Live Dolphins-Ravens Postgame Breakdown

Live Dolphins-Ravens Postgame Breakdown

Uh, and we’re off. Hey everyone, welcome to the live uh All Dolphins podcast postgame breakdown of the beatdown. How’s that for another for little rhyming action here? Dolphins on the wrong end of a 28-6 score against the Baltimore Ravens to fall to two-7 on the season. And yeah, I think we can pretty confidently say it’s done. They’re not going to make the playoffs in 2025. um all that goodwill positivity they created uh from their game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday gone. I’m joined as I always am after the game by Dante Kalinelli, my deputy editor at Miami Dolphins on Sai before we get cranking. As always, a big thank you for joining us, number one. And always, if if you want to do me a solid and do that like button, even bigger solid, if you haven’t already subscribed to the uh the podcast, please do so. It helps with the algorithm and all that good stuff. Wherever you get your audio podcast, you can find us. And last but not least, check out the written content at Miami Dolphinssonsi.com. All content for free. Um, so Dante, how are we looking at this game? Surprising, not surprising, obviously disheartening. I I mean, I don’t know that the the outcome is necessarily surprising. I think the most surprising part really is that um I think if you look at this game at a play-by-play basis, I don’t know that you’d come away with the conclusion that the Dolphins were 22 points worse than the Ravens. Yep. on Thursday night. I think especially in the first half. I think you know the second half obviously not great, but um I mean I I thought they were the better football team in the first half. They just shot themselves in the foot consistently. Um really questionable fourth down uh uh play call and throw decision from the quarterback. Two things not great. You have the false start that pushes the field goal back instead of going for it. And Riley Patterson misses a field goal that he should make. Um so that’s another one. You had the uh what was it? Yeah, the fourth down miss and Malik Washington. I mean, the game was already over, but he fumbled deep in Baltimore territory. You got the ball at the Baltimore 29 in the first half and you went three and out and kicked a field goal instead of scoring a touchdown. So, shot yourself in the foot all night. Thought you were the better team for at least 30 minutes. Yeah. And the defense, I tweeted this, the defense I thought played very well in the first half. Jackson, as we were talking before we hit we hit the the the live button. Um in the first half looked like a guy who hadn’t played in a month, which is what the deal was. Um like his first third down pass. He basically put up the guy’s feet. I didn’t think it was particularly sharp, but it looked hesitant in the pocket. Normally he can escape pressure a lot better than he did, but the Dolphins were doing a good job. They were shutting down Derk Henry. He wound up with 119 yards rushing, but a lot of it was garbage time stats. Um he was not a major factor in this game as you mentioned the first half the Dolphins had a clear advantage. I don’t remember the exact numbers but they they might have outgainained the Ravens by more than 100 yards in the first half but they had those key mistakes. Taj Washington it’s the first his first career catch and as he’s going down he’s got guys pulling at the ball and it’s a safety who w pulling the ball out of his grasp. I I if and Taj Washington is a smaller guy. If you know that could be a problem where a safety can just physically, you know, out muscle you to rip the ball out, then go straight go down the second you run into traffic. I think that’s a lesson he’s going to have to to learn. Um obviously you mentioned the Larry Borum play. Um and then the missed field goal and then we have to mention the Ali Gordon penalty didn’t help which looked like a completely bogus call. The only thing I could see that the officials might have might have thought is if you look at an angle when when the contact is first made between the Ravens defender and I don’t know if it was Calban or who it was, it was with the thigh. So nothing there. But as he’s falling down and as the Ravens defender guy goes by, Gordon’s foot goes up and from a certain angle, I don’t know if the guy thought that from that that point there was contact and he decided it was a call, but it wasn’t intentional anyway. Um, it was brutal. And by the way, for those who know how much I despise instant replay, it’s a situation like this because that’s not reviewable, you know, but certain plays are where you can correct an egregious mistake that’s egregious and it cost the Dolphins a big play. I agree. I mean, I think um the the frustrating part to me is is not so much that the refs missed a call at full speed. I obviously look it’s a terrible call and they should be better than that but like okay mistakes happen but we all just sit here and watch the replay over and over again in the stadium. They show the replay over and over again. It’s posted everywhere on social media. We see it on the broadcast and these are calls that happen every week to every team across the league where the refs just miss and we just watch six replays and we go n there’s nothing we can do about it. Sorry. It’s it’s absurd. It doesn’t make any sense to me. Um, and a really underrated part of that whole sequence, by the way, is the following play where Tua throws a very catchable pass to Tanner Connor, but he forgets where he is on the sideline. It doesn’t get two feet down. That would have been a 18 yard gain on second and 16 and they keep marching there. So, you just you just implode like they just imploded after that. That was the end of that might have been the end of the game. Like it wasn’t a great throw either because Tua kind of let him. It was a bad not a perfect thrower and it wasn’t a great throw. You’re an NFL tight end. You should catch that imbounce. I’m sorry. Well, but I’m sorry. I’m going to say this as respectfully as I can. Tanner Connor. I mean, when when did Tanner Connor become Travis Kelce or Rob Gronkowski? I don’t I don’t think you need to be Travis Kelce or Rob Gronowski to to catch that ball. No. Okay. And then I’m going give you another one. Give you another one. Jo on on the third down play, they set up a screen which looked like all kinds of promising and then Jonah’s out in the open field coming straight across Rocoan Smith and could not eliminate him from the play and Rocoan Smith kind of like got himself under Jonah and was able to make the tackle for like I don’t know