Don't Forget About Us - Miami Dolphins [M18]

[R1zzo23]

NFL Standings - Updated: Sep 30, 2018
NFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Philadelphia Eagles	3	1	0	115	101
Dallas Cowboys	2	2	0	108	124
New York Giants	2	2	0	114	118
Washington Redskins	1	3	0	99	109
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Green Bay Packers	4	0	0	145	103
Minnesota Vikings	2	1	1	100	105
Detroit Lions	2	2	0	110	111
Chicago Bears	0	4	0	70	147
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
New Orleans Saints	3	0	1	132	83
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2	2	0	109	96
Atlanta Falcons	2	2	0	118	123
Carolina Panthers	2	2	0	85	94
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Los Angeles Rams	4	0	0	147	90
Arizona Cardinals	2	2	0	112	92
San Francisco 49ers	2	2	0	122	107
Seattle Seahawks	1	3	0	94	120
AFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Miami Dolphins	2	2	0	90	94
New England Patriots	2	2	0	103	104
New York Jets	1	3	0	94	128
Buffalo Bills	1	3	0	115	115
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Pittsburgh Steelers	4	0	0	147	65
Baltimore Ravens	3	1	0	131	86
Cleveland Browns	2	2	0	115	105
Cincinnati Bengals	1	3	0	88	117
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Tennessee Titans	2	2	0	106	98
Indianapolis Colts	2	2	0	73	90
Houston Texas	1	2	1	117	132
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	2	1	101	112
AFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Oakland Raiders	3	1	0	110	93
Denver Broncos	1	3	0	79	137
Los Angeles Chargers	1	3	0	82	102
Kansas City Chiefs	1	3	0	110	140

NFL League Leaders - Updated: Sep 30, 2018
Passing Yards		YDS	Passing Touchdowns		TD
	1. Aaron Rodgers	1251		1. Dak Prescott	11
	2. Deshaun Watson	1224		2. Matthew Stafford	10
	3. Matt Ryan	1222		3. Eli Manning	10
	4. Tom Brady	1163		4. Tom Brady	9
	5. Ben Roethlisberger	1152		5. Carson Wentz	9
Rushing Yards		YDS	Rushing Touchdowns		TD
	1. Todd Gurley II	465		1. Alex Collins	8
	2. Le'Veon Bell	431		2. Todd Gurley II	6
	3. Kenyan Drake	408		3. Malco'm Brown	6
	4. Darren Sproles	379		4. Le'Veon Bell	5
	5. Mark Ingram II	366		5. Marshawn Lynch	5
Receptions		REC	Receiving Touchdowns		TD
	1. Mike Evans	33		1. A.J. Green	5
	2. Adam Thielen	27		2. Allen Hurns	5
	3. Ryan Griffin	27		3. Golden Tate III	5
	4. Chris Hogan	26		4. Alshon Jeffery	5
	5. Emmanuel Sanders	26		5. 9 Players Tied	4
Sacks		SACK	Interceptions		INT
	1. Khalil Mack	7		1. Telvin Smith	5
	2. Everson Griffen	7		2. Richard Sherman	4
	3. Brandon Graham	7		3. Janoris Jenkins	3
	4. Ryan Kerrigan	6		4. Kyle Fuller	3
	5. Cameron Wake	6		5. Brent Grimes	3

[R1zzo23]

After four weeks of play the Miami Dolphins have suffered three multi-week injuries. Unfortunately, all three injuries have been on the defensive front seven, leaving the team awfully thin at a couple positions - especially after the William Hayes to Arizona trade - and scrambling for replacements.

With both Jordan Phillips (groin) and Charles Harris (abdominal tear) already on the mend and Hayes now dawning a Cardinal red jersey, the Miami Dolphins and their front office had to bring in some bodies to absorb some reps in relief of the starters from time to time.

The first signing was free agent right end Steven Means to a 1-year deal for the rest of the season. In his first action in a Dolphin uniform, Means was able to corral two tackles, one of which was a huge sack of Drew Brees on 3rd down in the fourth quarter to give the Dolphins a chance to force overtime. The 6'3" and 263-pound Means shows great burst off the edge with a polished swim move to put pressure on the quarterback.

A second signing that the Dolphins made was to sign strong safety Tedric Thompson off of the Seattle Seahawk practice squad and to their active roster. Thompson wasn't brought in to play in the secondary but to play linebacker in sub packages. Thompson proves to be fluid in coverage [86 SPD, 88 ACC, 75 PUR, 75 ZCV, 72 MCV] and loves to lay the big hit when possible [84 HPW], making him a welcomed addition to the defense.

