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04-13-2008, 01:34 AM
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#351 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Reading is hard....
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04-13-2008, 09:47 AM
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#352 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
It's cool. 
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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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04-13-2008, 10:12 AM
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#353 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
Marino here through his 11th season is an excellent thing. Code:
Dickerson and Dickey are our obvious starters. Fontenot took a real nosedive in terms of his ability as a backup runner and Gray doesn't have the endurance necessary to do the job. Hoge, if he's moved to RB, drops to 76% of his ratings. ....I think we'll do it. The drop isn't bad at all, as he goes from 15/25 to 14/22. With time, he could be an okay reserve RB. Code:
Novacek finally supplants Spagnola as our starting TE. Monk and Watson still start, with Lipps and Duper the reserves. The 5th WR slot is going to be an interesting fight between Matthews and Kemp, with Kemp having the inside track thanks to his lack of conflict with Watson. Code:
Zimmerman-Farrell-Grant-Commiskey-Blair, though Taylor will be ready to step in at a moment's notice. Williams the reserve G and Dellenbach the backup C. Everyone else goes on the inactive, though Winters will get reps in preseason. Code:
We're fine here. Code:
Greer-Burt-Saleaumula-Simmons with Smith and Neill the reserves. Greer's starting his decline, which makes Simmons' gradual rise all the more important. Saleaumula was a huge pickup as well, given that we're starting to get gray in that area too. Code:
Tippett-Odom-Cobb, Bracelin and Johnson the reserves. It'll mean a cap hit, but we'll cut Faucette. Code:
Byrd-McDaniel-Burrus-Everett with Small and Allen the backups at CB, Hunter and Sullivan the reserves at S. We'll try and get the young guys some preseason looks, but my guess is, we're going to be looking heavily at CB next offseason in the draft, as we're getting ancient there.
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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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04-14-2008, 10:43 AM
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#354 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
Carolina 0 Miami 42 Art Monk dominated the highlight reel with 7 catches for 139 yards and a TD and Lloyd Burrus had a great all-around game with 8 tackles, 3 assists, a sack, a hurry and a pass defense in this laugher. Miami 40 New York 27 No real highlights to report, though backup QB Mike Kerrigan did throw an astonishing 3 TDs. Miami 27 Atlanta 21 The game wasn't as close as the score indicates, as Dan Marino was 19/39 for 294 yards and 3 TDs to one INT, Art Monk snagging 5 balls for 101 yards and a TD. Dallas 10 Miami 28 Steve Watson catches 7 passes for 145 yards and 2 TDs, Clyde Simmons has 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns and Curtis Greer gets 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown to close out a perfect preseason. Perhaps the biggest shock of the exhibition season was rookie CB Lou Brock looking good enough to win the nickel back spot. Regular Season New Jersey 10 Miami 33 Eric Dickerson kicks the real season off with a bang, carrying the ball 27 times for 150 yards and 3 TDs. Gill Byrd showed up ready to play on defense with a tackle, 3 pass defenses and an interception as we crush the Jets. Returner wizard Mel Gray breaks his ankle and is out 6 weeks, devastating our return game. SE Aubrey Matthews gets his pink slip and we sign 8th year CB Will Lewis, a mentor to boot, to fill the gaps. Miami 17 Dallas 10 A difficult win, but Dan Marino sees us through with a 27/38 for 295 yard, 2 TD and 1 INT performance. Lloyd Burrus really powered the defense with 12 tackles, 2 assists, a pass defense and an interception. Jacksonville 6 Miami 27 A much easier win as Dan Marino throws another 38 passes, completing 22 of them for 259 yards and 2 TDs. Andre Tippett savages the Jaguars for 6 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns. LT Gary Zimmerman strains his back and will be out roughly 3 weeks, forcing us to call upon T Irv Eatman to fill in for our two-time defending 1st Team All-Pro LT. Buffalo 10 Miami 27 Gary Cobb returns an interception 22 yards for a TD, one of 2 INTs for him on the day and one of 4 total team picks of Art Schlichter, a former Dolphins 5th round pick. as denial through the air keys an otherwise pedestrian victory. Miami 34 San Diego 10 Dan Marino takes home Player of the Game with a very nice 18/25 for 320 yards and 2 TD line and Clyde Simmons feasts on the Chargers for 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns. LT Gary Zimmerman is back to full health a week ahead of schedule, much to our relief. Denver 16 Miami 14 ...And of course, it figures that our perfect season would be ruined the very game he comes back. Lloyd Burrus recorded 11 tackles, an assist, a hurry and a knockdown and Clyde Simmons had his second straight strong game with 5 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry, but Dan Marino's 3 interceptions are all you need to know about this nutcrushing loss. The bye week has Mel Gray back to us. Yay. Kansas City 7 Miami 38 We take out the frustrations for our loss to the Broncos on their AFC West foes, the Chiefs, as Eric Dickerson rushes 31 times for 104 yards and Dan Marino is 20/26 for 294 yards and 3 TDs. Backup DE Greg Smith gets nailed with plantar fasciitis, whatever the hell that is, and has to go on the IR. DE Chris Linnin, a Week 3 Rams releasee`, is signed to take over for the rest of the year. Miami 40 Oakland 28 Dan Marino destroys the Raiders in this game: 33/43 for 394 yards and 2 TDs, the bulk of the throwing going to Art Monk with 11 catches for 166 yards and a TD. Scott Norwood hit 4/4 FGs. And so at the halfway mark, we stand at 7-1, two games up on the 5-3 Patriots in the division and on everyone else for the #1 seed in the AFC. The halfway stats: Code:
Save for that 3 interception game against the Broncos, Dan Marino is having an absolutely fantastic season. Eric Dickerson's fumble numbers are up slightly, but he's still one of the safest ball-carriers in the game. The Merril Hoge experiment is iffy, but what really concerns me is the number of dropped passes from our WRs. On the other hand, it's nice to see Jay Novacek emerging as a safety blanket for Marino. Lloyd Burrus is having another fantastic season, Andre Tippett is on the verge of a 10 sack campaign and Clyde Simmons is really starting to come into his own. Great play by Gill Byrd as well and Dan Saleaumula may not have a sexy stats line, but his big presence in the middle of the line is eating up a lot of space and a major reason why we're dominating in run defense.
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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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04-15-2008, 09:15 PM
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#355 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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CB Gerald Small and SS Monty Hunter are Unhappy and DT Bill Neill and QB Mike Kerrigan are disgruntled. Let's see, Kerrigan over Marino? Fat chance. Neill over the improving rookie Saleaumula? I don't think so. Small has a point and will be in our nickel and dime packages from here on out. Hunter can stew in it.
Miami 27 New England 0 The shutout pretty much decimates any hopes the Patriots may have had at challening for the AFC East title, barring some Dolphins catastrophe. Dan Marino throws for 229 yards and 3 TDs on 19/30 throwing as we take it easy in this convincing win. Miami 35 New Jersey 13 Eric Dickerson rushes 21 times for 116 yards and a TD, but my heart's in my throat when Mike Kerrigan's the Game MVP on 20/24 for 295 yards with 4 TDs and 2 INTs. What the hell happened to Dan Marino?! Art Monk was sensational with 7 catches for 156 yards and 2 TDs, Curtis Greer had 2 tackles, 2 sacks 4 hurries and a knockdown and Gill Byrd was otherworldly with 2 tackles, 2 assists and 5 pass defenses. Whew. Crisis averted. It's just a sprained knee and Dan Marino's probable for the next game. Philadelphia 10 Miami 37 No problems with the knee as Dan Marino is 20/28 for 244 yards and 4 TDs, Art Monk the main man with 6 catches for 102 yards and a TD. Gill Byrd continued his fine play with 3 tackles, a sack and 3 pass defenses and rookie Perry Kemp proved worthy of his roster by forcing 2 fumbles on special teams. Nice work, kid! Miami 41 Pittsburgh 23 Another week, another easy win, the coolest points of which were Thomas Everett's 33 yard interception return for a TD. Another great Dan Marino performance: 22/29 for 280 yards and 3 TDs. Jim Burt exploded on defense with 5 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks and a knockdown, while LeCharls Daniels picked up 2 tackles, 4 assists and 3 pass defenses. Starting TE Jay Novacek breaks his fibula and is out roughly 7 weeks. Since he'll be back for the playoffs most likely, I cut CB Will Lewis and sign TE Mike Mularkey, who has some special teams value. TE John Spagnola reprises his starting TE role. Miami 34 New York 21 Dan Marino is 24/30 for 300 yards on the nose and 3 TDs, with Steve Watson the receiving hero at 6 catches for 107 yards and 2 TDs. Clyde Simmons led the D with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 hurries and a knockdown. With the victory we officially clinch the AFC East, which isn't even something to get excited about anymore, it's become so routine for us. Miami 17 Buffalo 9 The Bills come in upset-minded, but we turn them away thanks mostly to some stellar pass defense. No statistical stars to report this game, though. And with -that- win, we officially lock up the #1 seed in the playoffs, even though there's still two games to play. So what do we play for now? The 15-1 record, which will piss me off in a way if we get it, as we'd have then been one shitty game at Denver away from 16-0, but oh well. Washington 24 Miami 17 In the game many are calling the possible Super Bowl preview, the Redskins win, thanks to a certain jackass named Irving Fryar, who has become the bane of our existence. Clyde Simmons was the best man on our side, with 4 tackles, 5 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and 5 knockdowns. Starting MLB Cliff Odom strains his back and will miss our last game, so out goes rookie C Frank Winters and in comes SILB Carl Eckern. MLB Dennis Johnson takes over as the starter. New England 22 Miami 25 Bad, bad news. A last-second 31 yard TD pass from Dan Marino to Art Monk was needed to secure the comeback win. Marino was Player of the Game, 19/32 for 288 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. Gill Byrd had 3 tackles, 2 assists and 3 pass defenses to head up the defenses. And so we coast into the playoffs with another 14-2 record and home-field advantage on our quest for four straight Super Bowl appearances.
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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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04-16-2008, 10:15 AM
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#356 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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So after a week to rest up, MLB Cliff Odom is questionable and TE Jay Novacek is still Out.
Lovely. Our divisional opponents are, ironically enough, the New England Patriots. 8th year vet QB Mark Malone finally beat out Cliff Stoudt for the starting signal-caller spot this year, but he's truly awful and if New England ever wants to topple us as the class of the AFC East, they need a better QB. RB Earl Campbell needs no introduction, as even in his 10th season, he's still one of the top 5 RBs in the league and ranks 1st all-time in rushing TDs. The Patriots actually have some nice receivers in TE Eric Sievers and FL Gary Clark, but SE Carlos Carson is a major underachiever. C Blair Bush is a talented veteran and one of the longest running Patriots starters in franchise history. LG Ben Utt is terrific, RG George Yarno the classic great road-eater, suspect in pass-protection. LT Ronnie Lee is better suited to the right side and RT Ted Albrecht's best years are long behind him. P Dale Hatcher has a booming leg, but his hangtime sucks so bad, his net average blows. K Kevin Butler has a leg, but is sporadic in accuracy. LDE Tyrone Keys is a lot like L.C. Greenwood was for us. A consistent, double-digit sack DE who goes woefully unrecognized. RDE Lee Williams has developed into a steady player on the opposite side. NT William Perry finally started taking over as the point man in the 3-4 late this season, but we haven't seen enough to say if the 3rd year pro is any good or not. SLB Billy Ray Smith and second year WLB Seth Joyner are a pair of damned scary OLBs in the pass-rush, perfect fits for the New England 3-4, allowing SILB John Rade to clean up in tackling. WiLB Jim Collins is just kinda there. LCB Ronnie Lippett had 7 interceptions and a 91.5% pass defense in just 13 regular season games this year and is the Patriots' answer to Gill Byrd. Rookie RCB Roland Mitchell improved all year long and looked great in the wild card victory. 2nd year SS Cornell Gowdy is a fine player and 3rd year FS Mike Prior had 8 interceptions and an 87.8% pass defense. Honestly, if the Patriots have anything close to a respectable QB, they're a Super Bowl contender. That's how good they'd be with the two talented receivers they have, Earl Campbell and that monstrous defense. As it is, I'm anticipating a game far too close for comfort, though Vegas has us by almost a touchdown at 6 points. The Patriots loaded up on stopping Eric Dickerson and succeeded, holding him to just 33 yards on 27 carries, a pathetic 1.22 ypc. But they forgot to stop Dan Marino, who scorched that excellent secondary for 329 yards and 3 TDs on 21/27 passing and won Player of the Game. Scott Norwood kicked 6/6 FGs, including a 55 yarder and Lloyd Burrus was magnificient on defense with 8 tackles, 2 assists, a pass defense and 2 interceptions. New England 14 Miami 39 On to the AFC Championship.
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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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04-17-2008, 10:20 PM
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#357 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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TE Jay Novacek and MLB Cliff Odom are back in, but backup S John Sullivan is out, requiring S Antonio Gibson to step into the reserve FS role.
For the AFC Championship, we've got the Houston Oilers. QB Archie Manning isn't starting any more and in fact, the last time he was a full-time starter was 1981, though he did get a handful of starts in 1983. Not that it's anything to be ashamed of; he's in his 17th pro season. Instead, it's QB Gary Hogeboom an 8th year pro who'd never taken more than 8 snaps in a season before this year. He wins the starting job and throws for 3,871 yards and 28 TDs to 11 INTs. Not bad at all! QB Steve Beuerlein is the rookie, but one designated as the Oilers' future signalcaller. 4th year RB Bill Johnson is a lot like a poor man's Eric Dickerson, an underrated runner who's very secure with the football and quietly piles up the yardage. TE Hoby Brenner is a terrific all-around player. FL Cris Collinsworth is pretty good, but by no means elite and SE Stanley Morgan is old, underachieving and drop-prone. 3rd year, 3rd WR Will Drewrey has developed into a solid player, if not for his drop tendencies. Not bad for a late 5th rounder. C Randy Grimes is a great runblocker, but gave up an appalling 10 sacks last season, which is unheard of for a C and in general gives up too many sacks. LG Bruce Collie and RG Russ Grimm are decent, but not outstanding. LT Harry Swayne was a little rough in pass protection as a rookie, but showed phenomenal run-blocking skills and looks to have the kind of potential to have made him an absolute steal at 2.15. RT Bubba Paris is pretty bad and a major loafer. P Jack Weil is quite good, but K Matt Bahr is too erratic to be a reliable K. LDE Bruce Smith had 53 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 41 hurries last year, but really fell off this season with 27 tackles, 4 sacks and 18 hurries. Only time will tell if he's able to rebound into the type of player he was last year. Part of the problem might be that the rest of the line, such as rookie RDE Ben Thomas, LDT Manu Tuiasosopo, in general has no pass-rush skills, resulting in Smith getting double and triple-teamed. RDT Rush Brown did have 7.5 sacks in his first full-time starting gig since 1984, though. MLB Karl Mecklenberg has a ton of talent, but can't seem to put it together and become a consistent, dominant player like he should be. SLB George Jamieson had 6 interceptions in the regular season, but underachieves considerably and WLB Dale Carver is a journeyman already in his 5th season, but one who has a lot more ability than scouts want to give him credit for. LCB Arnold Brown broke out in a big way this season, with 6 interceptions and an 87.0 pass defense % and has been on fire in the playoffs as well. RCB Patrick Hunter isn't much in pass coverage, but is a demon in run support. CB Hanford Dixon is one of the best nickel backs in the league at the moment. SS Carlton Williamson is a big-time underachiever, though FS Dennis Smith makes up for that by being sensational. All in all, I'm not really afraid of this Oilers team. They've got respectable individual pieces here and there, but as a whole, they just don't strike any fear in me. The bookies agree, favoring us by a comfortable 8 points. All we needed was the fifth play of the game: a 53 yard TD run by Eric Dickerson, who finished with 129 yards and the TD on 21 carries. Dan Marino added insult to injury by earning Player of the Game honors with a 19/31 for 296 yards and 4 TDs line. It was an out and out reaming and we're making history by going to our fifth consecutive Super Bowl!!!. Houston 3 Miami 38
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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 : 04-17-2008 at 10:22 PM. |
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05-01-2008, 08:53 AM
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#358 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: calgary, AB
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Another heart breaking defeat? Or running out of steam a bit?
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05-01-2008, 05:49 PM
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#359 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
A combination of running out of steam and end of semester crunch. I'll return to this at some point, just not sure when. The Super Bowl preview posts usually take me a while to write up, anyway.