five yard gain when that has all sorts of possibility. So, and then Jonah had another play, and I don’t want to pick on the dude, but had another play where basically the pass rusher kind of walked him back right next to Tua for for a sack. Um, and then the fourth down called like he he’s out on the flat against Kyle Hamilton, who’s about as good a safety as there is in the NFL. Um, throws it high into the end zone. Han had completely stopped. Um like I mean what was that was that with HN did HN break there wasn’t an option run I mean what what was that I don’t know what was happening at the bottom of the screen with Malik Washington and Jaylen Wadd that looked like the front side of the read to me but pre-nap it’s cover zero you have man coverage uh across the field so if you’re a tongue of Aloa in that position you what you do is you get to the line of scrimmage and you pick a matchup because you know you’re not going to have time to hold the ball because you there’s more rushers coming than you have blockers. So, you’re hot. So, when you get to the line of scrimmage, you pick a route and you throw the ball and wrong choice. He picked Devon A Chan who’s a tremendous receiver for a running back. This is not on Devon Achan. Sorry, I’m gonna I’m gonna disagree with you there. You don’t think he’s a tremendous receiver for tremendous receiver? He’s got the drop for for a running back, not as a receiver. a lot of passes and make things h makes things happen. He does not to me he does not had great hands. He drops he’s dropped a lot of balls this year. Even the one down the sideline. That’s got to be a catch. I mean, it wasn’t that difficult to catch. All right. Well, we’ll have to agree to disagree there. But we can agree that it was not a good decision to single him out against Kyle Hamilton on a got to have it fourth and two at the end of the half. And the route is a fade. It’s not like, oh, it’s a little dump off and he makes a guy miss. Like, you’re throwing a real route to the running back against maybe the best safety in the sport. I absurd. I I can’t wrap my head around that one. Terrible route concept. Terrible decision. Just bad. Allar around bad. Do not like do not like those those those deep throws on fourth and fourth and one. I I it makes zero sense to me. There were there were a lot of things the the operation and again so much was made and this is what happens in the media. So much was made. Frank Smith’s on the side and look how clean the operation is. Daniel Brunskills on the line as a six offensive line. Look how great the running game goes. This is why I’m gonna say it not not to go I told you so, but I’m going to say it because I took so much cluch flack for pointing this out that everything all of that was all great and dandy when you’re playing the Atlanta Falcons minus Michael Penn Jr. and you minus Drake London when you’re playing the Baltimore Ravens that enough’s not going to be is not going to be there. And even on top of that, the operation wasn’t nearly as clean in this game because we have in the first half they had to waste a timeout on because HN HN wasn’t lined up properly. You saw on the replay two immediately went to him like telling him what he was doing wrong and in the second half on defense um was it Rasul Douglas I got like a toe injury wound up having to get to to to leave the field. They send in Isaiah Johnson, except he’s late coming onto the field and they have to burn another timeout. So, I mean, the operation was sloppy again today. We had to delay a game. Uh, I mean, it it was ugly. It was same old Dolphins if under this regime, right? It was all the problems that has plagued this group of players and coaches for the past, I don’t know, since the end of the 2023 season, if you want to go back that far. I mean, it’s just they are who they are at this point. I don’t know that there’s a ton that we can talk about as far as like we can get into the nitty-gritty of individual play calls and performances and blah blah blah, but this team, this group has shown you who they are, their flaws, the strengths that they that they have, but the flaws are way overwhelming the strengths. The the negatives are way overwhelming the positives right now. They’re two and seven. They don’t have a ton of juice. I I I’ll give them credit. I’ll give him credit. Like the defense I thought really played hard tonight for both halves. Even, you know, in the second half where they were getting beat up a little bit there for a couple drives, I thought they still played hard. It’s not an effort problem. They just don’t have it. They’re they’re limited. They’re they don’t have it. They’re two and seven. They shoot themselves in the foot consistently. They’re not well coached. They’re not disciplined. They’re not dynamic enough. They’re too limited in too many areas due to years of questionable team building decisions. And this is the culmination of that. It’s a 28 to6 game where you lie down dead in the second half and you don’t get back up. So, what you’re trying to suggest is Dolphins have some issues. Just a few. Okay. Just a few. Um, no. The sequence of the start. By the way, may maybe I’m like this and and unless I have to look at the game book to make sure I did not correctly um that the Dolphins wound up winning coin toss and elected to receive. And I I cannot for the life of me. Well, was originally reported as a defer, right? And then it and then they ended up I mean was the toss to receive. Okay. Yeah. Um I cannot for the life of me get that. I I hate it with a passion. Give me always always always the ball to start the second half and particularly since the Dolphins the second half this year have sucked. So why are you putting you’re giving the ball to the other team to start the second half when you your your team has suck in the second? I don’t get it. And this this idea I think again when it was 2022 2023 and your offense was scoring a lot of points maybe. Um but to do it in a game like when you’re playing a good opponent in a game like this I I don’t get it. And then the sequence to open the second half. Here it goes. The defense have played very well and they give up some completions. Touchdown and then the sequence to end all sequences at a time when the fans already are not happy. Holding penalty on the punt on the kickoff return, sack on first down, throws an outlet and it’s a loss of one yard. Then throws behind HN on third down. I mean, it was like could it be could it be any uglier? I don’t I don’t know if you could come out flatter if you tried. Like truly like and what’s really frustrating about that and you bring up a great point