It is deja vu for the Miami Dolphins all over again in 2018
The Miami Dolphins are back where they started. At .500 and it seems like nothing is changing from year to year.
“Back where you started, here we go round again” is taken from a Kinks song lyric called Do It Again and it’s what The Miami Dolphins must do every game the second half of the season to get over the 500 hump.
Not only is the song lyric fitting at the half way mark now, it could be so going back a decade or more. When the Miami Dolphins do it again they will want the defense to actually show up this time unlike the last two games. Defensive coach Matt Burke was seen throwing a media tablet to the ground this last game, this action sums up the units game play lately.
My daily routine consists of reading Miami Dolphins stories and whats going around on social media about the team, where in the past many fans have called for Matt Burke to take an exit. This is now on the verge of being a hot topic issue. But is it a fair one?
Going back to week four after the Dolphins won three straight games the defense led the league in turnovers. And the last win against the Bears the unit had three turnovers, that was also the last time any were made going back the last two dreadful games played. This appears to expose the defense to a reliance on the turnover, some of which had come in the end zone. One other exposure looks to be rushing yards allowed that were 248 and 188 respectively the last games and on the most on the season.
The way this team stands now with all the injuries – not to make that an excuse it’s part of the game – all units must be working well enough to secure a win. And the failures of the last two games puts Burke squarely in the hot seat even if Adam Gase doesn’t act on it.
Speaking of Gase, some fans have him in a hot seat also, mainly over his play calling. Who doesn’t get upset when the offense is continually passing it on 4th and long while the starting backs are performing well and an even bigger back is active in the game?
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It appears to me that Gase is stuck in this play calling conundrum where he is trying to outsmart opposing defenses – which is understandable and also part of the game – but I’m pretty sure on those cards (or tablets) head coaches carry on the sideline that has the plays there is also probably some color code rating calls by safety or exception and even percentage analytics of past successes on particular plays.
And this is where Gase runs into trouble with it by trying to do what is not expected far too much. This last game you can see examples where Frank Gore is running outside and getting winded while he has Kenyan Drake running it up the middle in a role reversal. He also seems to favor changing up calls than to go with what works and using it as bead and butter plays.
His style of coaching might be rubbing off on Burke and he is using the same tendencies by doing the unexpected too much. Sometimes the old fashion smash mouth football works best by repeating what worked until it gets stopped.
The Miami Dolphins have a lot of work to do and little to work with due to injuries and it won’t be easy. Try to stay positive fans on the hard road ahead.