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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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05-03-2008, 01:01 AM
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#360 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Unacceptable.
Soldier on |
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05-03-2008, 11:19 PM
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#361 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Sorry.  I will at some point, 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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05-27-2008, 10:51 PM
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#362 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Super Bowl XXVIII Preview
Miami Dolphins Out RG Chuck Commiskey (Starter) S John Sullivan (Reserve) DE Greg Smith (Reserve) Washington Redskins Out LG Leotis Harris (Starter) RG J.T. Turner (Starter) CB Manny Hendrix (Starter) Quarterback It's another epic Super Bowl battle between Dan Marino and Steve Bartkowski. The loss still tastes bitter to Marino, who had his finest season yet this year, completing almost 65% of his passes in the regular season for 4,149 yards, 33 TDs and 8 INTs, his second 4,000+ yard season and first since his first year as a full-time starter. He's yet to throw a pick this postseason. Backup Mike Kerrigan was efficient in mopup duty this season, his first ever pro regular season appearance, but he scares no one. Steve Bartkowski is one of the most legendary Super Bowl QBs in history. Last year's Super Bowl performance of 412 yards and 3 TDs on 25/30 throws ranks as one of the all-time great showings on football's biggest stage. The old man showed he's still got it this year as well, throwing for 4,009 yards, 34 TDs and 15 INTs in the regular season. Bob Avellini has a poor postseason track record, though he was a moderately successful two-season starter in Los Angeles a few years ago. Advantage: Draw Running Back Eric Dickerson has very quietly established himself as an upper-echelon back, with five straight seasons of 1,000+ yards and 11+ TDs on the ground and four straight years of 400+ receiving yards, but he's never shown the ability to be the differencemaker in close playoff games and that's going to hurt against the archrival Redskins, because Washington always plays the Dolphins tough in the Super Bowl. Reserve RB Merril Hoge, the Dolphins 6th round pick, has been much more effective than anticipated, but is still a downgrade from previous Miami second-string backs. Keith Griffin is an overachieving back who has greatly improved on ball security in his fourth season. He'll never be an elite back, but he's perfect for the two-back system the Redskins employ and rookie Larry Mason is a great elusive complement to Griffin's speed game. Advantage: Draw Wide Receivers TE Jay Novacek is one of the best safety valve targets in the league and his 7 regular season TD passes illustrates that. FL Art Monk is still a terrific receiver, but his yardage has gone down every season he's been in Miami. SE Steve Watson is far too drop-prone to be an effective starter anymore and reserve Louis Lipps or Mark Duper should be getting the call. All told, though, this is the most feared group of receivers in the NFL, which shouldn't be a surprise, given the emphasis the Dolphins front office puts on a strong receiving corps. TE Bruce Hardy is a run-blocker, but can't catch the ball to save his life. FL Irving Fryar is arguably the best WR in the entire league and he set another Redskins record this season with 1,817 receiving yards, second to the Giants' Andre Reed, who had 1,866. (Ed. Historical Note: There have been four 2,000+ receiving yards in universe history, 3 of 4 belonging to Packers great Boyd Dowler, who also has the last 2,000+ yard receiving season, all the way back in 1963.) SE John Taylor is a very distant second fiddle and the reserves are nondescript beneath the great fiery sun of Fryar's brilliance. Advantage: Draw Offensive Line Losing Commiskey hurts in a big way, as RG Larry Williams is a horrible run-blocker and will further reduce Dickerson's impact on the game. It also means an ancient G Jim Hough as the reserve guard, who last played a real game in last year's Super Bowl. That said, LT Gary Zimmerman has been an All-Pro 1st Team T the last two years and had another fantastic season this year and LG Sean Farrell was a terrific free agency acquisition from Los Angeles. Second year RT Paul Blair looked much more comfortable this season. C Will Grant is feeling his age, though and really should be giving way to the younger C Jeff Dellenbach. Backup T Roger Taylor is a much better player since returning to Miami than he was as a Dolphins draftee. LG Brad Budde is no one's idea of a legitimate NFL guard, but he's starting in an emergency situation today along with RG Jon Borchardt after the season-ending injuries to Harris and Turner. Borchardt is actually a hard-working, proven NFL starter, but Budde is awful. Backup G Tony Slaton should be starting on the left side instead. C Joe Fields is old and can't run-block anymore, but he can still pass-protect. LT Andy Frederick is ancient and a revolving door. RT Tim Irwin is an overachiever, but the reserve situation for the Redskins o-line is such a mess, we won't embarass Washington by publishing their names. Advantage: Dolphins Kickers P Dan Melville had his best season his first year in Miami, but he's still a major underachiever. K Scott Norwood was terrible in the regular season, completing just 63.4% of his FGs, but he's 7/7 this postseason, including a 55 yarder. P Scott Fullhage was a dissapointment this rookie season, but K Paul McFadden has gotten better and better each year and could be in the running for an All-Pro nod this season. Advantage: Draw Defensive Line LDE Curtis Greer continues his decline, but he's still a solid player in his 8th season. Second year RDE Clyde Simmons is on the rise, but he's not quite there yet. LDT Jim Burt is one of the most underrated DTs in the league and the unsung hero of the Dolphins d-line. Rookie RDT Dan Saleaumula showed flashes, but still has a ways to go yet. LDE Keith Willis is a DT in a DE's body and RDE Doug Reed is in the same mold, though he did have 8 sacks in the regular season and seems to crank up the pressure in the postseason. LDT Bob Clasby is an overachiever and the inverse of Willis and Reed, a DE in a DT's body. RDT Reggie Kinlaw is the line's best player, equally adept at pass-rush and run-stuffing. Advantage: Redskins Linebackers When will the Dolphins move off of MLB Cliff Odom? He doesn't get the tackles and isn't a pass-rusher. On the other hand, he's one of the better coverage linebackers in the league. SLB Andre Tippett is one of the best in the game at his position and has gotten better each season. He recorded 9 sacks this year and had 4 interceptions, which should be enough to earn him All-Pro consideration again. WLB Gary Cobb is extremely gifted. MLB Vaughan Johnson may only be in his second season, but he's experiencing a meteoric rise and is arguably the best young MLB in the league. SLB Dean Moore is aging, but still a quality player. WLB Larry Gordon is a nonentity. Advantage: Dolphins Secondary LCB Gill Byrd deserves an All-Pro award and it's a crime that he doesn't have one yet. RCB LeCharls McDaniel was stolen away from the Redskins in free agency and is a quality cover corner, especially in the postseason. CB Gerald Small is a terrible nickel back, though and rookie CB Lou Brock is still too raw to be effective in the dime package. SS Lloyd Burrus is one of the best in the league, but has been dogged by mediocre playoff performances. He's been on fire this posteason however, with 2 interceptions and a 96.6 pass defense percentage. Rookie FS Thomas Everett had 4 picks in the regular season and has been a splendid player. 12th year vet LCB Mike Haynes experienced a renaissance after Hendrix's injury. He's no longer the five-time All-Pro he was earlier in his career, but his savvy will carry him far. RCB Audrey McMillian is solid, but not dynamite. CB Bobby Watkins is a more than serviceable veteran nickel back. SS Darrol Roy is Burrus's equal, only with a much better playoff track record, but FS Kirk Springs is a gaping hole in the Redskin secondary. Advantage: Draw Keys for the Miami Dolphins 1. Stay true to a balanced offense With Dickerson's struggles in close playoff games, it's tempting to just take to the air, but the Redskins have the aerial firepower in Steve Bartowski and Irving Fryar to win the shootout, just like they did last year. A more grinding game might actually play in the Dolphins' favor this go-round. 2. Blitz, blitz, blitz. Washington's offensive line is in shambles with both their starting guards out and Andy Frederick is one of the weakest LTs on a Super Bowl team since, well, the early Miami championship teams. Take advantage of Andre Tippett and Gary Cobb to disrupt the Redskins rhythm. 3. Respect the Redskin rushing attack At first glance, the Redskins don't appear to have much at RB, but their tandem tactics work surprisingly well and have been effective against the Dolphins in the Super Bowl before, so Miami can't afford to concentrate solely on pass defense. Keys for the Washington Redskins 1. Don't be afraid to use Irving Fryar as a decoy. If the Dolphins swarm all over Fryar, trying to take him out of the game, that opens things up for the other receivers and the backs to be wide open. Bartowski's a good enough QB that he can take advantage of the holes that would open up in Miami's pass defense as a result. 2. Protect Steve Bartowski Without Bartowski, the Redskins don't win this game. It's as simple as that. Miami will most likely bring on the blitzes, so maximum protection is absolutely critical. 3. Remember Eric Dickerson He's read the negative press and he remembers being largely corralled by Washington in previous Super Bowls, so the chip's there. Don't allow him the opportunity to break free, because if he gets going, the game's over. Final Thoughts Washington always finds a way to play Miami tough in the Super Bowl and they'll do it again this year, even with both their starting guards out. On the other hand, the Dolphins have turned areas of traditional franchise weakness, linebacker and offensive tackle, into strengths and they won't be an easy opponent. Throw in the fact that passions run high on both sides and both teams have fearsome passing games, underrated running games and stout defenses and this game's just too close to call. Final Line Even
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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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05-28-2008, 08:33 PM
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#363 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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It's our ball first and we go on a grinding drive, powered mostly by short to mid-range Eric Dickerson runs. We get a scare when he bangs up his knee on a 9 yard run, his longest of the drive, but it appears to be okay.
Immediately after that 9 yard run, Dan Marino throws an incredible 42 yard pass to Louis Lipps for a TD! First blood drawn and Lipps is making a major push to be a starter next year! Miami 7 Washington 0 - 11:39 1st Quarter Ah, the beauty of former Redskin against Redskin. LeCharls McDaniel instantly earns his paycheck by defending a pass meant for Irving Fryar on Washington's first play. Jim Burt sacks Steve Bartowski on Play #2 and Play #3 is a dropped pass for an euphoria-inducing 3 and out. Mel Gray fumbles the PR, but Gary Cobb recovers it to save a potential disaster. Dan Marino starts going to work on the next drive, but then an offensive holding penalty kills our momentum and we're forced to settle for a 45 yard FG try by Scott Norwood, which is good! Yes! Insurance! Miami 10 Washington 0 - 7:33 1st Quarter But the Redskins aren't going down so easily and Steve Bartowski connects with Irving Fryar for 43 yards on the opening play of the next drive. Another 23 yard pass play to John Taylor and a 4 yard run by Keith Griffin later and the Redskins are sitting on our one yard line. A defended pass play courtesy of Gill Byrd and an Illegal use of the hands penalty on the Redskins provide a brief glimmer of hope, but Keith Griffin rips that out of our hearts by running all 11 yards for the TD. Hello, close ballgame. Miami 10 Washington 7 - 4:58 1st Quarter Blocked pass, defended pass, heart in throat 28 yard pass from Dan Marino to Jay Novacek to keep us alive. Three more consecutive pass completions a Merril Hoge short run gives us an easy 3rd and 2, but Art Monk drops the surefire first down, so it's a 42 yard FG by Scott Norwood. But wait! Roughing the Kicker on the Redskins! New life and 3 straight runs by Eric Dickerson, including the 5 yarder to cap off the TD! If we go on to win, that roughing the kicker penalty could go down as the turning point. Miami 17 Washington 7 - 0:38 1st Quarter The first quarter ends with the kickoff return and a 2 yard Keith Griffin run. Miami 17 Washington 7 - End 1st Quarter We three and out the Redskins, as our secondary is playing lights out pass defense today and Dan Saleaumula hurries Steve Bartowski into a bad throw on third down. But they hold us to a three and out right back, forcing an Eric Dickerson fumble in the process that we fortunately recover. We follow it up by holding them to another three and out, with yet another pass defense, this one by Andre Tippett. It's looking like another 3 and out, but Steve Watson catches and holds on to a critical 18 yard third down pass to make the coversion, but then Watson drops a pass on the next set of downs and we have to punt it away. Washington three and outs as we're getting some serious pressure on Steve Bartowski and disrupting his rhythm. Then Dan Marino has to go and throw an interception on the first play of our next drive. Audrey McMillian gets the pick and runs it back 15 yards to our 32 yard line. More hurries, another pass defense, and another boneheaded Illegal Use of the Hands penalty and what do the Redskins end up with? That's right. Nothing. Golden opportunity wasted there. I have to feel a bit sorry for the fans right now. Compared to last year's sensational Redskins/Dolphins Super Bowl, this one feels like a swamp fight. Lots of defense, a ton of penalties, after an initially promising contest. It's such a trench war that we're thrilled to get a fresh set of downs after Herman Fontenot shows receiving smarts to just get enough for the first on third down. Our running game, including two straight pretty nice runs by Merril Hoge, gets us to midfield, before Dan Marino atones for his earlier interception by completing three straight passes and Eric Dickerson finishes it off by a one-yard off-tackle run for the TD! Miami 24 Washington 7 - 4:02 2nd Quarter Although Steve Bartowski connects with Irving Fryar for 25 yards on the first play after the kickoff, the Redskins are really reeling right now and it shows as our defense is figuring out their offense. Clyde Simmons adds insult to injury by throwing Steve Bartowski for a 7 yard loss. Two Dan Marino completions have us in Redskins territory as the two-minute warning kicks in. A mixture of runs and passes translates into three straight beautiful runs by Eric Dickerson, including the 11 yard run for the finisher! The rout is officially on with this TD. Miami 31 Washington 7 - Halftime Network execs are despondent, Redskins fans are ill and the rest of the viewership is just bored with a Super Bowl that appears to be over at the halfway mark. Another Washington 3 and out starts the second half and our defense has completely cracked the Redskin offense. After our own three and out, Washington gets a first down, but then Gill Byrd picks off Steve Bartowski and returns the interception 13 yards to the Washington 31. Short yard passes and two runs, including a goal-line plunge by Eric Dickerson takes on another TD. The Redskins are done. Miami 38 Washington 7 - 7:34 3rd Quarter Washington actually crosses into our territory for the first time this half, but they have to punt it away. Worse yet, it eats up almost the entire rest of the third quarter and we finish it off with the beginnings of a drive of our own. Miami 38 Washington 7 - End 3rd Quarter We trudge to midfield before we punt it away. The kick's a coffin-corner that pins the Redskins on the 9 yard line. Washington makes a little headway, but punt it away. We cheerfully respond by 3 and outing with three consecutive runs by Merril Hoge and promptly pin the Redskins on the 3 yard line with the perfectly placed punt. The Redskins officially concede the game, because Bob Avellini is now in at QB for Washington. Ironically enough, he engineers the most successful drive for the Redskins since the 1st quarter, putting together some clutch passes and a couple QB scrambles and mixing it in with Keith Griffin run, but it was Bob Avellini with the final TD, a one yarder to Earl Ferrell Bob Avellini fails on the 2-point keeper run. Miami 38 Washington 13 - 2:05 4th Quarter And that's all she wrote, following 3 more Merril Hoge runs, which net a first down as time expires. Miami 38 Washington 13 - Final A snoozer Super Bowl, but still a victory. Eric Dickerson wins Super Bowl MVP thanks largely to his 4 rushing TDs, as he only finished with 86 yards on 23 carries. I frankly would have given it to Gill Byrd who had a tackle, an assist, a hurry, 2 pass defenses and interception. Andre Tippett had a great game as well with 3 tackles and 3 pass defenses. Irving Fryar starred for the Redskins with 5 catches for 107 yards, but he was shut down for much of the game. Steve Bartowski was as dreadful tonight as he was great last year: 8/29 for 128 yards and an INT, a 31.1 QB rating. Miami Dolphins Super Bowl Starting Lineup QB Dan Marino - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.1) RB Eric Dickerson - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.25) FB Curtis Dickey - 1986 FA TE Jay Novacek - 5th round 1985 Draft (5.32) FL Art Monk - 1985 FA SE Steve Watson - 4th round 1979 Draft (4.32) LT Gary Zimmerman - 1st round 1984 Draft (1.31) LG Sean Farrell - 1987 FA C Will Grant - 1984 FA RG Larry Williams - 3rd round 1985 Draft (3.32) RT Paul Blair - 2nd round 1986 Draft (2.32) K Scott Norwood - 5th round 1985 Draft (5.30) P Dan Melville - 1987 FA LDE Curtis Greer - 3rd round 1980 Draft (3.13) LDT Jim Burt - 3rd round 1981 Draft (3.29) RDT Dan Saleaumula - 2nd round 1987 Draft (2.14) RDE Clyde Simmons - 1st round 1986 Draft (1.32) SLB Andre Tippett - 2nd round 1982 Draft (2.15) MLB Cliff Odom - 1st Round 1980 Draft (1.21) WLB Gary Cobb - 1984 FA LCB Gill Byrd - 2nd round 1983 Draft (2.28) RCB LeCharls McDaniel - 1987 FA SS Lloyd Burrus - 2nd round 1981 Draft (2.28) FS Thomas Everett - 1st round 1987 Draft (1.31) This is probably the most Dolphins-draftee heavy lineup we've ever had and I think that's a testament to my drafting skills. Pretty gosh darn cool.
