SB Nation - Brandon Fields

Despite win over Bucs, Dolphins still have plenty of work to do

Matty I — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:39:57 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

Yes - Pennington can throw deep from time to time!

Usually I am a firm believe that you take a win any way you can get one. After all, we saw just how hard it is to win in this league back in 2007. But in the preseason - especially in the third game of the preseason - I'm a firm believer in seeing crisp, efficient play on both sides of the ball rather than just focusing on the end result. Yes, the Dolphins knocked off the Buccaneers on Thursday night to remain unbeaten in the preseason. But if you're a Dolphins fan, you certainly aren't satisfied with your team's performance.

RUSH DEFENSE DOESN'T IMPRESS
During the first two preseason games, the Dolphins were very impressive defending the run - much more so than many anticipated. But on Thursday night, the Bucs consistently pushed around Miami's defensive line at the point of attack. And for the second consecutive week, there were a couple of missed tackles that led to big gains on the ground for Tampa.

All told, the Bucs' three-headed running back committee of Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward, and Earnest Graham combined for 96 yards rushing on just 17 carries (5.65 ypc average) - an unacceptable number when you consider these three only played 2 and a half quarters.

SECONDARY STRUGGLES AGAINST MEDIOCRE RECEIVERS
The thinking going into this game was that the Dolphins would be able to really shut down Tampa's passing offense considering they were playing without their two starting receivers - Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton. But then the game started and, for some reason, there were suddenly Buccaneer receivers running wide open down the field. By the time the game was delayed due to lightning, Byron Leftwich had thrown for 100 yards through the air in just over one quarter. And that number would have been even higher if he wasn't so inaccurate throwing the ball - missing at least two wide open receivers, including one in the corner of the endzone.

No - this wasn't how it was supposed to be, at least in many of our minds.

Who was the biggest culprit among the starters? The blame is probably equally shared between Will Allen and Sean Smith. Neither could apparently contain Maurice Stovall - who has just 20 career receptions over three seasons. Stovall caught six balls on Thursday night for 73 yards. Of those six catches, 5 came when either Smith or Allen were in coverage. The other was a short one yard pass. But here's how Stovall's night breaks down outside of that one reception:

Quick slant for 7 yards against Smith.
Skinny post for 18 yards against Allen.
Fly pattern deep down right sideline that is overthrown - but Stovall definitely beat Allen.
Quick slant for 5 yards against Smith.
Skinny post for 21 yards against Allen.
Post for 21 against Smith.

If this is how our corners perform against Stovall in the preseason, they have a lot of work to do in preparing for some of the outstanding receivers they face in the regular season.

OFFENSIVE LINE UNIMPRESSIVE
After a solid performance last week out of the starting offensive line, we were all hoping to see even more improvement this week. That's didn't happen. The starting unit surrendered two sacks, a handful of quarterback hurries, and failed to generate any running lanes for Miami's running backs. The starters played together into the fourth quarter. In those 3+ quarters, the Dolphins ran for just 62 yards on 19 carries - a putrid 3.26 ypc average. For a line that has $80+ million guaranteed between four of the starters, these kinds of performances are not close to being acceptable.

Make no mistake about it - this offense is only as good as the offensive line allows it to be. And we really didn't see anything encouraging for the first-team on Thursday night.

CONSISTENT PASS RUSH ONE OF THE POSITIVES
I was definitely satisfied with the pressure the Dolphins were able to get on the quarterback for most of the night. The defense tallied four sacks (including two against Tampa's starting offensive line in the first two quarters) and numerous QB hurries. I really love watching Nathan Jones blitz from his cornerback position - he has a knack for finding the quarterback. Jason Taylor also was a step or two away from a couple of sacks. All in all, it was a solid night for Miami's pass rush. And I expect that we've seen just the tip of the iceberg regarding some of Paul Pasqualoni's exotic blitz packages.

PENNINGTON MAKES SOME PLAYS, HENNE DISAPPOINTS
Can we end the "dink and dunk" stereotype of Chad Pennington. Yes - some of his throws float. And there's no question that his arm strength is less than ideal. But this idea that some have that CP can't throw it more than 10 or 15 yards is just ridiculous. On Thursday night, while he wasn't very sharp by any means, he played in poor conditions, didn't turn the ball over, and made some things happen.

