Miami Dolphins Half Season Grades: Coaches and ST’s

The Miami Dolphins started off the season very rough when it came to special teams and coaching had quite a few hiccups as well. The special teams are playing much better and coaching has improved in some areas as well.

Kick-off and punt return:

Jarvis Landry is the third best kick-off returner in the league averaging over 31 yards per return. This among other returners with at least 10 returns on the season. On punt returns he drops considerably but in the 2nd quarter of the season he has improved on not fumbling the ball, a problem he displayed twice in the first four games. The Dolphins as a whole are ranked 2nd in the league in kick-returns. It’s a huge improvement for a team who was given a C the first quarter. This time? Improvement climbs to a solid B. We need to get better on punt returns and Landry is starting to show he can. He has two punts returned for longer than 20 yards.

Punts and kick-offs:

Brandon Fields has improved since his disastrous start but he is still not having a Brandon Fields type season and needs to find that rhythm again. Caleb Sturgis is still nowhere near what the Dolphins need him to be. He added another missed field goal against the Chargers. Neither player is giving Miami great field position. Our first grades were a C for Fields and a B+ for Sturgis. We have improved Fields to a B- but have since knocked Sturgis to a B- as well. He is still far too inconsistent at this stage of his career.

COACHING

What to think of Joe Philbin? Philbin has had issues with timeouts, issues with putting away teams, and frankly his coaching leaves a lot to be desired. That being said he has the respect of his players and that is as important as anything else. To his credit it appears that he has finally backed away from micromanaging his assistants and is now letting them coach. He needs to continue to do that and instead focus on managing the game itself.  In the first quarter he was given a C and frankly I don’t think that he has done enough to warrant a change. Yes, I know the team has won three in a row but I wonder how much of that is Philbin and how much of that is the other coaches.

It’s not something one wants to say but it’s something that needs to not be discounted. Joe Philbin lost his father a week ago last Friday and missed three practices due to his father’s health. The Dolphins turned to Kevin Coyle to run the practices and game prep and the Dolphins won 37-0. Was the victory in spite of Joe Philbin or because of the emotion behind the teams respect for him? It’s something that should be mentioned but regardless Philbin’s final grade for the first half improves to a B.

Bill Lazor received a B for the first four weeks but man if the offense isn’t playing head and shoulders above what it did way back then. The reality is that the Dolphins are starting to look like they have an identity and because of that Bill Lazor gets a one grade jump to an A. It seems that he has finally found the best ways to use Ryan Tannehill at the best of Tannehill’s ability. That will need to continue in the next four weeks that will be very tough.

Kevin Coyle was very unimpressive the first quarter of the season and was given a C- for that first four week display but there is no questioning the results as his defense is now one of the top ranked defenses in the league. The team has improved on turnovers, sacks, and stopping the run. It’s a well deserved big jump for Coyle from that low C to an A.