Gearing up for the season--Clayton's 1st and 10

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2528159

nothing in NE makes his Top 10 things to watch, and otherwise it is standard fare, BUT...it is a harbinger of the 2006 NFL Season...

Another "expert" on the Fins bandwagon. I just don't see it. That 6 game win streak to close out last season is laughable. Granted, they beat the Bolts, but the Bills, Jets, Raiders, Titans and the Pats 3rd teamers had nothing to play for. If they go better than 8-8, I'll be shocked.

RIP#40 said:

Granted, they beat the Bolts

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There was a lot of talk that the Dolphins knew the Chargers' audibles for that game because the Chargers' OL coach from the year before went to Miami and it was said that they didn't change the audibles for the game. Whatever, we almost beat them with our 2nd/3rd string the final game. We'll see soon enough

RIP#40 said:

Another "expert" on the Fins bandwagon. I just don't see it. That 6 game win streak to close out last season is laughable. Granted, they beat the Bolts, but the Bills, Jets, Raiders, Titans and the Pats 3rd teamers had nothing to play for. If they go better than 8-8, I'll be shocked.

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I don't think 10 wins for the Dolphins is out of the question. The AFC east has an easy schedule this year. So anything between 8 and 10 wins is what I would expect. If they get 11 or more, then I would be surprised.

I wonder what he means by "something special", as if having a team with a future-HOF coach and QB is chopped-liver?

RIP#40 said:

Another "expert" on the Fins bandwagon. I just don't see it. That 6 game win streak to close out last season is laughable. Granted, they beat the Bolts, but the Bills, Jets, Raiders, Titans and the Pats 3rd teamers had nothing to play for. If they go better than 8-8, I'll be shocked.

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HAHA! Homer statement of the year possibly right there. Why don't you just wake up and realize that the reason so many people are picking the Fins, is because they are for real? Seriously, they aren't just saying it to make Pats fans angry. The team significantly upgraded at their weakest posistion and upgraded every other unit. Any 6 game streak in the NFL is an impressive one. No games are gimmes in this league and that Chargers team was a pretty good team as well.

If you want to talk about teams Miami beat, how about Denver and Carolina? Both teams that went to their respective league's championship games. If you are expecting a losing season out of Miami, you are completely ignorant.

Five of Miami's 7 losses last year were by 10 points or less and 2 times, turnovers late in the game in the opposistion's red zone ended the comeback. That was all Gus Frerotte's fault with those INTs. Not to mention we are going from Gus' 52 completion percentage to Daunte's all time NFL best, 65%. I will bet any amount of money that the Fins will be over .500. Wake up and realize there are more teams in the NFL than the New England Patriots.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

HAHA! Homer statement of the year possibly right there. Why don't you just wake up and realize that the reason so many people are picking the Fins, is because they are for real? Seriously, they aren't just saying it to make Pats fans angry. The team significantly upgraded at their weakest posistion and upgraded every other unit. Any 6 game streak in the NFL is an impressive one. No games are gimmes in this league and that Chargers team was a pretty good team as well.

If you want to talk about teams Miami beat, how about Denver and Carolina? Both teams that went to their respective league's championship games. If you are expecting a losing season out of Miami, you are completely ignorant.

Five of Miami's 7 losses last year were by 10 points or less and 2 times, turnovers late in the game in the opposistion's red zone ended the comeback. That was all Gus Frerotte's fault with those INTs. Not to mention we are going from Gus' 52 completion percentage to Daunte's all time NFL best, 65%. I will bet any amount of money that the Fins will be over .500. Wake up and realize there are more teams in the NFL than the New England Patriots.

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We can go back and forth before the season and it means squat. I'll be checking in with you during the season to see which of us is ignorant.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

HAHA! Homer...Wake up and realize there are more teams in the NFL than the New England Patriots.

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on that note, feel free to wake up and realize that there are more teams' message boards too

ciao!

Aqua4Ever04 said:

HAHA! Homer statement of the year possibly right there. Why don't you just ....

