We are on to Miami: Official week 1 pregame thread

[PatsFanInVa]

..."which is a pre-season game."

 

[ashley]

Interesting with us playing them in game 1

 

[PScottman]

It'll be an ugly game - as usual.

Bigly ugly.

The ownership team and the league office made a 100% money-based decision regarding the extra game and shortened pre-season and the result is league-wide teams still trying to figure out what they are and will be. Add in referees also trying to round into form and "welcome to game 1 of the NFL - there may be more false starts and flags than good plays and points, but hey we got that extra regular season game now!"

It's football, and that's great...but its not great football.

 

[PatsFan2]

Have Tua lost to us yet??

 

[archstanton543]

Have Tua lost to us yet??

No.

 

[gitgronked82]

Bigly ugly.

The ownership team and the league office made a 100% money-based decision regarding the extra game and shortened pre-season and the result is league-wide teams still trying to figure out what they are and will be. Add in referees also trying to round into form and "welcome to game 1 of the NFL - there may be more false starts and flags than good plays and points, but hey we got that extra regular season game now!"

It's football, and that's great...but its not great football.

Isn’t the extra game added to the back end of the season, not the start? The season is still starting the second week of September. Does camp really start later now? I didn’t think so.
So the difference is one less preseason game which the starters likely wouldn’t have played in anyways.
I’m not sure why the extra game should make game 1 more sloppy.

 

[PScottman]

Isn’t the extra game added to the back end of the season, not the start? The season is still starting the second week of September. Does camp really start later now? I didn’t think so.
So the difference is one less preseason game which the starters likely wouldn’t have played in anyways.
I’m not sure why the extra game should make game 1 more sloppy.

It's the entire approach. The trend the last couple training camps has gone away from progressive ramp up through game three with game four reserved for "cut down" longer looks at bubble players. All three games now tend toward small snap numbers from the starters, especially as a "unit" where they could build cohesion, gain intuitive and reactive understanding about their roles rather than simply fundamental understanding.

What that also means is that the first few games are also the first time many of the starting units are playing together for an entire game so endurance is also an issue (a tired player makes more mistakes). Add in a decrease in the total number of games the refs can also "practice" (and also get in shape too!) with no fourth preseason contest and the lack of padded and total practices...and viola.

 

[Chevy]

See, I think it will be the other way around - Mills on Hill with McCourty aligned deep, shaded to his side. Jones on Waddle with intermittent safety help if we are in man. Whoever is on Hill should take inside leverage whether in man or zone as Miami will probably start off by trying to get him the ball in space.

Keeping Hill outside the numbers will help. Also, can Tua improvise like Kermit can? Seems like Hill really benefitted from those "broken" plays.

 

[jimnance]

Have Tua lost to us yet??

It's embarrassing for a grown man to talk like you do. "Has," bruh. An occasional one now and then is OK but you do it all the time. Either you never got past 2nd grade or you're just trying to sound "street".

 

[TheRainMaker]

Miami's offense is going to make NE's D move East West a lot which is still a major weakness.

 

[Vindicate]

It's the entire approach. The trend the last couple training camps has gone away from progressive ramp up through game three with game four reserved for "cut down" longer looks at bubble players. All three games now tend toward small snap numbers from the starters, especially as a "unit" where they could build cohesion, gain intuitive and reactive understanding about their roles rather than simply fundamental understanding.

What that also means is that the first few games are also the first time many of the starting units are playing together for an entire game so endurance is also an issue (a tired player makes more mistakes). Add in a decrease in the total number of games the refs can also "practice" (and also get in shape too!) with no fourth preseason contest and the lack of padded and total practices...and viola.

This part: it's the added-up changes to the schedule and preparation time that make it more challenging to get a read on things. I want to say when I initially heard about the reduced summer practices and reduced number of contact days, Bill was one of the first HC's to be asked about it and he said it makes things much more difficult from a building perspective.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Miami's offense is going to make NE's D move East West a lot which is still a major weakness.