at that first drive is that like you played all right in the first half. I know the score wasn’t what you wanted it to be and you shot yourself in the foot a couple times, but like you’re in this game, man. You’re you’re down by one score. It was eight points. It’s one touchdown, a two-point conversion, and you’re right there. And this team like they just don’t have the the mental fortitude to just hold the fort, you know what I mean? And just like relax. They they this they just this team looked very tense to me tonight. Just very tense. They knew what they were up against and they fell behind and they just they don’t have it. I don’t know how many different ways I can say it. They just don’t have it. And the big stat here, the Dolphins should generally have been very good in the red zone. Tonight, 0 for three. And in the first half, it was 0 for two with zero points because of the miss field on the fourth down. Not good. And then the other one is two for 12 on third down. And that continues a pattern. And I had my buddy Dana, I don’t know if you if you’re on here, Dana, love you my man. Uh, in a mailback question on Miami Dolphins.com, you asked if the Dolphin offense was better since Tyreek Hill has gone out. And I mentioned and I gave you the stats and it was six half a dozen for most of of the categories in terms of yards per game is a little higher actually in the in the four games without him and as opposed to the three games with him. I’m leaving out the Jets game because that’s when he got injured. But where there’s been a big drop is in third down conversions, which is how you sustain drives. And tonight, two for 12, which is really, really not good. Um, Tu had a couple of nice throws throughout the game. Had some stretches where he was very effective. And then there were other lols where didn’t throw the ball well at all. Should have gotten a pick. Had two picks. One of them is just like like a wing of prayer on the one. Hell of you want to talk about ball skills. That pick by Malachi Starks. That’s an impressive interception right there. Um Rocoan Smith should have had another pick on on the short throats. Why you wake up like that wasn’t nice ball skills but safety one Malachi Starks top 10 player Malachi Starks. I love Malachi Starks. But that was impressive. It was a great play. It was a great play and he’s he’s a very good player and I think you could have taken him at 13, but we don’t need to talk about that. It’s fine. Tyler Warren should have been the pick at 13, but that’s that also would have been fine. Holy moly. But my overall my my overriding point on Tua is in no way, shape or form. The games this game is not on him in the least. But this was another example and then there was a discussion by that from some ESPN folks. He’s a guy that you can win with against if everything around him is is working well. He’s not somebody who’s generally going to make everything rise above and that’s who he was and again the operation everything around the team was very very good against Atlanta and you saw to a deliver and have a really really productive game with great stats today is the opposite but it just shows to me I don’t think he should have gotten too much credit for the Atlanta win just like in this game I wouldn’t put too much blame on him. No, I mean I think I think you saw everything that’s both good and bad about Tua in this game. You saw that that some of the things that he can do when he’s on and in rhythm and on time and people are open when they’re supposed to be open and and he’s not under pressure or anything like that. And then you also saw uh the limitations of his game. He is not a quarterback that is going to pick up your team and and drag you when you’re not playing well, right? And so, you know, when we talk about, you know, you mentioned at the top of the show, and I agree with you, right? Like Lamar didn’t look, you know, particularly comfortable in that first half, but just kind of like did enough, right? Like just kind of took what the defense gave him, hit wide open receivers, right? And like I’m not saying that Tua can’t do that or that he doesn’t do that, but I think you know once Lir got into the rhythm of the game, especially early in that second half, you kind of saw his ability to just flip the switch and you saw the difference between an elite quarterback who who can pull your team up by the bootstraps when they’re two and five and on the road on a short week and a quarterback who is only going to operate as well as the things around him are operating at any given time. And most quarterbacks are like that. I don’t even mean to say that as like a dig at Tua. I mean, there’s like what five elite quarterbacks really in the sport. So, like Tua being that way is like not really a dig at him. It’s it’s just the way that it is. And the Dolphins, I think it would behoove them to consider other options. And we we’ll have plenty of time to talk about that. We don’t need to get into it. But you we’ve had the same conversation about Tua in pretty much every game this year. He is who he is. You’ve seen enough. Yep. You know who he is. You and I have been on the same page about him for a while now. This is not an update for us, but this is this is what the Dolphins signed up for when they signed the contract. This is the player that he’s been. It’s not going to change. They have to decide how they want to go about it from here. Yeah. And the biggest issue isn’t so much who and what is as a quarterback is the fact that the Dolphins have devoted so much money for for him at that at that number. you you should get more from your quarterback. That’s that’s the only issue there. Um Jaylen Phillips got a sack in the fourth quarter, missed a sack in the at the end on the last play of the first quarter when he got Lamar Jackson from behind, couldn’t bring him down, and then Jackson wound up hitting Isaiah likely the tight end for a 35 yard gain. And it was that was I hate to say it, but it’s kind of the story of Jason Phillips’s season, you know. Yeah. I don’t know if there’s like a almost sack stat, but I’d be really curious to see what it looks like for Jaylen Phillips. It’s got to be like what, four at least this year where I feel like he’s gotten like two hands on the quarterback and like hasn’t brought them down. It’s got to be like at least four. I mean, you got the Justin Herbert one and the Lamar one from tonight. That’s two. I feel like I if I really tried I could find two more. And it’s frustrating because I do think he’s like playing well generally speaking, but at a certain point like you do just have to finish some of these, you