#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions #2

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Honestly, if we’re talking about realistic possibilities, I would like to see a Jae Crowder re-signing more than anything. Obviously there is hope that Miami can throw him a big one year deal and try to get someone else, but in my opinion that should be priority.

We can discuss possible fits next to Bam Adebayo, mostly since there is a need for a rebounding big, but Jae had a pretty great run at the 4 next to Bam in the Bubble. If you take a look back, he had an amazing stretch shooting the ball, which was not something expected when Miami brought him here originally. He had some cold stretches towards the end of the run, but he kept that hot streak going longer than many expected.

His defensive presence was also known upon arrival, but he was given a much bigger defensive role throughout the playoffs. He had to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo for most of the Milwaukee series, and held his own against Jayson Tatum. And when he was asked to guard opposing bigs on the Lakers, he did that as well.

Miami could really use Jae Crowder next season, and it’s a pretty realistic signing.

You mentioned it right there, Serge Ibaka is the most ideal signing. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t think there’s a better player to put next to Bam than Serge Ibaka. He’s everything you’d want, since he can rebound, protect the rim, and space the floor.

And when I say space the floor, I don’t just mean that he can shoot the three ball, which he can. I really mean that he has a great feel for the game, that he knows where to position himself offensively to find dead spots. It helps that he played with a dynamic Toronto Raptors team, so he had to get out of others way. He likes to position himself on the baseline right outside of the paint, since he can be a disruption on the glass. This would allow Bam to work in his favorite spots, mostly at the free throw line extended.

He also brings another element to their offense, which is a solid post-up game. Bam and Ibaka have such opposite playing styles, that I truly believe that big-man duo would work perfectly.

If Miami has a chance to grab Serge Ibaka, they will jump at it as fast as possible.

Well, I don’t know about significant, but I do believe that KZ Okpala could find himself a solid bench role.

Duncan Robinson bounced back and forth from the G-League to the Heat team all of his rookie year, much like KZ has. And look where he is now. This gave Duncan an entire season and off-season to be fully ready to make an immediate impact.

It seems like that’s the way they’re heading with KZ Okpala, especially since there’s a good chance Derrick Jones Jr won’t be in Miami next season. They are hoping he can take the role of DJJ, just younger and cheaper.

He showed during the season that he is an energetic defensive guy, and many believe his offensive package is evolving more and more.

Once again, I don’t know about significant impact, but I do believe he has a role next season off of Miami’s bench.

Could Miami Overload Shooting with A Joe Harris Pick-Up?

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Do you know what’s better than one Duncan Robinson?

Two of them.

There was a report about two weeks ago that said the Miami Heat might be interested in Joe Harris.

But is that what Miami needs right now?

Obviously you can never have too many shooters, which is why the Joe Harris fit isn’t an issue. The problem is you’d be using around $15 Million for a one year deal on a position that is not a necessity. Miami clearly needs a big to help out Bam Adebayo, but what if they could pull off both?

Once again, if any team could do it, it would probably be the Miami Heat. If Miami could buy into more of a back-up big type player such as Tristan Thompson, or even a possible DeMarcus Cousins signing, it’s possible they could pull it off.

To take a bit of a deeper dive into the exact fit, I believe he would most likely used as a sixth man. The toll that would take on opposing defenses would definitely be interesting, since they’d have to chase Duncan Robinson around for a whole quarter, and have the same exact type of player sub in with fresh legs.

He’s another shooter that never stops moving, and needs to have a body on him at all times. But what would him and Duncan look like on the floor together?

Due to the play-making abilities of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, this would make these two guys even more deadly on the floor together. Bam’s dribble hand-offs with Duncan have proved to be pretty close to unstoppable this season, so just imagine the sets they can run with all three of them.

Once again, I don’t believe this is a route they will end up going, since there are two other needs in this current roster. But since they’ve showed interest, it’s not impossible.