At the time of the signing, coach Adam Gase didn't expect Thompson to see the field all too often but with starting MLB Raekwon McMillan on the mend for another eight weeks, Thompson will be called on in the dime package to man the middle of the defense. Backup MLB Mike Hull will play in the base 3-4 as well as the nickel to not be exposed too much to the run as Thompson gives next to nothing in stopping the run.

The Dolphins currently have a couple of intriguing offers on the table for their star defensive end Cameron Wake but with the lack of depth across the defensive line it is difficult for the front office to pull the trigger on any deal. A decision will need to be made within the next two weeks as the trade deadline is quickly approaching. Do the Dolphins cash in on their best player to acquire some draft capital to aid the rebuild?

[R1zzo23]

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
Oct 5, 2018	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Tennessee Titans (2-3)	7	0	3	0	10
Miami Dolphins (3-2)	0	23	7	0	30

Team Stats Comparison
	TEN	MIA
Total Offense	316	333
Rushing Yards	124	124
Passing Yards	192	209
First Downs	17	14
Punt Return Yards	0	0
Kick Return Yards	109	65
Total Yards	452	398
Turnovers	4	0
3rd Down Conversion	5	5
4th Down Conversion	1	0
2-Point Conversion	0	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1/1	2/1
Penalties	0	10
Posession Time	24:53	23:07

Tennessee Titans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT M. Mariota 20/26 226 1 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD A. Wadley 21 98 4.7 0 M. Mariota 3 24 8.0 0 B. Miller 1 2 2.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD A. Wadley 6 78 13.0 0 C. Davis 5 85 17.0 1 J. Smith 2 16 8.0 0 D. Walker 2 12 6.0 0 B. Miller 2 6 3.0 0 T. Taylor 1 15 15.0 0 L. Stocker 1 7 7.0 0 R. Matthews 1 7 7.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD J. Cyprien 8 0.0 0 0 K. Byard 7 0.0 0 0 B. Orakpo 7 1.0 0 0 R. Evans 7 0.0 0 0 A. Jackson 5 0.0 0 0

Miami Dolphins PASSING C/A YDS TD INT R. Tannehill 15/20 212 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD R. Tannehill 4 45 11.3 0 K. Drake 19 37 1.9 1 K. Ballage 4 30 7.5 0 K. Williams 2 12 6.0 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD D. Parker 6 108 18.0 2 M. Gesicki 5 56 11.2 0 K. Stills 2 31 15.5 0 D. Amendola 2 17 8.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD R. Jones 11 0.0 0 0 M. Fitzpatrick 9 0.0 0 0 K. Alonso 8 0.0 0 0 C. Wake 7 3.0 0 0 X. Howard 5 0.0 1 0 R. Quinn 4 2.0 0 0 C. Tankersley 3 0.0 1 0

Akrum Wadley puts a jump cut on fellow rookie Minkah Fitzpatrick and put the Dolphins' defense on notice. Perhaps overlooking the 3rd string back heading into the game, Wadley ripped off 98 yards on 21 carries playing in place of the injured Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry.



Cameron Wake wreaked havoc on Marcus Mariota all game long. He got the party started on the opening drive with one of his three sacks on the game.



Despite the sack, Mariota led a masterful opening drive for a touchdown pass on the run to Corey Davis. The celebrating he did here fired up the defense and it was the last time the Titans found the end zone for the entire game.



DaVante Parker continues his hot streak with this 2nd quarter touchdown. He burnt Logan Ryan off the line and with linebackers biting on play action, there was plenty of room between the trailing corner and strong safety Johnathan Cyprien who was too late to make a hit to break up the TD.



For the second game in a row, Kenyan Drake was bottled up (19 carries, 37 yards) but was able to scoot for a 7-yard TD to give fantasy owners something to smile about.




Familiar foes from his days in New England, Malcolm Butler was yet another former Patriot corner victimized by DaVante Parker, this one a straight nine route as Butler was left on an island. No help over the top with great pass protection allowed Tannehill to deliver a dime over the top for the big score.



Cameron Wake's third sack of the day forced a fumble that was recovered by the Dolphins. The trade rumors clearly haven't affected Wake and his play as he currently has nine sacks through five games.



The closest the Titans came to the end zone since their opening drive, Akrum Wadley was stoned at the goal line by Davon Godchaux, bringing up a 4th and goal from the one yard line. Both mentally and physically defeated, the Titans decided to kick a field goal just to see some points go on the board.



With the game well in hand, Xavien Howard wasn't letting this one go as he elevates over Michael Campanaro to rip down his team-leading 2nd interception on the season and end the game.

