Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores discusses his experience with social injustice.

Pressure Point: This Miami Dolphins season is not just about football

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This football season is about a lot more than football. The stakes are much more complex than vying for the playoffs.

For South Florida, that was underscored last week when the Miami Dolphins began a practice with a 20-minute discussion on the field about racial injustice in the wake of the police shooting of yet another Black man — Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Unlike some teams which canceled practice for a couple of days, the Dolphins elected to continue doing their jobs while adding their voices to a societal issue long overdue in coming to the forefront in this country.

“We spoke as a team. We understand there’s a lot of things that are not where they need to be right now. It pains us,” said Dolphins coach Brian Flores, a Black man of Honduran descent who grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, one of the roughest parts of New York City.

“I lived this. I grew up in this era. I’ve had guns pointed at me by police officers. This is not something I take lightly. We need change. That’s where I’m at on that situation.”

Best guess on the Dolphins season-opening roster

Football, a sport dominated by Black players, finds itself smack at the crossroad of the national divide regarding racial issues and the coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted minorities in the United States.

The movement Colin Kaepernick started four years ago in protest of police brutality, which drew major pushback and cost him his job as an NFL quarterback, now drives the conversation throughout America’s sports leagues.

The NFL season is less than two weeks away — the Dolphins open Sept. 13 at New England — and the discussion surrounding the team is a disparate salad of roster competition, politics and public health concerns.

All Tua needs is time

In a normal year, all of the focus around the Dolphins would be on roster battles and the depth chart, such as the status of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

A year ago “Tank for Tua” was the alliterative obsession of Dolphins fans and media in the belief that if the team lost enough it might have a chance to draft the would-be savoir quarterback from Hawaii by way of Alabama.

Remarkably, it happened. The Dolphins, two decades into their search for the next Dan Marino, ended up with Tagovailoa.

Curiously, there were rumblings of concern on social media when Tua received mixed reviews in the first two weeks of training camp and had an unimpressive performance in Saturday’s scrimmage while running with the first team in the absence of veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose mother tragically passed away earlier in the day.

That’s so Dolphins.

But astute fans understand there is no rush with Tagovailoa — that’s why Fitzpatrick is here this year — and there is no sense in rushing to judgment during training camp. The important take on Tua right now is he is showing the mobility to suggest the major hip injury is mostly behind him, though Flores said Tuesday he is being cautious with the rookie and his health history is still a determining factor in when he’ll play.

That Tua’s talent will reach its zenith is more predictable than most questions in this season of uncertainty shrouded by a pandemic.

And it’s not just NFL football.

Views on the Raekwon McMillan trade

Politicizing football

Football has been turned into a political football in matters of the nation’s health, national politics and the national anthem.

We have a president, whose approach to the COVID-19 crisis has been to mostly ignore it in the belief it will eventually go away, bellowing that it would be “a tragic mistake” if college football doesn’t go ahead with the season.

Curiously, his call for colleges to play ball singled out the Big Ten, which coincidentally plays in Midwest swing states that are vital to his reelection chances.

The premise is that youth and overall health of young athletes will help them avoid the most serious symptoms of the coronavirus.

Nonetheless, the athletic department of Iowa, a Big Ten school, announced Monday it is pausing workouts for all sports until after Labor Day following a major surge in coronavirus cases. The department reported 93 positive results out of 815 COVID-19 tests taken between last Monday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, a group of eight Nebraska football players filed a lawsuit against the Big Ten seeking to invalidate the conference’s postponement of the fall football season.

They are part of a growing #WeWantToPlay movement that prominent college players have joined in response to the Big Ten, Pac-12 and several other conferences delaying their seasons.

NFL season like no other

The NFL ditched the preseason but is proceeding hell-bent on starting the regular season on time. It won’t be business as usual, though. The Dolphins are among few teams planning to allow any fans at games, limited to 13,000 at least initially.

Notably, they won’t have to contend with a hostile crowd at Gillette Stadium in the opener. The Patriots won’t have fans at games, at least through September.

That won’t be the only unusual look NFL stadiums this fall. The league announced this week that end zones will be inscribed this season with two slogans: “It Takes All Of Us” on one end line, “End Racism” on the other as  part of its social justice awareness initiatives. The league will also allow similar visuals on helmets and caps.

But, if teams are able to keep COVID-19 at bay — and that remains a notable if — there will be the mundane matters of football to bring some sense of normalcy to autumn.

For Dolphins fans, the question of when to take the wraps off Tua will receive most attention. Of greater consequence to the local football product will be the verdict on all the other newcomers, draft picks and veteran free agents, who were brought in to upgrade an ineffective offensive line and a porous defense.