One year deals will be the only thing on Miami’s mind once free agency opens up, so if some guys on their radar begin to sign elsewhere, they could go this route to try and make their offense even more dynamic.

Top 5 Takeaways from Khabib Gaethje Press Conference

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“I know he knows how to wrestle but what about wrestling for 25 minutes … if I try take him down once and his defense is good, I’m going to go all night. This is the biggest difference between us” – Khabib Nurmagomedov when asked difference between his wrestling vs traditional D1 American wrestling

 

Khabib’s wrestling isn’t like any other person we’ve seen before. His ability to control his weight and continue to pressure without giving up is something that has been unstoppable. It will be up to Justin to be able to scramble and keep this fight standing to give him a shot at winning. 

 

 

“This fight is tracking to be the biggest fight we’ve ever done” – Dana White when asked how the fight is tracking

 

It is clear that this fight offers something different as far as the level of threat that Justin will be to Khabib. Khabib is a massive star and is growing bigger and bigger globally and Justin with his win over Ferguson has put himself over the top as one of the top names in MMA. 

“He hasn’t wrestled with someone that’s grappled as long as he has and that’s me, I have” – Justin Gaethje on what makes him different from the fighters Khabib have faced 

 

It’s going to be interesting to see if that wrestling background will serve him. If he is able to keep this fight standing then Khabib will be the one in trouble with the amount of power the Justin has. His knockout power and his wrestling background makes him a completely different threat when compared to everyone else. 

 

“I think him and Conor (McGregor) are the two most dangerous guys in the first round, if you talk about second round, third round, they become regular fighters” – Khabib on Justin and what he does for his legacy”

 

The striking game of Justin will be on full display this weekend and it will be exciting to see if his punchers chance will pull through early for him

 

“I’d say zero but they say one” – Justin Gaethje on how many rounds he thinks Khabib has lost 

 

It’s clear that the respect is there on both sides of the fight. Even later in the press conference, Gaethje didn’t want the belt on him during the photo sessions because he said he’s still waiting for the real one. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo for all your MMA takes

 

#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions

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This is something new that I will be doing for the Five Reasons Sports Network. This allows us to continue to be more interactive, and answer any questions you may have about the Miami Heat. Your questions are also heard every Thursday night on FloorsYours on the Five Reasons Sports Youtube Channel.

Anyway, here’s today’s questions….

This question definitely seems to vary based on who is answering, but in my opinion yes he is.

Tyler Herro has seemed to be in trade talks all season by Heat fans, but it seems that he’s above most of those deals now. Most of the guys that have been discussed do not display a clear separation between the 20 year old Tyler Herro. Bradley Beal is one that seems to entice Heat fans the most, since he does have clear separation, but is it really worth it?

And once again, my answer is no. Why trade away a key player like Tyler Herro for an all-star, with the highly anticipated 2021 free agency approaching. It seems as if Miami has a real shot at one of the best players in the NBA, in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and can keep their young centerpieces.

In my opinion, this is a no brainer. Tyler Herro is untouchable.

I absolutely agree. I discussed Christian Wood in an earlier piece, since I truly think he’s the perfect fit next to Bam Adebayo.

For starters, many believe that since he’s an evolving young player, he will be searching for a 3 year deal instead of a 1 year deal, but I’m not exactly sure that’s the case. He seems to be pretty adamant that he wants to win, which ultimately raises young player’s stock. Guys like Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns don’t get as much recognition as they should, since ultimately they never have the ability to play on the big stage. A guy like Paschal Siakam had a great championship run with Toronto and ultimately proved his worth. That’s just the way it goes.

But to the actual fit itself, I think Bam and Wood could not only be a great front-court for the future, but also for this upcoming season. Christian Wood proved this season that he has a respectable three ball, and can be an absolute havoc around the rim due to his length. His motor actually seems a lot like that of Bam’s, which is why it’d be so interesting to see this big man duo.