While it was a high-arcing throw down the sideline, Pennington put the ball right on the money to Brian Hartline 30+ yards down the field on a 3rd down in the first quarter. But Hartline did indeed push off - good call by the ref. Pennington showed he can throw downfield again in the third quarter when he hit Hartline perfectly in stride 45 yards down the field. Two plays later, Pennington eluded the rush and gave himself enough time to find Anthony Fasano wide open for the touchdown.

Pennington wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination. But he didn't turn the ball over and he did enough to put his team in the lead.

I was really looking forward to seeing how Chad Henne would perform tonight, too. I was hoping to see what so many other Dolphin fans claim to see in Henne. And while I saw a very strong arm, Henne was very inaccurate, held onto the ball too long once or twice, and made a simply terrible mistake by throwing an interception in the redzone. Henne finished the night completing 2 of 8 passes for 55 yards (but if not for Greg Camarillo's run after catch, it would have been more like 12 yards) and that costly interception. Not a very good night for the second-year QB.

QUICK HITS
Here are some of my quick thoughts on various aspects of Thursday's game:

Third down is the money down. The Dolphins were 3/14 (21%). Eww.
Yes - Brian Hartline stood out a little. But I'm not ready to go overboard. Hartline's big play came against Tampa's backup defense. Has anyone heard of Torrie Cox? That's who Hartline beat on his 50+ yard reception. Cox wasn't even in the NFL in 2008. So let's not go crazy, folks. Yes, Hartline also made a key play earlier by turning an 8 or 9 yard gain into a 17 yard gain. But he also dropped a would-be first-down reception along the right sideline on third down despite the ball hitting him right in the hands. So I need to see more out of Hartline before I christen him as the second coming.
Ted Ginn was only targeted twice, from what I remember. The first time resulted in a 19 yard reception when Ginn found a hole in Tampa's zone. The other was an overthrow from CP in the endzone in which Teddy was open after his defender fell down. I was hoping to see more out of Ginn, though.
What's the deal with Greg Camarillo? Why does it seem like he's so far down on the depth chart? Did the coaches forget what he did last year before his knee injury? I need to see more Camarillo, to be honest.
Great job by Patrick Cobbs to block that punt. But what the hell was Charlie Anderson thinking? You don't touch a blocked punt that goes beyond the line of scrimmage. It's that simple. Just let it die.
Has Dan Carpenter locked up his job yet? He nailed his 34 yard FG attempt and, on his two opportunities to kick the ball deep, he hit it 2 yards deep into the endzone to start the game and to the 4 yard line later in the game. Connor Barth, meanwhile, didn't see any action. I think it's a done deal.
Brandon Fields has a ridiculous leg. His first two punts traveled 64 and 50 yards respectively. IF he can just become more consistent, we will have found a damn good punter for a long time.
Punt coverage remains a problem. The Dolphins again allowed a long punt return this week - a 30 yard return to be exact. These kinds of mistakes cost you in the battle for field position. And in bad weather, field position becomes even more important.
I like Ted Ginn as our kick returner - always have. But Davone Bess isn't doing it for me as punt returner. Who else do we have? Anyone?

CLOSING THOUGHT
Clearly, there's still a lot of work to be done. But that's what the preseason is for. And hopefully the Dolphins can learn a lot about themselves and improve from what they see when they watch this game film.

I also wouldn't rule out the idea that fatigue played a part in this. Thursday night's game was the Dolphins' third game in just 11 days.

Regardless, there are still two weeks before the games actually count. I have full confidence in Tony Sparano and his coaching staff - they'll take care of what needs to be taken care of.

Ground attack leads Dolphins over Panthers

Matty I — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:15:08 -0000

More photos » by Alan Diaz - AP

Miami Dolphins running back Lex Hilliard, foreground, runs for yardage in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Miami, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. The Dolphins defeated the Panthers 27-17. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz).

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Every year when the preseason comes around, I always make it a point not to overreact regardless of what happens. It's important not to get too excited over good performances and not to panic too much over poor performances. With that said, though, it's hard not to get a least a little excited after watching the Dolphins' first-team offense and defense basically man-handle a very good Panthers team. And that's just what the Dolphins did - they completely out-played the Panthers' starters, even if the score didn't really show it. But in the preseason, it's more about the performance itself rather than the result.

