Miami, FL
How Good Can the O-Line Be? How Good Does It Need To Be?
![How Good Can the O-Line Be? How Good Does It Need To Be? How Good Can the O-Line Be? How Good Does It Need To Be?](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6582,h_3702,x_0,y_122/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_dolphins/01j5dymmq1mzqm54yna8.jpg)
The topic of offensive weapons came up during Miami Dolphins tackle Terron Armstead’s post-practice media session Thursday, and the four-time Pro Bowl selection wanted to make sure his position group wasn’t left out.
“Yeah, we’ve got weapons,” Armstead said. “We have weapons all over the field and we’re not apologizing for it. I want all of them out there. We’ll all be out there at the same time, and O-line, we’re going to be a weapon for us, too. We’re going to fly off the ball. We’re going to move people and give those guys an opportunity to make plays.”
Because training camp is the time when optimism reigns in every single solitary NFL city — or just about every city — Armstead’s statement shouldn’t be considered surprising, though there certainly would be a large section of fans, as well as media analysts who might do a double take.
The Dolphins offensive line? A weapon?
Look for stories about that Dolphins offensive line and the term “much-maligned” likely will show up. This is a group that’s been under major scrutiny for a couple of years now and nothing has changed this year, regardless of Armstead’s comments.
But the simple question here is whether the Dolphins offensive line can be effective or even good. Becoming “a weapon” seems a tad unrealistic, particularly when you consider four national media outlets ranked NFL offensive lines this summer and the Dolphins didn’t fare better than 18th (by Pro Football Focus) in any of them.
The offensive line took some shots as well last year, but it performed well enough to help the Dolphins finish first in the NFL in total yards and first in rushing average per attempt.
Individually, former center Connor Williams earned the second-highest grade given out by PFF, Robert Hunt was sixth among guards, and Armstead was 16th among tackles. So it’s not as though players didn’t get the job done.
Again according to PFF, the Dolphins ranked 16th in pass blocking grade and 18th in run blocking grade.
This was a far cry, though, from the famous ESPN pass block win rate, a stat often cited by critics of the Dolphins offensive line, because it had them at 31st in the NFL. But what needs to be remembered is that ESPN gives out a win only if the offensive lineman keeps the pass rusher off the quarterback for 2.5 seconds or longer.
Well, how many times did Tua Tagovailoa actually throw the ball before 2.5 seconds? Think of all those bubble screens, quick slants or even shovel passes where the ball is long gone before 2.5 seconds.
Maybe a better barometer would be pressure rate, where the Dolphins ranked fourth in the NFL with pressure allowed on 15.8 percent of pass attempts (per Pro Football Reference). The Dolphins also were tied for fourth in the NFL in rushing yards before contact at 2.8.
And back to the ESPN analytics, the Dolphins ranked eighth in the NFL in run block win rate.
So statistically the Dolphins offensive line was more than serviceable in 2023.
Of course, this is where we add that not only does the quick passing game help the pass protection work for the offensive line, but the misdirection in the running game also helps the run blocking because defenders often run themselves out of position without having to be blocked.
As the Dolphins prepare for their second preseason game against the Washington Commanders, the offensive line remains in a state of flux because of injuries.
Isaiah Wynn, who started the first seven games at left guard last season, remains on PUP with a “lower extremity” injury. Center Aaron Brewer has a hand injury that has sidelined him for more than a week. And Armstead remains on a maintenance program as he shoots for the first complete season of his otherwise impressive NFL career.
“I think it’s just being smart as far as everything that we can do in a preventative aspect, but football is football,” Armstead said. “You still go out there, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do full speed so I’m going to have to be in there hitting, clashing, all that good stuff anyway. So I think it’s just kind of taking a load off the body as much as we can.”
Wynn and Brewer definitely won’t play against Washington on Saturday, and it’s highly unlikely we’ll see Armstead, either.
So the offensive line that takes the field against Washington on Saturday likely will look a lot different than the one the Dolphins end up using for most of 2024.
Whatever that line looks like again will be helped by head coach Mike McDaniel’s creativity and the ability of Tua to quickly deliver the ball to receivers adept at getting open very quickly.
Is the Dolphins offensive line really going to become a weapon? Maybe that’s stretching things too far. But does the offensive line need to be a weapon?
