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Maybe the Patriots shouldn’t feel so bad about getting spanked two weeks ago by the Fins, after all.
The Fins are spanking the Chargers late in the first half, 17-3.
Miami just extended the margin to 14 with a short touchdown run from tailback Ronnie Brown out of the “Wildcat” formation, which results in a direct snap to Brown.
October 5th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Miami Wildcats
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
YES!
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
How many snaps do you need at a position to become eligible for that position in fantasy? Because I’d rather start Ronnie at QB over Derek Anderson and Carson Palmer.
I swear I’m not 0-4.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Just imagine if they had a healthy Donald Thomas.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
They’re a joke. What happens when the trick plays all get schemed? They are left with nothing. They are nothing more than a headache team. NE an SD are not even close to the same teams as last year.
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Rating: 1.65 / 5 with 9 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Chargers are a proven sexond half team just watch for sproles and rivers to explode in the second half
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Yeah Treez,
They’re a joke. They’re only using high school trick plays, and yet NFL teams can’t stop them.
It’s not just the Wildcat, the Fins D looks amazing, and Pennington is super-accurate today.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Trick plays all get schemed? It’s one play, SD did scheme for it and is defending it as best they can. Out of four times on the first drive, they held it to two yards or less three times.
The issue is: Miami’s O-line is pretty good, the formation gives them an advantage on the line on the weak side and at the moment of setting up blocks, Ricky is set up and done a great job of blocking for Ronnie, and the direct snap gives Ronnie tons of vision to find his own holes. At which point, it’s still successful for a couple of yards to ten yards even when played by the defense to perfection. The real danger comes into play when Ronnie actually throws the option or hands off to Rickie or Ginn… which they haven’t even tried yet today.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Looks like Ted Cottrell forgot to pack his mansiere.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Norv Turner wow he’s got to be the worst coach ever.
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Rating: Not yet rated
October 5th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
jackd, Miami just ran out the clock, Tomlinson/Sproles are combined for less than 60 on the ground, Rivers has less than 160 yards. Did you watch?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Update, since Florio hasn’t gotten to it yet: Dolphins beat the Chargers 17-10. Chargers are 2-3, Dolphins are 2-2.
I think it’s time to officially rename the NFL version of this formation the Wild Fin.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
The Dolphins are definitely for real! Sparano even said that it’s not a trick play, it’s a regular formation that they’re gonna use. And Jake Long also moves to the RT spot during that formation. It’s insane! I love it! Go Fins Go!
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
That’s a supposed 1 and 15 football team beating last year’s AFC Championship game participants, back to back…
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I’m glad to see Pennington getting respect. The Jets never knew what they had. Chad is a very smart football player.I realize he has had shoulder problems which made throwing acurately a big problem. I don’t think the Jets really worked with him properly. Mangini wanted him out. I’m glad Parcells saw a good QB in Pennington and picked him up.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
October 5th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
they will be 8-8. a huge improvement
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Rating: Not yet rated
October 5th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
As an avid football fan that follows the AFC east closely. I am not the least bit surprised at the Dolphins resurgence. Everyone has heard that the fins were the last team to beat the Pats before the 21 game win streak. What most don’t remember was how bad a beating that was. That Dolphin team from ‘06 also won six straight at the end of the season and were picked by many to win the division in ‘07 and go to the super bowl. That team was and is loaded with talent and only needed stability at QB and Head coach. Sparano looks like he might be able do the job and the Jets generously provided a top flite (when healthy) QB.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 6th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Treez - do you realize Ronnie had a better rushing average when NOT in the Wildcat formation? Guess they will have something once teams ’scheme’ that play. Which is something I’m sure you thought would happen after it was on film from the NE trouncing.
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Rating: Not yet rated
October 6th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
not that it needs to be said, but out of the (how many?) plays the dolphins offense runs, only 11 were wildcat, treez.
gimmicky? maybe, but that gimmick works and gets yardage, first downs, and as you’ve all seen - scores.
more importantly, the biggest-gaining plays were NOT run out of the formation, and we’re winning the battles in the trenches - both o-line and d-line. those are signs of an improved team, not a gimmicky one.
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Rating: Not yet rated
October 6th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
The “gimmick” play is not the reason the Dolphins were successful. The line is making holes and Ronnie Brown is making people miss. Ricky Williams is an effective blocker in the formation. The play does add uncertainty, which throws defenses off, but they only scored 17 points, even though they ran it almost twice as often as they did against NE.
The defense was the real reason the Dolphins won. They effectively stopped the run and had Rivers on his heels all day. Rivers missed a huge opportunity when he overthrew Jackson on that deep ball. And the goal line stand was the difference in the game.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)