Christian Wood to Miami seems like a pretty ideal fit for both parties.

Many may disagree, but I really don’t think I would. Obviously James Harden’s abilities to score the basketball are second to none, but is that what this team needs right now? This team just turned the corner on a new era for Miami Heat basketball, which has fully represented culture and team chemistry. They have a group of guys who truthfully enjoy playing and being around one another, and they got to the NBA Finals doing just that.

I’m not saying that a big three of James Harden, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo would not make some major noise, but they’ve gotten this far building this team exactly how they wanted, so why take a chance and revert back.

Tyler Herro seemed more comfortable in the post-season at 20 years old, than James Harden did in year 11.

And once again, they can keep both Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, and grab an even better player in 2021 free agency. That seems to be the route they’re leaning towards. And if they don’t land Giannis, then you think about making the huge move.

What Would A Miami Heat Aron Baynes Signing Look Like?

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There’s been some discussion about the possibility of Aron Baynes joining this Heat team. He had a career year this past season with the Suns, and has seemed to make it clear that he will be moving on this off-season. But how would he fit?

For starters, one of the biggest things to note with Aron Baynes game is that he has evolved into a knock down shooter. He went from attempting 1 three a game to 4 threes a game, and was a 35% three point shooter.

Going from 5.6 points per game to 11.5 points per game is also impressive in itself. And his three ball wasn’t the only reason for that, since he began to get more and more comfortable around the rim. Which offensively, are the two things Miami is looking for when adding another big.

But the most intriguing part of this signing would be Aron’s defensive abilities. He is 6’10 and 260 pounds, and has such impressive mobility. It seemed as if he made huge leaps this season defensively with Phoenix, since he took them from 29th in the league in defensive efficiency, to top 15 throughout the season. Especially since he took over the starting center role with Deandre Ayton on suspension.

The Meyers Leonard and Bam Adebayo starting front-court this season had great success. And this Aron signing makes me think of that same duo if Meyers had high tier defensive abilities and mobility.

I honestly feel that this signing makes a lot of sense for both parties, and will begin to be talked about more and more as we approach free agency.

And by the way, Aron Baynes seems to love the city of Miami…

Can DeMarcus Cousins Have His Comeback Season in Miami?

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DeMarcus Cousins to Miami. That’s interesting on many levels.

Obviously Cousins didn’t get to play all of last season after he tore his ACL back in August. And before that, he had torn his Achilles in 2018 and suffered a torn quadricep in the playoffs. It’s pretty clear, he’s had a rough time over this long stretch.

When he returned from the Achilles injury, he shot 27% from three through 30 games to finish off the season.

It’s clear that people can sit here and guess what his injuries could limit him to, but ultimately he is still DeMarcus Cousins.

He’s a tough player who has an incredible offensive package for his size. He can hurt you from beyond the arc, but also has the ability to put the ball on the deck and take it up strong. With these offensive attributes, it seems as if he’d be the perfect Bam Adebayo complement, if healthy.

DeMarcus also isn’t afraid to get on the block and back opposing bigs down, which will give Bam plenty of space to continue to run the offense. And with Cousins’ passing skills out of the post, it’d make an intriguing big man duo.

He definitely isn’t the defensive big they may hope for, but that may not be a worry in the Heat’s eyes if they’re getting a healthy DeMarcus Cousins.

If Miami was to acquire him, I believe they would work him in off of the bench, unless he begins to show some flashbacks.

And by the way, there’s not many teams that DeMarcus would totally buy into a bench role, but I can tell you Miami is one of them.

Obviously it’s clear about the organizational structure, but what stands out more is his friendship and respect for Jimmy Butler. First of all, Miami has a selling point with Jimmy alone, but since Jimmy always seems to speak so highly of Cousins, I believe he could fit the Heat culture well.

And many always talk about DeMarcus Cousins being a locker room issue, but that’s what Jimmy Butler was considered upon arrival. If Miami was to make this move, you must trust that they know this guy’s character.

