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02-03-2008, 03:31 PM
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#251 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
New Orleans 6 Miami 31 Great start to the preseason, as both QBs look good and Lynn Swann returns a fumble two yards for a TD. Big story out of this game was rookie Rulon Jones, who made an immediate impact in winning Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, a block and a hurry. That's very promising to see. Oh yeah, Ken Stabler and Joe Montana both looked awful this game.  TE John Spagnola is ready to come back after this game, so we get him in the lineup and put Mike Cobb on the inactive list. Cobb's a great ST guy, so we'll keep him around. Miami 21 Philadelphia 14 Real close game that wasn't decided until Walter Payton ran one in from 4 yards out. Lenny Dunlap had a 75 yard interception return for a TD as well. Rulon Jones was Player of the Game for the second time in a row with a tackle, 2 assists, 2 sacks and 2 hurries. If he can keep improving in the regular season, we might have our first ever Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. Tampa Bay 30 Miami 21 Credit this defeat to Ron Jaworski's 4 INTs. It makes me glad that I didn't bite on the Titans' offer for the #9 overall pick for Danny White. Nothing more to report outside of that. Miami 28 Washington 33 Don Milan did his heroic best to rally the troops late in the 4th, but his 2 TDs wasn't enough as we fall to the Redskins. Steve Largent had 8 catches for 137 yards and Cliff Odom recorded 8 tackles, 2 assists and 1.5 sacks. DT Bob Maddox separates his shoulder and is out 6 weeks, forcing us to use Mikeli Ieremia as the backup DT and give John Medenhall complete RDT duties. I hit recommend and it's on to the regular season! Regular Season Miami 27 New England 7 Walter Payton rushes 31 times for 195 yards on his way to Player of the Game and Danny White throws 3 TDs to 1 INT to ensure the Patsies forget their upset dreams. Lenny Dunlap picked off 2 passes, Rod Shoate had 10 tackles and Vern Den Herder showed there's still life in his old legs, with 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns. The victory's not without cost, though, as SE Reggie Garrett tears his calf muscle and is gone for 9 weeks. Jim Lash takes over as the backup SE and on gunner duties, Walter Tullis moves to 5th WR. San Francisco 21 Miami 34 We win this shootout handily thanks to PotG Danny White's 25/39 for 306 yards and 3 TD performance. Steve Largent was the main target, with 8 catches for 127 yards and a TD. Walter Payton ran 30 times for 141 yards and a TD and caught 5 passes for 39 yards and another TD. Johnnie Gray showed why he's deserving of being the new SS with 5 tackles, an assist, a pass defense and 2 interceptions and Vern Den Herder continued his fiery play, with 3 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 blocks, 4 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Our receiving corps takes yet another hit when FL Steve Watson tears out his knee ligament and is gone for 16 weeks. He's got a miniscule chance of coming back sometime in the playoffs, so I don't want to IR him, so I cut TE Mike Cobb and sign 4th year FL Bill Waddy, who was just released by the Colts, to take over as the backup flanker. Miami 34 Houston 13 In spite of our receiving damage, we clobber the Oilers behind two long TD runs from Walter Payton, who rushed 21 times for 111 yards and 2 TDs, Lynn Swann, who stepped up with 6 catches for 130 yards and one thing I just have to mention: Curtis Brown, who had an incredible 59 yard TD reception that remains one of my favorite plays in this universe. The defense was highlighted by Player of the Game Rolland Lawrence, who had 4 tackles, 2 assists, 3 pass defenses and 2 interceptions. Miami 7 Cincinnati 30 We were bound to get beat at some point with all the injuries we have and we got clobbered here by the Bengals. Johnnie Gray had 10 tackles and an assist, John Medenhall picked up 7 tackles, 4 assists and 1.5 sacks and Vern Den Herder got 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 4 knockdowns, but this was just an out and out pummeling. The good news is DT Bob Maddox is back up to Probable, giving us a major boost in our defensive line depth. Buffalo 20 Miami 10 It's not as close as the final score looks. A last-minute junk TD pass from Danny White to Bill Waddy is all that makes this look respectable. We're really struggling right now with the injuries to our WR corps. Rookie DE Curtis Greer pulls a calf muscle and is out 4 weeks, resulting in the activation of L.C. Greenwood to suit up and play back up DE for a few more games. Miami 36 Cleveland 10 We needed this win in a big, big way. Danny White was 22/35 for 279 yards and 3 TDs and Tim Webster was 3/3 on FGs, but the real story of the game was defense, where our two highest drafted rookies made a major impact. Cliff Odom had 6 tackles, an assist and 2 sacks and Rulon Jones took home Player of the Game with 5 tackles, 4 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and a knockdown. Pittsburgh 13 Miami 19 This one came about as a result of a comeback engineered by the backups. Ron Jaworski threw a 14 yard TD pass to backup TE Charle Young on the first play of the 4th quarter and 2nd string RB Doug Kotar ran it in from 10 yards out midway through the final quarter to give us the win. Lynn Swann had 5 catches for 103 yards, but it was Chuck Crist who was Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 pass defenses and an all-important interception to snuff out the Steelers' reversal hopes. The bye week can't have come at a more opportune time, for QB Danny White is out 3 weeks with a strained calf muscle and TE John Spagnola is out the same amount of time with a hyperextended elbow. Two of our other big injuries should be healed up with the bye week as well. Unfortunately, neither one is back to Probable after the bye week, though SE Reggie Garrett is and we hastily insert him as the backup flanker, moving Bill Waddy to 5th WR. QB Ron Jaworski is pressed into service as the starting QB in what's arguably the biggest game of the season, given how tight the AFC East race is (more on that later). New England 17 Miami 10 ...I want to throw up. Hell, I want to fucking cry. 10-10 at halftime and we lose 17-10 on a last minute TD run by the fucking Patriots. No highlights to speak of. You want to know how bad that loss screwed us? We're 5-3. We're in last place in the AFC East with that 5-3 record. The damned Jets are on top at 7-2, the Bills and Patriots are both 6-3 and we're 5-3. But then again, AFC darkhorses Baltimore and Oakland are 2-6 and 1-7 respectively, so it's been that kind of year. The halfway tale of the tape: Code:
It's been a very peculiar year in terms of how things are shaking out right now, with the injuries, the strength of the AFC East, etc. All I have to say is, thank goodness for Walter Payton, Johnnie Gray, Cliff Odom and Vern Den Herder. My guess is that we'll see more improvement over the second half of the season and things should start coming down to earth for the rest of the teams in our division, netting us at least a playoff spot.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-04-2008, 11:48 AM
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#252 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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QB Danny White, DE Curtis Greer and TE John Spagnola are all either back to 100% health or probable, giving us some critical players for the second half of the season.
MLB Merv Krakau is unhappy and WLB Tim Black is disgruntled, but they'll just have to deal with it. Baltimore 14 Miami 38 Walter Payton rushed 30 times for 120 yards and had 4 catches for 43 yards and 2 TDs, but it was Danny White who was Player of the Game with one of the most amazing performances in franchise history: 23/29 for 306 yards and 5 TDs to 1 INT. SS Glen Edwards strains his calf muscle and will miss the next game, but we just double-duty S Dennis Bragonier as a backup and insert CB Wade Manning as the dime back. Miami 21 New Jersey 24 This is a game we really needed to win and of course we freaking lose it.  Danny White wins Player of the Game for throwing 3 TD passes, but that's just making it even more insulting. Tim Webster really cost us this game with 2 missed FGs, including a chip shot.So here we are, back in the cellar again at 6-4 and RDT John Medenhall separates his shoulder, with a prognosis of out 6 weeks.  Bob Maddox as the starter, Mikeli Ieremia as the backup DT.Miami 34 St. Louis 14 We make ourselves feel better by beating up on the Cardinals. Walter Payton rushes 19 times for 107 yards and a TD and has 5 catches for 34 yards and another TD, but it was Vern Den Herder who was Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 hurries and 7 knockdowns. Rulon Jones contributed a tackle, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. We're still at the bottom with 7-4, but the race is a lot tighter now, with the Jets and Patriots at 8-3, us and the Bills at 7-4. Glen Edwards is back up to Probable, so I hustle him back in. Denver 16 Miami 20 The score isn't really as close as it looks. The Broncos never really had much of a chance in this one, especially not after Danny White completed an 83 yard TD pass to Reggie Garrett midway through the first quarter to seize momentum for the rest of the game. Walter Payton rushed 22 times for 109 yards, but Danny White was Player of the Game with a 23/38 for 346 yards and 2 TD line. Reggie Garrett was his main target, with 4 catches for 118 yards and that monster TD. So now that we're 8-4 and knocking on the door to second place and a playoff spot, things are all good, right? Wrong! FL Lynn Swann strains a foot ligament and is out 4 weeks. This is just absolutely unbelievable. Steve Watson is questionable yet, so do I really want to risk rushing him back and re-injuring him? I decide yes, as every game counts here. Reggie Garrett becomes the starting flanker, with Steve Watson put in as his backup. Los Angeles 32 Miami 17 Well, there goes the neighborhood. Rulon Jones had 5 tackles, an assist and 2 sacks for the lone highlight in a game we got our asses handed to us. 8-5 and back to the bottom of the division AGAIN. What pisses me off is that if we were in the AFC South or the AFC North, we'd hold a pretty damn solid lead for the division. New Jersey 7 Miami 24 Had we lost here, our season would've been over, no doubt about it. But Walter Payton saves our asses with 37 rushes for 130 yards and a TD and Danny White threw no picks. We're still alive. And we're still at the bottom of the division. The Jets are 10-4 and every other team is 9-5. My gut feeling says that both wild cards are coming out of the AFC East this year, so all we need to do is to not finish last. DT John Medenhall and FL Lynn Swann come through as the cavalry, both up to Probable. It's the first time all season we've been at full strength in our receiving corps. Miami 28 Seattle 7 Danny White takes care of business against the Seahawks with a 17/34 for 241 yard, 3 TD, 1 INT line, the bulk of his yardage going to Steve Watson, who had 3 catches for 117 yards and a TD. But it was old man Vern Den Herder who was Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and 5 knockdowns. We're now #3 in the division. The Jets are 11-4, we and the Bills are 10-5 and the Patriots are 9-6. The Kansas City Chiefs are the only other team in playoff contention with a 9-5-1 mark. We play the Bills. The Jets play the Patriots. Steve Watson re-tears his knee ligament and is definitively out for the playoffs, so we put him on the IR and sign FL Eddie Foster to be the 5th WR, as he was just cut in Week 14 by San Francisco. Our entire season hinges on this last game against Buffalo. Win and w're in. Lose and it'll take some divine help to go back to the playoffs. Miami 31 Buffalo 7 Walter Payton was going to be damned if he'd be denied the chance to go to a third straight Super Bowl. He rushed 22 times for 140 yards and 3 TDs in taking Player of the Game and Vern Den Herder continued to defy age with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns. We're going back to the playoffs! It's as the #1 wildcard, though, because even though the Patriots upset the Jets 20-7, New Jersey wins the tiebreaker against us, though I don't exactly know why. In any case, New England's victory propels them to the playoffs, as they win the tiebreaker over the 10-6 Bills. I almost feel sorry for Buffalo. Almost. What a wild regular season it's been. We've been hit harder by injuries this year than in any other season in this universe, but fortunately we had the depth to overcome the adversity. And now it's on to defend our two-time AFC Championship crown.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-05-2008, 10:03 AM
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#253 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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It was a crazy year in the AFC North where 3 teams finished with an 8-8 record: Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The Ravens won the tiebreakers and the division, thus earning the right to face us in the Wild Card Round.
QB Gary Danielson is interception-prone, to say the least, with 20+ interceptions his last two seasons. RB Stan Fritts is starting because star second year RB Tony Nathan is out with a head injury, which really gives us a big-time advantage. TE Kellen Winslow is the best in the game and the Ravens' best receiver by far, though FL Danny Buggs isn't too terrible like the rest of the group is. C Larry McCarren is a terrific pass blocker, but we get another break as starting LG Charley Hannah is out with an injury as well. LT Steve August is better suited to RT and RT Jim Cooper is a better for LT, though they're both solid tackles over all. P Herman Weaver is average, K Steve Mike-Mayer very good. LDE Art Still fell off a cliff this year after a good first two seasons and RDE Mat Mendenhall has been surprisingly sufficient as a rookie. LDT Wally Chambers is still one of the top 3-5 DTs in the game although RDT Mike Regel has clearly seen better days. MLB Harry Carson is dominant in the way Willie Lanier used to be and SLB Reggie Williams is a significant pass-rush threat. WLB Gary Cobb still has to grow into his potential, though. LCB J.C. Wilson is a ballhawk as is RCB Mike McCoy and FS Neal Craig is a fantastic overachieving safety who plays smart. All told, this game should be winnable for us, especially with Nathan out, but that's one scary defense, one that's going to test us pretty hard. Our offensive firepower is what has us favored by 3. This was as brutal a knock-down, balls out defensive game as you could've expected. Walter Payton keyed us on offense with 26 carries for 106 yards, but it was MLB Cliff Odom who was Player of the Game with 2 crucial interceptions to secure us the win. We'd have won this even without Tim Webster's 2 FGs, because our defense played awesomely against this weak offense, limiting them to two FGs, so Danny White's 10 yard TD pass to Reggie Garrett in the 3rd quarter would've been enough. On to the divisional round and a much tougher matchup. Miami 13 Baltimore 6
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-05-2008, 10:02 PM
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#254 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I've said this before, but it bears repeating--The New Jersey Jets are our archrivals in this universe and we've had some titanic battles over the years, both in the regular season and in the postseason.
It bears repeating because that's who we've got in the divisional round. A quick look at Dolphins-Jets playoff history: 1976 Wild Card: New Jersey 14 Miami 17 1973 Divisional: Miami 13 New Jersey 30 1968 Wild Card: New Jersey 3 Miami 31 So 3 out of the 10 times the Jets have been to the playoffs, they've faced against us along the way. What's worth noting in that all cases, the home team has come out on top. Guess who the home team is this go-round? Yep, the Jets. QB Greg Cook is a 12th year vet and has been hit and miss his 3 years as a starter with the Jets (also the only 3 years he's been a starter in his career, incidentally), but he was definitely on this year: 4,086 yards with 25 TDs vs 20 INTs. That 4,086 yard is a franchise record and the first time a Jets QB has broken the 4,000 yard mark. Legendary Jets QB Al Dorow came close with 3 season of 3,900+ yards, but never could make it. RB Lydell Mitchell is on his last legs and had 9 fumbles this year, a career high in his first season in a Jets uniform after spending his first 8 years with the Bengals. TE Earl Cooper, whom the Jets traded up to get late in the 1st round this draft, has shown flashes of promise, but is still raw. FL J.D. Hill is still, even at 10 seasons, one of the most feared WRs in the game and has 8 consecutive seasons of at least 1,100 yards receiving. 13th year vet SE Marlin Briscoe, obtained in free agency this past offseason, has shown a nose for the endzone with 8 TD catches. C Ted Fritsch is a superb pass blocker and adequate run blocker. RG Ken Long is one of the most underrated guards in the league. We don't have to face super-rookie LT Tunch Ilkin, but second year LT Keith Dorney isn't much of a drop. RT Doug Crusan and LG Bob Simmons are the line's weak links, horrible run-blockers. P Luke Prestridge is greatly improved from his rookie season and K Mark Moseley needs no introduction, having been our bane many times in the past. The Jets' defensive front 3 holds no pass-rush threats to speak of, ceding that role to SLB John Skorupan, still one of the deadliest OLBs in the NFL and WLB John Bunting is another threat to consider in the pass-rush game. The ILBs are, like the defensive front, forgettable. LCB Mike Dennis lit up the league in his rookie season with 4 interceptions and an 80.8 PD% and RCB Terry Schmidt is one of the league's biggest overachievers and another concern. We don't have to face SS Thom Darden, but SS Mike Reinfeldt is even more dangerous: 7 interceptions and an 85.8 PD% this regular season, which is no fluke, judging by his previous years in the league. FS Tom Moriarity, a 4th year player, is finally starting to blossom into his potential. All told, this one's going to be an interesting game. We're going to have to slow down the pace of the game and go for long drives, because that is one damned scary secondary. The weakness of the front 7 should mean an explosive day for Walter Payton, though. This is really a contest that can go either way and the bookies agree, favoring us by a single point. Will we finally beat the automatic home team win? It's scoreless for the first quarter and then Tim Webster boots a 49 yarder, his first of 3 FGs on the day. The Jets get on the board midway through the second quarter with a TD, but then with 49 seconds left in the half, Reggie Garrett comes through like he has so many times this year for us, with a 29 yard TD pass from Danny White to give us a 10-7 lead at halftime that we never relinquish as we shut them out in the second half. Danny White won Player of the Game with his 21/30 for 247 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT performance, but credit has to be given to Doug Kotar, who rushed 8 times for 73 yards, an astounding 9.13 average and 3 of those 8 runs were for 10+ yards. Great, great change of pace there. All in all, just a solid, workmanlike victory to finally end the home team's perfection in the Jets-Dolphins playoff rivalry and luckily it's the good guys who break it. Miami 23 New Jersey 7 On to the AFC Championship, where we'll go for 3 in a row!
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-06-2008, 11:32 AM
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#255 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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We square off against the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship.
