New Dolphins Career

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Game Recap:

Jets 3
Dolphins 44

In the end it was the expected blowout but it didn't look like one for nearly 2 quarters. It was 7-3 when Roscoe Utley's pick-6 gave us some momentum heading into the break. We struggled to consistently move the ball against the Jets defense but some big plays bailed us out. Brandon Marshall (5-189, 2 TD) broke free twice on short wildcat passes from Josh Johnson to score long TDs. Cletis Parker to a Screen Pass 56 yards to the house (I applaud myself for calling that play against the aggressive Jets defense).
Our defensive front seven once again dominated the line of scrimmage. Elvis Dumervil had a monster game with 6 tackles for loss and 3 sacks while Gino King had 7 tackles and 2 sacks.

Record: 10-1


During the week:
The Miami Dolphins clinched a playoff birth.
Roscoe Utley was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.


Game Preview, week 12 vs Buffalo:
Drew Brees is still out so it's basically the same game as a couple of weeks ago. Stop Marshawn Lynch and don't turn the ball over.


Game Review:

Bills 14
Dolphins 38

Marshawn Lynch scored 2 first half TDs but was held to 13 rushes for 44 yds because the Bills were trailing most of the game and had to rely on Thigpen. Thigpen sucks so I won. In all fairness it should be noted that he actually improved a lot in comparison to his epic 8 pick game in week 7. He only threw 2 INTs today. John Scotland passed for 260 yards and Cletis Parker had 158 combined yards (rushing & receiving) and 4 TDs. Skyler Cofield also had a good game (6-110, TD). No defensive player stood out enough to deserve special praise this time.

Record: 11-1


During the week:
Cletis Parker was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.


Game Preview, week 13 at St. Louis:
Both teams are probably headed to the playoffs. No major injuries on both sides. The Rams have a decent QB in Marc Bulger and a great power back in Steven Jackson. They also have a talented TE in Kwame Frampton, who seems to be underutilized in their offense. Aside from RT Alex Barron their O-Line is not very good. They have a great DE in Chris Long but I'm confident my standout LT Emeka Oshinowu will be able to handle him. Inside running might be hard against DTs Adam Carriker and Hank Smithers.

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Game Recap:

Dolphins 59
Rams 21

Both teams had great success running the ball. Cletis Parker ran for 111 yds on 15 carries (1 TD) while Adrian Peterson did the dirty work in short yardage situations (10-37, 3 TD). Josh Johnson added 62 yds on 7 runs as well to give us over 200 rushing yards on the day. The Rams were also running the ball with success but went away from it as soon as they fell behind. I really think they would've had a chance to win if they had stuck to the run in the second half. Steven Jackson finished 14-103 and 2 TDs. Elvis Dumervil continues his late-season run as he had 3 sacks. DeMario Waddell forced a fumble and returned it 58 yds for a TD. Special credit should be given to our O-Line for not giving up a single sack and to DeSean Jackson for returning a kickoff 93 yards to the house, eluding several defenders on the way.

Record: 12-1


During the week:
DeMario Waddell was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.


Game Preview, week 14 at San Francisco:
No notable injuries. Unlike in real life the 49ers are a pass happy team in this game. Mike Martz's playbook turned JT O'Sullivan into a decent QB and Frank Gore is completely underutilized. They have one of the best young receivers in the league in former USC standout Kendrell Kennison. They also have some older receivers who still get the job done (like 36 year old Torry Holt) and a decent TE in Ben Watson. Their defense features standouts Patrick Willis and Justin Smith. I've had problems running to the outside against 3-4 defenses this season, so we might have to rely on John Scotland this week.


Game Recap:

Dolphins 35
49ers 24

We overcame 3 INTs by our Quarterbacks (Scotland 2, Johnson 1) to get the win after a comeback in the 4th quarter. John Scotland threw for 353 yds and 3 scores. His favourite target was Brandon Marshall who caught 7 balls for 101 yds and a TD. JT O'Sullivan also played well and threw for 300 yards. His favourite receiver was DJ Hackett who caught 9 for 102 and 2 TDs. Youngster Kendrell Kennison caught only 4 balls against DeMario Waddell but also had 2 key drops on 3rd downs. Our defense struggled to get to the QB and our only sack of the came from Mario Williams. The big free agent signing doesn't get the big numbers everyone (including me) expected but 5 techniques (a 3-4 DE who plays heads up the OT) rarely put up big numbers (with the real life exception of JJ Watt).

Record: 13-1


During the week:
nothing to report.


Game Preview, week 15 at Indianapolis:
The Colts are without RT Ryan Diem. Peyton Manning recently considered retiring but even at 36 he's still one of the best in the game. We need to stop him to win the game. My first choice is to try to make him feel unconfortable in the pocket by sending several blitzes. If that doesn't work we'll try some different coverages and personnel groups. On defense, their front seven looks vulnerable. The strength of their cover 2 defense is clearly the secondary but the nickle and dime CBs are not up to the level of the starters, so expect DeSean Jackson, Darrell Ogunyele and TE Joshua Brandt to get some looks.