The past two seasons showed us the Dolphins offense can be productive — at times explosive — despite having arguably a middle-of-the-pack offensive line and there’s no reason to think that’ll change in 2024.
But if the offensive line indeed could become better than mid-tier, then that would open up all sorts of possibiilties for McDaniel and his offensive players.
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Miami, FL
1 dead in fire at Palm Lakes Mobile Home Park in NW Miami-Dade
![1 dead in fire at Palm Lakes Mobile Home Park in NW Miami-Dade 1 dead in fire at Palm Lakes Mobile Home Park in NW Miami-Dade](https://media.nbcmiami.com/2024/08/nw-miami-dade-mobile-home-fire.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675)
At least one person is dead, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed, after a fire consumed a trailer in a northwest Miami-Dade mobile home park Thursday night.
The fire happened at the Palm Lakes Mobile Home Park on Northwest 27th Avenue at around 10 p.m. Dozens of firefighters battled the flames.
Fire rescue officials said there were possibly two victims. The one who died used a wheelchair and was declared dead at the scene.
Officials have not released further information on the condition of the other person.
According to witness Steven Carruyo, the victims are a couple and the deceased is a woman.
Carruyo said he knew both victims, and while he and others tried to help get them out, it was too late.
“The fire started going off, a lot of my friends ran up to the trailer, I tried to open it up, I couldn’t,” he said. “My friend… said he couldn’t even open the gate or nothing… That’s when the fire department came and tried to save them, but it was too late at that time.”
Carruyo said “a lot of people are suffering,” because the victims are “good people, older people.”
The injured man was something of a father-figure to Carruyo.
“I’ve known him since I was like 16 years old… He would always give me advice and lift me up,” he said. “He always helps out the neighbors, the homeless people out in the street, and he’s a very outgoing person.”
As for the cause of the fire, Carruyo said he can only speculate.
“Maybe a lot of tools and a lot of stuff, extension cords connected… I kept telling him to disconnect some stuff, but he’s a little hardheaded. You know, he likes to use a lot of technology,” he said.
Authorities are investigating.
Back in June, residents at Palm Lakes rallied to protest against being evicted from their homes.
Residents were told they had until July 22 to leave due to fire safety regulations and sewage issues, and because the property was changing.
Miami, FL
South Florida woman upset SUV heavily damaged after police pursuit
![South Florida woman upset SUV heavily damaged after police pursuit South Florida woman upset SUV heavily damaged after police pursuit](https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/08/16/3e97eb5b-751b-41b9-a146-2c2c783daf48/thumbnail/1200x630/5b7075224af5c150d81bd278147c24e3/21-p-new-mb-fhp-crash-wfora107-1.jpg?v=d8f7565ef3e8b72561ee316b5993cbf9)
MIAMI – A South Florida woman is very upset days after her SUV was heavily damaged after a police pursuit in Miami Beach.
Shortly before 8 p.m. on Sunday, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said they were forced to perform a PIT maneuver to stop her stolen Toyota SUV in the area of Alton Road and 56 Street.
A PIT maneuver is a police tactic in which a law enforcement vehicle forces another car or SUV to turn sideways and stop.
Not only did the SUV stop, but it rolled over, resulting in the apprehension of the suspect and heavy damage to the SUV.
Now, the owner of the vehicle is very upset because she is without her SUV.
The victim, Glenda Defas, said her car is extremely important to her because she uses it to get to work and not just to get to work, but also to take care of her brother who has disabilities.
Defas is still in shock, four days later.
All that is left of her vehicle is flat tires, shattered windows and debris after police had to break the sunroof to get the suspect out.
FHP said the driver of the stolen SUV, later identified Savalas Cigar, failed to stop and attempted to flee from troopers.
“A short pursuit ensued. The trooper conducted a PIT maneuver on the entrance ramp to westbound I-195 from Alton Road. As a result, the fleeing SUV overturned, and the driver was apprehended without further incident,” FHP officials said.
Cigar remains in jail and has been charged with eluding police, grand theft and not having a valid driver’s license.
Miami, FL
Master Chef Massimo Bottura Opens The Whimsical Torno Subito In Miami
![Master Chef Massimo Bottura Opens The Whimsical Torno Subito In Miami Master Chef Massimo Bottura Opens The Whimsical Torno Subito In Miami](https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/66be5394a8cc08f39c52b277/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&height=900&width=1600&fit=bounds)
The lively colors of the Torno Subito Miami dining room.
