Phin Phanatic » Andrew Luck

Three Key Areas of Improvement for the 2013 Miami Dolphins

jmendel31 — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:36:52 +0000

Nov. 15, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake (91) celebrates a sack during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo defeats the Dolphins 19 to 14. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Espn has released its yearly post draft power rankings, and Miami is ranked right about where they were at the end of last season, 18 out of 32. Basically saying they are competitive but not a playoff team yet. This ranking seems pretty fair because Miami hasn’t played a single snap yet. If the Dolphins play the way they should, after becoming a far more talented team this offseason then they could easily be floating around the top ten when the season comes to an end.

There are three areas that Miami must improve this season to become a playoff team and a team others do not want to face.

Playmaking on defense. Other then Cameron Wake and Rashad Jones no one on the Dolphins defense could make a play. This resulted in many third down conversions by opposing teams. I look at the game against the Colts as a perfect example. Too many times throughout the game the Dolphins were able to get Andrew Luck into a third and long situation, (at times being more then 10 yards) but Luck was able to sit in the pocket and find Reggie Wayne or Donnie Avery for a huge gain, at least 15 yards or more.

With the Additions of players like Dion Jordan and Brent Grimes, Joe Philbin hopes he has found the pieces to be able to make the big play or stop on third down to get their team off the field.

Another big key is explosive plays down the field. This one will mostly rely on Ryan Tannehill, he has to be able to improve his accuracy down the field. Brian Hartline was able to sneak by the secondary a few times last year, only one resulted in one touchdown. Most of the time it was either over or under thrown, but not by much. With the addition of mike Wallace I expect that to happen even more this year. If Tannehill can make the throws, this team will have a very scary offense.

The third may be the biggest of them all. Do your job. More specifically Carpenter make the simple field goals, and Daniel Thomas, protect the ball better. The Dolphins went out and drafted another ground and pound runner in Mike Gillislee from Florida. Thomas may be on his way out if he can’t stop losing the ball, and he needs to start being that short yardage back that the Dolphins needed. Carpenter,who had the chance to win a couple of games for the Dolphins in 2012, He missed three field goals that are very makable early on in the season in clutch situations. The Dolphins picked a kicker in the 5th round to compete with Carpenter, if he can’t make the plays he needs to, his days in Miami are also numbered.

The Journey Towards Super Bowl XLVII Part 1 (B)

jmendel31 — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:52:25 +0000

Aug 11, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive back Kam Chancellor (31) during the pre game introductions for the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Tennessee 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

I will be looking at the key players and match ups in the two Sunday games, the Colts at Baltimore and the Sea hawks at the Redskins. On Sunday we will see something that does not happen too much. Three rookie quarterbacks will be trying to gain some playoff experience and come away with a W.

The first game will be the Colts against the Ravens. The veterans vs the rookies. Coming into this game the Colts have 11 rookies on their active roster being lead by the first overall pick in the 2012 draft, Andrew Luck. The Ravens, on the other hand have an older roster with 18 players who have at least 6 years of NFL experience.

On offense the Colts and Ravens are very different teams. The Colts have had outstanding play from their rookie star at Quarterback. Andrew Luck has produced 23 touchdowns to 18 interceptions, not to mention setting a new rookie record for passing yards. The running game has been off and on all season, with the combination of Vick Ballard and Donald Brown. They have produced about 1,200 yards and have scored only three touchdowns. The Ravens will be lead by a veteran play caller Joe Flacco, who seems to think he is an elite quarterback. He has 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, also throwing about 3,700 yards. Elite? Maybe not, but they do have one of the best at the running back position in Ray Rice. He has averaged 4.4 yards a carry this year and has been a consistent play maker all season. But as I have said this is a Quarterback driven league, advantage- Colts

For over the last decade the Ravens have always been known by their defense, lead by one of the all time greats at middle Linebacker, that being Ray Lewis. He is the heart and soul of the Ravens defense. Lewis said that he was going to retire at the end of the season. This will be his last ride, and his team wants him to go out in a bang. These guys will give it all for Ray, and probably play at a level they have not all season. The Colts on the other hand are a very young defense lead by two veterans Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. They are a young and hungry defense but not as experienced in the playoffs. The edge has to be given to the Ravens.