They're led in part by 9th year QB Mike Ernst, who since becoming the Chargers' full-time starter in 1977 has thrown for at least 3,000 yards each year and came close to 4,000 this year with 3,937. He doesn't throw many picks, either, with 19 being his high. RB Ricky Bell just keeps getting better and better and he's rushed for 1,000+ yards his last two seasons. In fact, last year, he hit 1,000 on the nose, which is kind of cool. That being said, he's fumble-prone. San Diego may be the only team in the league who can match us in WRs, as 3rd year FL James Lofton is terrific, and 2nd year SE Steve Kreidel is pretty good. C David Carter is the latest in a long line of great pass-protecting, mediocre-run blocking centers we've seen. LG Paul Howard may have to sit out this game and if he does, that'd be fantastic, as he's a dynamite, strong guard and they have no depth behind him. RG John Hicks is very good, but the tackles are both pretty weak. P Spike Jones is an old balls version of Neil Clabo and K Frank Corral exploded this season with 82.1%, 71.4% from 40+ and 75% from 50+ on 6/8 kicking. LDE Wilbur Young has never really lived up to his massive talent, showing why he was a 3rd round pick. 2nd year NT Don Smith is better suited to a 4-3. SILB Bill Bergey, a San Diego institution, has only missed 100 tackles once in his 12 year career. SLB Bruce Heather became a significant pass-rush threat this season, his first as a full-time starter and WLB Tom Toner is pretty darn good. LCB Dwayne Woodruff was sensational in his sophomore season with 6 interceptions and an 84.4 PD%. RCB Perry Smith is another dynamic overachiever, with three straight seasons of 80.0+ PD%, despite not being physically talent. He also got 5 INTs this year. SS Gary Barbaro is fantastic and FS Mike Davis quite good. This is going to be another game where we'll have to drag out the pace of this game as much as possible. I'm honestly worried about this game. The Chargers have the firepower to match us on offense and their secondary is a damned sight better than ours. It's going to be close, very close by my lights. Vegas sees it in that vein as well, siding with the home team Chargers by 2. San Diego jumps out to a 10-0 lead before we strike back with a TD to cut to 10-7 with 3:22 left in the half. They answer right back with a TD with just over a minute left and go up 17-7. The lead holds as we can only come within 3. CB Carl Allen had 10 tackles and 5 assists, but a large part of that was him getting burnt 4 times. What a god damned heart breaking loss. We could've been the first team in this universe to go to 3 straight Super Bowls.... After all the injuries, all the adversity, having to fight on the road the whole way through... and it comes down to this. Mike Ernst shredded our secondary with a 25/29 for 236 yards and 2 TD performance and Dwayne Woodruff defended 3 passes. This one's going to hurt for quite a while.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-06-2008, 08:01 PM
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#256 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Super Bowl XXI
The Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers play an absolutely thrilling Super Bowl, with 3 TDs in the last 5 minutes of the game. The Bears came out on top as QB Dan Fouts hit WR Charlie Joiner from 18 yards out with 1:33 left in the game. QB Dan Fouts was Game MVP with a 21/48 for 296 yard, 2 TD line, but QB Mike Ernst was awesome too: 32/44 for 346 yards and a TD. WR Charlie Joiner had 10 catches for 124 yards and the game-winning TD, while WR James Lofton had 7 catches for 118 yards in this shootout. Chicago 31 San Diego 27 Our final stats: Code:
I'm at a loss to explain why we were so terrible against the run this year statistically. What do I know is that Danny White and Walter Payton had their usual fantastic years and Doug Kotar was a great fit for our offense. Our WR situation continues to puzzle me... We've supposedly got a ton of talent there, but nobody's producing like they should. Granted, the backs eat a lot of catches, but 14 drops from Lynn Swann? Johnnie Gray was a lifesaver on defense and Cliff Odom gives us a rare thing: a pass-rush threat from the LB spot. Chuck Crist's age is starting to catch up with him. Rulon Jones had an okay rookie campaign, but not like you'd expect from the #7 pick in the draft. Then again, he may have been drawing a lot of double-teams that allowed Vern Den Herder to rampage again. We're going to be looking heavily at defense again this offseason, again trying to improve the secondary and the OLB spots. On the offensive side of the ball, I'm seriously considering trading Steve Largent and looking for another playmaker at WR. I also wouldn't mind a good, young T or somebody I can groom to be Walter Payton's heir apparent. 1980 Dolphins Season Awards RB Walter Payton - MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Pro RB What can you say about him that hasn't been already? He's the single greatest player the Dolphins have ever drafted and although everybody thought we were absolutely insane for trading away multiple 1st round picks and [b]QB Ken Stabler/b] to get the pick that drafted him, it's safe to say that it worked out. This is his 3rd straight Offensive Player of the Year award and 2nd consecutive MVP award. That says a lot. RDE Vern Den Herder - 1st Team All-Pro DE An absolute legend and a surefire 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He defies age like no other player I've ever seen, except for maybe Paul Warfield. Hell, he set a career high in QB hurries with 45 in his 10th season. We're truly blessed that this great warrior stayed in Florida after the Jaguars released him, though it remains to be seen which cap he'll wear in the Hall when he gets there. SS Johnnie Gray - 2nd Team All-Pro S Gray's a cool story. Went to some tiny college nobody's heard of and as a result, didn't get drafted until the 7th round (7.21) by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1975 draft. Made the team as a backup with the Colts, was mediocre for 3 years, got signed by the Jets and looked even worse there as a reserve. Then the Chargers signed him to a one year contract and he just exploded with a fantastic season, good enough that we gambled on him with a 4 year, $1.6 mill. contract last offseason, intending him to replace Glen Edwards in a year or two. What happens? He comes into camp, beats Edwards out for the starting spot and goes on to have an absolutely incredible season, the stats of which you can see above. I think it's safe to say that if we don't have Gray, we don't go back to the AFC Championship this past year and get a shot at going to 3 Super Bowls in a row. And now he's an All-Pro safety. Just goes to show you how crazy football and life in general can be sometimes. Other Major Awards Defensive Player of the Year DE Bubba Baker - Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Rookie of the Year RB Frank Pollard - Atlanta Falcons Defensive Rookie of the Year DT Steve McMichael - San Francisco 49ers - Transitioned perfectly into the 3-4. And now it's time to bid a fond farewell to another one of the Dolphin greats, as we've done repeatedly these last few years. DE L.C. Greenwood (1969-1980) L.C. took a pretty huge drop in the draft. Originally pegged as a late 1st round-early 2nd round pick, he fell all the way to 2.25, where we quite happily snatched him up. When he started off with just 4 sacks his rookie season, I thought maybe there was a reason he dropped. The next year, he had 14 sacks and went on to have 7 straight seasons of 10+ sacks, teaming up with Aaron Brown for most of the years to form the most feared DE duo in the league. In the twilight of his career, he deemed up with another old man, Vern Den Herder, to continue as a terror. But then, he just didn't look the same in training camp in 1979. Age had caught up to him and though I started him out of loyalty, by mid-season, it was clear he was done. Still, L.C. gamely played on and didn't complain this past year, when he was supplanted by rookies Rulon Jones and Curtis Greer. In fact, he helped them learn the game as best as he could. The one great tragedy of his career, to my mind, is that he only ever received one All-Pro award, when he was worth so many more. His card:  Super Bowl Rings 1972, 1978 All-Pro Awards 2nd Team - 1976 Miami Dolphins All-Time Records 6th - Tackles 6th - Assists 1st - Sacks 1st - Hurries 1st - Bocked Passes 3rd - Games Started All-Time Records 9th - Sacks 8th - Hurries 2nd - Blocked Passes Yet another borderline candidate for the Hall. It's ironic, we're the most successful team in league history, yet we don't have a single player in aqua and orange in the Hall of Fame. That'll change though, when Walter Payton retires. Staff Hiring Lead Scout Grady Coffey LB: Average to Fair We'll have a new head coach as Harris Wilcox becomes the first Dolphins head coach to retire. In 7 seasons, he had a 93-34 record, with 5 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship. He'll be missed. I'm definitely looking for a new Lead Scout in addition to needing a new head coach. We get them both. Lead Scout Oscar James (54) 4 years, $80,000 QB: Good RB: Average WR: Average OL: Excellent KP: Good DL: Good LB: VG DB: Average YT: Good Not the most exceptional lead scout, but the rookie pickings were slim. Head Coach Michael Swift (39) 5 years, $600k MT: VG DI: Good OC: Good DC: Average IA: Good We're hoping that he'll grow and blossom like Tyrus Treftz and Dave Hanner did, even though he'll probably be like the previous two and bolt for somewhere new once he's gone through a couple contracts with us. Still, I don't envy Swift. He's a young guy, stepping on to the most successful team in NFL history, with the 3 head coaches before him all having Super Bowl rings. That's a tough tradition to live up to. DE Curtis Greer is the lucky winner of a trip to France to play football and bang hot French chicks. Free Agency By the Numbers QB, RB, FB, WR x 2, C, G, T, K, DT, OLB, CB, FS (14 new bodies total) Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions FB Russell Davis - 1 year, $50k C Fred Quillan - 3 years, $260k MLB Mike Hunt - 3 years, $260k QB Danny White - 3 years, $2.1 mill. (I think you know what I'm hoping will happen when his contract's up )DE Vern Den Herder - 2 years, $620k C Tom Banks - 2 years, $340k FS Chuck Crist - 3 years, $550k LDT Bill Line - 3 years, $1.25 mill. RCB Rolland Lawrence - 3 years, $730k RG Noah Jackson - 3 years, $620k LG Jim Hough - 4 years, $780k I'm playing it risky with quite a few of these guys, since they're pretty old, but quite a few of them have either been long-term Dolphins or they look good to hold up for the length of their contract. Hunt I re-signed strictly to finally give him the PT he's sought for so many years once Merv Krakau's waste of a contract expires. Week 2 Signings K Tim Webster - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing) -Last season was his absolute worst, both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Consider this year Wonder's chance to redeem himself or he'll be looking for a new team, sad to say. WLB Ray Preston - 1 year, $80k* (New Orleans) -Tim Black was pissed about losing his starting spot last season, so he wouldn't talk to us about re-signing. Thus, enter in Preston, who's a lot like Black without the ST talent. FS Dennis Bragonier - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -There's no better safety net at FS than Bragonier, so we keep on bringing him back. Week 3 Signings P Neil Clabo - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing) -I couldn't help myself. His 96 Kickholding is too vital to Wonder's success. If that ever vanishes though, or if we find an acceptable kickholder at QB, out he goes. DT Gary Dunn - 4 years, $1.37 mill. (Detroit) -A bit of a gamble, since he was only league average in his first season as a starter last year, but we needed somebody to fill the hole because Bob Maddox is getting old and there was no way I was re-signing John Mendenhall, who by the way has an offer on the table from someone else. Week 4 Signings T Ron Mikolajcyzk - 1 year, $130k (Re-signing) -He always wants more than a min-sal deal, but he deserves it, year in and year out. One of the most surprisingly tough players I've had in this universe. He keeps doing just enough to hang in there. Week 4 Losses WR J.D. Hill - 2 years, $980k (Green Bay - New Jersey) -Remember how I said the Jets/Dolphins rivalry was one of the biggest in this universe? We offered Hill almost $1.2 mill. to come play with us for those two years. He spit on the contract and said he'd die before he signed with the Dolphins. I have to admire the man's principles, though it does seriously screw with my big offseason move I had planned. OLB Tim Black - 1 year, $80k* (Green Bay) -Okay, evidently the Packers are going to do their best to piss me off this offseason. Fair enough. Not that Black was coming back anyway, but still. Week 5 Signings QB Don Milan - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing) -After all the miracles he's performed for us, I'll be damned if I ever let him suit up in another uniform. He'll be our #3 QB until he decides to retire. WR Reggie Garrett - 1 year, $130k (Re-signing) -Not really an overpay when you consider just what this guy's meant to us over the 3 years he's been in a Dolphins uniform. There was a lot of competition for him. Week 6 Signings RB Doug Kotar - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -This was a calculated gamble, since the Browns had more money on the table and Kotar isn't known for his loyalty. But #2 RBs who fit our system are literally a dime a dozen, so I wasn't worried if we lost him. I'm happy we got him back, though. WR Danny Buggs - 1 year, $130k (Baltimore) -He still hadn't signed anywhere, so I swooped in and got him. Now, you might be asking what in the hell we're going to do with this guy when we've got Reggie Garrett and Steve Watson already on the team. ...I think you know what's coming. Unfortunately, nobody's willing to take on Steve Largent's salary. It's understandable, I suppose. I mean, he -is- commanding $550,000 a year, but come on... it's only a two-year deal! He's a top quality WR, the kind that can really light up an offense! Oh, those drops? Ahh, they don't -really- matter, do they? I mean, hey Tucson, you want to be like us! Here's a Dolphins player! ...Dude, what the hell is this? Two years ago I had people banging down my door to trade for him. Now, NOBODY wants him? Well, damn. Oh well, at least we've got our 5 WRs for next season and it'll be a pretty good crop unless injuries hit us again. Week 6 Losses DE Dave Linstrom - 1 year, $80k* (Houston) -Didn't play a single down for us last year as he became expendable with the drafting of Rulon Jones and Curtis Greer. I honestly forgot he was even on the roster, so good luck with the Oilers, Dave. CB Mike Washington - 1 year, $80k* (Tampa Bay) -Best corner on the market, which wasn't saying much. Honestly, I didn't care all that much if we got him or not, but the fact that we didn't means that we'll almost certainly look to go CB in the 1st round this upcoming draft. CB Carl Allen - 1 year, $80k* (Tampa Bay) -The very definition of mediocre. Like I said, only ensures we'll be looking to take a corner come draft time. Oh yeah, the Oakland Raiders opted not to re-sign QB Joe Theismann, who, despite finally getting the chance to start in his 7th season, did not impress in the least. Despite his poor showing on the field, teams fought to get him and he finally chose the Houston Oilers for 4 years, $2.58 mill.... where he'll get to sit behind Archie Manning. Haha, I love it! Week 7 Losses OLB Mike McDonald - 1 year, $80k* (Houston) Let's see... he cost us a drafted Dolphin re-signing with us and played like absolute shit. Yeah, he can go play with Archie and Joe. Week 9 Losses DT John Mendenhall - 1 year, $120k (Tampa Bay) -He hung around with this offer for a long time, like somebody else was going to offer him higher than a min-sal deal. Eventually he got smart and accepted the Bucs offer to stay in Florida. No harm done. I'll do the draft either later tonight or some time tomorrow. All I gotta say is, this is going to be one absolutely sick draft class on the defensive side of the ball. I'm so tempted to do some moving up, it's not even funny. But more on that later.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-07-2008, 10:09 PM
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#257 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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We lose WR Jim Lash on the very last stage of free agency as he signs a 1 year, $100k* deal with the Seahawks. He dropped too many passes last year for me to want him back, so it's no biggie.
The draft is big on defensive talent, though the top 5 seems to be DE Howie Long as the consensus #1 with T Keith Van Horne, RB Joe Delaney and RB Stump Mitchell, along with CB Bobby Butler as the top 5 most talented draftees. I'm going to have a real temptation to move up and take one of these defensive stars in the making, but we'll see how it goes down. 1981 NFL Draft 1st Round 1. DE Howie Long - St. Louis Cardinals 2. RB Joe Delaney - Oakland Raiders 3. CB Bobby Butler - New York Giants 4. S Deron Cherry - New Orleans Saints 5. T Keith Van Horne - Minnesota Vikings 6. CB Eric Wright - Atlanta Falcons 7. RB Stump Mitchell - Green Bay Packers 8. DE Dexter Manley - St. Louis Cardinals 9. OLB Mel Kaufman - Philadelphia Eagles 10. S Kenny Easley - San Francisco 49ers 11. CB Everson Walls - Seattle Seahawks 12. RB Freeman McNeil - San Francisco 49ers 13. OLB Lawrence Taylor - Chicago Bears through Denver Broncos The defending Super Bowl champs just got a big-time addition and at a bargain price: their 1983 1st, 4th, and 7th round picks. Stupid move for the Broncos in my opinion, considering how talent rich this draft is on D. 14. S Todd Bell - Houston Oilers 15. T Brian Halloway - Cincinnati Bengals 16. CB Gregg Johnson - Pittsburgh Steelers 17. DE Greg Brown - Indianapolis Colts 18. RB James Brooks - Jacksonville Jaguars 19. OLB Rickey Jackson - St. Louis Cardinals Yeesh! This is one scary looking young defense for the Cardinals. 20. RB Amos Lawrence - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21. S Darrol Ray - Washington Redskins 22. CB Johnnie Poe - Los Angeles Rams 23. CB John Swain - Detroit Lions 24. RB David Overstreet - Kansas City Chiefs This is where I screwed up. I wanted to move up here and take someone specific, but the Bills aren't having it without me overpaying to the degree that I'm not willing to, so it's with much annoyance that I'm forced to watch.. 25. S Ronnie Lott - Buffalo Bills 26. T Mark May - Tucson Titans 27. S Dennis Smith - Houston Oilers 28. G Edwin Bailey - New Jersey Jets So what do we have when our pick comes up? CB has been stripped completely bare and everyone else is either Very Overrated with a high Vol tag or they look extremely raw. In the end, I decide we're too weak at CB to have any other choice and at least the guy in question has a low Vol score, so he shouldn't bust too badly. 29. CB Johnny Smith - Miami Dolphins 30. DE Don Smerek - Carolina Panthers 31. DT Darryl Grant - San Diego Chargers 32. RB Tony Collins - Chicago Bears In the 2nd round, I decide I like the looks of S Lloyd Burrus enough to draft him as a potential replacement for Chuck Crist somewhere down the road. If I hadn't taken Cliff Odom last year, I'd have picked ILB Mike Singletary but he went at 2.32 to... the Chicago Bears. Neat trick, no? There's still some guys worth eyeballing when our 3rd round selection comes up and DT Jim Burt is the call as a possible breakout candidate, much in the same way that Bob Maddox was some years ago. I have to be careful with our 4th round pick, as we don't get anybody in the 5th round. I take a flyer on T Roger Taylor, who'll probably bust, but we need a new backup T and he could be serviceable in that role. We sit out the 5th and miss out on a WR I wanted when he goes early in the 6th, so I wound up taking a flyer on WR Leo Lewis instead, simply because he looks like a special teams ace. And that's the end of our draft, because I traded our 7th rounder away in an earlier year. Late Free Agency Week 1 Signings CB Gary Green - 6 years, $2.54 mill. (San Francisco) -Yeah, I overpaid for him and he's not a shutdown corner by any stretch of the imagine. He'll also be in his 11th season by the time this contract runs out. But we're really, really hurting at CB, so I had to do something. Week 1 Losses T Ron Hunt - 1 year, $80k* (San Francisco) -Was great for us last year and I should've re-signed him, but I didn't and I'll end up paying for that I'm sure. It's not been a good offseason by any means this year. Code:
Smith is a major disappointment. Burrus was expected to boom with those low ratings and he did, though it remains to be seen whether he was a stupid pick or not. Burt got a decent uptick, but I still don't expect much out of him or Lewis. The real shock was Taylor, who busted his ass in training camp and goes from being afterthought to Ron Mikolajcyzk's heir apparent. Nice way to recover what's otherwise been a wonky offseason.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-08-2008, 04:54 PM
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#258 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
We're perfectly set here. Nice to see Jaws get some improvement. White-Jaws-Milan, obviously Code:
Payton-Brown with Kotar and Davis the reserves. Eventually we'll want to get younger at RB, but for now, this'll do. Code:
Spagnola-Swann-Watson are the obvious 3 starters, but then things get awfully confusing. My instinct, however, says to go with Buggs as the #3 WR, shift Watson over to SE and have Garrett as the 5th WR. Doing so makes Watson 41/42, but I'm sure he'll catch that up. Lewis will try and be on the active team as a KR and ST guy and Young will be the backup TE. Code:
Towns-Hough-Banks-Jackson-Mikolajczyk will return as our starting o-line. Taylor's strictly a run-blocker at this point, so I want to see him prove himself in pass-protection. That said, we'll have Taylor, Quillan and... oh fudge, I forgot to sign a reserve G. We move Essink inside to G, where he goes to 14/40. It's the only chance he has of ever contributing anything to this team, so it's a good move for him. Code:
Clabo and Webster's last years, maybe. Miller's inactive. Code:
 Greer just absolutely exploded out of nowhere after his summer overseas and Jones looks incredible. So our front four will be Jones-Line-Dunn-Greer. I'm leaning towards Burt as our reserve as he has upside and Maddox looked like he didn't have it any more last year.Code:
Shoate-Odom-Preston, with Krakau and Rennaker the reserves, Hunt on the inactive list. Rennaker could concievably pass Shoate up by midseason if he develops enough. We really need to get a better SLB. Code:
Dunlap got focused in the offseason and comes ready to play. So I do some flip-flopping around, originally moving Lawrence to LCB, then back to RCB when I switch Smith to LCB. Green moves to RCB and stays there. It'll be Dunlap and Green as the starting CBs, Gray and Crist the starting safeties, with Smith the tenative nickel back, Lawrence the dime back. Edwards and Bragonier will be the reserves, though Edwards is disgruntled. One thing we may be able to do is make him a PR. Because of our concentrated effrots to improve our defense in the offseason, especially our secondary, we're again considered Super Bowl favorites, with the Bill and Ravens darkhorses. The NFC is deemed too close to call between the Panthers, Packers, Redskins and newly scary Cardinals. I feel like we've gotten better, but whether it's enough to be labeled Super Bowl contender worthy... I don't know. Should be a fun season, though.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-08-2008, 08:42 PM
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#259 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
Detroit 13 Miami 28 Walter Payton rushes 21 times for 109 yards and a TD to give us an easy victory in our preseason opener. Props to Johnnie Gray too, for his pass defense and interception while only getting caught once. Miami 41 San Francisco 10 Dolphins looking pimp in preseason. Johnny Smith returned an interception 13 yards for a TD and Lenny Dunlap bettered him on the next score with 45 yard interception return for a TD. Wade Manning put the crowning insult on when he returned a fumble 19 yards for a TD with 18 seconds left. Cliff Odom had 10 tackles, an assist, a sack and a knockdown and Curtis Greer put on the pressure with 4 tackles, an assist and 2 sacks. Backup FB Russell Davis strains his deltoid muscle and is out 4 weeks. He goes on inactive and we sign 3rd year FB Bob Torrey to fill the gap. Miami 41 Minnesota 15 Second straight game we score 41 as Danny White is 16/17 for 227 yards and 2 TDs. Steve Largent grabbed 5 passes for 100 yards and Gary Dunn had 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks a knockdown. Bill Line abused them too, with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown. Interestingly enough, the Vikes scored all 15 points in the 3rd quarter. Of course this preseason pwning leads to more injuries: TE Charle Young is out 3 weeks with a hyperxtended elbow and G Ron Essink has a high ankle sprain that will put him out of comission for 17 weeks, meaning if he comes back at all, it'll be in the postseason. Street free agent TE Al Dixon signs to be the backup and another bum cut before the end of last season, 4th year G Tom Randall signs on as the reserve guard. C Fred Quillan takes over long snapper duties. St. Louis 7 Miami 34 What happened to that scary rookie defense? It went nowhere in the final preseason game as Doug Kotar rushes 20 times for 102 yards and Cliff Odom hits the Cards for 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and a pass defense. Rulon Jones picked up 3 tackles, an assist, a sack, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Lenny Dunlap had 4 pass defenses. Remember the problems we had with our receiving corps last year? The injuries hit again as starting FL Lynn Swann is out 4 weeks with a strained elbow tendon. We sign 5th year WR Kenny Harrison, but he's not the 5th receiver. That role goes to Leo Lewis. I signed Harrison because I think he can play a role on ST and step in when we get yet another WR injury, heh. Oh yeah, FL Danny Buggs takes over as the starting flanker, with Reggie Garrett his backup. Regular Season Miami 40 New Jersey 17 We make a statement right in Week 1 that injuries be damned, we're still a forced to be reckoned with. Or rather, our ST is to be reckoned with, as Tim Webster cooly kicks 4/4 FGs, 2/2 from 40+ range and Rolland Lawrence gets a 52 yard KR. Not a TD, but still impressive. But not as impressive as Johnnie Gray who shows his All-Pro nomination wasn't a fluke, taking home Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, a sack, 3 pass defenses and 2 interceptions. Now that's a game! Backup TE Al Dixon strains a foot ligament and is out 3 weeks but that's okay because Charle Young is ready to come back, as is Russell Davis. It's then that I realize that I forgot to hit Recommend. Oops! I do that now. Miami 37 Tampa Bay 10 We beat one of our state rivals handily, thanks to Walter Payton carting the ball 21 times for 153 yards and catching 4 passes for 61 yards and a TD on his way to Playyer of the Game. Johnnie Gray led the defense with 10 tackles and 2 assists. What an amazing dude. Lynn Swann is ready to return, hooray! Miami 17 Cincinnati 10 A tough battle, but we come out on top, despite turning the ball over 3 times (2 Walter Payton fumbles and a Ron Jaworski INT) by picking off Randy Hedberg twice. Gary Green had 3 pass defenses and an INT to be the real difference maker and Player of the Game. Thankfully the Danny White injury was just a game one. On the other hand starting SLB Rod Shoate breaks his jaw and is out 3 weeks and starting C Tom Banks breaks his wrist and is gone for 6 weeks. G Ron Essink gets put on the IR beause postseason is no time to allow a raw guard back in the offensive line rotation. SLB Jim Merlo and C Willie Parker are signed. WR Kenny Harrison gets his pink slip. C Fred Quillan finally gets his first NFL start, Parker his backup, and Jim Merlo, who was quite the pass-rush threat a couple years ago with the Browns, gets the nod at SLB. Buffalo 28 Miami 18 Our perfect season goes up in smoke as our running gam gets stuffed and Danny White and Ron Jaworski combine for 3 interceptions and a fumble. Rough going, especially against a division rival. Backup G Tom Randall tears knee cartilage and is out 4 weeks. Yeesh, can we please not get injured so much here guys? FB Bob Torrey is cut, even though I like him because of his name and we sign G Glenn Hyde to be our reserve G. He actually might be good enough to stay there for the rest of the season even when Randall comes back. Miami 38 San Diego 10 We bounce back with a beatdown of the Chargers, avenging last year's AFC Championship loss somewhat. Walter Payton rushes 17 times for 112 yards and a TD and Danny White wins Player of the Game with a 21/29 for 308 yards and 3 TD performance. Denver 17 Miami 31 The score wasn't even this close, as the Broncos strung on 14 points in the 4th quarter to take it from 31-3 to the final score. Walter Payton ran 22 times for 129 yards and a TD, but Danny White was on fire again, 25/29 for 321 yards and 3 TDs for his second 300+ yard game and Player of the Game award. Curtis Greer had 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a hurry. The bye week has G Tom Randall back to Probable, but I'm not about to mess with the success we've had since signing Glenn Hyde so Randall can sit there. Kansas City 13 Miami 27 A relatively comfortable win keyed by Danny White with his 20/28 for 260 yards and 2 TD line, his third straight Player of the Game nod. And that's really the only highlight to report. C Tom Banks is probable, but we're playing well enough that we don't need to rush him back and can afford to let him fully heal his wrist. Miami 14 Oakland 26 Me and my big mouth. Danny White threw 3 INTs and Joe Gilliam was 31/46 for 305 yards and 2 TDs. That's basically the differencemaker in this game, though Danny Buggs had 5 catches for 121 yards and Bill Line 10 tackles, an assist, a block, a hurry and a knockdown.The loss drops us to 6-2 and into 3rd place in the AFC East. But it's not as bad as last year, because 6-2 is a 3-way tie for the division lead with the Bills and the Patriots. The Jets are going nowhere with a 1-7 record.The AFC West has an exciting 3-way division title race of its own going, as everyone but the Broncos (2-6) are 4-4. Halfway tape: Code:
White's interceptions honestly aren't that horrible. 6 of those interceptions came in 2 games and 2 of Payton's fumbles came in the same game. One thing I like about White is that he's not afraid to use the full range of his receivers. Makes the offense that much more effective, I think. Green is looking a lot like Johnny Sample in the old days. What an absolutely quality pickup for us. One concern, though: We aren't generating sacks and we aren't making turnovers happen. That's worrisome. It's going to be a tight race down the second half of the season again, with a high probability that both wild cards will come from our division and if that happens, there's no reason to say we can't be one of them or even take back the crown. But of course, what we're really dreaming of is the Super Bowl.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-09-2008, 06:12 AM
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#260 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Because the guy next to me is riding a bicycle at 3:30 in the morning and she's squeaking loudly enough to wake me up as she gets her tires oiled, you guys get another update ahead of schedule.
