Tannehill, Dolphins impressive, but come up short in loss to Cardinals

Oct. 01 Post Game 8 comments ---Bill

- Richard Marshall & Daniel Thomas – Both of these guys are playing a lot.  Marshall is the starting CB opposite Sean Smith, but every time I see him in a game, he’s giving up another reception.  Thomas?  He rushed 4 times for 4 yards.  But apparently he’s a good pass blocker, which is why the Dolphins continue to play him.  MORE LAMAR MILLER PLEASE!

- Dolphins defense – A few people on Twitter told me the Dolphins defense is great.  Sorry, but when you’re up 7 with 2:51 left, you DO NOT allow Kevin Kolb to drive down the field for a TD, if you are ‘great’.  The Dolphins defense looks great at times, but they absolutely must do a better job of closing out games.

- Dan Carpenter – He didn’t lose the Dolphins this game, let me be clear about that.  He hit 2 field goals on Sunday, both inside of 40 yards.  But with a chance to put the Dolphins up 16-0, he missed a 51 yarder.  Dan Carpenter from 3 years ago nails that kick.  Carpenter has now missed very important kicks in the last 2 games.  It’s possible, that if he hits those kicks, the Dolphins sit at 3-1 and in first place in the AFC East.

- Coaching – Joe Philbin is doing a good job getting his team ready.  But there are definitely some questionable calls that are being made in-game.  The Dolphins are being conservative when they should be aggressive and are being aggressive when they should be playing conservative.  The play calling on offense must improve.

Overall, I came away from this game feeling heartbroken again.  Last week sucked and the way the Dolphins lost this game just brought back all of that heartache.  HOWEVER, there were a lot of positives to take away from this game.  Tannehill looks like the real deal, the Dolphins pass rush is working again, their run defense is now 1st in the NFL, and Brian Hartline might turn out to be a very good wide receiver.

Let’s not kid ourselves, we knew this would be a rebuilding year. The success of this season was all about seeing Tannehill improve and realizing that he is ‘the one’.  Anything else, we thought, would be icing on the cake.  It’s just tough to lose games the way the Dolphins are losing them. I hate playing the would’ve, could’ve, should’ve game, but the Dolphins, despite rebuilding have shown that they could be 3-1.  Unfortunately, they’re not, they’re 1-3.  Thankfully, the rest of the AFC East has been bad, so the Dolphins are only 1 game back in the division race.  If the Dolphins can limit their turnovers, they can win their next 2 games and go into the bye 3-3.  The Dolphins play at Cincinnati Bengals and at home against the St. Louis Rams.

We’d love to hear what you think.  Stop by the Phins Forum and leave a post with your highlights and lowlights from yesterday’s loss to the Cardinals.

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  • Brewbear

    We have a OB we have a defensive line and good linebackers we do need to give Philbin more time to adjust to his position.AND WE NEED A GM WHO CAN BRING IN MORE TALENT IN NEXT YEARS DRAFT.Ireland is over his head.

  • Ted

    I am glad someone is finally talking positive about this team and R.Tanne He is good and will certainly get better. Now let’s get a new kicker!

  • Henry

    Would have been nice to win however take this game as part of the growing pains of a young rookie QB. Our 3rd receiver, Legadu needs to be given his walking papers. Bring back Roberto Wallace or sign Plaxico.

  • Gary

    This article sums the whole team up PERFECTLY. I have one other observation, although quirky. During the last 12 years the Dolphins have changed owners, staff and players and still get now lucky breaks. The reason is the CURSE of the 1972 Dolphins. If they stop all conversation about that team and its accomplishments the CURSE will be lifted.

    • joe

      thats BS they won the superbowl the following year!!!!

  • Jose Mesa

    After reading the posts on this blog I get the feeling Ireland will have to upgrade his home game attire.Along with those funny sunglasses he will have to ad a bulletproof vest,steel toed shoes and head protection gear.the fans are restless and clamoring for someone to blame,better yet if they lose next week it would be better not to attend the Rams game.

  • URIDOLP2012

    It really hurts to be a Dolphin’ fan because after such a great effort from the DEFENSE against Arizona, another painful DEFEAT in OT because the lack of consistency (SECONDARY, OFFENSIVE LINE, RUNNING GAME, KICKING) and capitalize on key oportunities. Against, football is a game of inches and be able to capitalize on key opportunities.
    WHAT OPPORTUNITIES?: 1. Inabilibity to get 1 miserable yard (running game THOMAS) to keep the drive alive and run the clock. Bush even PLAYED hurt did put a great effort. But Thomas he is not delivering and coaches really need to address this issue. The Dolphin need badly another versitile, consistent, and agressive 2 back to help Bush and deliver for the team on critical drives. Remenber we have a rookie QB, and even if he had played great he need also help from the running game to control the clock and increase the chances to win.
    2. Inconsistent Kicker, obiously Carpenter have a serious confident problem that is hurting the team and the coaches needs a drastic solution. This is a second game with the same problem
    3- The DEFENSE was overall great, with the exception of two costly plays. But at the end of the game maybe they were getting tired from such effort that the SECONDARY were overplayed and that cost the team a painful defeat.
    4- Coaches needs to be more aggressive to keep players focus on a key drive. This team could had win this game if Tanehill did a little more time to deliver having a better proteccion in the last drive before the interception.
    This team have been so close to be 3 -1 and for sure we have good coaches, we have a franchise intelligent QB, and a great defense.
    Coach Phibin, keep pressing harder and make the adjustment and Iam sure things will turn for this team.
    Even know it was a painful defeat, congratulations for a great effort. Congratulations to Tannehill, Hardline, Bees, Cameron, DEFENSE, and the rest of players. There is time for turn around things.

    • joe

      thomas sucks at blocking(which caused an INT) but we have a rookie that can compliment bush in lamar miller if they wuld let him play!!! good coaching???? last week they threw the game away by bad play calling in the 4th qrt when instead of running the ball ( wich we did at will even without bush,who shuldn’t have even been in the game) to eat up the clock with the lead with 11 minutes to go, instead they go to the passing game that hadn’t been working all game!!!! this week (in the 4th qtr) they get conservative on defence and don’t send pressure ( which we did at will 8 sacks) and let kevin kolb ( who is a back up QB at best) carve up our weak secondary!!! then with 29 seconds to go they take a knee on the shortest kickoff of the game and also a kneel down to go into OT!! after the way we batteled adversity throughtout the game why do you not at least give them a chance to make a play!!!! granted our o-line and running game had a bad game, but Tannehill and hartline stepped it up and picked up the slack and the d-line morphed into elite status which covered up the fact that (other than sean smith’s 2 int’s) that they get beat constantly!!! oh yeah Sean Smith was the one that got burnt in the endzone for the gamtieing TD!!! better play calling and we wouldn’t have been in that position!!!That so called “good coaching”showed that they do not trust their team!!! I love the dolphins and will be a DOLFAN till the day I die but we have alot of holes too fill !!! Im finding out why the older generation of DOLFANS ( my father) calls them the cardiac kids!!! its gona be a long disapointing season if adjustments aren’t made!!!