The Undeniable Rise of Caleb Martin

/0 Comments/in , /by

 

For many, just one opportunity is all they need to show the world what they can do. For Caleb Martin, it was about opportunity and the right team at the right time.

 

Caleb Martin was a late addition to the Miami Heat roster. Hell, he’s still not technically even on the official roster as it stands. But that last-second acquisition via a Two-Way Contract was more important than anyone on the Heat staff could have predicted. No one paid much mind to it and many on social media wondered why the team didn’t use a veteran minimum deal on a player like Wesley Matthews. While the move may have been partly to avoid the repeater tax, it made sense.

There’s a lot of CBA lingo I could get into, but the gist of it is Miami wants to maintain future flexibility by avoiding going into the repeater tax right now. It was frustrating at the time for many fans. I thought it was a decent buy-low move but can understand why some wouldn’t see it as such. Charlotte isn’t a huge market and the few that did know about Caleb would have preferred his brother.

The Heat have already learned their lesson of using end-of-rotation spots on journeymen past their prime. So long are the days of Eddie House, Amare Stoudamire, and Eddy Curry. The team now mostly uses those spots to develop younger unheralded guys who have yet to unlock their full potential. Players like Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, and Max Strus. They want to take the clay that other teams discard and start molding them into a vase good enough for a museum.

Caleb was weighing various non-guaranteed Two-Way offers before getting the call that the Heat wanted him in for a workout. He would leave quite an impression on the Miami brass that included Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra. The workout was enough for the team to offer him a Two-Way, the same as every other team that wanted his services. The difference was that Martin knew the Heat’s reputation of taking in undrafted players like him and putting them in the best position to succeed. The organization let its reputation speak for itself and landed a project wing.

What the Heat didn’t envision was Martin contributing as much as he has so fast. I imagine they expected to have him play spot minutes waiting on Victor Oladipo’s eventual addition to the team. It seemed to look that way as he garnered only 8 (garbage time) minutes total through the first 5 games. But as is the nature of the league, injuries occurred and Caleb was called upon more and more.

 

 

You’d think with more responsibility and a heavier workload that a Two-Way player would show why he was passed on by so many teams. It’s turned out to be quite the opposite for the versatile wing from Nevada. Martin has showcased every improved tool in his bag and more during this opportunity. His athletic downhill activity and versatility were facets the Heat had only had in Oladipo’s 4 games last season.

Martin has given them what Derrick Jones Jr used to but with an actual handle and ability to shoot. That shot-in-the-arm athleticism that only Bam Adebayo would give them. The Heat added a player that replicated the description of so many of the players on the Suns team that went to the Finals last year.

These skills didn’t appear overnight either. Caleb’s shooting has obviously improved steadily since he’s arrived. The handle and ability to break down a defender one on one while avoiding too many turnovers. He’s also learned to reign in his hyperactivity at the right times. Early in the season, you would see him cutting and standing where a teammate was occupying space. Caleb’s motor would stay on maximum overdrive at times but he’s learned little by little to let the game slow down.

That motor is still being used to its full potential on the defensive end. Watching him fly around on that end has been a joy to watch. Martin has been causing chaos and headaches for opposing guards night in and night out. He doesn’t care who Coach Spoelstra asks him to defend, he’s going to wreak havoc like Marlon Wayans in any scene he’s ever been in. That part of his game is more of a testament to the development he’s done before even getting to Miami. Caleb himself spoke about how he was always the scorer dating back to High School. He’s been adapting to what’s asked of him for quite a while already.

 

And he’s still learning on the fly as he’s been thrown into the fire. I don’t think he expected to start 9 games while averaging 30 minutes a game. But there’s no denying he’s taken the challenge head-on and full throttle. In his starts this season he’s putting up 14/5 on 54/42/73 shooting splits. A run of starts that included putting up 28 points on 9/12 shooting. It’s not only a challenge but an opportunity. Caleb knows this is where he could make an impression on not only the Heat but the whole NBA. Showing to everyone that he belongs and that he deserves a legitimate long-term NBA contract. He’s made it hard to ignore and it’s inevitable that the Heat will convert his deal when the tax date is up.

Martin knew Miami was the best spot for him to showcase and establish his place in the league. Miami was looking for a player like Caleb and he fell right into their lap. Maybe it wouldn’t have been as easy had Miami not made a name for itself as a development hub for undrafted and unheralded players. Caleb could have chosen to go elsewhere; it’s not like the Heat offered him a bigger deal than those other teams.

Martin and Miami caught each other at the perfect time and now they’re both reaping the benefits. He’s made it a no-brainer that he’ll get minutes once all the big 4 starters are healthy at once. Someone will have to take those minutes from him and I think Erik Spoelstra knows that. He prefers a versatile player like Caleb as opposed to a specialist. Players that fit his description are more valuable in playoff settings, especially ones that could involve the Nets or the Bulls.

It takes a lot to win a title and that includes hitting on value contracts as you pay your max-level stars. Martin was expected to be an infield single, but he’s been an inside-the-park home run. A regular home run isn’t chaotic and hard enough for a guy like Caleb.

