During this intriguing off-season for the Miami Heat, many players have been discussed through free agency and the draft. Although we have a good idea who Miami will be resigning for this upcoming season, there’s still a bit of uncertainty. But at the end of the day, their leader, Erik Spoelstra, will be ready either way.
If there was anything to take from this past postseason for Miami, it would be that Spoelstra is by far the best situational coach in the NBA. Many roster changes were made, including decreased roles for Kendrick Nunn and Meyers Leonard, even though they had so much success during the regular season.
The key word there was “regular season” though, since Spo knows what the playoffs are like after being apart of them for a while now.
He also had to make many game-plan adjustments, especially on the defensive end. Due to the fact that their rotation had a lot more versatility, he had the ability to mix it up and go to zone a lot more. And most of all, he let Bam Adebayo be Bam Adebayo.
Another thing about Spo is that he truly understands his personnel. And having that extra time in the bubble with his players allowed him to increase that understanding even more.
As said before, although there’s uncertainty of what the roster will look like exactly, you must have confidence in Coach Spo to make it work no matter what. For example, if Giannis Antetokounmpo was to take his talents to South Beach, there should be zero doubt about a possible fit. Spo has done it before, and he will do it again.
And although he hasn’t gotten the respect that he absolutely deserved over the years, this past season put a stamp on it.
He put all of his trust in Jimmy Butler upon arrival in Miami, he built an offensive and defensive scheme around their cornerstone piece in Bam Adebayo, and he gave a rookie in Tyler Herro the ability to do what he does best.
This team truly is special, and that all starts with the leader of this team, Erik Spoelstra.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/8CF00E7A-18AC-4527-B5BD-75BC20C2FE8B.jpeg545768Brady Hawkhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgBrady Hawk2020-11-09 13:16:382020-11-09 16:27:14Erik Spoelstra: The Heart, The Soul, The Leader
The Miami Dolphins shocked the NFL world again on Sunday, earning a 34-31 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The victory kept them within striking distance of the AFC East lead. But perhaps the best news coming from the win remains the emergence of Tua Tagovailoa.
This win propelled the Dolphins into the AFC playoff picture, despite football pundits once again picking against them. The Dolphins have now won four games in a row for the first time since 2016 and their 5-3 record is their best start through the first eight games of a season since 2014.
Here are five takeaways from the Dolphins’ 34-31 win over the Cardinals.
Dolphins Win Over Cardinals: Tua Definitely QB1
So much of the talk in the wake of Miami’s 28-17 victory over the Rams last week circled around Tagovailoa’s statistical performance. People clamored for more from the rookie. Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey pared down the game plan once Miami’s defense took control.
Against the Cardinals, though, Tagovailoa answered the lingering questions. He completed 20-of-28 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball seven times for 35 yards in this come-from-behind victory.
Tagovailoa authored an impressive 10-play, 93-yard game-tying drive in the fourth quarter of this one. He connected on all five pass attempts during the drive, including a 14-yard strike to DeVante Parker to convert on a third down from deep in Miami’s territory, as well as an 11-yard touchdown to Mack Hollins. Tagovailoa picked up 23 yards scrambling, too, including a six-yard dash to pick up another key third down.
And after the Dolphins defense stuffed a fourth-and-1 attempt by the Cardinals, Tagovailoa maneuvered the team into field goal range for the win. His performance wasn’t perfect, but it was a welcomed sight for the QB-starved ‘Phins.
Jason Sanders, Best K in Franchise History
Tagovailoa set up Jason Sanders for the 50-yard go-ahead field goal with 5:15 left in the fourth. Sanders netted his 20th consecutive made-field-goal with the game-winner. The kick broke the previous team record of 19 straight makes, set by Olindo Mare in 1999. It was the fourth game-winning kick of his career.
Sanders set a new career-long as well with his 56-yarder to end the first half. He became the first kicker in Dolphins history to make two 50-plus yard field goals in the same game.
The rest of Miami’s Special Teams Unit has performed well, too. Punter Matt Haack ranks fourth in punts pinned inside the 20-yard line and ninth in net punting. Jakeem Grant leads the NFL in punt return yards and has the league’s only punt return touchdown.
Dolphins D Does Enough in Win Over Cardinals
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Miami’s main difficulties defensively this season have come against mobile quarterbacks and Kyler Murray proved to be the biggest test thus far. The Dolphins defense came up big early, though.
Emmanuel Ogbah stripped Murray on Arizona’s first possession of the game, and Shaq Lawson scooped and scored from 36-yards out. The Dolphins now have a takeaway in 15 consecutive games, which is the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind Baltimore (21 games).