In the bigger picture, the season will be about a lot more than that. As well it should be.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

THE EXTRA YARD: Best Guess on Miami Dolphins 53

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Due to the restrictive nature of the NFL reporting rules this year, I cannot offer detailed analysis, but I can give an educated guess as to who makes the final 53 for the Dolphins, mixed with a heavy does of my opinion on who should, make the final roster.

QUARTERBACKS (3)
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Rosen

A predictable group, except for those that thought they might trade Rosen and just go with 2 guys, but in the COVID19 era, 3 QB’s could be an important component for every NFL roster.

RUNNINGBACKS (5)
Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, Patrick Laird, Myles Gaskin, Chandler Cox

Kalen Ballage was traded…then returned, was not a factor to figure in a “rotation”. Never mind, this unit was pretty set in stone. Everybody knew when they were acquired, who the 1-2 punch would be. Need a fullback, and the rest is best in show.



WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford, Mack Hollins, Malcolm Perry

This “was” the deepest unit on the Dolphins. You got to feel pretty good about the “top two” but the opt outs of Albert Wilson and Alen Hurns hurt the depth. Mack Hollins has emerged as a contributor, Ford is steady and Perry was acquired to play. Jakeem Grant is a top return man, capable of the big play. Tough decisions in this group.

TIGHT ENDS (3)
Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen, Durham Smythe

A pretty quiet Dolphins unit all camp. Some miscommunications throughout, as well Chan Gailey’s propensity to use 4 WR sets, to go along with keeping a Fullback, means they likely keep 3?

OFFENSIVE LINE (8)
Austin Jackson, Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras, Jesse Davis, Robert Hunt, Julien Davenport, Michael Dieter, Solomon Kindley

Three rookies figured to make it, but nobody had all three as possible top contributors. The unit has looked light years better than expected so far in camp, and Ereck Flowers has been their leader in spirit and in play. Karras has been a steady influence as well. The fear comes if/when you take an injury. This is the thinnest of units on the team.

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)
Christian Wilkins, Davon Godchaux, Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah, Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler, Jason Stowbridge

I wanted to keep Tyshun Render, but it was a numbers game with the linebackers, and that group won out. Jason Stowbridge has not been a world beater in camp, but there is an investment there, so he sticks? The top of the rotation (six) is as easy to figure as any other group, other than quarterback.

LINEBACKERS (7)
Jerome Baker, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Andrew Van Ginkel, Trent Harris, Sam Eguavoen

The Raekwon McMillan trade revealed much of the thinking on this unit, and the pecking order is clear. Van Ginkel is necessary in the absence of Vince Biegel (out for year),and Trent Harris is now much needed depth. Grugier-Hill is the possible Special Teams captain.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (11)
Byron Jones, Xavien Howard, Noah Igbinoghene, Bobby McCain, Eric Rowe, Brandon Jones, Nik Needham, Clayton Fejedelem, Tae Hayes, Kavon Frazier, Deatrick Nichols

The Top eight are predictable because of the investments made, and Fejedelem being a Special teams ace. Kavon Frazier sticks as a box safety thumper. Tae Hayes is decent in man to man, and has considerable ball skills. Deatrick Nichols is a fighter, and full effort guy that has the look of many of the guys that have come through here before, under this regime.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
PK: Jason Sanders
P: Matt Haack
LS: Blake Ferguson

No surprise here, it’s been telegraphed all camp, these three are the Place Kicker, Punter, and Long Snapper for the 2020 Miami Dolphins.


Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

For Dangerous Miami Heat, the Time is Now… and Beyond

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There aren’t many speakers in sports over the past half-century who can rival Pat Riley in eloquence, especially when he has a mission statement to share and some time to prepare. So it was odd, and a little alarming, at the conclusion of the disappointing 2018-19 season when — on his heels after two years of uncharacteristic personnel errors — he seemingly mangled the message.

“There’s no obstacles,” the Miami Heat president said. “Well, there are tons of them, but there’s none. So we’ll try to get past them if we can to add more to the team, if that’s a possibility.”

It wasn’t enough the sort of slogan you stitch a shirt for…..

Or was it?

Peering back now, one Jimmy Butler acquisition, one Tyler Herro drafting, one Bam Adebayo ascension, one Duncan Robinson breakout, one Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala addition, one global pandemic and one Bubble resumption later, it sounds like the most sage thing the septuagenarian has ever said. It’s almost as if he knew the Heat would be here now, in the second round against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, again relevant, again attractive, again the franchise every other one fears because of its combination of continuity, geography, history and dare we say, culture.

It all makes me think of something a Heat executive told me at summer league, a full July ago, as Herro, Robinson and Kendrick Nunn were offering a sample of what was to come, the product of an organizational transformation bent on development and opportunity for the overlooked. “We have been in several building stages under Pat,” the executive said over breakfast. “This is another. We are better positioned than most believe we are. But some things have to pan out.”