 

******

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

Miami Dolphins need to improve in these five areas

Fresh Perspective: Top 5 Miami Dolphins offseason musts

/0 Comments/in , /by

Now that the season has come to a close, it’s time to break down what are the main improvements the Miami Dolphins need to make this offseason. As always, there’s a long list that needs checking off, but there are certain things that have more priority than others. This column will break down the main things Miami needs to do to ensure that next season doesn’t end on the same sour note this one did, being on the outside looking in.

Later on there will be a position-by-position breakdown detailing every single move the team should make, in this writer’s opinion. But for now, here’s a generalized primer that fits the bill no matter who Miami’s QB is.

1. Buy the offensive line

It’s time to face facts. No matter who is in charge, no matter how many draft picks are invested, the Miami Dolphins simply can’t seem to develop solid offensive linemen. The talent is lacking, and the cohesion as a unit is nonexistent. Coaching is a big part of that. However, there is a simple solution. Do what the Kansas City Chiefs did: buy an offensive line.

According to Spotrac, Miami will have more cap space available than any team in the NFL. That leaves plenty of room for the Dolphins to go on a major spending spree, which should be spent almost entirely on the offensive line. There are some solid left tackle options, as well as some top level veteran guards.

It’s time to give the Dolphins QB – whether it’s Tua Tagovailoa or someone else entirely – an offensive line that isn’t among the absolute worst in the league.

2. Find a legitimate RB

This front office stood on the podium at the end of the 2021 offseason and said they were happy with Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. Their only real addition was Malcolm Brown, who has spent a large portion of the season injured. It became clear that Gaskin and Ahmed both have real shortcomings as running backs.

Then the Dolphins brought in UM superstar Duke Johnson off the street. He looked much better than either of them. Then the Dolphins added veteran Phillip Lindsay, and he looked better as well. It does not bode well for talent evaluation when two free agent veterans come in midseason and prove to be the superior options.

This season has shown just what kind of a difference even a marginal improvement at running back can do. Two seasons in a row, Miami has opted to ignore the running back position. They cannot do so again. An improved offensive line will definitely help, but all around the league, running backs are making names for themselves. Their offenses are reaping those benefits.

The Miami Dolphins should give contract offers to both Duke Johnson and Phillip Lindsay. But even with them, they should not be content. The Miami Dolphins need a true superstar running back again.

3. Keep the defense together

No question about it. Brian Flores has put together a championship caliber defense. But that means the Dolphins need to do whatever it takes to keep the core together. Emmanuel Ogbah, Elandon Roberts, Nik Needham, and Xavien Howard. They all need new deals in the offseason, and it behooves any GM worthy of the title to make sure these impact players stay in Miami.

Back in 2016, an article was written on phinmaniacs.com regarding whether offense or defense was more important. The research showed some startling results.

Let’s start at the year 2000, that’s a decent place to start right? 16 Super Bowls have been played since then, and of those 16 winners, 10 of them have had a top 10 offense. Ok, now looking at the defense, it would appear that 11 of those 16 teams had a top defense. Again, pretty evenly matched.

So let’s tighten things up again.

Of the 16 teams who have won a Super Bowl since the year 2000, only 4 of those teams have had a top 5 ranked offense. In contrast, 9 of them have had a top 5 ranked defense. Not nearly as even.

For completion’s sake, let’s see how many of those teams had the top ranked offense and defense. Since 2000, only one team has had the top ranked offense and won the Super Bowl, while 6 of them have had the number one ranked defense.

If the Miami Dolphins want to keep any positive momentum, the defense needs to be held together. It’s so rare to reach this kind of plateau on the defensive side of the football. Just keep the existing pieces in place, and the rest of the resources can be used to upgrade the offense.

4. Establish veteran presence

Miami’s painfully slow start can arguably the real reason they aren’t in the playoffs this season. The Dolphins lost a lot of games they had no business losing during their 7-game slide. It took them too long to get back to the style of defense they used last season, and it took them too long to work out other bugs in their fundamentals.

The best way to avoid repeating that mistake is to establish a veteran presence this season. Brian Flores decided it wasn’t important in 2021, but hopefully in 2022 he’ll realize his mistake.

Experience doesn’t need to be incredibly expensive. There are a lot of aging veterans that can be had at reasonable prices. WRs DeSean Jackson or A.J. Green, DE Calais Campbell if he doesn’t retire, OLB Melvin Ingram was given a hard look earlier this offseason. There are veterans to be had that can impart some knowledge and still play an active role.\

5. Assistant coaches must be improved

More than anything, this is on Brian Flores. But there’s no way to know if this is likely to happen. Miami’s assistant coaches, particularly on offense, have little to no pedigree. And it shows. Lemuel Jeanpierre, the offensive line coach, has only been an NFL coach for four seasons including 2021. He’s never been an OL coach before, and that shows as well.

Flores needs to find a veteran offensive line coach. Perhaps he can drag Dante Scarnecchia out of retirement for a year, just to get things on track and train a successor in the process. Or, with the recent firing of Vic Fangio, maybe Mike Munchak will shake loose and Flores can make a play for him to fix things up.

Speaking of veterans, it would be coaching malpractice for Flores to not look at some new potential offensive coordinator candidates. The Carolina Panthers are going to interview the likes of Jay Gruden and Bill O’Brien to take over for Joe Brady, who was fired on Dec. 5.

Or, perhaps, Flores can consider Brady for the OC position. He learned under Sean Payton as an offensive assistant, and then was credited with helping Joe Burrow become a superstar at LSU. Perhaps, Brady can help Tua Tagovailoa – or whoever the QB in 2022 is – to find some success with a new offense that will create some excitement.