know. Yeah. Uh this was a game that was tough on the Dolphins physically. They were not counting Jack Jones who went out for one play when DeAndre Hopkins stepped on his foot on the side of his foot. Dolphins lost four players to injury. Chop Robinson went out with a concussion. Um, if he Millie Fanu was injured, shocker. Uh, that was a want to say toe injury. That dude I mean it’s like my god the dude is always hurt. Yeah, I feel bad for him. I do too. But holy moly. Rasul Douglas went out with a toe injury in the second half. And the fourth one, oh, is Ali Gordon, too, who sustained a an ankle injury and apparently per the Amazon Prime broadcast went in for X-rays, he was tackled from the No, sorry. Uh I think it might have been Malachi Starks actually fell into him from the side. Yeah, he got rolled up on on the sideline. Yeah. So, it was a rough rough game physically as well as um as that for those wondering. Yeah. Now, this was the Dolphins last game before the NFL trade deadline. No, I’m still not anticipating a fire sale. I would suspect um there will be a couple of moves, one maybe two. Bradley Chub, Jaylen Phillips, one of those. Yeah, I don’t know that they have enough good players to to facilitate a fire sale unless you start trading Jaylen Wadd and Devon Chan and Patrick Paul, which I think would be absurd. So, um I agree with you there. I think probably one or two moves, you know, maybe get something for Brazil Douglas. He’s played well enough to merit a fifth round pick. I don’t know. I would take it if anybody offers me a fit. But the the interesting conversation is like what is the incentive of the people currently in charge to make those moves, you know, like that’s correct. That’s a question that that makes it a very tricky situation because you it and this is Yeah. and yeah, who’s going to make the decisions and and are they making the decisions for, you know, for for the good of the franchise, which they might not be a part of, even though I still think Chris Cre is going to be some part of the organization in 2026, even if it’s not at the GM role. Mike McDaniel, I I I’m still not going to close the possibility that he might return. I don’t think it looks particularly good. Um, but who knows? But it yeah, it is it is very tricky uh as far as what the Dolphins are going to do. So yeah, I mean they should sell, right? Like they should obviously they they should try to get as many picks for veteran players who aren’t a part of the future as possible, but right aren’t a part of the future. But what what is Chris Greer’s incentive to sit up there and even if he’s you know whatever he gets reassigned, is he really going to sit there and be like, “Well, I’ll trade a fifth round pick for Bradley Chub.” I don’t know that he will. I don’t know that he has an incentive. Mike McDaniel definitely doesn’t. He is No, I think Chris Curry does if he has some sort of indication that he’s going to remain in within the organization because again Mike McDaniel’s incentive right now is basically to try to save his job and how is he going to do that by winning games. So he doesn’t want to trade any players away. If Chris Greer is told you’re a part of the organization next year, even if you’re like a consultant or senior executive, whatever title they want to give him, yeah, I do absolutely do think he’s going to do what’s in the best interest of the future long term. But f step one is identifying which players do that we want to roll with in 2026. And Rasul Douglas is not that old. Does it make sense for the Dolphins to talk to him about like maybe like try to sign him to one-year contract extension right now? Because he to me he’s been to me he’s been very very good. Um like Matthew Judon if you can get anything for him it’s see you. Um and Bradley Chub whose cap number right now is 31 million for 2026. He’s not coming back at 31 million. He already took a pay cut to come back this year. He gonna be willing to take another one. I don’t know. Jaylen Phillips, uh, UFA next off season. Dolphins have to make a a decision or some sort have some sort of an idea of is this a guy we want to move forward with and what’s going to be the price point. Uh, so they have decisions to make, but right now they still have, these are the depressing part. They still have eight games left. Starting with the Buffalo Bills. No, it’s it it really really sucks um on on every level because it’s like yeah, they’re not playing for anything. I I I still don’t think they’re going to be bad enough to land like a top three pick because they’re they’re still better than Cleveland, uh Tennessee or New Orleans. Are they better than Cleveland, though? Are they? Overall, I think they’re better. Cleveland’s offense is just so bad. No, it’s fair. It’s fair. It’s just funny because Cleveland beat him. Oh, no. Cleveland kicked the Dolphins ass convincingly. Yeah. I don’t know. Again, I don’t know. Who know? It’s tough though, right? Like No, it’s Dolphins. Yeah. Dolphins play the Buffalo Bills, you know, next uh next week and watch the Dolphins beat watch the Dolphins beat the Bills. just screw with everybody because the Bills there is be that element for the Bills is they’re playing Kansas City this week. So they, you know, the let down factor whatever could be in play. So anyway, we’re digressing from the game. Any other thoughts on the game before we we Let’s Let’s hear what the people have to say. Let’s hear from the people. Could be ugly, guys. Be gentle. We’re gonna start with Matt O with the $10 donation. Thank you, Matt. Much appreciated. Did you know our best player Jake Jake Bailey is married to someone named Bailey? Al Michaels knew when he was struggling to keep people interested halfway through the third quarter. Not only did I know um Matt, we also did a story, I believe I did a story on it or part of a notebook actually in the off season because his his wedding was covered by I want to say People magazine maybe. It was in Mexico and they did a big to-do about it. They had the photographer and they wrote a story about it. Um, and if memory serves, she used to be with New England, maybe a a former Patriots cheerleader. So, yes, I was aware. Yeah, I am. I have Googled her. She was a former Patriots cheerleader. Okay, so there you go. So, there you go. There you go. Julian, and you still haven’t told me, so I’m still going to think I’m pronouncing your first name correctly. Julian, thank you very much for the donation. Much appreciated. Will Tua get bench? It’s time to play Wilson and see what he can offer. If Wilson is bad, play yours. I uh it’s going to take a bit, but I think at some point