Ch. 3
Coach’s Log, Week 2, 2019:
Practice focused on the most important position groups we had — namely, quarterback, the offensive line, the defensive line, and defensive backs. We were going to need all of them to grow in order to build the Miami Dolphins organization into an NFL powerhouse, not a division bottom-dweller.
This the was mandate — the owner, Stephen Ross, hired me to build the team into a sustainable entity, so I had a long leash, but nothing was guaranteed in the NFL, except Jon Gruden’s crazy contract.
Week 2 we faced the team that had won the division more times than I could count, a team that had taken the AFC East what felt like every single damned year; the Patriots. They had lost the week before, like us, by just a few points to the Steelers. They were angry, they were motivated, and they had Tom Brady.
Our goal was to win and stay as far away from Gilmore as possible — if we didn’t throw at him, we’d at least avoid him making any impact plays. Did it mean we conceded whatever side of the field he was on? In some cases, yes, but better conceding that than turning the ball over.
In the first, we absolutely busted the Patriots wide open. New England may had had a pass rush, but their rush defense was awful — the running backs had heard me go on all week about what a piss poor performance we put up in Week 1, and they came out hungry. Ballage got the ball going, scoring a big TD run to open the game and he was the star of the first quarter as we scored two TDs on the ground thanks to him.
In the second, the passing game got going and Rosen found former Patriot Dwayne Allen in the endzone for a TD on a stupendous one-handed grab.
Allen had been brought in as the veteran option, a guy who knew the division and — more importantly — still had game in his late 20s. Gesicki was learning under him and learning well, as Rosen and he hooked up repeatedly. Kenny Stills showed out too, as the trades of Parker and Wilson had freed up catches for him and Rosen was calling his number — Stills could line up all over the field now without worrying about taking someone else’s stats.
The Patriots passed for a lot of yards, but also turned the ball over three times and the offense put them away. It was a big win.
After the game, I handed the game ball off to Mike Gesicki — he had a huge day, was a lethal weapon. He was prepared to do big things, I could feel it and so could he.
We were traveling to face the Cowboys next week. If he was going to show off, there were fewer places better to do it than Big D.