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NFL 2015 Week 1 |OT| - A Fraud’s Quest for Gold

It was a rough outings for guards Dallas Thomas (-3.2 in 57 snaps), Jamil Douglas (-4.7 in 57 snaps) and left tackle Brandon Albert (-2.4 in 55 snaps). Here's the thing: Douglas is a rookie making his first NFL start. So his grade must be viewed through that prism. Albert was playing his first game since returning from knee surgery last November and, indeed, didn't get any snaps in any preseason games. So he is allowed some rust. What's the excuse for Thomas? Oh yeah, there is none.

The Dolphins linebacker corps is not great, especially at middle linebacker right now. But strongside linebacker Koa Misi (2.4 overall grade) had nine tackles, three QB hurries and six defensive stops with just one missed tackle.


Gonna be a long road to 8-8,


Also Darkest I forgot to tell you that Mech called you a mean word on twitter.
 
Receiver inability to get any separation was something that bugged me immensely last year as well so I was paying pretty close attention to it (when the camera wasn't too zoomed in). Even out of the WR breaks the DBs were close, balanced and already moving the correct direction so it wasn't like you could just time a throw to hit them on the break. Only choice to throw to these guys seems to be high and towards the sideline (with a trailing DB), a backshoulder throw into a narrow window or down and away from the DB. That is a bit discouraging. They must find someone who is a good route runner who can actually create at least a little space.

Oh and VD is still bad. He has poor hands, no lateral mobility and can't even alter his route even slightly once the ball is in the air. That shit will fall right next to him while he runs by...ugh.

It was infuriating to see VD bobble even the easiest passes.
 

Bread

Banned
Stop being so negative and whiny about your team... Why is it so hard for you to be optimistic once in awhile? I guess this is just the cool thing to do now, have no faith in your team and just expect failure.
some fans just aren't lucky enough to have HoF talents like Tom, Tanny, or Jimmy on their team.
 
Gonna be a long road to 8-8,


Also Darkest I forgot to tell you that Mech called you a mean word on twitter.
Hopefully the o-line will improve but I was really counting on Turner winning the job over Thomas. We know what Dallas Thomas is by now...

LB is definitely an issue as we expected all along. Sheppard looks bad...

I saw what Mech said about me but it's okay, I still <3 him. :)
 
Hopefully the o-line will improve but I was really counting on Turner winning the job over Thomas. We know what Dallas Thomas is by now...

LB is definitely an issue as we expected all along. Sheppard looks bad...

I saw what Mech said about me but it's okay, I still <3 him. :)

I think Douglas and Albert will get better, hopefully that will cover from Thomas, he was god awful. I was disappointed in our rush defense but I was happy to see that they adjusted in the second half. So far I have to say it looks like the same old dolphins though.
 

LevelNth

Banned
Thoughts on the Niners game last night:

Kap looked great. I'm not expecting much from the pass game for the first 4-6 weeks due to the new offense, but I liked what I saw a lot. Decisive, patient, and very deliberate throws were very promising. It'll be the true test as the offense matures and the intermediate to long pass game opens up more, but I'm happy with what he's shown so far.

Hyde is a stud. He was better than Gore last year but the CS was stubborn, and he's even better this year. Can't wait to see more.

Vernon really needs to step it up, though it's not like we're resigning him anyways.

O Line did well, especially in the run. Weird that preseason overreactions were absurd and over the top.... again.

The D is vintage Baalke, with just countless young guys stepping up and shining. Acker was great, Tartt was a missle who was everywhere, Tank was getting great push and soaking up multiple blockers, Lynch was a beast, it goes on and on. Mangini's blitz schemes were awesome to see. Top 10 for this D is the floor this season.

Nice to see Bowman is already back to being the best ILB in the game too.

Such a great first game, so much to build upon.
 

eznark

Banned
Great article

http://shepherdexpress.com/article-26422-packers-and-seahawks-learning-from-week-1-struggles.html

The Packers and Seahawks both entered the seasons as already elite franchises looking to improve upon what was already great success. The Packers went about it in the standard way of trusting Ted Thompson to acquire young, cheap talent through the draft. The Seahawks, losers of the Super Bowl on what can only be described as a freak, bad luck interception, went a different direction. In an effort to improve their passing game they traded for All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham...