Loading
Loading...

Brian Flores has to know that the product on the field this season was not good enough. If even one of those games – the Jaguars, the Falcons, the Colts – ended in a win instead of a loss, the Miami Dolphins would likely be in the playoffs. Better coaches get better results, and there are some good ones looking for a new home. He has to try and upgrade from what he has on offense.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

******

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at everythingtradeshows.com or call 954-791-8882

 

Thrive Fantasy takes away the hours of research required to make the most out of your fantasy sports experience. Thrive’s featured $100K guaranteed contest is only $20 to enter, and the first-place winner takes $20K.

Go to https://www.thrivefantasy.com/?promo=5Fins and use the promo code “5Fins” to match up to $100 on your first deposit when you sign up, and take advantage of your Dolphins knowledge to win big.

Stetson Bennett IV can reach NFL status with a national championship for Georgia

/5 Comments/in , /by

It’s becoming common place for the iconic Queen song “We Are The Champions” after bowl games, especially one as big as the Orange Bowl. The timing of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy watching the celebration from a distance with a few teammates only to leave on the lyrics “no time for losers” was poetic. 

The Orange Bowl championship used to mean something but now it’s just another game on the road to the real prize. 

“We didn’t do our everything we did this whole season just to win the Orange Bowl,” Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean said. 

Just like the previous matchup between Alabama and Georgia on this stage birthed the legend of Tua Tagovailoa, the same could possibly happen for Stetson Bennett IV. Tagovailoa came in for Jalen Hurts to rally Alabama to an overtime win in the 2018 National Championship Game. All Bennett has to do is break Georgia’s seven-game losing streak to Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide in next week’s title game.

Among the quarterbacks leading the cream of the crop, Bennett has the story of an underdog. He came to Georgia as a walk-on, then left for a year in junior college only to come back and eventually take over for JT Daniels, who transferred from USC and led the Bulldogs to a Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati a year ago. 

He completed all but 10 of his 30 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in Georgia’s 34-11 win over Michigan to set up an SEC title game rematch with Alabama. Because of his up-start origin and two interceptions, on top of the Bulldogs defense getting taken for a ride for the first time all season, has led to outside doubt in Bennett leading up to the Orange Bowl. Daniels, who only lost his starting job due to injury early in the season, was a desired choice to start for the Bulldogs in the playoff and was ready to go in case of Bennett struggling. 

“I didn’t go out there and play well today in spite of people,” Bennett said. “I came out there and played well and worked hard throughout the few weeks we had off because my teammates needed me to do that, and we needed that to win.”

As disheartening and as boring as it sounds, football teams and players sees everyone without jersey as the enemy to some degree and everything said and posted is considered as the cancerous “noise” that must be blocked out in order to ensure victory. Blocking out the noise is celebrated after a victory, while being “disrespected” is worn as a badge of honor. 

“I think it’s amazing to have a guy his age block out all the noise and just focus harder,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “It’s almost like every time he hears noise he just focuses harder on the game plan and what he has to do to execute. You look at some plays he made out there with his feet, they couldn’t account for his mobility and some of the plays he made with his feet, and just really proud of the way he prepped for this game.”

If Bennett declares for the NFL Draft and becomes a part of the process, he may be seen as the next Andrew Luck just based on looks and the fact that he no longer uses a smart phone. He has a Twitter and Instagram account. He is one of the founders of the DGD Fund to give back to the communities through a variety of causes, his being the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Unless it involves NIL, he doesn’t post anything, which is probably going to be the trend of high profile football players.  

“Stetson as a leader on our offense, he doesn’t let that negativity go to his head, for real,” Georgia running back James Cook said on Bennett. “Like he said, he ain’t got no social media, he carry a flip phone around, and he stay off social media, and he just let the noise go over his head and play football. That’s what I love about him.”

Completing deep passes and blocking out the noise are seen as pro qualities that could make Bennett the Mac Jones of this year’s NFL Draft.

Especially if he can redeem his only loss and defeat Alabama on Monday.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Slim Margin for Error for Trail Blazers

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Portland Trail Blazers are running out of time to turn their season around.  After 42% of the year, they’ve underachieved and sit at eight games below .500. Some of their record can be blamed on the injury report but most of it should be attributed to the poor product the Blazers have put on the court. 

 

Damian Lillard was diagnosed with an abdominal tendinopathy on Dec. 1, causing him to miss the next five games. In that span, Portland went 1-4.  Their only victory came against Detroit, one of two teams with single digit wins.  Yet, Lillard returned 11 days later in the loss at home against the Timberwolves, and it might have been too soon.  

 

Since his return, (8 games) Lillard appears to need more assistance getting open with the help of a screen. Most instances where he zips past a defender have come when he’s running down hill in transition with fewer moments of #0 beating his man in single coverage in the halfcourt.  Whenever Lillard initiates the offense in the halfcourt, Portland’s go-to option as of late is to have a teammate screen for him on either wing so he can pull up for a triple.  It’s becoming as predictable as Julius Randle of the Knicks cutting left. 