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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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06-03-2008, 09:57 AM
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#364 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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A month to prepare..you'd better have won that game!
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06-03-2008, 01:41 PM
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#365 |
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Mascot
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Nice to see this thread back again. Im still hoping you make it all the way through to present day...
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06-03-2008, 05:05 PM
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#366 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Quote:
Yeah, you're right. I think maybe Washington just got so bored waiting that they stopped training. |
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06-03-2008, 05:30 PM
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#367 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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damnMikeBrown:
kislingbury: Thanks. I'll certainly try to keep going. I wouldn't mind doing another historical dynasty either, only with a different team and a couple of house rules to make the challenge last longer.Autumn: Nice pick and run.
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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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06-03-2008, 05:51 PM
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#368 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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Thanks, I knew I could get away with it given the long, long silences in my dynasty.
I'm glad Marino's getting such good success in your dynasty, I'm sure you've been planning on that for a long time. We'll see if you struggle after he leaves or just keep rolling. |
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06-03-2008, 06:57 PM
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#369 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Yep, as a matter of fact, getting Marino a Super Bowl ring was one of the main motivations for this dynasty. Of course, at the rate he's going, he'll end up with enough for his whole hand by the time he's 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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06-12-2008, 09:21 PM
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#370 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
Another superlative season from Dan Marino and another secure performance from Eric Dickerson powered the #1 offense in the league, but then again, having Art Monk as your primary receiver doesn't hurt either. I think it's time for me to recognize that Steve Watson is done as a starting WR, painful as that is. Louis Lipps really deserves to be the starter. Jay Novacek is really blossoming into a red-zone target for Marino. What incredible numbers on defense from Andre Tippett! It's arguably the best season we've ever had from a LB and I wouldn't be surprised to see him draw Defensive Player of the Year consideration. Lloyd Burrus was great as usual, as was Gill Byrd. Great work from the defensive front four as well, although Dan Saleaumula still has a lot of developing to do before he becomes a top-flight DT. Cliff Odom is another player I need to accept has passed his glory days and needs to be replaced as the starting MLB. The only problem is, we don't really have anyone capable of taking over for him. That'll be one of the biggest priorities in the offseason then, to find a new man in the middle. Solid work from the o-line and I think next season will be the one where Jeff Dellenbach finally pushes Will Grant out of the starting C spot. I may look at upgrading RG, where Chuck Commiskey and Larry Williams show fine pass-blocking skills, but are terrible in the run game. All in all, not much to be fixed here. We're in great shape to keep the dynasty going. 1987 Miami Dophins Season Awards QB Dan Marino - MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Pro QB It's hard to argue with Dan the Man's second 4,000+ yard season and 33 TDs vs 8 INTs. He was also sensational in the playoffs and is primed to be a Hall of Famer already after just five seasons. RB Eric Dickerson - Super Bowl MVP, 1st Team All-Pro RB Dickerson's consistently underrated, but he picks up his second All-Pro award, first 1st team nod and his second Super Bowl MVP award this season. His ball security is his most critical asset and honestly, I suspect if he wasn't on a team that had Dan Marino, he'd be a serious threat for 2,000 yards a season. LT Gary Zimmerman - 1st Team All-Pro T I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Zimmerman is the Walter Payton of LTs for us. Like Payton at RB, we'd had a long drought of journeymen amd mediocre players at LT with no franchise record of a quality LT until Zimmerman came along. The end result? 3 straight 1st Team All-Pro awards. I'd have to say Zimmerman ranks right up there with Paul Warfield in terms of late 1st round steals I've had with the Dolphins in this history. SLB Andre Tippett - 2nd Team All-Pro OLB Tippett got robbed. He should've been at least a 1st Teamer. Still, it's a second straight All-Pro award, which isn't too shabby and he's still one of the most valuable players on our defense. Not bad for a mid-2nd round pick, eh? Head Coach Alan Rosian - Coach of the Year I don't know how many Coach of the Year awards this makes, but suffice to say that Rosian is the latest in a long line of Dolphins coaching greats and is part of the discussion for best Miami head coach ever, right up there with Tyrus Treftz. SE Steve Watson - NFL's Fastest Man of the Year Award Wow. I never expected that out of him, especially not since he's entering his 10th season. Still, it's awesome to see! That's a great feel-good note to end on, so I'll stop there rather than go on to Staff Hiring.
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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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06-13-2008, 04:20 PM
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#371 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Walter Payton was elected to the Hall of Fame last year, something I shamefully neglected to mention. He garnered 87% of the vote and would've had more had he not retired so abruptly. This year, former Jaguar and Dolphin Vern Den Herder made it (as a Jaguar), along with K Dale Livingston, the first-ever kicker inducted. Livingston ranks 1st all-time in FGs and Points Scored, but he only ever won 5 All-Pro awards in a 16-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and only one of them was a 1st Team. Clearly a case of longevity over true quality. The surprising thing about Den Herder is that he just barely made it, with 80%. I figured he was a lock. Oh well.
Staff Hiring Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce LB: VG to Excellent No staff changes to be made, as I'm really happy with the guys I have. In ex-Dolphins staffers news, Dave Hanner, who's made a career out of milking his one Super Bowl ring with us, signed with Tampa Bay for 4 years, $800k a year. Don't remember if that's a re-sign or not, but Hanner has an ugly 143-159 career record, despite the Super Bowl title and 8 playoff appearances. Royce Womble gets 11 offers the first day, including one to be the Offensive Coordinator of the Colts. Stupid to do to one of the brightest defensive minds of the game if you ask me (All Excellents in defensive categories and even more incredible, he takes Indianapolis's 4 year, $540k a year deal to become their OC. He must be trying to establish his credentials for a head coaching job is the only thing I can think of. DT Dan Saleaumula wins the ticket to Europe, though I probably should have given it to RB Merril Hoge instead. Free Agency By the Numbers QB x 2, FB, TE, WR x 2, C, P, K, DE, DT, MLB, OLB, CB, SS Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions RB Herman Fontenot: 3 years, $260k C Jeff Dellenbach: 3 years, $260k K Scott Norwood: 3 years, $260k TE Jay Novacek: 5 years, $1.25 mill. FB Curtis Dickey: 3 years, $530k SLB Andre Tippett: 3 years, $1 mill. Some key lockups here, particularly Tippett and Novacek. Fontenot is valuable as a backfield receiver and ST guy, Dellenbach should challenge for the starting C spot, Norwood's playoff clutchness saves him and Dickey's a fan favorite. That's when I realize, much to my overwhelming horror, that I forgot to sign LT Gary Zimmerman of the 3 straight 1st Team All-Pro nods last year and he's now an UFA. Oh.fuck.! I also somehow let Louis Lipps and Mark Duper escape too. Great, just great. Then I look at their demands and see why. They only wanted one-year deals. Week 2 Signings WR Mark Duper - 1 year, $140k (Re-signing) -There's going to be a lot of fighting for the starting SE spot next year and Duper's going to be a big part of that. T Gary Zimmerman - 4 years, $3.28 mill. (Re-signing) -That huge sigh of relief you just heard was from me as we keep our franchise LT on the team without a huge fight. He really wanted to stay in Miami (100 Loyalty) and we're happy to keep him here. P Dan Melville - 1 year, $110k (Re-signing) -I work veteran punters until they're no longer any good. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I had a rookie P with a substantial career here. Week 3 Signings DT Brad White - 1 year, $100k* (Houston) -I wanted to go a different direction with backup DT and White has sensational pass-rush skills that'll fit in well with our squad, I think. OLB Clay Matthews - 1 year, $120k* (New Jersey) -Experienced a career resurgence with the Jets the last couple years after being a huge disappointment with the Rams. I'll take him at the min-sal rate, especially for his mentor talents. Week 3 Losses DE Shawn Miller - 1 year, $100k (Indianapolis - Re-signing) -Couldn't lure him to Miami with more money and the chance for more PT than he was getting with the Colts. Oh well, his loss. Week 4 Signings FB Jessie Clark - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing) -ST ace with nice blocking skills and Curtis Dickey's heir apparent still unless I fall in love with somebody in the draft. Week 4 Losses G Dan Fike - 1 year, $110k (San Francisco - Re-signing) -This one hurts. Only in his 6th season, he's a mentor already and someone who would've slotted in as the perfect backup G, probably even pushing for the starting RG spot. But I guess his heart's still in San Francisco. DT Bill Neill - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh) -Was never a part of our plans after his underwhelming performance last year. A pretty big disappointment. Week 5 Signings QB Don Milan - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -The Legend lives on. Milan's not stupid. He knows as long as he wants to put on a uniform, he'll collect $120,000 a year to sit third on the depth chart and mentor any rookies we get. I think I'll draft a rookie to be the top backup so Don has something to do. G Terry Long - 1 year, $80k* (Houston) -Has pretty good run-blocking skills and his pass-protection is underrated. He was a LG with the Oilers, which was ill-suited to his talents, so I shifted him over to RG immediately after he signed and he went from 36/36 to 34/40. He'll be a good backup G, I think and able to start in a pinch at RG if need be. DE Glen Collins - 1 year, $80k* (Dallas) -Strictly a mentor signing. Week 6 Signings WR Louis Lipps - 1 year, $140k (Re-signing) -He held out for a long time, hoping to get more substantial offers and I'm frankly surprised he wasn't pursued more aggressively. Still, I'm just fine with having him back and he'll either start at SE or stay as the #3 WR. Week 6 Losses DE Greg Smith - 1 year, $90k (Kansas City) -Um, yeah. Okay. If the Chiefs think he's worth more than a min-sal deal, more power to them. S Martin Bayless - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh - Re-signing) -Okay, so he's unhappy with the Steelers and could get more PT with us, but he re-signs with Pitt. Eh, whatever. It just annoys me that he held out this long before turning us down. Week 7 Signings S John Sullivan - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing) -A solid reserve S for us over the years and underrated. Capable of starting if he has to. Week 9 Losses MLB Dennis Johnson - 1 year, $100k* (Washington) -I suppose I should've tried to re-sign him, because he was a great Defensive Front captain and the chemistry situation is looking grim now that he's gone. Oh well, he was pissed about not starting anyway. Week 10 Signings DE Tom Strauthers - 1 year, $80k* (Cleveland) -Our defensive front chemistry is restored and we've upgraded at backup DE in the bargain. Week 11 Signings CB Carl Allen - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -He has a small conflict with LeCharls McDaniel, but Lloyd Burrus is his best friend on the team and we do everything we can to keep our star SS happy. Burrus got robbed in the All-Pro awards last year too, come to think of it. Draft up next!
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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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06-14-2008, 02:06 PM
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#372 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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This is the Year of the WR, with Tim Brown, Michael Irvin, Brian Blades and Flipper Anderson all blue-chip prospects, Brown and Irvin the biggest names in the draft. CB Eric Allen and CB Chris Dishman are some nice shut-down options as well. There's also a certain Dolphins-killer RB in this class....
We won't get a shot at any of those guys of course, but I really like our chances to get a good-quality player. We need youth at WR, G, and LB and I wouldn't mind young running mates for Gill Byrd, Clyde Simmons and Dan Saleaumula. This is arguably the worst QB crop I've ever seen. When Stan Humphries and Chris Chandler are the top two signal-callers, you know you're in trouble. Although, I have to say I kind of like Chandler and if I was a team in need of a QB, I'd give him a serious look. 1988 NFL Draft 1st Round 1. WR Tim Brown - Jacksonville Jaguars 2. WR Michael Irvin - Dallas Cowboys Absolutely perfect. Irvin back on the 'Boys.3. WR Brian Blades - Minnesota Vikings Wow, 3 WRs taken with the first 3 picks!  4. RB Lorenzo White - Pittsburgh Steelers 5. QB Stan Humphries - Dallas Cowboys Poor Michael Irvin. 6. QB Chris Chandler - Indianapolis Colts 7. ILB Chris Spielman - Los Angeles Rams through New York Giants The Giants must be in serious cap trouble, because they get only the Rams 3rd rounder in this draft and their 1990 2nd round pick for a Top 10 selection. ...But they're not. They're $3.3 million under the cap! I don't get this one at all, I really don't. An absolute steal by the Rams, who just grabbed the best defensive player in this draft for peanuts.Gary Plummer is out of a starting job in L.A. now though, and he's a 3rd year MLB who showed promise last year as a starter... I may have to try and trade for him. 8. TE Keith Jackson - Oakland Raiders 9. CB Chris Dishman - San Francisco 49ers 10. RB Thurman Thomas - Denver Broncos HOORAY! No Thurman Thomas to torment us with the Bills! 11. CB Eric Allen - Detroit Lions 12. S Erik McMillan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13. WR Flipper Anderson - Cleveland Browns 14. RB John Stephens - Carolina Panthers 15. G Eric Moore - Tucson Titans 16. ILB Ken Norton, Jr. - Kansas City Chiefs 17. CB Izel Jenkins - New Orleans Saints 18. ILB Vincent Brown - Buffalo Bills 19. DT Scott Davis - St. Louis Cardinals 20. WR Sterling Sharpe - Los Angeles Rams 21. G Randall McDaniel - Chicago Bears 22. WR Quinn Early - Philadelphia Eagles 23. DE Rueben Davis - San Diego Chargers 24. DT Chad Hennings - New England Patriots 25. ILB Victor Jones - Atlanta Falcons 26. CB James Hasty - Green Bay Packers 27. DT Tim Goad - Seattle Seahawks 28. OLB Bill Romanowski - Cincinnati Bengals 29. S Jarvis Williams - Baltimore Ravens 30. DE Steve Kaufusi - Houston Oilers 31. OLB Marcus Cotton - Washington Redskins A lot of the guys I was hoping would fall to me all flew off the board before our pick. There's still some pretty good talent here, though, enough to make me do a lot of internal debating before finally settling on our MLB of the future. 32. MLB Jeff Herrod - Miami Dolphins He has an affinity with our defensive front leader, decent development and some very nice combines. I like his bars quite a bit, too. I'm thrilled in the 2nd round when my choice of two offensive linemen drop. There's also a couple CBs I kind of like. But in the end, I'm just not sure that Jeff Dellenbach will be the answer at C with his low endurance and so I take C Dermontti Dawson, as he's the best player left there by far. Both of the corners go off the board in the 3rd, so I grab DE Jeff Cross, a real-life Dolphin who got a lot of sacks for me in Tecmo Super Bowl. There's a run on OTs in the 4th and there's a player I really, really want to get, so I trade my 4th and 5th round picks to the Bengals to jump up to 4.17 and select T Paul Gruber. The S I planned to tab in the 6th if he fell that far went in the 5th, shortly before my pick would've been. Good thing I didn't keep that pick then, because I'd have been ticked if I missed out. So instead, I take a flyer on DT Roy Hart and that finishes our draft, because we have no 7th round pick, having traded that in a prior year. Late Free Agency Week 1 Signings DT Phil Dokes - 1 year, $120k* (San Diego) -Mentor signing who can help develop Dan Saleaumula and Roy Hart. Week 3 Signings QB Todd Blackledge - 1 year, $80k* (New York) -#2 QB. Not a very good safety option, but we'll stick with him for now. C David Carter - 1 year, $120k* (Detroit) -Mentor signing ILB Roosevelt Barnes - 1 year, $80k* (Indianapolis) -Mentor signing Week 3 Losses G Larry Williams - 1 year, 70k* (Chicago) -Just never panned out like we'd hoped he would, so he'll get a fresh start with the Bears. Code:
Herrod's drop in potential was disappointing, as was the smallness of Gruber's uptick. Hart's going to be cut. Herrod, Dawson and Cross should all be top backups this season, with Dawson and Herrod likely to make a push in their second season for the starting job. Lot of low draft grades this year. Only Tampa Bay (A+) and San Francisco (A-) received A grades, but then, it was a pretty weak class overall in my opinion.