 SS Glen Edwards, TE Charle Young and RB Doug Kotar are all Disgruntled. MLB Merv Krakau is, of course, demanding a trade. Young I put back in the LS spot, as I forgot to do that, but everyone else is just gonna have to sit there. Since our next game is critical, I bring back C Tom Banks. Miami 24 New England 27 Ugh!!!!!!! The Patriots come back in the second half to steal one from us, despite Danny White's 21/30 for 291 yards and 2 TDs. Wade Manning's a culprit, as he fumbled twice. TE John Spagnola is out 4 weeks with a hyperextend knee. We go back to TE Charle Young as the starter, Al Dixon as the reserve. SS Glen Edwards is the new PR after Manning's two idiot fumbles. New Jersey 10 Miami 34 Nothing like a diet of the Jets to make us feel better. This one was all the defense as Cliff Odom had a great all-around game with 9 tackles, 2 assists and a sack, while Rulon Jones was Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 4 hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Rookie Johnny Smith had 4 pass defenses as he shows glimmers of promise every now and again. Carolina 3 Miami 27 We lock up .500 for sure with this coasting win as Walter Payton rushes 24 times for 106 yards and Danny White wins Player of the Game with a 22/29 for 287 yards and 3 TDs line. Bill Line had 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown to lead the D. TE John Spagnola is back to probable, but DE Curtis Greer is out with a strained foot ligament. DE Reggie Lewis is signed as the backup while old man Vern Den Herder takes over as the starting RDE. I just noticed that SLB Jim Merlo is tired and I never brought SLB Rod Shoate back. I rectify that problem by cutting Merlo and promoting Shoate to his proper spot. Indianapolis 25 Miami 27 We eke one out against the Colts by the skin of our teeth behind Walter Payton's 19 rushes for 100 yards and 4 catches for 25 yards and a TD, along with Danny White's 23/34 for 328 yards and 3 TDs vs 1 INT Player of the Game performance. Most of the passing yardage went to Steve Largent, who had 8 catches for 130 yards and a TD. Side note: Rod Shoate had an INT his first game back. DE Curtis Greer is back up to Probable so we happily bring him back. Atlanta 24 Miami 27 Another game that's far, far too close for comfort. Walter Payton wins Player of the Game, thanks to 28 rushes for 122 yards and 5 catches for 77 yards and a TD. Big defensive play was Gary Green returning a fumble back 52 yards for the TD. We guarantee 10 wins with the victory and are tied with the Bills atop the division at 10-3. The Patriots are a game back at 9-4. QB Danny White and QB Ron Jaworski are both Questionable and the biggest game of the year is up next against the Bills. So what do we do? Easy. We turn to the man, the myth, the legend, the Milan. QB Don Milan, that is. Some people may think we're nuts and we probably are, but we're still living on what he's done for us in the past. Miami 34 Buffalo 21 And sometimes the past is just what you need. It doesn't really surprise me that Don Milan steps up and wins Player of the Game here at 20/32 for 241 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. He had a couple of beautiful passes: 38 yards to Danny Buggs for a TD and the big one: a 61 yard TD pass to John Spagnola. Don just always comes through for us when we need him to. Bill Line had 2 tackles and 1.5 sacks and Glen Edwards ran back a punt 58 yards for a TD and got an interception besides. Quality win all the way around. Danny White is back up to Probable, so he'll get the start. Ron Jaworski is still Questionable, so he'll sit as the 3rd string guy. Miami 48 New Orleans 14 It feels so damned good to rain this hard on the Saints. Danny White had his finest game in a Dolphins uniform: 25/35 for 365 yards and 4 TDs. He's really taken it to the next level in quite a few contests this year. Steve Watson was his favorite target at 5 catches for 132 yards. Our oft-maligned pass rush really came to the forefront this game: Curtis Greer had 4 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns and Rulon Jones was maybe even better at 3 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and 5 knockdowns. Gary Green had 3 pass defenses as I continue to be amazed by him. With that crushing of Joe Montana and the Saints coupled by the Bills 35-13 implosion agains the same Atlanta Falcons team we beat 27-24 earlier in the year.... The Miami Dolphins are the 1981 AFC East Champions!!!! It's been quite a few years since we've had the division crown to our names and this one feels oh so sweet. We don't rest anyone, though, because the Houston Oilers are also 12-3 and we want that #1 seed. Besides, if we beat the Patriots, we have a chance at knocking them out of the playoffs, which I'd love to do as I hate playing division foes. New England 28 Miami 35 We get it done. Two terrific plays to watch in this game, Mike Holmes with his 99 yard kickoff return for a TD that was just beautiful to see, even though a Patriot did it, and a 74 yard TD pass from Danny White to Lynn Swann. Danny White won Player of the Game with a Johnny Unitas-like performance: 31/45 for 402 yards and 4 TDs. It was the greatest game by a Dolphins QB we'd seen since the Unitas days, in fact. Lynn Swann had 4 catches for 100 yards on the nose and that TD and Curtis Greer was the main man on D, with 3 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 2 hurries, a knockdown and a forced fumble. The Oilers won, so I think they won the tiebreaker. Not only does that mean we may not be playing at home, but we sustain a terrible blow. CB Gary Green, who's been the backbone of our rejuvenated secondary, pulls his hamstring so severely he's gone for the season, with no chance of coming back in the playoffs. Our chances at the Super Bowl just got a lot smaller.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-09-2008, 02:44 PM
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#261 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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So CB Gary Green goes on the IR. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention about the Saints game: rookie S Lloyd Burrus returned a fumble 20 yards for a TD, which I thought was pretty cool.
Anyway, we sign CB Bivian Lee, a Week 17 cut from the Kansas City Chiefs on the squad and move Johnny Smith over to RCB, where he takes a hit because I forgot to look at the experience ratings.  Nonetheless, Smith'll start at RCB and Lee will take over as the backup LCB and take over in goal-line packages as well as play ST. We draw Buffalo in the divisional round and the Bills are eager to win as they did in the first game of the season. QB Bert Jones has really turned the corner the last two seasons and was brilliant this year: 4,217 yards and 24 TDs vs just 10 INTs. He'll be a threat. Starting RB Wilbert Montgomery is Out, so they'll be turning to speedster RB Gerry Ellis, a 2nd year pro that's going to have a very short career, I suspect. That said, he's pretty good. TE Gary Shirk is a good all-around player, but FL Roy Green is the real weapon in the passing game. He had 98 catches for 1,702 yards this season and the scary part is, he's only in his 3rd year. Not having Gary Green is going to cause real matchup problems against this guy. It's amazing that Jones does so well, because the offensive line is simply awful in pass protection with the exception of RG Dave Lafary, who's a guard version of Ron Mikolajcyz: not rated very highly by a lot of scouts, but gets the job done. P Mike Patrick is a better version of Neil Clabo and K Jim Breech is a lot like Tim Webster in his prime. LDE Jack Youngblood has had a long, illustrious career in his 11 seasons, but the gas is just about gone from the tank. He recorded only 4 sacks this season, a career low and didn't get much pressure on the QB. The light came on for RDE Ross Browner, though, who exploded with 12 sacks, as he took advantage of Youngblood's tutelage. LDT Don Latimer is a solid space-eater. MLB Randy Gradishear is the most underrated MLB in the entire league, a terrific all-around LB in much the same way that SLB Steve King is. LCB Louis Wright is phenomenal, RCB Tim Collier a significant overachiever. I don't think I need to mention that rookie SS Ronnie Lott was brilliant in his rookie campaign and FS Scott Perry is very solid.This is a tough, tough matchup. It's probably going to be a low-scoring affair and we're going to have minimize our mistakes if we want to win. We'll also have to generate a pass-rush and take advantage of the Bills' weakness on the offensive line. Vegas doesn't see it that way, though, favoring us by a full touchdown. And it turns out neither I nor the bookies were right. Walter Payton rushed 27 times for 153 yards and Danny White made up for 2 interceptions with 4 TDs. We pick off the Bills' QBs 3 times, as it was our defense that dominated the game. I was right about one thing, though. Our pass rush would be critical. Gary Dunn won Player of the Game with 5 tackles, an assist, and 3 sacks, though it should've gone to Curtis Greer, who had 2 tackles, 3 assists, 2.5 sacks, 4 hurries, 6 knockdowns, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Just a terrific showing by our front 4 on the D-line and Don Bruce should be proud of his boys. Buffalo 7 Miami 31 It's on to the AFC Championship for the 4th year in a row!
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-10-2008, 02:09 PM
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#262 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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We're up against the Houston Oilers in the AFC Championship. They're still one of the elite franchises in universe history, with a .613 win percentage, 16 playoff appearances (2nd to only us) and 2 Super Bowl Championships in as many tries, in 1964 and 1975 respectively.
QB Archie Manning is one of the best in the game and QB Joe Theismann has talent as the #2 QB, but it's never materialized. In fact, Theismann was just 2/12 in 3 mopup appearances this year. The run game is evenly split between RB Herb Lusk and RB Lynn Cain. They're both the slippery type of back, though Lusk has great acceleration to the outside that Cain doesn't, while Cain is the vastly superior receiver out of the backfield. Rookie FL Chris Collinsworth had a respectable season and SE Duriel Harris is surehanded, but overall, this is not really an overwhelming group of receivers. The offensive line is pretty ghastly, mediocre to bad at pass protection and absolutely horrible at run-blocking. P Dan Melville is average, whereas K Bill Bell is a fine kicker, with no signs of declining, even in his 12th season. As a fun side note, K David Trout, rookie, is Bell's heir. Go Trout! LDE John Dutton is a player to watch for, a terrific all-around player who had an incredible 17 sacks in the regular season. Fellow RDE Horace Jones bounced back after two sub-par seasons to return to double-digit sack form as well. DT Rubin Carter and DT Bill Sandifer are great space-eaters. The scary part is, the Oilers have real depth on the defensive line, with their reserves almost as good as the starters. MLB Jim LeClair is a topnotch player, although the OLBs are nothing to be afraid of. RCB Raymond Clayborn is a ballhawk and FS Tim Fox is a warrior to be feared, but we've caught a huge break because SS Tom Pridemore and promising rookie SS Todd Bell are both inactive for today's game. Honestly, why they don't have Bell starting with Pridemore out is beyond me. They're wasting the kid's chances to reach his potential. I'm expecting to see a shootout here. Archie Manning is an amazing QB and the Oilers' secondary is a potential weak point. That and I don't really see us generating much of a run against that incredible Houston D-line. It'll be fairly close, I imagine, though I like our chances. Vegas has the Oilers by 1, the first time in quite a while we haven't been favored. Things are close for the first half, with Houston going into the locker room with a 10-6 lead, but it's all Dolphins in the second half, the final score an emphatic safety with 36 seconds left in the game by Player of the Game Curtis Greer, who blistered the Oilers with 8 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Rulon Jones was a force as well, with 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Rod Shoate was a machine, with 11 tackles, an assist, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. All in all, this game was won by our defense, which corralled the Oilers run game and didn't allow Archie Manning to get untracked. Our offensive line deserves credit too, for the finest job of pass protection they've done all year, as Danny White was barely touched all game and never sacked. Miami 29 Houston 10 We're going back to the Super Bowl for the 3rd time in 4 years!!
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-10-2008, 08:37 PM
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#263 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Florida
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Who do you think you are? The New England Patriots?
 Last edited by SFL Cat : 02-10-2008 at 09:47 PM. |
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02-10-2008, 09:52 PM
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#264 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
We're definitely -the- team in this universe. Nobody else even comes close to our Super Bowl appearances and championship totals... and in fact, we've taken over the #1 spot in all-time win % as well.The only thing we don't have is a Hall of Famer, but like I said, that'll change after Payton retires.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-11-2008, 04:24 PM
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#265 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Super Bowl XXII Preview
Miami Dolphins Out G Ron Essink CB Gary Green Washington Redskins Out None Quarterback Danny White had the greatest season of his career this year: 3,928 yards and 37 TDs against 13 INTs. He's been a little interception-prone in the playoffs, but then, that's always been a knock against him. It still doesn't stop him from being a very good QB. Ron Jaworski has shown occassional flashes of something, but it's believed that the Dolphins are going to go with miracle man Don Milan as their #2 QB for this all-important Super Bowl matchup, as he's proven himself key time and time again. The Redskins counter with Steve Bartkowski, who, though something of an underachiever compared to his massive talent, still gets the job done and finally has his Washington team in the Super Bowl after years of being NFC favorites. Backup Steve Fuller hasn't seen non-preseason action since 1979, a concern should Bartkowski go down. Advantage: Draw Running Back Miami's Walter Payton had the lowest rushing total of his career this year, with 1,400 yards, but that still doesn't stop him from being the greatest RB in the league today. In counterpoint to his rushing yardage, he had 516 receiving yards and 7 TDs with 0 drops on a career high 62 catches. He's a vintage two-way threat. #2 man Doug Kotar is an excellent fit for the Dolphins scheme. Eddie Lee Ivery finally got to be a full-time starter this year, but he failed to break even 1,000 yards and fumbled 8 times besides, along with 2 fumbles in 2 games this postseason. Wille McClendon is a great change of pace back, who rushed for 847 yards and was virtually fumble-free, leading some to call for McClendon as the starter. Advantage: Dolphins Wide Receiver Miami's so rich in talent at WR that neither Lynn Swann nor Steve Largent, arguably the most gifted pair of starting receivers in the NFL, have never broken 1,000 yards receiving. Danny Buggs was a terrific find in free agency and actually led the Dolphins in receiving yards with 809 as the 3rd receiver. Steve Watson is one of Danny White's most trusted targets and Reggie Garrett is the best 5th WR in the league. The wealth is so great that TE John Spagnola and his brilliant backup, Charle Young aren't as involved in the passing game as they would be on other teams. It's just amazing the amount of options White has. Washington's top receiver is 11th year vet Harold Carmichael, a 3-time All-Pro who missed half the season with injuries. He's still a dangerous receiver though, and has been on absolute fire this postseason, with 211 yards in 2 games. Jesse Thompson is notoriously drop-prone, as are Don Westbrook, Al Marshall, and Eddie Bell, the reserves. TE Phil McKinnely should be used more in the passing attack than he is, even though he's primarily a blocker. Rookie Dave Young showed considerable promise this season, though he's still raw. Advantage: Dolphins Offensive Line C Tom Banks is a pass-protecting rock in the middle of the Dolphins' line and the elder statesman. LG Jim Hough is sensational at both the run and the pass, as is RG Noah Jackson. LT Morris Towns is a fantastic run-blocker, but is subpar in pass-blocking, while RT Ron Mikolajcyzk is a phenomenal run-blocker who keeps getting better with pass-blocking as he gets older. Rookie T Roger Taylor, a 4th round steal, shows signs of becoming the next Mikolajcyzk, C Fred Quillan a good, young heir for Banks, as both are solid reserves at their positions. G Glenn Hyde, a free agent pickup after Ron Essink was lost for the year late in preseason, is a pass-blocker who shows no run-blocking skills. C Joe Fields is a terrific all-around center. LG Leotis Harris is a dynamite run-blocker, but struggles at times in pass protection. RG J.T. Turner is a strong blocker, a fierce run-blocker who's improving in all areas of the game as he gets more experience. LT Fred Dean is a hard-working, overachieving young tackle who appeared to turn the corner in the regular season, but has been exposed in the playoffs. RT Ken Jones is a much better pass blocker than run blocker. G John Choma and G Petey Perot are solid young backups, while backup C Blake Moore is a major overachiever. T Irv Pankey is still adjusting to the NFL game. Advantage: Dolphins Kickers P Neil Clabo is medicore and K Tim Webster seems to have lost the touch that once earned him the nickname of Wonder. P Zenon Andrusyshyn majorly underachieves, but is still much better than Clabo, while K John Roveto had a good rookie season. Roveto's shown first year nerves in the playoffs, though, as he's hit just 2/5 FGs, including 0/3 from 40+ range. Webster's experience gives Miami an edge there. Advantage: Draw Defensive Line LDE Rulon Jones regressed in sack totals in his sophomore season, going from 12.5 to 7.5, but he's improved in all other areas and is particularly nasty against the run. RDE Curtis Greer showed signs of being a stellar pass-rusher and led the Dolphins in sacks this season with 8. 10th year LDT Bill Line is the most consistent D-lineman on Miami's roster, while RDT Gary Dunn is a space-eater. Legendary DE Vern Den Herder fell off a cliff this season, but he's still to be respected for his pass-rushing savvy, while DT Jim Burt is still too raw as a rookie to be much good. The Redskins got a major boost from LDE Ernest Kirk's surprise breakout season of 12.5 sacks and RDE Darrell Irvin overachieved as well. LDT Sugar Bear Hamilton is the heart and soul of Washington's defensive line, while RDT Abdul Salaam is a great all-around DT, though he was shut out of the sack department this year, suprising since he's never had fewer than 3 sacks previous to this season. The reserves, DE Elvis Franks and DT Abdul Salaam, are roster filler. Advantage: Draw Linebackers MLB Cliff Odom is a fantastic pass-rusher and coverage linebacker, though don't expect him to rack up the tackles. SLB Rod Shoate never has lived up to potential and although WLB Ray Preston had his best coverage season ever, he's still a medicore OLB. MLB Merv Krakau is furious about being second string and well he should be, as he could start for virtually any team in the league. OLB Terry Rennaker is raw, but shows some glimmering promise. For the Redskins, MLB Tom Cousineau is one of the best young players at his position in the league, a tackle machine and good pass rusher and coverage man. Rookie SLB Milt McColl is still raw yet and WLB Kim Bokamper is a solid all-around OLB. MLB Richard Wood is little-used, but good when called upon, while OLB Kervin Wyatt can tackle, but is terrible in pass coverage. Advantage: Redskins Secondary Miami is really going to miss CB Gary Green, the closest thing to a shutdown corner they have on the roster. LCB Lenny Dunlap is a ballhawk who really turns it on coverage in the postseason. RCB Johnny Smith has some serious potential, but is still a little green yet. CB Rolland Lawrence is a nickel back to be feared. SS Johnnie Gray has been one of the best FA signings in Dolphins history, a dynamite all-around S, who has an interception, 3 pass defenses and a 91.8 PD % in this playoffs. FS Chuck Crist is losing a step with age, but he's still a solid player. SS Glen Edwards could still start for half the teams in the league, while FS Dennis Bragonier is by and large an afterthought in the Dolphins' defensive scheme. LCB Mike Williams is one of those guys who looks great in the regular season every year, but then gets exposed as ordinary in the playoffs against much more elite receivers. RCB Mike Haynes is one of the most gifted CBs in the league and shows it in the regular season, but oddly melts down in the pressure of the playoffs. Rookie nickel back CB LeCharls McDaniel has looked good, both in the regular season and the playoffs. SS Ralph McGill is very good, both in the regular season and the postseason while rookie FS Darrol Roy is already one of the best free safeties in the league and he's been dominant in the playoffs. Advantage: Redskins Keys for the Dolphins 1. Keep a balance offense going Although it's tempting, given the headcases that Washington's CBs have been in the playoffs, to attack them, it's simply too talented a group to attack for very long and besides, Danny White's postseason interception tendencies are too dangerous to risk against so brilliant a secondary. 2. Be aggressive and physical on defense The Redskins offensive line isn't that great in pass protection, Eddie Lee Ivery is fumble-prone and the receivers are drop-prone. Taking an aggresive, physical stance, with lots of blitzing packages will result in sacks and a lot of forced fumbles. 3. Double-team Harold Carmichael He's the only elite WR the Redskins have and given the butterfingers of the rest of Washington's receivers, it's safe to key in on him and take away the best weapon the Redskins have on offense. Redskins Keys to Victory 1. Keep a man on Walter Payton at all times. It's said every single Super Bowl that he's been in, but it still remains the #1 talking point. Neutralize Payton and you neutralize the biggest gamechanger on the entire field. 2. Play tight coverage on defense A blitzing scheme isn't going to work against the Dolphins. Their offensive line is just too good and they have too many receiving options that Danny White can turn to and make a quick release of. Instead, focus on blanketing all the options in the passing game and work to get interceptions. 3. Use Willie McClendon as often as possible He's the perfect change of pace back and isn't going to hurt you with fumbles, something that's going to be critical against a defense that's likely to go into killer instinct mode. Overall Thoughts This game is going to come down to ball security. Whichever team manages not to fumble or throw interceptions is going to come out the winner in this one. Which means all signs point to the Dolphins having an easy win. Yes, the Redskins have the better linebacking corps and secondary, but that secondary has never played well in the postseason and they have to deal with the first Super Bowl in franchise history jitters, versus Miami, who's making their 3rd Super Bowl trip in 4 years. The only way Washington wins is if there's a spy assignment for Walter Payton on every down, the defense blankets all the receiving assigments, and the Redskins' receivers outside of Harold Carmichael step it up. Past history suggests none of these things are going to happen. Final Line: Miami by 7
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-11-2008, 10:52 PM
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#266 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Despite the breezy confidence from the oddsmakers, I have a feeling this is going to be a much closer game than they're predicting.
