August 13, 2025 • 16 mins
Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel in Miami joins the show to talk all things Dolphins as they prepare to take on the Lions in Detroit this weekend for a preseason clash.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Be good. Look, that's talented roster. They're creative on offense,
and they got a tough d you know, that's that
kind of Baltimore background. So the scheme will be good.
The speed on the perimeter will be really good for
our guys, you know, obviously with what they've got. So
you know, we're looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Really proud that Chris Perkins, the communist for Sun Sentinel
in Miami, is able to join us. You can fill
him on Twitter at Chris Perk. He's ready for Lions
and Dolphins coming up this weekend. And we know it's
just a preseason game, but there are things that you
can gauge from two teams scrimmaging one another. And Chris
joins us here on Exes and Bros. On the Lindsay
Hunter Foundation guest Line. Chris, we appreciate it very much.
(00:38):
Welcome to town. What has been your early impression with Miami.
I know it's early, but you still get impressions on
teams and you've been doing this a long time. What's
the early impression.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Early impression is their debt has some problems, especially at
offensive line and then at cornerbacks. Of course, their starting
corners have some problems too. You know, they've lost all
five starters from the secondary. Last year they the big
the big deal was Jalen Ramsey from Minka Fitzpatrick and
John new Smith. So they've got Minka Fitzpatrick but no
(01:10):
Jalen Ramsey. Uh Storm Duck is one of the starting corners,
but he was an undrafted rookie out of Louisville last year.
The other corner they don't know. So uh gets that
backup offensive line because an offensive lineman is going to
get Kirt and then the starting corners and the backup corners.
That's that's Those are my number one concerns with this team.
(01:32):
And that's taken two A help you know, out of
the equation, that's a I think that's an obvious one
to anybody who's seen this team.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I think you get six, maybe even seven on
the two deep, but I think six starters who are
a little questionable right now on your offense from a
from a health standpoint, How deep do you think that
can create an issue for your team moving forward?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well, you know one of the guys that's out as
Austin Jackson, the right tackle, he might be their best
run blocker. He's had an injury history, so that's a
little worrisome. The two receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle,
they're pretty much fine. The fullback alec Ingole, he's out
with a concussion. He's pretty much fine. Austin Jackson, the
(02:18):
right tackle, is the one that you worry about. He
missed the second half of last season with a right
knee injury. He got stepped on in a practice, so
I'm guessing it's a foot or a toe or something
like that. He's expected to be ready for the regular season,
but he had big injury problems in twenty twenty two also,
So he's the one offensively right now of the guys
(02:41):
that are out that you're kind of wondering up. Hopefully
this isn't coming back again.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Aaron Brewer, Darren Waller, two other guys. For sure, people
are probably slightly concerned. They're in Miami when you talk
about the Dolphins, and every city's going through this right now. Chris,
I mean, it's the expectations. What are the expectations of
the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Do you think, oh man, they better come up big.
I think general manager Chris Breer and Mike McDaniel are
both on the hot seat. So going back to the
Mike McDaniel era, which started in twenty twenty two, he
has a twenty eight and twenty three record oh and
two in the playoffs. And I'll tell you this, since
(03:22):
these two teams met in twenty twenty two, a Dolphins
victory that improved the Dolphins to five and three and
dropped the Lions to one and six. Since that time,
the Dolphins are twenty three and twenty one oh and
two in the playoffs, the Lions thirty five and nine,
two and two in the playoffs, and as you know,
a trip to the NFC Championship. So to me, you know,
(03:43):
the big thing with the Dolphins is can you get
over the hump? Can you win a playoff game for
the first time in twenty five years? And wrapped inside
of that, yeah, wrapped inside of that, can you beat
playoff teams? Under Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins are four sixteen
against playoff teams. The last two years, they're two and
(04:04):
ten against playoff teams. Tua has played in all twelve
with those games. In those twelve games, neither Tyreek Hill
nor Jalen Waddle have a one hundred yard game and
Tua has had a total of fifteen touchdowns fourteen interception.
So teams that good teams know how to shut down
that passing game, and then the Dolphins are basically powerless.
(04:26):
They've got to get over that hump somehow.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, that is great information from Chris Perkins, the columnists
for the Sun Sentinel in Miami. Fallen on Twitter at
Chris Perk. He's joining us here on the Lindsay Hunter
Foundation guest line. I do want to get to Dan
Campbell in a minute, But you bring up Mike McDonald.