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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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06-15-2008, 01:25 PM
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#373 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
We'll live and die by Marino's arm. That's all there is to it. Code:
Dickerson and Dickey start again, Hoge the #2 back, Fontenot the receiving back, Gray the return specialist, Clark the FB. It's a system that works well for us, even if it is somewhat problematic in terms of the roster spots it takes up. Code:
I probably should've picked up another TE, but Spangola's the backup nonetheless. Novacek has blossomed into a real star. I switch Watson to FL and Lipps to SE, so Monk and Lipps will be the starting WRs, Watson can use his burner speed as the #3 WR and Duper will be the 4th man. We still need to get more youth at WR, but we're fine for now. Kemp is a surehanded 5th WR. Code:
Ouch. Good thing I drafted Dawson, because Grant fell off a cliff, dropping from 40something to 18. Just another move that makes me look brilliant. In any event, it'll be Zimmerman-Farrell-Dellenbach-Commiskey-Taylor as our starting five. Blair really disappointed in run-blocking last year and Taylor's pass-protection is underrated. Blair-Long-Dawson the 3 reserves. I hate to do it, but I have to cut Hough and Grant. Well, Grant I'll cut for sure. Hough I'll see if I can find a way to keep stashed on. Gruber, Carter, Eatman are inactive. Code:
We're fine here, though Norwood's short-leashed. Code:
Greer-White-Saleaumula-Simmons with Burt and Cross the reserves. Hart gets cut and everyone else is put on the inactive list. Code:
Tippett-Odom-Cobb for sure. I'm tempted to move Herrod to SLB as he appears to be better suited to the outside than in the middle and it'd rectify an alarming concern at reserve OLB, where Matthews is no longer the player he once was. But then what becomes of our future at MLB? What do you guys think? Code:
Byrd-McDaniel-Burrus-Everett. Our CB situation is really worrying right now. Sure, Byrd is a shutdown type, but McDaniel has lost a step and neither Brock or Allen are reliable nickelbacks. What I may do is put one of the backup safeties in at the nickel CB spot. I don't know yet. Gibson might have to shift over to SS, as we have no bona fide backup S. We're overwhelming favorites to repeat despite my concerns about our defensive backfield, so much so that the next closest team to our 100 power rating is the Chicago Bears (75), followed by the New Orleans Saints (67). We don't even get another AFC team until the Kansas City Chiefs (53). So still some things to think about it as we head into preseason and we have some weaknesses now that we haven't had in a while. But I think we'll be okay and the pieces appear to be in place for a 6th straight Super Bowl appearance and our 10th in 13 years. Even if we don't make it, 5 straight Super Bowl appearances and 9 in 12 years is pretty damned impressive.
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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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06-15-2008, 10:18 PM
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#374 | |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cardiff, Wales.
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Difficult to say without seeing Herrods card, does he gain/lose points with the move? Otherwise I'm always happy to play a MLB at OLB without the permanent move if necessary. Great dynasty BTW, I've been following since the beginning. |
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06-17-2008, 08:03 PM
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#375 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Glad to hear you're enjoying it and that you've stuck with it! As for Herrod, for both SLB and WLB it says there's signs that he could improve at the positions, but that there'll be a slight experience reduction after the switch (which I'm not worried about in all honesty). The card:  I'm leaning towards doing a position switch, but I'm not sure what side to put him on. Gary Cobb is getting ancient at WLB, but the WLB never gets used much in my defensive scheme. On the other hand, Andre Tippett is still going strong in his 7th season obviously and Herrod doesn't have the pass-rush skills that Tippett does. So maybe it'd be best to leave Herrod at MLB. Still not sure.
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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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06-18-2008, 05:50 AM
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#376 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cardiff, Wales.
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If it was me I would probably leave him at MLB and use him as a back up at the SLB position. With Odoms age he could take a hit next year and as you say WLB isn't highly important and I think he would be wasted there IMO.
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06-18-2008, 02:22 PM
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#377 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Good idea, thanks.
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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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06-18-2008, 03:24 PM
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#378 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Preseason
New Orleans 6 Miami 26 A balanced rushing attack and 4/5 FGs from Scott Norwood guaranteed this win. Brad White won Game MVP with 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns, showing he deserves to start over Jim Burt. Andre Tippett recorded 5 tackles, 2 assists, and 1.5 sacks, while LeCharls McDaniel and Gill Byrd both defended 3 passes. Miami 40 New York 10 Todd Blackledge was surprise Game MVP with a 15/21, 195 yard, one TD performance. Maybe we won't be in bad shape at backup QB after all. [b]Art Monk[/b caught 5 passes for 118 yards and a TD, Curtis Greer returned a fumble 14 yards for a TD and Brad White stayed white-hot with a tackle, an assist and 1.5 sacks. Atlanta 24 Miami 21 (OT) There goes our perfect preseason. Todd Blackledge ruined it for us with a 3 interception performance, including one pick returned 85 yards for a TD to force OT. Damn shame, as Clyde Simmons recorded 6 tackles, 3 assists, 3 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns, Dan Saleaumula picked up 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks and 2 hurries and Gill Byrd was magnificient with 3 pass defenses and 2 picks. Miami 24 Washington 23 A rare exhibition sellout in this Super Bowl rematch between the NFL's hottest rivals. Steve Watson was the man of the match with 7 catches for 147 yards and a TD and Lloyd Burrus was a tackle machine with 12 solo and 5 assists. Nice way to close out preseason. Regular Season Miami 17 Buffalo 30 Ugh. Forgot to hit the recommend playing time button. Still no excuse for this loss, though. Dan Marino had his worst day as a pro: 14/34 for 197 yards and 3 INTs, a ghastly 23.8 rating. Yeah, let's just skip past this. San Franciso 7 Miami 34 We snap back to form after I hit recommend and Dan Marino rebounds with a 21/32, 257 yard 4 TD performance. Eric Dickerson rushed 28 times for 104 yards, Clyde Simmons had 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns, and Thomas Everett came out of nowhere with 4 tackles and 3 pass defenses. Miami 37 San Diego 20 This one goes to our defense, as Andre Tippett had 10 tackles, Curtis Greer tore through the Chargers for 5 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a block and Clyde Simmons got in on the pass-rush frenzy with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and a knockdown. Miami 34 New England 10 Louis Lipps finally had the kind of performance we've been waiting for, with 7 catches for 113 yards. He's been much quieter as the starting SE than we figured, though maybe it's a case of too much receiving talent across the board to have a real star. Thomas Everett had another 3 pass defenses. Bad news. Dan Marino sprains his knee and is Questionable for 4 weeks. Honestly, we're talented enough that we can overcome a few more losses if we have to, so I'll put Todd Blackledge in until Marino's robable. Miami 27 Jacksonville 6 No Marino, no problem as Clyde Simmons keys a stalwart defensive stand with 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 4 hurries and a knockdown. Starting star SS Lloyd Burrus is out roughly 3 weeks with a hyperextended knee, requiring us to start FS John Sullivan in his place. Luckily Sullivan knows our scheme, having been a career-long Dolphin. Houston 3 Miami 24 Mel Gray returns a punt 84 yards for the TD to kill any Oilers' hopes of an upset and Clyde Simmons continues his whirlwind pass-rush campaign with 2 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Gill Byrd captained the backfield D with 3 pass defenses. Buffalo 7 Miami 33 Sweet revenge for the Week One loss. LeCharls McDaniel returns an interception 73 yards for a TD in another big-time big play TD in as many weeks for the team and Scott Norwood kicks 4/4 FGs to be Game MVP. Dan Marino is back to Probable, so he'll start again and Todd Blackledge, who's very quietly led us to 3 straight victories with an impressive 68.9% completion rate and 5 TDs to 2 INTs bows out with a 100 even rating. Indianapolis 13 Miami 31 Art Monk leads the way with 5 catches for 120 yards and a TD and Curtis Greer highlights the defense with 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 knockdowns. So we're 7-1 heading into the halfway point and I'm kicking myself for not hitting Recommend in Week One. Then again, there's nothing to say that Marino wouldn't have thrown those 3 picks anyway. Anyway, the tale of the tape: Code:
Absolutely phenomenal seasons Gill Byrd, Thomas Everett and Clyde Simmons are having. Eric Dickerson hasn't been electrifying, but he's been steady and the same is true for our WRs. All in all, a start I'll definitely take.
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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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06-18-2008, 06:14 PM
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#379 |
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H.S. Freshman Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
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just noticed, but supremely dissappointed that dan's number is 1!
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06-18-2008, 07:25 PM
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#380 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Whoops! I didn't see that. I'll fix it next time I load up the game. Thanks for catching it.
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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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06-19-2008, 11:14 PM
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#381 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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DT Jim Burt and S Antonio Gibson are both disgruntled. Sorry, boys, but you're just not going to crack the starting lineup, that's all there is to it. On the other hand, Burt's got some justification for it, so I'll try switching him and Brad White around and leaving White in for the pass-rush packages.
Oh yeah, at 7-1, we're in the thick of the #1 seed, though the Houston Oilers are 8-1 and Baltimore and Cleveland are within shouting distance at 7-2 and 6-2 respectively. We hold a commanding lead in the AFC East, as the next-closest team is the Bills at 4-4. Lloyd Burrus finally comes back from injury as well. Miami 38 Tucson 24 Dan Marino was great this game: 22/37 for 408 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. Real credit goes to his top receivers, though. Art Monk caught 5 passes for 144 yards and a TD, while Louis Lipps was 5 and 136 for 2 TDs. Clyde Simmons officially hit double-digit sacks on the year with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns, while LeCharls McDaniel dazzled on pass defense with 3 defenses and an INT. Stealing him away from the Washington Redskins has turned out one of the more underratedly brilliant free agent signings on my part. Backup TE John Spangola hyperextends his knee and is out 4 weeks. DE Tom Strauthers gets pink-slipped and we sign 12th year journeyman TE Don Hasselback to fill in as reserve TE and take LS duties away from Jay Novacek. Miami 35 New Jersey 13 Sensational day on offense as Eric Dickerson rushes 25 times for 136 yards and a TD, while Dan Marino throws for 349 yards, 4 TDs and one pick on 25/36 passing. Thomas Everett had 10 tackles and Clyde Simmons continued his great pass-rushing campaign with 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. Miami 31 St. Louis 20 The win train just keeps right on rolling, Eric Dickerson finally hitting his stride with 26 carries for 105 yards and a TD for his second consecutive 100+ yard rushing game. Despite the score, our defense was everywhere today. Cliff Odom garnered 7 tackles and 2 interceptions, Curtis Greer got 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns, Dan Saleaumula recorded 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown and Clyde Simmons turned in another gem of 2 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Gill Byrd defended 3 passes. Baltimore 26 Miami 31 We beat Ron Jaworski's team in a game that wasn't really as close as the final scoreline suggests. On the other hand, nor did we have any statistical stars, though Dan Marino was closest at 21/31 for 272 yards and 4 TDs. Los Angeles 27 Miami 33 (OT) The Rams throw a big-time scare into us, but we emerge triumphant thanks to Eric Dickerson-22 rushes, 105 yards and a TD, Dan Marino-30/44, 489 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, Art Monk-8 catches, 165 yards, 2 TDs and Mark Duper-5 catches, 104 yards. Gill Byrd keyed the defense with 3 pass defenses. New England 22 Miami 34 Mel Gray returned a kickoff 82 yards for a TD and Louis Lipps was an equally explosive big-play man with 4 catches for 126 yards and a TD. Andre Tippett highlighted the defense with 5 tackles, an assist, a hurry and 3 pass defenses. Miami 20 Seattle 13 Gritty win over the hard-fighting Seahawks, despite a dismal throwing day by Dan Marino that included 2 interceptions. Art Monk caught 7 passes for 119 yards, but our real savior was the defense, as Lloyd Burrus had 10 tackles, an assist and an interception, LeCharls McDaniel defended 3 passes and Clyde Simmons picked up 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. New Jersey 15 Miami 38 Oh, what might have been had I hit Recommend that first week. Then again, even with that mishap on my part, there's no way Dan Marino should've been as bad as he was. Anyway, in this game, Eric Dickerson rushes 15 times for 112 yards and 2 TDs, Merril Hoge has a great 29 yard TD scamper to ice the scoring, Lloyd Burrus defends 3 passes and LeCharls McDaniel returns a pick 55 yards for a TD. But the real excitement came from PotG Curtis Greer, who bullied the Jets for 5 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns to give us two double-digit sack players in a season for the first time since L.C. Greenwood and Aaron Brown in 1974. Remember those guys? Yeah, that's just how good this pairing of Greer and Simmons has been. Clyde Simmons also smashed Vern Den Herder's single-season Dolphins sack record of 16.5 sacks, which had stood since 1980, finishing with 18 sacks. I'm glad that we've finally got a drafted Dolphin on top of that board! We earn the #1 seed with the 15-1 record, the Oilers just behind us at 14-2. Tough luck, Houston. The Bills ran off 8 straight wins to get into the playoffs with a surprising 12-4 mark. And now it's time to do some updating, which I'm shamefully forgotten to do. Herschel Walker - Kansas City Chiefs Had a brilliant Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 1985 and he's never had fewer than 1,119 yards rushing since, but he's consistently shut out of postseason awards because he can't seem to find the endzone after scoring 13 times on the ground in his first year. His high since then has been 9, last season. On the other hand, he really showed off developed receiving skills this year, with 52 catches for 430 yards, 6 TDs and 2 drops, a relative ball-security he hadn't shown as a receiver until this point. Speaking of ball security, after 5 fumbles his rookie season, he's coughed up 3, 4, and 4 times in the regular season. A nice guy to have in terms of general ball safety. Ran 16 times for 102 yards and a TD in the wild-card game his rookie year of 1985, but that's been his lone postseason trip, as John Elway has been dreadful until this season. Fortunately, Elway's emergence has Kansas City back in the playoffs this year. Overall - 72/72 Jerry Rice - St. Louis Cardinals Looked like a good, but not great receiver until last season, when he exploded with 113 catches for 1,798 yards and 17 TDs (albeit with 14 drops), earning him his first All-Pro appearance. 96 catches for 1,546 yards and 8 TDs to 8 drops this season suggests that it was no fluke, but he's never sniffed the playoffs once in his four seasons so far. Then again, the Cardinals are in cap hell and Rice has never had anything resembling a legitimate NFL QB throwing to him. In fact, before the starter got injured, forcing a 6/17 rookie Curtis Tate into the starting spot, 12th year QB 36/36 David Whitehurst was the main man. To be fair, Whitehurst was once a passable QB, starting for Jacksonville from 1981-1986 and posting pedestrian numbers. Last season and his second season, Rice had the ancient Dan Fouts in his 14th and 15th seasons throwing to him and Fouts is an impressively ghastly 28/28 in his 16th season, serving as Sean Salibury['s backup in Oakland and mentoring Salisbury, knocked out starter Steve Bono and a scrub rookie in Tony Stone. Overall - 66/66 While I'm mucking about the league and scoping out the Raiders, let's take a look at Rulon Jones, the guy everybody lambasted me for trading. Hmm, let's see, his 1986 season ended in Week 4 with a very serious knee injury. He went out in Week 12 this year with a broken fibula. Too bad about 1986, as he put up an impressive 4 sacks in 3 games to start the year. Sack totals since donning a Raiders uniform: 1983 - 12 1984 - 8.5 1985 - 11 1986 - 4 (Season end Week 4) 1987 - 3 1988 - 5 (Season end Week 12) All-Pro Awards: None Highest Hurry Total: 21 (1985 - Note: This is the [b]only 20+ hurry season in a Raiders uniform) Highest QB Knockdown: 15 (1983 - 14 in 1985, next-highest is 4 and for the last two seasons, he's had 0 knockdowns. All in all, I'd say I got the better end of that deal. Too bad, as the guy has the talent, being rated 55/55 in his 9th season still.
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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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06-21-2008, 10:03 PM
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#382 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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And so we move to the divisonal round after enjoying our bye, where we square off against the eternally hard-luck Cleveland Browns, they of the 5 Super Bowl visits and 0 championships. They'll try to break our absurd AFC Championship streak and quest for their own first conference title since 1973. Incidentally, they and the Washington Redskins have the most Super Bowl appearances outside of us with those 5, while we have a monstrous 12 Super Bowl appearances and 8 championship trophies. Second-most championships belong to the Green Bay Packers, who are 3 for 3 in the big game, the last of which occurred in 1970.