there will be a change of quarterback to see what the Dolphins have, but it’s not going to be Zach Wilson, who’s got a one-year contract. To me, it’s going to be Quinn Yurs, who is your rookie seventh round pick and who who Dante hates, but who the Dolphins need to see if there’s something there moving forward. Come on, Dante. Say it. Dude, it don’t matter which quarterback they go to. I’m gonna be upset. It doesn’t it doesn’t matter. I agree though from a team building perspective. I think at a certain point you just throw them out there and see if you you hit the you hit the lottery, right? And I don’t think that you did. But hey, can’t hurt, right? If they’re going to be they’re going to lose to Buffalo next week and then they’re going to go to Madrid and Washington will probably be healthy at that point. They’ll probably lose that game. So you’re looking at two and nine. You mean you mean Jaden Daniels? Yeah. Yeah, Jaden Daniels, right? Well, I mean they’ll they should get the receivers back too because they’re out right now. Debo and and them guys are out. So probably get those guys back. So you’re what looking at two and nine. I don’t think you start Quinn in Madrid. That would be strange. I don’t think you start him against Buffalo. That would be strange. I think you kind of let that go. You have the by-week right when they get back from Madrid as well. And then I think you start talking about maybe putting Quinn or I mean if they want to go to Zack, they can go to Zack. But I think that would be the date for me at least. Well, New Orleans is the first game after the buy and it could we could have an all rookie matchup with Quinn Yur and Tyler. That’s as that’s as soft of a landing as you’re going to get for a rookie quarterback coming off a buy against New Orleans. Pardon me. Big bad null. No, thank you very much for the donation, my friend. All three phases of the game were firing four days ago. Exeu execution was tragic. It was It was bad. It was It was rough. And again, but it was a one-off against Atlanta. this is we had not seen that the whole year. Um and we were back to the whole thing except to me in the first half the defense actually was playing better than it had played pretty much all season except for Atlanta but again uh Atlanta were different circumstances and today we were back to being bad. The dad, thank you Dest. Uh a bright sign I liked was tight end 85 looked like a good safety blanket for Tua tonight. It would be Greg Doulich, who they signed after he was released from the New York Giants. Yeah, he’s a good receiving tight end. And that was the book on him coming out of UCLA. Yeah, I uh if I start talking about the Dolphins management of the tight end position, I’m going to get upset. So, we Yes, I like Greg. I like Greg Doulich. Um the fact that he was not promoted over Tanner Connor earlier in the process is very frustrating to me. uh only one of those players has been a productive receiver at the NFL level and it’s not the one that you’ve been looking at for the past four years and have hung on to and consistently thrust into the lineup despite being a below average player. So frustrating. Um and I think there’s room I think I is Tanner Connor moving the needle for you on special teams. No. No, but he he plays every game he plays a lot of snaps on special teams and that’s how he’s managed so can Greg. It’s not doing it for me. I’m sorry. I’m not getting there. In the Darren Waller games, you can talk me into it because those targets should be going to Darren Waller. Fine. But we’ve had enough non- Darren Waller games this year and I’ve seen enough of Tanner Connor who can’t find himself on the sideline, does not catch passes overly well. Greg Dolich had a 500 yard season. I know, but this is it’s a it’s a niche problem that I have, but it bothers me a lot. I see that. I see that. But the Dolphins have this habit and they’ve had this habit for a while of latching on to young players who are very marginal and thinking they can get them to a different level and a lot of times they can’t. No, it’s it’s arrogance and it’s a problem. They’ve done that on the offensive line and that that’s come back to bite him on the offensive line too. They did that there. But it it no it drives they have like I said many times before the idea of trading for Darren Waller to me was never problematic again because his contract’s very low and he gave up nothing in a draft. Yeah. But to not protect yourself in another way. And and mind you this is this happened in July before that. They knew they were going probably going to wind up trading John Smith. That didn’t come up like all of a sudden oh we have a contract situation with him. Uh, and then I see Aronda Gatson too like balling out with the Chargers and it’s like you had three fifth round picks and he went through all of those three and he’s a legacy. It’s it’s the easiest slam dunk that you could have. Don’t get it. Yeah. Okay, let’s move on. Matt, again, thank you very much, Matt. A frustrating part about McDaniel is I could see him learning from this and being a top head coach five years from now somewhere else. That Shanahan tree is real. Thanks for the postgame therapy stream. That’s what we’re here for, man. I don’t know. You know, you know why? I’m not sure. Um because McDaniel, while while a very very bright guy, has a very atypical personality for an NFL head coach and that’s who he is. And I don’t know that that changes. And I think that may be his biggest issue as a as an NFL head coach. So, I don’t know. I hope I hope I’m wrong because I really like Mike. He’s a really good dude. Um, that for him to like if he lands if as we all think is going to happen, he’s going to wind up being let go from Miami that he lands on his feet, he will land on his feet at least as an OC pretty quickly that he gets another shot as a head coach and he that he nails it. Yeah, we’re on the same page there. I I I think Mike will do a good job if he gets another chance. I do. I I I He doesn’t strike me as the type of guy, as much as he’s been very arrogant here with the Dolphins, he doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who wouldn’t re-evaluate after getting fired, you know? Like I think if he got another shot, he would do a decent job with it. Is it arrogance or confidence or maybe overconfidence? Is there semantics? It’s a thin line, right? Like what’s the difference between overconfidence and arrogance? Like I don’t But like arrogance does have such a negative connotation. I don’t and I don’t know that like I again I’m with you. Like I like Mike the dude. Like I I think Mike’s a good dude. I