DOLPHINS WIN THE BATTLE IN THE TRENCHES
There's no doubt that top story from Saturday's win over the Panthers was how physically dominant the Dolphins were up front in the trenches. The offensive line, a unit that struggled to open up holes in the preseason opener against Jacksonville, repeatedly created running lanes for Miami's backs to run through.

Donald Thomas had a very strong game getting the start at right guard. He looked as strong and powerful as ever and always made sure to finish his blocks. Jake Grove and Justin Smiley bounced back with solid games as well. But it's important to note that the Panthers' defensive line is nowhere near as talented as Jacksonville's. But either way, it's great to see the big guys up front pushing around the opposition. We rarely saw that last season.

Even more impressive than the offensive line, in my opinion, was the play of Miami's starting front seven. They were active all night and swarmed the ball carrier every play. Outside of one run, the unit limited one of the league's best running backs, DeAngelo Williams, to just 15 yards rushing on 7 carries. And on that one long TD run, Williams had to break three or four tackles and should have been dropped for no gain. I'm sure Tony Sparano will chew out those players who missed the tackle on that play when the team gathers for film review - including Jason Ferguson, Yeremiah Bell, Akin Ayodele, and Gibril Wilson, who all had shots at him.

One thing I wanted to highlight, too, was Jason Taylor's ability to set the edge against the run and force the runner to turn back inside. That's something the strong side outside linebacker has to be able to do - and is something Matt Roth was very good at last year. But many, including myself, questioned JT's ability to man the strong side because we weren't sure if he could set the edge. But that worry got eased a little bit on Saturday night.

The second-team defense also played well against the run - and backup NT Paul Soliai was a major reason why. Upon watching the game for a second time, I really noticed how improved Soliai seems. He looks lighter on his feet and stronger than ever. He rarely ever got pushed back at the line of scrimmage and even took up two blockers on more than one occasion. Maybe Soliai is a long-term solution at nose tackle after all.

The bottom line of Saturday's game, though, is simple. The Dolphins ran the ball (5 yards per carry) and stopped the run (3.8 ypc against and 5 tackles for loss). That's how you win football games, both in the preseason and regular season.

VONTAE DAVIS BOUNCES BACK
Less than a week after struggling against the Jaguars in his professional debut, Vontae Davis had an opportunity to start Saturday's game thanks to Sean Smith's illness. He definitely looked more comfortable out there. He made plays defending the run and showed the ability to close on the receiver quickly. But Davis wasn't tested much in coverage. There were only two times that I noticed Vontae being thrown at. One was on a slant that was completed for a gain of 7 or 8 yards. Davis had good coverage but couldn't make a play on the ball.

But the other time Davis was targeted was on a pass into the corner of the endzone. The ball fell incomplete because the quarterback was under immense pressure. But while Davis had good coverage, he didn't even attempt to turn around and look for the ball. If that pass isn't severely under-thrown, you can make a case that Vontae gets called for pass interference. He didn't try to locate the ball at all, instead face-guarding the intended receiver.

Other than a handful of plays, though, it was impossible to see how Davis performed because of the camera angle of the broadcast. But I did notice that the Dolphins were using a lot of man coverage, especially early on in the game. And the fact that Davis was rarely thrown at leads me to believe he was solid in coverage for most of the night.

TALKING CHADS
Chad Pennington was his classic self. He was accurate with his passes and made the plays that needed to be made. And his stat line would even be better if Davone Bess didn't drop an absolutely beautiful throw to from CP that would have went for a gain of 20+ yards. All in all, a typical Pennington performance - which did include an underthrow to Patrick Cobbs that, if thrown long enough, results in a touchdown. But you can't have everything.

As for Chad Henne, some Dolphin fans seem to think he played brilliantly on Saturday night. But I guess they were watching a different game than I was. I saw a botched snap, another fumble, and three poorly thrown balls. I also noticed that he is still locking onto his receiver - though he didn't do that as much as he did last week. Did Henne look better than the first game? Yes. But I'm still waiting to see Henne do something in a game that warrants all the attention most Dolphin fans want to give him.