He's a different cat, at least he looks like it
from afar. How good of a coach do you think
he is? And where does he need to improve?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
In your mind, it's still remains to be seen how
good a coach he is. I like the fact that
Mike McDaniel is innovative, he's different. He kind of reminds
me of you know, if you remember for Joe Madden
is the old manager for Tampa Bay and baseball. You
see a thing differently, right, and but it worked, you know,
it worked for him. For McDaniel, it has not worked.
(05:11):
You know, they're trying to win with Steve speed, speed,
but they bring a seven on seven mentality to tackle football,
and that's what I wonder about.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Really.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
He's big on player empowerment, which you know, I believe
in letting players decide some stuff and taking it easy.
He gives like a lot of veteran days bet player
rest days during the regular season. They don't run sprints
after practice. He thinks that they benefit more by running
actual plays during practice than they do from the conditioning
(05:42):
after practice. They're not a team that's very physical. They
don't hit. And I think it was it Ran Stewart
who who said that he's not ready, that he's not
sure the Dolphins are ready for the physicality, and and
so these are things that I think that the head
coach kind of sets a model, kind of a template
for what this team is gonna be. And with McDaniel,
(06:05):
you know, he's an IVY League guy. He tries to
outsmart everybody instead of out physical them. And so I
think with his coaching he needs to tweak it. He
needs some changes in some places of tweaks in other places.
People have said that he needs to make a huge change.
I don't think you can go from one hundred and
eighty degrees to players coach to all of a sudden,
(06:26):
tough guy. I think you tweak it maybe forty five degreed,
maybe ninety at the most. You don't try to change
your whole personality. That's fake and nobody believes it. You
just need to be the adult in the room. And
so I need Mike to stop being such a player's
coach and employ a more physical brand of football. Runs
(06:47):
up the middle on first and second, not just on
third and fourth and short when it's expected sentimentality for
this team. Those are kind of the two things I
would like to see from Mike McDaniel.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Yeah, that's well said, It really is covered. I believe
Dan Campbell when he was an interim head coach there
in Miami in twenty fifteen, he was the tight ends
coach from twenty eleven twenty fifteen interim coach. He is not.
He's probably the antithesis of Mike McDaniel. What is it
about Dan Campbell? Maybe you witnessed when he was an
(07:19):
interim with the Dolphins that you thought would lead him
to have this type of success in Detroit. And how
different is he from the guy you're covering right now
as the head boss? On the sideline.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Man, you talk about one hundred and eighty degree difference.
You know, we used to always jokingly call him Man
Campbell down here because the first week when he took
over a hit coach, he had him doing the inside
run drill. This like week seven of the feasan or whatever,
and we're just like, this dude is insane. But he's intent.
You know, he's a grown man. He's a man's man.
(07:53):
He's a pros bro. He is what the NFL used
to be. And Mike McDaniel is kind of this Philicon
Valley approach to the NFL, and Dan Campbell is like, no,
it's a it's a hard hat and lunch fail and
we're bringing it. And and that's what I love about
Dan Campbell. You know, he breathes it like there's nothing
fake about Dan. He's gonna tell you how it goes.
(08:15):
He's gonna, yeah, he's gonna make some probably ill advised
for down gambles. But the offshoot of that is the
team knows what Dan thinks of him. He knows that
that the team knows that Dan has faith in them,
confidence in them, He has expectations for Dan. We're gonna
go for it. We're gonna be tough, We're gonna get
this first down. And that's what really you like about Dan.
(08:37):
You love to see his his brand, his attitude stamp
on that team. And and you know Dan and Dan
is you know, Dan's not just a muscle head. He's
a smart guy also. But you just love that physicality
and that attitude. You know, you better buffle up that
gin strap if you're going against the Lions. And that's
gonna be a huge test for the for the for
(08:59):
the Adulphink.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Chris, You've been doing this a long time. Do you
think the league is getting back to that type of
player coach or do you think it's getting back to
where Dan Campbell is? Look, I mean, he played, he's respected.
You don't have to have played and be respected or
in order to get respected. I mean we've seen that
in sports throughout our entire lives in different sports. But
(09:22):
do you think the league might be shifting toward the
guys who are the tough, tough as nails type attitude
like Dan Campbell with guys coming back like Pete Carroll,
he's more of a disciplinarian at times. I mean, we've
seen it happen and work for a lot of guys lately.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, you know what, it's funny. I think I don't
know that there's a definite shrin right now towards towards anything.