We get the ball first and their defense comes out fired up, tackling Walter Payton for a loss, forcing Danny White to scramble, and blocking a pass to force us to a 3 and out. Eddie Lee Ivey rips off a 35 yard gain on the second play of the Redskins' 1st drive and that combined with a 26 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski to Harold Carmichael is good enough for the 32 yard FG attempt by John Roveto, which is good. Washington 3 Miami 0 - 8:49 1st Quarter Danny White checks down to his other options as he goes to Steve Watson for 27 yards on the first play of our next drive and executes a series of short pass plays to the running backs that get us inside the Redskins red zone. Doug Kotar runs the ball for 2 yards on 3rd and 1 to get a key first down and then gets the call again, rushing 17 yards for the TD! John Spagnola delivered the KRB. Tim Webster makes the XP. Miami 7 Washington 3 - 4:03 1st Quarter We exchange 3 and outs and the Redskins finish a 3 and out to end the 1st quarter, a Curtis Greer sack and 2 Rod Shoate tackles instrumental in stopping them. Lot of blocked passes in this game so far, too. 4, by my count. Miami 7 Washington 3 - End 1st Quarter The second quarter opens with a 3 and out by us and then Steve Bartkowski goes on a tear, completing 5 straight passes, mostly to the RBs and Dave Young, the TE, to get the Redskins inside the 20. But then Don Westbrook drops a pass on 3rd and 5 that would've given them the 1st down and Washington settles for the 29 yard FG by John Roveto. Miami 7 Washington 6 - 9:27 2nd Quarter Misfortune strikes when we get called for an illegal hold on the kickoff return that puts us back to the 15, followed by a stuff of Walter Payton, a Sugar Bear Hamilton sack and a moronic call for a Walter Payton run on 3rd and 16. Worse yet, Neil Clabo flubs the punt and the Redskins fair-catch on our 42. On the drive that follows, Willie McClendon knifes into us for 22 yards on 3 carries to get inside the red zone, but then a false start penalty preludes a Rulon Jones sack that puts the Redskins at 2nd and 20 on the 24. Washington then hands off to Willie McClendon on 3rd and 15, trying to milk the clock and get in better position for the FG and the lead. He runs for 8 yards, setting up the 28 yard chip shot attempt by John Roveto, which is good. Washington 9 Miami 7 - 2:29 2nd Quarter Doug Kotar continues his clutch Super Bowl performance with a 40 yard return that starts us at our own 44 and has us in very good position to take the lead back before halftime. Danny White follows that with an awesome 27 yard pass to John Spagnola that's made even better by a Redskins facemask penalty, putting us at the Washington 15 yard line at the two minute warning. A 2 yard Walter Payton run sets up a 13 yard Danny White to Lynn Swann TD to give us the lead again! XP is good. Miami 14 Washington 9 - 1:35 2nd Quarter We hold Washington to a 3 and out and get the ball back on our 38. Walter Payton gets off an 11 yard run to put us near the 50 and Danny White hits Steve Largent for 27 yards, putting us in Redskins territory with 28 seconds left in the half. A 3 yard pass to Walter Payton gives Tim Webster a shot at a 39 yard FG attempt with 12 seconds on the clock and he cooly converts to give us a critical cushion at the half. Miami 17 Washington 9 - Halftime The cushion's important because the Redskins get the ball to start the second half. Washington puts together a sustained drive,relying heavily on Willie McClendon runs and intermediate passes from Steve Bartkowski to Jesse Thompson. The drive ends with a 7 yard Willie McClendon run for a TD. They make the XP and we're looking at a tight ballgame. Miami 17 Washington 16 - 9:18 3rd Quarter Doug Kotar has another great return, 33 yards to put us on our 42 and Danny White starts ripping up the Redskins secondary, completing 4 straight passes of 10+ yards on a drive that proves quite short and ends in a 22 yard pass from Danny White to Walter Payton for the insurance TD! Miami 24 Washington 16 - 6:18 3rd Quarter The Redskins start to put together a drive, but they stall at midfield. It looks like we're going to be held to a 3 and out on the ensuing drive, but then Danny White converts the 3rd and 11 with a 26 yard pass to Lynn Swann that featured 15 extra yards by Swann after the catch. Unfortunately, we stall at midfield as well and have to punt, closing out the 3rd quarter. Miami 24 Washington 16 - End 3rd Quarter Washington again marches to midfield, but Bill Line sacks Steve Bartkowski and Don Westbrook drops his second pass of the game on a critical down at 3rd and 12, forcing the Redskins to punt. Lynn Swann returns the favor by dropping the ball on 3rd down to force a 3 and out and the Redskins fair catch at the Dolphin 45. A 15 yard hookup with Al Marshall and an 8 yard Willie McClendon run give Washington hope for scoring, but a Curtis Greer sack ends that notion and so the Redskins settle for a 45 yard FG attempt by John Roveto, which shocks everyone by going through the uprights. Miami 24 Washington 19 - 10:07 4th Quarter It's still anyone's game and this isn't over by any means, especially when the Redskins hold us to a 3 and out. The good news is, a false start penalty kills a promising Washington drive. The bad news is, the ensuing punt pins us at our own 5 yard line. We get out of the death-trap on a trick 6 yard reverse run by Steve Largent, followed by a 7 yard screen pass to Curtis Brown. Walter Payton then finally does something on the ground for the first time this half in running for 15 yards, but then he fumbles the ball and Washington recovers, giving them beautiful field position on our 33. Steve Bartkowski promptly completes 3 straight passes, sandwiching them around a 5 yard Willie McClendon run to get the Redskins to the 1 yard line. A screen pass to Cleo Miller gives them the TD and the lead, making me swear profusely. The good news is, the Willie McClendon two-point conversion attempt fails, thanks to Rulon Jones. Washington 25 Miami 24 - 2:34 4th Quarter It all comes down to this drive. John Roveto isn't about to let Doug Kotar put us in good shape, as he nails a touchback. Danny White makes that academic with a 22 yard pass to Steve Largent, but then we get hit with a boneheaded delay of game penalty, which prevents what would've been a first down as Danny White connects with Lynn Swann for 12 yards on the ensuing play. The two minute warning sounds. An incomplete pass puts us at 3 and 2 and I'm getting nervous. And then it happens. Danny White throws a gorgeous rainbow to Lynn Swann that's caught 33 yards downfield and Swann gets another 7 yards for an even 40 yards before he's tackled. 1:47 left and we're at the Redskins 11. All we need to do is milk the clock and we'll be in great shape for the field goal. We turn to Walter Payton, but he gets stuffed on two consecutive downs for 1 yard and -3 yards. The Redskins have done a brilliant job of bottling him this whole game. Our rookie head coach makes a questionable time out, apparently wanting to assess the situation as we're at 3rd and 12 on the Redskin 13 with 1:13 left in the game. The play that follows isn't a bad choice, though: a Walter Payton draw that had the right idea and nets us 5 yards to put us on the 8 yard line with 1:02 left in the game. Tim "Wonder" Webster trots on the field for the biggest FG attempt of his career, a 25 yard FG attempt that could well decide this Super Bowl. He makes the chip shot and we've got the lead back! Miami 27 Washington 25 - 0:52 4th Quarter Now we have to prevent a Redskin miracle. We do it, as Gary Dunn blocks a pass on 1st down, Johnnie Gray defends a pass on second down, Curtis Greer hurries Steve Bartkowski on 3rd down and Al Marshall drops the pass on 4th down. Danny White takes a knee and we win this incredibly close game, giving us our 5th Super Bowl Championship and delivering Michael Swift a Super Bowl championship in his rookie year. He becomes the 4th straight Dolphins head coach to win a Super Bowl. Miami 27 Washington 25 - Final I still can't believe we won the Super Bowl. While I thought we would win a Super Bowl at some point in Swift's career, never did I imagine it'd be in his first year, especially not after we lost Gary Green for the playoffs. But it's happened and we have our NFL-leading 5th Super Bowl title. It's a sweet, sweet feeling. Danny White won Super Bowl MVP and deservedly so: 17/31 for 290 yards and 2 TDs. Lynn Swann was his most important target with 5 catches for 103 yards and a TD. Doug Kotar deserve a mention too, thanks to his 17 yard TD run and his 32.5 kickoff return average. On the defensive side of the ball, Bill Line was ever-present: 9 tackles, 3 assists and a sack. The DEs were important as well, as Curtis Greer had 5 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and a knockdown, while Rulon Jones finished with 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown. As always when we win the Super Bowl, I present the starting lineup. 1981 Miami Dolphins Super Bowl Champions QB Danny White - 1978 FA RB Walter Payton - 1st round 1975 Draft (1.1) FB Curtis Brown - UDRFA 1977 TE John Spagnola - 3rd round 1979 Draft (3.6) FL Lynn Swann - 1st round 1974 Draft (1.14) SE Steve Largent - 2nd round 1976 Draft (2.3) LT Morris Towns - 3rd round 1977 Draft (3.31) LG Jim Hough - 1st round 1978 Draft (1.31) C Tom Banks - 1974 FA RG Noah Jackson - 1979 FA RT Ron Mikolajcyzk - 2nd round 1973 Draft (2.32) P Neil Clabo - 4th round 1975 Draft (4.26) K Tim Webster - 5th round 1971 Draft (5.25) LDE Rulon Jones - 1st round 1980 Draft (1.6) LDT Bill Line - 1977 FA RDT Gary Dunn - 1980 FA RDE Curtis Greer - 3rd round 1980 Draft (3.13) SLB Rod Shoate - 2nd round 1975 Draft (2.28) MLB Cliff Odom - 1st round 1980 Draft (1.21) WLB Ray Preston - 1981 FA LCB Lenny Dunlap - 1977 FA RCB Johnny Smith - 1st round 1981 Draft (1.29) SS Johnnie Gray - 1980 FA FS Chuck Crist - 1st round 1972 Draft (1.28) This team, more than any other Super Bowl team I've ever had, testifies to just how well I've done in the draft, I think. Yes, there's some key players who came to the team via free agency, but there's an astonishing number of starters who were 2nd and 3rd round Dolphins picks. The 1980 draft is arguably the best draft I've ever had. It netted me 3 starters on this championship squad and provided a very smooth transition at DE following the end of the L.C. Greenwood and Vern Den Herder years, something I certainly didn't anticipate, especially not with Curtis Greer. What a terrific feeling.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-13-2008, 12:55 AM
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#267 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
What an absolutely brilliant season for our offense. Danny White really has become the greatest Dolphins QB since Johnny Unitas. It doesn't hurt that his targets are so good as a group that he can distribute at will among them. Don Milan is actually disgruntled at being demoted to 3rd string after his start where he won Player of the Game, which makes sense. I mean the guy's been phenomenal whenever we've had to call on him, so we'll definitely be shopping Ron Jaworski this offseason. Walter Payton is really who makes our offense work, though. Just a phenomenal, phenomenal player. Even when he's neutralized to a large extent as he was in the Super Bowl, that just opens up the rest of the passing game. Cliff Odom really gives us a dimension we've never had at LB, particularly not in the middle, and that's a linebacker who's a genuine threat in the pass rush. Willie Lanier was always more of a tackle and coverage guy, so it's fascinating seeing how Odom changes the face of our defense. Rulon Jones and Curtis Greer may not have reached double-digit sacks, but in terms of pressure, especially hurries, they're comparable to the L.C. Greenwood and Vern Den Herder days and I fully expect that they'll continue to grow and develop and be long-term fixtures on our defensive line. I've gushed about Gary Green, but I feel the need to do it some more. What a lifesaver for the secondary he was. Johnny Smith may not be a bust after all, but I'm still going to be looking to improve that secondary and maybe get it younger. Possibly trade Jaws for a CB, depending on the interest he draws. Other things I plan to keep in mind are new OLBs, as we still don't have a dominant one, heirs for Johnnie Gray and Chuck Crist at S, and somebody to groom to eventually supplant Walter Payton. I'd also like to find an upgrade at LT after Morris Towns declined this year and start thinking about possibly finding an heir for Noah Jackson at RG. The rest of the line is in very good hands, both now and for the future in C Fred Quillan, LG Jim Hough and RT Roger Taylor. Tim Webster didn't make a complete rebound, but he improved enough for me to give him one last year unless I see the opportunity to grab somebody really dynamite in the draft. Neil Clabo will try and get replaced, if I can find a kick holder. 1981 Miami Dolphins Season Awards QB Danny White - Super Bowl MVP, 2nd Team All-Pro QB White's best season is awarded with his second All-Pro award and he was well deserving of it. The scary thing is, there was someone else who was an even better QB this year, one who's really taken off the last few years. RB Walter Payton - 2nd Team All-Pro RB It was Payton's weakest season in terms of rushing and he was just low enough that Eric Dickerson managed to sneak past him with 1,554 yards rushing and 10 TDs. Payton's still the top back in the league, though, by my lights. Other Major Awards MVP QB Brian Sipe - Minnesota Vikings Offensive Player of the Year QB Brian Sipe - Minnesota Vikings Defensive Player of the Year SLB Thomas Henderson - San Francisco 49ers Offensive Rookie of the Year RB George Rogers - Carolina Panthers Defensive Rookie of the Year SS Kenny Easley - San Francisco 49ers QB Brian Sipe - Minnesota Vikings I just want to include a note on this guy because he has 4 straight seasons of 4,000+ yards passing and just missed 5,000 yards last year with 4,944. I had my doubts when he was taken at 1.2 in the 1972 draft, but he's really blossomed for the Vikes. As a point of comparison, that 4,944 yards was the the 4th highest season total in NFL history and the highest since 1966. Only a 28 TD/22 INT ratio kept him from getting more awards last season. The three highest single season totals in universe history? 1961: QB Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) - 5,430 1963: QB Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) - 5,254 1962: QB Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) - 5,022 Yep, that's right. All 3 5,000+ yard passing seasons in this universe belong to Bart Starr and take place over 3 consective seasons. All with the Packers. And guess what hat he wears in the Hall? The Baltimore Ravens, by virtue of his 7 seasons in Baltimore, vs. 5 in Green Bay. It's a special year for the Miami Dolphins. Not only are we coming off a Super Bowl championship, but we get the following news to open the offseason. Miami Dolphins WR Paul Warfield has been inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame as part of the 1982 Class. He received 82% of the vote. Yay!!! We have our first Dolphins Hall of Famer!!!Here's a snapshot of the Hall of Fame inductees to date:  Pretty big classes in 1976, 1978, and 1980. At least one Hall of Famer has been elected in every season since Jim Brown's induction except 1973, 1974, and 1977. Fran Tarkenton *just* made the cut in 1981 or that'd have been an empty class, too. I'm not certain if there's any surprises on that list. nilodor could say better than anyone, I'm sure. A few stats about the players that were drafted: 100% (9/9) were drafted in the 1st round. 44% (4/9) were Top 10 picks, with Fran Tarkenton and Willie Brown the only #1 overall selections. Paul Warfield is the lowest drafted player in the Hall of Fame at 1.22 It'll be interesting to see if this trend holds up over time or if we start to see some later drafted players getting into the Hall. We say goodbye to a long time Dolphin this offseason, as one of the fixtures of our defense hangs it up. SS Glen Edwards (1971-1981) Drafted at 1.25 in the 1971 draft, Edwards was an immediate starter and was the starting SS for the next 9 seasons before Johnnie Gray came to town in 1980. A phenomenal player, Edwards was one of the most underrated safeties in the league and never won an All-Pro award, though he was certainly deserving of one. He was one of the best all-around safeties in the league. He was a punishing hitter who played well in coverage and had a real nose for the ball. He could've been one of the great punt returners in universe history too, if it wasn't for my long-standing policy of not letting starters return kicks, following Irv Cross's shortened career. We'll really miss him. He and Chuck Crist were the best safety tandem we've had in Miami since the days of Ross Fichtner and Don Fleming. His player card:  Super Bowl Rings 1972, 1978, 1981 Miami Dolphins All-Time Records 3rd (T) - Interceptions 3rd - Tackles 3rd - Assists 3rd - Passes Defensed 10th - Punt Return Yards 2nd (T) - Punt Return TDs 7th - Games Started Which reminds me, we've completed 22 seasons in this universe. In 3 more seasons, I'll be unveiling the 25th Anniversary Dolphins All-Time Team. There's going to be some interesting choices to make, that's for sure. Staff Hiring Lead Scout Oscar James DL: Good to Average Nobody's out of contract and there's no scouts that surpass James in the rookie pool, unfortunately, so we'll have to go with him for another season. It's a tough choice between CB Johnny Smith and SS Lloyd Burrus for the summer league, but Smith dropped while Burrus improved last training camp and he's pretty much guaranteed the backup SS spot so he gets the call. Plus, I want to see if he'll shake out as a possible heir for Johnnie Gray. Free Agency First thing I do is call everyone up and ask about QB Ron Jaworski. The Colts are hot to get him and the Bengals and Ravens have considerable interest. All told there's 12 teams that are interested in dealing for him, but outside of the 3 mentioned franchises, it's more lukewarm. What's the going rate for a 32 year old, 10th year QB who's never really gotten a shot and would essentially be a one-year rental? The Colts are willing to give up a 4th round pick and I doubt I'll get more out of the Bengals or the Ravens. There's a couple OLBs that look mildly interesting, but the one they'd most likely trade me is a cap beast and the one CB I want from them, they're not giving up. Cincinnati doesn't have anything interesting. Baltimore has a couple CBs I'd like to get my hands on, so I put in an offer for the better, younger one. They accept! Baltimore Ravens receive QB Ron Jaworski Miami Dolphins receive CB J.C. Wilson What this trade means for the Ravens Baltimore has a fantastic defense and some good skill position players, so they've got many of the pieces in place to be a real force. What the Ravens lacked was a legitimate starting QB, as Gary Danielson was just not getting it done. Enter Ron Jaworski, who's shown flashes of some tantalizing potential in his stops around the league, particularly Cleveland and Miami, but has never gotten a fair shot. He'll get it with the Ravens and Baltimore won't miss J.C. Wilson too much. What this trade means for the Dolphins There are a lot of questions surrounding Miami's CB situation going into this offseason. Will Gary Green recover fully from the injury that kept him out of the playoffs? Is Johnny Smith the real deal? How long can 33 year old Rolland Lawrence be effective? Factor in that Lenny Dunlap is a free agent and Dolphins GM Tim Moungey has said the team will not re-sign him, Dunlap's postseason brilliances aside and you have a real concern in South Florida. J.C. Wilson does a lot to alleviate the pressure. A ballhawk with respectable coverage skills, he'll fight it out with Johnny Smith for one of the starting CB spots and gives the Dolphins a good, fairly young trio of CBs in Gary Green (6th year), Johnny Smith (2nd year) and J.C. Wilson (5th year). Advantage: Draw This is a trade that really benefits both teams and addresses critical need areas for them. The Ravens have to be considered a bona fide contender in the AFC next season and the Dolphins shore up one of their biggest weaknesses on defense for now and the foreseeable future. Baltimore will miss Wilson a little bit, but the rest of the defense is more than good enough to make up for it and as for Miami, Jaworski had no place on the team following front office favorite Don Milan's unhappiness at being 3rd string QB. By the Numbers QB x 2, RB, FB, TE x 2, WR x 2, T, K, OLB x 2, CB, FS (13 new bodies total) Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions FB Russell Davis - 3 years, $260k CB Wade Manning - 3 years, $260k TE John Spagnola - 4 years, $890k WR Steve Watson - 3 years, $260k WR Steve Largent - 4 years, $1.42 mill. I extended Largent because he was greatly improved last season, he's a fan favorite and I was able to lock him pretty darn cheaply for the contract's length. I'm thrilled Watson came so cheap. First thing I notice as I'm looking through the lists. St. Louis really blew up their team, but that's to be expected considering how apeshit they went during the draft last year. Week 2 Signings RB Doug Kotar - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -He's a great KR, Walter Payton loves him, he's a ST ace and he's a solid #2 RB. What's not to love about this guy? So we keep bringing him back. TE Bruce Hardy - 1 year, $80k* (San Diego) -Charle Young wanted starter money, which wasn't flying, so we pick up this blocking specialist and ST guy to be the backup. Probably should've found a better receiver, but at least he's a mentor. P Herman Weaver - 1 year, $110k* (San Diego) -He's old balls (13th year), but he's a terrific punter and a very good kick holder. Good enough to finally replace Neil Clabo. Week 3 Signings DT Joe Klecko - 4 years, $2.4 mill. (St. Louis) -I'll have to send the Cardinals a thank-you card for letting this guy go. 6th year star player and 1980 2nd Team All-Pro who not only becomes a starter, but lets us rest easy about old man Bill Line's gray beard. Our #1 target this free agency, even though it's not a genuine area of need. It's a move for the future. Week 3 Losses OLB John Anderson - 1 year, $80k* (New York - Re-signing) -I wanted to grab this guy to be my new starting WLB, but he loves it too much in the Big Apple. Too bad for us. Week 4 Signings RB James Jones - 1 year, $60k (St. Louis) -Another Cardinal casulty, he's a 3rd year pro who displays great pass-catching ability, PR skills, and ST work. While I don't see him as ever being a starter, I like his skill set enough to see if I can find a place for him on the active squad and try him out for future seasons. WR Reggie Garrett - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -Best 5th WR in the league and an awesome guy to have on special teams. I love this guy. K Tim Webster - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing) -May not make the team if I find a hotshot rookie I like. I'm still fond of Wonder, even if he's not as clutch as he used to be. DE Jim Young - 1 year, $80k* (Carolina) -Vern Den Herder is disgruntled about not starting, which is understandable... I mean hell, he came off a 1st Team All-Pro appearance and got pushed to the reserves last year.. so I have to be prepared for the possibility of letting him go if he takes another slide. Young will not only be the likely backup DE, but he could see time in our goal-line package as well. OLB Rod Shoate - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -I keep hoping he'll revert back to the form of his first few seasons. For now, we're sticking with him because there's simply nothing better on the market. S Dick Conn - 1 year, $100k* (Chicago) -One year rental as a backup FS. Another ST guy. I'm finding I really like to stack my team with guys who can play special teams. Week 5 Signings WR Pat Tilley - 1 year, $100k (Buffalo) -Really developed the last few seasons into a quality reserve. He'll probably be the backup FL as I'd hate to switch Steve Watson again. I didn't try to re-sign Danny Buggs and you'll see why soon. OLB Tim Black - 1 year, $80k* (Green Bay) -Black's forgiven us and we welcome him back to the Aqua and Orange after he had a very respectable season last year with the Packers. He'll go back to starting WLB duties. Week 6 Signings TE Charle Young - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -I'm honestly surprised he chose to come back to us, given that he was a little grumpy about PT, but then I look at the Browns, who also offered him, and he would've faced the same situation there. Bruce Hardy gets cut instantly so he can try and find another team. Sorry, Bruce! Week 7 Losses OLB Ray Preston - 1 year, $80k* (Seattle) -The Seahawks are welcome to him. Week 8 Signings T Ron Mikolajczyk - 3 years, $470k (Re-signing) -When Ron presented me with his demands, I told him he was crazy and that while I'd love to have him back, there's no way he'd get 3 years, $450k. Last week, the Browns and the Titans (who always want to be like us), offered him contracts for 3 years, $450k. I called him up and admitted he was right, I was wrong and offered him $20k more because he was right. He faxed in his signed contract 12 minutes later. Thank God... I would've been -pissed- if I'd lost him. Nice to see that he's finally getting recognition for being the topflight RT that he is, though it cost us a pretty penny.Week 8 Losses WR Danny Buggs - 4 years, $1.17 mill. (Dallas) -Danny parlayed his sensational backup season with us last year into a nice, fat paycheck and a starting spot with the Cowboys. Nice rebound after having to migrate for two seasons when the Browns cut him in the middle of a multi-year deal. No way I was giving him that kind of money, though. Week 9 Signings QB Don Milan - 3 years, $330k (Re-signing) -We sent him roses and love notes, saying we were sorry for having ever doubted him when he's done so much for us as a franchise. He made us wait for 9 weeks before finally signing the richest contract of his career, one he damned well has earned. 4-0 QB record, the 1976 AFC Championship heroics, along with the game-winning TD pass of the 1978 Super Bowl... he's a legend in Dolphins history. One thing I don't understand, though. He got a ring for our most recent Super Bowl title, but he wasn't on the field for any plays. Ah well, he deserves it, I suppose. G Mickey Marvin - 1 year, $120k (Green Bay) -Fantastic guard, well worth the extra money to be a backup and a great insurance policy. Just too bad he's not a little younger (6th season), because he'd fit in great as Noah Jackson's heir otherwise. Week 9 Losses CB Lenny Dunlap - 1 year, $130k (Chicago) -The Bears can have his old, underachieving ass. Sure he stepped it up in the playoffs, but he's bound to hit a wall sooner rather than later. I'm surprised Chicago got him to agree to a one year deal after all the money he's bilked out of me the past 5 seasons. That's pretty much it for free agency. Draft tomorrow. I already have a shortlist of players I am most definitely going to go after.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 02-13-2008 at 02:56 AM. |
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02-13-2008, 02:26 AM
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#268 | |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: calgary, AB
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Quote:
Connelly is the only real surprise on the list to me, other than that I'm pretty happy with it. It makes me happy to see names in the Hall that you feel should get there. Especially guys who were talented but didn't get a fair shake in real life. And you thought you'd have to wait until Walter retired to get a hall of famer =). Really exciting read, makes me wish that I haven't been so bust the last couple of months so I could really finish my greatest teams dynasty. Good luck with the draft, although it appears that you don't really need any more luck. |
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02-13-2008, 01:56 PM
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#269 | ||
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I'm on campus right now, but when I get back to my room, I'll pull up Connelly's info. As I recall, he was far and away the most dominant C in the league for an extended period of time, with several consecutive All-Pro appearances. I'm thrilled to see Warfield make the Hall. I figured he was a borderline case, but he made it!Quote:
Thanks Hopefully you'll find time to get the greatest teams dynasty running again.There's two specific players I'm hoping to get this draft, but I won't find that out until later tonight or even some time tomorrow night, since I have a packed schedule today and tomorrow's extremely busy as well.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-13-2008, 02:07 PM
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#270 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Mar 2004
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how many career sacks does van der herder have? He was so good for me...
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02-13-2008, 08:23 PM
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#271 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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C Mike Connelly
Player Card:  All-Pro Awards 1966 - 1st Team 1968 - 2nd Team 1969 - 1st Team 1970 - 1st Team 1971 - 1st Team 1974 - 1st Team 1975 - Legend of the Game All-Time Career Records 1st - Key Run Blocks 1st - Pancake Blocks 4th - Games Started Vern Den Herder currently has 156 career sacks and had a streak of 10 consecutive seasons of 10+ sacks until last year, when he had 1.5. Don't know if he'll add any more to that total or not this season, but he presently ranks 1st All-Time in career sacks and hurries and he's tied for 4th All-Time in career blocks.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-13-2008, 10:52 PM
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#272 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I'm so keyed in on my guys I want to grab that I don't spend much time looking at other people in the interview process, particularly since we don't have a 3rd round pick and I'm probably going to have to bundle picks to move up in the 2nd to grab the second player I want anyway.
In any event, the hot shots in this draft are RB Marcus Allen, RB Darrin Nelson and QB Mike Pagel. This is a pretty deep RB class overall, I'd say and Allen looks like the surefire #1. I'd expect to see a lot of RBs go in the 1st, given the depth at the position and the need for a lot of teams at RB. 1982 NFL Draft 1st Round 1. RB Marcus Allen - New Orleans Saints 2. QB Mike Pagel - Jacksonville Jaguars 3. RB Sammy Winder - Philadelphia Eagles 4. RB Darrin Nelson - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5. S Fred Marion - Baltimore Ravens 6. WR Mike Quick - Tucson Titans 7. DT Tony Elliott - San Diego Chargers 8. ILB Jim Fahnhorst - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9. DT Joe Nash - Pittsburgh Steelers 10. ILB Robert Abraham - St. Louis Cardinals 11. G Roy Foster - New York Giants 12. G Dennis McKnight - St. Louis Cardinals 13. C Jay Hilgenberg - San Francisco 49ers 14. DE Keith Willis - Oakland Raiders 15. ILB Anthony Griggs - Cincinnati Bengals through Green Bay Packers The Bengals get this pick really cheaply: their 1982 2nd and 6th round picks and their 1983 4th round pick. There's a reason why the Packers have fallen off the wagon from their glory days. 16. DT Jerome Sally - Denver Broncos 17. RB Gerald Willhite - Dallas Cowboys 18. DE Doug Barnett - Atlanta Falcons 19. ILB Eugene Marve - Indianapolis Colts 20. ILB Shelton Robinson - Kansas City Chiefs 21. DT Harvey Armstrong - New England Patriots 22. DE Kenneth Sims - Minnesota Vikings 23. RB Gerald Riggs - Detroit Lions 24. ILB Jeff Davis - Los Angeles Rams 25. T Emil Boures - Seattle Seahawks 26. DE Jeff Bryant - Chicago Bears 27. OLB Chip Banks - Carolina Panthers 28. RB Robert Weathers - Cincinnati Bengals 29. DE Todd Liebenstein - Buffalo Bills 30. OLB Chet Parlavecchio - Houston Oilers 31. T Luis Sharpe - Washington Redskins Now, I can either draft one of the two players I'm most eyeing here or I can trade down, because it doesn't look like either of them will get picked for a while. I move down to 2.8 and pick up the Pittsburgh Steelers' 4th round pick next year. 32. TE Robb Rubick - Pittsburgh Steelers I then sweat out the rest of the picks until 2.8, but it turns out to have been the right move, because it allows me to select WR Mark Duper. Yes, his combines aren't so hot and yes, he's actually listed as Overrated, but I don't give a damn. I'm going to make sure we've got at least one half of the Marks Brothers. A few picks later, it's time for me to move up and grab the other guy I'm hoping to get. So I send 2.32 and my 1984 3rd round pick to the New York Giants so I can jump up to 2.15 and take OLB Andre Tippett, who is the one guy from the Patriots' D during the IRL Marino days that I actually had nightmares about. I think he's got a very good shot at becoming our starting SLB from the get-go and from his pass-rushing bars, he'll give us an actual weapon in the pass rush game there. Yes, it was a bit pricy to pay, but the Giants wouldn't take a combination of lower picks even though I tried and he addresses one of our biggest weaknesses. We let the 3rd round pass us by and when we finally pick again with the last pick in the 4th round, I take a flyer on S Andre Young, who looks to have some respectable KR ability, is already well-developed, and Very Underrated to boot. QB Art Schlichter is our 5th round selection only to fulfill the 3 QBs rule. In the 6th round, we take a flyer on T Phil Pozderac, who looks like a breakout candidate and has a beautiful Sol score of 38, with no green combines. And finally, Mr. Irrelevant 1982, K Florian Kempf, who has my favorite German first name and who will be able to challenge Tim Webster for K duties. Late Free Agency Week 3 Signings OLB Drew Mahlic - 1 year, $100k* (Philadelphia) -Signed strictly as a mentor. Week 3 Losses S Dennis Bragonier - 1 year, $100k* (Carolina) -Never saw much of the field anyway, but good when he was there. Good luck with the Panthers, Dennis. Code:
Well, the good news is, everybody except Super Duper seems to be on the uptick. The bad news is, they're all so damned raw, it's questionable whether they'll contribute right away or not. There's going to be some very tough choices to make on this team as a result of the simulataneous rawness and enhanced promise of these rookies. I'm honestly not sure what to do about it just yet.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-14-2008, 02:59 PM
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#273 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Florida
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Keep Schlichter away from the bookies and racetracks and I think he'll be fine.