After that, though, the Dolphins defense struggled to contain Murray. He completed 21-of-26 for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Murray showed his elusiveness throughout, avoiding Miami’s pursuit, gaining 106 yards and a scoring a touchdown.
But in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins defense made the necessary stops.
The Cardinals gained 474 yards of total offense, but just 77 of those came in the fourth. For the game, Arizona piled up an average of 7.18 yards-per-play, but that figure shrank to just 5.13 yards-per-play in their final two drives. That number gets even smaller if you remove Murray’s 35-yard connection to Christian Kirk. Without that play, the Cardinals managed just 3.0 yards-per-play down the stretch.
The Dolphins prevented Arizona from converting any third down attempts in the fourth and stuffed a pivotal fourth-and-1 try to set up the game-winning drive.
The Dolphins entered this one thin at running back. Myles Gaskin landed on the IR earlier in the week and Matt Breida missed the game with a hamstring injury. Jordan Howard got the start for Miami but couldn’t muster much of an attack.
Howard gained just 19 yards on 10 carries (1.9 yards-per-carry), though he did score from two yards out late in the first. All told, Howard played just 21 of Miami’s 61 offensive plays.
Rookie Salvon Ahmed took the bulk of the snaps at the running back position (28 snaps, 46 percent). Ahmed gained 38 rushing yards in his NFL debut, the most by a Dolphins player in their debut since Jay Ajayi gained 41 yards on Nov. 8, 2015 at Buffalo.
Miami’s running game needs to improve moving forward. The Dolphins gained 91 yards on 25 carries in the win against the Cardinals, a 3.6 yards-per-carry average, which is just okay. But Miami needs to get that rushing total up over 100 yards-per-game to really maximize Tagovailoa’s effectiveness.
Next week, the Dolphins can add newly acquiredDeAndre Washington to the mix. Gaskin will be out at least another two weeks and it’s unclear if Breida will be ready to return against the LA Chargers.
Depth Concerns at WR
When Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson opted out of the season, some viewed it as an opportunity for other players to step up. Unfortunately, missing Hurns and Wilson only started the thinning of Miami’s receiving corps. Without rookie Lynn Bowden Jr. on Sunday, the Dolphins saw Preston Williams leave the game after his 9-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
Losing Williams pressed rookie Malcolm Perry in the lineup more than he’s ever been in his short career. Hollins also saw an uptick in snaps.
Grant played 48 percent of the offensive plays and caught four passes for 35 yards. Parker played 90 percent of snaps and led the team with six catches and 64 yards receiving. Even newly promoted rookie Kirk Merritt saw some time.
If Williams’ ankle injury keeps him out an extended period of time, the Dolphins receiving corps is in trouble. Although his skill-set mirrors Parker’s, Williams provides another reliable set of hands for Tagovailoa. Grant should see additional opportunities moving forward. Bowden, if he comes of Reserve/COVID-19 list, and Perry could, too.
Miami awaits the debut of Antonio Callaway, who’s currently assigned to the practice squad but who could see time next week.
Don’t Miss the Five Reasons Dolphins Postgame Show!
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/E806ABD2-C53D-4014-8606-B93813D1E110.jpeg9861752David Fernandezhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDavid Fernandez2020-11-09 12:23:082020-11-09 12:51:495 Takeaways from Dolphins Win Over Cardinals
That’s what Jimmy Butler had to say following a game six loss in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.
It doesn’t matter what the circumstance was this past season in the bubble, Jimmy truly believes that they will be back. And why wouldn’t he, after a team projected to be a second round exit battled in the NBA Finals.
The regular season and playoffs showed everybody who Jimmy Butler is, but the Finals showed who he can be if needed.
Conversations loomed all throughout the season if Jimmy was playing the correct way. It seemed as if his unselfishness at times hurt this Heat team, and many said he would need to step up and score more.
And well, that’s exactly what he did in this past NBA Finals, and I feel the Finals is the only place that he has to do that.
Even if Miami goes into this next season with the same exact team, he can take a bit of a step back. Tyler Herro could have a huge second season scoring the ball, especially since he’ll have an increased role in the offense, which I’ve predicted he will be the team’s leading scorer.
Bam Adebayo will also be looking to take a huge leap this next season, after his bubble play previewed a jump that is soon to come. If he looks to try and score a bit more, that takes some weight off of Jimmy as well.
If you learned anything from Jimmy’s game this season, it’s that he’s going to do exactly what Jimmy Butler does. He’s going to be the main play-maker, defender, and facilitator for this young team, since he knows that they’re the key to success throughout the season.
But when it’s time to turn it on, he will be ready for that as well.