And what hasn’t? Butler? Better fit, better leader, better playmaker than anyone expected. Adebayo? An All-Star before anyone expected. Herro? Who anticipated he’d be so confident so soon? Goran Dragic? More left than anyone thought. Robinson? As Heat broadcaster and former guard John Crotty said on Five on the Floor this week when asked if he’d ever seen a player come from so far from nowhere, in all his decades in the NBA: “No, no. I haven’t. Have you?”

No.

Not close.

And so here we are, on the final day of August, usually the deadest of all NBA months, and the Heat — believed to have the “bleakest future in the NBA” by the best of all NBA writers, Zach Lowe, not long ago — are suddenly a national darling. They are a threat at least a season before they should be, but that’s not the story.

The story is this is the floor.

This arrow points north again, way north. The Heat have the best collection of young talent, attractive contracts, proven management and elite coaching of any team in the league, with only the Toronto Raptors comparable, and Toronto has more offseason decisions to make, how to handle expiring contracts Fred Van Vleet or Marc Gasol or Serge Ibaka, all integral to this season’s success. Miami has free agents too, but the capacity to keep them all if they choose, at least for one season, or move on with others — like the uber-gifted, uber-secret KZ Okpala — training in wait.

And of course, they have a plan again.

A real plan. Not a sign middling players to long-term, restrictive deals plan.

Before Thanksgiving, prior to this sentiment becoming widely popular, I tweeted this:

I didn’t generate this sentiment entirely on my own.

It was presented to some in the organization and — though tampering rules prevented full disclosure — it was obvious this was intentional.

It was obvious that Giannis Antetokounmpo was LeBron James 2.0.

You remember LeBron before he took his talents to South Beach? Playing in an unglamorous, chilly market? Winning two MVPs but unable to attract another prime superstar, not Chris Bosh, not Amare Stoudemire, just elderly Shaq and fading Antawn Jamison and a limited shooter named Mo Williams? Giving it nearly a decade to work, entering the second half of his 20s, weary of hearing how he couldn’t get to the top when he wasn’t surrounded by top talent? Seeing a friend (Dwyane Wade) who had thrived in the Heat program? Who had won big in the Heat program?

Sound similar to what may happen now?

It did to some Heat officials.

So here we are.

Heat vs. Bucks.

The series the Heat wanted, and not just because they believe it to be winnable, with many of the matchups in their favor, particularly if Eric Bledsoe scuffles in big moments like he did last postseason, if some of the Bucks’ older bodies break down, if Khris Middleton (call him “swingman Mo Williams”) shrinks on the stage as he has at times.

They wanted it so Giannis can see up close.

See what he can have, and what he can be.

Here. In Miami.

See his training buddy, Bam Adebayo — with whom he shares an agent and a mentality — and what he can offer as a defensive complement.

See Jimmy Butler take some of the leadership and media burden off his shoulders, someone who will stick up for his teammates time and time again, so long as they work like him.

See the shooting, so much shooting, young shooting, from Herro to Robinson and beyond.

See how the consistently innovative Erik Spoelstra beats the notoriously stubborn Mike Budenholzer to adjustments.

See what Riley has built, after building and rebuilding and rebuilding again, almost for sport, rarely in doubt.

So this isn’t just a chance to beat Giannis. It is a chance to court him. Riley isn’t putting off retiring in Malibu for Oladipo. He isn’t waiting to turn over the reins to others to reach the second round. This is taking this franchise to the top again, in what would be his greatest trick, because so many wrote him off.

Washed Riley, they said.

Perhaps.

Or perhaps he was just getting wet to spear another orca.

“There are obstacles… but there are none.” 

Everything this season is already a win.

Now, for Riley and his Heat, there is suddenly nothing to lose. And they will only lose two games this series on their way to the Eastern Conference finals, stretching a remarkable comeback story deep into September and making a certain superstar start thinking more about starting again somewhere else, south.

 

Ethan J. Skolnick has covered the Miami Heat since 1996, and is now the CEO and Lead Content Editor for Five Reasons Sports Network.

 

Five Reasons Sports: Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks Picks

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It’s finally here, the series most have anticipated since long before anyone heard of Covid-19. It’s the Miami Heat and the….

Milwaukee Bucks.

The Battle for the Soul of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It also marks the return of Cocky Heat Fan.

We allowed our Fan-alysts at Five Reasons Sports to weigh in.

 

Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305):

Heat in 7. The Heat’s ability to throw multiple wing defenders at Giannis is what sets them apart. There’s clearly no way to fully stop Giannis Antetokounmpo, but I think Miami will slow him down in at least 2 or 3 games. Bam Adebayo will look to attack Giannis to try and get him in foul trouble, as he did during the season. But most importantly I believe this will be yet another huge leap for Duncan Robinson. Since Milwaukee allows an excess of threes, Duncan will expose this Bucks team, which will lead to a big Heat win in game 7.