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I beleive that using the term "HAHA!" in a post is a banning offense around here.

I'll get the rope.

R

Aqua4Ever04 said:

I will bet any amount of money that the Fins will be over .500. Wake up and realize there are more teams in the NFL than the New England Patriots.

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Please Troll Boy.

fgssand chased you down forever challenging you to a bet (to go to the charity of your choice) on your claim that the Phins would win more games than the Patriots. You dodged and ignored and dodged and ignored, then finally wussed out.

So now that you've downgraded your prediction from winning more games than the Patriots to simply going over .500 (there's confidence for ya) are you REALLY ready to "bet any amount of money"? Really?

Come on, put it all on the line. What's your weekly allowance? $5, $10 a week?

While Miami has made some good moves in FA and the draft- e.g., I would have taken Rodrique Wright over LeKevin Smith- remember that Daunte Culpepper and Joe Harrington are the QBs. That equals wins vs. bad teams, esp. at home. Until Thanksgiving. When the weather turns colder , Daunte's grip on the football turns harder, especially when he is seeing playoff-caliber defenses coming at him. And please do not try to sell me that playoff win at Lambeau Field. That was against Mike Sherman, who should have been fired after the loss vs. Atlanta two years earlier.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

HAHA! Homer statement of the year possibly right there. Why don't you just wake up and realize that the reason so many people are picking the Fins, is because they are for real?

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Actually, if you are a fan who watches the psyche of the pundits, each preseason there is some inexplicable drive to pick a new 'fair haired' team. Maybe it's just too boring to pick the really strong teams or maybe there is a perverse desire to see the top teams knocked off. The phenomenon is similar to how every team has drafted new superstars in all of the day one rounds and have struck oil in drafting new really solid contributors and starters in rounds 4 thru 7. The reality is far different, of course. All of the above are, of course, somewhat ridiculous - actually kind of dumb. Even first round draft picks are a roll of the dice and below 3rd round most teams are lucky to get 1 decent player a year. And most of the rosy glasses team picks don't make the grade. Prime example is the Colts who have been everybody's favorite for years - and they have bombed out of the playoffs each year. Ironically, the pundits usually miss the real dark horses who go on to win the conference championships or even the superbowl. So maybe it makes you feel good that all of these folks are drooling over the Dolphins, but they are wrong so often that I think, if it were me, I would be worried instead. Unless you want to one of the throng of rosy glasses types, of course.

You can't sensibly look at the 6 wins to end last season and project anything about what will happen this year. They were just too meaningless against weaker teams and teams who had nothing to play for - as has been commented on in previous posts. Certainly far better and encouraging than losses, but ...

I have something to suggest to you. (Feel free to ignore the suggestion.) I would personally attach a lot more credibility than your blustery line if you could step back and comment on what might actually cause some problems in getting to a .500 record or better. Possibilities might be:
- Culpepper may actually be hampered by recovery from his injury
- Culpepper is a realistic question mark as to whether he can be a consistent QB rather than being unpredictable enough in his playing style to produce a roller coaster of wins and losses.
- Can Ronnie Brown carry a primary every down running back roll by himself for a whole season with a good yards average
- Will another year of age slow the defense just that little bit to make winning games tougher.
- Saban's coaching still needs to show results for more than just one year - until then, there is at least a little bit of question despite fan optimism

You can fill in all of the blanks. As I say, just a suggestion.

T-ShirtDynasty said:

Please Troll Boy.

fgssand chased you down forever challenging you to a bet (to go to the charity of your choice) on your claim that the Phins would win more games than the Patriots. You dodged and ignored and dodged and ignored, then finally wussed out.

So now that you've downgraded your prediction from winning more games than the Patriots to simply going over .500 (there's confidence for ya) are you REALLY ready to "bet any amount of money"? Really?

