Wozzy
Pro Bowl Player
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- Mar 6, 2018
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This is what I said before game one:
"If they stay balanced but run heavy, play mistake free football I feel good about this game. Dolphins D is good but their OLine is only as good as their five starters and their LT can’t stay healthy long enough to finish a game. We have no clue who Mike McDaniels is as a head coach. He could be great, he could suck." - Wozzy, yesterday
Mike McDaniels looked really good to me. The kid looked calm and collected, he made great decisions.
As for the Patriots... they turned the ball over three times, the Dolphins didn't turn it over once.
Offensive Coaching - How about nearly every Patriot offensive play went to the final second of the play clock... that gives opponents an advantage because when it's consistent opponents can time up their blitzes.
They ran once, twice, three times to great effect... and still no play action? Only an obvious bunched up 4th rushing attempt at their stud DT's, that not surprisingly got stuffed... hey Patricia, you realize good run defenders might take that personally, right?
I thought the play calling looked great on the scripted drives at the start of the game and after the half, afterwards it often looked like plays spit out of a computer. No intent or intention to create rhythm, or control what the defense is doing by getting them moving in any direction.
Offensive players: The line outside of (mistakes) communication issues and a couple of penalties blocked well. The two RB's averaged 4.3 yards per carry, they broke off some chunk plays, they both got involved in the passing game which was amazing. That being said, I think as a 3rd down back Montgomery is the still best for the job. He's simply the fastest of the three and most natural WR of the group. Jonnu was really good as both blocker and receiver. If there was a big disconnect between Mac and his weapons it was his WR's. They made some plays, they missed some plays.
Defensive coaching was good except for the play at the end of the half. With Tyreek, Waddle and Gesicki the DB's shouldn't be pressing at the line of scrimmage on likely the final play of the first half when they're that close to the end zone. This was the coaching staff putting Gronk in on defense, the Miracle in Miami idiocy all over again. Yes, the defenders were in position to make the tackle but ran into each other. Why send the house there? Why have DMC, your best centerfielder, at the line of scrimmage?
The defense only gave up 13 points, the one TD they allowed was a fluke broken play and the two field goals were a 43 and 49 yard attempts... they weren't gimmes.
I thought the defense played really well... consider the weapons.
Mistakes in order:
The first (scripted) drive:
Mac Jones passes deep right (defended by Xavien Howard) intended for DeVante Parker is intercepted by Jevon Holland in end zone and returned for 31 yards (tackle by Isaiah Wynn)
First let me say Devante Parker was held the entire route, a clear hold, not some moaning fan BS. That being said, you're the road team and have to accept its going to happen. My bigger issue is with the decision is to throw a 50/50 ball to anyone when Xavien Howard is guarding them on first down. Unless it was meant to be a back shoulder throw and he couldn't get back to it. It never should have been made. You either throw it to the back corner of the end zone and make Parker win a footrace to get it, or the ball goes out of bounds. But what you don't do is throw it dead center right of the endzone... the reason being the very thing that occurred. That play was a mistake in either conception, or Mac's throw had too much air under it and he should have stepped into it a little more. It was first down, we were on their 22 yard line... 2 yards more was the red zone. Everything to that point was working for them on offense. Why? Go for first downs, not touchdowns... and the TD's will come.
Defense gives up a long field goal.
The second drive:
Two big mistakes on the second drive. It starts on our 25 with back-to-back good run plays. Rhamondre rips off right guard for 7 yards, then over the left end for 12 yards. Well blocked, good running. Then Mac throws to Rhamondre for -3 yards, but another throw to Montgomery goes for 7. Here's 3rd and 6 to go and Hunter Henry has a false start on a play where everyone looked confused in setting it up. Play clock always going to 1 then hike? Mistake #1. So it's 3rd and 11 now and a moment of brilliance as they run a WR screen outside to Agholor for 17 yards. Great design, great blocking especially by the weapons out on the edge. Very next play someone forgot to tell Cole Strange who to block because Emmanuel Ogbah shifts right before the snap because he's probably watching the play clock and goes untouched right up the middle for a 7 yard sack. That second mistake of the drive killed any momentum. One dive play with Montgomery that got stuffed by Christian Wilkins, their best DT for -2 yards later and they're facing a 3rd and 19. Mac completes a pass to Henry for 9 but the drive is over and they have to punt.