QUICK HITS
Various thoughts from Saturday's game:

I know we were all rooting for Chris Williams to make the team. But he's just not ready to handle all of Miami's returns. He's definitely a practice squad candidate, though.
It seems like the Lex Hilliard bandwagon is getting fired up now. And there is a lot to like about the young back. But is there enough to like to keep him on the 53-man roster as a 4th back? He certainly is big, powerful, and explosive through the hole. Maybe if he can play special teams, he'll find a way onto the roster.
Ronnie Brown looked to be in mid-season form last night. He was decisive and quick to hit the hole. He put a nifty little move on the safety, too, on his TD reception.
The Dolphins were able to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback all game long. That's two games in a row with semi-consistent pressure on the opposing QB. A sign of things to come? Hopefully.
I was very underwhelmed by the performance of the team's safeties. Why did Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell allow Carolina's tight ends to get open so easily? Those two guys need to play better in coverage. Otherwise Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark, and Antonio Gates are going to have big games in weeks one through three.
Updating the kicker competition. Dan Carpenter nailed his 41 yard FG attempt. Connor Barth made his 21 yard attempt. Each also had three kickoffs. Carpenter averaged 68 yards per kickoff, with one kick being fielded six yards deep into the endzone. Barth averaged just 62 yards and his best kick was fielded at the three yard line. Winner on Saturday night? DC$
I love Brandon Fields and his booming punts. But they don't have nearly the impact if you allow 50+ yard punt returns. The Dolphins got to get that cleaned up.
Another dropped pass for Anthony Armstrong. I get the feeling his bubble is bursting.
The Dolphins are emphasizing 3rd down efficiency this year. And even though it's the preseason, it's great to see the Dolphins convert 42% of their 3rd downs while holding their opponent to just 18%.

Quick Thoughts: Dolphins knock off Panthers

Matty I — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:32:46 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

3 months ago: Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, left, celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Chad Pennington in the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Miami, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky).

Browse more photos »

The Dolphins improved to 2-0 in the preseason with a solid 27-17 victory over the Panthers on Saturday night. You can check out the box score for the game right here. Since Sunday is a slower day for the blog, I'll just post some quick thoughts today. Look for my usual longer post about the game on Monday.

It's always good when you can out-play a very good football team. And that's exactly what the Dolphins did on Saturday night. Miami's first-team offense and defense played better than the Panthers' first-teamers. And the Panthers were a very good football team last season. So this was certainly a game that featured more positives than negatives for the Dolphins - but there were both, of course.
It was nice to see some of the basic 'Wildcat' plays from last season dusted off and used. But don't expect to see any new 'Wildcat' plays during the preseason. The Dolphins will surely hold off on using them in meaningless games.
Ronnie Brown looked very good tonight. He ran the ball well and didn't show any of the hesitation that we saw at times from Ronnie last year. And he caught the ball well, too.
Overall, the Dolphins offensive line looked much improved over last week - which is a very encouraging sign. And that's especially true about the first-team line.
The rush defense was excellent. Outside of DeAngelo Williams' TD run - which came courtesy of three or four broken tackles, Williams was held to just 15 yards on 7 carries. And even on that TD run, if the Dolphins wrap up and make the play like they should have, DeAngelo gains nothing. That makes two solid performances stopping the run by the first-team defense.
Chad Pennington was classic Pennington. And his numbers would even look better if Davone Bess doesn't drop that perfect throw from CP for what would have been a big gain. Davone, the most sure-handed receiver on the roster, probably won't drop too many more this year. And if he's going to drop any, the preseason is a good time to do it.
Brandon Fields has a booming leg.
I hope no fans broke their ankles when jumping off the Chris Williams bandwagon tonight. That emptied in a hurry, didn't it?

Like I said, we'll have much more on this game on Monday and all week. In the meantime, let's hope Sean Smith and Jason Allen get better quickly.

Dolphins keep on rolling; knock off Niners to win 3rd in a row

Matty I — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:45:04 -0000

It was yet another tough, heart-stopping football game for the Dolphins. It took all 60 minutes to decide. Dolphin fans everywhere were definitely on the edge of their seats. Hearts pounded. Stomachs ached. Throats were sore from screaming.

Ah yes - this is what it feels like to play meaningful December football. And despite all the pain and suffering that we all might have felt as this game played out, I wouldn't have it any other way.

As this team has done time and time again, the Dolphins made just enough plays and defeated the 49ers to win for the 7th time in 8 games. That's right - the Miami Dolphins, who won just one game last season, are 7-1 in their last 8 and are officially one of the hottest - if not the hottest - team in the NFL.