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Umm no. I was simply correcting the moron who suggested that the Fins would be lucky to finish at .500. Anyone who truly believes that is missing a large portion of their brain. The Fins will win the East and I will undoubtedly be back here to make almost all of you eat crow. Granted, there are a few reasonable open minded fans on here, but about 90% of you guys don't know a damn thing other than Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

arrellbee said:

You can fill in all of the blanks. As I say, just a suggestion.

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I have something to suggest to you. (Feel free to ignore the suggestion.) I would personally attach a lot more credibility than your blustery line if you could step back and comment on what might actually cause some problems in getting to a .500 record or better. Possibilities might be:
- Culpepper may actually be hampered by recovery from his injury

I'm not 100% sure where you are going with that but Daunte will be ready to play when the season opens so I am not the least bit worried about that. Besides, even at 50%, Daunte is twice the player of any QB we've had the past 6 years.

- Culpepper is a realistic question mark as to whether he can be a consistent QB rather than being unpredictable enough in his playing style to produce a roller coaster of wins and losses.

Like I said earlier, this team has managed with far worse QB's. We had 10 wins 3 times with the likes of Fiedler, Lucas and Griese at the helm. I know it isnt the same team. But this team is better than those teams. We finally have some big play go to guys catching the ball, and the strongest arm in all of football to get them the ball. Not to mention his all time NFL best accuracy with his 65 career completion percentage.

- Can Ronnie Brown carry a primary every down running back roll by himself for a whole season with a good yards average

This is a very popular question and I have no doubt in my mind that Ronnie Brown solidifies himself as a top 10 back in the league this year. He was very good last year and he did slow down a little bit towards the tail end of the season. But now he has one of the best fullbacks in the game in Fred Beasley. A huge threat at QB to soften up the defense. A year of experiance under his belt. And lastly, he has put on 10-15 pounds of muscle with an intensive workout program this off-season. Trust me, Ronnie will be ready.

- Will another year of age slow the defense just that little bit to make winning games tougher.

Every year, our defense is suppose to be too old. But neither Zach Thomas nor Jason Taylor have ever slowed a step. Saban is doing a great job of building the defense through the draft, and we will have 2 or 3 rookies starting this year, along with 3 or 4 others who will get a good ammount of playing time. I have nothing but confidence in our vets such as Thomas, Taylor, Carter, Holliday and Traylor.

- Saban's coaching still needs to show results for more than just one year - until then, there is at least a little bit of question despite fan optimism

What Nick Saban did last year was nothing short of a miracle. He has instilled an enitrely differnt attitude in this team and we no longer have moron Wanstache making decisions. Say what you want about Saban, but he just might be the next comming of Don Shula.

captain stone said:

While Miami has made some good moves in FA and the draft- e.g., I would have taken Rodrique Wright over LeKevin Smith.

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Umm, Miami did draft Rod Wright.

RoughingthePasser said:

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So are you suggesting that means he doesn't know his football. John Clayton is probably the only good football guy ESPN has. But I would expect one of you guys to judge him based on his apperance. Because ya' know, that really determines intelligence and knowledge.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

Umm no. I was simply correcting the moron who suggested that the Fins would be lucky to finish at .500. Anyone who truly believes that is missing a large portion of their brain. The Fins will win the East and I will undoubtedly be back here to make almost all of you eat crow.

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Kay, still not confident enough in your own BS to put your money where your mouth is. Good to know.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

Granted, there are a few reasonable open minded fans on here, but about 90% of you guys don't know a damn thing other than Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

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Stop whining for crying out loud... most here agree that Miami is improved (at least on paper) we just don't agree that they've improved as much as you think.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

Umm, Miami did draft Rod Wright.

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Good catch, Brainiac. Maybe that's why he was saying "Miami has made some good moves". He agrees that the Fish made a better choice with Wright.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

So are you suggesting that means he doesn't know his football. John Clayton is probably the only good football guy ESPN has. But I would expect one of you guys to judge him based on his apperance. Because ya' know, that really determines intelligence and knowledge.

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The poster in question didn't say anything about his appearance, he just posted a pic. Boy you're wound tight.