 

Greg Sylvander (@GregSylvander)
Heat in 7. The trendy “Heat in 6” prediction feels too easy. Things are never that easy. However, I do understand why people are leaning in to Miami in this matchup. If any team presents the type of roster and coaching that can push Milwaukee to the brink it’s the Heat. If the Bucks keep one big on the floor, the player that I think becomes a major key for the Heat is Kelly Olynyk. Although I bet Milwaukee sizes down and goes with more of Giannis at the 5. He is so good (and so efficient) that if the Bucks go small and make threes they could win in 6 and it wouldn’t surprise me. But that prediction is bereft of guts. If you’ve got the guts you go Heat in 7.

 

Jannelle Moore (@Jannelle12)

Heat in 7. The Heat-Bucks match up is something that I’ve been looking forward to since their game in Miami before the season was suspended. Bam Adebayo was relentless on defense-forcing Giannis to the outside.  Speaking of outside shooting, the Heat was scorching from three in that game. Since then, the Heat has continued to play the Bucks tough. I expect nothing less. I expect Bam defending Giannis and the Heat deploying different variations of dribble handoffs to get their shooters open looks.  With that said, I take the Heat in seven.

 

Manny Chang (@MannyC_17)

Heat in 7. With players like Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson stepping up in the bubble for Miami, I see that depth being the difference overall in this series. Giannis can score 50 points, but those 50 points can result in a loss. Khris Middleton would have to step up game in and game out. I don’t see that happening. On the other hand, Jimmy Butler can score 15 points or less and still create a winning impact for his team. 

 

David Friedman (@TacoBoutSports)

Bucks in 6. Is Bam the answer to containing the reigning MVP? As we saw against Kawhi Leonard nd the Raptors in last year’s playoffs, if you can keep the Giannis freight train from endlessly steamrolling to the rim, you have a chance. The addition of Jimmy Butler gives Miami a Kawhi-ish defender, but Bam will ultimately determine how much of a chance the Heat have to beat the Bucks to move onto the Eastern Conference Finals. The homer in me says “Heat in 5”, but I’ll take the Bucks in 6 games.

 

Martin Bater (@MartinBaterSP)

Heat in 6. Jimmy Butler has become Playoff Jimmy, reaching another level. Now it’s time to witness Playoff Bam. Bam Adebayo’s defense on Giannis and his all-around offensive contributions will prove to be the difference for Miami.

 

Zack Buckley (@ZackBuckleyNBA)

Bucks in 6. Bam Adebayo is the Association’s best defensive option to throw at Giannis Antetokounmpo, so much as anyone is capable of pestering a soon-to-be two-time MVP. The Greek Freak’s supporting cast hasn’t exactly aced its postseason test, and add a slumping Khris Middleton (36.1 percent shooting in the first round) to the list of concerns. Saying that, the Heat might have too many one-way players to make this work. If they load up on defense, I’m not sure they score enough to win four games, and vice versa.

 

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga)

Heat in 7. This is where it was supposed to end, but the Heat’s success versus the Bucks in the regular season and in the bubble (they had a giant lead they blew a few weeks back) is very real. The Heat use dribble penetration to get the Bucks moving sude to side leaving 3 pt. Shooters open, and it’s just hard envisioning the Heat losing to anybody if they are hitting threes. Oh…and they also have a smorgasbord of options to defend Giannis too. I originally thought about picking Bucks in 7, but couldn’t make a cogent case for it. I can for the Heat.

 

David Fernandez (@ByDLFernandez)

Heat in 7. The Miami Heat entered their second round series with the Milwaukee Bucks with literally nothing to lose. This season has been an unmitigated success, and any further player development or playoff prosperity Is just extra at this point. With that lack of pressure, their history of playing well against the Bucks, and the consistent shooting, the Heat will shock the NBA world with a 7-game upset of the heavily favored Bucks. Defensive weapons to deploy against Giannis will do enough to slow the superstar, and Miami’s team-approach will see someone different take on the hero mantle with each victory.

 

David Eversole (@DavidWEversole)

Heat in 7. The Milwaukee Bucks have been on a emotional journey thus far in the NBA Playoffs. It could be reasonable to expect a slow start as in their opening series against Orlando when they face the Miami Heat on Monday. Despite their solidarity off the court, expect no mercy from the Heat on it. Miami will throw everything at Giannis Antetokounmpo to make other players beat them. It will be a grind for both teams, I expect this one to go the distance.

