I fear that the loss of Dion Sims this week will cripple the run game more than losing Rashad Jones will hurt the secondary. Don't get me wrong. Jones is one of the three best safeties in the NFL. But frankly, the drop-off at safety is less than the drop-off at blocking Tight-End, which in this game at least will be severe. Buffalo is one of the toughest most physical Defensive Lines the Dolphins will face this season. No offense to the Steelers, but this is apples and oranges. The Bills are the Real Deal Defense. They will put pressure on the Offensive Line and Ryan Tannehill. Having that sixth offensive lineman in Dion would have really helped this week as it did last week. I hope MarQueis Gray (upper right) and Dominique Jones (lower right) can fill the blocking void left by Dion Sims. I believe both of these unproven journeyman Tight Ends hold the key to the running game tomorrow against the Bills. We know they can catch the ball. If they can provide much needed blocking for Jay Ajayi, THEN, we have a chance tomorrow.Now, the defense does need to provide a similar performance as in the Pittsburgh game. And, if the running game and play-action passing succeeds, the defense should be able to play fewer plays than the offense. Time of possession is a huge advantage when playing power teams, like Buffalo.
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Your comments kinda make me wonder if you watched the last game against the Steelers. Both Gray and Jones not only made plays catching the ball but also made critical blocks that helped our running game. They were especially effective because they were doing a lot of cut blocking which really slowed down the Steelers defenders. Gase said. ” … Those two guys did a great job of stepping up and having that next-man-up mentality. We didn’t lose anything at those positions because those guys really, they sold out. They did everything they could just to make sure that they did their job.”
Gray caught all three passes thrown his way against the Steelers for 81 yards. Jones added a catch for 8. While that’s the glamor part of the job, it would be a disservice to understate the effectiveness the Dolphins have had with their tight ends blocking.
Coaches credited Gray with the pancake block that sprung Jay Ajayi for his 11-yard touchdown run in overtime against Cleveland. Gray and Jones did their part setting the edge as Ajayi ran for 204 yards against Pittsburgh.
I concur David. Omar Kelly made it a point to repeatedly mention Jones as a dominant cut blocker that had Steeler's Linebackers avoiding him late in the game. I don't think Sims loss is substantial. Losing Reshad Jones is incomparable. Reshad cannot be replaced. His smart, phyiscal play, quiet leadership, tone-setting hits and consistent big-plays are critical. I really hope Vance Joseph can find an effective solution.
It doesn't matter what they did to Pittsburgh bc the Buffalo defensive line is 100x better than Pittsburgh's line! If there is a weakness Buffalo will expose it!
It doesn't matter what they did to Pittsburgh bc the Buffalo defensive line is 100x better than Pittsburgh's line! If there is a weakness Buffalo will expose it!