I should just add that the punting, placement and kick coverage were superb.
Defense forces a punt.
The third drive:
Mac Jones sacked by Brandon Jones for -13 yards. Mac Jones fumbles (forced by Brandon Jones), recovered by Melvin Ingram at NE-2 and returned for a 2 yard td.
After a failed pass downfield, it's second and ten on the Pat's 15 in the second quarter and time is not an issue... when the biggest mistake of the game occurs. IMO there may be two mistakes on this one play. On the sack strip scoop and score by the Dolphins Mac gets caught napping. The safety Brandon Jones, who had 5 sacks last year, rushes the outside edge and Mac is only looking right instead of scanning the field one last time before the snap. He had 5 seconds on the play clock so he rushed the snap because he saw something on the right side he liked pre-snap. If he had taken the time to straighten out and scan the field he would have seen Jones creeping up. Another person who may have screwed up for the second time today might be Hunter Henry. He could have chipped Jones on his route to give Mac more time, but Mac was the main culprit here for telegraphing his intent and rushing the snap. A lot of people want to blame Trent Brown here, he was diverting his assignment inside and even with his building sized wingspan would have struggled to get the SS coming off the edge. This was a big mistake that cost points.
The fourth drive:
Mac Jones pass incomplete short left intended for Jakobi Meyers (defended by Brandon Jones)
Damien Harris up the middle for 3 yards (tackle by Melvin Ingram)
Mac Jones pass complete deep right to Jakobi Meyers for 27 yards (tackle by Nik Needham)
Mac Jones pass complete short right to Ty Montgomery for 2 yards (tackle by Jerome Baker)
Rhamondre Stevenson left end for -4 yards (tackle by Kader Kohou)
Mac Jones scrambles up the middle for 2 yards (tackle by Duke Riley)
Jake Bailey punts 36 yards downed by Matthew Slater
The fourth drive had very little rhythm between the run and pass game. Again, Mac was letting the play clock run down to one before he snapped it. Which is why IMO as the game went on the Dolphins got better at knowing when to run blitz and crash down. Their run D stiffening up might be a product of committing to watching the play clock and knowing the Pats wanted to run or pass, and usually choose one or the other in blocks. The Dolphins kept some players home knowing Mac might run on third and long, their starters are a good defense unit. That being said, giving them back the ball with four minutes left in the half with a ten point lead and them receiving the ball in the second half was asking to lose.
The major defensive mistake:
2nd Quarter, 24 seconds on the clock, 4th and 7, New Eglands 42 yard line and down 16 points.
Tua Tagovailoa pass complete short middle to Jaylen Waddle for 42 yards, touchdown
It was a broken coverage, Mills thought he had over the top help and needed it against Waddle. Bentley, in zone, would have made the tackle but Duggar collided with him and knocked him off. Big mistake here... but by whom? Duggar seems the most at fault, out of position in addition to preventing Bentley from making the tackle. But there may be more at work here. It may have been a mistake having your best centerfielder in DMC at the line of scrimmage covering the RB. Drop everyone into a cloud and prevent the big play instead of press coverage. There's 24 seconds, it's 4th down with 42 yards to go.
This entire sequence was a major mistake, one of the few by the defense. The biggest mistake of all to this point, assuming this defense could hold down these weapons for this long.
To start the second half the defense forces another punt.
The fifth (scripted) drive, first of the second half:
I thought this drive was great, just like the first one of the game... only the outcome was better.
It was a long 8:61 minute, 16 play drive and they had the Dolphins defense out of sorts. This was classic Patriots dink and dunk offense that ended with Montgomery very wisely knowing he was untouched and could roll into the end zone. 6 runs/9 passes equals great balance in the modern NFL.
If Patricia looks this good on scripted offense coming out of the tunnel the offense should have a distinct advantage as a designer/coordinator... I think after those scripted plays is where he needs to improve as an offensive coach. This was to be expected, but I thought he called a decent and balanced games game outside of the few hiccups I highlight in this post.