 

Another play Portland runs significantly is attack through the pick ‘n’ roll ball handler.  It’s used for 1/5 of their offense but the team isn’t scoring efficiently this way.  Portland is only converting 41.5% of their shots in this category while taking the eighth most attempts in the league.  This could potentially improve with the return of CJ McCollum.   He’s another dependable option to score as the pnr ball handler because of his swift ability to breakaway or stop on a dime.

 

This season under first-year coach Chauncey Billups, Portland has cut down on its isolation frequency.  In 2021, the Blazers led the NBA in iso usage (10.2%) and now only eight other teams run more one-on-one action.  Portland may have the ball stick less now (7.6), but their effectiveness attacking this way has decreased. While McCollum is out, most of the iso plays are going to Lillard, who has his teammates clear out for a possible lane or for space to take a jumper.  On more occasions, Dame Time is settling for a deep tray instead of blowing past his man.     

 

Defensively, the outfit is the worst team guarding in the NBA.  The Blazers are tied with New Orleans for last in the league in opponent 3-point percentage while also giving up over 48 points a night in their interior.  Much of this is due to poor communication, like not alerting a teammate of an incoming screen, a Blazer failing to inform another he’s switching, or not receiving help when stuck in a mismatch. 

****

Loading
Loading...

****

 

As an illustration, on Dec. 21 at New Orleans,Portland put the Pelicans in the bonus less than five minutes into the game.  Some of the penalties came defending a couple fastbreak layups by NOLA’s Josh Hart and Braondon Ingram and another was Jusuf Nurkić losing control on a loose ball.

 

Then on Dec. 31, Avery Bradley of the Lakers set a screen on Nassir Little on the right wing  anticipating LeBron James’ dive in transition.  James wrapped around the screen and Lillard was left on an island with him on the baseline.  In the moment of truth, Norman Powell did not help from the opposite baseline and instead stayed on Russell Westbrook in the corner. James then powered past Lillard to the basket for two plus the foul.

 

Four minutes into the same game, James stripped Powell’s right baseline cut and got out in transition after Westbrook flung the loose ball back to start the break.  Here Tony Snell of the Blazers can be seen jogging from the left corner until he reaches his team’s 3-point line.  

 

On Jan. 3, without Lillard (load management) at home, Portland outlasted the Atlanta Hawks, but not without the opposing squad dropping 131 points.  It was the fourth time this season their matchup scored at least 120 points at the Moda Center, but the only instance in which the Blazers won.  

 

Portland’s room for error is shrinking, but they are not out of the playoff hunt yet. Lillard and McCollum as recently as the bubble games showed that they could lead their team to wins at the end in the regular season to secure a final spot.  During that eight game stretch the Blazers finished 6-2.  This time around, performing late season heroics might be very challenging.  Every team is at risk of losing a key because of COVID-19 outbreak.  Missing the right players could derail a season.

 

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

 

A frustrated Tua Tagovailoa on the sideline near the end of the Dolphins' 34-3 loss against the Titans.

Pressure Point: Tua Tagovailoa fails at defining moment as Dolphins QB

/0 Comments/in , /by

It wasn’t just that the Miami Dolphins failed again with a chance to break out of the “Same Old Dolphins” mold.

The bitter pill in the 34-3 debacle Sunday at Tennessee was in revealing how far the Dolphins are from being a legitimate playoff team.

Just as it was in each of their three playoff appearances since they last won in the postseason 21 years ago.

Sunday in rainy, chilling Nashville was the Dolphins’ de facto playoff game of this season, and the gap was as wide as the score suggested against a Titans team that celebrated a division-clinching win and at 11-5 stands atop the AFC seeding.

A lot of wrath in the Dolphins’ undoing is being directed at quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the offense — and rightfully so. The real gut punch, though, was seeing the Miami defense, often dominant during the seven-game winning streak, get overrun by the Titans.

Part of that reflects on the inadequacies of the offense putting the defense in an untenable position. Nonetheless, the Dolphins gave up 198 yards rushing to a Titans team still missing Derrick Henry and managed only one sack and little pressure against Ryan Tannehill, who’d been sacked 45 times coming in.

Dolphins stuck in rut of mediocrity

In the biggest moment so far in the Brian Flores era, the Dolphins couldn’t handle the weather, adversity or any challenge presented by the opponent.
So the uplifting seven-game winning streak after a seven-game losing streak is relegated to a footnote in another disappointing Dolphins season.

What a strange, roundabout journey to find themselves at 8-8 and still stuck in the same rut that has defined the Dolphins for more than two decades and counting.

Fitting that the final nail in the coffin of dead Dolphins playoff hopes was put in place by Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers with a 34-13 win over Denver.

Any mention of Herbert inevitably leads right back to Tagovailoa, who the Dolphins selected instead at No. 5 in the 2020 draft.

The comparison with Herbert is irrelevant at this point. The issue to consider is about what the Dolphins saw in Tagovailoa when they drafted him — clearly the pivotal moment early in the partnership of Flores and GM Chris Grier to pick a quarterback to lead them to contending for championships.

Tua’s future uncertain as Dolphins QB

Two seasons of Tua hasn’t brought a resounding endorsement of the decision. Consequently, quarterback will again be at the forefront of what figures to be an interesting and unpredictable offseason.

“People have their own opinions,” Tagovailoa said after Sunday’s game on the question of his future as the Dolphins quarterback. “I’ve heard this the entire time I’ve been here. At the end of the day, I can control what I can control, which is to be the best version of myself.”