In any case, a Browns profile. QB Bernie Kosar, although properly with the Browns, has been a pretty average QB in his four years in the league so far, as his 75 TD/66 INT career ratio attests. On the other hand, he's thrown for at least 3600 yards the last two seasons and was excellent in the wild-card game, throwing for 201 yards and 3 TDs, his first-ever postseason appearance. RB Bo Jackson was brilliant as a rookie, rushing for 1,441 yards and 13 TDs to literaly run away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but he's taken a slight step back this year, with 1,319 yards and 9 TDs. He also fumbled 7 times in the regular season, as opposed to just one cough-up his rookie year. Shades of Herschel Walker-decline? Maybe, though he did run for 121 yards in the opening round. TE Pat Carter is a great blocker, but FL Kevin House had a horrible year after signing a fat free-agent contract from the Packers. Luckily, rookie SE Flipper Anderson uh, didn't exactly burst on the scene either, but they're a couple of talented receivers allegedly. C Kani Kauahi sucks, winning a starting job despite being a terrible backup as a journeyman. Rookie LG Jim Juriga has talent, but is extremely raw as his 9 sacks allowed illustrates, but on the other hand, he had 43.9% KRB. RG Reggie Singletary isn't very good, either. What they do have is a great situation in LT Anthony Munoz, who's still a high-quality cornerstone tackle even in his 9th season, with All-Pro appearances to his credit from 1982-1984. We won't even talk about rookie RT Joe Thomas, he of the 3/3 rating who imitated his later, better version by somehow converting 36.4% of his KRB in the regular season, giving up just 4 sacks, and hitting 3/4 KRB in the wild-card game. P Rick Donnelly is average and K David Trout has an awesome name and a powerful, if erratic leg. LDE Jim Wilks looks fantastic some years, pedestrian others. This was a good, 14.5 sack year. RDE Doug McDougald had a very nice 11.5 sack season for Miami in 1985, but he's never managed more than 6 sacks a year since then. NT Erik Howard's a great run-stopper, but not much in the pass-rush game. WILB Larry McGrew is a tackle machine, but only started 7 games this year as age is starting to catch up with him and he's not really the two-time All-Pro 2nd Teamer he was back in his Saints days. SILB Dino Hackett should be an All-Pro, but hasn't been able to hack it yet, though the third-year pro showed signs of starting to break out this season. SLB Darryl Talley is a worthy rival for Andre Tippett and the first genuinely good player I've seen on this defense. WLB Angelo King got 7 sacks, but that's just because he plays in a 3-4. LCB Mark Haynes is a hard-hitting ballhawk, who inexplicably went from 7 picks last season to his first 0 interception season this year. Instead, RCB Frank Minnifield happily welcome new scenery by picking off 5 passes on the right side. Funny how many former Saints are on this Browns team. SS Ray Ellis is great in run support and picks off quite a few passes, but he gets burnt a ton too. FS Shaun Gayle is an okay safety, but really best suited to special teams work. Wow, what an ugly bunch of players. I have a hard time believing these guys made it this far. They're just not that good overall. I predict a blowout. Vegas favors us by 8. Surprisingly, the Browns were up for this game and it was a nailbiter the whole way through, but we manage to prevail in the end. We didn't get a whole lot of plays on offense, as Cleveland really concentrated on slowing the game down with long, grinding drives. Good strategy and it almost worked. Unfortunately, the Browns couldn't contain our pass-rush as Clyde Simmons kept his hot season going with 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 5 knockdowns and Curtis Greer was right behind with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, a hurry and 3 knockdowns. And so we move past the fiesty Browns onto the AFC Championship. Cleveland 21 Miami 24
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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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06-23-2008, 08:59 PM
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#383 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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We draw a semi-familiar foe historically speaking in the AFC Championship in the Houston Oilers. I can't remember if we've played them a lot in the playoffs recently, though.
In any case, the Oilers are starting 2nd year QB Steve Beuerlein who had an astonishingly good first campaign, with 3,796 yards, 32 TDs and 10 INTs. A heck of a lot better than I figured he would ever be. RB Bill Johnson is nothing special, though he does have 3 1,000 yard rushing seasons in 5 years. TE Hoby Brenner is a pretty good receiving target and quite an important part of the passing game. FL Cris Collinsworth never has that great, though he's decent and SE Stanley Morgan manages to get starting jobs despite being a mediocre producer. C Randy Grimes: Great run-blocker, horrid pass-protector. Ditto LG Bruce Collie. RG Russ Grimm is balanced at both, but outstanding at neither. LT Harry Swayne is overrated and a revolving door, though he shows some run-blocking talent and RT Bubba Paris is just bad. How the heck this team managed to make it this far, I don't know. P Jack Weil is the first truly terrific player on this team. K Matt Bahr has a cannon leg, but weak accuracy. LDE Kevin Fagan had 11.5 sacks this season and there's an angry DE Bruce Smith who goes out of contract this year. Can you say Dolphins hunting time? Sure, Smith is rated only 42/42, but he had 12.5 sacks two seasons ago and he was an RL Dolphins-killer and he'll only be in his 5th season. If I can snag him, he and Clyde Simmons will have me set at DE for the next few seasons at least. RDE Ben Thomas busts his ass and is a major overachiever, with 10.5 sacks this year. LDT Manu Tuiasosopo is old, but still pretty good and RDT Charles Martin scored 6 sacks in his first season as a full-time starter. MLB Karl Mecklenberg is a really awesome all-around MLB, one who's been criminally shut out of recognition and is underrated. SLB George Jamieson never developed into the pass-rush specialist Houston hoped for and WLB Bryan Hinkle is a WLB in a 4-3. Fourth year LCB Arnold Brown has been one of the league's most underrated, hardest working corners the last couple years, with 6 picks each season and a 86andchange% pass defense. RCB Hanford Dixon is league average. SS Carlton Williamson is a liabilty in pass defense, but he hits like a truck and has four seasons of 100+ tackles in his eight-year career between Baltimore and Houston FS Dennis Smith is solid and consistent. So let's see here. Overachieving youngster QB, mediocre pieces on offense and a pretty good defense all in all, but with some definite weak points. I still don't see Houston as a 15-2 team, but they are. I'm thinking blowout. Vegas disgrees, only favoring us by 4. People should listen to me more. Dan Marino wins Player of the Game with a 15/23 for 278 yards and 3 TDs performance. Mark Duper catches 3 passes for 104 yards and a TD. Scott Norwood jacks 3/3 FGs, including a 52 yarder. Curtis Greer and Clyde Simmons flip-flop tackles and assist numbers at 3 and 2, but both have 1.5 sacks and 2 blocks. Greer adds 2 hurries, Simmons a hurry and 2 knockdowns. A convincing win, one that blew the cover off the overrated Oilers. Houston 10 Miami 37 On to our umpteenth straight Super Bowl appearance (7th I think?).
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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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06-29-2008, 11:47 PM
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#384 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Super Bowl XXIX Preview
Miami Dolphins Out None Dallas Cowboys Out None Quarterback When a QB misses three games and still throws for 3,682 yards and 29 TDs to 9 interceptions, you know he's a great one and Dan Marino is certainly that, one of the best in the game. The scary part is, he's in just his 6th season. Todd Blackledge turned in a 3-0 performance while Marino was out and looked very good, a surprisingly capable backup. Scott Campbell looked sure to wash out after throwing 8 TDs against 22 picks last year, but he improved drastically to a 16/13 ratio this season. Not an explosive QB by any means, he's nonetheless on a hot streak in the playoffs, throwing for 509 yards, 6 TDs and 0 picks this postseason. Backup Bruce Mathison is perhaps a more consistent player, but hasn't really been given the chance to show what he can do. Advantage: Dolphins Running Back Eric Dickerson is a player you don't see take over games very often, but then you look up at the end of the season and he's standing with 1300+ rushing yards and 10+ TDs and some good receiving numbers. This year was no different, with 1,330 yards rushing and a career-high 17 TDs on the ground. He isn't a dominant back on this team, but fail to account for him in the defensive gameplan and you're done. Merril Hoge showed incredible strides as the top backup this season, rushing for 677 yards. The converted FB appears to be adjusting nicely to HB life. 2nd year Bobby Morse should not be a starting RB with his high number of fumbles and dreadful 3.34 career yards per carry, including a ghastly 3.21 this season, but he is. Veteran David Overstreet is a much better back, but he's been relegated to #2 duty. Advantage: Dolphins Wide Receiver TE Jay Novacek should be used a lot more in the passing game than he is, because he's one of the better receiving TEs in the league. FL Art Monk is starting to show signs of slowing down in his 9th season, but he still cracked out 1,102 receiving yards and 12 TDs. SE Louis Lipps is a rising star, with a career high 930 yards this season. They've gone up every year since he's been in the NFL. Backup WR Steve Watson controlled his drops in a reserve role and still post 700+ yards like he has the last few seasons as a starter. The NFL's Fastest Man can really put his speed to big-time advantage in the slot role and it's really paid off for the Dolphins. WR Mark Duper is a terrific deep threat and could start for half the teams in the league. The Dolphins thought their nightmares of elite, young WRs was over when the Washington Redskins failed to make yet another Miami/D.C. Super Bowl date, but such is not the case. FL Michael Irvin caught 70 passes for 1,011 yards and 4 TDs in this, his rookie season and second year SE Ricky Nattiel made huge improvements in his ball security. That said, Nattiel isn't very good and WRs Buster Rhymes and Daryl Turner are ST aces and bad receivers. Advantage: Dolphins Offensive Line A big surprise happened in training camp when rookie C Dermontti Dawson beat out C Jeff Dellenbach for the starting job. Dellenbach has been groomed to be the heir in the middle, but Miami's coaching staff voiced concerns about his endurance, so they went with the raw, but promising Dawson, who handled the fire very well. LT Gary Zimmerman has won three straight 1st Team All-Pro awards and will probably win another one this year. He's that dominant a cornerstone. RT Roger Taylor had his best season yet. LG Sean Farrell surrendered a career-high 7 sacks, but was dominant in run-blocking. RG Chuck Commiskey somehow manages to keep his starting job despite dreadful run-blocking and merely average pass-blocking. C Randy Clark has really gone downhill since joining Dallas in free agency a few years ago. LG Doug Marrone is a very good third-year player with a very bright future and really had a breakout season this year. RG Greg Wolfley is very good as well and LT Dwight Wheeler may be in his 11th season, but he's still a force to be reckoned with, one of the strongest and hardest-working blockers in the league. RT Don Maggs is terrible in run-blocking, great in pass protection. Advantage: Dolphins Kicker P Dan Melville continues the tradition of fine, solid veteran Dolphins punters gotten in free agency. K Scott Norwood rebounded from a lackluster 1987 season to convert 83.7% of his FGs and he's stayed perfect in the postseason, his lone career miss back in the 1986 Super Bowl. K Tony Franklin had a great rebounding season himself, but he's nowhere near the clutch kicker that Norwood is. P Kelly Goodburn is only in his second season, but he was a 2nd Team All-Pro P in his rookie year. Advantage: Dolphins Defensive Line LDE Curtis Greer is a real grinder, a guy who busts his butt and gets the sacks, even in his 9th season. Certainly a 3rd round steal for the Dolphins all those years ago. RDE Clyde Simmons shot into the stratosphere with 18 sacks in the regular season and the third-year pro has now joined the ranks of elite DEs. LDT Jim Burt is an unsung hero and second-year RDT Dan Saleaumula is getting better and better. LDE Toby Williams had a breakout season of his own with 16.5 sacks, finally cashing in on his monstrous talent. RDE Brent Williams had 8 sacks in his first season as a starter and rookie NT Jeff Wright didn't win the starting spot until late in the season, but indications are, he's a good fit for the Cowboys. Advantage: Even Linebackers MLB Cliff Odom gets a lot of heat from evaluators around the league and even the Dolphins front office is skeptical of him, but he's one of the best coverage inside linebackers in the game and gets a modest amount of sacks. SLB Andre Tippett had his worst season since 1985, leading some to speculate that he might be on the downslide. He's still a solid player, however. WLB Gary Cobb is sadly underutilized. SILB Scott Radecic is unremarkable. WILB Ervin Randle is a glorified special teamer. SLB Keith Browner is good, however and has improved each of his five seasons in the league. WLB Chet Parlavecchio erupted for 12.5 sacks in a stunning season that no one expected out of him, suggesting a one-season wonder. Advantage: Dolphins Secondary It's a crime that LCB Gill Byrd has no All-Pro recognition yet. He's the best corner in the league not to have one yet. RCB LeCharls McDaniel continues to defy age and his declining skills to be a productive corner. CB Lou Brock is a dreadful nickelback however. SS Lloyd Burrus is starting to lose a step, but he's still one of the NFL's best safeties and FS Thomas Everett is one of the top young safeties in the league. LCB Steve Brown is a major underachiever, just as RCB Dave Waymer is a tough-nosed overachiever. SS Harry Hamilton is a superlative tackler with some pass-rush skills, but he's awful in coverage, but FS Eric Williams another player better suited to backup and ST work, is even worse. Nickel CB Herb Welch has been a huge disappointment since Day One. Advantage: Dolphins Keys for the Miami Dolphins 1. Engage in maximum Marino pass protection The Dallas Cowboys have a wretched secondary outside of Waymer, so Marino should be able to dissect them all game long. If that happens, this game's over before it even starts. 2. Go for the fast-strike offense. The reason Dallas got this far is because they have excellent, excellent special teams units. Pile on the points and not even the Cowboys' vaunted special teams will be able to close the gap. 3. Don't let Mel Gray gamble on returns. Gray is one of the top returners in the league, but he gambles his way into fumbling too often and that could be dangerous against the Cowboys. Turnovers that give Dallas short field position could be disastrous. Keys for the Dallas Cowboys 1. Grind the pace of the game down The only chance Dallas has to win this Super Bowl is to keep it a low-scoring affair and let the special teams generate some turnovers. 2. Blitz Marino as often as possible, targeting the guard spots The Dolphins' guards are weak against the pass-rush, so if they're hit hard enough, a route to Marino may be found. Getting pressure on him is the only way to compensate for Miami's superior WRs against the highly overmatched Dallas secondary. 3. Don't forget Eric Dickerson Every time an opponent forgets him, that's when he breaks out with a huge game. He's done it before on the biggest stage and if too much emphasis is placed on the Dolphins passing game, Dickerson will do Dallas done. Final Thoughts On paper, this is going to be a blowout. But Dallas has fantastic special teams, a defensive line that's the equal of Miami's and a talented young WR in Michael Irvin. Remember Irving Fryar anyone? For the Irvin/Irving factor alone, we're not willing to give the Dolphins the spread they probably deserve. Final Line: Dolphins by 3
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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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06-30-2008, 01:37 PM
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#385 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I'm going to be seriously ticked if we lose this game. That's all there is to it.