Jimmy Graham is a lot of things, but one thing he isn’t is a good run blocker. He’s occasionally been adequate, but Pro Football Focus rated him the 15th best run blocking tight end last season, and in 2013 he was rated 45th, one of the worst blocking tight ends in all of football. Graham is a great receiver, but he is a problem in the run game, and his presence of the field telegraphs a pass. Compounding this issue, to acquire him the Seahawks traded away center Max Unger, the best run blocker on the team and according to Pro Football Focus, and the 4th most valuable player on the Seahawks in 2014. It’s not an exaggeration to say he was the heart and soul of their running game. Acquiring Jimmy Graham for Max Unger isn’t simply an upgrade to the passing game for Seattle; it fundamentally changes the way they play offense and forces them to rely on the pass more than they ever have under Wilson. In week one it failed miserably in a 34-31 loss to St Louis. Marshawn Lynch was hyper-inefficient with just 73 yards on 18 carries and Wilson, one of the most efficient running quarterbacks there is, averaged under 4 yards per carry. Graham got his TD and the Seahawks put up points, but they took a lot of plays to do it, and got a lot of help from defensive and special teams touchdowns...

The Packer defense is built to have a lead, and Dom Capers wants to force you to pass. The stars on the Packer defense are pass rushers (Matthews and Peppers) or defensive backs. They almost dare you to run, if you can. In the past, Seattle’s response has been a simple “OK, no problem”, but this year is different. Now the Seahawks have to pass to be effective. Their defense is still quite good, but it will be more difficult for their offense to sustain long drives, they will probably commit more turnovers, and the defense will be called upon more frequently and suffer fatigue. Most importantly, the Seahawk offense now plays into the hands of the Packers’ strength on defense. If they can no longer dominate with Lynch, they can no longer dominate at all.
Getting Jimmy Graham was the kind of superficial move that looks good on paper, but it reminds me more than anything else of the 2001-2002 Milwaukee Bucks’ acquisition of power forward Anthony Mason. On paper it looked like the Bucks were one of the NBA’s elite except for a rebounder and a low post presence. Mason should have filled the void perfectly. In reality Mason was an unmitigated disaster, slowing their pace, demanding offensive possessions that would have been better handled by almost anyone else, and fundamentally changing the team. Graham is great on paper. He’s an elite receiver on a team that sorely lacks an elite receiver. But he also fundamentally changes the Seahawks from a historically great power running team into a conventional, average NFL offense. The Seahawks remain formidable, but their decline is underway. Losing Unger was just the start, as cap dollars eaten up by Wilson’s new deal start to impact other important non-skill positions. Don’t be surprised if the Packers upend them on Sunday night, because they’re facing a very different, and as far as the Packers are concerned, much weaker Seahawk team.

This is an uncharacteristically Hot Take from Paul, who is normally more reserved. Comparing Graham to Mason is hilarious in that it expands upon the basketball meme but also super damning coming from him.

I don't know if I totally agree with the doom and gloom, but Seattle figuring it out depends on Bevell figuring it out, and I think I know how that makes Seahawks fans feel.
 

MechDX

Member
If I was president I'd ban you.

Meh.

I don't see 6 wins at this point. I now firmly believe O'Briens ego is clouding his judgment. Hell or high water he is going to prove himself right about Hoyer at the cost of the season.

May be 2013 all over again
 

Dega

Eeny Meenie Penis
You all have my blessing to talk as much shit as you want to former president MechDX.





you're still my boy though. tough love.
 
Trejo the Manga.
KL9s3ZY.png
 
Thoughts on the Niners game last night:

Kap looked great. I'm not expecting much from the pass game for the first 4-6 weeks due to the new offense, but I liked what I saw a lot. Decisive, patient, and very deliberate throws were very promising. It'll be the true test as the offense matures and the intermediate to long pass game opens up more, but I'm happy with what he's shown so far.

Hyde is a stud. He was better than Gore last year but the CS was stubborn, and he's even better this year. Can't wait to see more.

Vernon really needs to step it up, though it's not like we're resigning him anyways.

O Line did well, especially in the run. Weird that preseason overreactions were absurd and over the top.... again.

The D is vintage Baalke, with just countless young guys stepping up and shining. Acker was great, Tartt was a missle who was everywhere, Tank was getting great push and soaking up multiple blockers, Lynch was a beast, it goes on and on. Mangini's blitz schemes were awesome to see. Top 10 for this D is the floor this season.

Nice to see Bowman is already back to being the best ILB in the game too.

Such a great first game, so much to build upon.

This young D is the most promising thing of the whole team. They are so young!

*youngry*
 

eznark

Banned
Meh.

I don't see 6 wins at this point. I now firmly believe O'Briens ego is clouding his judgment. Hell or high water he is going to prove himself right about Hoyer at the cost of the season.

May be 2013 all over again

As long as we are playing armchair psychologist, I think it's more likely he realizes Mallet is an entitled, spoiled baby who is only motivated when he feels slighted so he won't name him the starter to make sure he works his ass off this week to earn it. And then he'll probably subtly shit on him post game after what is sure to be another wasted Watt effort.

