Did Dolphins coach Brian Flores make the right call?

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When intentions are unclear, it’s difficult to assess decisions.

Take, for instance, the choice by Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to go for two, rather than tie the game, after his team rallied to within 17-16 against the Washington Redskins with just six seconds left in regulation Sunday. And then the actual play that was called, that seemingly had little chance at success.

While it’s clear this season that ownership and front office are fine with lots and lots of losses, the coaches and players don’t have much to gain by deliberate tanking. Flores, in particular, is trying to show he’s a competent NFL coach. So this has always seemed more about the front office giving him little to work with, and then him attempting to instill the proper principles in whatever personnel he’s been provided.

With all of that said, Flores and his staff (especially the coordinators) have made some odd decisions this season, whether regarding the unconventional utilization of players in particular schemes (outside their comfort zones) or curious play calls. Then, of course, there was the matter of star cornerback Xavien Howard being held out Sunday after practicing all week with a sore knee; that had a direct impact on the game. That may have been a call made above Flores. The two-point conversion was a call made by Flores, and hand-picked offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea.

Was it the correct one?

Well, the throw behind the line of scrimmage to Kenyan Drake didn’t work. And the Redskins won. And the Dolphins lost. Which was bad. Or good. Depends on your perspective.

Here are some of the tweets of the moment:

For more

For more about the Dolphins’ loss, which dropped them 0-5 and kept them in prime position for the upcoming NFL draft, check out Craig Davis’ latest column:

Dolphins win by losing to Redskins

Miami Dolphins release Johnson Bademosi as rebuild continues

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The Miami Dolphins continue to clean house.

The Miami Dolphins made a move on Monday. It wasn’t  a big one, but it was a move nonetheless. The team released cornerback Johnson Bademosi. There was no corresponding move following the release.

Bademosi was acquired by the Dolphins and was a part of the trade that sent Laremy Tunsil to Houston. Bademosi appeared in four games this season, recording four tackles. Many of you may remember his stints with the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots. While with the Browns, he started in 16 games in three out of the four seasons he played there. He accomplished the same feat while in New England as well, lasting one season in Foxborough.

Some of you may be wondering why this is significant. As a player, he isn’t anything to write home about. However, this just means that the Miami Dolphins are continuing to try and find pieces to put the roster together. They have shown that they are not afraid to clean house so far this season. Hopefully, they will be able to improve as a result of trimming down the roster.

When Miami acquired him, I honestly had high hopes. He wasn’t going to be a star player by any stretch of the imagination, but he was a veteran. Not only that, his experience in New England was going to be an advantage, or so I thought. In addition, his durability was also an asset.

The Miami Dolphins almost won on Sunday, and there are certainly signs of progress. Making sure the team has enough legitimate pieces on defense is certainly going to be a priority. Right now however, it is all about the feeling out process. Letting Bademosi go is just a reaffirmation that the team is going to keep reshuffling until they find exactly what they’re looking for. Not only are they trying to tank for the top pick in the draft, they also trying to build a solid foundation. As Bademosi found out, sometimes it means moving on from a certain players.

Miami Dolphins running backs show promise in defeat

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There were positives for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins narrowly lost to the Washington Redskins by a 17-16 score. In what was such a close game, it marked another defeat for the good guys. With this being a rebuilding year, it has been hard to find positives. However, the running game was in full force on Sunday. Something has to be said for that.

Kenyan Drake was the leading rusher for the Miami Dolphins. He carried the ball 10 times for 40 yards, gaining four yards a carry. Perhaps even more importantly, he received help. Mark Walton rushed the ball six times for 32 yards. Kalen Ballage carried the rock three times for seven yards. All told, the Miami Dolphins were able to establish the running game.

That was not something that was there earlier in the year. At times, Miami had trouble running the football. Granted, these numbers do not exactly scream “elite rushing attack,” but the numbers are there. Maybe this is going to be the hallmark of the 2019 Miami Dolphins. Maybe the running game is what the Miami Dolphins are going to pride themselves on this year. One thing is for sure, the passing game leaves a lot to be desired.