The Cowboys get the kickoff first and on 3rd and 5, the stadium goes crazy when QB Scott Campbell connects with WR Buster Rhymes for a 42 yard gain. Two plays later, Scott Campbell finds SE Ricky Nattiel in the endzone from 11 yards out and just like that, Dallas has the lead. Dallas 7 Miami 0 - 11:26 1st Quarter The answering kick is a touchback and then the following happens: Dan Marino to Louis Lipps: 11 yards Dan Marino to Mark Duper 69 yards and a TD! Duper was dynamite, as he gained 61 yards after the catch, absolutely burning and juking the entire freaking Cowboys defense. Now that's what I call a playmaker! Miami 7 Dallas 7 - 10:36 1st Quarter Less than a minute and we tied it up... How's that for a quickstrike offense, Dallas?! The Cowboys start to put together a grinding drive, but then that all goes out the window as Scott Campell connects with Michael Irvin for 31 and 30 yards on two straight passes, the last good for the go-ahead TD. What the hell is this?! Dallas 14 Miami 7 - 7:16 1st Quarter If you'd have told me it'd be 14-7 midway through the first quarter and we'd be losing, I'd have called you a moron, but it's happening and I can't believe it. We start responding and Eric Dickerson is a huge part of the next drive, touching the ball on four straight plays midway through it for 7 yards worth of running and 38 yards of receiving. But then Curtis Dickey fumbles the ball on a 10 yard reception and Dallas recovers. Fortunately, we finally hold the Cowboys, stopping them about midfield and Mel Gray follows the coaching staff's instructions to the letter, calling for a fair catch at our own 19. Dan Marino hits Art Monk for 21 yards to end the 1st quarter and we're on our own 40 to start the second quarter. Dallas 14 Miami 7 - End 1st Quarter Ugh. Mark Duper fumbles the ball on the 3rd and 2 on the Dolphins 49 and the Cowboys recover -again-. Not good, not good at all. Worse yet, we look like we're going to hold them to a 3 and out, when Scott Campbell finds FB James Jones for 13 yards and the conversion, his second straight pass to the FB. Luckily, Michael Irvin drops a pass and Dan Saleaumula and Clyde Simmons combine for a critical 3rd down sack. Up goes the 49 yard FG attempt by Tony Franklin.... and it's good. Damn it! Dallas 17 Miami 7 - 11:18 2nd Quarter We need to get something going here and quickly move from the 20 to just inside Dallas's territory with nice passing by Dan Marino and solid runs by Eric Dickerson. Once we're there, Eric Dickerson rushes for 11 yards and Dan Marino squeezes his second pass through double-coverage of this drive, locating Art Monk for 22 yards and a red-zone situation. Dan Marino to Steve Watson for 11 yards and we're knocking on the door, but then Eric Dickerson is stuffed on two straight downs, including a 6 yard loss and I'm swearing. But then on 3rd and goal, Dan Marino finally throws away from the coverage, finding super-backfield receiver Herman Fontenot for the 8-yard TD! Dallas 17 Miami 14 - 5:20 2nd Quarter A great Bobby Morse return puts the Cowboys on the 41, but an Andre Tippett sack and a false start on Dallas has them at 3rd and 22. So what happens? Scott Campbell strikes Ricky Nattiel in the numbers for 25 yards. Unbelievable. Two straight incompletions and another 3rd and long situation, but once again it's Ricky Nattiel with the clutch 16 yard conversion catch. Where the hell did this guy come from?! Ricky Nattiel again for 5 yards, followed by a 15 yard James Jones reception and they're deep in our territory. I'm really starting to hate that FB's receiving skills. By the time the two-minute warning sounds, the Cowboys are on our 3 yard line after a 6 yard Bobby Morse run and David Overstreet rams it into the endzone for the TD on his second try. I wish I knew what the hell was going on right now. Dallas 24 Miami 14 - 1:44 2nd Quarter Two straight penalties, one on the kickoff return and then a false start before our first play. Then, because things aren't bad enough already, Dan Marino is intercepted by ILB Scott Radecic inside our own 20. Four plays later, Bobby Morse runs it in for yet another TD and I'm ready to break somebody's legs. Dallas 31 Miami 14 - Halftime Sure we can still win this, but we're in a big hole right now and need to snap out of our offensive stupidity. Things start off well enough with a 30 yard Mel Gray return and some nice alternating running between Eric Dickerson and Mel Hoge, but two straight False Start penalties on the same freaking down kills our momentum and the 11 yard pass from Dan Marino to Steve Watson isn't enough and so we have to punt. Dan Melville is so pissed he pins the Cowboys at the 1-yard line on the punt. Can we please, please, -please- get a safety here? David Overstreet says no, pushing forward a yard on first down and then 13 yards on second down, getting Dallas out of the deathtrap on, ironically enough, a trap play. Damn it! Dan Saleaumula sacks Scott Campbell for 5 yards on the next play, but it's kind of like gee, a little too late there, Dan. And of course, because our defense sucks today, we allow them to convert 3rd and 10 with a 17 yard pass from Scott Campbell to Michael Irvin. Two plays later, another strike to Michael Irvin, this one for 24 yards and Dallas is now officially back in Dolphins territory.  Another two plays later and Thomas Everett saves all our asses with an endzone interception, wisely taking the touchback. If we're going to make our move, we need to make it -now-. But of course the drive is a slow, junky one, relying heavily on Eric Dickerson's getting yardage after the catch and his ability to run the football. Still, at long last, we poke through for precious points, Eric Dickerson capping off a string of three consecutive runs with a 3 yard burst for the TD. Dallas 31 Miami 21 - End 3rd Quarter The final quarter of play has Dallas facing a 3rd and 3. I bet you know what happens. We actually stop them! Holy cow! Even better, we get the ball back on our own 41! There's a glimmer of hope yet! It's all desparation and all Dan Marino now, but we're forced to take the short stuff because the Cowboys are determined to run out the clock and are playing very conservatively on defense. We're stopped short after getting well into Dallas territory and have to settle for Scott Norwood's 42 yard FG attempt, which is good. We're still down, but we've whittled it down to a single-possession game with a lot of time on the clock. Dallas 31 Miami 24 - 11:05 4th Quarter Sadly, Scott Campbell is Marino-like this game, sandwiching Bobby Morse short runs with a 19 yard pass to Michael Irvin and a 21 yard pass to WR Malcom Barnwell, putting the Cowboys on Miami turf yet again. Bobby Morse gets three straight runs to carry Dallas to the 20 and then it's Scott Campbell to David Overstreet for 16 yards. The inevitable gets delayed a few more plays, but finally David Overstreet carries it across the goal-line for the 2 yard TD and we're pretty much done. Dallas 38 Miami 24 - 4:19 4th Quarter As a crowning insult, Louis Lipps fumbles the ball on what would've been a 3rd down conversion and Dallas recovers the football, bringing it back to our 19. Five straight Bobby Morse runs and they can't convert the TD, settling for Tony Franklin's 20 yard FG. Whatever. More salt in the wound. Dallas 41 Miami 24 - 2:00 4th Quarter Dan Marino puts on a fine last-minute drive, getting us to the Cowboys 29 before time runs out. One of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history and one of the most disappointing losses I've had in this universe. Unfreakingbelievable. Dallas 41 Miami 24 - Final QB Scott Campbell was named the Super Bowl MVP with 332 yards and 2 TDs to 1 INT on 16/29 passing. Michael Irvin caught 6 passes for 127 yards and a TD. Dave Waymer had 3 pass defenses. Great job against our WRs, to be honest. For our side, Dan Marino played extremely well in the loss, 28/40 for 383 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, but Eric Dickerson was mediocre and I'm getting tired of his inability to really take over a game. Dan Saleaumula had a fine statistical game with 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns, but by and large our defense stunk up the joint and turnovers absolutely killed us. We've been to 6 straight Super Bowls and are 3-3. A lot better than the real-life 0-4 Buffalo Bills or the this-universe 0-5 Browns. We've been dynastic, to be perfectly honest, appearing in 10 of the last 13 Super Bowls and posting a 5-5 record in them. What's clear is that we need to upgrade at CB. LeCharls McDaniel just can't get it done anymore and our nickel and dime packages are absolutely porous. Gill Byrd can't do it by himself. I'm also very sorely tempted to trade Eric Dickerson.
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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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07-05-2008, 01:34 AM
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#386 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
Makes you wonder what kind of season Dan Marino would've had without missing those games due to injury. Eric Dickerson needs to be traded, I think. I'm really tired of him underachieving. Nice season by Louis Lipps, though I think he's capable of more. I couldn't ask for anything better from Clyde Simmons and Clyde Greer. Wow. What a pairing! Dan Saleaumula is coming along ver nicely as well. Our secondary really needs improvement, though. 1988 Miami Dolphins Season Awards LT Gary Zimmerman - All-Pro 1st Team T 4 straight All-Pro 1st Team awards and he's only been in the league 5 seasons. Now that's impressive. I couldn't be more thrilled with him, especially since he was a 1.31 pick. RDE Clyde Simmons - All-Pro 1st Team DE Simmons got jobbed of the Defensive Player of the Year award, but at least he got the 1st Team bid, hopefully one of many more to come. What a great player to have and the latest in a long line of successful late 1st round picks. LCB Gill Byrd - All-Pro 2nd Team CB Byrd finally gets All-Pro recognition, even though it wasn't his best season. I can't believe it's taken this long for him to be awarded this honor, but at least he's finally gotten it. Arguably the best ballhawk we've ever had. Head Coach Alan Rosian - Coach of the Year His umpteenth Coach of the Year award. Rosian really deserves a lot of credit for this Dolphins dynasty and it'll be sad to see the year he finally retires. ...Which turns out to be this season. Damn it! Other Major Awards MVP QB Matt Cavanaugh - Chicago Bears (No that's not a typo. He had a fluke freakishly good season) Offensive Player of the Year QB Matt Cavanaugh - Chicago Bears Defensive Player of the Year DE Toby Williams - Dallas Cowboys Offensive Rookie of the Year RB Lorenzo White - Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Rookie of the Year SS Erik McMillan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers In addition to losing Rosian, we lose TE John Spagnola, but even though he played 10 seasons for us and started 6 of them, we're not going to profile him because he never was a major part of the offense, with 283 receiving yards his career high. TEs just don't play a big role on our teams, not with the wealth of WR talent we have. Staff Hiring Out of my grief at losing Rosian, I don't track the staff attribute changes. Our Lead Scout's out of contract and I listlessly offer him an extension. Thank God Edwin Buckley and Don Bruce are still under contract, as they'll be able to ease the rookie coach into things. I break my house rule about hiring coaches only with fresh records after discovering last year or a few seasons ago that the records set to 0 upon hiring coordinators and chase after Ted Wegert, the New York Giants' offensive coordinator. He signs the next day to a $620,000 a year, 4 year deal and I think he'll be a good one. Ted Wegert - 57 MT: Good DI: Average OC: Good DC: VG IA: Good My Scouting Director takes $20,000 a year more and 3 more years to go to the Jaguars, so I go with a youngster who can hopefully be groomed. Scottie Wertlieb - 31 QB: Good RB: Good WR: Good OL: Good KP: Good DL: Good LB: Average DB: Good YT: Average Tyrus Treftz becomes head coach of the Oilers, but I can't remember if it's a re-up or another team change. Jared Thamilarasan is now OC of the Minnesota Vikings, taking a pretty damned paltry salary to do it too. MLB Jeff Herrod is the easy Summer League choice. The Jets offer me RB Napoleon Kaufmann and a 4th round draft pick for Clyde Simmons. I laugh in their faces. Nobody wants Eric Dickerson when I shop him, so I decide to get more pressing with RB-needy teams. Problem is, nobody wants to pay a 7th year RB $320,000, so we're stuck with him another year. Oh well, not that it's a bad thing. Looking over the draft class, with the exception of a certain someone sure to go #1, the RB crop is damned weak. Of course, looking over the draft class, there's a player who should be around when we pick at 31 who I covet very, very, very much and I'll do my damndest to make sure I land him. But free agency's before that, only I don't feel like doing it, so I'll quit for now.
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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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07-13-2008, 12:18 AM
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#387 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Free Agency
By the Numbers QB x 2, FB, TE, WR x 2, G, DT x 2, OLB, CB x 2, S x 2 (14 new overall) Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions FS Antonio Gibson: 3 years, $260k RDT Dan Saleaumula: 5 years, $1.35 mill. Gibson's largely filler but has some run defense skills. Saleaumula I screwed up on. I forgot it was only his third season and he'd have been a RFA next offseason anyway. At least I didn't make the same fiscal mistake with Clyde Simmons, who will also be a RFA next offseason as it's his 4th year. We're $4.3 million under the cap with 31 players signed, fourth most cap room in the league and it's going to be a shopping spree and a half for us, because this is the best free agent crop in years. Week 2 Signings WR Jerry Rice - 5 years, $5.63 mill. (St. Louis) -You just heard two sounds; the sucking of 25% of our cap room going out the door and the enthusiastic and wild cheering by our fans, led by none other than Dan Marino himself. Marino-Rice-Monk (albeit now in his 10th season). What an awesome combination! G Russ Grimm - 3 years, $550k (Houston) -Admittedly we overpaid for him as he's in 9th season and could crash at any time, but we really needed a boost at G, particularly RG and I think he can provide it. We desparately need youth at the G spot, that's for sure and we'll be looking come draft time. DT Jim Burt - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -We really wanted to bring Jim back in the fold. He can be a starter or he can be a top-shelf backup, so I'm glad he inked right away on a min-sal. S Lonnie Young - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh) -Really strong chemistry guy who will be Lloyd Burrus's backup, as well as one of his best friends on the team. Week 3 Signings DT Greg Kraken - 3 years, $2 mill. (Minnesota) -Our other huge free agent target, we got into a major bidding war for his services but come out on top. He instantly slots in as our starting LDT, allowing us to move Burt to a backup spot. Our D-line just got hugely better with his addition. Week 4 Signings DE Bruce Smith - 2 years, $230k (Houston) -Wants to be a starter and he'll definitely earn the right to battle Curtis Greer for it. He's also really nice insurance in case Greer falls off and with Smith, Clyde Simmons and Jeff Cross, we've got a nice young corps at DE. Week 4 Losses QB Todd Blackledge - 1 year, $80k* (Baltimore) -Performed very well as Marino's backup last year when Dan missed a few games due to injury. I wish I would've re-signed this 5-0 QB, especially since he took a min-sal, but those are the breaks. DT Brad White - 1 year, $100k* (Detroit) -Capable starter/backup in the mold of Burt, but since we have Burt, we didn't need White, who especially became expendable after we signed Kraken. Louis Lipps is getting a swarm of interest in free agency. No less than 11 teams are pursuing him. Not bad for a guy who we drafted in the 4th round. Actually, because he's been one of my most successful mid-late round draft picks in this dynasty, I'm strongly tempted to burn most of the rest of our cap to reel him back in. Ah hell, why not? Week 5 Signings WR Mark Duper - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -Duper, who has anything but Super in this universe, nonetheless comes back to the Dolphin fold, just because I wanted him to stay. Week 6 Signings WR Louis Lipps - 5 years, $2.41 mill. (Re-signing) -And the completion of our unstoppable WR corps is finished. We're also, somewhat unfortunately, running a little low on cap space now. P Dan Melville - 1 year, $130k (Re-signing) -Had to pay above the min-sal to get him back, but it's worth it to have a quality punter around, even though our $4.38 under number is now down to $1.67 mill. and we still need 2 QBs, a FB, a TE, an OLB and 2 CBs minimum, not to mention signing our draft picks. We'll probably have to double-dip here. Week 6 Losses T Roger Taylor - 2 years, $300k (Cleveland) -Sure he's a mentor, last year's starting RT and a solid player, but I wasn't willing to pay much more than min-sal for him. The Browns were and so were quite a few other teams. Week 8 Signings OLB Clay Matthews - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -He's a mentor and I don't know why I re-signed him. He's honestly sucktastic, but oh well. Week 9 Signings G Terry Long - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing) -Surprisingly effective last year as the top backup G and a mentor, so we brought him back. Week 9 Losses S John Sullivan - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh) -Nice guy and he's been a Dolphin his entire career thus far, but ultimately a terrible cover safety and not a hard enough hitter or big enough turnover generator to bring him back. And that's it until the last week of free agency, which probably won't see any changes, so draft to come next time. No idea when that'll be as I have a giant freaking headache right now and the Advil is not helping.
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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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07-26-2008, 09:48 PM
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#388 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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This draft is loaded at DE, just loaded. Ray Seals, Trace Armstrong, Dennis Byrd, and Tony Tolbert all grade out at 6.1 adjusted or better. RB Barry Sanders is the consensus #1 pick. OLB Derrick Thomas and CB Donnell Woolford are getting a lot of acclaim as well. Rodney Peete is rated as the top QB in most draft previews, followed by Troy Aikman and Billy Joel Tolliver.