WINNING WHEN THE NUMBERS SAY OTHERWISE
"All wins ain't cute, but a 'W' is always pretty." That's what Jason Ferguson said following the Dolphins's win over SF on Sunday.

And if you were to just simply look at the numbers from Sunday's game, you would think that the scoreboard was incorrect. Consider these figures:

The 49ers ran 79 offensive plays, 37 more than the Dolphins. They out-gained the Dolphins by 70 yards. They picked up 24 total first downs, 13 more than the Dolphins. They were 8/17 on 3rd down. They had 13 plays of 10 or more yards. The Dolphins committed 8 penalties to SF's 4. And the Niners held the ball for 17 more minutes than Miami.

And yet the Dolphins found a way to win this game - a game that had the feeling of a playoff game. It was intense. It was physical. The crowd was loud all game. And when it mattered most, the Dolphins were the players making plays. That is playoff football, indeed. And just as it is in the playoffs, it doesn't matter how you get the win. Like Ferguson said, a win is always pretty.

DEFENSE STEPS UP WHEN IT HAS TO
Yes, the 49ers gained 318 yards of offense and converted nearly 50% of their third downs. Yes, they had 13 plays of over 10 yards. But they only had 9 points. When you're talking defense, it's that points total that matters. Nothing else.

Sure, between the 20s, this Dolphins' defense didn't look very sharp. But don't that let deceive you. The Fins again employed the "bend but don't break" theory of defense and kept the 49ers out of the endzone. And as you all know, that's now 3 full games (12 quarters) that the Dolphins haven't allowed a touchdown - the first time the Dolphins have accomplished such a feat since 1973.

And from my perspective, it all started with the pass rush. Using a combination of blitzes, the Dolphins picked up 5 sacks and many more QB hurries. It seemed like Shaun Hill was under pressure. And if not for Hill's impressive pocket awareness and mobility, he likely would have been sacked at least 3 or 4 more times.

It was also the pass rush that stepped up in key moments to make plays. I think back to two, in particular. The first was the Niners' final possession of the 1st half. They had the ball 1st & 10 at Miami's 28 yard line before a sack by Charlie Anderson, a 5 yard penalty, and a sack by Nathan Jones knocked SF out of FG range and forced them to punt. Great defensive calls by Paul Pasqualoni and great execution on the field.

The other moment I think to, of course, is Joey Porter's game-ending sack of Shaun Hill. Porter was held in check for most of the game. But when the game was on the line on 4th & 10 at Miami's 21 - with Miami's playoff hopes on the line - it was Porter, the leader of this defense, who made the game's biggest play. He blew right by the right tackle after simply getting leverage on him and ended this heart-pounding game.

The best part of Porter's game-sealing play? He called it. According to Tony Sparano's post-game press conference, Porter actually told Sparano at halftime that he would make some kind of game-changing play. He said to Sparano, "I'm a closer." Indeed he is. And after that play, Joey can celebrate any way he chooses. He chose to rip off his helmet on the field and throw it. I'm cool with that. And if he had decided to rip off somebody's head and throw it, I would have been cool with that, too.

QUICK HITS
-I always heard that a good way to criticize somebody or something is to first give a compliment and then say the complaint. So, first, my compliment. Nice job by Dan Henning on coming up with some creative offensive formations. Splitting out David Martin as a wide receiver worked out well. And I really like the idea of putting Ronnie Brown in motion, splitting him out wide. It usually got him lined up with either a linebacker of a safety - a big mismatch. I hope to see more of that in the coming weeks.

-And now for my criticism. The Dolphins need to run the ball more. Ronnie Brown had just 3 carries in the first half - which is really unacceptable. And 11 total touches in the entire game for Brown is just wrong. It should be illegal. I hate to criticize after a win, but it has to be done. Ronnie needs the ball more.

-What a tale of two halves for Chad Pennington. In the first half, Pennington was 8/11 for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the second half, Chad was 4/8 for 25 yards. But hey, like all of you, I still love him.

-Let's hear it for these tight ends! Five of Chad's 12 completions were to his tight ends. David Martin's catch was just spectacular. Where was that last year? And congrats to Joey Haynos on his first career catch - which was for a TD. And don't be surprised to see him more involved. He's a 6'7 monster and could really become a force in the redzone.