Tua had the chance to do that Sunday. It was right there for a defining performance to shove it to his critics.

Instead, Tagovailoa produced these numbers in the first half: 6 for 16 for 71 yards and a fumble lost when the ball slipped out of his hands while trying to throw, contributing to a 17-3 deficit.

There was still a chance make a game of it early in the fourth quarter with the score the same. But after hitting Jaylen Waddle on a beauty of a deep strike for 45 yards, Tua took a sack (he fumbled but the Dolphins recovered) on a strange flea flicker and then had a miscommunication with DeVante Parker on a throw to the end zone.

A fourth down pass to Parker that should have brought a flag for interference didn’t, and the moment was lost.

And with it the chance for Tagovailoa to put his stamp on his future with the team was lost.

More Deshaun Watson speculation likely

Tua is a likable figure, and I was hopeful he was going to be the answer to the Dolphins’ long search for a championship quarterback. I liked his accuracy at Alabama but was wary of his injury history in college.

He has shown uncanny accuracy — when not operating in rain and high winds — at short range. He also has a tendency for head-scratching mistakes.

Ultimately, the question is, how far can he take this team?

From what we’ve seen, the answer seems to be, to the fringe of playoff contention.

That’s well short of the stated goal of this Dolphins rebuild. Certainly not enough to perpetuate the Flores/Grier regime. Because it won’t satisfy owner Steve Ross, who at age 81 has no luxury of patience.

Any team that starts a season 1-7 as the Dolphins did has multiple needs. The offensive line remains a problem and it’s about time they added a legitimate running back in the offseason.

But quarterback will be a big focus and expect a lot of speculation again about Deshaun Watson in the coming months. Whether it ends up being the exiled Texans quarterback or someone else, look for a changing of the guard leading the Miami offense in Week 1 in September.

Jobs are at stake. What Tagovailoa can control hasn’t been good enough. And the Dolphins are still stuck in the same old rut.

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

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Miami Heat’s Hot Winter

/0 Comments/in , /by

 

The Miami Heat have turned misfortune into opportunity over their last 14 games.  Since Dec. 1,  the team has been without at least two starters and in some cases three.  With key players catching the injury bug and COVID-19, the Heatles have managed to scrape away an 9-5 record.  

 

It’s tough for any outfit to play well through a long stretch when they are down two All-Stars.  Bam Adebayo tore the ligament in his right thumb at home on Nov. 29 against the Nuggets.  He was given a 4-6 week timetable.  Jimmy Butler hurt his tailbone in a fall at Chicago on Nov. 27 and then reaggravated the same injury five games later against Memphis.  Butler recently returned on Dec. 26 in the win at home over Orlando.  

 

Over the past 14 games, the Heat have deployed one of the deepest rosters in the league.  Before Adebayo and Butler went out, the Heat were first in the NBA in protecting the paint in six games through October and third after 15 outings in November.  In December, Miami is back at first in that category giving up only 38.8 points per game in the box.  During this stretch, Miami has relied heavily on the 2-3 zone which dissuades opponents from attacking the basket, but encourages them to shoot from deep or force the action in the middle.  

 

The team’s liking to the 2-3 coverage is probably a reason they are 20th in the NBA at protecting the 3-point line in December.  It’s a lot of ground to cover for two defenders up top and constant ball and player movement can eventually lead to a breakdown on the perimeter.    

 

Yet, Miami has done a decent job this month guarding its opponent.  In December, Miami is ninth in the league in DFG% (44.3) while holding the 10th best defensive rating.

 

If not for the key players out of the lineup, it’s unclear how much time Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Caleb Martin and Omer Yurtseven would have gotten.  But they’ve seized the day as professor John Keating would say.  

 

Loading
Loading...

 

Vincent has started the last nine matches and had back-to-back career highs at Philadelphia (26 pts) then in Orlando (27pts). Yurtseven turned into the Heat’s rebounding magnet before backup center Dewayne Dedmon sprained his left MCL, and is absorbing 13 boards per contest over his last six games.  Martin in seven matches the entire month is casually dropping 13.6 points a night on over 59% shooting.  And it took health protocols within an hour before tip-off vs. Washington to hold back Strus who was averaging more than 22 points a game the last five outings.

 

All of this presents a wrinkle for Coach Erik Spoelstra as soon (if) his squad is fully healthy.  Normally, teams win in the postseason with their best eight guys.  When Adebayo, Lowry and Tucker return to the lineup, the minutes of Miami’s fantastic four reserves will presumably get slashed.  But having too many serviceable players is usually an issue only the contenders have.  Some will be unhappy or frustrated, but it doesn’t mean it is the last time they will play.

 

Some guys will eventually get into foul trouble and get yanked to the bench. Spo might determine a matchup is favorable over someone else.  Or, the odds are high that another Heatle will go through health protocols at some point again.  Miami is lucky it has four of these dudes that can stay ready.

What the Heat have shown is not a mirage.  They have better than a .500 record on the road (10-9) while taking care of home court (12-4).  That is a solid indicator of an exceptional team.

Jaylen celebrates after scoring the clinching touchdown for the Miami Dolphins in the win against the New Orleans Saints.