“I first went to Miami in the 80’s on vacation and it was lots of fun. At the time it was South Beach, Café Milano, the News Café and a beautiful beach. So when the investors came to Dubai, saw Torno Subito and the concept behind it, they said, this would work in Miami so well. So we’re doing it, saying come to Italy with me but it will also be Miami.”
A sampling of the Torno Subito menu.
That’s the framework as explained by Michelin three star chef Massimo Bottura of this city’s Torno Subito opening August 21 in downtown Miami atop the multicultural food hall Julia & Henry’s which opened last year. The overall tone is that fun and whimsy that he first experienced in Miami combined with the similar spirit of the Italian Riviera during the La Dolce Vita era of the 1960’s. The décor is sunny and bright—a vivid red bar and yellow pizza oven surrounded by red, yellow and black and white striped banquettes and chairs, the colors of his childhood visits to the beaches in Rimini. Additional whimsy is provided in the black and white photos dotting the walls, such as one of a foot (Bottura’s) lassoed by rope from below, apparently meant to signify his staff trying to keep him somewhat earthbound.
Massimo Bottura (left) and Bernardo Paladini on the terrace of Torno Subito.
Another essential element, according to Bottura, is that the local head chef is calling the shots; it’s the way the empire radiating from his esteemed Modena flagship Osteria Francescana operates. In Miami, that person is Bernardo Paladini who led the Dubai Torno Subito to a Michelin star and has been in Miami for a year and a half getting to know local purveyors-the cheesemakers, farmers, ranchers and fishermen of the South Florida area while also incorporating trademark ingredients such as 36 month old Parmigiano Reggiano and Bottura’s Villa Manodori balsamic vinegar.
Seabass Porketta: Mediterranean seabass stuffed with pork bacon, rosemary, dill, lemon emulsion and … [+]
The result is a menu created by Paladini that hopscotches across Italy with South Florida infusions.(Even on the cocktail list with choices such as the Bellini Mojito created in collaboration with New York cocktail haven Dante.) There are fanciful inventions such as the Milano-Portofino risotto that blends the signatures of both cities—the saffron and bone marrow of Milan’s risotto with Portofino’s langoustines- with rice cooked in langoustine juice, saffron, lime, bone marrow and marinated Mediterranean langoustine; Seabass Porketta: Mediterranean seabass stuffed with pork bacon, rosemary, dill, lemon emulsion and grilled lettuce and a spin on Tiramisu that combines the classic tiramisu on the bottom with cookies soaked in coffee, cacao and mascarpone cream topped with more modern ingredients: espresso ice cream and a superlight foam of mascarpone cheese. Covering it is a biscuit that you have to break as you sometimes have to break traditions, a hallmark of the Bottura philosophy.
Handcrafted tortellini with a rich, creamy Parmigiano Reggiano sauce.
Not everything is completely out of the box, though, there are also sublime versions of dishes that are more familiar such as Tagliatelle al Ragù , Fusilli al Pesto, 5 different pizzas and Tortellini in a creamy Parmigiano sauce. “In every restaurant of Massimo’s, we’re going to do tortellini,” says Paladini. “It’s Massimo’s dish of the memory, when he was a kid stealing tortellini from his grandma who was making it for the family.” Here, the tortellini are formed by Tina, a grandmotherly Italian woman who moved to Florida to be near her son and crafts tiny, perfect tortellini that Paladini covers with a sauce so redolent of Parmigiano that every other version pales in comparison.
Oops, I Burned the Key Lime Pie, an interpretation of a famous dessert of Massimo Bottura’s … [+]
Some dishes are angled specifically to Florida, none more obvious than a spin on a famous dessert from Osteria Francescana. In Modena, the trademark Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart actually did result from a pastry chef dropping the lemon tart; the resulting smashed, deconstructed version then became a staple on the menu. Here in Miami, the dessert is Oops, I Burned the Key Lime Pie composed of key lime pastry cream, citric crumble, lime ice cream and foam plus a slightly browned crispy top.
Pappa Al Pomodoro, a thick Tuscan bread and tomato soup that uses day old bread. One of Massimo … [+]
“It’s all about being ironic,” says Paladini. “Food is happiness, after all.”
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