-On the flip side, the lack of production from the receivers on Sunday is a slight cause for concern. Let's just hope for better production next week.

-Both Jason Ferguson and Kendall Langford played damn well on Sunday. The Niners were very physical at the point of attack, but both Ferguson and Langford did a good job standing their ground.

-Please lock up Yeremiah Bell with a new contract.

-Brandon Fields is slowly becoming a very good punter. A lot of Miami's success on Sunday is thanks to Fields' ability to pin the Niners deep and not let the ball get into the endzone for the touchback.

-Did you know that Chad Pennington broke a Dam Marino record on Sunday? His run of 17 consecutive completions, dating back to last week's game, broke Dan's previous record of 15.

-Yes, I praised the defense. But they have got to do a better job of getting off the field and not allowing drives of 16, 16, and 13 - eating up 22 minutes of the clock.

-No turnovers yet again. Only 10 this season. The NFL record is 14.

FINAL THOUGHT
Despite the negatives, "Mission 3W" has officially become "Mission 2W." Like all of you, I'm not sure my heart can take any more of this. But I'll gladly take another month or so of games like this.

Next up is Kansas City - another game that won't be as easy as some probably want to think it will be.

Let "Mission 2W" begin!

Bills/Dolphins: Keys to a Bills Victory

Kurupt — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:00:08 -0000

Buffalo Bills (6-6) vs Miami Dolphins (7-5)
Sunday December 7, 2008 4:05 PM EST
Rogers Centre - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Well, I really don't even know where to start, what to say, or how to feel about this game. We've got the whole Canadian backdrop here, with the potential of watching the Buffalo Bills lay an egg AND pondez un oeuf this weekend. Hooray! Do they speak French in Toronto? We also have the steaming pile of turtle poop that we call the Bills trying not to embarrass themselves against a team with a winning record. And I, like many of you fellow Rumblers, just don't feel as excited about this game. Anyways, what do Les Bills have to do to win this weekend? Here goes:

Kidnap Ted Ginn Jr: I really don't want to see this guy go crazy on us again. The last time we faced them, his performance was probably the most infuriating in recent memory. He was practically handed his 175 yards on a silver platter by Terrence McGee and Perry Fewell. Now with McGee supposedly 100% (we all have our doubts) and Ginn back to his normal mediocre self, there is absolutely no reason there should be a repeat performance. If McGee doesn't play up on Ginn this week, then just leave him in Toronto. Don't come back. Now, if we want to guarantee that Ginn won't treat McGee and the Bills like his personal punching bag, some evil genius Bills fan needs to go Celtic Pride on him. I'm kidding... I think.

Stop the run: We did it the first time around, limiting Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to 21 carries for 59 yards. That was a heck of a performance by the run D; too bad the pass D stayed in the locker room. I have a feeling the Bills' D is going to be extra sure Ginn, Chad Pennington and the Dolphins' aerial attack doesn't beat them again, so it'll be important for them not to get gouged on the ground. If the unit plays like it did for the last 52 minutes or so against the 49ers, they will have done their job, that's for sure.

Force some punts: I saw a milk carton with Roscoe Parrish's image on it the other day. That's how bad it's gotten for him and the Bills punt return unit. If the D can force some punts from Dolphin's territory, I like Roscoe's chances this week against his hometown team. The faster, indoor surface coupled with a poor Dolphins punt coverage unit should really give Roscoe an opportunity to turn it around. Punter Brandon Fields has one of the lowest net punt averages in the league (35.0) and the Dolphins are 3rd worst in the league in punt coverage per Football Outsiders. Take advantage of these stats, Bobby April and friends!

Run the ball, yawn, run it: Another week, another chance for Turk Schonert to run the ball like we've needed in weeks past. The Dolphins are pretty good against the run, allowing just 97 yards per game, and we had success the first time around running for 119 yards at 4.4 yards a pop. With J.P. Losman behind center, we can't put the ball in his hands and expect him to win it. (We can't with Trent Edwards, either, really...) Schonert needs to be much smarter than he has been this year and find creative ways for Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson to run it with success. Get it to them on the outside, if possible, and if not, go off tackle behind our strengths.