Pressure Point: Dolphins defy critics, chase new Miami Miracle

/0 Comments/in , /by

The debate around the Miami Dolphins never relents — constant dissecting of the quarterback, skepticism about their merit as a playoff contender.

The only responses that even matter keep coming in weekly intervals (with a longer gap for the bye week). The team left for dead at mid-season has done nothing since but win.

Win-win-win-win-win-win-win.

That’s seven in a row after Monday night’s 20-3 roll over the COVID decimated New Orleans Saints.

That’s seven resounding retorts to all the calls for heads to roll after the 1-7 start — Fire the coach! Fire the general manager! By all means, fire the quarterback!
Now, at 8-7, coach Brian Flores is on the brink of coach of the year with his team two wins from wrapping up a playoff spot in the AFC.

 

Loading
Loading...

Streaking Dolphins making history

That’s how crazy this roller-coaster of a season has become. That’s how special it can still be.

The seven straight losses and seven straight wins in the same season is already without precedent.

As if that’s not intriguing enough, all that stands in the way of this latest Miami Miracle is the Dolphins’ previous never-quite-good-enough quarterback, Ryan Tannehill and the Titans, and forever nemesis Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

There’s no reason to look any further ahead than that.

That’s what tearing down the roster and reconstructing it was all about, right? A team that’s been slogging toward some vaguely defined future for two decades can finally just focus on the next two weeks.

Tua at best when he’s down

It doesn’t matter, for the moment, what Flores, GM Chris Grier and owner Steve Ross think of Tua Tagovailoa as the long-term answer at quarterback or whether they’ll look for an upgrade in the offseason. They’re winning with him right now.

No question, Tagovailoa lacks the dynamic arm of Dan Marino — and the Marino 2.0 they could have had, Justin Herbert. But the 40-yard fling to Mack Hollins on the game-clinching touchdown drive Monday night was on the mark and damned electrifying.

And Tua’s connection with former Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle is already proving historic.

Waddle was another high first-round pick that critics were pooh-poohing after a handful of games. Now the speedy wideout is five receptions away from the NFL rookie record with 96 —  including 10 for 92 yards Monday. He has 941 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Sure, you can gripe that Tagovailoa’s down-field connections are infrequent, his yards per pass paltry and that — much like Tannehill — he has a penchant for the bonehead play that can cost a game.

But Tagovailoa has also shown a knack for quickly atoning for his mistakes. He did that again Monday after serving a horribly thrown interception. He immediately rebounded by leading one of the best drives of the season: 86 yards in nine plays, including the big heave to Hollins, 24 yards to Waddle on a flea-flicker and capped by a well designed short shovel to Waddle for the score, sparking the latest rendition of the Waddle Waddle.

Dolphins defense creates chaos

But here we are talking too much about Tua again. The story of the win over the Saints and much of the winning streak has been the Miami defense.
Granted, they racked up eight sacks and two takeaways, including a pick-6 by Nik Needham, against a Saints team devastated by COVID and forced to thrust rookie quarterback Ian Book into his first NFL start with insufficient support.

Nonetheless, this has shown to be a championship-caliber defense since getting back to the free-wheeling ways that worked so well last season with blitzes coming from all over the place while a talented secondary provides effective man coverage.

Mike Florio and Chris Simms, on Pro Football Talk, discussed the scheme as designed to “create chaos” and wondered why more teams don’t try the unconventional approach of deploying the front seven in an unrecognizable alignment.

The larger question is why the Dolphins got away from what worked so well last season in the first half of this one and got pushed around during the losing streak.

No matter, they’re bringing plenty of chaos now.

Future right now for Dolphins

The Dolphins are on the brink of something historic, and it’s a great end of year gift to the South Florida sports scene at a time the games we love are being upstaged again by COVID chaos.

The Miami Hurricanes had to pull out of their bowl game. The Florida Panthers’ first legitimate pursuit of Lord Stanley since 1996 has been put on pause (hopefully resuming Wednesday).

If the Dolphins stumble in the next two weeks the focus shifts back to the future. For now, there’s no reason to look past Tannehill and the Titans.

It couldn’t be more simple or more dramatic.

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

What if the Orange Bowl ends up being the national championship game?

/8 Comments/in , /by

This year’s Orange Bowl is a titanic showdown between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal. The winner will take on either No. 1 Alabama or No. 4 Cincinnati in the national championship game.

Bu what if the results of the Orange Bowl decided the national championship? That could be a possibility due to the latest COVID-19 outbreak, brought to you by the Omicron variant, which sounds like something from Transformers. 

A new CFP policy was released on Wednesday saying the winner of a semifinal game could be crowned champion due to an opponent forfeiting the title game due to an outbreak. Michigan or Georgia could win the Orange Bowl and win the title by forfeit should Alabama or Cincinnati be hit with an outbreak and can’t field a team, or vise versa. 

If this were to happen in either the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl, then the other team simply gets a bye for the title game. If both teams from a single semifinal game can’t play, that bowl game is considered a no-contest and the other seminal becomes the national title game. 

It’s a tricky situation that is already slightly taking shape. Alabama already had two assistant coaches, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and offensive line coach Doug Marrone, test positive for COVID, prompting the Crimson Tide to implement 2020-style protocols leading up to the playoffs. Head coach Nick Saban told reporters that more than 90% of players have been vaccinated and received a booster shot.