 

Ricky J Marc (@RickyJMarc)

Heat in 6/7. In a year marred by COVID-19, social unrest, and a variety of other controversies, it’s a miracle we can even see the HEAT and Bucks go at it in a playoff series. The Bucks have been the darling of the Eastern Conference for the last two years on the back of a supremely talented unicorn from Greece, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The HEAT have been slowly chugging along in the post-LeBron (and now, for good, the post-Wade) era(s), and with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro via free agency and the NBA Draft, managed to develop into a legitimate thorn in the side of the league’s premier clubs. Through hard work, defense, and the confidence of its lead players, the HEAT have shown that they can match up with anybody, as we saw this season. Milwaukee is a great team, but as we saw last year, they still have a lot to prove. The easy bet is Bucks in six, but I’ll take it in the opposite direction. Miami will outwork, outshoot, and outlast this Bucks team, shocking the world in six/seven hard-fought games. We may even see a repeat of the 2016 offseason as a result, where Kevin Durant ended up joining the talented team that sent him home. If anyone can shock the world, it’s this HEAT team.

 

Josh Houtz (@Houtz)

Heat in 6. Believe it or not, before the NBA season resumed I put some $$$ on the Miami Heat to win the whole damn thing. After all, 95% of my followers love this team— so, I’m a fan whether I want to admit it or not. The Milwaukee Bucks and their 6’11 Greek god Giannis Anetokounmpo will be a tough matchup for the Heat. But with Jimmy Butler in top-form, Bam Bam Bigelow in the middle, and a dragon that not even Daenerys Targaryen can tame—Heat in 6.

 

THE EXTRA YARD: Scrimmage Report, Raekwon McMillan Traded

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Due to the restrictive nature of the NFL reporting rules this year, I cannot offer detailed analysis, but I can give you an overview of what occurred at today’s scrimmage.

At first, Ryan Fitzpatrick ran out with the QB’s to do his warm up, but was then looking visibly distraught as he walked off the field with Brian Flores, arm in arm. His mother had passed away. It’s an awful thing to tell any athlete about a deep personal loss right before you expect them to compete. Fitzpatrick would not compete today. Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Rosen are all of a sudden thrust into different roles right before the scrimmage kicked off.

As for those Quarterbacks, they had a rough go of it for the most part as coverage was tight throughout. Tua Tagovailoa was suddenly thrust into Fitzpatrick’s role, and had some moments, some bad drops, but in the end, finished (rough estimate) 13-22 for 138 yards, 0 TD’s and 1 INT., as “Team Tua” lost to “Team Rosen” 10 to 6. As for Rosen, he was not much better against lessor competition, going 12-23 for 141 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. The catalyst in the late TD drive for Team Rosen came when Rosen found rookie Malcolm Perry streaking down the right sideline for a 56 yard gain. Later on in that drive he found Ricardo Louis for 15 yards on a deep corner route to cap the TD drive.

As for the rest of the offense, the 1-2 punch of Jordan Howard and Matt Breida seems to be working splendidly so far. The two compliment each other perfectly, and both got plenty of work on this scrimmage day. On the other hand, too many drops. Tua Tagovailoa had about 40-60 additional yards owed to him on dropped passes, and the communication issues with Tight Ends continue. Tua tends to zig, when his tight ends zag. They gotta figure that out quickly, as it’s getting deep into camp.

So how about that defense? No sacks, but forced two Turnovers with an interception from each QB (Rowe, and Fejedelem). They also forced a fumble on a slant completion, that was recovered by the offense. The Xavien Howard and Byron Jones tandem was everything it was billed to be. It was also nice to see Xavien Howard get his hands on a couple throws early (or was that Igboghene?), as he broke up two passes in the first series. Davon Godchaux had a nice flash play dumping Howard for a 3 yard loss. Elandon Roberts continued his physical play, with the hit of the day on Myles Gaskin.

RAEKWON MCMILLAN TRADED


The 2017 2nd round draft pick is now a Las Vegas Raider. You could see it coming. From the very start of camp, Raekwon was relegated to backup status as Elandon Roberts took his snaps. Now, on the face of it, it’s not an important loss. The Dolphins figure to play in Nickel most of the time, with Kyle Van Noy and Jerome Baker being the Linebackers. That is obvious to everybody, and this coaching staff has shown a penchant for using 6 and even 7 defensive backs from time to time. So that only leaves a rare base defense Mike designation for a run plugging specialist. Elandon Roberts will be fine, in that role.


Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

THE EXTRA YARD: WEEK #2 DOLPHINS CAMP REPORT

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Week 2 has come and gone, and due to the restrictive nature of the NFL reporting rules this year, I cannot offer detailed analysis, but I can give you an overview of each position group after one week of training camp.

 

QUARTERBACKS

This week had the look of a hard charging Tua Tagovailoa making an attempt on Ryan Fitzpatrick’s job, but since there are no preseason games for Tua to cement his position, it might just be a futile attempt to supplant Fitzpatrick as the week 1 starter against the Patriots. Tua completes week 2 with (very rough estimates) numbers that look like this in 11v11: 40 completions in 64 attempts (63%), 12 TD’s, 2 INT’s, (1 INT on a 2 pt. conv. on batted ball), 5 sacks given up, and 2 delay of game penalties.