It’s important to recognize that these running backs do a lot more than just running the football. Both Drake and Walton were key figures in the passing game. Walton caught five passes for 43 yards, while Drake caught six passes for 30 yards. Again, are those numbers that are going to make the front page of ESPN? No, probably not. However, these are numbers that can certainly be something to build off of. Versatility is the name of the game for those two backs.

If nothing else, Sunday’s performance by the running backs proves that the offense flows through them. Although the Miami Dolphins did not get the win on Sunday, the running backs showed that they can be a dependable unit. In a rebuilding year, that certainly counts for something.That unit did everything they could to put Miami in a position to win. Although it did not amount to wins on Sunday, all the signs are there for the unit to be trending upward.

Dolphins vs. Redskins, partido crucial para el futuro de dos estrellas en la NCAA.

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De camino al Hard Rock Stadium este mañana del domingo, me preguntaba, ¿qué historia puede salir de este juego? Se enfrentan unas tres horas más tarde los Miami Dolphins ante los Washington Redskins. Debo confesar que no fue fácil mantener una idea positiva pues lo que más se comenta es que los fanáticos quieren perder y los jugadores, con cliché incluido, van a dar el 100% en cada partido de esta temporada de, “transición”.

Analizando un poco la actualidad de ambos equipos, es bastante similar. Los Redskins entran al partido con récord de 0-5 últimos en la NFC del este. Un equipo que hace una semana despidió a su timonel Jay Gruden dando paso al entrenador principal, Bill Callahan a que tomara las riendas del conjunto de manera interina. 

Miami por su parte, ya conocemos su realidad un equipo al mando del debutante Brian Flores que cambió a sus figuras más relevantes antes y durante la campaña 2019. La incógnita existe en conocer cual de estos dos equipos saldrá con la derrota y con la posibilidad de tener el mejor puesto en el draft del año entrante, 2020.

La serie entre Washington y Miami, vigente desde el año 1981, es liderada por el equipo de Miami 5-0 en partidos realizados en el Sur de la Florida. Este es un dato que puede aguar las fiestas de aquellos que abogan por el llamado “tanking” es decir, los que desean ver a los Dolphins perder para que así el equipo obtenga el puesto número del draft. La dificultad existe en que los Washington Redskins también se encuentran en esa misma realidad. 

Por eso, este partido que tiene muy poco interés a nivel nacional puede ser clave en el futuro de quien se proyecta ser la escogencia número uno del NFL Draft 2020, Tua Tagovailoa de Alabama y del que probablemente sea el número dos, Justin Herbert de Oregon. Ambos son quarterbacks, posición que será altamente codiciada en el draft.

Pero, vamos a los números, durante esta temporada y estos primeros cinco encuentros, ¿que equipo es peor realmente? Bueno, comencemos por el de casa, nuestro gloriosos Miami Dolphins. El equipo tiene un total de 992 yardas acumulando apenas 207 para la vía terrestre y 785 por el aire, estos número probablemente no cambie mucho después del encuentro ante Washington. Los mayores receptores de Miami son Preston Williams y DeVante Parker ambos empatados con 201 yardas, Williams en 15 recepciones y 10 para Parker.

Washington entró al partido con un total de 1,543 yardas de las cuales 344 son por el suelo y 1,199 llegan por la vía aérea. Aunque sobrepasan a los Dolphins por 758 yardas, Washington aún se encuentra dentro de los peores en la ligas en ese departamento, poseen 281.6 yardas por juego número que los pone en el puesto #28 en la liga. Miami aún peores con 225 yardas por juego.

Entonces, cuando vemos los números defensivos, las probabilidades son aún más grandes para que Miami pierda este encuentro. Además, aun contamos con el dato que les mencione al principio, Miami nunca ha perdido un partido en casa ante los Redskins desde que comenzó la serie entre ambos equipos en el año 1981, un total de cinco encuentros. Dado esto, nos falta por ver en números otro aspecto importante del juego, los equipos defensivos.

Confieso algo de temor en revisar y publicar estos numero porque si ambos conjuntos están mal en la ofensiva, ¿que nos espera al ver la defensiva? Veremos.