Defense gives up a long field goal.
The sixth drive:
I thought there was a failure in play calling at the start of the 4th Quarter:
Damien Harris left end for 6 yards (tackle by Jerome Baker)
Jakobi Meyers left end for 7 yards (tackle by Elandon Roberts and Brandon Jones)
Damien Harris right guard for 4 yards (tackle by Brandon Jones and Raekwon Davis)
Rhamondre Stevenson left tackle for no gain (tackle by Raekwon Davis and Emmanuel Ogbah)
Four straight runs to start the drive... should have stopped at three and used some play action on the fourth. I thought play action was severely underutilized in this drive (game), especially with how well we were running the ball. Mac got hit hard on the roughing the passer penalty, a dumb chop block penalty by Andrews negated it. They had to punt, the game was near over at this point down 7-20.
The defense forces another punt.
The seventh drive:
Mac Jones pass incomplete short middle intended for Nelson Agholor
Mac Jones pass complete short right to Jonnu Smith for 7 yards (tackle by Brandon Jones and Raekwon Davis)
Ty Montgomery up the middle for no gain (tackle by Zach Sieler)
Mac Jones pass incomplete deep middle intended for Hunter Henry (defended by Kader Kohou). Penalty on Trent Brown: Offensive Holding, 10 yards (declined)
A penalty by Brown ended this otherwise uninspiring drive. I thought the draw attempt was too bunched up but have to watch the replay.
The eighth drive:
Mac Jones pass incomplete deep right intended for Nelson Agholor
Mac Jones pass complete short middle to Jonnu Smith for 11 yards (tackle by Jerome Baker and Brandon Jones)
Mac Jones pass complete deep left to Kendrick Bourne for 41 yards (tackle by Jevon Holland)
Mac Jones pass incomplete short left intended for Ty Montgomery
Mac Jones pass complete short middle to Nelson Agholor for 5 yards. Nelson Agholor fumbles (forced by Kader Kohou), recovered by Jaelan Phillips at MIA-37
A fumble by Agholor ended the final drive of the night, a final mistake.
Summation: The big problem was execution and mistakes... not talent.
"If they stay balanced but run heavy, play mistake free football I feel good about this game. Dolphins D is good but their OLine is only as good as their five starters and their LT can’t stay healthy long enough to finish a game. We have no clue who Mike McDaniels is as a head coach. He could be great, he could suck." - Wozzy, yesterday
Mike McDaniels looked really good to me. The kid looked calm and collected, he made great decisions.
As for the Patriots... they turned the ball over three times, the Dolphins didn't turn it over once.
Offensive Coaching - How about nearly every Patriot offensive play went to the final second of the play clock... that gives opponents an advantage because when it's consistent opponents can time up their blitzes.
They ran once, twice, three times to great effect... and still no play action? Only an obvious bunched up 4th rushing attempt at their stud DT's, that not surprisingly got stuffed... hey Patricia, you realize good run defenders might take that personally, right?
I thought the play calling looked great on the scripted drives at the start of the game and after the half, afterwards it often looked like plays spit out of a computer. No intent or intention to create rhythm, or control what the defense is doing by getting them moving in any direction.
Offensive players: The line outside of (mistakes) communication issues and a couple of penalties blocked well. The two RB's averaged 4.3 yards per carry, they broke off some chunk plays, they both got involved in the passing game which was amazing. That being said, I think as a 3rd down back Montgomery is the still best for the job. He's simply the fastest of the three and most natural WR of the group. Jonnu was really good as both blocker and receiver. If there was a big disconnect between Mac and his weapons it was his WR's. They made some plays, they missed some plays.
Defensive coaching was good except for the play at the end of the half. With Tyreek, Waddle and Gesicki the DB's shouldn't be pressing at the line of scrimmage on likely the final play of the first half when they're that close to the end zone. This was the coaching staff putting Gronk in on defense, the Miracle in Miami idiocy all over again. Yes, the defenders were in position to make the tackle but ran into each other. Why send the house there? Why have DMC, your best centerfielder, at the line of scrimmage?
The defense only gave up 13 points, the one TD they allowed was a fluke broken play and the two field goals were a 43 and 49 yard attempts... they weren't gimmes.