RUNNINGBACKS

With Kalen Ballage gone, the picture on this unit is clearer. As Patrick Laird nurses an injury, Myles Gaskin makes a run at that #3 spot as it was obvious to everybody when they were acquired, and more obvious now as to who the top 2 are. Jordan Howard has been a steady performer, and Breida is electric. So far, so good on these two pickups.

WIDE RECEIVERS

This was Mack Hollins week. Great week for the 4th year guy out of North Carolina. If he is used in 11 personnel along with Parker and Williams, it would make for the biggest set of WR’s in the league. He catches it cleanly, and is not afraid of contact. He plays up to his size. Jakeem Grant returned to practice Friday and was back to his old training camp tricks as he made a circus catch on a seam route for a 41 yard gain from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Isaiah Ford, Chester Rogers, Matt Cole, had uneventful weeks, save for Ford’s moments with Tua on Monday.

TIGHT ENDS

Mike Gesicki continues steady work, but the highlight film is bare. Adam Shaheen caught a beauty for a 15 yard TD on an out route from Tua on Friday. Durham Smythe joins the “good body” club as he has a slimmer, more toned build this year. Chris Myarick had some communication issues with Tua.

OFFENSIVE LINE

This unit continues to impress, and Solomon Kindley seems to be a find, as he is on pace to contribute right away. Austin Jackson has battled Shaq Lawson admirably all camp, but this week goes to Lawson as he beat him for an important sack on Friday. Ted Karras has been steady, and you can see what they saw in him. He is an intelligent type, that offers leadership, and sound technique for what they want to do on offense. Ereck Flowers has been very good all camp, and for such a large group,I have been impressed with the lack of “dragging ass” I have seen. It’s HOT out there and the energy has been good for this unit.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Raekwon Davis looks to be a top contributor and as I said on the podcast, I feel as if all of his reps versus lessor competition are wasted as he just tends to dominate. His battles against Ereck Flowers are worth your time and attention. Shaq Lawson showed some pass rush chops this week, Wilkins put in good work against the run, and Ogbah is the steadiest of them all. Jason Stowbridge has had a better week, and Tyshun Render is a great looking athlete, but he has trouble finding people to hit in space (special teams). This is a good looking group, in what has been a very good camp

LINEBACKERS

Elandon Roberts continues as a front line contributor, and Jerome Baker is Jerome Baker. Kyle Van Noy nursed an injury all week, but it does not look to be serious as he has participated for most of the week. Sam Eguavoan has been lost in the shuffle as Kamu Grugier-Hill, and Calvin Munson are top contributors on special teams. Andrew Van Ginkel has taken a big step forward as a contributor in the absence of others due to injury.


DEFENSIVE BACKS

Noah Igbinoghene continues his great camp, and it’s obvious by now that he will be an importnat piece on this defense. Xavien Howard returned on Friday, but did not participate in 11v11. It’s going to be interesting to see how they play these guys as this unit looks to be the deepest on the team. Nik Needham, welcome to training camp. Great week for the 2nd year guy. Kavon Frazier looks to contribute everywhere, as well as Special teams, but you can tell they like the rookie out of Texas, Brandon Jones. There will be tough decisions to make on this unit, or maybe they just keep an inordinate amount?

SPECIAL TEAMS

Jakeem Grant returns to punt return duty, and is now joined by Noah Igbinoghene on kick off returns. Punt coverage, and Kick coverage units got thorough walk thrus and live action this week.

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Can the Milwaukee Bucks be the Catalyst for Real Action?

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In the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin the Milwaukee Bucks have boycotted Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs. 

 

The temperature of our society has been steadily raising.

Turmoil between the supposed protectors of our people and our citizens escalates daily.

Words have been written.

Statements have been added to jerseys.

Yet it continues.

 

The systemic racial divide in this nation has reached the point where talking and writing come up empty.

Where symbolic gestures are just that, a quickly forgotten acknowledgement of the situation.

The Milwaukee Bucks have actually taken a tangible and measured step.

 

With a platform that gives them a domestic and international audience, the Bucks seized a unique opportunity to take a stand.

 

The NBA followed suit, and soon all games that were scheduled on Wednesday were cancelled.

 

Milwaukee is one organization in the world of professional sports that would have been a candidate for this stand even before today.

 

The question remains if this will merely be a footnote in the struggle for equality in the “land of the free”.

Or a springboard to real dialogue, and actual progress towards true equality and freedom.

 

Either way, it shows that people with influence and a platform care.

We have to start somewhere.

 

 

UEFA Champions League Preview: Unstoppable force meets Brazilian superstar 

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It’s been almost literally a calendar year, but ewe are finally here. The UEFA Champions League Final is set to be contested in Lisbon this Sunday between German powerhouse Bayern Munich and French underdog Paris Saint-Germain.