Mallet is the type of guy you have to ride hard and put away wet.
 

cdyhybrid

Member
Great article

http://shepherdexpress.com/article-26422-packers-and-seahawks-learning-from-week-1-struggles.html

This is an uncharacteristically Hot Take from Paul, who is normally more reserved. Comparing Graham to Mason is hilarious in that it expands upon the basketball meme but also super damning coming from him.

I don't know if I totally agree with the doom and gloom, but Seattle figuring it out depends on Bevell figuring it out, and I think I know how that makes Seahawks fans feel.

Seems like he's extrapolating a ton from one game so far this season. It didn't look good, but the Rams were a terrible matchup on offense for us. And losing to the Rams isn't as crazy as he's making it out to be. They beat us last year and give the rest of the division fits as well. The Packers' D-line is not the Rams', so unless the O-line somehow plays even worse than last week, the offense will improve.

I'm much more concerned about our inability to consistently pressure Foles behind a pretty questionable O-line. If we can't get to Rodgers he's going to have a field day, especially since our new DC likes to blitz a little more than his predecessors.
 

eznark

Banned
Seems like he's extrapolating a ton from one game so far this season. It didn't look good, but the Rams were a terrible matchup on offense for us. And losing to the Rams isn't as crazy as he's making it out to be. They beat us last year and give the rest of the division fits as well. The Packers' D-line is not the Rams', so unless the O-line somehow plays even worse than last week, the offense will improve.

I'm much more concerned about our inability to consistently pressure Foles behind a pretty questionable O-line. If we can't get to Rodgers he's going to have a field day, especially since our new DC likes to blitz a little more than his predecessors.

For sure, but it's what they asked him to do. I think it's hard to argue though that the Seahawks will suddenly change the way they are using Graham, given they have had an entire off-season to do so and didn't.

And yeah, the offense will improve a lot. But you ain't facing Nick Foles Sunday night and you also won't have Cam.

The most interesting point he makes, I think, is that they sacrificed so much in terms of their running game to get Graham. That makes them a more balanced team and possibly a better team overall, but it also makes them a better matchup for GB than they were last year.
 

Hindl

Member
Afternoon everyone. How are we all doing today?

Still digesting last night. It's one thing to leave week 1 having a decent grip on your team, but it was a tale of two halves last night. Still don't know what the Eagles will do.

Also, this thread is fucking gold. The video it links to is an alright skit, but the overreactions in it from the people in there are insane

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1112621
 

cdyhybrid

Member
For sure, but it's what they asked him to do. I think it's hard to argue though that the Seahawks will suddenly change the way they are using Graham, given they have had an entire off-season to do so and didn't.

And yeah, the offense will improve a lot. But you ain't facing Nick Foles Sunday night and you also won't have Cam.

The most interesting point he makes, I think, is that they sacrificed so much in terms of their running game to get Graham. That makes them a more balanced team and possibly a better team overall, but it also makes them a better matchup for GB than they were last year.

Agreed. Puts more pressure on Russell to be the engine of the offense, but he was going to have to eventually be that anyway as Lynch ages. Just have to hope he can become a more consistent/efficient passer.

One thing I found interesting in that article FMT linked last night was the thought that he might be ignoring open guys underneath, in hopes that someone will get open deep. While I don't think that's a bad thing overall, there has to be a breaking point somewhere. Also, it's really hard to do that when you're getting pressured immediately after the snap.
 
Terrelle Pryor couldn't make it with the Cleveland Browns, but last year's Super Bowl champs might be interested.

NFL Media's Albert Breer reported that the New England Patriots worked out the quarterback-turned-wideout on Monday, per a source with knowledge of the visit.

No signing is imminent, per NFL Media's Rand Getlin, but workouts are often a way for teams to measure a player before quickly inking him later if need arises.

HYPE
 
I think Douglas and Albert will get better, hopefully that will cover from Thomas, he was god awful. I was disappointed in our rush defense but I was happy to see that they adjusted in the second half. So far I have to say it looks like the same old dolphins though.
Why does Joe refuse to acknowledge failures in short yardage situations? Why is he so against QB sneaks or power run formations/plays? At first it was cool seeing an "exciting" offense with 800 variations on the shotgun formation but it starts to wear thin after the 5th consecutive failure on 3rd/4th and 1.
 
Why does Joe refuse to acknowledge failures in short yardage situations? Why is he so against QB sneaks or power run formations/plays? At first it was cool seeing an "exciting" offense with 800 variations on the shotgun formation but it starts to wear thin after the 5th consecutive failure on 3rd/4th and 1.

It's very frustrating...we don't even have a HB/FB on the roster, when Sims went down we were screwed out of a lot of the 2 TE sets they wanted to run too. So unprepared....
 
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