Miami apenas tiene una intercepción en la campaña para 21 yardas, ya comenzamos mal pues Washington tiene cinco intercepciones para 31 yardas. En los tackles, Washington tiene 249 sorprendentemente entran en el sexto lugar de la liga, También sumen allí nueve derrumbes detrás de la línea de impacto al rival mientras que Miami en este departamento tiene cinco. Los Dolphins están en el puesto número 30 de la liga en tackles con apenas 184.

Analizando los números, nos damos cuenta que las probabilidades están en contra de Miami para ganar este partido. Esto, puede ser algo mucho más positivo para el equipo ya que se enfrentaron al segundo peor equipo de la liga después de ellos mismos y quizás puedan mantener un record negativamente perfecto para ir por Tagovailoa en el 2020.

Lo cierto es que Miami debe enfocarse en desarrollar el talento joven que tiene en estos momentos y buscar la manera de conseguir el mejor talento posible en el draft del 2020 ya que tienen múltiples escogencia de primera ronda gracias en parte, a los cambios que a efectuado el equipo después de declararse en “tanking”.

Para concluir, quiero mencionarles que me parece algo increíble que un simple partido de Football Americano pueda significar tanto para el futuro de al menos dos o tres estrellas jóvenes del football colegial.

Fotos cortesia de: Tony Capobianco @TonyCapobianco

Miami Hurricanes stifle Virginia Cavaliers, 17-9

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Manny Diaz took more ownership of the Miami Hurricanes’ defense Friday night.

It seemed to have an impact.

Miami kept Virginia — which came in averaging more than 30 points per game — out of the end zone, winning 17-9 and getting back in the ACC Coastal mix. The defensive dominance was necessary, because it took N’Kosi Perry and the offense some time to get going, with the fill-in quarterback finishing the scoring with a keeper.

“I had more players to throw to,” Perry said of that scramble. “But I saw the hole and I had to take advantage of it.”

Perry added that “I felt like we stayed together the entire time. And we trusted each other… Everyone was communicating more than normal. Everyone’s intensity was more than normal.”

Perry was 16 of 27 for 182 yards with a touchdown, and Deejay Dallas (photo by Tony Capobianco) had 63 yards on 13 carries, and a touchdown receiving.

Here were some of the tweets that told the story:

 

Miami Hurricanes safety Amari Carter ejected on questionable penalty

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The Miami Hurricanes will lose Carter for the beginning of next week’s game

In what has been a game of emotion and back-and fourth action, the Miami Hurricanes defense suffered a loss. In the third quarter, safety Amari Carter was ejected from the game following what was deemed a targeting penalty.

With the game 7-3, a pass was thrown to Virginia wide receiver Haise Dubois. Carter made contact with Dubois and his head did snap back. However, Carter clearly led with his shoulder and was trying to make an effort to avoid head-to-had contact with the receiver. However, the officials did not see it that way and Carter was ejected. This is the second time that Carter has been ejected as a result of a targeting penalty. He was also ejected when Miami played North Carolina on September 7.

Since this penalty occurred in the third quarter, Carter will also miss the first half of the Miami Hurricanes game against Georgia Tech.

Personally, this was a bad call on the part of the officials. With the play occurring at full speed, Carter did his best to avoid helmet-to-helmet contact. Since he led with his shoulder, and because the head of Dubois snapped back it looked worse than it was. That’s why he was ejected. However, it was a bogus call, as it looked like there was zero intent to injure or harm.

With 14 tackles and a pass deflection, there is no doubt that Carter has been a solid contributor to this defense. This mini-suspension certainly does Miami no favors.

With the play going at full speed, what else was he supposed to do? It would be more dangerous for him to pull up short, and risk tearing something. He made a good football play, and a great hit. However, football has become increasingly about safety, so I sort of get where the officials are coming from. Nevertheless, it was a bad call. Now, he will have to miss further playing time because of it.

The numbers-crunchers (kinda) like the Miami Heat

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While 538 is best known for its political predictions, the statistical website runs plenty of models on sports too.