The most anticipated match of the 2019-20 season will be played in front of billions of viewers, thousands of cutouts and zero actual fans in attendance, but the weirdest championship ever could also be one of the most compelling of all.

If this were a Karate Kid movie, Bayern would be Cobra Kai. Brash, cocky, but also feared and very willing to sweep the leg (just ask Barcelona how crippled Bayern left it after their eight-goal barrage).

PSG, meanwhile, is ready after years of being beaten up by the bullies of the European soccer world and seeing the girl leave the dance with 5’7’’ prodigies or ridiculously good looking Portuguese models, they are one win away from earning the respect and the trophy they have always craved.

Both teams are offensive juggernauts, having won their respective semifinals by a comfortable 3-0 margin, and they both play at breakneck speed. On one side, you have Thomas Muller, Canada’s own ankle breaker Alphonso Davies and Robert Lewandowski, the most feared striker in the world. Lewandowski has scored once in every match since the restart and is both the tournament ‘s top scorer with 15 goals and co-leader in assists with six.

Paris places its hopes and dreams of a celebration at the Arc de Triomphe on Brazilian superstar Neymar, the main catalyst of the offense along with Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé is PSG´s top scorer in the UCL with five goals.

The other one? Mauro Icardi, the disgraced Argentinian striker that will probably start on the bench seeing compatriot Ángel Di María try to untie himself from Lewandowski in the assists lead and maybe repeat what he did against RB Leipzig in the semis with a vital goal of his own.

The key to the match is simple: Who can land the best haymaker? Both Barcelona and Lyon had exceptionally good opportunities to take a lead in the first half, but they forgave and Bayern didn´t. Will PSG forgive? And if it does, will its defense pay a heavy price like so many others have?

I have gone against Bayern once and they scored eight goals. As tempting as it is to predict an upset considering the odds and the fact that PSG is 5-3 all-time vs. their opponent, I am not going to go against a team that is 10-0 with 42 goals in the tournament.

Hollywood would like us to believe in the underdog, but Bayern Munich will show no mercy once again.

My pick: Bayern 4-2 PSG.

Time for Dolphins young quarterbacks to shine in Fitzpatrick’s absence

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Before Dolphins players hit the field earlier today, Coach Flores addressed the media. And he dropped a bombshell that Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kavon Frazier would miss today’s practice.

The reason per Flores was ‘personal’ with no time-frame expected.

Coach Flores did have the perfect response when asked if it was going to be long-term with Miami’s starting QB.

“When you’re dealing with personal matters, it’s case by case. I think we’ve all dealt with personal things. I’m sure you have; I have. I’m going to support my players and however much time they need with specific situations, that’s what they’re going to get. I think we all should have an understanding from that standpoint and quite honestly … when we’re talking about things of that nature, some things take precedent and I’m going to respect that.”

 

Many are speculating Fitz could be out for a significant period of time, given the team’s recent workout of veteran QB Jake Rudock. But no one truly knows and it’s all speculation, for now.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Fitzpatrick. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen this offseason–the show must go on.

With Fitzpatrick out, this would open the door for rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa to take the reigns.

But as we learned over the first few days of camp, Josh Rosen wasn’t going to go down without a fight. If Miami’s 37-year old QB is out a significant amount of time, the team would then have to turn to 23-year old Josh Rosen or 22-year old Tua Tagovailoa. Both players have a lot to learn in Chan Gailey’s offense.

According to Safid Deen of the Sun-Sentinel, both QBs had an up-and-down performance.

Before anyone jumps, take a few steps back from the ledge because no, the sky is not falling.

It should go without saying that two young quarterbacks can improve their game. Hell, most of the veterans could as well. But it’s clear as day just how important Fitzpatrick is to this team–especially this season.

To play devil’s advocate, what if Fitz isn’t back in a timely fashion?

What if the show must go on with Tua Tagovailoa or Josh Rosen. Two quarterbacks drafted in the top-10 of the NFL draft over the last few seasons. What then?

In the perfect world, Miami’s situation would shape up a lot like the situation in San Diego many years ago. The Chargers drafted Phillip Rivers and it pushed Drew Brees to become a very good NFL QB. If Rosen becomes a viable option, his trade value could skyrocket. But let’s face it–Josh Rosen? Tua Tagovailoa? As long as the Dolphins are winning football games, that’s what fans truly care about.

Struggling in practice isn’t ideal. But one thing I refuse to do is worry that Tua hasn’t already proven to be the savior many of us have hoped.

Peyton Manning struggled his entire rookie season. Mahomes didn’t see the field until the final week of the season.

There are 23 days between now and the Dolphins first regular-season game. If Fitzpatrick is away from the team for an extended period of time, it could be the Tua Tagovailoa era sooner rather than later. That is only if he can supplant the 2018 first-round pick.