I thought the defense played really well... consider the weapons.
Mistakes in order:
The first (scripted) drive:
Mac Jones passes deep right (defended by Xavien Howard) intended for DeVante Parker is intercepted by Jevon Holland in end zone and returned for 31 yards (tackle by Isaiah Wynn)
First let me say Devante Parker was held the entire route, a clear hold, not some moaning fan BS. That being said, you're the road team and have to accept its going to happen. My bigger issue is with the decision is to throw a 50/50 ball to anyone when Xavien Howard is guarding them on first down. Unless it was meant to be a back shoulder throw and he couldn't get back to it. It never should have been made. You either throw it to the back corner of the end zone and make Parker win a footrace to get it, or the ball goes out of bounds. But what you don't do is throw it dead center right of the endzone... the reason being the very thing that occurred. That play was a mistake in either conception, or Mac's throw had too much air under it and he should have stepped into it a little more. It was first down, we were on their 22 yard line... 2 yards more was the red zone. Everything to that point was working for them on offense. Why? Go for first downs, not touchdowns... and the TD's will come.
Defense gives up a long field goal.
The second drive:
Two big mistakes on the second drive. It starts on our 25 with back-to-back good run plays. Rhamondre rips off right guard for 7 yards, then over the left end for 12 yards. Well blocked, good running. Then Mac throws to Rhamondre for -3 yards, but another throw to Montgomery goes for 7. Here's 3rd and 6 to go and Hunter Henry has a false start on a play where everyone looked confused in setting it up. Play clock always going to 1 then hike? Mistake #1. So it's 3rd and 11 now and a moment of brilliance as they run a WR screen outside to Agholor for 17 yards. Great design, great blocking especially by the weapons out on the edge. Very next play someone forgot to tell Cole Strange who to block because Emmanuel Ogbah shifts right before the snap because he's probably watching the play clock and goes untouched right up the middle for a 7 yard sack. That second mistake of the drive killed any momentum. One dive play with Montgomery that got stuffed by Christian Wilkins, their best DT for -2 yards later and they're facing a 3rd and 19. Mac completes a pass to Henry for 9 but the drive is over and they have to punt.
I should just add that the punting, placement and kick coverage were superb.
Defense forces a punt.
The third drive:
Mac Jones sacked by Brandon Jones for -13 yards. Mac Jones fumbles (forced by Brandon Jones), recovered by Melvin Ingram at NE-2 and returned for a 2 yard td.
After a failed pass downfield, it's second and ten on the Pat's 15 in the second quarter and time is not an issue... when the biggest mistake of the game occurs. IMO there may be two mistakes on this one play. On the sack strip scoop and score by the Dolphins Mac gets caught napping. The safety Brandon Jones, who had 5 sacks last year, rushes the outside edge and Mac is only looking right instead of scanning the field one last time before the snap. He had 5 seconds on the play clock so he rushed the snap because he saw something on the right side he liked pre-snap. If he had taken the time to straighten out and scan the field he would have seen Jones creeping up. Another person who may have screwed up for the second time today might be Hunter Henry. He could have chipped Jones on his route to give Mac more time, but Mac was the main culprit here for telegraphing his intent and rushing the snap. A lot of people want to blame Trent Brown here, he was diverting his assignment inside and even with his building sized wingspan would have struggled to get the SS coming off the edge. This was a big mistake that cost points.
The fourth drive:
Mac Jones pass incomplete short left intended for Jakobi Meyers (defended by Brandon Jones)
Damien Harris up the middle for 3 yards (tackle by Melvin Ingram)
Mac Jones pass complete deep right to Jakobi Meyers for 27 yards (tackle by Nik Needham)
Mac Jones pass complete short right to Ty Montgomery for 2 yards (tackle by Jerome Baker)
Rhamondre Stevenson left end for -4 yards (tackle by Kader Kohou)
Mac Jones scrambles up the middle for 2 yards (tackle by Duke Riley)
Jake Bailey punts 36 yards downed by Matthew Slater
The fourth drive had very little rhythm between the run and pass game. Again, Mac was letting the play clock run down to one before he snapped it. Which is why IMO as the game went on the Dolphins got better at knowing when to run blitz and crash down. Their run D stiffening up might be a product of committing to watching the play clock and knowing the Pats wanted to run or pass, and usually choose one or the other in blocks. The Dolphins kept some players home knowing Mac might run on third and long, their starters are a good defense unit. That being said, giving them back the ball with four minutes left in the half with a ten point lead and them receiving the ball in the second half was asking to lose.