I thought the D is now younger, faster, stronger? It will be a good test.

 

[PatsFan2]

Since accuracy takes a backseat in your delusional, allow me to take 30 seconds of effort to research and post Tua's stats vs NE
Combined:
51-75 (68%)
451 yds (150 yds/gm)
2 TD/2 INT
Mia Offense: 72 pts (24 pts/gm) [NE offense: 17 pts/gm]
Record: 3-0

Was NE's week 18 loss vs MIA because NE had 21 game preseason in '21?

Thank you kind Sir I thought so but you are not allowed to go against the grain or speak the truth here. So FTR: Tua sucks but he's 3-0 against the BB Patriots.

 

[BobDigital]

Hate to say it, but on a neutral field I probably take Miami slightly. They are better at CB and pass catcher than us. And while I believe Mac > Tua, the difference isn't big enough to offset the difference to the other key spots.

As for the other positions, it comes out as mostly a wash with both teams having an edge here or there, but no single match up that i think will influence the game enough one way or another to have miami lose the slight edge they have. But it doesn't matter a ton. The Pats are well within the margin of error as I see Miami as only maybe 1 point better than us. And one untimely penalty, untimely drop or winning the turnover battle should be enough for the Pats to edge them. It's that close.

Simply put. We shouldn't be able to run well on Miami, they shouldn't be able to run well on us. We will have issues passing on Miami. They will have issues passing on us, in large part because BB knows limiting Hill who Tua will focus on too much will slow them down. But they should have more success passing against us than us against them, because hey have Xavier Howard. Sadly for the Dolphins, this is a game where having a #1 CB doesn't matter as much. Because we barely have a #1 WR. Take away Parker all day, if he's even the #1. We'll just go elsewhere with our long list tier 2 and 3 options. But he can take away the first read often and make things harder. Maybe leading to a few more throw aways or even negative plays than we otherwise would have had.

The difference is this game as much as I hate to say it, will probably be Hill breaking free and making one huge play, which is something we can't really do. That one huge play should swing it there way ever so slightly even if he doesn't score.

 

[BobDigital]

Another meaningless preseason game. I'm anxious for the more meaningful games to start in October.

Literally one of the most important games of the season. If we want any chance to make the playoffs this is one we probably need. We likely need to sweep Miami all together.

 

[borg]

Thank you kind Sir I thought so but you are not allowed to go against the grain or speak the truth here. So FTR: Tua sucks but he's 3-0 against the BB Patriots.

Recap of coping mechanisms utilized by the most fervent supporters to suppress night terrors...

1) "Sure, Miami is 3-0 under Tua.... but TUA SUCKS"


2) "September is preseason and results are inconsequential"


3) "The January loss to Miami was meaningless, much like any of the September "preseason" losses. Buffalo on the road without a100 year storm is no big obstacle."


4) "Getting decapitated by Buffalo in the WC was psychologically better for NE fans than beating Buffalo and then getting decapitated by KC"

 

[slash83]

Read somewhere earlier Waddle has been dealing with some kind of lingering injury, wonder how close to full health he’ll be come week 1.

 

[jdlboot14]

I know Pats aren't looking good and everyone loves any new young "offensive wizard" coach like McDaniel... but the Dolphins aren't going to be very good either. I think we have as good a chance as any year to win @Mia week 1. I think both Defenses will keep the offenses under wraps, so it'll be a 16 -13 type of game, and I think Pats win.

 

[Dingleberry]

It's embarrassing for a grown man to talk like you do. "Has," bruh. An occasional one now and then is OK but you do it all the time. Either you never got past 2nd grade or you're just trying to sound "street".

Tua is the plural of the Latin Tuus, meaning mediocre QB who seemingly beats the Patriots.

So, "Have Tua lost to us" is ok as it implies more than one of these mythical Tuus creatures that only seem to throw 7 yard slants yet end up winning.

 

[farn]

In May, I liked NE’s shot in game 1. I’m not sure I feel the same now.