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02-14-2008, 07:25 PM
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#274 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Oh, I'm not intending him to be anything more than a junky 3rd stringer until his rookie contract runs out and he can go try and hook on with someone else.I just needed someone with lower ratings than Don Milan that wouldn't be pissed about being behind the Legend.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-15-2008, 03:06 PM
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#275 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
This'll be the first time in franchise history that Milan's opened the season as the #2 QB. I still say he deserves to be there, though. White-Milan-Schlichter, obviously. Code:
Uh oh. Sweetness took a 15 point drop from last year. Hopefully he can stabilize at that level, but if not, we might have to go shopping sooner than I'd anticipated. Kotar will be our #2 back, ST guy and KR. Jones becomes our passing back and a PR. Davis takes over as the starting FB, though he and Brown will split time pretty closely. Code:
TE is set, with Spagnola the starter and Young the backup. Similarly, Swann and Largent are set as the starting WRs, with Watson Largent's backup. It's the reserve FL spots where things start looking dicy. After a closer look at the situation, though, Tilley goes on the inactive list so Duper can be the backup FL. As for 5th WR, it's probably going to be Garrett, but I want to keep Lewis active too, if I can. Code:
This is probably Banks's last season. He'll still start. We're going to try an inside line of Hough-Banks-Jackson. Tackle is a tough situation to know what to do with, as neither Ron nor Roger look like they'll transtition well over to the left side. So we'll go with Towns and Taylor on the outside, at least in the preseason. Quillan, Jackson, and Mikolajcyzk will all be backups. Essink goes on inactive and Pozderac get cut. Code:
It'll be Weaver and Webster. Miller and Kempf are both cut. Code:
Jones-Klecko-Line-Greer, with Young and Dunn the backups. Den Herder and Burt go on the inactive list. We'll have to look at DT in the next few years, I imagine, but for now, we're in terrific shape as far as our D-line goes. Code:
Odom is the definite starter at MLB, Krakau is his backup. Hunt and Mahalic are surefire inactive list guys. Black will be the starting WLB and I've switched Rennaker over to the weak side as well, where he drops to 28/49 because of xp hit. Oops. I'm tempted to say hell with and just start Tippett and SLB everyone else be damned, and have Shoate as the backup for both OLB spots. Yeah, I think I'll do that. Rennaker is inactive. Code:
Wilson and Green the starting CBs, Gray and Crist the starting safeties. Lawrence goes on the inactive list, as does Young. Manning switches over to LCB, where he becomes 34/39. He'll back up Wilson and Smith will be Green's understudy. Burrus is really starting to look like the future at SS, though we still need someone to step in as a FS very soon. We're the favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions, though the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions are all considered strong contenders as well. It's going to be an interesting season, to say the least.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-15-2008, 03:55 PM
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#276 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
Miami 26 Minnesota 14 Most fun stat out of this one: Art Schlichter completes 2 of 3 passes for 20 yards. His 3rd pass and only incompletion? An INT. Lynn Swann had 7 catches for 130 yards, Joe Klecko picked up 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown, while Rulon Jones hit the Vikes for 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry. Good start to the preseason. St. Louis 17 Miami 24 That young Cardinals' D looks really good, but Doug Kotar makes sure they don't do anything, rushing 16 times for 116 yards and 2 TDs. Lynn Swann caught 7 passes for 115 yards and I'm wondering why he can't be this hot in the regular season. Joe Klecko won Player of the Game with 6 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry, 2 knockdowns and a forced fumble. He's really made an immediate splash on our team. Miami 15 Detroit 10 Tim Webster jacked 5/5 of FGs, including a 49 yarder to take care of all our scoring for the game. Joe Klecko continues to eat offensive linemen for breakfast, his second straight PotG award coming on 5 tackles, 2 assists, 3 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Seattle 14 Miami 35 We close out the preseason with our most convincing win of the exhibition phase. Rulon Jones takes over Player of the Game with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, and a hurry. Something tells me our defensive line is going to be scary good this season, which bodes well for our title defense hopes. Turns out we have to cut somebody before the regular season and G Ron Essink gets his pink slip. Regular Season Miami 24 Buffalo 20 We get the win, but this is not how I wanted to start the year, with a game this close. Walter Payton rushes 14 times for 116 yards and Danny White wins Player of the Game with a 20/26 for 219 yards and 3 TDs line to save our bacons. Then I realize the problem. I forgot to hit Recommend. Whoops. Chicago 12 Miami 23 That's more like it. The Bears had to rely on their K for all their points, which didn't exactly work. Walter Payton is named Player of the Game thanks to his 19 rushes for 101 yards and 4th quarter insurance TD run. Andre Tippett shows maybe I wasn't so crazy for starting him after all by recording 10 tackles, 2 assists and a hurry. RDE Curtis Greer strains his deltoid muscle and is out roughly 4 weeks. Jim Young takes over as the starter and ancient Vern Den Herder comes on to be the backup DE, rather remniscient of L.C. Greenwood a few years back. Oh yeah, we're also making Vern the pass-rushing RDE in nickel and dime packages while Greer is out. Miami 24 Kansas City 14 We pull away in the 4th quarter thanks to Walter Payton, who was Player of the Game with 19 rushes for 130 yards and that 4th quarter TD. Danny White was awful this game, misfiring on passes and throwing 3 INTs. We're honestly lucky to have won. Miami 31 New England 42 Hell of an entertaining game for the casual football fan as two 3-0 teams matched up against each other, but the Patriots win this shootout as Cliff Stoudt ate us for 361 yards and 5 TDs vs 1 INT, the worst we've ever been skunked through the air, I think. Danny White was much more modest: 24/42 for 320 yards and 2 TDs vs 1 INT. Steve Largent caught 7 passes for 105 yards and 2 TDs, while Lynn Swann made 4 catches for 124 yards in a rare game of White choosing minimal targets. Curtis Greer is back up to Probable, so he goes back in the lineup. Miami 10 Jacksonville 29 This thumping takes me by surprise. Our run game gets totally shut down, Danny White throws 3 INTs and yeah... this is the single worst game we've played in a very, very long time. Suddenly our hot 3-0 start and preseason promise look to be going up in smoke. Houston 7 Miami 35 Nothing like a little home cooking to right the ship. Walter Payton runs 21 times for 104 yards and a TD and catches 4 passes for 38 yards and another TD. Danny White was Player of the Game with a 23/33 for 213 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT line. Curtis Greer had 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Buffalo 10 Miami 33 An all-important game here as we sweep the Bills for the season behind PotG Walter Payton's 25 rushes for 123 yards and 2 TDs. Tim Webster's 4/5 FGs didn't hurt either, nor did Joe Klecko's 2 tackles, 2 sacks, hurry and knockdown. Indianapolis 23 Miami 17 I don't get it. I don't get why we're struggling so damn bad. The Colts make a 4th quarter comeback to win this one and our lone highlight is Joe Klecko, with 5 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. The loss drops us to 5-3 and we're currently not in the playoffs, as the Steelers and Jets are both 5-2. We're in 3rd place in the AFC East, with the Patriots atop our division at 6-1. It's annoying being in the league's best division, especially when San Diego's leading the AFC West with a 3-4 mark and we'd be a playoff team if we were in the NFC. Halfway tale of tape: Code:
A ton of dropped passes, a lot more interceptions, lack of turnovers, lack of dynamite pass-rush, and overall really, really horrible defense. If we don't make the playoffs, I'm firing Don Bruce as DC and have to give a long, hard look to Edwin Buckley. That's not to say we can't turn this thing around... we can, but we're really going to have to step it up in the second half.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-15-2008, 11:57 PM
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#277 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but I can't. I have to find out how the second half of the season goes.
MLB Merv Krakau is Angry and OLB Rod Shoate is Livid. They'll both have to deal. QB Don Milan is Disgruntled and there have been a few fans calling for him with Danny White's erratic play, but that's not going to happen. In fact, the only change I'll make is to put Shoate in the goal-line package. We move into second after the bye week, thanks to the Jets loss, but are still out of the playoffs because the Browns win the tiebreaker against us in terms of conference record. Miami 24 Tucson 23 Victory = cool. Closeness against a crappy team = Not cool. Steve Dils shreds us for 349 yards and 2 TDs and I'm absolutely flabbergasted and unable to explain just why our pass defense has been so bad this year. Mark Duper had 3 catches for 112 yards and a TD, most of it coming on a beautiful 83 yard TD pass. Johnnie Gray had 11 tackles, 3 assists and a pass defense and Curtis Greer had 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 4 hurries and a knockdown. Miami 17 New Jersey 20 You don't want to hear the expletives that just shot out of my mouth. That fucker Mark Moseley stabs us again with a god damned 40 yard FG with 7 seconds left to hang a loss we couldn't afford on us. Danny White was Player of the Game at 23/40 for 275 yards and 2 TDs, Steve Watson his main target with 7 catches for 101 yards. I'm so pissed right now it's not funny. Miami 35 Minnesota 11 We get back on the win train in this laugher powered by a 25/28 for 322 yards and 2 TDs performance by PotG Danny White, his second straight award. Curtis Greer leads the defense with a tackle, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Cincinnati 10 Miami 31 You can't underestimate just how important this win is. It pulls us even with the Bengals at 8-4 in a tight, tight playoff race. Danny White once again saves us and wins Player of the Game: 19/30 for 291 yards and 3 TDs. Even more important, the Jets and Patriots lost, so we're deadlocked with New England atop the AFC East at 8-4. Detroit 23 Miami 26 We have our own heartstopping come from behind victory as Tim Webster nails the 30 yarder with 3 seconds left on the clock to give us the win. Walter Payton has 20 carries for 109 yards and a TD, but it's fairly clear that he's declining rapidly this season. Danny White carried us again and wins his 4th straight Player of the Game nod: 20/26 for 337 yards and 2 TDs. The bulk of the yardage went to Lynn Swann, with 7 catches for 160 yards and a TD. The Patriots and Jets continue their skid, both of them losing to give us sole possession of first place at 9-4, with 3 games left to play. The Jaguars have the AFC South clinched at 10-3 and look a good shot to have a first round bye, while the AFC North is deadlocked between the Bengals and the Browns at 9-4. We have somebody above .500 in the AFC West finally, as the Chargers are 7-6. Backup S Lloyd Burrus strains his elbow tendon and probably won't be back the rest of the regular season. We sign the ancient 13th year warrior Hugo Hollas to be the backup and cut MLB Mike Hunt, who never did get out of the logjam we had at MLB. New England 30 Miami 42 The single biggest game of the season and we come through in a big, big way to get the victory the second go-round. Doug Kotar took a kickoff back 95 yards for the TD and had a 10 yard TD run besides that. Danny White was equal parts brilliant and disasterous, with 25/32 for 390 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs. Lynn Swann came up huge and was Player of the Game with 7 catches for 150 yards and a TD. How important was that win? So important that it appears to have all but mathematically clinched the division for us. We're still locked in a dogfight for bye or play, though.Miami 27 Green Bay 31 Ouch. That all but killed our chances for a first round bye. Danny White threw the 4th quarter INT that cost us the game, ruining an otherwise brilliant 292 yard and 3 TD performance. Joe Klecko had 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry. Only chance we have now is to win our last game and hope Cincinnati and Jacksonville lose and even then I'm not sure we win any tiebreakers. Hell, if we lose, the Patriots can still take the division with a win. New Jersey 13 Miami 37 Well, we take care of business, J.C. Wilson having the final word with a 30 yard interception return for a TD. Gary Green was Player of the Game and was incredible: 5 tackles 6 pass defenses and an INT. The Miami Dolphins are the 1982 AFC East Champions! But did the Bengals and/or Jaguars lose and do we have a first round bye? The Jaguars lost, but it wasn't enough. We'll have to fight through the Wild Card round and go up against the Patriots to boot. Tough row to hoe for our Super Bowl title defense, but at least we've got the chance coming to us.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-16-2008, 04:53 PM
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#278 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Our two games against the Patriots this year have combined for 73 and 72 points respectively, making a total of 145 points combined for both games. Now that's a shootout series!
QB Cliff Stoudt has gotten better and better each year he's been the starter for the Patriots. While a considerable bust in terms of being the #3 overall pick as he was in the 1977 draft, he's actually a respectable QB. RB Earl Campbell is really who powers this offense. He had a career high 1,843 yards with 13 rushing TDs in the regular season and had 73 catches for 568 yards and 6 TDs. He's a two-way threat in the Walter Payton mold. TE Eric Sievers is a great, young all-around TE and FL Harold Carmichael rebounded with a 1,185 yard, 13 TD season after being let go by the Redskins. I'm not happy to see him again, at all. C Blair Bush is a solid all-around player, rookie LG Ben Utt is fantastic in pass protection and was a 3rd round steal, RG George Yarno is also a great pass protector and LT Ronnie Lee has become one of the most complete young LTs in the game. RT Ted Albrecht is solid as well. It's just a very good o-line all around. P Craig Colquitt is very good, but K Nick Lowery is sporadic until the postseason hits. Then he turns clutch. 2nd year LDE Tyrone Keys has talent, but hasn't adjusted to the pro level yet and NT Jimmy Webb is no substitute for NT Fred Smerlas, who was lost for the season with an ACL tear. SILB Bruce Eila is a tackle machine. SLB Dave Lewis is much better suited to a 4-3 system. WLB Rod Martin is very good, though. They're without LCB Alan Caldwell, but LCB LeRoy Irvin is a lot better anyway. SS Ken Schroy had his best season after signing in free agency and is killer against the run, while FS Randy Logan had his worst year this season. It looks like it's going to be another shootout, as the Patriots' D simply isn't very good. If we can contain Earl Campbell, this turns into a probable blowout for our side. The oddsmakers favor us by 8. It was a dominant game, a coasting game, until the 4th quarter, when one team rebounded back and it all came down to a 32 yard FG with 1 second left on the clock. The kick was good and Nick Lowery goes home a hero. We didn't contain Earl Campbell, who ripped us up for 148 yards on 17 carries, including a 66 yard TD run and caught 6 passes for 43 yards and another TD. Rod Perry returned an interception, Danny White's only turnover, 58 yards for a TD. Steve Watson had 6 catches for 139 yards on our side for our only, lonely highlight. New England 37 Miami 34 This one galls like you would not believe. We blew a 14 point 4th quarter lead, just pissed it away in the wind. And now we have to sit and watch someone else be the AFC Champion. I was right, though, in that it'd be a shootout. 71 points this go round.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-16-2008, 08:38 PM
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#279 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Super Bowl XXIII
The Washington Redskins made it back to the Super Bowl and this time they wouldn't be denied as Eddie Lee Ivery shocked everyone with his 20 rushes for 181 yards and 3 TDs, but Steve Bartkowski took home Super Bowl MVP with a 20/28 for 244 yards and 3 TDs showing. Frankly, I think Ivery got ripped. The San Diego Chargers just had no answer all night long and got skunked. San Diego 16 Washington 42 Here's how we looked at the end of the season: Code:
Way for Danny White to rebound in the 2nd half of the year! That 4,091 yards is the first 4,000 yard season since Johnny Unitas in 1966 and ranks as #3 all-time in Dolphins history and those 36 TDs ranks #2 in franchise in history, behind his own 37 TDs last year. Walter Payton had a great YPC this year, but my general feeling is still that he's on the way down and I think Doug Kotar is finished as a Dolphins RB. He fumbles too much. Lynn Swann keeps falling just short of the 1,000 yard mark and Steve Watson is still a great player to have. Russell Davis was a nice surprise out of the backfield and Mark Duper was respectable in his first season. We must run the nickel a lot, because Johnny Smith, our nickel DB, led the team in tackles. Joe Klecko was great and J.C. Wilson proved himself definitely worth the trade we got him for. Curtis Greer keeps getting better and better and he should break double-digit sacks next year. Rulon Jones continues to be underwhelming. Gary Green also rebounded in the second half. Tim Webster improved for the second straight year, but it's questionable whether I'll bring him back next season. Our line was pretty good with the exception of Morris Towns who will not be re-signed. This puts us in need of a LT, which isn't exactly a shock in franchise history. The day we get a topflight LT is the day I keel over in shock. So, goals for the offseason: starting LT, shutdown CB, FS heir, RB heir and of course, a certain QB from the University of Pittsburgh. Miami Dolphins Season Awards DT Joe Klecko - 2nd Team All-Pro DT How he wasn't a 1st Teamer I'll never know. Just an absolute brilliant, crushing force in the middle of our D-line this season. We look forward to seeing how he plays over the next few years of his contract. Other Major Awards MVP QB Terry Bradshaw - St. Louis Cardinals Offensive Player of the Year RB Earl Campbell - New England Patriots Defensive Player of the Year DE Bubba Baker - Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Rookie of the Year RB Marcus Allen - New Orleans Saints Defensive Rookie of the Year DT Mike Perko - Denver Broncos Staff Hiring Lead Scout Oscar James DL: Average to Good DB: Average to Good Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley WR: VG to Excellent OL: Average to Good Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce DB: VG to Excellent Head Coach Michael Swift IA: Good to VG Nice improvements from our staff all around. Only Don Bruce is out of contract and he won't come back after last year's defensive debacle. Oscar James saved his job with those attribute improvements. We end up re-hiring Don Bruce as our DC after the guy we targeted refused to leave the college ranks where he was a stellar head coach. Said he was 61 years old and too old to think about a pro job now. Heh. Double heh when I see Royce Womble re-ups with the Jets, traitorous bastard. ....Then the 61 year old guy goes and signs a 4 year contract as DC with the Los Angeles Rams. Guess that SoCal sunshine lured him out. What the hell's wrong with Miami's sunshine? I bet they told him, "Welcome to Hollywood!" when he signed. Dave Hanner changed teams. Forsaking the Chiefs, he took a lucrative $730,000 a year, 5 year deal from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tyrus Treftz is still in Dallas, searching for that ring with the Cowboys and Jared Thamilrassen is with the cross-state Houston Oilers after parting ways with Treftz and the Cowboys. I may have chronicled that switch earlier in this dynasty or I may have missed it. I send SLB Andre Tippett to the summer league, because I'm still convinced, perhaps boneheadedly so, that he'll make a Curtis Greer type leap. It isn't until free agency that I check the retirees list and I'm blindsided. RB Walter Payton (1975-1982) I'm still recovering from the shock of Payton retiring as I type this. I thought sure he still had a year or two more left in him. Wow. In any event, everybody knows the story of Sweetness, when we traded Ken Stabler and multiple 1st round picks to the Saints for the #1 overall pick and Payton. He was the first franchise back we ever had and during his peak was the unquestioned #1 RB in the league. Then the last couple years, Earl Campbell overtook him as the NFL's best back and maybe that bugged Sweetness, because he decided to hang them up. It's a shame, because Sweetness was the single greatest player ever to put on a Dolphins uniform. No other player was ever as magnificent as a two-way threat as he was and we've never, ever had a gamechanger like him. His card. I'm including his receiving numbers to show just how vital he was:   Super Bowl Rings 1978, 1981 Major Awards 1975 - Offensive Rookie of the Year 1978 - Offensive Player of the Year 1979 - MVP 1979 - Offensive Player of the Year 1979 - Mile Run Club 1980 - MVP 1981 - Offensive Player of the Year All-Pro Teams 1977 - 2nd Team All-Pro 1978 - 1st Team All-Pro 1979 - 1st Team All-Pro 1980 - 1st Team All-Pro 1981 - 2nd Team All-Pro Miami Dolphins All-Time Records 1st - Rushing Attempts 1st - Rushing Yards 2nd - Yards Per Carry 1st - Rushing TDs 1st - 100 Yards Rushing 4th - Receptions 7th - Receiving Yards 5th - Receiving TDs 2nd - Points Scored 1st - Yards From Scrimmage 1st - All-Purpose Yards All-Time Records 6th - Rushing Attempts 5th - Rushing Yards 5th - Rushing TDs 3rd - 100 Yards Rushing 7th - Yards From Scrimmage A shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. I just wish he would've hung around for another year or two and made a stronger run at the league career records, but he'll still go down as one of the greatest backs ever to play the game. Free Agency By the Numbers RB x 2, FB, TE, C, G, T, P, K, DE x 2, MLB, OLB x 2, CB, FS (12 new overall) Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions RB James Jones - 3 years, $260k DE Curtis Greer - 5 years, $3.28 mill. C Fred Quillan - 3 years, $290k S Chuck Crist - 2 years, $320k WR Lynn Swann - 3 years, $1.82 mill. CB J.C. Wilson - 3 years, $730k Week 2 Losses T Leon Gray - 2 years, $2.4 mill. (Denver - St. Louis) -He's old and never has matched his potential, but he was the lone LT worth pursuing on the market and the Broncos get him. What an ugly offseason it's shaping up to be. Week 3 Signings FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing) -Solid backup FB to have around. C Tom Banks - 1 year, $160k (Re-signing) -Overpaid to get him, but he's just too good a central focus of our offensive line to let get away. G Mickey Marvin - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing) -See Banks. Really fit in well with our offensive line last year as the starting RG. P Mike Connell - 3 years, $300k (Detroit) -Very good punter and he's only in his 6th season so he should hopefully last a while. Week 4 Signings RB Ricky Bell - 1 year, $80k* (San Diego) -Former Chargers starter who's clearly on the downside, but he should be a good #2 option. WR Ricky Feacher - 1 year, $100k* (New England) -ST and return guy who'll fit in nicely as our 5th WR in place of Reggie Garrett, who we've opted not to re-sign. T Mike Wilson - 1 year, $80k* (Cincinnati) -The best of what was left at LT. Danny White is going to be running for his life this year. Heh. Week 5 Signings TE Charle Young - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -Great backup TE and LS without peer. I'll keep re-signing him until he falls off or retires. OLB Don Coleman - 1 year, $100k* (Jackonsville) -Mentor who becomes defensive front captain with a lot of love to go around. A good fit for a new starting WLB next year. Week 6 Signings DE Jim Young - 1 year, $90k (Re-signing) -Had to give a small bonus to get him back. Good backup DE and nice guy to fit in on the goal-line package. S Tim Fox - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh) -He's been on our radar for a few years and now was our chance to swoop in and snatch him. He'll give Chuck Crist a real battle for the starting FS spot and is a quality guy to have. Week 7 Signings K Tim Webster - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -He looked improved enough last year to get another contract, but the clock is running out on his time. Week 7 Losses OLB Tim Black - 1 year, $80k* (Jacksonville) -How cute. The Jaguars flip-flop starting WLBs with us. Week 8 Losses MLB Merv Krakau - 1 year, $150k (Indianapolis) -Krakau finally escapes to a team that will let him be the starting MLB again. Good riddance, I say. Week 9 Signings MLB Ken Fantetti - 1 year, $110k (Los Angeles) -Overpaid a bit to get him, but he'll be an excellent backup for Cliff Odom without bitching and he can play ST some. Week 10 Signings OLB Pete Cronan - 1 year, $80k* (Cleveland) -Stopgap backup OLB who showed flashes of talent last year with the Browns and has looked decently periodically. Week 10 Losses DE Vern Den Herder - 1 year, $130k (Jacksonville) -Shades of Johnny Unitas, where a legendary player who played an extended time in Miami returns to his original team for one or two last seasons. This game really does make me smile sometimes. That's all the shopping for me. Now time to look through the draft and plot how to get the #1 overall pick.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-16-2008, 08:57 PM
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#280 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Florida
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Sweetness retired?!!!