Once again though, this all falls on his health. He’s had two major injuries in the past two years, which ultimately can hurt a guy’s mobility at that size.

If Miami does believe that he can be impactful on this current Heat team, it’ll make for an interesting 2021 season.

Tristan Thompson Could Get A Look From Miami, As a Last Resort

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There are so many intriguing power forwards and centers in this current free agency, that a guy like Tristan Thompson may not get discussed. But it’s definitely a possibility.

If Miami can’t find that starting stretch four to put next to Bam, such as a Danilo Gallinari, they may go the route of searching for a back-up big.

Tristan Thompson would be the type of back-up big you’d look for, since he’s such a great rebounder, which was what Miami’s issues were this season.

He’s also a guy that knows how to play his own role, which is what the Heat did so well this season since everybody on the roster bought in. His consistency is also one of his best attributes, since you know what you will get from him every single night.

Obviously he won’t do close to the amount of things that these other free agents would bring. He has offensive limitations and he’s not the best defensive big, but he can grab you some offensive rebounds and protect the rim a bit.

This definitely would only happen in a situation where Miami has no other option, but it’s still very possible.

Tristan could still possibly return to the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, but it would be surprising since they brought in Andre Drummond this past season.

Many people believe he will be looking to jump onto a contending roster, which is exactly what Miami is right now.

He also would bring a bit of toughness and grit that Miami likes, but once again this would likely be a last resort pick-up.

Miami was interested in Tristan Thompson back in February when there were talks of him being bought out, so we will see if that interest still stands.

Who Else is on the Miami Heat’s Draft Radar?

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The Miami Heat have the 20th pick in this year’s NBA draft, but there’s a very good chance that this pick won’t be in their possession for long, due to possible trades.

I’ve mentioned before that if they do elect to keep the pick, they will go after a defensive guard or a true big, which I believe would be Tyrese Maxey or Vernon Carey Jr.

But who else could they take a look at?

Greg Sylvander reported yesterday that he has heard the Miami Heat are intrigued by Malachi Flynn from San Diego State.

This makes some sense for a couple reasons.

For one, he has the ability to be the defensive guard they’re looking for. And he also has a polished offensive game. He’s a good shooter, and many rave about his pick and roll abilities.

But what really makes him stand out as a Miami Heat type player is that he has continued to fly under the radar. And it’s pretty clear, that Miami tends to lean towards those types of players.

And by the way, some people have mentioned his downfall is his “short arms,” which is pretty similar to their draft pick last year, in Tyler Herro.

Another name that came up yesterday was Jalen Smith out of Maryland, since it was reported that Miami requested a zoom meeting with him. He’s a 6’10 power forward with a 7’2 wingspan who has an incredible three ball.

This definitely entices Heat fans, since he seems as the perfect fit next to Bam Adebayo. He can score just about everywhere on the floor as well, and is a very active player around the rim, which leads to many put-backs.

And that’s basically what Miami is looking for in a big. It just comes down to their free agency decision. There’s a plethora of bigs available this off-season, which could change Miami’s entire draft board.

Another player that I believe Miami may have their eyes on if he falls in this draft is Theo Maledon.

He’s an interesting fit for Miami, since he was a solid guard defender this past season, while doing it Internationally for France. He’s a very good play-maker as well, since he has a great feel and vision for the game.

His only issue is that he’s not the best shooter, but is that a big deal for this current Heat team?

Obviously you want as much shooting on your roster as possible, but this could form a back-court for the future.

Tyler Herro’s outstanding scoring abilities were on display in his rookie season, which means that these two could possibly be an intriguing fit.

Theo taking the hardest defensive assignments, while being the point guard play-maker on offense. And Tyler utilizing his impressive offensive package. He just seems to be the type of guy that Miami would love to develop.

As mentioned previously as well, there’s a good chance they don’t keep this pick, but if they do, they have plenty of options.