RIP#40 said:

Another "expert" on the Fins bandwagon. I just don't see it. That 6 game win streak to close out last season is laughable. Granted, they beat the Bolts, but the Bills, Jets, Raiders, Titans and the Pats 3rd teamers had nothing to play for. If they go better than 8-8, I'll be shocked.

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I think 8-8 or 9-7 isn't unreasonably BECAUSE the entire AFC East has a very soft schedule, really.

But I do not expect them to make the playoffs, much less seriously contend to beat us for the division.

Aqua4Ever04 said:

I have something to suggest to you. (Feel free to ignore the suggestion.) I would personally attach a lot more credibility than your blustery line if you could step back and comment on what might actually cause some problems in getting to a .500 record or better. Possibilities might be:
- Culpepper may actually be hampered by recovery from his injury

I'm not 100% sure where you are going with that but Daunte will be ready to play when the season opens so I am not the least bit worried about that. Besides, even at 50%, Daunte is twice the player of any QB we've had the past 6 years.

- Culpepper is a realistic question mark as to whether he can be a consistent QB rather than being unpredictable enough in his playing style to produce a roller coaster of wins and losses.

Like I said earlier, this team has managed with far worse QB's. We had 10 wins 3 times with the likes of Fiedler, Lucas and Griese at the helm. I know it isnt the same team. But this team is better than those teams. We finally have some big play go to guys catching the ball, and the strongest arm in all of football to get them the ball. Not to mention his all time NFL best accuracy with his 65 career completion percentage.

- Can Ronnie Brown carry a primary every down running back roll by himself for a whole season with a good yards average

This is a very popular question and I have no doubt in my mind that Ronnie Brown solidifies himself as a top 10 back in the league this year. He was very good last year and he did slow down a little bit towards the tail end of the season. But now he has one of the best fullbacks in the game in Fred Beasley. A huge threat at QB to soften up the defense. A year of experiance under his belt. And lastly, he has put on 10-15 pounds of muscle with an intensive workout program this off-season. Trust me, Ronnie will be ready.

- Will another year of age slow the defense just that little bit to make winning games tougher.

Every year, our defense is suppose to be too old. But neither Zach Thomas nor Jason Taylor have ever slowed a step. Saban is doing a great job of building the defense through the draft, and we will have 2 or 3 rookies starting this year, along with 3 or 4 others who will get a good ammount of playing time. I have nothing but confidence in our vets such as Thomas, Taylor, Carter, Holliday and Traylor.

- Saban's coaching still needs to show results for more than just one year - until then, there is at least a little bit of question despite fan optimism

What Nick Saban did last year was nothing short of a miracle. He has instilled an enitrely differnt attitude in this team and we no longer have moron Wanstache making decisions. Say what you want about Saban, but he just might be the next comming of Don Shula.

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You kind of missed the point. The point was to look at the possible problems as well as the rosy glasses view - some thoughtful analysis. Instead you opted to repeat, one more time, all of the optimistic sides of every potential concern for the Dolphins. It really isn't interesting any more or of any possible value. All teams have innumerable fans who think THIS YEAR they are going to the superbowl without a shred of realism and can spout all of the super optimistic expectations. What's the point ?? If you just want to 'rah rah' go do it on Dolphins fan board.

Enjoy your joy while you can. Reality check comes during the season when you go up against Steelers, Pats twice, Jaguars, and the Colts (who quite frankly outdo ANY fans in unlimited optimism). My guess is you will go 0-5 against those teams. Even if the rest of the schedule is pretty weak, my guess is that you will be lucky to go 8-3 just because of "on any given Sunday" plus, while you seem to want to ignore any realism, there are some very real potential concerns for the Dolphins in a number of areas. So maybe you go 1-4 against the power houses - maybe your game with Indy will be meaningless to them and Dungy will 'rest' his starters as he is wont to do. So 8-8 or 9-7 let's say. And that's only if a healthy Culpepper turns out not to be the erratic problem that I think he probably will be. Come back in November when there are some real results to talk about.