Bummer. Wonder if the short career will hurt his HOF chances? Not that he hasn't put up some impressive career numbers, mind you. Last edited by SFL Cat : 02-16-2008 at 08:58 PM. |
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02-16-2008, 10:16 PM
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#281 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
is right. I was like "Wait, what?" when I saw it said I had no RBs on my roster.Went to check the retirements and sure enough, he retired. I couldn't believe he only played 8 seasons. Now, that said, I have to think even with a shortened career, he's a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. He just won't have as high a percentage as he would've otherwise.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-17-2008, 06:51 AM
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#282 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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This draft is just sick with talent...awesome class historicly. A couple HoF type replacements for the roster.
So many of my favorites in this draft that I'm only hitting a few high points. Could take 10 from every round. In order of their draft originally, QB John Elway (a horse is a horse of course) RB Eric Dickerson (gonna stick that horseshoe somewhere) RB Curt Warner (patience of a saint) G Chris Hinton (meet me at the Hinton) OL Jim Covert (Jimbo head butted Mchman, but not enough) OG Bruce Matthews (old man river) QB Jim Kelly (congrats Jim Harbough) WR Willie Gault (nothing like 4.1 something on the outside) C Dave Rimington (great in the shotgun) QB Dan Marino (he is a fish with Isotoners) CB Darrell Green (money man) WR Henry Ellard (monday night history maker) DT Leonard Marshall (he is tall) OLB Darryl Talley (spiderman!) RB Roger Craig (FB to HB transition) S Dave Duerson (do it....do it) DE Charles Mann (scarface) G Tom Thayer (thay it isn't so) TE Trey Junkin (junkin that trunk) RB Larry Kinnebrew (nice brew on a sunday afternoon) P Reggie Roby (thought it may be appropriate) QB Babe Laufenberg (good 'ol babe) RB Craig James (bench to backfield to booth) QB Gary Kubiak (lock him up extremely long term as an OC) DE Richard Dent (seiously dent the opposing OL) G Mark Bortz (just rude) WR Mark Clayton (never heard of em) NT Tim Krumrie (he'll wrestle you for $1) P Bucky Scribner (write it down) MLB Karl Mecklenburg (muck with your linebuck) WR Anthony Carter (all he does? score TD's) |
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02-17-2008, 10:52 AM
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#283 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Macomb, MI
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Dickerson to replace Payton!
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02-17-2008, 02:12 PM
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#284 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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damnMikeBrown:
You aren't kidding that this is a loaded draft class. Holy heck is it ever brimming with talent!Balldog: That's actually quite tempting if I can manage it, but there's so many ways I could go this draft it's not funny. I was going to do the draft today, but I'm having my worst hangover in several years today and can't find my keys or my Spanish hat So if I'm feeling better later tonight, I'll run the draft, though it may need to wait till tomorrow.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-17-2008, 09:30 PM
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#285 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Dolphins Acquire #1 Overall Pick
In 1975, the Miami Dolphins famously traded QB Ken Stabler and three 1st round picks to the New Orleans Saints for the #1 overall pick, which they used to take RB Walter Payton. Now, in the very first offseason since Payton's retirement, Miami has the #1 pick again, sending DE Rulon Jones, their 1985 1st round pick and their 1984 and 1985 2nd round selections to the Oakland Raiders to secure the top selection in the draft. The trade stunned the league and both fanbases, much as was the case with the Stabler trade. "I don't understand it", said one AFC scout, "In Jones and Curtis Greer, Miami had the best pair of young DEs in the entire league. This swap just doesn't make any sense. Not for the Dolphins and not for the Raiders, who would've been better off taking Richard Dent at #1." An AFC GM, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "It's a big trade, but it's one that makes a lot of sense for both sides. Jones was unpopular in the front office and (Dolphins GM) Tim Moungey was looking for an excuse to get rid of him. I predict Miami drafts Dent as Jones's replacement. Oakland picks up a dynamite young DE who's a restricted free agent after this year and they save a lot of cap room by not having to sign the #1 overall pick." Moungey spoke at a press conference about the deal. "Rulon Jones simply hasn't shown the type of form we expect out of the #6 overall pick and we didn't see the type of improvement from him that indicated he was getting to the level we wanted from him. He's get the chance for a fresh start in Oakland and we get an opportuniy to draft one of the best players in the richest class in NFL history." Moungey also noted that the total draft pick cost was much less expensive than the deal that netted the Dolphins Payton and that Miami still retains the #26 pick in addition to the #1 selection in this draft. In the Stabler deal, Saints fans were jubiliant and Dolphins fans outraged. Things were noticeably different this time around. "I was mad when they traded Kenny (Stabler) away in '75, but Moungey's brought this team five Super Bowl championships, more than anybody else in the league. I'll trust that he's got a plan", said Fran Draybeck, an 80 year-old retired hairdresser in Coral Gables. "You have the #1 pick in the best class ever and you trade it away for a guy that doesn't even have 10 sacks in a season? They're crazy, man, the Raiders are crazy! I'm tempted to sell my season tickets. You don't give away the #1 pick in a draft this good! Now we don't even have a 1st round pick!" lamented Harry Houser, a 34 year old Oakland banker. The big question now becomes: Who do the Dolphins draft? The consensus among league GMs is that Miami will draft DE Richard Dent out of Tennessee State to replace Jones. But it's a question that will only be answered for certain on draft day.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-17-2008, 11:57 PM
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#286 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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This draft is just nuts with the star quality players.
Listing the 7.0+ graded players: DE Richard Dent DE Charles Mann QB Dan Marino QB John Elway T Dave Lutz WR Henry Ellard There's 26 6.0+ graded players altogether, which is just insane... These are the guys that are going to determine the fate of the league for a long, long time to come. It's incredible the talent that's available here. 1983 NFL Draft 1st Round Our pick is first, naturally. I think you know who we're taking here. 1. QB Dan Marino - Miami Dolphins The crowd goes absolutely bonkers when the pick is read off, roars, shocks, and gasps making the whole place shake. Even the analysts are totally stunned by our selection. But the talking heads are quick to recover, making commentary about how Danny White is in his 10th season and will be an unrestricted free agent after this year, so this is the heir apparent and how the Dolphins offense has traditionally been about the passing game, Walter Payton aside. I'll admit it. If it wasn't for Marino, I'd have taken Richard Dent like everybody expected me to, to replace Jones. But frankly, I wanted Marino if it doesn't make total sense here. I mean, it's somewhat logical because of White's contract situation and the fact that he's in his 10th season, but this was primarily a personal thing. I want Dan the Man to get a ring. And really, this whole dynasty has been leading up to this point. 2. DE Richard Dent - Buffalo Bills That's going to be an interesting divisional matchup twice a year now. The Bills GM sent me a thank you card for letting Dent fall into their laps. 3. QB John Elway - Kansas City Chiefs 4. DE Charles Mann - Seattle Seahawks 5. QB Jim Kelly - Tucson Titans 6. DE Leonard Marshall - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7. T Dave Lutz - St. Louis Cardinals 8. WR Henry Ellard - Baltimore Ravens 9. RB Roger Craig - Indianapolis Colts 10. DT Tim Krumrie - Denver Broncos 11. WR Willie Gault - Atlanta Falcons 12. DE Jim Jeffcoat - Denver Broncos Good looking D-line the Broncs are putting together for the future here. 13. T Mark Tunei - San Francisco 49ers 14. ILB Karl Mecklenberg - Houston Oilers 15. DE Byron Darby - New Jersey Jets 16. ILB Riki Ellison - Detroit Lions 17. DT Mike Charles - New Orleans Saints 18. S Leonard Smith - New York Giants 19. QB Jeff Christensen - Pittsburgh Steelers 20. CB Steve Brown - Dallas Cowboys 21. S Dave Duerson - Philadelphia Eagles 22. OLB Curtis Martin - Green Bay Packers 23. QB Ken O'Brien - Carolina Panthers Surprising fall O'Brien took. I thought sure he'd be the next QB taken after the Big 3, but it didn't turn out that way. 24. CB Ronnie Lippett - New England Patriots We're in a brilliant pickle here with the #25 pick. Two possibilities exist for a replacement RB for Walter Payton and an underrated CB who just may qualify as a shutdown CB. It's a tough, tough choice, but in the end, I decide our need at RB is greater than our CB hole and take the RB I like best, who's also listed as Very Underrated. 25. RB Eric Dickerson - Miami Dolphins 26. CB Albert Lewis - Minnesota Vikings 27. OLB Darryl Talley - Cleveland Browns 28. OLB Dave Frye - Jacksonville Jaguars 29. CB Tim Lewis - Cincinnati Bengals 30. CB Darrell Green - Los Angeles Rams Green was the CB who I almost took, incidentally. I think the Rams got a real steal getting him this late in the 1st round. 31. DE Reggie Camp - San Diego Chargers 32. DE Doug Reed - Washington Redskins We get smacked by the irony stick when the Buffalo Bills take Mark Clayton with the 1st pick in the 2nd round. Wow, talk about crazy. I didn't think Clayton was going to go that soon... I was going to try and trade up to get him if he fell out of the top 5 in the 2nd round. Another quandary visits us when our pick comes up in the 2nd round. There's a CB left who I really like the looks of and a T who just might be the answer at LT. I've got a better feeling from the CB though and so I take CB Gill Byrd. There was a FS I strongly considered here as well, but I'll try and get him in the third. I send the lower of our 2 4th round picks to the Steelers and move up 8 spots in the 3rd to take WR Jeff Chadwick after the S and the T both get taken early in the round. We're getting a little long in the tooth at that position and I wanted to make sure we have a continuity of decent young players. Chadwick's raw and I didn't interview him, but he's got a couple nice combines and I love his bars at this stage in the draft. I wanted P Reggie Roby in the 4th, but the Cardinals snapped him up before I could get to him. I was thinking about grabbing OLB Mike Cofer to push Andre Tippett, but the Giants took him two picks before me. So I decide it's time to address our DE situation and take DE Mike Pitts, as my hunch says he's the best of what's left. T Irv Eatman is our choice in the 5th, a flyer type player who may or may not be a legimate LT, but at this point in the draft, he's worth a look, especially since he grades out as having 3rd round type talent. We trade with the Steelers again in the 6th, packaging our 7th round pick to move up and snag S George Best, who intrigues as a backup FS and maybe an heir to Chuck Crist. Late Free Agency Week 1 Signings CB Ricky Odom - 1 year, $80k* (New York) -Mentor CB and ST guru. Great pickup to have and hopefully he can educate Gill Byrd. Week 3 Signings DE John Alexander - 1 year, $80k* (New Jersey) -DE mentors were in short supply this offseason, so I had to sign this scrub unfortunately. Week 3 Losses WR Pat Tilley - 1 year, $100k* (Tucson) -A non-entity after we drafted Mark Duper last year. No loss at all. T Morris Towns - 1 year, $110k (Pittsburgh) -His agent really played up the 1979 1st Team All-Pro angle and Morris's mentor status to grab a more than min-sal deal off the Steelers. Towns was a good late 3rd round pick for us, but ultimately no longer starter worthy. Week 4 Losses OLB Rod Shoate - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland) -Wouldn't re-sign with us after we insisted on starting Andre Tippett at SLB over him. Never panned out like we hoped he would, so we're not all that sorry to see him leave. Code:
I'm surprised at Dickerson's low ratings, both before and after camp. Unfortunately, it puts me in the situation where I'm going to have two very ticked off RBs when I start him over them unless he develops very quickly. Marino will definitely be our starting QB next year, no doubt about it. He'll sit behind Danny White this year and learn. Byrd's jump was nice and he should compete for a starting job this year. Chadwick's crash was a major disappointment. Pitts, Eatman and Best look to be what they are, late round picks and backup fodder. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how this draft went. Marino, Dickerson, and Byrd all look like immediate starters or future stars and Chadwick should at least be a contributor if nothing else.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-18-2008, 04:07 PM
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#287 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
White'll hang around for another year and then he'll be gone to whoever wants to pick him up in free agency. Milan's a mentor too, so he can tutor Dan the Man after that. Schlichter might actually stay active for his kickholding talents, though I wouldn't count on it. Code:
Bell and Jones are both going to complain, but Dickerson's the surefire starter. I just now realized that I didn't sign a mentor and of course there's none available in the free agent pool. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. I'll just have to hope one turns up after the preseason. Bleh. Anyway, Jones the #2 and passing down back. Bell on the inactive. Davis starting FB, Brown the reserve. Code:
Spagnola-Swann-Largent are the three given starters, with Duper and Watson the reserves and Chadwick the 5th WR. Feacher and Lewis will battle it out for an active spot. Code:
Wow, Taylor really crashed and burned. It's definitely going to be a different line this year, with a starting five of Wilson-Hough-Quillan-Marvin-Mikolajcyzk. Eatman will likely get an extended look in preseason. Jackson is the backup G, Banks the reserve C. Code:
This'll probably be Webster's last year. Connell will hold up well, I think. Code:
Young-Klecko-Burt-Greer for the starting defensive line. Pitts will be the backup DE, Dunn the reserve DT. Line will either be cut or sit on inactive, same with Alexander. I make a trade as I'm going through here, shipping RB James Jones to the Minnesota Vikings for RB Deacon Turner, a mentor, and the Vikings 1985 5th round pick. That means Ricky Bell is the automatic #2 and passing down back and it'll clear up a logjam there, as Turner sits. It also means Jeff Feacher beats Leo Lewis for the active spot, because Feacher can return punts some. Code:
I'm expecting big things out of Tippett this season. He really improved in the summer program and it'll be him-Odom-Coleman as our starters, Fantetti and Cronan the respective backups. Code:
It'll be Bird and Smith as the starting CBs after Green fell off. Gray busted his butt this offseason and will be the starting SS again. Fox gets the nod over Crist as the starting FS, a very odd change since we've had 11 straight seasons of Crist as the starter. Burrus and Crist then become the backups at S, Wilson and Green the reserve CBs. Best and Young will be on the inactive list, while Manning could see return work, Odom ST duties. For the first time in several years, we're not the favorite for the Super Bowl. Instead, it's the New Orleans Saints. That being said, we're the clear-cut favorites in the AFC, followed by the New England Patriots. The NFC darkhorses are the Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons. It's going to be an interesting year and a fun one.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-18-2008, 05:59 PM
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#288 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
Carolina 24 Miami 10 Danny White was near flawless at 10/11 for 110 yards, but Dan Marino and Don Milan combined for 3 interceptions and both looked absolutely ghastly. Cliff Odom had the unusual line of 6 tackles, 10 assists and a pass defense. Miami 20 Washington 23 (OT) Loss like that sucks, but it's preseason and the Redskins are a good team. Much better showing by Dan Marino at 20-40 for 280 yards and 2 TDs. Lynn Swann had 4 catches for 105 yards and Andre Tippett recorded 11 tackles, an assist and 3 pass defenses. Rookie backup T Irv Eatman hyperextends his elbow and may be out the rest of the preseason. No worries, as T Roger Taylor is still better, even with the free-fall he took. Miami 26 Atlanta 7 Finally a win, as Eric Dickerson returned a fumble 26 yards for a TD and Jim Burt got a safety. In fact, the only score for the Falcons was a garbage TD with 11 seconds left. Dallas 0 Miami 29 A strong finish, even if it is against the weakest team in the league right now. Tim Webster hit 5/5 FGs, 2/2 from 40+ range. It'll remain to be seen if he can be that consistent in the regular season. T Irv Eatman is Probable, but we'll stick with Roger Taylor as the backup T. We have a cut to make before we move on and it'll be QB Art Schlichter who gets the axe. Regular Season New England 25 Miami 35 Bang-up way to start the year as Danny White is Player of the Game at 17/26 for 230 yards and 3 TDs. No other real highlights outside of that, as this was simply just a solid team effort. Dallas 13 Miami 30 Two weeks since we played the Cowboys and we coast to another comfortable win behind Danny White (17/25 for 264 yards and 2 TDs). Our offens may not be as explosive as it was with Walter Payton, but it's geting the job done. Cliff Odom leads the defense with 10 tackles and an assist. SS Johnnie Gray tears his lateral knee ligament and will be out approximately 12 weeks. Good thing Lloyd Burrus has really come along in his development, as it allows him to step in as Gray's replacement with not too terrible a dropoff in the starting spot. Andre Young is an unwelcome reserve, though. Jackonsville 13 Miami 14 We win this one by the skin of our teeth, managing to overcome 2 Danny White interceptions. Honestly, by all rights we should've lost this game and it's only by a miracle that we managed to pull it out in my opinion. Miami 38 Cincinnati 6 The Bengals have to be wondering what hit them as Danny White lowers the boom at 20/23 for 252 yards and 3 TDs vs 1 INT. Eric Dickerson has been a real disappointment so far and our receivers haven't exploded in yardage like I thought they would after Walter Payton retired. White still keeps playing the balanced game. Miami 21 Buffalo 23 Effing Buffalo! The Bills nip us by a FG with 4 seconds left in the game. I'd honestly rather have lost to the Jaguars and beat the Bills rather than vice versa. It's our first loss of the season. Much to my irritation, Mark Clayton leads all receivers with 8 catches for 96 yards. J.C. Wilson had 15 tackles and 3 assists, while Andre Tippett recorded 10 tackles, an assist and a forced fumble. Wilson's tackle total might be a Dolphins game record. More obnoxious still: that was Buffalo's first win of the year. Miami 34 Cleveland 14 Eric Dickerson breaks through finally, with 16 carries for 100 yards and a TD, but Danny White is Player of the Game thanks to a 26/33 for 350 yards and 2 TD line. Lynn Swann had 4 catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs as we thump the hell out of the Browns and give them -their- first loss of the year. The fun continued on defense, where Tim Fox had 2 interceptions and Cliff Odom posted a solid all-around game with 7 tackles, 2 assists, a sack and a block. Pittsburgh 27 Miami 34 A thrilling game that sees us come out on top late in the 4th when Eric Dickerson punches it in from 14 yards out, his second rushing TD of the day. Danny White carried us again though, Player of the Game with his 28/42 for 352 yards and 2 TDs. Lloyd Burrus had 10 tackles and an assist. LG Jim Hough hyperextends his knee and is estimated out 4 weeks, but we're hoping he can get back to playing shape during the bye week. He does, so we're going to ride with his injury. Miami 34 New England 14 The most important game of the season to date and one that puts us in the driver's seat for the division. Wade Manning returned a punt 80 yards for a TD and there was a beautiful 58 yard TD pass from Danny White to Steve Watson. Lloyd Burrus had 5 tackles, 3 assists, a hurry, 2 pass defenses and 2 interceptions, but Gill Byrd did him even better and won Player of the Game with 3 tackles, an assist, 4 pass defenses and 4 interceptions. With that victory, we're 7-1, 2 games ahead of the 5-3 Patriots in the AFC East, 4 games ahead of the Jets. Unfortunately, if the playoffs were to be held today, we'd be playing in the wild card round, because the Cleveland Browns are 8-1 and the Indianapolis Colts are undefeated at 8-0. The Browns, incidentally, appear to have the AFC North locked up. The Bengals are the second place team at 3-5. Also, the AFC West is deadlocked between 3 4-4 teams. Only the Broncos are out of it at 1-7. Halfway tale of tape: Code:
Danny White has been absolutely amazing this year. But we're going to let him go after this season just the same to make room for Dan Marino, who's progressing steadily under White and Don Milan's tutelage. Eric Dickerson is starting to slowly turn it on and I have to say, he has a real nose for the endzone. 10 rushing TDs at the halfway point of the season is just amazing, plus he's still on pace to break 1,00 yards rushing. Ricky Bell has proven a better #2 back than I thought he'd be. Lynn Swann could break 1,000 yards receiving this year. I have every faith that Steve Watson and Mark Duper will prove to be very effective replacements for Swann and Steve Largent, both of whom have never really had the production we'd hoped for out of them. Once again our nickel back is leading the team in tackles and once again our pass rush looks anemic midway through the season. Evidently Curtis Greer misses Rulon Jones more than we thought he would. That being said, Greer is still on pace for career highs in tackles, hurries and QB knockdowns, so it's not all bad. What an absolute steal Gill Byrd is turning out to be. Taken at 2.28, he's already looking like a shutdown type of corner in his rookie season. He combines the pass defense talents of Johnny Sample with the ballhawking ability of Rolland Lawrence. Now that's high praise indeed. Another surprise is Lloyd Burrus, who, although he was a 2.28 pick himself 3 years ago, didn't look like he was going to be what we expected out of him, but a trip to the summer league and greatly increased PT last year has really helped flesh him out. The lessons he picked up from Chuck Crist didn't hurt either. I'm starting to get really excited about this team, especially as Dickerson and Byrd continue to develop down the stretch.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-19-2008, 04:28 PM
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#289 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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C Tom Banks, MLB Ken Fantetti and WLB Don Coleman are all disgruntled. Fantetti doesn't have a case, I can't do anything about Coleman.. though Banks has a point and he'll be re-installed as our starting C.
Baltimore 10 Miami 20 Danny White leads the charge yet again: 22/30 for 323 yards and 2 TDs to win PotG. Mark Duper is his main target, with 6 catches for 113 yards. Jim Young has 5 tackles, 2 sacks and a hurry and [b]Joe Klecko/b] picks up 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and 3 knockdowns. New Jersey 0 Miami 24 A sweet shutout of the Jets thanks to Eric Dickerson's 27 carries for 127 yards, Jim Burt's 2 tackles, assist, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown and [b]Jim Young[/b['s 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks and hurry. Gill Byrd also played a key role with 6 tackles and 3 pass defenses. Miami 30 Philadelphia 3 We hit the 10 win mark as Eric Dickerson rushes 23 times for 105 yards and a TD and catches 4 passes for 20 yards and another TD. Curtis Greer was the big time Player of the Game, though, with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, 2 blocks, 3 hurries and 4 knockdowns. Backup C Fred Quillan strains a foot ligament and will miss the next game, so we put G Noah Jackson in as the reserve C. Oh yes, with the 10-1 record, we're currently slated to have a first round bye, as the Colts are 10-1 as well and the Browns are 9-2. Over in the AFC West, the Chargers have won 3 straight to take a commanding lead at 7-4 and we play them next. Miami 24 San Diego 22 The game's nowhere near as close as the score indicates. San Diego got a late TD to make it look tight when it wasn't. Credit this to Player of the Game Danny White's 25/33 for 279 yards and 3 TDs performance. Andre Tippett was the defensive maestro with 10 tackles, 3 assists, a sack, a knockdown and a forced fumble. With that win, we guarantee the Chargers that they'll be playing in the wild card round. Now we just have to avoid that fate ourselves. Fred Quillan is back up to Probable, as is Johnnie Gray. I'll bring Quillan back, but Gray can sit another week as I don't want to risk re-injuring him. New York 13 Miami 12 Ugh, maybe I should've. We couldn't get anything done on offense, though, relying solely on Tim Webster's 4 FGs for points. Lynn Swann had 7 catches for 134 yards as our only offensive highlight. On defense, J.C. Wilson had 14 tackles and an assist, while Tim Fox picked up 10 tackles, an assist, half a sack, a knockdown and a pass defense. Curtis Greer showed a bit of pass rush flair with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. The good news is the Browns lost, too, so we're still on pace for a bye and are solidly #2, as the Colts won again. We've also, thanks to the Patriots losing to the Cowboys, clinched the AFC East title for the third year in a row! Johnnie Gray is now fully healthy and I'm going to make him the reserve SS, as Lloyd Burrus has been fantastic. I also, in a bit of experimentation, will make Gray the nickel back to see how that works out. Miami 13 New Jersey 19 Apparently not so well. Danny White's 21/48 for 321 yards and 1 TD vs 1 INT and Steve Watson's 4 catches for 126 yards are spoiled in this loss. Then again, I don't see Johnnie Gray in the stats sheet at all. Did he get hurt by chance? Yep, hyperxtended elbow that has him doubtful. I'll still play him, though, because we need to win these next two games to have a shot at getting a week off to rest up. Miami 24 Washington 23 Danny White bails our asses out with a last-second 47 yard TD pass to Lynn Swann to give us the comeback win. White was 26/43 for 320 yards and 2 TDs vs 2 INTs to be Player of the Game in this critical, critical victory. Now, if we win the final game, we're guaranteed a bye, because the Browns lost to put us a game up on them. Let's hope we can pull this out. Buffalo 10 Miami 37 And we do it easily! Danny White destroys the Bills with a 24/29 for 283 yards and 4 TDs performance to win Player of the Game, while our defense totally teed off on Buffalo. Cliff Odom had 10 tackles, an assist, a hurry and a knockdown, Joe Klecko got 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 4 knockdowns, Curtis Greer savaged the Bills' line for 4 tackles, 2 assists, 3.5 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns, and Lloyd Burrus showed why he's deserving of the SS starting spot with a tackle, 4 assists, and 2 interceptions.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-19-2008, 10:47 PM
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#290 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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We draw the Cleveland Browns for our divisional matchup and they're no doubt hot to beat us after we topped them in the regular season to give them their first loss on the year.