This is what makes this off-season so intriguing for Miami, since they have a choice to improve the team by adding some talent, or just run it back with the talent they have.
Either way, Jimmy Butler will be sharing the floor with Bam and Tyler, which means he will automatically take a step back to let these guys flourish.
But when Bam and Tyler do begin to breakout this next season, just know it’s because of the unselfishness and winning mentality of Jimmy Butler.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/392DD9F9-F31B-47B6-B3D9-4BA42E4FCA18.jpeg10501400Brady Hawkhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgBrady Hawk2020-11-09 07:47:062020-11-09 07:47:06Jimmy Butler: Easier Role Due To Young Player Breakouts
Welcome back to another installment of Stock Up & Stock Down. In Week 9 of the NFL season against the Arizona Cardinals, we were able to pull of a game that went down to the last posession with a final score of 34-31. The defense had another fumble return for a TD, Tua was elite and Jason Sanders showed how clutch he is. With so much to dissect let’s dive right in:
Stock Up
Emmanuel Ogbah:
Every week it feels like we are here talking about Emmanuel Ogbah and I hope it never changes. Ogbah has been well worth the money and now I have to begin to wonder how long he can keep these kinds of performances up for. Ogbah has had at least 0.5 sack in every game besides the game against the Patriots. He already has totaled 6 sacks for the year which has him tied for 8th in the league. What’s great about Ogbah is how active he is in all aspects of the game whether it be rushing the passer, stopping the run and even deflecting passes, he has shown he has all the traits to lead a team in sacks and be dominant player in this league.
Preston Williams:
Preston Williams looked like he was slowly becoming Tua’s most trusted weapon on an afternoon where he finished second on the team with 4 catches for 60 yards with only DVP having more at 6 catches and 64 yards. The incredible part of that stat is that while DVP managed those stats in 60 minutes, Preston only played until he scored with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. With the way Tua began dealing after the second quarter I have 0 doubts that Preston would have been well on his way to a career day. Let’s hope the foot injury sustained by Christian Wilkins jumping on him to celebrate the TD is not as serious as it looked when we saw him get carted off without either cleat on.
Jason Sanders:
As we go deeper in the postseason chase, we are currently in we will begin to appreciate the difference it makes to have a kicker you have 0 concerns with. I will admit that with 3 minutes left I second guessed Coach Flores conservative decision to not go for it and instead settle for the field goal. I only questioned the choice because of Kyler and the offense still having ample enough time to come back the length of the field. Ultimately the results are what they are with Arizona kicker missing the game tying field goal and Jason Sanders showing that we will be able to rely on him when it counts most later on in the year.
Raekwon Davis:
Raekwon Davis continues to show why Coach Flores was this excited to draft him.
So let me just start this Raekwon Davis thread by saying that I fully endorse, understand and would have had the same reaction had I known what Coach Flores knew. pic.twitter.com/srbYcTaStR
Due to Raekwon position and what it calls for him to do you will rarely see him get the stats that a 4-3 DT like Aaron Donald can get but every week Raekwon has shown an ability to improve and to take coaching to help the overall unit perform better. While giving up 178 yards rushing is not ideal, you have to take for account that only a handful of teams have a player of Kyler caliber who can get 106 yards on 11 carries. Helping hold Chase Edmonds to 25 carries for 70 yards however is very impressive.
Tua Tagovailoa:
Hard as it may seem to say, Tua surpassed every expectation we had for him this afternoon. Once he got settled in, he was dealing in ways we are not accustomed to seeing in South Florida. Tua finished his afternoon 20/28 for 248 yards 2 passing TDs and 7 carries for 35 yards. He willed us to a victory on a day that had Kyler Murray show the MVP type of player he is turning into. It did not matter as Tua led us down the field to not only tie put us up 3 but also to kill the clock out and get the win once we got the ball back after the missed Arizona field goal. Tua even showed improvement during the game when he started off 1-5 for 5 yards against the blitz (5 or more rushers) and then ripping it apart in the second half for 6/8 65 yards and a TD. Ultimately Tua showed us all of his skills this afternoon, from throwing with touch, to evading the pass rush and even running the ball somewhat like Kyler (lol). In all seriousness, the sky is the limit for Tua, and I cannot wait to do a deep analysis on him this coming week.
As good as that start with the fumble return for a touchdown felt, it was short lived as that was the only success we had as a defense against them and specifically against Kyler. Kyler on the day accumulated a total of 283 yards passing with 3 TDs in the air and also sprinkling on top 11 carries for 106 yards and another TD. 389 yards total with 4 TDs is not a recipe that the Dolphins can repeat with other QBs and expect to come out on top as we did today.