Any other season, I might be a little worried. But in an unprecedented offseason where most of the offense was taught via Zoom, I’m not worried.

 

Next week I will take a look at the Tale of the Tape between Josh Rosen and Tua Tagovailoa.

THE EXTRA YARD: WEEK #1 DOLPHINS CAMP REPORT

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Week 1 has come and gone, and due to the restrictive nature of the NFL reporting rules this year, I cannot offer detailed analysis, but I can give you an overview of each position group after one week of training camp.

 

QUARTERBACKS

Exciting isn’t it? Don’t be. it’s been reported elsewhere that Ryan Fitzpatrick should hold on to his starting job, and I don’t see any chance that changes. The loss of preseason games really hurt Tua Tagovailoa’s chances to earn the starting job. In other news, Josh Rosen has looked good so far in camp, which is to say he has looked like a professional capable of running an NFL offense. After steady work, all week, Friday had one of the toughest to watch practices for quarterbacks I have ever seen.

RUNNINGBACKS

Good looking group, and it’s predictable that the two acquisitions from the offseason, head that group. Jordan Howard is big, shifty, and looks to be the early down back everybody predicted. Matt Breida is lightning quick, can catch the ball and has had his moments in space so far in camp. Patrick Laird has been steady, Malcolm Perry makes you think about the possibilities and Kalen Ballage has a long way to go to earn snaps over the guys they acquired this offseason.

WIDE RECEIVERS

I would be lying if I told you the “Opt outs” of Alen Hurns and Albert Wilson didn’t hurt. You gotta feel good about DeVante Parker and Preston Williams, but if they take an injury to either of those two, this goes from an above average unit to sub average. Isaiah Ford seeks to take advantage of this, and is primed to do just that. Jakeem Grant is ALWAYS going to light up training camp, practice, 7v7, 11v11, Indy drills as he is a maximum effort guy. I don;t think I am being unfair to the rest of the guys by saying nobody else has stood out.

TIGHT ENDS
Mike Gesicki has a bigger, more full build. Adam Shaheen has had moments as a blocker and the rest of the guys are wallpaper. It’s been an uneventful camp for the position unit, so far.

OFFENSIVE LINE
This is the surprise of camp so far. I expected Austin Jackson to be a developmental player. He looks like a contributor right way. Jackson has not been shy in the face of physical challenges from the vets, and has the look of a guy that belongs. It’s been no secret, the big surprise has been Solomon Kindley who looks to contribute BIG right away. A giant, mobile, exciting highlight film of a guard is how to describe him. My partner on the 3YPC Podcast mused about “Jamie Nails” as a comparison, and I must say, that the arrow and enthusiasm is up, so far. At the very least, he is fun to watch, and offers an effort player at a position of need. Ereck Flowers has had some standout snaps, and is showing leadership of the unit. Robert Hunt has been steady, but is being overshadowed by his two rookie teammates. Ted Karras has shown some mobility and good anchor in the face of A gap blitzes, so some of the narratives are slowly being dispelled.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Christian Wilkins is slimer and loosk to contribute in many more ways than last year. Emmanuel Ogbah, exhibits all the traits he was signed for. Shaq Lawson is as advertised as an edge setter. Raekwon Davis…well….It’s a snuff film when he is out there. It is fair to say that only Ereck Flowers has slowed Davis down, as he has shown all of that “1st round talent” that everybody hypothesized, he possessed. Zach Sieler offered steady work all week, while Curtis Weaver flashed, while abusing Julien Davenport in a couple of practices. This group is pretty straight forward as far as hierarchy.

LINEBACKERS
Losing Vince Biegel shook up this group and sent it in search of a pass rush specialist. In came Andrew Van Ginkel, Kyle Van Noy, Curtis Weaver, to fill the void. Whiel Jerome Baker works on his back to back training camp DPOY award, its evident that Kyle Van Noy will be an important cog for this unit as he will be asked to do a lot. Raekwon McMillan is having another quiet camp, as Elandon Roberts has made a whole bunch of noise with his physical play.


DEFENSIVE BACKS

With the absence of Xavien Howard, Noah Igbinoghene looks to contribute right away, while all world corner Byron Jones lives up to his sticky reputation. The battles between DeVante Parker and Byron Jones are worth an admission price. Eric Rowe, Bobby McCain return to head the captaincy of the secondary, as new shooter Kavon Frazier makes a very strong first impression as an old school, seek and destroy, thumper as a traditional box safety. Nik Needham has gotten off to a slow start, but also looks to be an important piece. Tae Hayes has flashed ball hawking ability.

SPECIAL TEAMS
People were pretty nervous early this week when reports from the beat writers said that Preston Williams was back returning punts again. I can’t reveal the depth chart at the position, but rest easy that Jakeem Grant and Malcolm Perry have been introduced as options for those duties going forward.

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.