COVID in issues in other bowls

Outbreak issues aren’t reserved for the high stakes bowls. Miami is in the middle of an outbreak leading up to the Hurricanes’ Sun Bowl matchup with Washington State. It got so bad for Texas A&M that 5-7 Rutgers had to come in and replace the Aggies and take on ACC runner-up Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl. If not Rutgers, it would’ve been Illinois but the Scarlet Knights got first dibs among the 5-7 teams for having the highest Academic Progress Rate. 

The Gator Bowl is a big game for ESPN and its sponsors so somebody has to be the sacrificial lamb for the Demon Deacons in the name of money. Bowl games in general are still an important part of college football. They are the matchups that teams are otherwise too scared to set up on their own. How else do we get UCF vs. Florida without the Gasparilla Bowl?

Leaving nothing to chance

To prevent any issue on their part, Michigan had all its players get a vaccine booster shot on Wednesday, according to offensive lineman Andrew Stueber during his media session on Tuesday. Even with the vaccine, it’s 2020 all over again at Ann Arbor 

“That’s definitely a growing concern of ours,” Stueber said. “We implemented masks in meetings, maintaining social distancing. A lot of people are taking their meals to go, not really sitting too much. But, it’s a lot safer now out there, a lot of students have left the campus.”

Doesn’t have to be 2020 all over again

With the outbreak surrounding all over sports, it feels like 2020 all over again. The NHL is now on a “holiday break” until after Christmas because 10 teams had to pause their seasons. Games had to be moved in the NFL, inadvertently creating the great Tuesday Night Football doubleheader. Numerous NBA players are going through health and safety protocols. College basketball games had to be cancelled due to outbreaks.

It doesn’t have to be like this. The vaccine has become the difference between the coronavirus being a deadly disease and a scarlet letter. Cases may be rising but hospitalizations and deaths are not.

At the end of the day, the future is bright, especially if the Orange Bowl doesn’t get cancelled.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kyrie Irving Won

/0 Comments/in , /by

Kyrie Irving won.  It probably won’t be long either before the Nets change course on their decision not to bring him back.  

 

Inexplicably, the Brooklyn Nets swallowed their words in the middle of a league-wide covid outbreak. And they shouldn’t have.  It was only on Oct. 29 when team owner Joe Tsai said it wasn’t tenable for his star guard to compete on his own time. Eight weeks later, Irving’s lack of social awareness is the reason people miss his game and why the Nets have had to trod on through 30 without him.  

 

Given this impulsive change of direction, Irving is only available for 23 of Brooklyn’s 27 remaining away games while he stays unvaccinated.  Hopefully the Nets don’t confuse him with a groupie because they’ll only see him on the road.  But as of now, they are first in the east, and away from Barclays, the team has the best road record in the NBA at 11-3.  

****

Loading
Loading...

****

 

New York’s laws aren’t changing.  While Irving remains obtuse, his part-time gig of Cirque du Soleil basketball still leaves the Nets at a disadvantage come playoff time.  They’ll be without him in their building while he sits at home, twiddling his thumbs watching the game like the rest of us.  

 

Sure, Irving finally coming back will help them win more of the games they were supposed to.  But it doesn’t mean anything if he can’t be there in the trenches with his group when they need him the most.

 

And they do need Irving back badly, despite being “#1.”  James Harden has lost two steps because of age and weight.  Kevin Durant, as brilliant as his arsenal is, will get burnt out if he keeps averaging 37 minutes a night.  

 

In the previous postseason, Harden was limited in round 2 against the bucks because of a grade 2 hamstring strain.  In Game 4 of the same series, Irving sprained his ankle and couldn’t continue after Giannis Antetokounmpo undercut him.  Durant was left on an island with the team’s role players and nearly got them there if not for his size 30 sneakers.  

 

This star threesome could become the greatest trio that never was.  Irving, Durant’s and Harden have played only 13 games, a third of the way past year two together.  Sources tell me Vegas will start taking wagers soon on the over/under for the three linchpins playing 82 games collectively over the next 18 months. To their “credit,” the Nets record in their minuscule sample size was 10-3.  

 

Once Irving gets back on the floor, one can only hope that his fix of competing will overpower his reluctance to follow the advice of medical professionals.   

 

It’s time to talk about 4th quarter Tua

/0 Comments/in , /by

The most bewildering thing about the Miami Dolphins five game winning streak is the fact that they have been able to hold their leads in the 4th quarter and win games.

Stop me, but have we ever heard a Dolphins team holding a lead in the 4th quarter and winning?

I think it might be the start of a discussion about how they are doing it.

Specifically, how they are led by Tua Tagovailoa, especially in close games.

The Plays

Week 1 vs. New England

Let’s go back to the 4th quarter against New England. QB Mac Jones is trying to execute a comeback as the Dolphins lead 17-16. Damien Harris fumbles the ball and it is recovered by Xavien Howard. 

With 3:24 left in the game the Patriots had all three timeouts and the two-minute warning while the Dolphins were backed up at their own 9 yard line. 

1st and 10 at the 9 yard line, Tua Tagovailoa fakes a handoff and runs to the left end of the field for eight yards, staying in bounds to keep the clock running. Suddenly, a yellow flag is thrown onto the field. PENALTY on MIA-L.Eichenberg, Offensive Holding, 4 yards, enforced at MIA 9. Yep, its the same old Dolphins, the perfect receipt to punt toward mid-field and the Patriots would nail a game-winning field goal.