I think it's just kind of what works for your
individual team. You know, Philadelphia does it one way, San
Francisco does it another way. You know, Baltimore and Buffalo.
(10:00):
I think you do need a physicality, right Philadelphia have physicality, Baltimore, Buffalo,
they have physicality. San Francisco when healthy, has some physicality.
And that's what I look at the Dolphins and I think, Wow,
you're just trying to You are really trying to reinvent
the wheel here, and I don't think it works. You know.
(10:21):
The coaching I think, I guess it goes back and forth,
and I would expect that the Dolphins, you know, Brian
Flores was that tough guy. Coach Mike McDaniel is kind
of the Silicon Valley out smartam. If there's another coaching
sittings here, I'm thinking they go back to the tough guy.
The pendulum kind of swing. But I don't know that
there's necessarily a definite trend in the league right now.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
When you look at your division, like the Lions are
the standard right now in the NFC North. They have
been the last two years. It's not like it's a
run that Brett Farv and Aaron Rodgers had with the Packers.
But it's been a nice couple of years for Detroit
and they should be the favorites again this year. The
Bill set the stand in the AFC East. Why is
it still that way? How much gap has Miami closed
(11:06):
or has other teams surpassed them even in route to
try and catch the Bills in your division?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
The Bills. The Bills just crush the Dolphins. And don't
look at the final scores because some of those scores
are close. Look at what happens in those games. Mike
McDaniel era, the Dolphins are one and six against Buffalo
on a six game losing street. All four games that
have been played up in Buffalo, Josh Allen has put
(11:32):
at least thirty points on the Dolphins. It's it's crazy
that that, you know, And really I talked about Waddle
and Tyreek not having hundred yard games against playoff team,
Well that that includes the Buffalo games the Dolphins. Because
the Bills know as long as they shut down Tyreek Hill,
they're not going to lose. The Dolphins have rushed for
(11:53):
one hundred yards in each of the last four games
against Buffalo and they've lost all four. So the gap
is I mean, the gap is huge and it's not closing.
We'll see if the Dolphins can close it this year.
But they're getting beaten at the quarterback play, they're getting
out coached, they're getting out physicals on both lines, sides
(12:13):
of the line of scrimmage. I don't even know if
how physical is a word, but I just made it up.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
It is now. It is now.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
That's right, that's right. So you know, it's just a
complete butt kicking. They lose last year on a sixty
one yard field goal, you know, late in the game,
and so offense, defense, special teams, coaching, physicality, the Bills
just dominate the Dolphins in every way and you're gonna
you know, if you look at the scores, there's some
(12:42):
three point games, thirty four to thirty one in the playoffs,
thirty to twenty seven last year, thirty two to twenty
nine a couple of years ago, twenty one to fourteen
last year. But it's the Bills dominate the Dolphins, and
so on all levels. The Dolphins have to step up
their game to catch up the Buffalo. I don't know
if the Jets or the Patriots have caught the Dolphins.
(13:05):
I'm picking a nine win season for the Dolphins, nine
and eight. But understand something. I think for the third
straight year, the standard for success, the measuring stick is
winning a playoff game. They've gotten to the playoffs twice
in three years under Mike McDaniel. That's old. They've done
that before. They've got to win a playoff game and
(13:25):
pretty much do that. They've got to get a home
playoff game, and pretty much to do that, they've got
to beat Buffalo and some of the better teams on
their schedule. So it kind of gets back to that
four and sixteen record against playoff team. They've got to
get over that hump. They've got to show they can
compete with the good team, and they can start showing
that this week against Detroit.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Well, if you want to know about football, specifically Miami,
but the NFL in general, follow Chris Perkins. Fallhim on
Twitter at Chris Perks. He is the Dolphins columnist for
the Sun Sentinel. When you look at the NFL in general,
and he's joining us here on the Lindsay Hunter Foundation line.
When you look at the NFL overall, give me the
teams you think are the best. If you can give
(14:05):
me the top five, that will do.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Oh boy, let's well, let's start in the in the
a f C. And and let's go with the old standards, right,
Kansas City, Baltimore, Buffalo, and then probably uh, definitely Philadelphia.