[R1zzo23]

Devonta Freeman kicks the door open with an early-game TD. He finished the game with 11 caries, good for 38 yards.



Stacked receiver look confuses the Falcon defense as both defenders shade towards Danny Amendola over the top, allowing DeVante Parker a free release and a wide open route into the end zone for the score.



Flushed out by the interior pass rush, Matt Ryan makes a bad decision throwing against the grain leading to an easy interception by the Dolphin secondary.



Devonta Freeman's game came to an end early as he was shaken up after this big collision at the line of scrimmage. With the trade rumors revolving around Tevin Coleman, most expect this injury to keep both backs in Atlanta for the rest of the season.



A deep dime to Julio Jones finds the receiver open between three different Dolphin receivers. The wideout was dominant today, hauling in 11 balls for 272 yards and a TD.



Kenyan Drake hasn't found many running holes lately but that hasn't stopped him from pounding in touchdowns on a consistent basis. This first half score kept Miami from falling behind too much in the first half.



Tevin Coleman caught a pass out in the flat and saw nothing but green in front of him. Rookie Calvin Ridley walled off the defensive back and Coleman walked into the end zone. In relief duty, Coleman 124 combined yards and this TD.



Drake does it again, finding the end zone for the 2nd time of the game. While frustrated yet again in the yardage department, he's got a nose for the goal line when the offense gets close.



Julio Jones catches another ball over the middle and looks to be bottled up and bracketed by three Dolphin defenders...



...until he wasn't! A nasty spin move left them all in the dust and saw the receiver rip off a massive 75-yard TD late in the game!



Atlanta opened the overtime period with the ball and was driving until Mike Hull cut Coleman low on this carry, jarring the ball loose and seeing backup DT Gabe Wright, playing for the injured Akeem Spence (lost for 8 weeks to injury in the 4th quarter) scoop it up for the fumble recovery. The Dolphins would fail to score on their ensuing drive.



On Miami's third possession of OT, Ryan Tannehill tried to buy some extra time to allow his receivers to get open on 3rd down but was eaten up from behind.



On a last second heave, Ryan Tannehill led Parker just a bit too much and saw Trufant come up with the game-ending interception. The game would end in an uneventful tie.

[SilverBullet19]

A tie. EW.

I can't stand that the NFL even allows this lol. That one was a nailbiter, I can't imagine the excitement you had to be feeling from it!

[R1zzo23]

Quote: Originally Posted by SilverBullet19

A tie. EW. I can't stand that the NFL even allows this lol. That one was a nailbiter, I can't imagine the excitement you had to be feeling from it!

I know man. It sucks but it is what it is. I love the NCAA overtime rules where you play until there is a winner. I almost would have rather lost the game...almost!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[thesportsguru11]

Screenshots look sensational, Rizzo, great work so far, and nice job getting the squad to near .500 getting toward the halfway point in the season. Can't believe you actually tied -- I don't think I've ever done that in Madden before. Really wish the NFL would adopt college rules as well.

Apologies if this was brought up earlier, but would you consider a winning season a good result for year one? ETA: Seems like yes it would.

I've heard conventional wisdom state that years one and two are alright to be bad, but by year three you should have a playoff contender. Just curious what your thoughts are on that, and if you have a "plan" of sorts moving forward for building this team.

[R1zzo23]

Quote: Originally Posted by thesportsguru11

Screenshots look sensational, Rizzo, great work so far, and nice job getting the squad to near .500 getting toward the halfway point in the season. Can't believe you actually tied -- I don't think I've ever done that in Madden before. Really wish the NFL would adopt college rules as well. Apologies if this was brought up earlier, but would you consider a winning season a good result for year one? ETA: Seems like yes it would. I've heard conventional wisdom state that years one and two are alright to be bad, but by year three you should have a playoff contender. Just curious what your thoughts are on that, and if you have a "plan" of sorts moving forward for building this team.

Thanks for checking in TSG! The screenshots are so much easier on XBOX One than having to use a capture card with XBOX 360. Makes my life so much easier.

Being 3-2-1 at this point of the year is better than I had expected, and probably better than we should be, but I have actually bumped up the difficulty to All-Madden heading into Week 7 against the Jets so we will see how this goes. Regardless, I actually thought we were going to struggle to reach our season goal of seven wins before the season started so we will see.

I think a lot of people believe that if you're playing a rebuild franchise that you should be atop the draft board the first year or two and then you explode. I think the tougher rebuilds are being in the middle of the draft, missing out on the immediate studs, and having to rebuild with good-not-great draftees. We will see how this goes heading forward though!