QB Marty Domres has been the Browns' signal-caller since 1978, a surprising security given that he was a journeyman for years before that. He's an old hand, been in the league 13 seasons and was originally a 6th round draft pick in 1969. Consistently scorned by scouts, his ability to read defenses is why he's been quite effective in Cleveland and doesn't turn the ball over much. Age is starting to catch up with RB Joe Washington, but he's still going strong, with 8 straight season of 1,000+ yards rushing. He's also gotten smarter in his later years, acquiring much better ball security than earlier in his career. In a normal game, the Browns' passing attack would give us fits, but starting SE Ike Harris is on IR and starting FL Wes Chandler is out with a hyperextended knee. This means, drop-prone, scrub starters at WR who have been ineffectual. C Dave Dalby was once a pancake demon, with 3 seasons of 10+ pancake blocks, including one incredible year of 20, but that was long ago and he gives up too many sacks and isn't much in the run-blocking department. The left side of the line is quite good though, in LG John Hannah and LT Joe Devlin. RT Anthony Munoz may be the single-greatest right tackle in the history of the game and he's only in his 4th season. P Pat McInally is pretty good, but K Mike Lansford gets jittery in the postseason. LDE Jim Wilks is a great, young DE, unlike RDE Sam Clancy, who though young as well, is not even league average. NT Randy White is starting to get old, but he's still adequate for the 3-4. The inside linebackers are nothing to fear, though ironically SLB Rod Shoate has revived his career in Cleveland, with 6.5 sacks in just 4 starts as sensational rookie SLB Darryl Talley was lost for the year in Week 15 with a torn rotator cuff. LCB Mark Haynes is a pretty decent corner, who's improved each year and RCB Wayne Smith is simply terrific in coverage, if not much of a ballhawk. SS Clinton Burrell and FS Ray Ellis are tough against the run and really good safeties overall. Cleveland's good secondary is going to be what keeps them in the game. The Browns' best hope is that their DBs can shut down our passing attack and turn this into a smashmouth game, where Joe Washington is much more experienced than Eric Dickerson, since Cleveland is missing both their starting WRs. I don't see that happening, though, as Danny White has so many different options in the passing attack that we'll pick on the weak spot of the Browns' linebackers and run away with this game. Vegas has us by 5 points. I think we'll win by considerably more than that. The Browns came at us hard and played absolutely fantastic defense, forcing Danny White into 3 interceptions and a ghastly 19/51 showing only somewhat mitigated by his 244 yards and one TD. We wound up having to punt 10 times. And yet, our defense was even better, forcing the Browns to punt 12 times. Cliff Odom led us with 12 tackles, 4 assists, a pass defense and a forced fumble. Lloyd Burrus got 10 tackles and an assist himself, but it was Joe Klecko who was Player of the Game, with 5 tackles, 3 assists, 2.5 sacks, 4 hurries and 4 knockdowns. Still, both offenses were so horrible that it went to OT as regulation ended with the score 10-10. Then Ricky Bell ran it in from 5 yards out at 10:39 and we escape with a game we probably should have lost. Cleveland 10 Miami 16 (OT) So we're on to the AFC Championship! But there's a tough choice to make. QB Danny White has a sprained thumb, which contributed to his difficulties and while he's probable for the title game, it's likely to affect him as it's on his throwing hand. Is this now the time to unveil Dan Marino?
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-20-2008, 11:29 AM
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#291 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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The Dan Marino era officially begins in Miami with this, the 1983 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. I just don't feel comfortable with Danny White's sprained thumb.
QB Matt Cavanaugh signed in free agency this offseason from the Giants and was remarkably effective in his first ever season as a starter, with 3,579 yards and 27 TDs vs 14 INTs. That said, he's struggled in the postseason and really looks uncomfortable out there. RB Roger Craig exploded on the scene in his rookie year, with 1,339 yards rushing and 14 TDs. He also had 38 catches for 356 yards and another 2 TDs. Stopping him will be critical to our Super Bowl advancement hopes. TE Ozzie Newsome has been named to the All-Pro 1st Team the last 3 straight seasons and FL John Stallworth, though greatly slowed by age, is still a threat to be considered. C Kyle Davis hasn't allowed a single sack all year, and LG Dennis Harrah is a great pass protector as well. RG Glen Titensor greatly improved his pass-blocking this year, but to the detriment of his run-blocking, which also holds true for RT Cory Risien. LT Louis Bullard is the best player on the line, extremely well-rounded. P Johnny Evans is sporadic, as is K Steve Mike-Mayer, though Double M really buckles down in the postseason. LDE Greg Brown had a monster year, with 54 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 3 blocks, 39 hurries and 33 knockdowns and RDE Mike Bell is developing into a solid pass-rusher as well. LDT Cleveland Elam is a dynamite pass-rusher , RDT Phil Dokes respectable. This is one scary front four and it's going to be a long day for our o-line. MLB Jack Lambert is nowhere near the powerhouse he used to be, but he's still decent. The same can't be said for the rest of the Colts' linebacker corps. RCB Carl Lee has been absolutely sensational as a rookie, a 2nd round steal in the mold of Gill Byrd, but the other corners are awful, the safeties old and not very good anymore. If we can protect Dan Marino against that scary Colts' front four, we've got a very good shot at winning this game, as my hunch tells me it's going to be a shootout. If we don't protect him, we lose and lose badly. The Colts are favored by 1 in Vegas, a fair assessment. It was a tight, thrilling game, with 5 ties or lead changes throughout the four quarters of play. It looked to be pretty much over when Roger Craig ran in the 1 yard TD with 3:02 left in the game, but then Dan Marino marched us down the field and Eric Dickerson ran it in from 6 yards out with 1:22 left on the clock. Andre Tippett secured the victory 2 plays later with an interception! The Marino mystique begins, as Dan Marino won Player of the Game with a great 24/30 for 241 yards and a TD showing in a high-pressure debut. Credit also goes to our offensive line, who did an absolutely brilliant job of bottling up that fearsome Colts front four, allowing only minimal pressure on Marino. We're going to the Super Bowl in Marino's rookie season!!!!
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-20-2008, 10:28 PM
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#292 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Super Bowl XXIV Preview
Miami Dolphins Out None New Orleans Saints Out FB William Andrews G Derrel Gofourth G Walt Downing LDT Mike Charles Quarterback The Dolphins rode Danny White all season long and he posted a career high 4,326 yards with a white-hot 33 TDs to 9 INTs. That said, he's not going to be the one starting today. A sprained thumb on his throwing hand caused head coach Michael Swift to turn to the #1 overall pick in this year's draft, Dan Marino in the AFC Championship. Marino promptly went on to be the difference-maker in Miami's win over Indianapolis and he'll get the start, as White is still nursing the thumb. Cult hero Don Milan is the 3rd string. It'll be a battle of #1 overall picks, as Joe Montana appears in his first-ever Super Bowl. The first pick in the 1979 draft, Montana struggled his first few years after replacing Ken Stabler, ironically a former Dolphins great, but appeared to turn it around this season with a 23 TD to 9 INT ratio in the regular season. More importantly, he's been on fire in the postseason, with 761 yards and 7 TDs to 1 INT. Backup Steve DeBerg started 2 games this season, but is only league average. Advantage: Draw Running Back Replacing one of the best RBs in league history in Walter Payton isn't easy, especially as a rookie and Eric Dickerson struggled somewhat in the first half of the year. But he improved through the final 8 games and, most significantly, hasn't fumbled once in his last 10 games. He broke the 1,000 yard barrier in his first year and should be a pretty good back. #2 man Ricky Bell was a great pickup in free agency, posting 695 yards rushing for a 4.63 average and proved a vital receiver out of the backfield. In just his second season, Marcus Allen has become the best RB in the league. He ran for 1,597 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season and has been blistering in the playoffs, rushing for 378 yards and 4 TDs in 3 games. He's become the heir to Sweetness in terms of league's best back. Stan Fritts is a marginal backup. Advantage: Saints Wide Receivers TE John Spagnola is a nice safety valve receiver who's gotten to be a bigger and bigger part of the Miami passing game with each year. TE Charle Young is the run-blocker, but gets frequent looks as well. FL Lynn Swann once again missed the 1,000 yard receiving mark, but that's partly because of the depth of the Dolphins corps. SE Steve Largent is the most overrated WR in the league and drop-prone. Many have called for the incredibly productive Steve Watson, a Tim Moungey favorite, to take over the starting split end spot. Mark Duper is steadily improving and looks to be an excellent heir for Swann. The tight ends don't get much play in the Saints' offense and they shouldn't, as even starter TE Lin Dawson is little more than a special teams ace. Rookie FL Mervyn Fernandez showed flashes in the regular season, but still has a long way to go and SE Tracy Porter is drop-prone. Reserves Floyd Eddings and Melvin Hoover are unremarkable 2nd years, with Eddings equally drop prone as Porter and Hoover a poor route runner. Advantage: Dolphins Offensive Line The last time Miami was in the Super Bowl, the Dolphins were lauded as having one of the most promising offensive lines for the future. That no longer holds true, as C Fred Quillan lost the starting spot to 14th year vet C Tom Banks midway through the season and T Roger Taylor eroded in the offseason, requiring the return of RT Ron Mikolajcyzk to the starting lineup in his 11th season. That said, Banks is still a great all-around C who didn't allow a sack until the AFC Championship and Mikolajczyk is still a fine all-around T. LT Mike Wilson is terrible in pass protection, however, but that's mitigated by LG Jim Hough's excellent all-around game. RG Mickey Marvin is another terrific talent in an overall very good Dolphins offensive line. Taylor is a revolving door as a tackle backup, but Quillan improved greatly once the stress of starting at C was removed. Backup G Noah Jackson continues to defy age, playing quietly and brilliantly as the team's reserve. New Orleans has an old boy at C too in 12th year C Tom De Leone, a free agent pickup who, while good at pass-blocking, can't run block to save his life. The line is really going to miss LG Derrel Gofourth, one of the best run-blockers in the league and one of the best all-around guards in the NFL, as LG Brad Budde is simply awful. RG Walt Downing won't be missed, however, as RG Tom Mullen has played with veteran steadiness in his absence. LT John Giesler is far removed from his 23 sacks allowed in 1981, but he continues to be better fitted to RT, while RT Steve Young has played brilliantly. C Doug Dumler is a steady reserve, G Ken Long worthless. T Ken Burgunda is a non-descript backup. Advantage: Dolphins Kickers P Mike Connell is a very good punter and a great find after the years of mediocrity under Neil Clabo, but K Tim Webster is no longer the automatic, clutch kicker that earned him the nickname of Wonder. P Ray Guy is one of the best in the league and rookie K Raul Allegre has a powerful leg, with a magnificient 7/7 showing this postseason, 3/3 from 40+ range, along with a 54 yarder. Advantage: Saints Defensive Line Many speculated that the Dolphins would sorely miss DE Rulon Jones after they traded him to the Raiders as part of a package to get the #1 pick to draft Marino, but it didn't happen. LDE Curtis Greer had a career high 11 sacks after switching to the left side and continues his steady improvement, while RDE Jim Young proved equal to Jones's output last season. (Note: Jones rebounded in Oakland, with 12 sacks this year). LDT Joe Klecko has been dynamite since he came to Miami, while RDT Jim Burt was a pleasant surprise with 5 sacks in his first year as a starter. LDE Donnell Thompson is a mirror image of Greer, right down to the steady improvement and career high double-digit sacks this year. RDE Curtis McGriff had a breakout season with 50 tackles and 11.5 sacks. LDT Rich Dimler overacheived in a a big way after superstar rookie LDT Mike Charles was lost for the season, but the talent gulf is tremendous, while RDT Troy Archer is a hard-working achiever himself. The Saints have a gaping hole without Charles here. Advantage: Dolphins Linebackers Linebacker has long been the Achilles heel in the Dolphins defense, especially after Willie Lanier finally faded. MLB Cliff Odom has changed that by being the best coverage linebacker in the game. 2nd year SLB Andre Tippett was vastly improved after spending the summer in France. WLB Don Coleman is little-used and league average at best. MLB Larry McGrew is a pass-rush threat and a tackle machine and SLB Fred NcNeil is an older, much poorer version of Tippett. WLB Gary Cobb is good at the pass rush and in coverage. Advantage: Draw Defensive Backs Rookie LCB Gill Byrd was an absolute find in the second round as he played at a prenatural level in the regular season, but he's been exposed in the playoffs. RCB Johnny Smith is mediocre. CB J.C. Wilson lost his nickel back spot to SS Johnnie Gray late in the season and has been unhappy about it, particularly after his 100% pass defense this postseason. SS Lloyd Burrus was magnificient in the regular season, but like Byrd has been exposed in the playoffs. Gray rebounded nicely from his injury that caused him to miss mot of the year and is a great nickel back. FS Tim Fox has been steady after replacing FS Chuck Crist, a Dolphins institution who can still play. LCB Monte Jackson is ordinary and RCB Benny Barnes is too old to be a legitimate starter anymore and has been a particular target in the postseason. CB Melvin Morgan is a major overachiever who plays smart, hard and well, and should be starting over Barnes. SS Deron Cherry is the hero of this unit and easily the best strong safety in the NFL... in just his third season. FS Ivory Sully is an overachiever who plays at a level much higher than his physical gifts. Advantage: Draw Keys for the Miami Dolphins 1. Pick on the Saints' cornerbacks They're absolutely atrocious, especially against the elite receiving corps that the Dolphins have. Attack the New Orleans corners but stay away from the safeties, and turn this game into a shootout, because the Saints don't have the receiving horses to win a track meet. 2. Blitz and blitz often New Orleans' patchwork offensive line hasn't had much time to play together and there's some real weak links there, especially with Gofourth out. Hit them hard, mixing up Tippett, Odom, and the DBs in the pass-rush packages, and it'll be a long day for Joe Montana. 3. Keep a man on Marcus Allen at all times. Allen is this game and this generation's Walter Payton, a brilliant two-way threat that always has to be accounted for or he'll burn you. Keys for the New Orleans Saints 1. Stick with a balanced offense The Saints have an All-World RB in Allen and will be tempted to ride him, but Montana's on a hot streak and the Dolphins' secondary has looked vulnerable in the playoffs. Mix things up and keep Miami's D guessing to give yourself some major offensive success. 2. Blanket all the receivers and the tight ends One of the hallmarks of the Miami passing game is that they have so many options through the air, that you have to play a tight coverage scheme to seal off all the holes. Forget about the pass-rush; the Dolphins' offensive line is too good for that and Dan Marino has too quick a release. Shut off the options and get Marino to get frustrated and make rookie mistakes, trying to force something. The backs aren't much of a threat in the receiving game now that Payton's retired. 3. Respect the Dolphins running game With all the focus on Miam's passing attack and your own Allen, it's easy to forget Dickerson and Bell. While Dickerson may not be otherworldly, he's a tough back that's hard to bring down and Bell is an effective, slippery change of pace back. Neglect them and they'll surprise you by ripping through the holes in your defense. Overall Thoughts Even without their starting FB, both starting Gs and their best defensive lineman, the Saints are still a damned scary team. Montana and Allen are a defensive coordinator's nightmare in tandem and the safeties are so superlatively good that they can make up for some of the CB weaknesses. Conversely, the Dolphins have the deepest receiving corps in the league, a confident rookie QB fresh off a great game in Marino, a respectable running game and a defense that's hungry to prove all the naysayers who don't think it's very good wrong. This game has all the makings of a classic Super Bowl and it's really too close to call. In the end, though, a healthy Dolphins squad trumps a gimped 49ers team. Final Line: Miami by 1
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 02-20-2008 at 10:30 PM. |
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02-21-2008, 02:35 AM
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#293 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Super Bowl XXIV
We get the ball first and things start off promising an 11 yard Eric Dickerson run on the first play of the game, but then a false start penalty forces us to punt. The 49ers 3 and out though, thanks largely to a Jim Young sack on 3rd down and then Dan Marino completes two long passes, a 13 yarder to Mark Duper and a 34 yard pass to Lynn Swann to put us on the New Orleans 12 yard line. A 10 yard Eric Dickerson run, followed by another 2 yard run by Dickerson nets the TD! We draw first blood! Miami 7 New Orleans 0 - 7:47 1st Quarter Joe Montana isn't one to take this lying down, though, as he cooly completes 5 straight passes to have the Saints knocking on the door in the red zone. But then our defense stiffens up and New Orleans has to settle for the 28 yard FG by Raul Allegre. Miami 7 New Orleans 3 - 1:50 1st Quarter We 3 and out the next drive, as the Saints' defense comes alive and Steve Largent drops a pass. Joe Montana opens up the second quarter well, as he completes two passes and scrambles for 4 yards to set up a 3rd and 2 that gets converted when Stan Fritts rumbles ahead for 14 yards on a counter that our whole defense got suckered into. Things are looking good on 3rd and 11 a few plays later and then Joe Montana finds Floyd Eddings for 24 yards and another miracle conversion, setting the Saints at our 23 yard line. Our defense once again tightens up, throwing Marcus Allen back for -3 yards and forcing two incompletions. Raul Allegre's ensuing 43 yard FG is good. Miami 7 New Orleans 6 - 11:26 2nd Quarter We start to make some noise on the next drive, but then there's a questionable decision to call Ricky Bell's number on 3rd and 11 and he falls short by 2 yards, meaning we have to punt and touchback. I hate to admit it, but Joe Montana's a delight to watch. He completes an 18 yard pass to Terry Porter and then runs for another 5 yards on the next play. Of course, I'm smiling when Cliff Odom drops him for a 7 yard sack on the next down. The 3rd and long that follows is incomplete and we get the ball back. A 10 yard run by Eric Dickerson and a key Dan Marino to Mark Duper 20 yard pass help offset a stupid false start penalty and get us on the Saints side of the field, but then Monte Jackson intercepts Dan Marino's pass intended for Steve Watson and brings it back 17 yards to the Dolphin 48. We hold the Saints to a 3 and out, but the ensuing punt has us pinned on our own 3 yard line. No problem, as Dan Marino hits Mark Duper for 17 yards and then Duper turns on the afterburners to turn it into a 35 yard gain! I knew there was a reason I drafted one of the Marks brothers! Two minute warning. We've still got a chance to add points on the board. Naturally, though, Steve Largent drops a pass and we're whistled for yet another false start, which doom our hopes of advancing deep enough into Saints territory for a field goal try and so we punt it away. 54 seconds isn't enough for a Joe Montana miracle and so the half comes to a close with a tight ball game and a lot less scoring than what most people predicted. Miami 7 New Orleans 6 - Halftime I feel bile rising in my throat when Marcus Allen rips off a 14 yard gain to start the second half, but we stop them after that and graciously accept the punt. Our running game takes off on the next drive, with Eric Dickerson taking the ball on two consecutive carries for 15 and 9 yards respectively, Ricky Bell getting it on the next down for 8 yards. This sets up an 18 yard pass from Dan Marino to Lynn Swann and suddenly we're at the Saints 30. Where we get whistled for another damned false start. And *another* frigging false start! Dan Marino tries to hit Lynn Swann on the 1st and 20, but the Saints' D is wise to the game and Monte Jackson defends it easily. Then, on the very next play, Donnell Thompson smashes Dan Marino for his second sack of the game, Marino fumbles, Troy Archer picks up the ball and runs his fat ass down the field 54 yards for the TD. I'm so pissed I can't even believe it. What the hell is this?! It's New Orleans taking the lead. New Orleans 13 Miami 7 - 10:31 3rd Quarter I'd like to say we rebounded, but Donnell Thompson sacks Dan Marino twice more and the defense is reading our offense like it's a bloody fairy tale and we 3 and out. The Saints get held to a 3 and out, but guess what happens? Yep, Roughing the effing kicker on 4th down! New life for New Orleans! Thankfully, the Saints drop two passes and we stuff Marcus Allen for -3 yards to avoid a two possession game. I'm cautiously optimistic as we start working the short game and are at 3rd and 1, when.... ANOTHER DAMNED FALSE START! Luckily, Dan Marino finds Ricky Bell to make the conversion, but I'm still plotting to fire my whole damned coaching staff after this game. More yardage chewed, little bit here and there until Dan Marino hits Steve Watson for 21 yards to get us to the Saints 34. Steve Watson then proceeds to draw my ire and ruin all the good things I say about him by dropping two passes. Throw in a holding penalty and it amounts to us punting to end the 3rd quarter. New Orleans 13 Miami 7 - End 3rd Quarter And of course, *now* is when Marcus Allen comes alive, running the ball 3 straight times for 28 yards and making a 9 yard catch two plays later to get the Saints out of the goal-line jam they were in. Some rinky-dinky run plays follow and then Joe Montana hooks up with Melvin Hoover for 25 yards on a 3rd and 8 and just like that, the Saints are on our 16 yard line. Sure, we sack Joe Montana for substantial yardage on the next two downs, but then Terry Porter makes an 18 yard catch on third down to make the Raul Allegre FG try a 28 yard chip shot, which he of course makes. New Orleans 16 Miami 7 - 5:32 4th Quarter Block. Drop. Defense Very Familiar. Defense Extremely Familiar. Yeah, I'm so firing my coaching staff. Or at least Edwin Buckley. By this point, I'm mad, the fans are mad, hell everybody's mad who's not a god damned Saint, so I actually laugh appreciatively when we get whistled for an Intentional Face Mask penalty and Marcus Allen rockets 20 yards with the ball for a touchdown on the next play. Oh how cute. Raul Allegre missed the XP. Hope that screws with your head, rookie! New Orleans 22 Miami 7 - 4:19 4th Quarter Extremely Familiar. Very Familiar. Dropped Pass. Extremely Familiar. The Saints eat up more time on the clock and of course we can't stop their offense. Marcus Allen runs it in from 4 yards out as they pad the score at the 2 minute warning. Raul Allegre converts the extra point this time. New Orleans 29 Miami 7 - 2 Minute Warning 3 Very Familiar Defenses and *another* dropped pass results in our third straight turnover on downs and Marcus Allen throws in an extra 3 yards before Joe Montana takes a knee to end this debacle. New Orleans 29 Miami 7 - Final Score All told, we actually did a pretty fair job of containing that explosive Saints offense. What we didn't do was stop New Orleans' defense, particularly not Super Bowl MVP DE Donnell Thompson, who finished with 5 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 hurries, 2 knockdowns and a forced fumble, nor CB Monte Jackson, who was so angry about the pre-game press calling him "ordinary" that he went out and had 3 pass defenses and an interception. Our lone highlights came on defense, as Jim Young had 6 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown, while Gill Byrd picked up 3 tackles, an assist and 3 pass defenses. All in all, it was an ugly, ugly game. We did pretty well in the first half and then get bushwhacked bad in the second. I don't get why the defense was all up on us and so familiar with everything. I've never seen that in any of my games, especially not on a stage this big. I've gotta say one thing, though. With Joe Montana and Marcus Allen on that team, the Saints are primed to have a Dolphins-esque dynasty.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-22-2008, 12:33 AM
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#294 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: calgary, AB
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I had a feeling you'd end up drafting Marino, no takers for White on the trade market? I was shocked when Walter retired, hopefully this season doesn't mimic Marino's second for you.