think he resonates with players more than people give him credit for. And but it’s hard for me because it’s just like they don’t he hasn’t changed. He hasn’t adapted. It’s it’s the things that we talked about with hanging on to these players for years. It’s the He’s responsible for the offense. He’s the play caller. That’s his thing. And it’s the same problems that they’ve had for two plus years. That’s why I use the word arrogance because they know what the problems are. They they know some possible solutions. It took them until last week to run jumbo sets. That was the first time in four years. That’s that’s why I say arrogance, but overconfidence. Sure. Yeah. Okay. Birthday salami, the donation. Thank you very much, birthday salami. Much appreciated. Season’s over, but thankfully Frank Smith is now on the sideline if we’re reaching for positive. A Chan ripped off some runs and Dol Dolich looked decent. I detect some sarcasm on the Frank Smith comment. I could be I could be wrong. Um, yeah. No, Achan was Achan. A Han’s a good player. He’s just a very good player. But he’s he’s another one you have to have a conversation about because he’s eligible for contract extension after the season. And don’t think Mr. Han’s agent not going to be on the phone with whoever is handing out contracts saying, “Yo, take care of me.” Uh, and becomes the question of how much you want to spend. I think you wait on that one though. Like that to me that’s like an off you you cross that bridge in the off season or at next year’s trade deadline. I don’t think you do that now. Okay. No, that’s fair. Yeah. Ian Mason, thank you very much, sir, for the donation. Much appreciated. got spanked by Lamar with Josh Allen on deck. Ode to Joy. This team better sell players not named Han and Paul. I would add you can’t trade Kenneth Grant. You can’t trade the guys on rookie contracts who are very cheap and still have high upside. Kenneth Grant I wouldn’t give up on Jonas of just yet. No. Patrick Paul you mentioned Chop Robinson not going anywhere. Jaylen Wadd’s not going anywhere. His contract is is team friendly for for through next season. Yeah. He’s also good. I feel like that gets lost in the in the shuffle sometimes. Like you are allowed to be a rebuilding team and also have good players. You don’t you don’t have to have no good players. You can have a few. It’s okay. I promise it’ll be all right. Yeah. Yeah. You don’t want to do like 2019. And even 2019, they had a couple of decent players, too. Uh, what do we got? Birthday sal. Oh, that’s funny. You make me laugh. Birthday salami. Thank you for the donation trade when he had the chance. Did I miss the memo on this one? For those not familiar wi with birthday salami’s reference is Chris Greer told us during one of his rare he does selected press conferences throughout the year. It’s like three or four. And one time, I don’t know exactly how it came about, but he basically volunteered the information that teams had called him uh in the offseason about making a trade for Keon Smith and which led all of us media members to to go okay. Sure, Chris. He’s another one of those guys. The Dolphins have hung on to him for for two three years and got a whiff of the starting lineup this year and that didn’t last and it’s no birthday salami again. Good thing about Jaylen Abba missing so many sacks is that Jaylen Abba is that he can be brought back that back on the cheap. That’s funny. Uh that’s a great that’s a great great question would be what exactly is going to be Jaylen Phillips’s market? That’s a great question. That is a good question. I think it’ll be higher than people think. I I’m not gonna lie. I I think if he stays healthy and he doesn’t get hurt again for the entire year. He played 17 games. Let’s say Miami doesn’t trade him hypothetically. Okay. 17 games. Pressure rate sits somewhere in the 16 to 18 range, which is what it’s been this year. Ends the year with like six or seven sacks. I think that dude’s going to get paid like a like a decent penny. I do. He’s making 13 million.1 I think this year on his fifth year option and Yeah, I think he gets a lot more than that. Really? Okay. Yeah. I I think teams are desperate for edge. Sure. Really desperate. And when guys go to free agency, they get a hell of an increase at those positions. Tackle, edge, corner, quarterback, they all get a a huge bump. Even wide receiver, I just don’t know that he’s an impact player. Who Where’d you go? Where’d you go? Uh, Omar Deila. Omar, thank you very much for the donation. Malik Washington was awful returning punts, ball sailing behind in front. Yeah, he had one that was a bad whiff. Uh, misjudged it, but dude’s been really, really good all year. At the end of the first half, right, he just I mean, just let the ball go by him. Yeah. For some reason, I was straight. Oh, that was the two-minut wasn’t that the two-minute drive? That may have been the two-minute drive where he kind of killed it. I’m pretty sure it’s a two-minute drive. It was the last one before the half. their last drive before that. Yeah, he killed that drive by by a misplay, but the guy overall has been very very good. He had the fumble at the end when the game was out of reach. Uh, and he had we had one elacious play, I think it was in the first half where he did the reverse, should have been dropped for like a six, seven yard loss and cleared out some traffic behind behind the line of scrimmage and wound up going left and gaining seven yards on the play. That was that was some impressive open field running right there. Agreed. I got that one here. Oh, sorry again. Okay, let’s go. Um, considering a little late hour, we may not go as long as we usually do, but we’ll we’ll grab a few more here. Let’s see. We got Oh, lighten up, my man. Do we suck. Wow. Holy moly. Uh oh, man. Yeah. Uh I’m trying to say anything. Okay, man. A lot of a lot of shots at Jaylen Phillips, it looks like over here. Let’s go from there. People are frustrated, you know. That’s why. Why? I kid. I kid. G Maul, thank you very much, sir. How heated do you think fans were at the game tonight? Dude, I’ve never seen this before. I tweeted this. Fans with paper bags over their heads. I have never seen that in Miami. I maybe I’ve missed it before. I haven’t seen that. There were booze starting in the first half, particularly after that ugly sequence early in the third quarter. Yeah. No, it was it was bad. A lot of Ravens fans early in this game, too. Yep. A lot of them. A significant amount. So, I know the fan fans are fans are not happy. No, no, no, no, no. They’re not having it. Justin, thank you very much for the donation. Justin, fan