Shut Joey Porter up and down: 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a safety . That's what Porter did to us back in Week 8. He's been extremely successful and consistent all season, having not gone consecutive games without a sack all season. With Losman's love for holding the ball too long, Jason Peters and Langston Walker - and any help they may require - absolutely have to keep him off the QB initially and hold their blocks as long as possible. Porter is relentless and will kill us even if he is blocked initially.

Let Losman do what Losman do: Yeah, we need to run the ball and run it well, as I mentioned above. However, we also have to play to Losman's strengths a bit, which pretty much amounts to the downfield passing game and not much else. When he came in against the 49ers last week, I fully expected a deep ball to Lee Evans almost immediately. It never came and I still don't know why. This week, after a full week of practice under his belt, I can't see us NOT going deep to Evans at least 2-3 times this week. For crying out loud, this is all J.P. Losman is good for! At least let him play to his strengths, Turk! On top of that, I'd like to see some designed roll-outs, away from Porter, that will keep Losman from sitting in the pocket too long.

Protect the football: This could probably be the most important key to the game. Four turnovers against Miami the first time around weren't necessarily the reason we lost, but they sure didn't give us a chance to come back and win. Our losses this year, other than last week's shot to the groin, have been highlighted by the inability to protect the football. Hey offense, just hang on to it and give us the chance to win! I don't think the good people of Toronto want to see sloppy, disorganized, mistake filled football. They already have the CFL for that! (Hey-o!)

Have some pride: Look, for all intents and purposes the Bills are eliminated from the playoffs. That shouldn't stop them from getting after it against one of their most hated rivals. I'm sick of the complacent team we've seen the past two months and it'd be wonderful if we could have a performance where we came out from the start and just punched the other team in the mouth. This would be the perfect week to do it, even if it's in Canada.

Learn your lesson, coaches: Let's see, burned by Ted Ginn in the first game. You better scheme to not allow it again this week. Let's see, we stink when we don't run it often. Well, run it this week, and make it the focal point of the offense. Let's see, get the ball to Evans and good things tend to happen. Make sure it happens this week!

***

That's it, that's all I've got. These are your keys to Frying the Fish and staying mathematically alive for a playoff spot. Ya never know...

Dolphins find way to win; improve to 6-4

Matty I — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:29:45 -0000

Make no mistake about it: this one was ugly. But in this league, you never, ever apologize for a win. You simply take the "W" and move on to the next game.

And that's what the Dolphins will do. Despite the nail-biting, and nearly heart-breaking conclusion to this game - another game where the Dolphins, as favorites, failed to ever pull away - the Dolphins simply won a game that they had to have. And in the process, they set up a huge game next week against the Patriots. I know this phrase has gotten thrown around a lot, but next week's game is probably the biggest game the Dolphins have played in years.

But let's not go there just yet. There's plenty of time for that in the coming days. For now, let's just talk about some of the headlines from Miami's win over the Raiders:

SHOWING US SOMETHING NEW
So by now, all of us knew that this Dolphins team has the ability to to put together that key game-ending drive to either kill the clock or score the proverbial game-clinching TD. We've seen that happen a few times already in '08.

But this game - and this late-game drive - was different. The Dolphins had just surrendered the lead with about 4 and a half minutes left on a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Dolphins found themselves trailing despite only allowing 177 yards of offense and 6 offensive points. I don't think many of us would have been too surprised to see this Dolphins team wilt away under these circumstances - especially considering the demoralizing way the Dolphins gave up the lead.

Instead, Chad Pennington and company showed the kind of character this team possesses, marching down the field and into field goal range. They came out firing - rather than playing conservative. Starting at their own 20, Pennington quickly completed two passes and the Dolphins found themselves at the Raiders' 40 yard line. But 4 plays later, the Dolphins faced a tough decision: 4th & 5 from Oakland's 35. Do you trust the rookie kicker? Do you trust the veteran QB and the weapons at his disposal? Tony Sparano made the right decision, and Ted Ginn made the reception - probably the biggest 7 yard reception Teddy has ever made.

Three more runs got Miami in position for a 38 yard FG - the first "critical, pressure-packed" kick that rookie Dan Carpenter has ever had to attempt this year. And Carpenter effortlessly knocked the kick home - giving the Dolphins their 2 point lead with 38 seconds remaining.