I guess you know, we'll see what San Francisco can do,
you know, with with with with healthy parts. But but
they've lost a lot. Boy, that that's five, right, that's
(14:34):
with with San Francisco. It's right, you guys. Wait a minute,
it's right you guys. I can't leave you out of there.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I was wondering, Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Yeah, you guys are right up there with with Philadelphia.
So uh, it's it's gonna be good at the top
this year. I don't know what the middle teams in
the league are gonna do. Who is gonna make a move?
Somebody always makes a move. I don't know who that's
gonna be. Uh, But I think the top team are
going to stay at the top this season. Definitely.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Real quick from an outsider's point of view, What do
you like and what are your concerns about the Lions
this year?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Well, what I like is that they can they can overcome,
you know, and we saw that last year with all
the injuries and and look, nobody is putting Jarrett Golf
up there in the in the top three or four quarterbacks.
You know, he's not Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes
or Joe Burrow. But he's good enough to get it done.
You know, this is a man who's been to a
Super Bowl, been to an NFC championship game. So the
(15:32):
Lions just seemed to overcome. I like. I like the
fact that that you run the ball well, you've got
a good offense, you've got a tough defense. We'll see
what happens with Aiden Pusinson out there this year. My
concern is that you just haven't gotten it over the
hump yet. And that's you know, look, that's that's no
that's no flaw or anything like that. You know, We'll
(15:54):
we'll see if Washington is for real this year. They
were in this NFC Championship game last year. Again, we'll
see what San Francisco can do. We'll see what Philadelphia has.
But I like you guys. I like Dan Campbell. I
like the way that the Lions played football. It's a
complete game. It's a physical game. You know. The Dolphins
(16:16):
really rely on Tua and Tyreek and kind of that
star system. I like that the Lions are a well
rounded team. You guys have good players at pretty much
every you know, unit on the field. You have a
fanned out and that's a solid team. And so that's
what I really like about Detroit. You guys are just
a solid, really good football team. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I think it's a complete team if they can get
that offensive line straight. And health is important to everybody,
as we all know for sure. Chris enjoyed the conversation,
appreciate the knowledge and really respect the passion. Welcome to town,
have a great season, and we hope to talk to
you down the road.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, all right, I'm around. Thanks for having me.
Be good. Look, that's talented roster. They're creative on offense,
and they got a tough d you know, that's that
kind of Baltimore background. So the scheme will be good.
The speed on the perimeter will be really good for
our guys, you know, obviously with what they've got. So
you know, we're looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Really proud that Chris Perkins, the communist for Sun Sentinel
in Miami, is able to join us. You can fill
him on Twitter at Chris Perk. He's ready for Lions
and Dolphins coming up this weekend. And we know it's
just a preseason game, but there are things that you
can gauge from two teams scrimmaging one another. And Chris
joins us here on Exes and Bros. On the Lindsay
Hunter Foundation guest Line. Chris, we appreciate it very much.
(00:38):
Welcome to town. What has been your early impression with Miami.
I know it's early, but you still get impressions on
teams and you've been doing this a long time. What's
the early impression.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Early impression is their debt has some problems, especially at
offensive line and then at cornerbacks. Of course, their starting
corners have some problems too. You know, they've lost all
five starters from the secondary. Last year they the big
the big deal was Jalen Ramsey from Minka Fitzpatrick and
John new Smith. So they've got Minka Fitzpatrick but no
(01:10):
Jalen Ramsey. Uh Storm Duck is one of the starting corners,
but he was an undrafted rookie out of Louisville last year.
The other corner they don't know. So uh gets that
backup offensive line because an offensive lineman is going to
get Kirt and then the starting corners and the backup corners.
That's that's Those are my number one concerns with this team.