Jordan Howard:
I will own up to my failed prediction of Jordan Howard having 75+ yards rushing and a 1 TD. While I was correct in calling the TD, I was horribly incorrect in everything else. Jordan had his longest gain for 8 yards (on the final drive!) which means he gained 11 yards on 9 carries. Truly an atrocious performance where even the rookie Salvon Ahmed was able to get 5 yards a carry on his 7 touches. There is little to no hope left to expect the light to come on for Jordan at this point. Depending on how much time Breida is forced to miss we should look into seeing what Ahmed is really about.
Coach Flores:
In another game that I expected Coach Flores to use as a statement game to show the league that this Defense and team are the real deal. While the team aspect of that thought came true the defense fell completely flat outside of the fumble return for a TD. All afternoon long it felt like the chess match of Kingsberry vs Flores was being won by the former. Kyler and company always seemed to be one step ahead of us. Even at the end when we went conservative and went for the field goal to break the 31-31 tie it felt like Flo was indecisive as he even burned a timeout to decide what to do. If not for the combined heroics of Tua Tagovailoa and Jason Sanders, I think we’re taking a closer look at the questionable decisions by Coach Flores and staff who to be fair were down 5 coaches due to Covid. Hell, we even had our Tight End coach serve as the QB coach, so I am not going to be as critical.
Overall this win becomes another steppingstone for not just Coach Flores or even Tua, these type of wins with the way our young QB was playing energize a team and a city that has been starved for this type of excitement. For what I hope will be the next decade, our Miami Dolphins will have a chance to win every game because of the decision we made on April 23rd, 2020 in drafting Tua Tagovailoa. Till next time guys, Fins Up!
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Tua118.png441690Juan Cardonahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgJuan Cardona2020-11-08 22:59:372020-11-09 12:06:32Stock Up & Stock Down Week 9
After Miami’s 44-41 win over NC State on Friday, the newest AP Poll saw the Canes jump 2 spots to #9 as Manny Diaz earned his first post-bye week since he first arrived in Coral Gables as defensive coordinator in 2016. The Canes benefitted from #8 Georgia losing to #5 Florida as well as Wisconsin dropping three spots from 10 to 13, even after their win over Illinois. This is Miami’s second appearance in the top 10 this season, making it as high as #7 before a loss to then-#1 Clemson.
The Canes will travel to Blacksburg this coming Saturday to take on Virginia Tech at noon on ESPN2.
In addition, after a very Heisman-esque performance from D’Eriq King, Miami’s QB earned the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week. Against the Wolfpack, King completed 31 of his 41 passes for 430 yards and 5 touchdowns while adding 105 yards on the ground.
According to Fifth Quarter Stats on Twitter, King is only the 3rd player since 2000 to throw for 400+ yards, 5 touchdowns, and run for 100+ yards. In addition, it is the third time that King has thrown for 300+ yards, 5 touchdowns, and ran for 100+ yards in his career.
It may have been King’s best performance since joining the team as a grad transfer earlier this year and it was very reminiscent of what he did during his historic 2018 season with Houston, when he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Stay tuned to @5ReasonsCanes and @PaulAustria_ on Twitter for the latest in Hurricanes news and catch us on The Sixth Ring show twice a week as well pre and post-game. Also sign up for an account on Prizepicks.com, where you can pick the over/under on fantasy projections. Enter the promo code “five” to double your initial deposit.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/STATEMIAMI08-110620-EDH-scaled.jpg15962560Paul Austriahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgPaul Austria2020-11-08 17:03:152020-11-08 17:03:15Canes move up to #9 in AP Poll while King earns national honors
It has been a long week post Tua’s first start, a lot of opinions and comments from the naysayers have come out and I believe this is the week that Tua puts an end to all of them. This week your Miami Dolphins are traveling to the West Coast to play the Arizona Cardinals lead by Kyler Murray. A rematch of the Orange Bowl where Tua and Kyler went head to head in college awaits us on this late 4 o’clock game. Without further ado, lets dive in.
Run Offense:
For Tua to have a chance in this game he will need the support of his running attack to give him space to be able to throw the ball. The problem with our already struggling running game, we will be without both Myles Gaskins (IR) or Matt Breida and will most likely be handing off the ball to Jordan Howard exclusively with maybe a sprinkle of Patrick Laird. Some may not like the sound of that but I for one, am ecstatic to see what Jordan Howard can do with 15+ carries. I expect a strong game from Jordan which will open up the play action game to allow Tua a better field to read.
