@@MattNewton sure its because of that but because of the narratives and hate create this fake reality with them but the thing is this is tua first real season where he played all 17 games, just give him time especially with guys like Malik Washington Jaylen Wright and chop Robinson will fit the scheme perfectly for them and they had a A- draft rating and a A FA signing. Perfect offseason for them
@@TheRealFortMaker The offseason went better than I thought it would, I admit. But Aaron Rodgers and Joe Burrow are back. CJ Stroud looks like he's destined for a deep playoff run. And of course, there's the freaking Bills and Josh Allen. So I guess I'm cautiously optimistic at this point. But hopeful.
While physical teams still matter, dynamic offenses have overcome physical defenses with finesse simply by outscoring them. During the Marino years, the Dolphins won many games where they were not the most physical team on the field. Same with Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. The rule changes to help the passing game have negated the ability for the secondary to be too physical. It's mostly a front 7 thing now. But more times than not, being physical matters.
"But more times than not, being physical matters." Agreed. I think you can get away with a finesse style of play in the regular season or against inferior opponents and tally up the victories. In the playoffs, it's another thing entirely. Marino's teams were often toppled by more physical teams in the playoffs and especially in his only Super Bowl. I agree about the rule changes but the last teams standing every season often have a strong element of physicality built into their DNA.
@MattNewton I would generally concur with that. I could point to three or four exceptions in the playoffs here and there, but ultimately, the physicality of opponents was superior in their playoff losses, particularly to Buffalo and yes, to San Francisco. I would also add, however, that those teams weren't just more physical. Dan could have potentially gotten around that. It was that those opponents had better talent as well and were far more balanced. It's just that the passing game is so key now. For instance, on your question, are the Dolphins physical enough to win a SB? I think they can outscore more physical teams if Tua keeps his composure. He tends to be especially mistake-prone when he feels any kind of consistent pressure (unlike Burrow who thrives with it). But winning a SB with the opponents winning both sides of the line? If Mahomes was on this team, maybe. Very unsure about Tua. His supporters want everything around him to be bulletproof as it is.
"It was that those opponents had better talent as well and were far more balanced." Agreed. And because they had better talent, they were able to control the lines of scrimmage and thus impose a brand the physicality the Dolphins couldn't match. Shula went from being the bully in the 70's to getting bullied by the 80's. It's likely because he had too many underwhelming drafts during the Marino years. And Marino could only cover up so much of the team's flaws. He also went from coaching a physical brand of football to a finesse brand once he realized he had a cheat code at QB. When Marino's team ran into bullies, they generally gave up their lunch money. I hope McDaniel's team can learn from that.
@MattNewton This is exactly correct. Many overlook the dynamics that you have just highlighted. Under the Shula years, initially, when the Dolphins were just coming off their SB loss to a physical Washington team and John Riggins, they still had Foster at Center and the killer Bees on defense. But that eventually faded. Bust after bust after bust, even on positions that weren't critical while critical ones were overlooked, is what plagued the Marino years and highly contributed to his rosters being less fortified than that of his divisional rivals, particularly Buffalo. Throughout Shula's entire time with Dan, not one other HOF player was drafted, very few Pro Bowl players, and not once a 1000-yard rusher. (Jimmy Johnson delivered all that in just his short time here.) Remember, in the pre-free agency era when NFL teams were built exclusively through the draft, missing on a first-round pick was even more costly than it is today. When Don Shula did it in back-to-back drafts in 1986 and 1987 as he looked to develop a defense to complement the Dolphins' high-flying Dan Marino-led offense, he effectively doomed the franchise to constantly come up short when it counted in the playoffs. There are many examples, but let's consider John Bosa and Eric Kumerow (John is the father of Nick and Joey). Both Bosa and Kumerow were drafted higher than their talent should have dictated, and neither player started a single game during three years as Dolphins. Some pundits point to Marino's lack of Super Bowl rings and suggest that's a detractor to him. The truth is that Shula's poor drafting in Marino's early years led to his status as the eternal bridesmaid. And when it came to trades, it was just as bad. In Shula's final year here, the owner opened up the checkbook and gave Shula all he wanted. They had 19 1st round draft choices on the team. It mattered not. They were quickly eliminated in the playoffs. It's a different league now with the rules and they can only manage with what they have. I feel that their running game (with all that speed) will be the biggest difference-maker. And perhaps Jonnu as a relief valve for Tua.
@@c2jones "I feel that their running game (with all that speed) will be the biggest difference-maker." I believe in their running game, but in short yardage situations, they come up short more often than I'd like. And going 5-wide on 4th and 1 with a pocket QB is not the answer. I will say this though: if you are going to have a finesse running game and need to pick up short yardage against more physical opponents, you have to out-scheme them. You need a lot of creativity and flawless execution. It's possible, but it requires a lot of work and a lot of planning. It's much easier to just line up a do a tush-push (not saying the Dolphins should do this, of course).
At some point in the season, the team is going to run into a brick wall. They can try to either go around it or through it. I hope McDaniel chooses the former versus the latter.