The major defensive mistake:
2nd Quarter, 24 seconds on the clock, 4th and 7, New Eglands 42 yard line and down 16 points.
Tua Tagovailoa pass complete short middle to Jaylen Waddle for 42 yards, touchdown
It was a broken coverage, Mills thought he had over the top help and needed it against Waddle. Bentley, in zone, would have made the tackle but Duggar collided with him and knocked him off. Big mistake here... but by whom? Duggar seems the most at fault, out of position in addition to preventing Bentley from making the tackle. But there may be more at work here. It may have been a mistake having your best centerfielder in DMC at the line of scrimmage covering the RB. Drop everyone into a cloud and prevent the big play instead of press coverage. There's 24 seconds, it's 4th down with 42 yards to go.
This entire sequence was a major mistake, one of the few by the defense. The biggest mistake of all to this point, assuming this defense could hold down these weapons for this long.
To start the second half the defense forces another punt.
The fifth (scripted) drive, first of the second half:
I thought this drive was great, just like the first one of the game... only the outcome was better.
It was a long 8:61 minute, 16 play drive and they had the Dolphins defense out of sorts. This was classic Patriots dink and dunk offense that ended with Montgomery very wisely knowing he was untouched and could roll into the end zone. 6 runs/9 passes equals great balance in the modern NFL.
If Patricia looks this good on scripted offense coming out of the tunnel the offense should have a distinct advantage as a designer/coordinator... I think after those scripted plays is where he needs to improve as an offensive coach. This was to be expected, but I thought he called a decent and balanced games game outside of the few hiccups I highlight in this post.
Defense gives up a long field goal.
The sixth drive:
I thought there was a failure in play calling at the start of the 4th Quarter:
Damien Harris left end for 6 yards (tackle by Jerome Baker)
Jakobi Meyers left end for 7 yards (tackle by Elandon Roberts and Brandon Jones)
Damien Harris right guard for 4 yards (tackle by Brandon Jones and Raekwon Davis)
Rhamondre Stevenson left tackle for no gain (tackle by Raekwon Davis and Emmanuel Ogbah)
Four straight runs to start the drive... should have stopped at three and used some play action on the fourth. I thought play action was severely underutilized in this drive (game), especially with how well we were running the ball. Mac got hit hard on the roughing the passer penalty, a dumb chop block penalty by Andrews negated it. They had to punt, the game was near over at this point down 7-20.
The defense forces another punt.
The seventh drive:
Mac Jones pass incomplete short middle intended for Nelson Agholor
Mac Jones pass complete short right to Jonnu Smith for 7 yards (tackle by Brandon Jones and Raekwon Davis)
Ty Montgomery up the middle for no gain (tackle by Zach Sieler)
Mac Jones pass incomplete deep middle intended for Hunter Henry (defended by Kader Kohou). Penalty on Trent Brown: Offensive Holding, 10 yards (declined)
A penalty by Brown ended this otherwise uninspiring drive. I thought the draw attempt was too bunched up but have to watch the replay.
The eighth drive:
Mac Jones pass incomplete deep right intended for Nelson Agholor
Mac Jones pass complete short middle to Jonnu Smith for 11 yards (tackle by Jerome Baker and Brandon Jones)
Mac Jones pass complete deep left to Kendrick Bourne for 41 yards (tackle by Jevon Holland)
Mac Jones pass incomplete short left intended for Ty Montgomery
Mac Jones pass complete short middle to Nelson Agholor for 5 yards. Nelson Agholor fumbles (forced by Kader Kohou), recovered by Jaelan Phillips at MIA-37
A fumble by Agholor ended the final drive of the night, a final mistake.
Summation: The big problem was execution and mistakes... not talent.