Emmanuel Ogbah

Emmanuel Ogbah channeling the power of #91 for Miami Dolphins

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When the Miami Dolphins started handing out numbers for their offseason additions, many fans were skeptical about handing #91 to a former second round pick who never lived up to the draft day hype. After all, that number, in the hearts of Dolphins fans, belongs to the one and only Cameron Wake. Wake’s ability to rush the passer for Miami was unmatched. To give it to someone like Emmanuel Ogbah didn’t feel right. But as the season drags on, Ogbah appears to be channeling the magic once used by Wake.

In just six games, Ogbah is close to matching his career high in sacks for a season. His fifth sack of the year came on 3rd and 4 in the 4th quarter against the New York Jets. Notorious Dolphins killer Joe Flacco, who up until last Sunday was undefeated against Miami with a 7-0 record, snapped the football and found himself running for his life as safety Eric Rowe came on a blitz. Flacco managed to spin away, only to come face to face with a charging Ogbah. There was no escape for the former Ravens starter, and Emmanuel Ogbah dragged him down for a massive 28-yard loss, knocking the Jets out of field goal range and ultimately preserving the shutout.

“I know a couple of plays before I know I had missed him on one.” Ogbah said after the game. “I just knew he wasn’t going to get away from me this time, and I knew Eric Rowe pulled him up and he came back around, and I just saw him clear as day so I just took my shot.”

And the rest of the players on defense were very happy that Ogbah took that shot. The Jets were driving down the field, the Dolphins were running out of gas, and he came up big just when the team needed him most, just like the former wearer of #91.

“We were excited we made the play, we were a little mad it was Ogbah because normally we don’t like him like that.” DT Christian Wilkins joked. “We just kind of deal with him on the team. You know, no, that was definitely a big play. We were real hype about that. Ogbah has been working his butt off all year, making plays for us on defense, so it was good to see when he can make plays like that, and we were all dead tired, too, at that point, so it was nice to get a little bit of a rest on that one.”

Of Ogbah’s five total sacks this season, four of them have come in the last three weeks. His predecessor wearing that number had streaks like that. However, one thing that Ogbah can do that Wake didn’t do very well is set the edge. Per ProFootballFocus, Ogbah was excellent against the run against the Jets, earning an 82.3 grade in run defense. Naturally, when looking at PFF, those numbers must be taken with a grain of salt. But there is one stat that can’t be ignored. On top of leading the team in sacks and QB hits (10), Ogbah is also tied for first in tackles for a loss with linebacker Elandon Roberts.

This surge of production seemingly came out of nowhere. Miami’s pass rush was abysmal in the first few weeks of the season. However, now the defense seems to have figured everything out. They are now tied for third place in the NFL in points per game allowed. Their third-down defense is the absolute best in the league.

“The first game we have to get used to working together, so I think it took us a little time.” Ogbah said. “But I think we’re on the right path now. We just got to keep it going, keep building.”

That steady improvement has been the key to Miami’s success so far. When the season started, in week one the defense gave up over 200 yards rushing to Cam Newton and the New England Patriots. In week two, they dared the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen to throw the ball instead. They ended up surrendering over 400 yards passing as a result. The new additions to the team, Ogbah included, appeared to have no impact. All that has changed in the recent weeks. Miami’s defense is coming on strong. The pass rush is igniting, and Ogbah is the spark firing them up.

“These guys like playing together, so when other guys make plays, whether it’s offense, defense, special teams, you see a lot of excitement, a lot of energy.” Head coach Brian Flores said. “Guys were excited for Ogbah to make a play. Guys were excited about the situation, of getting a stop and getting them out of field goal range, and they were excited about the potential to get a shutout. That’s what I like to see, guys enjoying kind of the process of working through the week, prep and preparing, walk throughs, meeting, practice, and then going out and executing on a Sunday afternoon.”