Defense containing Kyler:
One thing that has caught me by surprise this past week was the love and respect shown by the national media of the Defense we have put on the field. With that notoriety comes people trying to check or knock how true it is. This week is no different with the juggernaut of an offensive team we are facing. Starting from Kyler to Hopkins, Fitzgerald and Kirk and add Chase Edmunds and we are facing our toughest challenge yet. It seems almost repetitive to say that if the Dolphins Defense holds up this week, we are cementing ourselves as a top 10 and potentially top 5 Defense.
Chan Gailey:
Contrary to popular belief Coach Chan Gailey has consistently put game scripts that have resulted in elite starts to the games. Last week we were unable to see what the full game plan was to start the game because of the second play of the drive Tua held the ball too long on a play he should have thrown it to Ford before he turns around to look for the ball or at least to Devante once you identify the number 1 option is not there and DVP became open. The only time I found myself questioning the play calls last week was on a drive where on first and second down he called wildcat plays which resulted in Tua coming back on the field for a 3rd and 12. This week though I expect a more balanced attack that will focus on getting the ball out quick on slants, curls and screens to get Tua comfortable enough to eventually take some deep shots to Preston and DVP.
The first play is the elephant in the room, which by the way was the only sack of the game. My biggest problem is that Tua could have thrown early and with anticipation to either Ford or even DVP on the far side. Not sure how much more open he wants them pic.twitter.com/HcNOUD1Dbv
Last week was Flores vs McVay and this week we get to see another offense guru take on our defensive master. This whole week the media spent countless hours going in depth over our use of Cover 0 which is no deep safety help, the CBs on islands, and more rushers than the offense can block. Coach Flores knows and is smart enough to understand that teams will begin to adjust to what he’s doing, and it will be upon him to continue the chess match and adjust to the adjustment. Matchups like this really get me excited because it is strength vs strength with the victor ultimately being the one that outsmarted the other be it through a trick play or even special teams play.
Tua Tagovailoa:
I think one of the most important relationships in Miami Dolphins football history is being built brick by brick. Earlier in the year I heard Coach Flores mentioned that he protects Tua almost as if he was his father. I have also seen Flores time and time again always look to make sure it was always Tua’s health first and anything else second. This week after some outlandish rumors of Tua having only 10 games to audition for the role of franchise QB because the Texans pick could land potentially high enough for Lawrence or Fields , I saw Coach Flores come out with a fierce and direct attack at those rumors that left me at a loss for words. I expect Tua to pay back the confidence that his coach is putting in him by having a more complete game. A lot of the things were jitters, nerves, lack of time with WRs and with another week of practice and preparation I see Tua potentially having his first multiple scoring TD day and leading us to a victory.
The first thread is going to be about the concerning things from the game against the Rams for Tua
This week will be another tough challenge that will show what this team is really made of. Coming off a week where eyes are starting to take notice the program being built down here, I hope to see another all-around team victory to get us to 5-3 and closer to a potential playoff spot. Till next time guys, Fins Up!
Since Goran Dragic is a free agent this off-season, it’s clear that Miami will make it a priority to bring him back.
For one, he’s coming off an incredible playoff run, where he averaged 22 points a game in the postseason. And while I don’t believe people were taking advantage of what he was doing at 34 years old, the injury definitely put it all in perspective.
It made it clear how much weight he takes off of Jimmy Butler every single night. Throughout the regular season, Goran was the guy they relied on when Jimmy came off the floor, and even times when he was on the floor.
He continually stepped up every single night when Miami was going through a tough stretch, which he’d hit some must needed shots to get them back in the game.
I think his impact and level of play is obvious, but the veteran leadership is what stands out even more with this resigning.
There is an obvious locker room connection with Goran, especially with Jimmy, since they’ve created a special relationship this past season. But more importantly, the way to elevate Tyler Herro’s game in his second year is by having Goran on the roster.
Tyler had to come off the bench this season with Goran, and they elevated the benches level of play, which was a major contribution to this team’s success. Not many people believed Herro would bring immediate impact to this team, but I think the Goran Dragic effect made him ready.
Herro isn’t the only guy that had his game elevated, since Bam Adebayo seemed to thrive when he was on the floor. Once Goran began to be comfortable with throwing the lob in the pick and roll, they developed a unique type of offense. And since Bam is such a great screen-setter, Goran had increased scoring opportunities, which was a major upgrade from the previous screen-setter he had.