And it has run one on the Miami Heat and other NBA teams.

Here’s the entire article, which we will explore in more detail — zeroing in on specific Heat players — in future posts here.

But, for now, here’s a look at how they see the team as a whole, based on this calculus…

How this works: These forecasts are based on 50,000 simulations of the rest of the season. Our player-based RAPTOR forecast doesn’t account for wins and losses; it is based entirely on our NBA player projections, which estimate each player’s future performance based on the trajectory of similar NBA players. These are combined with up-to-date depth charts — tracking injuries, trades and other player transactions — to generate talent estimates for each team. A team’s full-strength rating assumes all of its key players are in the lineup.

 

— They have the Heat as the 15th best team in the league, with a projected record of 42-40. That’s actually below the over-under at most Las Vegas sportsbooks.

— That would have them 6th in the East, behind the Bucks, 76ers, Celtics, Raptors and Pacers. The Nets and Magic are next. If Kevin Durant returns during the season, expect the odds to change.

— They have the Heat with a 78 percent chance of making the playoffs. In the West, that would be significantly lower.

— Chance of making the NBA Finals? That’s at 3 percent.

— Championship chance? Less than 1 percent.

On that last one, they obviously haven’t watched Tyler Herro enough.

Hurricanes Must Play to Potential and Beat Virginia

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The Miami Hurricanes faced the 20th ranked Virginia Cavaliers under the Friday night lights at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami is on a downward trajectory with a 2-3 record overall and are winless in two ACC contests.

Despite being unranked the Hurricanes enter the game as a slight favorite even though Virginia sits at 4-1 (2-0), their only defeat was at No. 10 Notre Dame 35-20 last weekend.

Virginia has one solid win on their 2019 resume so far, a 30-14 victory to open the season at Pitt. Their other ACC win came against a bad Florida State team three weeks ago.

Miami has yet to play a complete game and finish – whether it is sacks, penalties, or missed field goals they are finding ways to lose.

Where Miami has an advantage is on run defense against a suspect Virginia ground game which ranks 116th in college football. One of the few strengths of the Hurricanes on defense has been their run defense which ranks 7th nationally.

Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins is a dual threat and the Miami linebackers must do a better job of tackling in space to contain him when he gets outside the pocket.

Like the Hurricanes, Virginia’s offensive line is a sieve having allowed 15 sacks in five games.

Notre Dame dropped Perkins eight times last week, if the Miami pass rush has a chance to shine this is the week to do so.

Manny Diaz stated he would be getting more involved with the defense moving forward. They need to pick up the blitzing from the last couple of years when Diaz was defensive coordinator.

A retooled secondary has been exposed against mediocre quarterbacks and needs some help from the front seven.

Miami only has three interceptions all season, turnovers change momentum and give a sometimes listless defense life.

The “Turnover Chain” has not made many meaningful appearances this year

N’Kosi Perry steps back into the starting quarterback spot after Jarren Williams was sidelined with an upper extremity injury. Perry almost led a ferocious comeback against Virginia Tech, perhaps some of that momentum can carry over against the Cavaliers.

Virginia has a solid run defense of their own (15th) but did allow Tony Jones, Jr. of the Fighting Irish to rack up 131 yards and three touchdowns on just 18 carries (7.3 YPC).

Dan Enos must stick with DeeJay Dallas even if the big runs aren’t there early. We documented the questionable play calling and run/pass ratio against Virginia Tech which put a heavy burden on Williams in that game.

Perry could use some balance from the running game to help open up opportunities in the air.

Last year Perry had a game to forget against Virginia, being benched after completing just 3-of-6 attempts and two interceptions. Miami would like nothing more than to avenge that 16-13 defeat which began a four game losing streak.

Follow us on Twitter @SportsWaveDave and @CaneMaven.

Make sure to check out the 5 Rings Canes podcast for exclusive Miami Hurricanes content all year long. Image by Tony Capobianco
 

Shifting heights… and being high on Heat roster

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The NBA recently got real.

The league mandated that all teams must annually update their players height measurements without shoes and the measurements for the Heat players are finally in.