It should be noted that Miami hasn’t shutout an opponent since 2014. Cameron Wake recorded a sack in that game against the San Diego Chargers. Now Ogbah is making a similar impact as the Dolphins strive towards greatness once again.

Some superstitions persist due to emerging patterns. The curse of the Indian burial ground under Hard Rock Stadium is one. Many fans consider #19 to be cursed since the drafting of Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007. Jakeem Grant is doing his best to break that curse. But, perhaps, there are gifts attached to numbers as well. Emmanuel Ogbah doesn’t have the same pass-rushing prowess as Cameron Wake, but his production is just as impressive so far. In the end, it’s production that matters. Even the production that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.

“I think Ogbah has done a good job.” Flores said on Monday. “He’s played multiple positions, he’s smart, he’s tough. I think for a lot of people, the sacks are the big stat for a lot of people but I think he’s doing a good job in the run game, setting the edge, tackling. When he has to deal with a double-team block, he deals with it and has no problem taking on a double and freeing up another guy. Those are the plays that aren’t flash plays, but they are important plays for any team.”

Will Emmanuel Ogbah replace Cameron Wake in the hearts of Dolphins fans? No, he won’t. #91 will always belong to Cameron Wake when all is said and done. Ogbah came in and signed a 2-year, $15 million dollar contract with Miami to try and revive his career. If he can even come close to living up to Wake’s legacy, Ogbah should have a long, productive career as a member of the Dolphins. Remember, he’s only 26 years old. There’s still plenty of football ahead of him, as long as he can keep channeling that same Wake magic.

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

Dolphins Stock Up, Stock Down vs Jets

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Stock Up & Stock Down

 

Welcome back guys to another installment of Stock Up Stock Down. In Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season your Miami Dolphins took care of business for the first home victory of the year against an inferior opponent in the New York Jets. For the first time since 2014 our Miami Dolphins pitched a shutout and ultimately came out on top 24-0 heading into a bye next week. With so much to dissect let’s dive right in:

 

 

Stock Up

Myles Gaskin:

I really went at Gaskin last week because of his lack of game changing plays and only being able to get the 2 or 3 yards that the offensive line got for him. A week of having a potential replacement in Le’Veon Bell come in must have been what Myles needed to get some extra pep in his step. All afternoon long he churned out tough yards by driving his shoulder and gaining extra yards to the tune of 5.05 yards per carry. In total his 126 yards from scrimmage became the first Miami Dolphins RB to pass 120 yards from scrimmage since Kalen Ballage did it in December of 2018.

Eric Rowe:

After spending some time on my twitter this week analyzing Eric, I think I may need to spend some additional time this week on him because he was literally everywhere on Sunday. Totaling 9 tackles, 7 solo, and 1 PD for good measure as well. A week after shutting Kittle down and after a game like this his confidence, and rightfully so, is through the roof. Eric can cover in man or zone; he can play in the box and stop the run. Game after game Eric shows us that not only does he belong as a starting SS in the NFL but that he also belongs in the conversation as top 10 SS in the game.

Defensive Line:

The return on investment on the defensive of line has been a slow and steady one that in recent weeks has really begun to turn the corner. This was one of Christian Wilkins best games of his young career finishing with 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, and 1 PD! A busy afternoon for 94 before you stop to consider how he runs into the field each time the offense scores a TD or when he jumps over teammates:

Another investment that’s paying off is Emmanuel Ogbah. Slowly without even realizing Ogbah is leading us in sacks with 5 which is significant because Taco Charlton lead us last year with 5 sacks total all year whereas it only took Emmanuel 6 weeks. Another key stat on Ogbah:

Xavien Howard:

I hope people realize that this is the Xavien Howard the Miami Dolphins made the highest paid CB in the game 2 off seasons ago (perfect timing as other higher priced contracts came and have left this one looking pretty team friendly). After a slow start to the year that included a disaster of a performance against the Buffalo Bills, where every pass that went his way was completed, Xavien has recorded an int in every game since. He now has a total of 4 interceptions on the year which is tied for the league lead. Every year Xavien has shown us what a true shut down and ball hawk corner he can be when healthy, let’s hope his health continues the way it has this year.