(01:32):
And that's taken two A help you know, out of
the equation, that's a I think that's an obvious one
to anybody who's seen this team.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I think you get six, maybe even seven on
the two deep, but I think six starters who are
a little questionable right now on your offense from a
from a health standpoint, How deep do you think that
can create an issue for your team moving forward?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well, you know one of the guys that's out as
Austin Jackson, the right tackle, he might be their best
run blocker. He's had an injury history, so that's a
little worrisome. The two receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle,
they're pretty much fine. The fullback alec Ingole, he's out
with a concussion. He's pretty much fine. Austin Jackson, the
(02:18):
right tackle, is the one that you worry about. He
missed the second half of last season with a right
knee injury. He got stepped on in a practice, so
I'm guessing it's a foot or a toe or something
like that. He's expected to be ready for the regular season,
but he had big injury problems in twenty twenty two also,
So he's the one offensively right now of the guys
(02:41):
that are out that you're kind of wondering up. Hopefully
this isn't coming back again.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Aaron Brewer, Darren Waller, two other guys. For sure, people
are probably slightly concerned. They're in Miami when you talk
about the Dolphins, and every city's going through this right now. Chris,
I mean, it's the expectations. What are the expectations of
the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Do you think, oh man, they better come up big.
I think general manager Chris Breer and Mike McDaniel are
both on the hot seat. So going back to the
Mike McDaniel era, which started in twenty twenty two, he
has a twenty eight and twenty three record oh and
two in the playoffs. And I'll tell you this, since
(03:22):
these two teams met in twenty twenty two, a Dolphins
victory that improved the Dolphins to five and three and
dropped the Lions to one and six. Since that time,
the Dolphins are twenty three and twenty one oh and
two in the playoffs, the Lions thirty five and nine,
two and two in the playoffs, and as you know,
a trip to the NFC Championship. So to me, you know,
(03:43):
the big thing with the Dolphins is can you get
over the hump? Can you win a playoff game for
the first time in twenty five years? And wrapped inside
of that, yeah, wrapped inside of that, can you beat
playoff teams? Under Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins are four sixteen
against playoff teams. The last two years, they're two and
(04:04):
ten against playoff teams. Tua has played in all twelve
with those games. In those twelve games, neither Tyreek Hill
nor Jalen Waddle have a one hundred yard game and
Tua has had a total of fifteen touchdowns fourteen interception.
So teams that good teams know how to shut down
that passing game, and then the Dolphins are basically powerless.
(04:26):
They've got to get over that hump somehow.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, that is great information from Chris Perkins, the columnists
for the Sun Sentinel in Miami. Fallen on Twitter at
Chris Perk. He's joining us here on the Lindsay Hunter
Foundation guest line. I do want to get to Dan
Campbell in a minute, But you bring up Mike McDonald.
He's a different cat, at least he looks like it
from afar. How good of a coach do you think
he is? And where does he need to improve?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
In your mind, it's still remains to be seen how
good a coach he is. I like the fact that
Mike McDaniel is innovative, he's different. He kind of reminds
me of you know, if you remember for Joe Madden
is the old manager for Tampa Bay and baseball. You
see a thing differently, right, and but it worked, you know,
it worked for him. For McDaniel, it has not worked.
(05:11):
You know, they're trying to win with Steve speed, speed,
but they bring a seven on seven mentality to tackle football,
and that's what I wonder about.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Really.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
He's big on player empowerment, which you know, I believe
in letting players decide some stuff and taking it easy.
He gives like a lot of veteran days bet player
rest days during the regular season. They don't run sprints
after practice. He thinks that they benefit more by running
actual plays during practice than they do from the conditioning
(05:42):
after practice. They're not a team that's very physical. They
don't hit. And I think it was it Ran Stewart
who who said that he's not ready, that he's not
sure the Dolphins are ready for the physicality, and and
so these are things that I think that the head
coach kind of sets a model, kind of a template
for what this team is gonna be. And with McDaniel,
(06:05):
you know, he's an IVY League guy. He tries to
outsmart everybody instead of out physical them. And so I
think with his coaching he needs to tweak it. He
needs some changes in some places of tweaks in other places.
People have said that he needs to make a huge change.
I don't think you can go from one hundred and
eighty degrees to players coach to all of a sudden,
(06:26):
tough guy. I think you tweak it maybe forty five degreed,
maybe ninety at the most. You don't try to change
your whole personality. That's fake and nobody believes it. You
just need to be the adult in the room. And
so I need Mike to stop being such a player's
coach and employ a more physical brand of football. Runs
(06:47):
up the middle on first and second, not just on
third and fourth and short when it's expected sentimentality for
this team. Those are kind of the two things I
would like to see from Mike McDaniel.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Yeah, that's well said, It really is covered. I believe
Dan Campbell when he was an interim head coach there
in Miami in twenty fifteen, he was the tight ends
coach from twenty eleven twenty fifteen interim coach. He is not.
