipline and aggressiveness. I know they lack leadership. We shouldn’t be high fiving the other team during the game. We should be talking smack to the other team, we should be bumping them, we should be pissing them off. We should walk onto any field with confidence and take over the place. Our guys walk into the stadium and it should be apparent to Gawd and everybody watching that we own the place, the game is ours and the other team is getting their ass kicked this day. We have a solid block to build on. We need to build.

I started this post off with the statement that “being a Dolphin fan is hard.” I need to change that. It’s not hard at all. Dolphin fans have faith, we have patience, loyalty and we are some of the more passionate fans in the league. Our team has reached the highest pinnacle that a team can ever get. We may never get there again but I, as do all my fellow real Fin Fans do, believe our team will see continued greatness once again. We will be a winning team again and I will be there supporting in every way I can.

Yogi said “It ain’t over till it’s over” and it ain’t over. We can win. We have not played a better team yet. We’ve played two teams that played us better but they are not better teams. A well-coached Rex Ryan team never lasts a season before fizzling out to nothingness. For our team we have what it takes to win and I truly believe the playoffs can be in our grasp if we bring up our play a little more. 

Our team is just a few tweaks away…..