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02-22-2008, 12:45 AM
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#295 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
I wanted to keep White around for another season in case Marino didn't look ready as a rookie. That may have been a mistake in hindsight, but the fanbase would've crucified me if I'd traded White, as he was idolized. Plus, if I'd shipped White for the Marino trade, it wouldn't have been me sending off an overrated QB that the fans loved. It would've been me dealing our best QB since Johnny Unitas and a guy who was legitimately one of the top 5-10 QBs in the league. I just couldn't justify that, nor, I'll have to admit, did I -want- to trade White. We were the team that gave him his first real chance and he delivered beautifully for us... and he'll be on track for a whopper of a pay day this upcoming free agency from somebody else. Rulon Jones I was more than happy to trade. His 3 straight seasons of declining sacks really ticked me off, especially since he had an 80/80 rating and he was a #6 overall pick. That declining production also allowed me to justify the deal. Sure he went and had 12.5 sacks with the Raiders this year, but Curtis Greer continued his improvement and Jim Young was better than expected. Yeah, I was shocked when Walter retired myself and I'm uncertain how Eric Dickerson is going to do. He's not rated that highly and he's got the pressure of having to replace a legend. I'm not sure how Marino's sophomore season's going to go. Lynn Swann and Steve Largent are old and as much as I love Steve Watson and am excited by Mark Duper's progress, neither one looks like a legitimate superstar receiver. They'll probably be more like Swann and Largent's actual production in all honesty. I've been terribly disappointed in how Swann and Largent have done, incidentally. When I put them together, I thought they'd be a superstar tandem like the Paul Warfield and Gary Ballman years, but that hasn't happened, even in the post-Sweetness era. This is going to be an interesting offseason, to say the least. We've got some definite weak spots that need addressing, but I'll get to that when the time comes for it. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a head coaching change.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-22-2008, 01:19 AM
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#296 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Guh, any draft that leads off with Irving Fryar...well...heck, it doesn't matter because it is still the DRAFT!!!
In order of original picks. . . WR Irving Fryar (the man rang a bell for the Salvation Army in a full length mink) OLB Carl Banks (his complection could stop running backs) OLB Wilber Marshall (hello Willlllber) DT Keith Millard (one hell of a duck hunter) WR Louis Lipps (enough said) QB Boomer Esiason (BOOOOMER!) OLB Ron Rivera (no day at the beach) RB Stanford Jennings (not from Stanford) G Guy McIntyre (so good at chopping he carried an axe) QB Jay Schroeder (bald by age 17) C Joel Hilgenberg (why not) WR Brian Brennan (gread hands, little body) MLB Steve DeOssie (big Dio fan) S Barney Bussey (man never drove a car in his life) C Bruce Kozerski (Koz, Kozinator, makin copies) RB Earnest Byner (He's very sincere when he runs) P Mike Saxon (most exciting punter name. ever.) WR Carl Lewis (may have solid speed on the outside) |
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02-22-2008, 01:51 PM
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#297 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
That Irving Fryar line made me laugh really hard. Nicely done.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-22-2008, 10:03 PM
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#298 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
What a fantastic second half of the season for a lot of our guys. Danny White sets a new Dolphins single-season record with those 4,326 yards and he becomes the first Miami QB since Johnny Unitas to post consecutive 4,000+ yard seasons. He's taken over a lot of the team career records and I don't mind one bit. Eric Dickerson still has a lot to prove in my mind and I'm so thoroughly disgusted with Steve Largent that I'm probably going to start Steve Watson at SE next year. Andre Tippett is starting to look like the really good all-around SLB I'd hoped for, though his pass defense still leaves much to be desired. I'll still take Cliff Odom over just about any other MLB in the league, though he gets consistently knocked on. Lloyd Burrus really came into his own and Curtis Greer just keeps getting better and better. Tim Fox was surprising with how much he contributed to the pass rush and Jim Young and Jim Burt were a lot better than I figured they'd be. Gill Byrd was an absolute steal and I'm going to love watching his career play out. Looking ahead to the offseason, our priorities are going to be, in no particular order, C, T (both sides), and FS for certain and just general upgrades where they can be found. I have a feeling we're going to go FS, C, or T in the draft, maybe some combination of the three. 1983 Dolphins Season Awards QB Danny White - MVP and 1st Team All-Pro QB A fantastic season by White translates into an MVP award which is well deserved. There were some people who questioned if we had the firepower to make it without Walter Payton and he carried us on his back. I'm going to miss him, but we've got to give Dan Marino every chance we can to win. LDE Curtis Greer - 2nd Team All-Pro DE Wow, what a great accolade for a guy who's been defying the take on him since he fell to the 3rd round in the same draft as Rulon Jones. He's the Gary Ballman of this Dolphins team and hence one of my favorite players. A lot of people said he would fizzle out without Jones there to draw heat, but he went and proved them all wrong. That's awesome. Other Major Awards Offensive Player of the Year RB Freeman McNeil - San Francisco 49ers Defensive Player of the Year DE Greg Brown - Indianapolis Colts Offensive Rookie of the Year RB Roger Craig - Indianapolis Colts Defensive Rookie of the Year DE Leonard Marshall - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (I think Byrd got robbed) There were no less than 6 retirements this year, 3 of which I would say qualify as significant. C Tom Banks - 1970-1983 (1974-1983 Miami) Originally drafted in the 3rd round in the 1970 draft by the New England Patriots (3.14), Banks was a reserve for his first 3 seasons before taking over the starting job in his fourth year. After that, he hit free agency and as we needed a starting C at the time, we signed him. What followed was 10 years of consistent, steady, unsung play in the middle of our line. Even in his last season, he won his starting job back from the younger Fred Quillan. Although he never won an All-Pro award, he was a rock and a real team leader, one who'll sorely be missed. Player card:  Super Bowl Rings 1978, 1981 Miami Dolphins All-Time Records 4th - Key Run Blocks 3rd - Pancake Blocks 6th - Games Started T Ron Mikolajcyzk - 1973-1983 People kept thinking he was a 3rd round pick throughout out his career, but he was actually with the last pick in the 2nd round in the 1973 draft, which is close enough to the third round really. He was a surprise starter at RT from Week One and went on to have an 11 year career in a Dolphins uniform, the starter every year except 1982, when Roger Taylor looked ready to replace him. Although Ron struggled with pass protection his first few seasons, he soon became adequate at it and was downright masterful in his later years. His one All-Pro season came as a real surprise, though in all honesty, he probably could've won more. One of the great stalwarts of our offensive line along with Banks, he'll be missed, too. Player Card:  Super Bowl Rings 1978, 1981 All-Pro Awards 2nd Team - 1979 Miami Dolphins All-Time Records 3rd - Key Run Blocks 7th (t) - Pancake Blocks 5th - Games Started FS Chuck Crist - 1972-1983 Taken in the 1st round of the 1972 draft (1.28), he and Glen Edwards formed a safety tandem the likes of which hadn't been seen in Miami since the days of Ross Fichtner and Don Fleming. Although he never won an All-Pro award, he was a fantastic player who was dynamite his first several years in the league. He really declined in his last four seasons and probably should've been supplanted as a starter earlier than he was, but I was just too loyal to him and remembered how good he for most of his career to make him a reserve until someone clearly better came along. Another Dolphins institution goes to retirement. Oh yeah, he was also a member of 3 Super Bowl teams, which goes to show just how long he was a fixture on this team. Player Card:  Super Bowl Rings 1972, 1978, 1981 Miami Dolphins All-Time Records 3rd - Interceptions 2nd - Tackles 4th - Assists 2nd - Passes Defensed 4th - Games Started Staff Hiring Lead Scout Oscar James QB: Good to Average Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley YT: Good to VG Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce DL: Good to VG Everyone is still under contract, but we're looking to replace Oscar James and head coach Michael Swift, who's shown no improvement and killed us in the Super Bowl with his horrible play-calling. We get into a bidding war for the Lead Scout we want, but we grab him, as the owner finally loosens his purse strings up a bit and we also get a new head coach. Lead Scout Frank Warren (34) QB: Average RB: Fair WR: VG OL: Good KP: VG DL: Good LB: Good DB: Average YT: VG 5 year, $80,000 per year contract. Sure he doesn't look that great right now, but he's only 34 and has major growth potential. Head Coach Alan Rosian (54) MT: Good DI: VG OC: VG DC: Good IA: VG 5 years, $500,000 per year makes him a lot cheaper hire than Swift, who never showed any growth despite his success. He's also a much better disciplinarian and play-caller than Swift. Although I'd have preferred a young guy I could groom, I've got a good feeling about Rosian, who, like Harris Wilcox two head coaches ago is a veteran, proven winner at the college level, ready to move up to the pros now that he has the chance. Tyrus Treftz finally left the Cowboys, by the way, taking $810,000 a year for 5 years to head off to the Green Bay Packers. I'm considerably gleeful to note that he has yet to win a Super Bowl ring since leaving the Dolphins. Michael Swift didn't end up jobless, though. He was hired as Defensive Coordinator by the Pittsburgh Steelers at $300,000 a year for two years. What's interesting is that though he has experience of 3 years listed, his career record sets to 0 and his Super Bowl ring got erased. That's something to keep in mind, that maybe when coordinators and head coaches switch titles, their records reset. If that's the case, then I'll be open to hiring coordinators to elevate to head coach, because they'd reset to 0. I'm sure it surprises absolutely no one to learn that Dan Marino wins the free ticket to France for the summer league. Free Agency By the Numbers QB, RB, FB, TE, C, G x 2, T x 2, K, DE, DT, MLB, OLB x 2, CB, FS, SS (17 new total) Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions SS Lloyd Burrus - 4 years, $800k RDT Jim Burt - 5 years, $1.3 mill. LG Jim Hough - 3 years, $590k SE Steve Watson - 3 years, $290k Week 2 Signings C Will Grant - 1 year, $110k (Dallas) -I wanted to sign him to a multi-year deal, but he wasn't interested. Splendid all-around C who'll fill in very nicely for the retired Tom Banks. K Tim Webster - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -Played decently last year, so I'll give him yet another shot. He's in his 14th season, so the sand continues to run out on Webster. DE Jim Young - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -Respectable for us last year and I like to preserve continuity, so I re-signed him. MLB Jim Laughilin - 1 year, $80k* (Houston) -Smart, youngish MLB who'll be a great fit as a reserve. MLB Cliff Odom - 2 years, $350k (Re-signing) -Somehow, I stupidly forgot to extend his contract last year. Fortunately, he opts to sign a two year deal with us at a high price, so we can afford to keep signing him to longer term deals. We dodged a bullet here, as I'd have been pissed if we'd lost him. Danny White Watch Cincinnati Bengals Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos New Orleans Saints New York Jets The Saints are offering a fat, fat contract that makes me . What the hell are they doing going after White when they have Joe Montana for crumbs' sakes?Week 3 Signings RB Dave Preston - 1 year, $100k* (Denver) -Old RB mentor who manages to be slippery and a good receiver out of the backfield. In short, a perfect fit for our offense and another great signing. G Mickey Marvin - 3 years, $600k (Re-signing) -Great, great guard who I wasn't going to let get away no matter what the cost. G Petey Perot - 1 year, $80k* (Jackonsville) -One year backup rental who gets along great with Dan Marino and Don Milan as the new OL captain. OLB Gary Cobb - 4 years, $1.21 mill. (New Orleans) -Yeah it's a lot to pay for a WLB, but he'll solve our revolving door at the spot for the next four years. He's that good and that young. I'm happy to have gotten him. CB Gerald Small - 4 years, $2.5 mill. (Minnesota) -This signing is way overpriced, but he was a 2nd Team All-Pro last year and this is about pushing Johnny Smith down to a nickel spot and making our secondary that much better. I just wish he was a mentor is all. Week 3 Losses T Irv Pankey - 1 year, $80k* (Denver Re-signing) -My solution for RT turns down the money that would've made him richer in order to stay with the Broncos. I guess that means we'll be looking at T for sure in the draft, particularly if my other options don't pan out. QB Danny White - 4 years, $7.01 mill. (Cincinnati) -You know, it's kind of ironic that I kept thinking White was drafted by the Bengals when he was drafted by the Redskins, because Cincy is exactly who he signs with... and he gets the biggest signing bonus in universe history, with a $3.64 million signing bonus!. Now, those of you who use the normal cap settings will yawn and say so what? But keep in mind, I have a 0 to 1 salary cap range, so while salaries have definitely gone up from 1960, there's never been a signing bonus this monstrous, or even close to it. This signing, while a headline maker, doesn't turn the Bengals into Super Bowl contenders, but it does make them a real possibility for the playoffs, which they've only been to 4 times in this universe, two of them in 1981 and 1982, the last time they went. Week 4 Signings FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -The only UDRFA ever to make our roster for more than a year, he's a mentor now and just keeps coming back on min-sal one year deals. TE Don Warren - 1 year, $80k* (Tucson) -A blocking maestro and mentor, great fit for the backup TE option. OLB Rod Shoate - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland) -Did pretty well with the Browns, comes back to us to be the backup OLB. S Mark Murphy - 1 year, $100k* (New Jersey) -Great backup S to have and a real special teams ace. Nice min-sal steal from the Jets. Week 4 Losses T Mike Wilson - 2 years, $330k (Pittsburgh) -Gave up 10 sacks last year and really declined and what happens? The Steelers offer him a pretty damn nice paycheck. Wow, just wow... But I guess they're willing to gamble on him. MLB Ken Fantetti - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh) -Another Dolphin heads to the AFC North, to the Steelers. Fantetti was furious about playing second fiddle to Cliff Odom, so he's welcome to go to the Black and Gold. Week 5 Signings T Nick Bebout - 2 years, $380k (Dallas) -Overpaid, maybe, but I have a feeling he's better than what the scouts say and sure he's old (12th season), but he's a mentor and he should be able to tutor Irv Eatman and whatever rookie T we grab in the draft. It's really been a poor free agent crop for tackles, let me tell you. DT Don Latimer - 1 year, $90k (Buffalo) -Sat on the offer for weeks before finally signing with us. He'll probably take over the starting RDT spot... at the very least, he'll push Jim Burt and give us a strong DT rotation. S Tim Fox - 1 year, $140k (Re-signing) -Had to get in a bidding war to retain him as our starting FS. May get pushed out by a rookie in the draft, as I'm very much looking to draft one there, but we'll have to see how it goes. Great guy to have, in any case. Week 7 Signings S Pete Shaw - 1 year, $100k* (Cincinnati) -A ST guy and a very mediocre FS backup. What I'm jacked up about is what this guy does in terms of our chemistry as the new Secondary Captain. He carries 3 Affinities with our roster. One thing I just noticed, people are -pissed- about Steve Watson as the WR captain. Say he's favored too much. I'll have to rectify that real quick. Week 7 Losses S Johnnie Gray - 3 years, $980k (St. Louis) -I like Johnnie, I like him a lot. He played great for 3 years for us before really going down the drain last season. That said, he's in his 10th year, was clearly on the decline last season, and I wasn't going to pay more than min-sal for him. So the Cardinals snatch him up, where he transforms into an immediate starter and the unquestioned best player in an anemic secondary. Week 8 Signings TE Reggie Haynes - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh) -All is well again in Miami. Haynes actually looks like an even better #2 TE option than Don Warren and more importantly, he's a fantastic WR captain, with an Exceptional Affinity, a Strong Affinity, and a Mild Affinity. We still have a problem, in that G Petey Perot and C Will Grant don't get along Week 9 Signings G Steve Courson - 1 year, $100k* (New Jersey) -I actually like him better than Petey Perot, so Perot could get cut. In any case, Courson becomes our new offensive line captain and eliminates all conflict problems. Week 11 Losses WR Ricky Feacher - 1 year, $100k* (Jacksonville) -Crap! I meant to re-sign Feacher because of his return skills and ST abilities, but forgot cuz this flu is still making me woozy. Damn it. Guess I'll have to look and see what else is out there real quick. Week 12 Signings WR Dennis Pearson - 1 year, $80k* (Denver) -Has some receiving skills and is a better returner than Feacher, even. The one thing that gets lost is ST skills, but I think I've got enough guys there that it won't be that big a concern. A nice rebound on my part, I think. Draft later tonight or tomorrow, depending on how I feel.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-23-2008, 12:41 PM
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#299 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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This draft class may not be the dynamite one of last year, but it's still a really good class at the top. QB Steve Young is the consensus best player in the draft, followed by T John Alt and QB Boomer Esiason. OLB Ron Rivera and WR Irving Fryar round out the top 5.
We've got only a 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th in this draft, having dealt away our 2nd and 3rd in previous drafts, so we're going to have hit a homerun in the 1st and come away with a definite starter. 1984 NFL Draft 1st Round 1. QB Steve Young - Denver Broncos 2. QB Boomer Esiason - Philadelphia Eagles 3. ILB Kyle Clifton - St. Louis Cardinals 4. OLB Ron Rivera - Baltimore Ravens 5. T John Alt - Buffalo Bills 6. WR Irving Fryar - Washington Redskins 7. WR Phil McConkey - Seattle Seahawks 8. S Andre Waters - Pittsburgh Steelers 9. QB Steve Pelleur - Jacksonville Jaguars Talk about a serious WTF pick. There were a lot bigger needs for the Jags, like at DE where the top two players are on the board, and even better QBs available. 10. WR Ricky Sanders - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11. QB Scott Campbell - Dallas Cowboys through Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals get hosed here, acquiring Dallas's 5th round pick in this draft, their 1985 3rd rounder, and their 1986 2nd rounder, but then I guess that's why Cincy is one of the worst franchises in this universe. I'm not so sure about the Campbell pick, either. Looks like Tyrus Treftz was right to jump ship. 12. DE Sean Jones - Tucson Titans 13. ILB John Grimsley - Kansas City Chiefs 14. OLB Wilber Marshall - Atlanta Falcons 15. QB Warren Moon - Los Angeles Rams 16. OLB Carl Banks - Oakland Raiders 17. RB George Wonsley - Detroit Lions Wonsley?!?! They take Wonsley as the first RB?! Wow, just wow! This draft has been absolutely insane so far.18. OLB Keith Browner - Dallas Cowboys 19. DE William Fuller - Minnesota Vikings 20. OLB George Jamieson - Houston Oilers 21. RB Earnest Byner - San Diego Chargers There's no way in hell that Byner should've fallen all the way to #21. The Chargers just got themselves the steal of this draft, one who has Offensive Rookie of the Year written all over him. 22. CB Scott Case - San Francisco 49ers 23. CB Terry Taylor - Carolina Panthers 24. CB David Croudip - New Jersey Jets 25. DE Roy Harris - Chicago Bears 26. WR Gary Clark - New England Patriots 27. S Shaun Gayle - Cleveland Browns 28. RB Frank Middleton - New York Giants 29. CB Leonard Coleman - Green Bay Packers 30. S Tony Lilly - Indianapolis Colts There's a tough choice to make here between a S and a T, but in the end, tackle is our weakest spot and there's a guy left, who though overrated, is clearly the best T left on the board and is the only one even close to being worthy of selection. If he does pan out, he'll be our starting LT for a number of years. If he doesn't pan out, I can always switch him to RT. I may do that anyway, depending on how he does in camp. 31. T Gary Zimmerman - Miami Dolphins 32. OLB Ed Brady - New Orleans Saints We sit out the 2nd and 3rd rounds and the only time I'm tempted to move up is in the 2nd, but the S I wanted flies off the board midway through the round. I've got my eye on two players as the 4th round starts. One of them, a G, flies off at 4.4, prompting me to send 4.31 and my 1986 4th round pick to move up into 4.5 and take WR Louis Lipps, who in addition to being very underrated, is a dynamite PR that doesn't drop passes. Was it a bad thing to move up? Maybe, but I want to keep injecting youth into our WR group. I take a flyer on S John Sullivan in the 5th, because we need to do something to get more young blood at safety, as Lloyd Burrus can't do it all himself. Granted, I didn't interview Sullivan, but he looks worth the gamble. RB Mel Gray is our 6th round selection, not to run the ball, but to be our traditional late-round 3-way RB threat at KR, PR, and ST. Finally, in the 7th round, we take C Mark Cannon, a breakout candidate who's the perfect guy to pick up at 7.32. At absolute worst, he should turn into a pretty decent reserve C in my opinion. Late Free Agency No real big plans here. Just a couple mentors and 3rd QB. Week 2 Signings QB Scott Stankavage - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA) -Signed strictly to fill the 3rd QB spot on the depth chart. Won't ever amount to anything. Week 3 Signings C John Hill - 1 year, $120k* (New England) -Solely a mentor signing. S Vern Roberson - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland) -Like Hill, just a mentor signing, though he appears to have enough game to bail us out in terms of injury, which is always good. Week 4 Losses OLB Don Coleman - 1 year, $120k* (New Jersey) -Coleman skeaddles off to the division rival Jets after complaining he didn't get enough PT. Sorry, man, but our defense usually doesn't start off with the 4-3. For some reason, we go to nickel a lot. Why I don't know, but it is what it is. Post Training Camp Code:
I'm ecstatic with how this draft class turned out. Zimmerman will be our starting LT from Week One. Lipps is extremely raw, but promising. Sullivan looks like a good backup FS, though it's not for certain he'll make the cut this year. Gray becomes our best returner. Cannon didn't break out like I'd hoped, but hey, he was the second to last pick in the draft. Stankavage doesn't look completely horrible at least. Really, though, the big thing was Zimmerman. He might become the first long-term LT we've ever had in Miami. In fact, the Dolphins revolving door at LT is more than a legend. The longest anybody's ever started at LT for the Aqua and Orange? 4 seasons, tied between Morris Towns and Bob Skoronski. Zimmerman should be able to break that very easily if this training camp is any indication.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-23-2008, 09:40 PM
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#300 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
The summer league appears to have done Marino a great service. He'll start obviously and I'll give Stankavage the #2 spot in preseason, then have him sit #3 behind The Legend Milan. Code:
Dickerson and Davis at RB and FB. Preston the #2 back, Gray servicing as KR and PR guy. Brown the backup FB. Pretty nice group we've got here all in all. Code:
Spagnola and Swann will start again, but Watson's going to replace Largent as the SE. Duper and Largent are the reserves and 5th WR is going to be a real pain to decide. Lipps is raw, but has promise, Chadwick is the best receiver and Preston can do the whole KR and PR thing himself, about as well as Gray actually. Warren's the backup TE and Haynes is Inactive. Code:
Zimmerman-Hough-Grant-Marvin-Bebout, with Quillan, Perot and Eatman the reserves. Hill, Cannon and Courson are all inactive guys. Hill and Cannon are prime candidates to get cut, since we have to make some this year. Code:
Ugh. Should've found a replacement for Webster. Oh well. Connell's still good. Code:
Looks like re-signing Young was a mistake. So it'll be Greer-Klecko-Latimer-Pitts as the front four, with Young and Burt as the reserves. Dunn gets to cool his heels on inactive and might get cut, because he's got serious issues with Latimer. Code:
Tippett-Odom-Cobb, Laughilin and Shoate the reserves. This is actually probably the best starting LB unit we've had in this entire universe and it's pretty young, too. Always a major bonus. Code:
Umm, how did we get so damned many DBs again? Anyway, Byrd and Gill as our starting corners, Burrus and Fox as our starting safeties. Smith and Wilson are the reserves at CB. Roberson gets cut. Murphy wins the backup SS spot over Young thanks to ST skills. I cut Best and make Sullivan the preseason backup to Fox. Manning and Shaw then go on inactive. We still have 3 more cuts to make after we trim the secondary, but I'll hold off on making them until after the preseason's over. The New Orleans Saints are the overwhelming favorites to defend their Super Bowl title. Other NFC preseason contenders are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons. We're co-favorites in the AFC along with the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. A lot of sportswriters are really hot on the idea that Danny White can lead Cincy to the next level. I'm not so sure about that. Going to be a fun season, though, like they usually are.
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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