1989 NFL Draft 1st Round 1. RB Barry Sanders - New England Patriots Ugh. I didn't realize I was going to have to play him 2 times a year. Suddenly I'd rather have Thurman Thomas in the division. 2. CB Donnell Woolford - Seattle Seahawks 3. QB Rodney Peete - St. Louis Cardinals ...HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Rodney Peete as the 1st QB is funny enough, but #3 overall?! Wow. 4. OLB Derrick Thomas - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5. DE Ray Seals - Cincinnati Bengals 6. DE Dennis Byrd - New Jersey Jets 7. RB Bobby Humphrey - San Diego Chargers 8. DE Trace Armstrong - Minnesota Vikings 9. WR Hart Lee Dykes - Green Bay Packers 10. QB Troy Aikman - Indianapolis Colts 11. RB Vince Workman - Jacksonville Jaguars 12. RB Todd McNair - Washington Redskins 13. DE Tony Tolbert - San Francisco 49ers Great value pick for the 49ers here. 14. QB Billy Joe Tolliver - Denver Broncos 15. T Tony Mandarich - New Orleans Saints 16. ILB Rod Stephens - Tucson Titans 17. RB Cleveland Gary - Detroit Lions Oh how cruel this universe is to the Lions. Gary instead of Barry. 18. DE Wayne Martin - Carolina Panthers 19. DT Glenn Montgomery - Pittsburgh Steelers 20. CB Mike McGruder - Oakland Raiders 21. T Andy Heck - Washington Redskins through Cleveland Browns The Browns take the Redskins' 2nd and 3rd round picks in this draft and Washington's 1990 3rd round pick. Heck isn't a player worth trading up for in my opinion, so it's a wash. 22. QB Anthony Dilweg - New York Giants 23. DE Jake McCullough - Los Angeles Rams 24. TE Keith Jennings - Atlanta Falcons 25. RB Derrick Gainer - Philadelphia Eagles 26. DE Marvin Washington - Kansas City Chiefs The Bears look like they're going to possibly take the player I've been targeting, so I give the Ravens a ring. Pick #31 and our 1991 3rd rounder does the trick. It's overpaying to get it, but I really wanted.... 27. CB Deion Sanders - Miami Dolphins That sound you just heard was our secondary going Prime Time and Gill Byrd cheering enthusiastically that he's got a great running mate for the first time in years. 28. CB Ray Crockett - Chicago Bears Not that Crockett would have been a terrible second option, but Deion is that much better that I had to trade up and get him as the Bears were reportedly quite high on him. 29. S Steve Atwater - Buffalo Bills 30. WR Andre Rison - Houston Oilers 31. RB Craig Taylor - Baltimore Ravens 32. S Brian Jordan - Dallas Cowboys My board took an absolutely brutal beating in the 2nd round. No problem though, as we snag G Mike Utley. It's awfully early for him to go, but we really need a young G in a big way and we don't have a 3rd round pick. It's a long wait till our 4th round pick and irony strikes when K Pete Stoyanovich, my favorite Dolphins kicker in real life, gets taken by the Bills. First they steal Clayton, now Pete. Sheesh! In any event, our kick return game was horrific last year to the point we had to run a 0 KR guy as our second return man. Deion will alleviate that in a big way and so will our 4th round selection, RB David Meggett. I just couldn't resist the chance to snag up a gamechanging returner this late in the draft. Sammie Smith, the bane of my existence in the early 90s, is still there when we come up in the 5th round and I'm sorely tempted to make it back-to-back RBs, just so I can keep signing him and bury him on the depth chart forever. But we need a second TE and Wesley Walls looks like a worthwhile, if raw pickup, so he's the selection. Haha! Sammie winds up in Florida anyway, going to Tampa Bay in the 6th. Extremely raw (8% developed) QB Steve Walsh is the only signal-caller left with a pulse when we come up and we need a body there after we re-sign Don Milan, so I'll grab him. Makes a good story anyway, the Dolphins drafting the guy who played for the Hurricanes so he can stay in Miami. A body need has us taking FB Ivy Joe Hunter with our 7th round pick, second to last in the draft. Late Free Agency Week 1 Signings CB Vito McKeever - 1 year, $70k* (New Orleans) -4th year guy, started his first 3 years at CB for the Saints and did a passable job. We still need CB depth and he slots in as our nickel CB. Sad thing is, our corner situation was so awful last year, he'd have been a starter for us, too. Week 2 Signings QB Don Milan - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -15 years he's been here in Miami and he's still a cult hero to those who remember his magnificient work in the '70s. Honestly, if he wasn't so legendary in my mind for that and if he wasn't a mentor, he probably wouldn't keep collecting a paycheck every year, but he is. TE Walt Arnold - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland) -Mentor signing DE Glenn Collins - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -Mentor re-signing. ILB Roosevelt Barnes - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing) -Mentor re-signing, but one who's got enough game to be a legitimate backup if need be. Week 3 Signings FB William Andrews - 1 year, $120k* (Chicago) -Mentor signing, affinity with our backfield captain and one who could challenge for the starting FB job. DT Phil Dokes - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing) -Mentor re-signing. Code:
I'm surprised to see Deion rated so low. That being said, I think this is one of the best drafts I've ever had. Every one of these players should be a contributor sooner or later. Walsh in particular looks to have been a real steal and could be groomed as our QB of the future. The #1 draft? New England, which got an A+ after the Patriots found 4 rookie starters in the draft: RB Barry Sanders, TE Howard Cross, LG Mike Zandofsky and RG Mike Schlereth in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 3rd rounds respectively.
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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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07-27-2008, 03:10 PM
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#389 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Florida
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ALRIGHT Cowboys... sorry, had to give my favorite team some props. Plus, we don't want the league to become too predictable with SOOO many consecutive Fins SB victories.
 Regarding the draft...hopefully the Boys will give the Colts (the bastards) some payback on their drafting of Troy Aikman by getting Peyton Manning when he comes into the league. As for Deion...yeah, it does look like he got jobbed by the X-Factor a little. Hopefully his ratings and potential will creep. Last edited by SFL Cat : 07-27-2008 at 07:42 PM. |
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07-27-2008, 07:51 PM
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#390 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
No problems cheering. I figured you'd enjoy that. That would be an interesting flip-flop, to be sure. I've no doubt Deion's going to creep, if his boom 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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09-11-2008, 04:52 PM
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#391 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: calgary, AB
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I'm hoping that the start of a new NFL campaign has reignited the fire for this dynasty.
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09-11-2008, 11:09 PM
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#392 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
The NFL season hasn't, but this bump did. I'll try and update sometime next week.I'm having major, -major- computer issues and I've got about 44 Comp I papers to read over the weekend, if not start grading.
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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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09-12-2008, 08:48 AM
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#393 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bath, ME
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What, the 2008 Miami Dolphins haven't ignited your passion for football? Strange.
I hate to hear about your computer issues, I follow your dynasties like they're my own. I'm thinking hard about picking up DDS:PB after reading about your play for so long. |
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09-12-2008, 04:26 PM
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#394 |
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n00b
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: London, UK
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Taking it this far is very impressive... I have a tendency to drift off into a couple of my favourite old games over continuing my historical games.
Primarily O.J.Sanderson's 49ers (6 straight Superbowls, with 5 rings) where I traded Alex Smith as a 3rd year pro, and my Jets/Buccaneers game where I won 7 of 10 SBs over a 19 year game. But my drafting skills and tactical head and a country mile better than they were when I started this game... maybe I should get back into a proper game...
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"...and Adrian Peterson is loose!" |
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09-12-2008, 07:29 PM
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#395 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Autumn: I -love- the TPB/DDS:PB series. In fact, I love it so much that DDS:PB is one of my two most played computers games (the other being Crusader Kings).
I'm very touched by the high praise you accord my dynasties. The good news for this one, I suppose, is that with my desktop out of commission until I can get it sent back to Wisconsin for repairs, I'll be trudging from my apartment to the English TA computer lab to use my laptop a lot (because the apartment internet connection is completely hosed as well). And that means more updates for this dynasty. I think Miami wins about 3-4 games this year and they keep improving over the next couple seasons. I just hope the Dolphins win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. surlyc: Oh, I have a really bad habit of not sticking with dynasties, either or abruptly losing interest after a while. It's just that I start so many dynasties, the law of probability kicks in and make a few of them long-lasting. You may want to try house rules for your next dynasty to make it more challenging. It's what I plan on doing if I start another historical dynasty after this 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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09-12-2008, 08:25 PM
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#396 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Code:
As I noted in the Training Camp part of the last post, I'm very optimistic about Walsh's ability to become a capable backup. In any case, he'll be the #2 man as a rookie. Man, I hope we have no injuries to Marino. Code:
Dickerson's on the downslide of his career, but he'll get another year as our starter. Gray's our return ace, Fontenot is our passing down back, Meggett's the other return ace. Hoge is the main backup RB, but I'm really going to have to play with the numbers to try and have 5 active RBs. Andrews is going to be inactive, as I want to get Hunter the PT to see if he can develop like I think he can as the reserve FB. I predict a first day pick being spent on a RB next year in the draft, possibly a 1st rounder. We need genuine young talent here. Code:
I think this is the best TE shape we've ever been in. Novacek is one of the top TEs in the league in my opinion, though his numbers don't show it because of how talented we are at WR and I have hope for Walls as the backup. Watson shifts to SE, giving us Rice and Lipps as the starters, Monk and Watson as the backups. Duper's the 5th WR only because of his ST ability. Kemp's an inactive. Code:
Zimmerman/Farrell/Dawson/Grimm/Blair, with the reserves being Dellenbach, Utley and... well, Gruber. Commiskey and Long are inactives. I'm really kind of worried about our guard situation for the future. Code:
They'll do. Code:
Smith-Kragen-Saleaumula-Simmons. Greer narrowly beats out Cross for the backup DE spot because Greer subs in for Smith in the nickel and dime packages. Burt's the obvious DT backup. Cross, Collins, Dokes all go inactive. Code:
I have to make some cuts and in this case, it's goodbye to Matthews, who was only ever a mentor signing to begin with. Since we have no young OLBs, it's a moot point and besides, Tippett's now a Mentor as well. Odom moves to first SLB, but that puts him in a scouted tie with Tippett, so we move him to WLB. Our linebacking corps will be Tippett-Herrod-Cobb, with Barnes and Odom the MLB and OLB reserves. I'm really excited to see what Herrod can do this year. Code:
Byrd-Burrus-Everett-Sanders, with McKeever, Brock, Young, Gibson the various backups. Most likely we'll have McKeever as the nickel and Young as the dime back respectively. Tough decision to make here, as we've got one more cut. Every element of logic says Curtis Greer, but I can't do that. I can't let one of my favorite 3rd round picks I've ever made go, not when he's second on the team in career sacks, had 12 sacks last year and is our greatest DE since L.C. Greenwood. So instead, I cut Perry Kemp, the other logical candidate for elimination. As expected, we're the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. Green Bay is the NFC pick by a slight margin over the Lions, Giants and Buccaneers.
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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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09-13-2008, 12:29 AM
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#397 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I'd planned on waiting until tomorrow to update again, but it's Friday night, I don't have the money to go out because I have to send my desktop for repairs, the Internet's busted in the apartment, I don't feel like playing the PS3 or watching a movie on the TV and my roommates probably have a bunch of people over anyway. I also have to do laundry, finish reading Confessions of an English Opium Eater, find the critical article I was going to do my presentation on (which is, of course, on my desktop), read it and prepare the presentation, and start grading the 40some Composition I papers. So it's not going to be a fun weekend. At all.
It's times like this I -really- miss more than I usually do the budget movie theatre I had within walking distance in La Crosse. Here, there's no budget movie theatres and the closest theatre period is an hour and a half walk each way, making 3 hours roundtrip, which I'm not willing to do. I also haven't found out if the buses go anywhere near there or not, but I'm going to, probably by next weekend. I love going to a movie at least once a week and not having that pleasure is very strange. It was also very relaxing just to sit back, eat popcorn and drink soda, chill out, and lose myself in the dark anonymity of a theatre with a large picture movie playing out before me. So, long-winded complaining aside, let's get to actually seeing what this team looks like. Preseason Chicago 7 Miami 24 Scott Norwood did most of the scoring with 3 FGs. Unfortunately, he was also just 3/6; not a good sign for the regular season. Merril Hoge looked great though, rushing 17 times for 102 yards and a TD. Steve Walsh looked impressive against the Bears 2nd string defense at 18/29 for 206 yards and a TD. Clyde Simmons led the D with 2 tackles, 2 sacks, a block and 2 knockdowns. Miami 44 Los Angeles 25 The Rams fumbled the opening kickoff and Greg Kraken returned it 31 yards for a TD. Louis Lipps caught 7 catches for 116 yards and we picked off the ball 3 times and recovered 4 different fumbles. Curtis Greer was amazing with 5 tackles, an assist, 3.5 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and a forced fumble. Gill Byrd recorded 2 tackles, 2 assists and 3 pass defenses. Bad news as SLB Andre Tippett strains his elbow tendon and is out roughly 7 weeks. We're going to have to cut somebody and that somebody is offensive line captain G Chuck Commiskey, who started the last 4 seasons at RG for us, but who lost his starting job to free-agent signee Russ Grimm and then lost the backup job to rookie Mike Utley. Russ Grimm becomes the new O-line leader and has a mild conflict with Paul Gruber, our backup T, which isn't nearly as bad as the strong conflict Thomas Everett, our starting FS has with DB captain SS Lloyd Burrus, our superstar. So we bring aboard 6th year journeyman SLB David Marshall to serve as the backup OLB for the time being. Cliff Odom slots in as the starter at SLB. Miami 38 Green Bay 13 Eric Dickerson tramples the Packers in the tune-up, with 21 carries for 111 yards and 3 TDs and Cliff Odom returns an INT 17 yards for a TD in his first game at SLB. He's got a lot of determination to show he deserves the job over Andre Tippett. I'm a little worried about Dan Marino's accuracy. He's looked off in the preseason games and I'm wondering if maybe he isn't still feeling some lingering effects from the knee injury that caused him to miss 3 starts last regular season. St. Louis 7 Miami 30 Terrific game by Lloyd Burrus with 8 tackles, an assist, 2 forced fumbles, a pass defense and an INT. Vito McKeever had 2 tackles, 3 pass defenses and a pick of his own. Our secondary has looked brilliant at picking off the ball in preseason and I hope that carries over into the regular season. Regular Season Miami 30 New England 24 (OT) What an absolute barn-burner to start the year! It takes overtime and Dan Marino at 31/60 for 336 yards and 4 TDs to secure the victory over the Patriots. Just as a side note, Barry Sanders rushed 19 times for 104 yards and 2 TDs in his pro debut. It feels really weird seeing him in Patriot red, white and blue rather than Lions silver and blue. Our DBs did indeed look sharp in the opening game, as Gill Byrd had a 13 yard INT return and Deion Sanders electrified the TV audience with a 42 yard INT return. Miami 24 Tampa Bay 31 And just like that, the perfect season goes out the window as Tony Eason completes a 7 yard TD pass to Travis McNeal at the two-minute warning. Can't blame Dan Marino: 23/40 for 358 yards and 2 TDs. But our running game has looked awful, our run defense is terrible and Scott Norwood is missing FGs like nobody's business. Curtis Greer strains a calf muscle and will miss our next game, so Jeff Cross takes his place as the backup DE. We also get Andre Tippett back and boy, do we need him. Houston 10 Miami 31 Finally we put together a dominant game. Dan Marino is 22/40 for 342 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Louis Lipps catches 6 passes for 118 yards and a TD. Gill Byrd is everywhere on defense with 5 tackles, a sack, a pass defense, an interception, and 2 forced fumbles. Curtis Greer is Probable, but I want to see how we do without him in the lineup for another game while he heals up fully. Miami 27 Cincinnati 7 Our second straight game of 3 interceptions and we're happy to have them, because my heart's in my throat. Dan Marino scrambled for a 3 yard run on the first play of the game and didn't come back. Steve Walsh took over and was 23/43 for 229 yards, 2 TDs and a pick. Clyde Simmons livened up the defense with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 2 blocks, 4 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Lloyd Burrus recorded 4 tackles, an assist, a knockdown, 4 pass defenses and one of the 3 INTs off of Danny White, who looked horrendous this game. ...I don't believe it. Diagnosis: Dan Marino - Broken Foot - Out 10 Weeks That giant sucking sound you just heard was our season going right down the drain. OLB David Marshall gets the pink slip and we have to decide whether to go with the rookie Steve Walsh, our 6th round draft pick, or to go with the best option in free agency, 13th year vet Steve DeBerg. ...Hell with it. I have faith in Walsh; we'll go with him. You know your QB situation is scary when your 15th year mentor, Don "The Legend" Milan, is now your #2 QB. I would sign DeBerg to be the #2 QB, but he'd want to be the starter and I say hell with that. Buffalo 17 Miami 20 (OT) They may have stolen Pete Stoyanovich away from us, but the Bills can't take away this victory from us as Scott Norwood hits the 24 yard chip shot to give us the OT miracle. Cool thing about this game: Frank Reich, conductor of the greatest IRL playoff comeback I've ever seen, is on the Bills in this universe too and in fact is the starter. Painful thing about this game: Both QBs throw 3 picks. Lloyd Burrus had 12 tackles and 2 assists, Greg Kragen 11 tackles, 2 assists, a half-sack and 2 hurries. Steve DeBerg is starting to look better and better. Backup C Jeff Dellenbach strains his patellar tendon and is out for roughly the next 5 weeks. We sign ancient 10th year C Blake Moore to be the backup and new offensive line captain. Miami 21 Cleveland 13 A narrow road win over the Browns, but we'll take it. Steve Walsh looked much more comfortable this game at 15/23 for 192 yards and 2 TDs. Clyde Simmons led the defense with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 4 knockdowns. Bruce Smith grabbed 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. Backup SS Lonnie Young tears his ACL and he's gone for the year, so we stick him on IR and sign 8th year SS Durwood Roquemore, a former 3rd round pick of the Bengals who was actually a starter back in 1984 for Cincinnati as the reserve. Pittsburgh 0 Miami 27 Our defense pitches a shutout through outstanding team play and Steve Walsh was a laser-beam 23 of 24 for 275 yards, a TD and an INT. Yep, that's right, the interception was his lone incompletion. He rode Jerry Rice all game long, with 6 catches for 138 yards and a TD. I'm still so amazed by this stunningly accurate performance by a 6th round rookie that I just have to show the receiving chart.  Just beautiful. Jeff Dellenbach is back up to Probable after our bye week. Oh, another cool thing about Blake Moore - he's a mentor at C. Good thing considering Dermontti Dawson is a 2nd year player. New England 3 Miami 28 It's funny... with Dan Marino, we barely beat the Patriots in OT. Without him, we destroy them. It was a total team effort today, with no individual stars to report, although I will mention that Steve Walsh was 19/28 for 220 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. So at the halfway point, despite losing Dan Marino, we're still 7-1. We also have the advantage of the AFC East being a terrible division this season, with the next-closest team being Buffalo at 4-5. (Is anybody else getting a weird sense of deja vu` and FOF imitating life here?!) We're also presently tied with Denver for the top seed in the AFC. Nice dogfight in the NFC West. The 49ers and Rams are both 8-1, but the NFC North has an even better fight going on, with 3 teams at 4-4; Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago. Detroit's in their usual form at 2-6. Curiosity compels me at this point to look at the Lions' historical record. Oh wait, that's right, they won a Super Bowl, back in 1979, when they beat us. That was Super Bowl XX, where Danny White threw 3 interceptions and I got fed up with Steve Largent's drops for the last time and vowed to get rid of him. But now that I'm looking, there's 11 teams that have never made the Super Bowl. The worst team in universe history is probably the Oakland Raiders, who have the 4th-worst all-time winning percentage at 41.1% and who have only been to the playoffs twice, the first in 1968 when they made the AFC Championship with considerable ease before falling to Baltimore 17-7. They hadLes Josephson at RB and Ray Poage, the best WR in Oakland Raiders history in this timeframe. They also had John McGeever, the CB who still ranks 7th all-time in INTs as of this halfway point of 1989 and DE Larry Eisenhauer, who was in his prime at the time, but tore his MCL in the divisional round, missed all of the 1969 season and wasn't the same anymore, retiring in 1971 after failing to make the 49ers. The other Raiders playoff team was in 1977, when Oakland featured John Gilliam, the most successful QB in team history and a career-long Raider. Their offense then was all pass, pass, pass, as Gilliam still ranks 2nd all-time in attempts and completions. He played 15 seasons and holds a slew of Raiders passing records along with most games started. Never earned an All-Pro award, but he had three 4,000+ yard seasons. Time to look at the half-season tape! Code:
Dan Marino was on his way to one hell of a season before he got hurt. This is Eric Dickerson's last year as a Dolphin. His contract runs out after this season and he hasn't single 100-yard game this year. He'll have a junkball 1,000 yards probably, but he's done. Even with the glut of superlative WRs we have, Jerry Rice is still showing himself the star of stars in our lovely passing constellation. It's 50/50 if he breaks 1,000 yards receiving for the year, but he's really showing his worth already. Our pass defense is just ridicuously good. Notice that opposing QBs are completing just 48.8% of their passes against us. I'm awfully curious to see who's #1. Look at all those interceptions! It's only halfway through the year! I'm loving all the great PD% numbers, too. Jeff Herrod is really blossoming as the MLB. Greg Kragen is really a disruptive force at DT, which is awesome. We're giving up way too many yards per carry, though, so that's something to keep an eye on. Overall though, we're in fantastic shape. Dan Marino is out approximately another 5 weeks and even though he'll likely be Probable sooner than that, I'll probably have him sit out until he's at full health. I mean, we're not in any real danger of losing the division title. At absolute worst, we have to play a full slate of games to get to the Super Bowl and I feel safe in doing that if we've got a healthy 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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09-13-2008, 11:35 AM
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#398 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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A few malcontents. Cliff Odom is unhappy, Roosevelt Barnes is disgruntled and Jeff Dellenbach is downright angry. None of them are going to start, sorry for them.