Down from “6-7” with shoes, Justise Winslow could be the potential opening night starting guard for the Heat with official height measurements of “6-6”. Rookie Tyler Herro who was drafted 13th overall from Kentucky will officially listed at 6-5 a little shorter than his combine height of 6-6, second round pick from Stanford KZ Okpala official numbers measure him at 6-8 instead of 6-9. Heat guards Dion Waiters and Goran Dragic, Winslow’s most likely potential backcourt mates, both were listed at “6-3.

The frontcourt?

The Heat’s big trade acquisition, new face of the franchise and likely starting small forward Jimmy Butler, who is “6’8” in shoes, will officially be listed an inch shorter at “6-7,” likewise for James Johnson, who is away from the team until he meets his conditioning requirements. And the same  for Duncan Robinson who also will now be officially listed an inch shorter at “6-7.” The Heat will have one 7 footer on the roster instead of two, as Meyers Leonard,  who will remain a seven footer is down by an inch from 7-1 to 7-0 and Kelly Olynyk from 7-0 to 6-11. Next in line to be the Heat franchise center, Bam Adebayo, is measured at 6-9, down from 6-10.

So basically every player except for Dragic, Devon Reed and Udonis Haslem shrunk an inch without shoes. Does this change anything? No, it doesn’t. However, while we’re discussing players heights, what this does say is that the Heat will be a lot bigger, especially in the wing positions than previous seasons. In the second quarter of the scrimmage on Sunday, with Olynyk injured, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra started a lineup of Winslow (6-6), Butler (6-7), Robinson (6-7) Adebayo (6-9) and Leonard (7-0). That is a huge line up for a heat team that often deployed 6-3 guards such as Dragic, Waiters, and Tyler Johnson together in recent years.

Another big lineup could feature Winslow, Butler and Okpala but we should expect the second-round rookie to play more in versatile lineups at the four, similar to James Johnson the last two seasons. Spoelstra could also go smaller by sliding Winslow and Butler down to the 3 and 4, with Dragic and Waiters at the 1 and 2, although I don’t think it would be wise. So many possibilities. What about Herro in the backcourt with Winslow and Butler along with Olynyk, Leonard or Jones next to Adebayo?

Needless to say, this roster is one of the more versatile and flexible groups Spoelstra has had recently. The versatility is not just measured with a ruler, but with skillsets.

Jerome Baker

Comments from Dolphins LB Jerome Baker spark firestorm

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The 2019 season isn’t easy for Dolphins fans to sit through. Every week, they go to the stadium or turn on the television and expect a loss. In fact, many are actively rooting for losses. The mindset for fans on social media is that losing every game in 2019 will ensure the number one overall pick in the 2020 draft. In other words, exclusive rights to their would-be new franchise quarterback, who many are hoping will be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. It might also be Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

But controversy erupted on social media when the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson asked some players about the fans’ desire for the Dolphins to lose out. Naturally, no football player who actually cares about the game would purposely try to fail. The very thought has them shaking their heads. However, Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker questioned the fandom of those individuals rooting for losses, even in light of the greater good it would presumably bring.

“You’re not a real fan if you’re rooting for us to lose, no matter what [the reason] is,” Baker said. “We try to win every chance we get. If we come up short, it’s not because we come up short for the future. I’ve seen the tanking and all that. From outside looking in, you essentially think we’re just tanking. But we go out there and try to perform. If you are not performing, they get you out of here. Every guy wants to play well and ultimately stay as long as we can.”

Baker obviously tried to bring it back to the locker room with the second half of his statement. But it was too late, the damage was done. Twitter erupted with fans and analysts arguing both for and against Baker, as evidenced in this thread from Five Reasons’ own Josh Houtz.

What does it mean to be a true fan? For some, it means supporting the team no matter what. Come on Sunday and sport your team colors, rooting for a win. Support the players there now because they’re giving it their all. For many others, it means demanding excellence. Do what’s best for the team, even if it hurts. Losing now could open the door to a decade’s worth of victory. That’s worth the humiliation of 0-16, right?

Ultimately, it depends on who you ask.

Whose side are you on?

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