base always blaming Tu. It’s all we hear. It’s the whole damn team. Greer can’t put together a good roster. It’s Oh, fan the fan base always blaming Tua. Uh the fan base that that is not Tua supporters. Yeah, absolutely. And I’ve said this all along. It’s crazy to me how the opinions of Tua are so extreme on one side or another where I think he’s somebody who doesn’t move the needle terribly much in terms of affecting the outcome. I I mean this in the nicest way possible. He’s not even a quarterback who’s like worth debating this much. Like like truly like it he’s been the same guy for years. Like there there are there are quarterbacks like Jordan Love and Baker Mayfield and you know some of the younger guys Michael Pennix and Caleb Williams who are like at polar opposites of the spectrum depending on the day of the week. And I think Jordan Love’s really really good. And I think Baker Mayfield’s turned himself into a good player and I still have hope for Caleb Williams and Michael Penn Jr. and blah blah blah blah. But like th those players are just we don’t know who they are and we’ve just like it’s so weird to me that like Tua has just been a good quarterback for years now. Like and and we just sit here and it’s like he’s either elite and if you don’t call him elite everyone gets mad at you or you have the group of people who are like he’s trash and you can’t win any football games with him despite the fact that the Dolphins have put together several successful teams around Tua. So, it’s just very weird to me. It’s very frustrating because I I I think it was very easy to figure out who Tua was three years ago. Like, it’s this debate has been over for me personally for three years. I my my thoughts have not changed. It’s very strange. Yeah, I I might go back for further than that. I I’ve been I think I’ve been very consistent about touring and I and I got killed for it um by some other media members who shall remain nameless because I’m not going to dignify um from saying very early on that it’s like because I because all you heard was in 2021 that like well look he’s got nobody around him and it’s like okay but if he was special he would make more out of it than than he is but and then in 2022 when they built a team around him a track meter on him, he started balling out. That’s And again, I don’t have an issue with two as a quarterback so much as I do with the contracts, the contract the Dolphins gave him, which does this to them even for Oh, Big Bat Matt. Thank you, Matt. Wildly different skill set, but Tour reminds me of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Moves the offense, but has an obvious ceiling. Gunslinger was a bit more fun to watch. Um I can’t. They’re they’re too different for No, they’re very very very Yeah, they’re too I I understand what you’re saying in the sense that like you kind of know what your ceiling is with those players, right? But like I don’t know. I think uh I think they’re wildly different, right? like Ryan Fitzpatrick was kind of the definition of like you don’t know what you’re going to get on any given week and two is kind of the direct opposite of that where like generally speaking you do know what you’re going to get every week. Um so yeah I I don’t know if I can if I can get to that one. No, very different. I I I do think Fitzpatrick was was was a guy that teammates rallied around a lot more than than they would with two. And he became he was very very marginal like early through most of his career and then toward the end of his career starting in Tampa and then when he came when he came to the Dolphins the 2020 season he was very good. Um and the Dolphins were 10 and six. Uh but um interesting but yeah Fitzpatrick was fun to watch. Uh Omar, thank you very much, sir. Tua’s arm is much weaker this year. His deep throws are pot flies now. I think he’s I think he is hurt. He keeps saying he’s not. And he’s on the injury report with a left thumb that’s been going on for a month now. And he’s been asked, I think a couple of times it’s a whether it’s an issue, and he says no. I’ve seen some throws, not not down deep shots, but intermediate where he he’s got some zip on the ball. The touchdown pass to Malik Washington against the Falcons on the move had some some nice zip on it. Um, but yeah, no, Tu has never had a very strong arm, it’s and if his feet are not set correctly, yeah, that ball’s going to sail. Yeah, we’ve talked about this on the show, I think probably every week. I I think I’ve seen a reduction in the arm speed and and ball velocity since week one. uh it’s still shown up for me. So I don’t know that it matters though ultimately to your point like Tua was never a a guy who was going to fire the ball. I think where you see that regression is some of those like intermediate throws into tight coverage that he used to hit and they’re not hitting this year and they’re sailing on him and he’s trying to drive the ball and he can’t. Uh we wrote a story about that two weeks ago. You can check it out on the site. Um, but I mean to your point, like he was never throwing bullets out there. So, uh, but a small reduction matters, right, for a guy who isn’t throwing bullets. So, yeah. But again, every once in a while, because I I’ll give you another one tonight was the the fourth down pass to Jaylen Waddle near the sideline. I think it may have been the fourth quarter that that that had some nice some nice zip on it. Yeah. Yeah. The the fourth and long conversion. Yeah. I mean, every once in a while they you’ll see it through. But again, it’s like his feet have to be set like really really well and get his get, you know, get his whole body into it. The ar if if it’s a little bit off, the arm just not there to get it done. Okay. What John said right here, hit the like button, everyone. There you go. U Dave Dave, how you been Dave? Long time no see. Why, what a surprise. really thought we were going to win. When will this nightmare end? So sick of being irrelevant. Thank God for You got eight more weeks, Dave. Yeah, I know, right? Rough. Uh, hold on, no, no, no, no, no. Hold on. Toto 916. Mike has a problem with his terrible play calls. He puts his team in terrible position instead of playing to their current strengths. Keep Tua from hurting this his team by calling calling runs to the backs. Um, again, Tu, I don’t think Tua was the biggest issue tonight. Um, and were there issues with his play calling last week against Atlanta? I again, it’s it’s great when we’re playing the result. Here’s And here’s the thing, too. Last week, it’s like everybody is in love with the fact that they’re running the ball so much. This