Baltimore 6 Miami 16 .500 is now a certainty after Scott Norwood boots 3/3 FGs and Clyde Simmons is in the Ravens backfield all day long with 2 tackles, a sack, 5 hurries and 4 knockdowns. Dan Marino's Questionable with 4 weeks to go, but as I said, he's going to sit out the full time until his foot's completely healed. Miami 17 New Jersey 13 Jeff Herrod was a one-man wrecking crew versus the Jets with 12 tackles, 3 assists, a hurry and 3 pass defenses. Bruce Smith had 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown as our unbelieveable defense continues to tide us over despite not having the most stellar offense. We're now guaranteed to have a winning record. Nickel back Vito McKeever hyperextends his elbow and will miss at least the next game. G Terry Long gets cut, as Russ Grimm is already a mentor there and we welcome back RCB LeCharls McDaniel, who bedeviled us so many years as a Redskin before serving as our starting RCB the last three seasons, including 5 picks last year. Since he knows our defense so well, he was a logical signing and slides in as the nickel. Carolina 20 Miami 17 We've been very, very luck with the close wins, so I'm not really upset when we finally do lose a narrow one. Jerry Rice catches 5 passes for 100 yards even, but Scott Norwood is in danger of being released after this year as he shanks two easy FGs that would've given us the win. Rookie starting RCB Deion Sanders strains his elbow tendon and will be out approximately 6 weeks. I rush Vito McKeever back, even though he's questionable and slide LeCharls McDaniel in as the starting RCB. It's a devastating blow, as Prime Time really electrified our secondary. Miami 31 Kansas City 10 Nice game by Steve Walsh here as he throws 3 TDs to 1 INT, contrary to John Elway, who was a wretched 10/34 for 99 yards and 2 picks. Our pass-rush was unstoppable. Greg Kragen had 3 tackles, an assist, 2.5 sacks, a block and a hurry, Clyde Simmons won Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5 hurries and 7 knockdowns and Bruce Smith picked up a tackle, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Gill Byrd had 2 tackles, an assist and 3 pass defenses. We've clinched the AFC East, as Buffalo lost today. We're also in the lead for the top seed, as we're 10-2 and Jacksonville and Denver are both 9-3. Atlanta 20 Miami 17 Hell of an effort by Steve Walsh to try and carry us to victory: 19/33 for 316 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, but our running game was absolutely dreadful. Louis Lipps had 6 catches for 136 yards. Bruce Smith went on a tear with 3 tackles, 3 assists, and 2.5 sacks. New Jersey 14 Miami 17 And we finally win another close one. Steve Walsh is 23/35 for 284 yards, 2 TDs and a pick and he was pretty much the lone statistical star and differencemaker in this one. It's been an amazing run he's had, especially for a 6th round rookie. Miami 44 New Orleans 14 Our last week before Dan Marino comes back in and it's an absolute massacre as we visit the league's worst team in the 1-13 Saints. Eric Dickerson finally breaks the century mark, rushing 30 times for 121 yards. Steve Walsh is 21/28 for 372 yards, 4 TDs and an INT, Jerry Rice is absolutely insane with 6 catches for 223 yards and 4 TDs and Scott Norwood hits all 3 of his FG attempts. On defense, Thomas Everett returns an INT 36 yards for a TD, Clyde Simmons has 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, 2 blocks, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns and Jeff Herrod records 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass defense. As Jacksonville and Tucson are deadlocked at 10-5 in the AFC South and we, along with Denver, are 12-3, we've locked up a first round bye. The only question is if we get home-field advantage throughout. There's never been a better time for a fully healed Dan Marino to come back. Oh, Deion Sanders is back up to Probable, but I don't want to risk him getting re-injured before the playoffs. Miami 31 Buffalo 6 The Bills try to play spoiler, but fail miserably. Eric Dickerson finds new life, carrying the ball 21 times for 120 yards and 3 rushing TDs as he's trying to play for a new contract. We overcome 2 picks in Dan Marino's first game back, in part thanks to 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown from Clyde Simmons. Denver flattens the Chiefs 47-22, so I'm not sure who has home field advantage. I want to say it's us because we're 12-0 against the AFC, whereas Denver is 10-2, but I'm not certain. What I do know is that we're looking pretty darn good heading into the postseason and that Steve Walsh has gone from Hurricanes hero to Dolphins hero in helping save our season after Dan Marino broke his foot.
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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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09-13-2008, 09:14 PM
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#399 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Our divisional opponent is none other than the Dolphins wannabes, the Tucson Titans.
They're sickly stacked under center. QB Jim Kelly has never thrown for less than 3,079 yards or 18 TDs a season since he became a full-time starter in 1986 (albeit with 12 starts). He hasn't been nearly as heralded as fellow 1983 QB Dan Marino, but the's still very good. QB Randall Cunningham is the backup and he really deserves to start somewhere. The 5th year pro is extremely unhappy and he has every right to be. I'm almost tempted to take another team and trade for him. RB Frank Pollard may not be as brilliant as he was in years with the Atlanta Falcons, but the 10th year vet is an iron man, who still eked out 1,180 yards and 10 TDs after signing with Tucson in the offseason. He's 3rd All-Time in rushing yards and 2nd All-Time in rushing TDs. He could probably still run another season, too. Third year backup RB Marc Logan lost his starting job after two seasons, but he's a primarily a ST ace anyway. TE Anthony Jones is a good run-blocker and long snapper, but that's it. FL Mike Quick is a two-time All-Pro and has 7 consecutive seasons of 1,000 yards receiving, but he just barely made it this year (1,007) and has developed a real drops problem the last few years. SE Mike Jones, on the other hand, has had drops problems his entire career, split between mostly the Giants and the last two seasons in Tucson. It's a wonder Kelly puts up the #'s he does. C Mike Freeman is ordinary, but 3rd year LG Jeff Bregel is rapidly improving, as is 2nd year RG Eric Moore. Harvey Salem is taking over at LT, even though he's a RT since LT Mark May is on IR. Salem started off his pro career well, but has really regressed since his first few seasons. RT Chuck Loewen in his 10th season has nothing left and is only an emergency starter. P Maury Buford is pretty good, K Mick Luckhurst sporadic. LDE Sean Jones is one of the best DEs in the NFL, getting 16 sacks this season to extend a streak that started in his second year in 1985 (22 sacks), where he's had no fewer than 12.5 sacks. RDE Karl Wilson, in his third season, just won the starting job over Alphonso Carraeker, who was having a renaissance season. LDT Jerome Brown is a brilliant 3rd year pro, already one of the best DTs in the league and a real run-stopping and pass-rushing force in the middle. RDT Rich Stachowski is a Jim Burt type, a hard-working overachiever. MLB Matt Millen recorded 109 tackles in the regular season, his 6th straight season of 100+ tackles and 8th overall in his career. A terrific run-stopper, ST ace and very good all-around player. SLB Duane Bickett has been a disappointment in his first five seasons. He brims with talent, but just can't convert it into production. LCB Ron Pitts is a terrible cover corner, but gets just enough INTs to stay the starter. RCB Maurice Douglass is just the opposite; he'll rarely get a pick, but plays well enough in coverage to maintain a starting spot. SS Lester Lyles is a joke. FS Felix Wright has shown flashes of potential, but didn't get a chance until Elbert Shelley's torn ACL in the last week of the season to be the starter. He was quite underwhelming in the Wild Card Round. Given the weakness of the Titans secondary and the strength of ours, I say we win this in a blowout. I'm so confident, I don't start Deion Sanders, but instead give him another week to be fully healed and recovered. Vegas surprisingly only has us by 2. The game wasn't as close as the final score looked. Dan Marino looked great, throwing for 303 yards and 2 TDs on 22/31 passing and really, he was all we needed to get the victory, as our defense played just well enough to win. Tucson 17 Miami 24
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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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09-14-2008, 11:44 PM
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#400 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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It's an All-Florida AFC Championship as we host the Jacksonville Jaguars.
QB Mike Pagel was a very strange franchise tag choice, for while he's good, he's nobody's idea of great. On the other hand, he's far and away the Jags' best QB. Rookie RB Vince Workman fumbles the ball quite a bit, but still managed 778 yards in 9 starts. RB Mark Higgs, a 2nd year player, is even more fumble-prone, though, even if he did get 852 rushing yards in 7 starts. TE Brent Jones is a phenomenal all-around player, the best blocking TE in the league and a darn good receiver as well. 2nd year FL Tim Brown just missed 1,000 yards in the regular season, but he's a deadly return man in addition to being a dangerous receiver, who already has 2,044 receiving yards. Shades of Irving Fryar here in his ability to take over a game. SE Jessie Hester is a special teams ace and notably was held without a single receiving TD in the regular season. Not the best option there. FL Mark Ingram is an excellent 3rd receiver and it really should be and Brown as the starters. C Don Mosebar is terrible in pass protection. LG George Lilja is average, but RG Terry Long has been very good after getting picked up by Jacksonville following his release from our team. He's got major motivation in this game to beat us after having won the starting job and played well. 11th year vet LT John Giesler famously surrendered 23 and 24 sacks and surrendered 11 or more sacks 7 times in his 10 seasons with the Saints, but he's experienced a late-career renaissance after signing with the Jaguars in free agency. He gave up a comparatively low 6 sacks and delivered 5 pancake blocks and excellent run-blocking. 10th year man RT Irv Pankey is adequate. P Mike Horan has a booming leg, as does K Dean Biasucci, who two years ago converted a jaw-dropping 9/9 FGs from 50+ yards out. His accuracy took a hit this year though, with just 69.8% FG conversion, a career low. LDE T.J. Turner is unimpressive and RDE Kenny Neil will be an emergency starter after RDE Sean McNanie was lost for the season in the divisional round with a torn wrist tendong. LDT Bill Pickel was supposed to re-energize the Jacksonville D-line after coming over in free agency, but his well publicized conflicts with defensive captain Frank Manumalega have prevented him from doing so. RDT Johnny Robinson is old, worn out and never was much of a player. MLB Frank Manumalega is a tackle-machine who's on the downside of his career and no longer has the pass-rush moves he did earlier in his career. SLB Kevin Greene is the saving grace of this appaling front 7, a high-motor player who's rather akin to Andre Tippett, only much younger, as this is his 5th season. LCB Lester Hayes is out with a knee injury, so it'll be LCB Mark Harper, a warm body, starting on the left side. 5th round pick rookie RCB D.J. Johnson has been a pleasant surprise in coverage after winning the starting job and has been electric in the playoffs, with 2 picks, including a 61 yard INT return for a TD in the wild card round against San Diego, and a breathtaking 93.2% pass defense. 2nd year SS William White isn't much for coverage, but he's a hard hitter and great in run support. FS Stacey Toran, signed from the Jets in the offseason, is in the inverse; a good cover safety, but horrid against the run. We're going to eat the Jaguars defense alive. Brown worries me in that Fryar kind of way, but I don't think Jacksonville has the arsenal to win the anticipated shootout, not with how good our secondary is, especially now that Deion Sanders is back in the lineup. The bookies favor us by 5, another ridiculously short line in my opinion. Jacksonville jumps out to a 9-0 lead after a safety and a passing TD, but that's as good as it got for the Jags, as we rolled after that. Dan Marino was crisply efficient at 21/35 for 291 yards and 2 TDs, Clyde Simmons disrupted the Jacksonville offense with 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns and Dan Saleaumula joined him in the pass-rush fun with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown. But the real maestro of the defense was Gill Byrd, netting a tackle, an assist, a pass defense and 2 picks. In short, the expected blowout that returns us to yet another Super Bowl. Jacksonville 16 Miami 38
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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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