finfanfromrochester Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 I'll start by saying that was one of the most brutal first halves I've witnessed as a Dolphins fan. I don't think either team played especially well, but I figured the Bills were easily on pace to win at halftime. The Bills offensive line really excelled in that first half -- which is why I was so surprised that we were able to get so much pressure on Orton in the second half. I've always thought the Dolphins' coaches were good at second half adjustments, but it seemed like it was more that the Bills O line just became worn down as the second half progressed. I was actually somewhat impressed with Kyle Orton in the first half. It might have been because there was pretty much no pressure on him at all, but he stood in the pocket well and consistently moved the ball down the field, converting some crucial third downs. Once the second half came along, though, it was almost like we were dealing with a different QB. Once we actually got some pressure on him, you could tell he was beginning to get rattled. Throws were becoming way more anticipatory and much more errant. Part of that is on him, but he really didn't have a lot of time to throw on some of those failed third down conversions. I feel like the Bills really abandoned the run in the second half. Dixon was popping off some decent runs in the first half, but it seemed like after that safety the Bills O became much more one dimensional. Bryce Brown is clearly a liability in the run game, but as a receiver he is still dangerous. Props to Mario Williams for being a force as usual. And major props to Chris Hogan who looks a lot better than from when I recall watching him on hard knocks. He seemed to disappear in the second half as well. And where was Sammy Watkins all game? I didn't watch his matchups with Grimes enough to conclude that he was shut down, but he clearly wasn't enough of a factor for you guys. You guys are going to have a brutal D for years to come, so it really seems like it's all coming down to QB play and consistent offensive line play -- as it does for us as well. I've definitely gained a lot of confidence in Tannehill this year, and am now confident that he is our QB of the future. He and Landry already have a nice connection, and I foresee them hooking up a lot in the future. That cut by Landry to score the TD was pretty impressive. Love his fire, he always seems to liven up the team with his attitude. The Bills definitely didn't seem very emotional over the course of the game. The first half both teams were lethargic and flat, but in the second half the Dolphins really distinguished themselves as the team that wanted it more on both O and D. I've got a lot of respect for the Bills, and honestly didn't expect the Fins come out with a win last night. It's nice to be able to get over the Buffalo hump that has seemed to weigh on Tannehill and the Fins for a couple years now. But I expect a tough matchup every time the two of them hook up. I hope you guys can still bounce back this season and keep your playoff hopes alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 thanks for the analysis, you make some good points. thanks for the post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloWings Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Miami's pass rush just got better in the second half and the Bills didn't have an answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finfanfromrochester Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 (edited) Miami's pass rush just got better in the second half and the Bills didn't have an answer. i've definitely noticed this trend all year long with the pass rush. part of it concerns me as I'd like our guys to be able hit the QB from the first quarter on, but Wake and Vernon are always such a factor at the end of games, a testament to their conditioning I suppose. and just an obligatory side note: I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a guaranteed victory in the NFL, and I hope Mckelvin learned his lesson. I definitely wouldn't appreciate any Dolphin's players making a prediction like that before a game, especially against a division rival. Edited November 14, 2014 by finfanfromrochester Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 the first half I thought was actually very well played outside of Tannehill losing his awareness and getting sloppy with the ball on that run. Excluding the final kneeldown, there were only 5 possessions. Both teams moved the ball. Both defenses stepped up. The half was on pace to clock in under an hour, but the last 3 minutes were filled with commercials. In fact, they were playing catch-up with commercials for the rest of the game which was annoying and terrible and killed any flow in the 2nd half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finfanfromrochester Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 the first half I thought was actually very well played outside of Tannehill losing his awareness and getting sloppy with the ball on that run. Excluding the final kneeldown, there were only 5 possessions. Both teams moved the ball. Both defenses stepped up. The half was on pace to clock in under an hour, but the last 3 minutes were filled with commercials. In fact, they were playing catch-up with commercials for the rest of the game which was annoying and terrible and killed any flow in the 2nd half. I was so absurdly angry watching that first half. The Tannehill fumble was absolutely devastating, but the fact that only 9 total points were scored after 2 quarters with plenty of red zone opportunities says a lot about both of our offenses. Having a bad red zone offense is one of the most frustrating things in football. Both squads were easily driving the ball down the field only to settle for three. I suppose that's also a testament to both team's solid red zone defenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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