Baltimore Ravens: Q&A with a Miami Dolphins Fan

The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Miami Dolphins this Sunday at Sun Life Stadium. I interviewed fellow TBW writer Nate Wardle about his thoughts on the Dolphins season and what’s to come.

The Baltimore Wire is a group of men who have various backgrounds, but the majority of us share a passion. We love to read and write sports, and all of us are fans of the Baltimore Orioles. That is the one consistent with our group of writers.

When it comes to the NFL, we are a mixed group. While I have been covering the Ravens for about nine months now, I grew up in Philadelphia and remain a die-hard Eagles fan. It’s been a rough season for Philadelphia sports in general, but I remain loyal to my teams.

My colleague Nate Wardle is a Miami Dolphins fan. He has done some terrific writing about the Orioles for us, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask some questions about the Dolphins from someone who actually follows them.

Here is the transcript of our discussion:

Joe: First, I have to ask the most logical question. You are a Baltimore Orioles fan and a fantastic writer for us at The Baltimore Wire, so how exactly did you become a Dolphins fan?

Nate: I became a fan of my favorite teams based on players. With the Orioles, it was Cal Ripken Jr. Dolphins was Dan Marino. I am also a Miami Heat fan (Alonzo Mourning and then Dwyane Wade) and Dallas Stars (Mike Modano and Brett Hull). So, that explains why my favorite teams are spread throughout the U.S., but the O’s have been my ‘first love’ since I can actually go to their games.

Joe: Many thought this Dolphins team had a chance to finally dethrone the New England Patriots and win the AFC East. That obviously has not been the case as Miami is also sporting a 4-7 record. What is the state of the franchise with Joe Philbin, Bill Lazor and Kevin Coyle all being fired during the season?

Nate: It certainly has not been the year Dolphins fans expected, something Ravens fans can relate to. The first game, they pulled out a victory against Washington, but went on to lose to Jacksonville, and it hasn’t got much better. Joe Philbin was the first to go, replaced by Dan Campbell. Coyle was next, and now this week Lazor fired. The franchise is very much in flux. It is doubtful Campbell will be the head coach next year, despite all the good things he has done. Stephen Ross will want to bring in a big name, I assume. Maybe a guy like Mike Shanahan, or Gruden or Cowher. Think of all the big names…maybe even Brian Billick.

The team has started slow in almost every game, save for the game when they destroyed the Texans. The running game has been a major disappointment, the expected improvement on the offensive line has not happened, and the cornerback position outside of Brent Grimes has been a major issue as well. This team was looking for players to step up, but most of those who were needed to step up, haven’t.

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Joe: Is Dan Campbell likely to stick around as head coach next season? If not, who would you like to see as the next head coach?

Nate: I don’t see it. I think Ross goes after a big name. All the people above included. I saw the other day that the team has tried to go with coordinators with no head coaching experience for awhile now, and it hasn’t panned out. Cam Cameron, Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin…This is a once-proud franchise, that hasn’t had much to cheer about recently.

Joe: Is Ryan Tannehill partly to blame for this season and is he really the man that is going to lead this team to that division crown in the future?

Nate: This is the huge question with the Dolphins. They have some great pieces in Jarvis Landy, Mike Pouncey (if he can stay healthy), Suh, Brent Grimes, Reshad Jones (one of the best safeties in the NFL). Lamar Miller was a very productive runner last year. But, Tannehill has not improved as much as expected. This preseason, he was absolutely fantastic. But it hasn’t translated, except for the Texans game. Tannehill keeps showing glimpses of his talent. It may be the fact they don’t have a good line. It may be on the offensive coordinators. The rumors are that Bill Lazor was widely unliked, and would not let Tannehill audible, which is baffling.

The book on Tannehill is he is an intelligent QB who has good speed, struggles with the deep ball, but is fairly accurate.

Joe: There has been much made about Ndamukong Suh‘s contract and his commitment to the team and play calling. Was it the right move to bring in Suh and can this defense be dominant?

Nate: Suh has been quietly very productive for the team, but I think the team’s lack of linebackers has hurt. For Detroit, he opened holes for DeAndre Levy and others. For Miami, he isn’t getting the mentions, but he is still grading out really well. As for his leadership, he wants to win, and he wants to do well. I can’t fault a guy for that. If the truth hurts, so be it.

The major issue with the team is the fact that all of the coordinators are putting their best players in positions where they are not able to use all of their skills. This includes Suh, Lamar Miller, Tannehill and others. And that is the core problem with this team.

I didn’t agree with bringing him in, as the defensive line was a strength of the team. The defense can be dominant, but they still need a second competent corner, something they have not found yet.

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Joe: Jarvis Landry is one of my favorite players to root for that does not get a lot of national attention. Just how good is he?

Nate: Jarvis is arguably the best player on this team, and has been essential from the time he became a Dolphin. He doesn’t have the size of Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones or A.J. Green. But, as a slot receiver his ability is probably unmatched. Even better than a healthy Julian Edelman. He also doesn’t have breakaway speed like Antonio Brown does, but he is a very, very good receiver.

Joe: The Dolphins are in a similar situation as the Ravens in that they will have many holes to fill. Other than the coaching staff, what will be the top need for this team in the offseason?

Nate: Tough to tell. I would say that the biggest issue continues to be the offensive line. But, they have several young players there, but they aren’t doing a good job of giving Tannehill time to throw. I think the biggest need is going to be that second corner. Grimes is a really good corner, but he is too short to cover a guy like Brandon Marshall, who burned him last week. They need to bring in a taller corner to help cover some of the top WRs in the league.

Joe: Last, but not least: give us a prediction for the game on Sunday.

Nate: Well, the Ravens only play close games, since they all have been decided by 7 points or less. The Dolphins are slow starters. For that reason, I anticipate a low scoring game. I think Landry has a big game, and the Dolphins get back to running the ball, and it leads them to a 22-17 victory.

Next: Backups On Offense Played Well vs. Browns

I want to thank Nate for his time and recommending this idea. I will have my prediction for the Ravens vs. Dolphins game coming soon, and as always, stay with us at The Baltimore Wire for continuous coverage of the Ravens, Orioles, Terps and more.

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