He's probably the antithesis of Mike McDaniel. What is it
about Dan Campbell? Maybe you witnessed when he was an
(07:19):
interim with the Dolphins that you thought would lead him
to have this type of success in Detroit. And how
different is he from the guy you're covering right now
as the head boss? On the sideline.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Man, you talk about one hundred and eighty degree difference.
You know, we used to always jokingly call him Man
Campbell down here because the first week when he took
over a hit coach, he had him doing the inside
run drill. This like week seven of the feasan or whatever,
and we're just like, this dude is insane. But he's intent.
You know, he's a grown man. He's a man's man.
(07:53):
He's a pros bro. He is what the NFL used
to be. And Mike McDaniel is kind of this Philicon
Valley approach to the NFL, and Dan Campbell is like, no,
it's a it's a hard hat and lunch fail and
we're bringing it. And and that's what I love about
Dan Campbell. You know, he breathes it like there's nothing
fake about Dan. He's gonna tell you how it goes.
(08:15):
He's gonna, yeah, he's gonna make some probably ill advised
for down gambles. But the offshoot of that is the
team knows what Dan thinks of him. He knows that
that the team knows that Dan has faith in them,
confidence in them, He has expectations for Dan. We're gonna
go for it. We're gonna be tough, We're gonna get
this first down. And that's what really you like about Dan.
(08:37):
You love to see his his brand, his attitude stamp
on that team. And and you know Dan and Dan
is you know, Dan's not just a muscle head. He's
a smart guy also. But you just love that physicality
and that attitude. You know, you better buffle up that
gin strap if you're going against the Lions. And that's
gonna be a huge test for the for the for
(08:59):
the Adulphink.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Chris, You've been doing this a long time. Do you
think the league is getting back to that type of
player coach or do you think it's getting back to
where Dan Campbell is? Look, I mean, he played, he's respected.
You don't have to have played and be respected or
in order to get respected. I mean we've seen that
in sports throughout our entire lives in different sports. But
(09:22):
do you think the league might be shifting toward the
guys who are the tough, tough as nails type attitude
like Dan Campbell with guys coming back like Pete Carroll,
he's more of a disciplinarian at times. I mean, we've
seen it happen and work for a lot of guys lately.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, you know what, it's funny. I think I don't
know that there's a definite shrin right now towards towards anything.
I think it's just kind of what works for your
individual team. You know, Philadelphia does it one way, San
Francisco does it another way. You know, Baltimore and Buffalo.
(10:00):
I think you do need a physicality, right Philadelphia have physicality, Baltimore, Buffalo,
they have physicality. San Francisco when healthy, has some physicality.
And that's what I look at the Dolphins and I think, Wow,
you're just trying to You are really trying to reinvent
the wheel here, and I don't think it works. You know.
(10:21):
The coaching I think, I guess it goes back and forth,
and I would expect that the Dolphins, you know, Brian
Flores was that tough guy. Coach Mike McDaniel is kind
of the Silicon Valley out smartam. If there's another coaching
sittings here, I'm thinking they go back to the tough guy.
The pendulum kind of swing. But I don't know that
there's necessarily a definite trend in the league right now.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
When you look at your division, like the Lions are
the standard right now in the NFC North. They have
been the last two years. It's not like it's a
run that Brett Farv and Aaron Rodgers had with the Packers.
But it's been a nice couple of years for Detroit
and they should be the favorites again this year. The
Bill set the stand in the AFC East. Why is
it still that way? How much gap has Miami closed
(11:06):
or has other teams surpassed them even in route to
try and catch the Bills in your division?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
The Bills. The Bills just crush the Dolphins. And don't
look at the final scores because some of those scores
are close. Look at what happens in those games. Mike
McDaniel era, the Dolphins are one and six against Buffalo
on a six game losing street. All four games that
have been played up in Buffalo, Josh Allen has put
(11:32):
at least thirty points on the Dolphins. It's it's crazy
that that, you know, And really I talked about Waddle
and Tyreek not having hundred yard games against playoff team,
Well that that includes the Buffalo games the Dolphins. Because
the Bills know as long as they shut down Tyreek Hill,
they're not going to lose. The Dolphins have rushed for
(11:53):
one hundred yards in each of the last four games
against Buffalo and they've lost all four. So the gap
is I mean, the gap is huge and it's not closing.
We'll see if the Dolphins can close it this year.
