1) It is MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. Check out blogpost directly below this for the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter results. (Ouch). 2) Click on Random Evidence for our latest Sunday notes-column package. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes fall at Nebraska, CSM poll, other state Collball Week 4 & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.
Tannehill on the hot seat: Click on Pressure to Perform for my column off Sunday's Dolphins loss.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G3: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they should a rock-bottom 2.0 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Sunday's 34-15 home loss vs. Kansas City putting Miami's season record at 1-2. The DSM, in its seventh season, is a continuous weekly gauge of how fans are feeling about the Dolphins and their direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9 a.m. today/Tuesday.
2014 DSM results
G1: 96.4% (following 33-20 victory vs. New England)
G2: 12.2% (following 29-10 loss at Buffalo)
G3: 2.0% (following 34-15 loss vs. Kansas City)
Next poll: Sept. 28 (following game vs. Oakland in London)
G3: KANSAS CITY 34, DOLPHINS 15: BAD FINS SHOW UP, NOT GOOD FINS: Final: A really bad home loss for Miami, which was favored against a mediocre opponent and should have been desperate to win after last week's stinker at Buffalo. Instead the Fins slip to 1-2 and suddenly that good feeling after the opening-win over New England seems a long time ago. Ryan Tannehill (21-for-43, 69.4 rating) simply was not good enough to turn a winnable game in Miami's favor. ..... 4Q: KC makes the final score of 34-15 with a TD with 13 seconds left. ... McKnight 4-yard TD catch makes it 27-15 with 4:35 to play. ... Lamar Miller up to 108 yards rushing, but the bright spots won't mean much if this is a loss. ..... 3Q: Miami within 21-15 on safety as Randy Starks and Jelani Jenkins combine to drop Alex Smith in the e-zone. ... Fins settle for 51-yard Sturgis FG, a semi-waste of that long kickoff return. ... Landry with a 75-yard kickoff return to Chiefs 32. ... Just when Miami gets back in game, defense lets up a 10-play, 66-yard Chiefs drive ending in McKnight's 11-yard scoring catch. ... MIA takes advantage of takeaway, draws within 14-10 on Hartline 1-yard TD pass from Tannehill. Hartline then penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for excessive celebration after pretending to putt a golf ball in the end zone. No, seriously. ... Derrick Shelby fumble recovery caused by Jared Odrick at KC 19 sets up Miami. ..... Half: Trailing at home to a bad Kansas City squad is not acceptable, let alone by 14-3. Offense not producing. Defense generally OK but lapses in tackling and Alex Smith has a 135.4 passer rating. ..... 2Q: Miami within 14-3 on 22-yard FG as time expires. Impressive 74-yard drive fell just short. Philbin cautious but smart to opt for three points rather than gamble and go for TD from 4. ... Chiefs up 14-0 on Smith's 20-yard pass to Travis Kelce. Embarrassing result so far for the home team. ... Two-minute warning. Fins two minutes from getting booed off the field the way this game is going. ... KC up 7-0 on 21-yard Knile Davis scoring through through shoddy tackling. How is Miami losing to this team?! ... Dolphins blow a 48-yard FG try wide left, wasting a series that included a 30-yard completion to Wallace. ..... 1Q: Landry follows his good kick return with an ill advised punt return bottling Miami at its own 4. ... Jarvis Landry terrific 40-yard kick return to open game, but drive fizzles in a curious 3rd-and-8 run call by Philbin. ... Pregame: As if there was any doubt (there wasn't), RB Jamaal Charles is officially inactive for KC. ..... Original post: Let's not equivocate. The pressure is squarely on the Dolphins today, at home, to shake off last week's miserable effort in Buffalo, win this very-winnable game and restore some of the good feeling that came in the wake of the opening win over New England. Also unequivocally, the
pressure is on quarterback Ryan Tannehill to author that victory and
restore Dolfans' confidence in him, which is eroding. Tannehill needs a big game. So does Miami. A loss and it's going to begin to feel like same-old-Dolphins, another erratic season of shuffling mediocrity. Likewise Tannehill needs a positive showing to stave off the doubters, who are waiting for a reason to chant for replacement Matt Moore. I'm careful to avoid hyperbole when I can, and am loath to call a game a "must win" unless it literally is. So let's just say today's stakes feel unsually large for a third game of a season. (Pictured above left: The game program from the first Dolphins home game in history, the 1966 AFL preseason opener vs. the Chiefs). My pick: Dolphins, 20-17.
HOT BUTTON: TOP 10 THINGS SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our Random Evidence Sunday notes-column package has returned in print from summer hiatus (click HERE for today's latest edition), but due to semi-popular demand an updated, expanded Hot Button continues as an exclusive Sunday feature of the blog. Hot Button means what's on our minds as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead:
1. Dolphins: Pressure on Fins, Tannehill to bounce back: Good Fins, Bad Fins. Exhilirating triumph over Patriots, then an ugly collapse in Buffalo. Miami needs to find consistency, and Ryan Tannehill needs to more consistently find his receivers, starting today vs. Chiefs.
2. Hurricanes: UM's defense gets run-overin Lincoln: The Canes' offense was OK in last night's 41-31 loss at Nebraska, but the run defense was horrid. The emergency meeting of the Mark D'Onofrio Haters Club will now come to order.
3. Marlins: Final homestand of strange season: Only four home games left including today for Fish, who stayed on periphery of wild-card race into September despite losing stars Jose Fernandez (early) and Giancaro Stanton (late) to injuries.
4. Heat: Post-LeBron Heat prepare to open camp: Dwyane Wade and downsized Heat open training camp this coming Saturday following departure of LeBron James after four season. Upside of LeBron leaving? Heat fans won't be cfriticized as much for showing up late to games or leaving early.
5. Panthers: Camp underway for Cats, new coach: Training camp is underway for new coach Gerard Gallant and the Cats. Owner Vonnie Viola quashed rumors by vowing to keep club in South Florida. With no playoff series win since 1997, how about an owner vowing to put a winning team on the ice?
6. NFL: Embattled Goodell won't resign, vows cleanup: Commissioner Roger Goodell emerged from hiding for a press conference, vowing to not resign and to clean up the NFL's image problem in wake of domestic-abuse issues and other arrests.
7. Seminoles: No. 1 FSU survives sans-Winston: Top-ranked Florida State edged Clemson, 23-17, in overtime despite QB Jameis Winston sitting out the game suspended. Gators (vs. Alabama) and Canes (vs. Nebraska) had less luck on a big day for state's Big 3 teams.
8. Team USA: Americans win FIBA World Cup gold: Team USA and its NBA stars dominated in the FIBA World Cup In Spain, winning every game by an average margin of 35 points. I've never been prouder, or more bored.
9. Seahawks-Broncos: Denver visits Seattle in a Super Bowl rematch: It's also a possible SB preview as league's best teams clash. Isn't it terrible when football distracts us from talking about domestic abuse and DUI arrests?
10. Team rankings: ESPN's Ultimate Standings mean to Miami: Franchises in Big Four sports are ranked 1 through 122 by various criteria and, after the Heat at a respectable 34th overall, it's bad nedws for South Florida, with Marlins ranked 96th, Panthers 102nd and Dolphins 108th.
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