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Game Recap:

Dolphins 49
Colts 21

This was another strange game. Both star QBs started off by throwing a pick with their very first pass. Manning finished the night injured after a sack late in the game by big NT DeMarco Tribble. Manning threw for over 400 yds and 3 scores but also was picked off 4 times. Two of those INTs were returned to TDs by DeMario Waddell and rookie Roscoe Utley. David Finley had 2 sacks on defense.
John Scotland did not have a good game, going 13-23 for 236 with 1 TD and 2 INTs. This game was won by our defense and RB Cletis Parker, who broke away on two big runs and finished with 128 yds on 12 carries and 3 TDs. Brandon Marshall was our most productive receiver again, finishing 7-157, TD. The big news is obviously Peyton Manning's injury, which could spoil the Colts (8-7) slim playoff dreams.

Record: 14-1


During the week:
I checked on Manning's injury. He'll probably be ready for the season finale.
Cletis Parker was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
DeMario Waddell was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.


Game Preview, week 16 vs Arizona:
No injury-related news. The Cardinals have a lot of weapons on offensive and they're very versatile and thus difficult to gameplan against. QB Kevin Kolb, RB Cornelius Upshaw, WR Larry Fitzgerald and TE Jermichael Finley are all in cosideration for the Pro Bowl this year. A possible weakness could be the left side of their O-Line. They play a hybrid defense (3-4 base but they also mix in 4-3 formations) and have several playmakers in Calais Campbell, DeMarcus Ware, Karlos Dansby and Adrian Wilson.


Game Recap:

Cardinals 21
Dolphins 35

A good close game that wasn't decided until Mychal Greenlaw intercepted Kevin Kolb with 1:30 left in Q4 to set up a short rushing TD for Cletis Parker for the final score. Parker was ineffective running the ball (14-47, TD) but again showed amazing skills as a receiver out of the backfield, eluding several tackles for some long catch and runs. He finished with 7 receptions and a whopping 180 yards and 2 TDs. John Scotland overcame 3 picks and threw for 264 yards and 4 TDs. Both O-Lines played well, not allowing a single sack in the game. Amos Summers continued to raise eyebrows as a run-supporting CB, making some key tackles in the flats. He also had a pick.

Final Record: 15-1, best record in the NFL


During the week:
nothing to report.

The following players of my team were invited to the Pro Bowl (* notes a starter):
QB John Scotland
RB Cletis Parker*
FB Korey Hall*
WR Brandon Marshall*
DE David Finley
DE Darnell Dockett
NT DeMarco Tribble
OLB Mychal Greenlaw*
ILB Gino King*
FS Sanrick Raines*
SS Roscoe Utley*
P Brandon Fields*

12 Pro Bowl players - I'm really glad the good performances got rewarded.

JaMarcus Russell (Raiders) was named MVP and Offensive Player of the year. He threw for over 6000 yds and 50 TDs again in Gary Hammermill's spread offense.
Freddie Keiaho (Rams) was named Defensive Player of the year after leading the league in tackles.
Cletis Parker (Dolphins) was named Offensive Rookie of the year after over 1800 all-purpose yards and 31 TDs.
Roscoe Utley (Dolphins) was named Defensive Rookie of the year after finishing 3rd in the league with 8 interceptions and forcing 3 fumbles.
I was named Coach of the year after leading the Dolphins to the best record in the league.

We'll play the Jaguars in the Divisional Playoffs.


Game Preview, Divisional Playoff Round vs Jacksonville:
Bad news right before the game as rookie sensation Cletis Parker got injured in practice and will miss the game. Adrian Peterson & Andre Granderson will share the backfield. Also expect an increased dose of Josh Johnson's option plays. The Jaguars are missing DT John Henderson in the middle of their defense and their best CB in Rashean Mathis. They have a solid QB with decent mobility in David Garrard and a solid WR groups who might lack a true #1 WR. The centerpiece of their offense is of course RB Maurice Jones-Drew, so I will concentrate on stopping him first. ROLB Lance Briggs is their best player on defense, so I might run more to the right side of the field, away from Briggs.
The Jaguars beat Gary Hammermill's Raiders in the Wildcard round, so we should be warned. Anyway, we have the best record in the NFL and we're confident that we can beat the Jaguars at home. We already played them this season (Wk 2) and beat them 31-8.