But they're getting beaten at the quarterback play, they're getting
out coached, they're getting out physicals on both lines, sides
(12:13):
of the line of scrimmage. I don't even know if
how physical is a word, but I just made it up.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
It is now. It is now.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
That's right, that's right. So you know, it's just a
complete butt kicking. They lose last year on a sixty
one yard field goal, you know, late in the game,
and so offense, defense, special teams, coaching, physicality, the Bills
just dominate the Dolphins in every way and you're gonna
you know, if you look at the scores, there's some
(12:42):
three point games, thirty four to thirty one in the playoffs,
thirty to twenty seven last year, thirty two to twenty
nine a couple of years ago, twenty one to fourteen
last year. But it's the Bills dominate the Dolphins, and
so on all levels. The Dolphins have to step up
their game to catch up the Buffalo. I don't know
if the Jets or the Patriots have caught the Dolphins.
(13:05):
I'm picking a nine win season for the Dolphins, nine
and eight. But understand something. I think for the third
straight year, the standard for success, the measuring stick is
winning a playoff game. They've gotten to the playoffs twice
in three years under Mike McDaniel. That's old. They've done
that before. They've got to win a playoff game and
(13:25):
pretty much do that. They've got to get a home
playoff game, and pretty much to do that, they've got
to beat Buffalo and some of the better teams on
their schedule. So it kind of gets back to that
four and sixteen record against playoff team. They've got to
get over that hump. They've got to show they can
compete with the good team, and they can start showing
that this week against Detroit.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Well, if you want to know about football, specifically Miami,
but the NFL in general, follow Chris Perkins. Fallhim on
Twitter at Chris Perks. He is the Dolphins columnist for
the Sun Sentinel. When you look at the NFL in general,
and he's joining us here on the Lindsay Hunter Foundation line.
When you look at the NFL overall, give me the
teams you think are the best. If you can give
(14:05):
me the top five, that will do.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Oh boy, let's well, let's start in the in the
a f C. And and let's go with the old standards, right,
Kansas City, Baltimore, Buffalo, and then probably uh, definitely Philadelphia.
I guess you know, we'll see what San Francisco can do,
you know, with with with with healthy parts. But but
they've lost a lot. Boy, that that's five, right, that's
(14:34):
with with San Francisco. It's right, you guys. Wait a minute,
it's right you guys. I can't leave you out of there.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I was wondering, Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Yeah, you guys are right up there with with Philadelphia.
So uh, it's it's gonna be good at the top
this year. I don't know what the middle teams in
the league are gonna do. Who is gonna make a move?
Somebody always makes a move. I don't know who that's
gonna be. Uh, But I think the top team are
going to stay at the top this season. Definitely.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Real quick from an outsider's point of view, What do
you like and what are your concerns about the Lions
this year?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Well, what I like is that they can they can overcome,
you know, and we saw that last year with all
the injuries and and look, nobody is putting Jarrett Golf
up there in the in the top three or four quarterbacks.
You know, he's not Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes
or Joe Burrow. But he's good enough to get it done.
You know, this is a man who's been to a
Super Bowl, been to an NFC championship game. So the
(15:32):
Lions just seemed to overcome. I like. I like the
fact that that you run the ball well, you've got
a good offense, you've got a tough defense. We'll see
what happens with Aiden Pusinson out there this year. My
concern is that you just haven't gotten it over the
hump yet. And that's you know, look, that's that's no
that's no flaw or anything like that. You know, We'll
(15:54):
we'll see if Washington is for real this year. They
were in this NFC Championship game last year. Again, we'll
see what San Francisco can do. We'll see what Philadelphia has.
But I like you guys. I like Dan Campbell. I
like the way that the Lions played football. It's a
complete game. It's a physical game. You know. The Dolphins
(16:16):
really rely on Tua and Tyreek and kind of that
star system. I like that the Lions are a well
rounded team. You guys have good players at pretty much
every you know, unit on the field. You have a
fanned out and that's a solid team. And so that's
what I really like about Detroit. You guys are just
a solid, really good football team. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I think it's a complete team if they can get
that offensive line straight. And health is important to everybody,
as we all know for sure. Chris enjoyed the conversation,
appreciate the knowledge and really respect the passion. Welcome to town,
have a great season, and we hope to talk to
you down the road.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, all right, I'm around. Thanks for having me.
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