I expect this to be a great game, and be within the 7 point spread. But I still expect the Ravens to come out with a W at home behind Ray Lewis. 20-17 Ravens

The second game will feature two great young rookie quarterbacks. Robert Griffin the second overall pick in the draft, and Russel Wilson the mid third round pick in the draft. Don’t prejudge Wilson by where is was picked, he is playing like a first rounder.

Both of these offenses have a very mobile and smart quarterback. RG3 for the Redskins has thrown for 3,200 yards and thrown 20 TDs. Wilson has thrown for 3,100 yards and 26 touchdowns. It has been a while since two rookie quarterbacks have preformed so well. Just like at quarterback the Redskins have a rookie running back as well. Alfred Morris has also played like a veteran for the Skins. He has averaged 4.8 yards a carry and scored 13 TDs. The Sea hawks have one of the best at running back in MarShawn Lynch, who has averaged 5 yards a carry this season and has scored 11 touchdowns throughout the season. Both of these offenses are able to make plays and be explosive, but I have to give the Advantage to the Redskins.

On the defensive side of the ball one team is the clear favorite. Washington has only given up less then ten points ONCE this season. Defense becomes key in the playoffs and that is something the Redskins lack. The Sea hawks on the other hand has been an outstanding defensive team all season. They have given up 17 points or less 10 times on the season, lead by two monsters at corner back That being Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner. The Sea hawks are the better team on defense.

Both teams have explosive offenses, but the Sea hawks are able to make more plays on defense and that is why they will leave Washington with a W.

Dolphins Tannehill Lacks All Important Ego

Brian Miller — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 03:18:29 +0000

Ryan Tannehill drawing more criticism from fans. Photo by Brian Miller

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As I watched the Washington Redskins run all over the Dallas Cowboys today I found myself impressed with what I saw in rookie Skins QB Robert Griffin, III. I’m not a fan mind you and I see a young kid who has a long way to go in order to rise above similar styled QB’s. You can’t discount what he has done this year however. And yes, it is impressive.

What impresses me the most and as I thought about it, Andrew Luck as well, is that both QB’s have something that Miami Dolphins rookie Ryan Tannehill has yet to show. An Ego.

Both Luck and RGIII go out on the field and fight. They claw, they run, they get upset when they lose. They are ticked on the sideline and they take it personally when they put their teams in a hole. The fact is, regardless of whether they are a rookie or not, they completely expect to win. Every week. It’s that attitude and ego that makes them leaders on the field. It’s that ego that has their teams rallying behind them.

Ryan Tannehill has shown a lot of potential with his physical ability. He has a raw talent that is just screaming to be fully refined. He moves in the pocket very well, throws better than just about any QB in the NFL while on the run, and his accuracy at times is pinpoint. So much so that he has the confidence in his ability to throw the ball into the tightest of coverage. The truth is, Tannehill has shown all that is needed to be an NFL top QB. Someday. Sans one.

An ego.

Unlike Luck or RGIII, Tannehill shows very little emotion on the field. He directs players where they should be but you don’t see him in the face of a receiver after a dropped ball or getting on top of a lineman for a missed block. Not on the field and not on the sideline. Throw an interception and it’s a walk to the sideline with little or no emotion at all. This lack of ego and forward viewing attitude is what separates him from Luck and RGIII. Not statistics and win/loss numbers.

Most fans will agree that Tannehill is very good for 58 minutes of a game but his failure in the final two minutes and overtime is at the forefront. It was a knock he carried through college and up to the NFL Draft. Questions about his leadership arose. The reality is Ryan Tannehill is a quiet guy. He himself said as much. There will never be a Ryan Tannehill leading a thunderous chant prior to kick-off. He is more like Aaron Rodgers than Drew Brees. Quiet, cerebral, and methodical. The issue is this team, a young team, needs some loud banging and thumping in their ears.

There is a long way to go for all three rookie QB’s and the success that Luck is finding this year may not be what he finds next year when teams figure out how to beat him. RGIII could very well suffer the same fate as Cam Newton in year two. Ryan Tannehill could break out or break down. There is, as I stated, a long way to go before any of them emerge as legit franchise QB’s.

But while I will say it’s unfair to compare stats of the three to each other as each possess different surrounding talent and different behind the scenes inspiration, attitude is something that some have and others don’t. Somewhere, Tannehill needs to find his own and then he needs to expose it.