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Gsme Recap:

Jaguars 7
Dolphins 27

The Jaguars played well on defense but David Garrard's 5 INTs were too much to overcome for them. Josh Johnson got tackled in the backfield a lot on option plays but he also broke one for a 15 yd TD. Adrian Peterson was 17-64 in the absence of Cletis Parker. John Scotland played solid, mistake-free football, just as I expect him to do. His favourite target was TE Joshua Brandt. The former Boise State standout finished with 7 receptions for 141 yards and a TD. Skyler Cofield was held without a catch for the entire game. Rookie Safety Roscoe Utley had the best game of his young career with 3 INTs. Sanrick Raines and DeMario Waddell also picked off Garrard.


During the week:
In the AFC Championship game we will host the Kansas City Chiefs. Hey JDStang, in this game the Chiefs somehow turned around their franchise on their own The Giants host Mike Zazzali and the Bears in the NFC game.


Game Preview, AFC Championship Game vs Kansas City:
Cletis Parker is back in the lineup and will start at RB. The Chiefs are clearly a run-first team. Most of the workload is shouldered by RB Larry Johnson, who is getting older but still performs at a Pro Bowl level (1312 yds this season). Unfortunately for me, they also have a very good young QB in Jared Sundquist. Their TE Donald Lee somehow made it from a career backup to leading the league in receptions this year with 122. He's the centerpiece of their passing game, with Dwayne Bowe as their best WR. Their defense doesn't have a true superstar (maybe Tamba Hali or Derrick Johnson) but they don't have any weaknesses either. To come away with a win we have to stop Larry Johnson and contain Donald Lee. I expect a close game and the team that commits the fewest mistakes (giving up big plays or turnovers) will likely win.


Game Recap:

Chiefs 17
Dolphins 23

Superbowl here we come... DeMario Waddell took a Sundquist INT all the way back for 47 yards on the very first play from scrimmage. Elvis Dumervil led our defense with 10 tackles. Both QBs struggled to move the chains and were held under 200 passing yards each. Both of them threw 2 picks. My running game couldn't get going with Parker (9-23) or Peterson (8-24) but neither could the Chiefs' running game as we held Larry Johnson to a season low 37 yards (1 TD). With our offense struggling, the defense really carried this team today and the O-Line didn't give up a single sack. Kicker Jaime Potter made all three FG attempts, including a 48 yarder at the end of the first half.

We'll face the Giants in the Superbowl after they beat the Bears 24-10.


During the week:
WR DeSean Jackson tore an ACL against Kansas City and will miss about 6 months. He was placed on IR and we hope that he's ready for the start of next season. No other player was signed to take his place.


Game Preview, Superbowl vs New York Giants:
Eli Manning threw for 4000 yards in each of the last 5 seasons. They also have a good RB duo in Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw and a talented group of weapons for the passing game (Plax, Manningham, Steve Smith, TE Owen Daniels) and an outstanding O-Line. Their defense looks solid but not great on paper and is lacking a true pass rusher (Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are both on IR) and a good #2 CB. If our defense can keep their offense from scoring at will we should have a chance.

[JDStang]

During the week:
In the AFC Championship game we will host the Kansas City Chiefs. Hey JDStang, in this game the Chiefs somehow turned around their franchise on their own

That made me laugh so hard that I think I pulled something. Just mid thread "hey BTW JD Stang"..... lol awesome bro!

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Superbowl Recap:

Giants 10
Dolphins 17

We won our second Lombardi Trophy in the last 3 years with a narrow win against a tough opponent that came down to the last seconds...
Both defenses dominated the opposing offenses throughout the game. We started with a decent drive that ended in a FG but Jaime Potter missed another FG on the next drive. Three-and-outs and interceptions were exchanged for most of the second quarter. With under 2 minutes in the half, Adam Jones had a nice punt return that set us up at midfield. Joshua Brandt made a great leaping catch for 34 yards (he also had 5 drops in the game) and Josh Johnson ran it in on a six yard option keeper to make it 10-0. The Giants started the second half with a FG drive to make it a one-score game again but we finally put together one good drive in the third quarter to give us a comfortable 17-3 lead. Cletis Parker scored on a goalline toss play. The Giants escaped a 3rd and long at their own 5 to drive all the way to our 38, just outside FG range. I decided to play it safe (Cover 2) and it led to a 3rd and 10. I brought the blitz and the Giants surprised me with an outside run that went all the way to the endzone to make it 17-10 with about 6 minutes left. Some more three-and-outs were exchanged and the Giants finally got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:50 remaining. Unfortunately, the user has no control over the defensive playcalling when the CPU uses a two-minute drill so I had to rely on my DC Leslie Frazier, who seemed to call the same blitz play all over again. Eli Manning threw the occasional incompletion but he got rid of the ball very quickly and brought the Giants within my 30. In the end, Demario Waddell intercepted a tipped pass in our endzone, which enabled me to run down the clock.
John Scotland threw 9-31 for only 102 yds and 2 INTs, Josh Johnson and Adrian Peterson couldn't get much going either. Cletis Parker was effective running outside (15-64, TD) but he dropped several screen passes that could've been long gains (blocked perfectly but he dropped the passes). Gino King led our defense with 10 tackles. Mychal Greenwood concluded his breakout season with 4 TFLs and 2 sacks and Mario Williams batted down a lot of passes at the LOS.

