Hey everybody, happy Thanksgiving one day early. Hope all is well. I see some questions already coming in so I’ll get started right away here.
Your chat photo looks a little…grayer than your stock photo. Hope it’s not the inbox causing that.
Ha. I take a new chat photo every year. I think the stock one on the website was from a handful of years ago. Such is life.
With Edgerrin Cooper and Isaiah McDuffie both working through injuries this week, who is the next man up?
If Cooper and McDuffie are both out tomorrow, I would expect Ty’Ron Hopper to be the third LB in the base defense. Most likely Quay Walker and Eric Wilson would handle the bulk of the snaps in nickel.
What Dolphins-Packers matchups are you most excited to see?
I’ll be curious to see if the colder weather can slow down Miami’s offense any. They’re built on speed, yards after the catch, etc. The Packers will have to tackle really well in this game to prevent plays from rupturing. If they do that, will the Dolphins look to take more shots over the top? Going to be interesting.
Good morning, Mike. What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition you do with your family?
There aren’t any real longstanding traditions these days because we just take it year to year based on the football schedule. I look forward to a nice midafternoon meal tomorrow before heading in to work, but I will miss everyone watching the game(s) on TV with a fire in the fireplace.
Bummer for Josh Jacobs to have his career day the same week Saquon had the best games of the century.
So it goes. Jacobs is only 56 rushing yards from the fourth 1,000-yard season of his career. Barkley and Henry are way ahead in the rushing race so they’re going to continue getting the attention. I think that’s OK with Jacobs. He won the NFL rushing title before. He came here to win.
Does the threat of concussion make Tua less effective?
Have you seen his numbers the last 5 games since he came back? Not at all.
What do you think of the Daniel Jones signing?
It makes sense for both parties. I haven’t given it much thought beyond that, though. The Vikings are riding with Darnold the rest of this season unless something unexpected occurs.
Interviews with coaches sure puts a short week in perspective of everything that has to happen
Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. It was enlightening to hear both LaFleur (on Sunday) and Hafley (yesterday) talk about doing a lot of advance work on the Dolphins during the bye week, giving them a head start on what they knew would be a tight turnaround against an uncommon opponent.
GMF spent 15 minutes talking about the weather, and why it shouldn’t be talked about as a factor. … I need to stick with other content sources (like this one)
I don’t know if it’ll be a factor or not. I’ve already said this week most of this Dolphins team played in the frigid, arctic conditions in KC last January for the wild-card game, so 20 degrees won’t feel all that bad to them. That playoff game in KC was absolutely brutal. Tua has made it clear he’s ready to change the narrative about him in cold weather. These guys are going to do everything in their power not to be bothered by the temps.
I’ve seen enough warm weather teams come into Lambeau over the years and win that I’m not one of those people who thinks the weather will be a huge factor. I think the Packers biggest advantage is their running game.
I agree. The Packers’ ground game is one of the most productive and creative in the league right now, and it gives them the ability to control the ball and let the defense rest. Stopping the Packers on the ground for 4 quarters is no easy task.
If Romeo Doubs can’t play Thursday, who do you expect to step up as a receiver?
Any and all of them. It was great to see Dontayvion Wicks make a big play over the middle and Malik Heath get a couple of catches, including a TD, late in Sunday’s game. Good start for both if they’re called upon for larger roles.
Can the bears give the lions a good game. With recent difficult endings can the bears respond
Despite these last two crushing defeats to the Packers and Vikings, the Bears are feeling some good vibes with what they’re doing, and where they are compared to a few weeks ago. I don’t know if they can hang with the Lions for 4 quarters, but I bet they believe they can, which will matter.
Why has Carrington Valentine not taken very many snaps this year? I thought he was competing with Eric Stokes for the spot opposite Jaire Alexander and now Alexander has been out and only recently has Valentine been on the field. I know he was hurt, but it wasn’t a serious injury and I am wondering if he just is not the player I thought he was.
Valentine is healthy now and playing more. He and Stokes had a pretty even split of snaps vs. SF. But the bigger change is Nixon moved ahead of them both as an option at outside corner with Bullard taking over the slot. The pecking order changed.
Will the packers more zone or man against the dolphins?
Zone helps to allow more players to have vision and rally to the ball to tackle. Plus, the Packers play less man when Alexander isn’t available.
Miami has a really good running game also. Will this come down to who hangs onto the ball better?
There’s no doubt one turnover could swing things either way. Both these offenses have some momentum and are capable of big performances.
The weather will not be a factor. It wasn’t in the playoffs vs the Giants in 2008 or the 49’ers two years ago, and those games were really cold. Win the LOS, that makes the difference.
It always starts there regardless.