Following yesterday’s preseason game between our Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants, I asked the following question:
What were your takeaways from last night’s preseason game between our Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders New York Giants? What were the positives and negatives that you saw? What was encouraging, and what has to be addressed/hopefully fixed before the season begins?
Below are some of your thoughts and answers-
Dolfan 22 points to one of many worrying stats from yesterday’s
game.
3 first downs!!! My goodness!!
Dave21 points out that these growing pains are all a part of the process.
Well the game was not fun to watch that’s for sure, but all second ,third string and players that won’t make this team. We know the starters and some starting players were banged up before this game. Pre season is just for players trying to win a job. Our 1’s don’t look horrible, but if we lose any of them these season will be much worse than expected . This will be a long a bad season zero doubt in my mind, 27 should be much better and 28 should be great. Player growth takes time, I have been preaching that on here forever. These boys a green and they need experience. We have sucked for 30 years, 1 more is that bad!! We’re used to it!!
Dolfanjoe is another who points out that this is going to be a year of painful growth, a bye year, if you will.
What do you not understand about a complete rebuild ? Total salary cap dump. Signing a few player extensions, notice without trade clause in the contract ! We are and should be worse than an expansion team. We will have a first string team to go out and compete with many teams all year long. This will be whittled down by injuries as the season goes on. It is hard as a fan to accept that we very well may hold the first or second pick in the 27 draft. This is by plan ! No one in the organization is going to say that out loud. Just go to the podium and say we have some things to correct and are working towards that goal. The rebuild started with 13 draft picks. Another full draft next year with early picks that can be traded for many more picks. Yes we will actually have money for free agents also to fill those holes that will be very apparent this year. 22 starters on a 53 man squad that will be changing all across the bottom all year long. 32 other practice squads to pluck better players from. Players off the street better than what you have. Good teams have players they want to keep but have no room and hope they can slip them on to the practice squad. So many of these players are better than what is on this Dolphin team now. So don’t be mad, don’t be sad. All this is by design, they just are not going to say the truth outload. 26 is a bye year, coaches have to improve and players that will be here next year have to get better. 27 on can and should be seen as a team with a future to compete with the big boys. But 26 folks, this is going to be a tough year !
Torrosen seems displeased with the whole thing.
What is this supposed to be? A truly dismal performance. Even if these were the second- and third-string players, then 75% of it represents a sheer waste of money or incompetence on the part of the coaching staff
bluebull53 really wanted to see the first-team guys get more reps at full game speed.
I feel whoever decided to sit the starters probably did more harm than good. This is a new team and a new system that will take time to gel. They really should have at least had one drive. Week 1 against the Raiders might be winnable so if Malik Willis doesn’t do so well, the first thing I’m going to think is he didn’t get enough game speed reps in the preseason.
MIAMI235 is really just about getting right to the point.
Not very pretty.
JUK wonders why you show up to play in the first place if you are going to bench all of the starters.
My primary thought is that preseason games are pointless. If the starters aren’t going to see the field in the second game why even bother?
Other thoughts – Tahj can kiss any lingering thoughts of a roster spot goodbye. We need to sign a lineman to replace Salyer. I hope Moore is OK, and we need our secondary fully healthy and hafley scheming to have a chance
AquaAndOrange is all for things looking a bit rough now in order to get the cap in shape so that we can compete in the future.
I’ve lowered my expectations yet again. Instead of a 20 game preseason, that I predicted before, I’m now considering this year 3 scrimmages and 17 preseason games. That game was tough to watch. Without many starting players on the field, it’s going to look like that. No worries, I’m still 100% behind the plan to get our salary cap in order. I still don’t think there will be any splash free agent signings next year either. The days of living beyond our means ended when grier was sent packing. We’re going to build through the draft with this regime. There’s only so many draft picks each year. It will take a few years to fill out the whole team. Next year will be much better though. I can wait. At least we don’t have that debt hanging around our neck after this year. 2027 will be a new beginning.
heatforlife doesn’t believe in the concept of hiring a first-time head coach.
rookie hc new on the job thats always very scary i would have rather hired a established hc.harbaugh was out there of course ross cant get him.tomlin out there?even jon chucky gruden been out there being blackballed by nfl.hafley is he another in the line of great ross hires.just goes on and on and on with this org.ive been saying this for a while until ross is gone—-
MiamiItaliano hopes the defense can step up and carry this team.
They better hope the defense is lights out this season
phinskiller is ready to start churning the bottom of that roster with other teams’ cast-offs.
The goal- no injuries and start to build from the bottom up with GB south. Amazing how watching a few other teams pre-season week 1 and 2, how inept today the dolphins def line, back end cb, and safetys and lbs could not tackle a barn. 3’s 4’s or walk ons. The speed or lack of speed today with these misfits is glaring. I said they would get run over vs giants joint practices (funny how Harbough does this every year to this organization) will see how many moves when other teams drop cut their players, or you find some walk ons (flores master at that) but today was a complete stomp. Hoping they cutting people as I type, and getting more people in- well they first need to get more people trying out- then they can cut.
Jptapt says this is what you’ll get until they restock the pantry.
This all you can get when the cupboard is bare. All the cap money is paying people who aren’t on the team anymore. Sooner or later we had to pay the piper.
Hopefully we can find a real player or two when teams start their cuts.
phinette23 felt the pain and probably will continue to for much of this year.
Our offense
3 first downs
102 total yards
2.8 yards per play
2-11 on third down conversions
Preseason or not, this is butt ugly. In addition we had 8 penalties, 2 fumbles, and many drops. Don’t even get me started on the defense. Someone fetch me my rosary beads.
FLexile says the blueprint on how to get it done is right down the road.
Follow the Florida Panthers blueprint. Every game, win or lose, learn something and get better with each week. There’s alot less games in the NFL, so the learning curve is alot steeper. I’m more concerned about how this team finishes the season than how they start.
Francesco ITA is okay with this mess right now, but things need to start turning around sooner rather than later.
It’s clear that all the FO, coaches, will get a pass due the salary cap situation… But not more than 2 seasons ok ? This season is tanking, evaluating talents ( -,- ), ok …. But in season 2 (and hopefully at the end of this season) there must be drastic improvements. Flores did all that…
That’s our selection of comments for this evening. If there was a consensus, it’s that the team looked like a horse that needed to be taken out and shot yesterday. At least we are at the point where the arrow can only point one way. As always thank you to each of you who took the time to answer our Phinsider Question Of The Day.