However, the Dolphins call an RPO look on 1st and 14 that New England had already seen. Except, Tua Tagovailoa opted to disregard the RPO mesh and thread a back side slant to Devante Parker for 13 yards.

2nd and 1, Wildcat formation,  Direct snap to Malcolm Brown who runs up the middle to gain a new set of downs. The Dolphins kept running the ball and the Patriots kept calling timeouts, yet the Patriots defense could not stop the Dolphins. 

That 4th quarter drive was as effective as any scoring drive Miami could’ve mounted in the 4th quarter. Running the ball effectively when your opponent knows you want to run it, backing yourself off your own end zone with the pass, ending the game in victory formation.

Week 6 vs. Jacksonville

The Dolphins entered the 4th quarter against the Jaguars down 17-13. With 14:15 left on the clock Tua, in his first game back from rib injury, and the offense drove 91 yards down the field spanning almost 4 minutes of offense.  

Passes over 12+ yards coupled with chain moving runs capped an efficient 91 yard touchdown drive to lead 20-13.

The Jaguars tied at the 3:40 mark in the 4th quarter. The last 4th quarter drive ends with a turnover on downs, where Tua Tagovailoa moves the chains passing to Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gesicki; however the run game could not complement the passing game. Malcolm Brown comes up inches short at midfield.

The Jaguars win the game on a last minute field goal 23-20.

Week 7 vs. Atlanta

Entering the 4th quarter, the Dolphins are down 27-14 and receive the ball at their own four yard line due to a muffed catch by Myles Gaskin.

Tua and the offense go on a 90 yard touchdown drive to make it 27-14. Tua is 6/6 for 75 yards and a Touchdown. Passes of 18, 27, 9 and 11 thrown to drive the offense up the field.

The defense recovered a fumble from Matt Ryan to create an opportunity for the offense to score again. This time they scored a touchdown on a 9 play drive that lasted almost four minutes.

Tua Tagovailoa led the comeback as the Dolphins were up 28-27. The rest was on the defense to close the game with 2:27 left in the 4th and Matt Ryan on his own 25. The defense failed as Miami lost 30-28.

Week 10 vs. Baltimore

Miami entered 4th quarter up 6-3 on Baltimore and got a big boost from Xavien Howards fumble return touchdown to go up 15-3. Two drives later Lamar Jackson and the Ravens go on a nine play 99-yard touchdown drive to close the gap 15-10.

With 4 minutes left in the game delivers a deep left pass to Albert Wilson for 64 yards, moving the Dolphins offense up the field and in position to score. The offense runs the ball to run the clock and score. Miami leads 22-10 with 2:19 remaining in the 4th quarter.

This time, the Dolphins defense closes out and seals the game by intercepting Lamar Jackson.

Honorable Mentions

Jets, Panthers, Giants

Miami entered 4th quarter tied 14-14 against the New York  Jets. They hit on a 75-yard TD drive to go up 21-14. Then, with 9 minutes left, trying to protect a one score lead, execute a 7-minute scoring drive that left in the dust.

It’s true that Miami entered the 4th quarter against the Carolina Panthers up 27-10 with the game already won. -However, consider the fact that the football was possessed for 10.5 of the 15 minutes of the fourth quarter. Carolina had no chance to even try a comeback.

The Dolphins were only up 10-6 on the Giants heading into the 4th. Miami goes on a 61-yard touchdown drive, another FG drive, again possessing the ball 10 of 15 minutes, making a Giants comeback impossible.

The Metrics

Through Week 13, Tua is in the top half of the league in several key performance and efficiency metrics. He’s ranked 7th in ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating — ahead of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Dak Prescott.

He’s 2nd in completion rate, 7th in rate of off-target throws and 13th in expected points added per dropback as of Week 11.

Since 1994,Pro Football Reference tracks splits-by-quarter. With a minimum of 250 pass attempts, Tagovailoa’s 109.2 passer rating in the 4th quarter is second-best ever. He’s currently the top rated 4th quarter passer.

Among all NFL passers going back to 1994, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa currently ranks:

– #1 in 4Q completion

– #1 in 4Q scoring %

– #2 in 4Q passer rating

– #6 in 4Q 1st Down %

– #3 in RZ scoring %

– #2 in RZ sacks/attempt

When Tua Tagovailoa plays in the 4th quarter, the Dolphins record is 10-5. The offense scores an average of 9.2 points per 4th quarter, which would be on pace for 37 points per game. Tua either takes the lead, ties the game, or comes back to within one score in the 4th quarter of four of the five losses.

The Execution

Many will call it the clutch gene turning on, at the end of the day it all comes down to execution.

“It’s about putting the game away, sometimes it’s controlling the ball and making sure that those possessions are going to your best players … Third downs are critical. We’ve been fortunate to convert some big third downs and churn some clock.”

Miami Dolphins Co-OC George Godsey

At the end of the day, Tua Tagovailoa is doing well in the 4th quarter. He’s making good decisions and playing his best, where it’s needed.

So it’s not just about Tua’s personal 4th quarter accolades or statistics — his 4th quarter success coincides with team success.

 

Follow Hussam Patel on Twitter for Miami Dolphins content

 

*****

Loading
Loading...