Superbowl MVP (voted by me): CB Demario Waddell (game-winning INT, allowed only 1 catch to Plaxico Burress, 5 pass deflections, 2 TFL).


Coming up: season recap and offseason preview

[JDStang]

Congrats on the Championship!!!

I will say tho... I too hate the final 2 minutes of play. It's like your defense can't stop a thing... wish they would have fixed that.

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2012 Season Recap:

Passing:
John Scotland: 101.3 rating, 3896 yds, 31 TD, 18 INT
Josh Johnson: 115.0 rating, 933 yds, 4 TD, 3 INT

Rushing:
Cletis Parker: 229-915 (3.9 avg), 23 TD, 6 FUM
Adrian Peterson: 66-279 (4.2 avg), 7 TD, 2 FUM
Josh Johnson: 59-349 (5.9 avg), 5 TD, 2 FUM

Receiving:
Brandon Marshall: 80-1594, 11 TD, 6 drops
Skyler Cofield: 57-1100, 6 TD, 6 drops
Cletis Parker: 53-937, 8 TD, 11 drops
DeSean Jackson: 37-520, 4 TD, 4 drops
Darrell Ogunyele: 26-312, 1 TD, 7 drops
Joshua Brandt: 25-350, 3 TD, 1 drop

Defense:
Tackles: Mychal Greenlaw (68), Sanrick Raines (62), Roscoe Utley (61)
Sacks: E.Dumervil, D.Finlay, G.King (all 9), D.Tribble, Greenlaw, D.Dockett (all 6)
INTs: Utley (8), King (6), Raines (4), Greenlaw, Wells, Epps (all 3)
QB hurries: Mario Williams (69), Finlay (57), King (51), Greenlaw (48)

Special Teams:
K Jamie Potter: 17-25, 52 yd longest
P Brandon Fields: 44.5 yds avg, 36.4 yds net, 4 in20
KR: DeSean Jackson 28.4 avg, 1 TD, Adam Jones 28.5 avg
PR: Adam Jones 7.4 avg, Jackson 8.5 avg


Coaching Caroussel:
Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier stepped down from his job. It's expected that he wants to pursue a head coaching job. The Dolphins released a statement, thanking Frazier for his great work during his time with the franchise. They wish him all the best for the future and understand his decision to move on.
Mike Haluchak (former LB coach) was promoted to take the vacant DC job.
Matt Sheldon was hired as the new LB coach.
New York Jets released HC Kevin O'Dea and hired former Bengals OC Bob Bratkowski. Brett Bourbin was hired as their DC.
Buffalo Bills released HC Bobby April and hired former Bucs HC Jon Gruden. Eric Mangini was hired as their DC. With Gruden at Buffalo and Brees his QB the division gets a lot tougher.


Offseason Preview:
We have some big name FAs on our roster. Most of them will not be resigned due to lack of cap space. We would like to resign Adrian Peterson but I'm not willing to give him much guaranteed money because of his 45 INJ rating, even though he managed to stay healthy for the entire season. Darnell Dockett had a Pro Bowl year although he wasn't even a full starter. He'll likely demand big money which we can't pay him. Both backup NTs (Shaun Rogers & Herman Cable) are out of contract. I'd like to resign one of them if the price is right. CBs Ellis Hobbs and Adam Jones are out of contract. Both will likely get better offers elsewhere. The same applies to TE Vernon Davis.
RB Andre Granderson and WR Darrelle Ogunyele are RFAs. Ideally we keep Granderson and get a nice pick for Ogunyele.

We have 3 picks in each of the first two rounds in the draft with our first round picks at #11, #26 and #32. This year's draft class seems to be loaded at CB. I'll probably pick one early to replace Ellis Hobbs (FA). All 5 starters of our Offensive Line are heading into the final year of their contracts. I'll probably draft someone to be prepared for that as I won't be able to resign all 5 starters. There's also a DT (who'll likely go early) and a pass rushing OLB that I really like in this draft, as well as a pair of standout RBs. I might take one of the RBs if I can't agree on a new deal with Peterson. The top price in this class is surely Notre Dame QB Logan Axelrod. The Jets have the first pick after going 0-16 but they already have Trent Stanton at QB so it might get interesting...

Tom Brady will hit free agency after failing to agree to a new contract with the Patriots. Let's see where he ends up...
RFAs Andre Granderson & Darrelle Ogunyele were both given the 2nd round tender (L2, 1.47m).