It’s pretty clear what Goran Dragic brings to this Heat team, and I believe the Heat front office realizes that. They will take care of him, and ultimately I believe Goran will take care of them as well, when he tries to make another run at a title next season.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/95F9094C-DD80-4668-B072-3E4E865AD541.jpeg17152484Brady Hawkhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgBrady Hawk2020-11-07 13:09:462020-11-07 13:09:46The Return of Goran Dragic Holds High Importance
Breakdown: This fight will likely end up being the #1 contenders fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight belt. As of right now, Current LHW Champ Jan Blachowicz is looking like he will face Israel Adesanya. But if one of these fighters can make some real noise, ending the other one emphatically, they can bring the spotlight to themselves and try to get a shot at Jan. Thiago Santos is coming back off of a torn up knee in his valiant effort in a split decision loss to Jon Jones. Glover Texiera is coming in off of a comeback win against Anthony Smith where he dominated the latter rounds to score a win by TKO. Glover is an excellent technical fighter, he has good stand up, he able to take you down and he can submit you. But at he takes some time to start up, as where Santos comes out explosive at the start. With having advantages in all the striking stats, this one could end quick with the amount of power and explosiveness that he brings. He comes in guns blazing having 15 of his 21 wins come by KO/TKO many in the first and second round. Look for him to come out explosive with Texiera starting slow, and this one may end in spectacular fashion.
Co-Main Event: Andrei ‘Pitbull’ Arlovski vs. Tanner ‘The Bulldozer’ Boser
Pick: Tanner Boser
By: Decision
Breakdown: Looking to have his first 3 fight win streak in the UFC, Tanner ‘The Bulldozer’ Boser is also looking to make a name off the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei ‘Pitbull’ Arlovski. Tanner has won 3 of his 4 fights in the UFC and if he wins this one, he’s going to crack the top 20 and potentially secure a fight for a ranking. Andrei is coming in having gone 4-9 in his last 13 fights but he is still a great fighter at his age. The problem is that he’s going against someone that averages 1 extra strike per minute (Arlovski: 3.54 Boser:4.54) and who has defense is 5% better. Boser is finding his groove here in the UFC and facing someone like the 41 year old Arlovski who has 11 of his 19 of his losses come by KO/TKO. Look for Boser to come out and wear down the defense of Arlovski early and wear him down later in the fight. Arlovski is no wash with only having been only been KO/TKO’d twice over the last 4 years. The two guys to do it? Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, but who has not been knocked out by those guys? Boser will be able to land some strikes but the veteran sense of Arlovski keeps him alive long enough to see the judges.
Fight #3: Raoni Barcelos vs Khalid Taha
Pick: Raoni Barcelos
By: TKO
Round: 3rd Round
Breakdown: Raoni Barcelos is coming in on an 8 fight win streak and Khalid Taha is coming in off of a 13 month layoff. What we can look to this fight and see right off the top is that Taha might be coming in with some ring rust. He has a disadvantage in striking (2.64 vs 4.79 for Raoni in Landed per Minute) a lot of this comes in as ground and pound. For Barcelos, the easiest path to victory for him will be to continue to do what he has done which is winning 4 of his last 5 with a finish. With only a 64% takedown defense for Taha and 58% takedown accuracy for Raoni, it will only take 2 attempts to get him on the ground. With also having the ability to use that ground game as a weapon, opponents tend to worry about the takedown and forget about the hands. It is very possible that Taha gets caught, but it is more likely that Barcelos takes him down, gets into dominant position, and finishes him via ground and pound.
Fight #4: #15 Ian ‘The Hurricane’ Heinisch vs Brendan ‘All In’ Allen
Pick: Brendan Allen
By: Decision
Breakdown: Both of these guys are extremely well rounded and this is one of the tougher matches on the card. If you’re looking for a parlay, its recommended to stay away from this one. A backstory in this one is that both guys come in having held the LFA Middleweight championship in 2018 and 2019. Getting into the numbers, both guys are willing to take it to the ground. They both average north of a takedown a fight so as well as have a strike differential less than a strike per minute off of each other. This fight could come down where they go shot for shot and whoever is able to get the takedown first will get the win. Allen does have a knockdown and at least takedown in 2 of his 4 fights and is coming in on a 7 fight win streak, a being perfect 3-0 in the UFC. This is an eliminator for the 15th rank in the Middleweight division and if Allen can dominate this fight he can see himself knocking in the Middleweight top 10.
Fight #5: #4 Claudia ‘Claudinha’ Gadelha vs. #8 Xiaonan ‘Fury’ Yan
Pick: Xiaonan Yan
By: Decision
Breakdown: Xiaonan is looking to break into the top 5 with a win over Claudia Gadelha. She comes in having all advantages in all the striking stats while still showing the ability defend and even shoot for the takedown. Gadelha is much more ground game focused and if Yan is able to keep it on the feet, this fight easily goes to Yan. She is coming in on a 5 fight win streak and is looking for more. This fight is unlikely to end in a finish due to the nature of the fighters. It is more likely we will see a round of Claudia able to take Yan down and try to control her, and 2 rounds of Yan boxing Claudias face in. 29-28 Yan.