Tua Tagovailoa:

I truly struggled to contain my excitement in waiting to write about how we finally got to see Tua Tagovailoa touch an NFL field. In a moment that truly felt like one of those moments that everyone remembers exactly where they were when it happened. With 2:27 left in the 4thquarter and the score 24-0, Coach Flores finally made the decision to let us see the kid play and he did not disappoint. Some may question what a QB could do to really impress in that situation and moment in the game. Let me explain that while the Dolphins were indeed up 24 points against the lowly jets, heading into the final drive we were an abysmal 0/8 on third downs for the day. First play a gorgeous looking handoff (lol) to Breida for 1 yard. 2nd down Gailey played to Tua’s strength and rolled him out to his left where he hit Patrick Laird for his first completion in the NFL for 2 yards leading to a 3rd and 7. Tua from shotgun took a 3 step drop, saw where the blitz was coming from, knew that he had to look the safety off to give Jakeem the wide open area needed to get the first down. I am foaming at the mouth to get my eyes on the All-22 and see what happened over and over and over.

Stock Down

Jordan Howard:

On top of the fact that Myles actually found some success, a second week in a row does not bode well for Jordan’s long-term outlook here. Unfortunately, because Jordan does nothing on special teams and Myles being given work horse duties, Breida is the obvious choice because of his special team history. Injuries aside I do not see how Howard eventually earns himself some playing time.

Matt Breida:

2 weeks of a clear number 2 RB duties and Breida has failed to make little to no impact. 15 carries for 43 yards comes to 2.8 yards rushing per attempt which is dreadful without needing analysis. This week we had Le’Veon Bell as a headline for possibly coming to Miami and really could have been an excellent acquisition if able to pull off but unfortunately it did not so we will have to do with what we got unless Grier and the Front Office decide to make a move over the Bye Week and before the trade deadline.

Andrew Van Ginkel:

Last week was given a clear shot as a replacement for Shaq Lawson and thrived in that role. With Shaq back this week and KVN out, Flores decided to try to put AVG in KVN spot to start the game which lead to some terrible penalties and overall sloppy play. This lead to a limit of AVG snaps on the game with only 17 plays on defense which was only 24% overall. Van Ginkel will need to sharpen his overall game as he as being tasked to be the swiss army knife that can line up anywhere and do anything to throw off an offense.

Rush Defense:

Its mind boggling to see a team that was up 3 scores for well over half the game and that also did not give up a single point can also still allow a team with no passing game threat to go for 124 yards rushing on 5.2 yards per carry. Last week the same thing happened where if the other team has a lead, they probably gut us for 200+ yards rushing. Against inferior competition like the Jets things like this may slide but no that we are 2nd in the AFC East, we can start to seriously entertain the thought of meaningful games in November and December.

Ryan Fitzpatrick:

For the second straight week the Offense has been unable to keep the momentum of the first half flowing into the second half. This week after being up 21-0 heading into halftime the Ryan Fitzpatrick lead offense was only able to score a field goal for 30 minutes of play. All game long Fitzpatrick was either unwilling or unable to take shots to his weapons outside of DVP who had 8 targets but only 3 catches. What compounds the problem is that I have never seen a game that a team can be up 24-0 and on the final drive still be 0/8 on third down. As much as we love Fitzpatrick and everything he does and stands for, eventually we will have to realize that Tua accomplished in 1 drive what Fitz could not do all afternoon long against a winless and lifeless New York Jets team.

Overall this win puts us back at .500 for the first time all year heading into a Bye Week where we get time to prepare to host a LA Rams team that will be traveling cross country for a 1pm game. Till next time guys, Fins Up!

This was written By: Juan Cardona