Miami Dolphins vs. Detroit Lions Week 9 review: In-game course correction

Full disclosure: I had to re-write my article that I was writing during the game.

Here’s how the original article started:

Are we the Miami Dolphins or the Mediocre Dolphins? I hear all the propaganda that we are a serious organization. I have major doubts and I give them 24 hours to make a final decision about how serious they ACTUALLY are. Right now, the mediocre Phins are a 2/3rds team. THE DOLPHINS HAVE CONCEDED NOT WINNING THE SPECIAL TEAMS EVERY SINGLE GAME! I repeat. THE DOLPHINS HAVE CONCEDED TO NOT WINNING THE SPECIAL TEAMS EVERY SINGLE GAME!

We cannot go through the next 3-5 years of a rebuild holding our breath EVERY SINGLE TIME we kick a field goal. We cannot through the next 3-5 years giving the opponent starting field position at their own 40. We cannot go through the next 3-5 years giving up the most pathetic fake punt conversion ever.

That’s how it started: You all know that the we got ONE special teams win that led to the three points. And they kicked a kickoff that did not land in the zone.

Update to my article : I am giving them 48 hours to revamp the special teams….we all know that won’t happen.

We lived and did die with Malik

Malik was obviously off Sunday I don’t know if many of you have pulled a groin, but IT IS HUMBLING. Analogous to a rib injury: if you laugh, cough or pass gas, or hit a speed bump, it is SUPER PAINFUL and then it occupies your subconscious whether you admit it or not. “Maybe I will drive around that speed bump, maybe I will wait until 2 minutes longer to use the toilet and when I do, I will hold my breath” NOT MAKING EXCUSES for Malik, however, I will refer you to my column “How to solve a problem like Malik!” and throwing off your front foot is CRITICAL for the pass to get where it needs to go. He is not a natural QB BUT we don’t have the personnel YET to “hide” Malik. I could bore you with examples but we went to the Super Bowl with David Woodley and if not for a missed tackle by Don McNeal (I still love you, Alabama man) we would’ve won that Super Bowl. Woodley had his moments but wasn’t that good. Marino was drafted and then we had the opposite problem: a SB caliber QB with inferior talent around him.

Think Malik is bad? Did you see Carson Wentz last night? Oooof! You all know that we have been there! Cleo Lemon, John Beck, Daunte Culpepper….I have to stop or I will pluck out my own eyebrows.

Let’s not forget Malik hit a deep shot, just beautiful, but HELL no, holding. Negated. The refs really affected the game. But I will admit some of the holding calls were good calls. But Detroit’s oline doesn’t hold at all? Hmmmm. Our line was OK against a ferocious D-line. I saw pieces of good things on offense. We just need to upgrade the trenches on both sides. Again, we are moving in the right direction.

Ollie was effective and decent. If you want to criticize the Phins’ run game, go back to the 1990 NY Giants with Ottis Anderson, from the “U” and Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach. 3.5 yards per carry and won the Super Bowl! It is moving in the right direction. Ollie “kept his mouth shut today and soldiered” on (Warriors’ film reference—did you know that groundbreaking film was a modern day telling of the Odyssey.

But where we are not with our run game is the mantra I discussed earlier—can you get 2 yards when the other team KNOWS it is coming. We RARELY did that under McDaniel. I can remember many “gotta have it” short runs blown up in the BACKFIELD. We did get some Achane “bullet train” runs and those made me scream out loud. I see us wanting to be physical, again we need more “big uglies” (Keith Jackson reference, remember him?) up front.

Sorry for the stream of consciousness.

1)I LOVE IT WHEN THE PHINSIDER’S READERS RESPOND! Please keep responding! I love all the Latin jokes. I did snort a couple of times. The differing perspectives make this whole endeavor so much fun. If we actually owned the Phins we could put our money where our mouth is. Ha.

2) Don’t forget these “coaches” make hundreds of thousands/millions per year along with the GM! So withering criticism comes with the job.

3)PLAYMAKERS MAKE PLAYS! Chop is playmaking but I am afraid he is doing a contract push and once he gets paid, he will revert to Chump.

4)If Trent Green says the word “Layer” one more time, I will set his voodoo doll on fire. That man opened his kindergarten Thesaurus and found a new word. I almost started a game of “Hi, Bob” but I can’t get drunk on RC Cola.