GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9. In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes beat Virginia with latest CSM poll, state Collball Week 10 with Noles, Gators, FIU & more. 2) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also on Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Periscope.
My column on the Wounded Warriors: Click on The Real America's Team for my Sunday column on the Wounded Warriors Amputee Football Team, which will be in town to play a flag game against local former Dolphins and NFL Alumni on Tuesday evening at Flanagan High in Pembroke Pines.
CSM shows record approval: The latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter is running at 91.8 percent, a season high. See the previous blogpost for details.
Our postgame thoughts below: Find our in-game Dolphins-Bills commentary and postgame thoughts directly below the new Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G8: 4.8%: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 4.8 percent overall satisfaction -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 33-17 loss at Buffalo putting Miami's season record at 3-5. The DSM, in its eighth year, 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 day after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 6:30 a.m. today/Tuesday.
2015 DSM Results
Game 1: 31.0% (following 17-10 victory at Washington)
Game 2: 1.7% (following 23-20 loss at Jacksonville)
Game 3: 18.0% (following 41-14 loss vs. Buffalo)
Game 4: 2.7% (following 27-14 loss vs. N.Y Jets in London)
Game 5: 92.0% (following 38-10 victory at Tennessee)
Game 6: 96.1% (following 44-26 victory vs. Houston)
Game 7: 32.4% (following 36-7 loss at New England)
Game 8: 4.8% (following 33-17 loss at Buffalo)
Next poll: Nov. 15 (following game at Philadelphia)
G8: DOLPHINS AT BUFFALO: MIAMI MUST GET OFF DIVISION SCHNEID TO REACH MIDSEASON HAPPY: Final thoughts: Where to begin? Miami's defense against the run was awful, with an embarrassing 266 yards allowed. The defense overall gave up three scoring plays of 38 yards or longer. The offense -- though Ryan Tannehill topped a hollow 300 yards -- put up not enough points. There was the early dumb safety. There was 'The Campbell Gamble' gone wrong. Now Miami is 3-5 at midseason and -- worse -- 0-4 in the AFC East. The Dan Campbell Bandwagon is emptying, needs new recruits. Somewher, Joe Philbin is thinking, "See. It wasn't all me!" One last thing: Why is Jason Fox still in the NFL? ..... Fourth Q: Miami adds a 48-yard FG that ndeeded desperately to be a touchdown. It's 33-17 with time dwindling. ... Game all but over. Miami down 33-14 on Williams' 38-yard TD -- the third scoring play of that distance or longer given up by Fins defense. ... Do you believe in mini-miracles? (If you did, you don't now). ... Third Q: Game slipping from Miami? Buffs now up 26-14 when Sammy Watkins beats Brent Grimes for 44-yard scoring pass from Tyrod Taylor. ... Bad turnover by Tannehill on strip-sack fumble when Fins were driving into Bison territory. ... Impressive 80-yard drive led by Tannehill has MIA within 19-14, capped by another Miller short scoring run. ..... Halftime: Tannehill 16-for-20 for 191 yards, but seven points not enough for one half's work. Dolphins run defense gouged for 145 yards already, on 20 Bills carries. Huge gamble failing just before could be demoralizing, so let's see the fight left in Fins as second half begins. ..... Second Q: Miami, at Buffalo 2 with 2 seconds left, eschew easy field goal, goes for it, and pass to Dion Sims falls incomplete. Many will play the result, but I don't mind that ballsy gamble by Dan Campbell. ... Karlos Williams 11-yard run has BUF up 19-7. Dolphins must strike back before halftime, must stay close. ... Stuff like this comes back to haunt: Dolphins just had a 51-yard kickoff return (negated by penalty) and a 46 yard-catch by Kenny Stills, and still had to punt. ... BUF 12-7 now on 43-yard FG by ex-Fin Dan Carpenter. ... Fins within 9-7 on Lamar Miller 1-yard run ending impressive 85-yard march. ... Miami needs to not abandon the running game like Joe Philbin did early in the season when down like this. ..... First Q: Bills 9-0 on 48-yard LeSean McCoy run. Nightmare start for the Fins. ... Unbelievable. BUF 2-0 on a safety -- second game in a row for one of those against Miami as Mike Pouncey snap sails over Ryan Tannehill and out of end zone. Bad snap, but maybe catchable. Crazy. Makes a team look like buffoons. ..... Original post: Here comes a huge division game because the 3-4 team that crawls over its rival’s back to reach .500 at midseason will be well in the wild-card race in a top-heavy AFC, while the loser will be left in a ditch. The Dolphins played a week ago Thursday so should be rested but return to action missing their most impactful defender in injured sack-man Cam Wake. The Bills are even more rested, coming off a bye, and return with Tyrod Taylor back at QB — a huge upgrade over one-man turnover factory EJ Manuel — and likely with WR Sammy Watkins back, too. Other factors might also worry a Miami fan today. Buffs have won four of past five in this AFC East rivalry including a 41-14 spanking in Fins’ home opener this year, the game that probably most doomed Joe Philbin. And Bufftown has been Ryan Tannehill’s quicksand; he is 0-3 with a miserable 59.1 passer rating in this place. Last week I said Miami had to prove it could win in New England before I’d bet ’em to. Though to less a degree, the same is true of this game. I am not abandoning the Dan Campbell Bandwagon after one humbling loss, but I make this a venue call. Give me Rex Ryan, at home, off a bye and with his QB back healthy. Hey, don't kill the messenger! My pick: Buffalo, 24-20.
HOT BUTTON TOP 10: WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday feature (updated Mondays) is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:
1. DOLPHINS: Miami can't win a bleepin’ division game!: The worst part of the Dolphins’ 3-5 record at midseason is the 0-4 in AFC East games — losses by a combined score of 137-52 after Sunday's 33-17 loss at Buffalo. The Dan Campbell Bandwagon is now in a ditch and waiting on AAA.
2. HURRICANES: UM beats Virginia, gains bowl-eligibility: A week after the Miracle at Duke, UM hosted Virginia and won more normally, 27-21, to gain bowl eligibility at 6-3. Win, lose or draw, Saturday’s game provided a reason to finally stop thinking about, bragging about, complaining about or otherwise talking about last week’s controversial finish.
3. HEAT: Season’s longest homestand underway: Still not sure how good Heat is at 4-3, but clues are coming as Miami begins a season-high seven-game homestand with last night's 96-76 rout of Toronto led by Chris Bosh's 23 points and Hassan Whiteside's 20 with 11 rebounds. Question now: When does 3-point specialist Gerald Green, following this week’s bizarre episode, get on the court again?
4. UM BASKETBALL: Canes men, women tip off seasons this week: It’s a soft opening — ACC games don’t start for a while — as the Canes open at home this Friday with Jim Larrañaga’s men against UT-Rio Grande Valley and Katie Meier’s women hosting Wright State. Both UM teams are said to be good, but we’ll take that to mean NIT-good until more faith is earned.
5. PANTHERS: Ice cracking as Cats drop fifth in a row: A hot start to their NHL season encouraged all that offseason talk about this being a playoff team, but the Cats are now 5-9 after losing five straight games and eight of past 10. Florida is back home Tuesday with fans beginning to wonder if all that “new and improved” talk is false advertising.
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