The Miami Dolphins (4-3) head west to face the Arizona Cardinals (5-2) on Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins arrive after a 28-17 win where the defense dominated the LA Rams. This alleviated the pressure on first-time start Tua Tagovailoa. But that pressure returns in his first career road start against a similarly talented young quarterback in Kyler Murray.
The last time Tagovailoa and Murray squared off, they put on a show at the 2018 Orange Bowl. The two complied 735 yards in that one. It’s unlikely fans will see that type of performance on Sunday, considering the solid defenses in this one.
So here’s a look at five keys to Week 9’s Dolphins-Cardinals matchup.
Dolphins-Cardinals: Get the Offense Going
In three of Miami’s four wins this season, the offense got on the board first. The Dolphins managed to build early leads against Jacksonville, San Francisco and New York. Although the Rams put points on the board early last week, Miami thundered back with 28 straight in the first half.
What’s clear is, if the Dolphins offense can get going early, they win. The problem recently has been a struggling offense. In the second half against the Jets, Miami managed just 102 net yards on just 4.0 yards-per-play.
Against the Rams, those struggles continued. the Dolphins gained 145 yards on 48 offensive plays, good for just 3.0 yards-per-play. Facing an explosive Cardinals team, Miami will have to put up points.
Miami needs to win time-of-possession and string together extended drives. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey called a conservative game last week, especially after the early lead, but he might need to open it up against Arizona. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, needs to develop chemistry with his receivers.
Fans look forward to seeing if Tagovailoa can build on his statistically underwhelming debut. Tagovailoa went 12-of-22 for 93 yards and a touchdown. He lost a fumble but was victimized by at least three drops.
Contain Kyler Murray
The challenge of containing Kyler Murray stands as Miami’s top priority against the Cardinals. Murray quarterbacks a potent offense that scores 29.0 points-per-game (eighth) and piles up 419.1 yards-per-game (first in total offense).
Murray’s ability to run could be Miami’s most difficult task. Murray leads all quarterbacks with 437 rushing yards. He gains 6.7 yards-per-carry and averages 62.4 yards-per-game. He’s scored seven rushing touchdowns and remains a real threat in the red zone.
This season, the Dolphins have struggled against mobile quarterbacks. Losses to Cam Newton, Josh Allen and Russell Wilson can be traced to an inability to contain those QBs, particularly when they extended plays with their feet.
The Dolphins will need to shut down Arizona’s rushing game beyond just Murray. Their 160.7 rushing yards-per-game is second in the league. Although they’re likely to be without former Dolphin Kenyan Drake, Chase Edmonds remains a shifty, talented back. Edmonds averages 6.1 yards-per-carry and Arizona’s attack overall nets 5.2 yards-per-carry (second-most).
Miami’s run defense allows 125.1 yards-per-game and 4.9 yards-per-carry, both 21st in the NFL.
Dolphins-Cardinals: Run the Ball
If Miami is going to win this game against the Cardinals, they’ll need some semblance of a running game. What hurts the Dolphins in that regard is they’ll be without starting running back Myles Gaskin, who has been placed on the IR.
Finding a consistent rushing attack continues to confound the Dolphins. In 2019, Miami had the worst ground game in the league (72.3 yards-per-game). This season, the Dolphins aren’t much better. Miami runners gain an average of 98.0 yards-per-game (fifth-worst) and average just 3.6 yards-per-carry (second-worst).
The Cardinals, though, feature a rush defense that can be run on. They allow 131.1 yards-per-game (eighth-most). A consistent ground game could alleviate pressure on Tagovailoa.
Without Gaskin, Miami probably turns to Jordan Howard, who hasn’t been active since Week 4. Howard stands as the most experienced option. Other options include former practice squad talent Salvon Ahmed, and perhaps Brieda and Laird, if they’re healthy.
Win Strength v Strength
Miami’s three-game winning streak comes thanks in large part to dominant defensive play. Since Week 5, the Dolphins defense ranks top-3 in points allowed, sacks, takeaways and third-down conversion rate. The Dolphins are tops in the NFL in scoring defense (18.6 pints-per-game) and Xavien Howard leads the league with four interceptions.
The defense pins opponents to obvious passing situations, pressures the quarterback and gets off the field. Over the last three games, opposing QBs are 0-for-14 when throwing the ball 20-or-more yards in the air. But the Dolphins D will have its hands full with Murray and the Cardinals.