week, the first drive, it’s third and six, and they run Devon Achan. And my first thought I was like, really? That’s what we’re doing? And then it’s like, okay, well, everybody loved the running game last week. That’s what you were clamoring for. Okay, there’s a big difference between run the ball more and run the ball on third and six. My problem with that run call was we’re calling sweep to the outside with Tanner Connor as the POA blocker. I mean, give me give me a break. All right. Give me a break. All right. If you’re going to run the ball on third and six, run it up the gut so it’s fourth and three and then you go for it instead of trying to stretch the defense to get six yards on third and six. If you’re going to run a perimeter play, throw it to the perimeter so it’s out there quicker and you pick up more yards. That’s my problem with that play call. It’s less to do with is it run or pass. It’s more why are you running three yards behind the line of scrimmage on third and six? That’s like why we just we we we outsmarted ourselves on that one. Like I don’t know. Do you know the one play I’ve never I don’t I can’t recall seeing the Dolphins call with Mike McDaniel’s head coach is a draw play. I don’t recall that. Oh man, I don’t I don’t I can’t think of one either. Let’s see if I can find one. It’s free. That would be a challenge. You might be right though. I can’t I can’t think of one. Uh, what do we got? Toby, how are you Toby? Thank you very much for the donation. Toby Kyle M. Kyle Mackey had more moxy heart and clutch gene than Tua. The guy had balls. Tell the people who he is. Boop. I will gladly do that. Toby, because I know Dante, you don’t know. You weren’t even born when Kyle Mcki played. So, in 1987, we’re going back a ways here. there was an NFL strike and the NFL owners didn’t want the league to stop uh playing for all that time. So they hired strike replacement players and they w up playing three games with strike replacement players even though there were a couple of there’s a a group small group of regular players who cross the pickup lines to actually play and there was a very very good documentary on Hulu about the Washington Redskins at the time uh and the pride they took in how Well, they played. They were three and0 during their strike placement games. The Dolphins were two and one as I recall. And Kyle Mackey was the quarterback for the Dolphins. Were number 15. Had one big. No, they were one and two or they were one and two. I’m looking at his pro reference page right now. One and two. And the one win was a 42 nothing win against the Kansas City Chiefs. That How about that? Okay. All right. If you had to guess, how many touchdowns did Kyle Mackey throw in three games? I believe he had one very good game against the Jets, I want to say. Maybe uh three maybe. Correct. See, there you go. That’s You know it. You got it. That was a guess, but I did know who Kyle Mackey was. Um so that’s who Kyle Mackey was. Okay. Uh let’s see. About to wrap it up here. Um who on the team? Should we not trade? We already discussed that. Dana, I’m gonna acknowledge you because you’re my buddy. Dana says, “I fell asleep. Did we win?” Ha. You’re funny, Dana. You’re funny. Uh, what happened here? Just the way Expose Cap went to Baltimore. No, I have it right here. There you go. How dare you say that? Expose Cap’s not going anywhere. Uh, Kevin John tour is our biggest problem. No, he’s not. Sorry, I disagree. No, I disagree. Okay, got a couple more donations. We take care of our donations. Acknowledge them always. Barington Francis with the super sticker. Thank you very much, Bington. Very, very much appreciated. Toby, thank you very much. Uh Toby says, “I was the one who has been telling you about the draw play. It hasn’t happened in four years.” There you go. Um technically I guess if you’re in shotgun if it’s a delayed handoff would that constitute a little bit of a draw play or is a draw play quarterback dropping back and then boom the the hand off. Well that’s the difference between a quarterback draw and a running back draw right quarterback draw definitely not. I don’t know that they’ve called a single one of those. No. When I’m thinking drop play I’m thinking about a quarterback no running back like a running back draw. But again, like I said, like a delayed handoff in the Shag Shaga formation kind of mimics a draw play quarterback draw. No, that that’s also a good play, but you can’t run that with two. You just can’t. No, I was thinking maybe if they called it with like Skyler once maybe, but I doubt it. I don’t think so. Which is which is something else because I mentioned the thing that bothers me the most about Tua is the contract. the fact that he also there are a lot of things you can’t do um offensively like any any sort of designed run for the quarterbacks that’s uh you know outside of the equation. So uh that’s going to wrap it up folks. Um tough night for the Dolphins. I know I know really there are some fans who actually are happy because it will eliminate any pretense that this is a team that had any sort of potential. I wrote consistently on Miami Dolphins onSi.com that I wasn’t necessarily expecting it but the possibility did exist because it did until it’s until it doesn’t. Anything can happen. That’s why they play the games. That’s why you play the game. But anyway, they fall two and seven with a 286 loss against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium. Continuing their prime time failures. Uh and it’s been really bad. So he is Dante Kalinelli, deputy editor of Miami Dolphins on the side. Check out his fine work at the website which is the same one except you slap a do on there. Miam dolphinssonsi.com content is all free. Please like put a like on the on the podcast would be very much appreciated. Welcome all comments. Um and that’s going to wrap it up. Programming note, we’re doing a Dolphins collective tomorrow I believe at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Um, sure that’s going to be a fun one as well with TD Defense Talk, Douglong, Omar Kelly, and myself. And for the All Dolphins podcast, we’ll be back here. I think we’ll be back here late tomorrow afternoon. Mike McDaniels is addressing the media via Zoom on Friday morning. So until then, thanks everyone for joining as always. Much appreciated and have a good night.

Miami Dolphins On SI Publisher Alain Poupart and Deputy Editor Dante Collinelli discuss and dissect what went down before, during and after the Miami Dolphins’ Week 9 game against the Baltimore Ravens, answer viewer questions, and more.

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