DeAndre Hopkins might be the best receiver in the NFL these days. He’s snagged 57 catches for 704 yards and three touchdowns and hogs targets from Murray. Hopkins has 73 targets this season and has caught 78.1 percent of them. The next closest receiver is Larry Fitzgerald, with 37 targets.
The Dolphins feature one of the best cornerback tandems in the league with Howard and Byron Jones. In four games with those two on the field, the defense allows just 13.8 points-per-game and 5.5 yards-per-pass.
Hopkins torched Howard the last time the two faced off (back in 2018). Hopkins caught six of seven targets for 82 yards and two touchdowns while with the Houston Texans. This week, Howard could look for redemption, or the team could slot Jones in front of Hopkins. Howard could face Christian Kirk (who’s averaging 15.4 yards-per-catch and has five receiving touchdowns).
Although normally a tight end eraser, Eric Rowe could matchup with Fitzgerald, who’s largely been used like a tight end by the Cardinals this season.
Dolphins-Cardinals: Protect Tua
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Although the Cardinals will be without Chandler Jones, Miami’s offensive line will still need to keep their quarterback upright. Arizona sends an extra rusher 38.6 percent of the time, which is the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. The Cardinals’ 19 sacks are 10th-most in the league. They’re also top-10 in knockdown percentage (8.9) and pressure rate (23.5).
Against the Rams, Tagovailoa faced only five blitzes, according to Pro Football Focus. His touchdown pass came against a blitz. For the Cardinals, Haason Reddick leads the team with five sacks and 20 quarterback pressures.
Miami’s offensive line could see the return of Austin Jackson from the IR. In his absence, fellow rookie Robert Hunt has played well at right tackle and Jesse Davis has played well at left tackle. Jackson may not play or could be used as a sixth linemen in some formations.
Give Tagovailoa time and the Dolphins may put up points. The Cardinals allow 20.9 points-per-game (ninth) but 378.4 yards-per-game (22nd). The passing defense cedes 247.3 yards-per-game (18th) and 63.1 percent completions.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/C699C64D-89EB-448D-8D1A-9BB0F192ED42.jpeg15042048David Fernandezhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDavid Fernandez2020-11-06 17:02:092020-11-06 18:09:255 Keys to the Dolphins vs Cardinals in Week 9
The Duncan Robinson and Klay Thompson comparisons have been looming following a historical season from Duncan shooting the basketball.
Even though this was Duncan’s second year in the league, I consider it his rookie season since he didn’t get playing time in year one.
Duncan averaged 14 points a game this past season, while Klay Thompson averaged 13 points a game in his rookie season. Although shooting the ball is both of their best attributes, they each have a more important skill.
Klay Thompson has the ability to lock up basically anybody he gets matched up with, while Duncan’s strength is that his impact on offense comes without even touching the ball. The gravity that he holds by running around trying to get open is truly second to none.
Although an ideal addition to Duncan’s game would be Klay Thompson-like defense, that’s not where I am going with this. Instead, I believe Duncan will need to try and step inside the three point line at times.
He began to utilize this more in the bubble when he was getting blanketed, which led to many open layups. But the mid-range game is what Duncan Robinson should focus on when watching film on Klay Thompson.
Klay is one of the best at using one dribble to step inside the three to get a better shot. The reason is that once a defender is worried about that part of your game, the three point shooting gets opened up even more.
In Klay Thompson’s rookie year, he was attempting 7 two pointers a game, which is now up to 10 a game. Duncan Robinson, on the other hand, didn’t even attempt 1 two pointer a game in the regular season.
Erik Spoelstra and Jimmy Butler have constantly mentioned that they want Duncan shooting the ball as much as possible, so it’s obvious they won’t mind him shooting some more mid-range jumpers.
And it definitely isn’t a hard thing to master. As mentioned with Klay, all he needs to do is master the pump-fake into a one dribble pull up. That one move opens up Duncan Robinson’s whole entire game, which is why I’m positive that it’ll be added to his game next season.
Klay Thompson definitely isn’t a bad player to model Duncan’s game around, since they already share similar games. And surprisingly, there have been many records that Duncan has passed Klay in already.
In five NBA finals appearances for Klay Thompson, he’s only hit seven threes in a game one time.
And in Duncan Robinson’s first finals appearance, he hit seven threes in a crucial game five performance.
Duncan clearly has a chance to be the best shooter in the NBA, but it’ll be harder since Klay will be returning. But if he utilizes the mid-range jumper a bit more, I believe he can put a stamp on that title.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/637B3A2D-E7EC-4074-9B6E-3C680F1DB3FC.jpeg6831024Brady Hawkhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgBrady Hawk2020-11-06 14:09:062020-11-06 15:05:44Duncan Robinson: A Klay Thompson Attribute That Is Necessary