Clearly, this is a resilient and confident team. And both of those things bode well for us as the Fins enter the home-stretch of the regular season.

CP10: A 4TH QUARTER PLAYER
I'll admit that I was a little worried heading into this game upon hearing that Chad Pennington was a late addition to the injury report with a mysterious foot injury. And his play through the first 3 quarters was, well, un-Pennington like. He was 10/15 for 101 yards. He had been sacked 3 times, including the one that resulted in a safety. But Chad turned it on in the 4th quarter - right when he had to to save this team's playoff hopes.

Make no mistake about it. I'm sure Pennington knew exactly what was at stake as this game played out. I'm sure he understood the difference between 6-4 and 5-5. And he delivered in the 4th quarter, completing 6 of his 7 passes for 73 yards.

When was the last time you had as much confidence as you do now in Miami's QB late in a tight game?

DEFENSE IMPRESSES IN A BIG WAY
I think that one thing that has been overlooked is the defensive performance by the Dolphins today. Yes, I know it was the Raiders. But anytime you surrender just 186 yards in a game, just 3.9 yards per play, and just 6 points, you deserve recognition.

The run defense was what most impressed me. The Raiders possess a top 10 rushing offense in the NFL. And the Dolphins held them to just 70 yards and just 3.5 yards per carry. Credit Jason Ferguson for a lot of the success this team had stopping the run. He was a monster, constantly pushing the middle of Oakland's offensive line backwards. He made three official tackles (for gains of 1, -1, 0), but also ate up blockers numerous other times. He commanded a double-team and forced the Raiders to run to the outside because there was just nothing up the middle.

The Dolphins were also able to get after JaMarcus Russell, sacking him 5 times. Joey Porter and Vonnie Holliday each picked up 1.5 sacks to lead the pass rush. But the Dolphins also pressured the QB many more times, using timely corner blitzes and safety blitzes.

Oh - and I've officially seen enough from Channing Crowder. Time to get the man locked up with a contract extension. He's become as active as I've ever seen him this season - both against the run and in coverage. He's also the QB of the defense - as the designated player to receive the defensive calls from Paul Pasqualoni. Let's get it done and pay the man - assuming he isn't asking for an unreasonable amount of money.

PEOPLE BETTER APOLOGIZE TO TEDDY
I'm sure many of you remember when Dolphin fans from around the country were bad-mouthing Ted Ginn. They said he's not a play-maker. They said he's soft and that all you need to do to tackle him was to blow on him. I hope those fans out there now officially apologize to Teddy.

We saw his play-making skills for the 2nd week in a row when he broke a reverse for a 40 yard TD run - breaking 2 or 3 tackles in the process. He also caught 4 passes for 51 yards. But the story here is just when he caught those passes.

One was a 23 yard gain on 3rd & 10 in the 2nd quarter to get Miami to Oakland's 35 yard line. Unfortunately, this was the drive that resulted in Ronnie Brown's lost fumble.

Another reception was on a 3rd & 7 play. Ginn picked up 12 to keep the drive alive - a drive that resulted in Patrick Cobbs' TD run.

And the biggest reception he made was that previously mentioned 7 yard catch on 4th & 5 to keep the Dolphins hopes alive late in the 4th quarter.

Yeah - he's a play-maker afterall.

QUICK HITS
-I love the job being done by Dan Henning and the offensive coaches. They are doing a fantastic job with the game-planning (like getting Cobbs more involved) and in play-calling. The defense has no idea what might be coming next. And though it might get a little conservative at times, that's just part of the plan.

-Speaking of Patrick Cobbs, what can this guy not do? He catches passes. He blocks. He runs for touchdowns. He makes tackles on special teams. He's your typical "Bill Parcells kind of player." All who have a secret "mancrush" on him, please raise your hand.

-Why is the offensive line so damn inconsistent? At times, they can't open up any running lanes. Then they open up a nice hole for Ronnie to run through and pick up 20+ yards. Then they can't keep Pennington on his feet. But then they keep Chad untouched in the 4th quarter. I don't get it. One thing I do get, though, is that Vernon Carey is broken. He needs to be fixed. This isn't the same player we all saw play the two previous seasons.

-Davone Bess with 2 drops? Did that really happen?

-Miami's coverage units are going to be the death of me. I nearly have a heart attack every time the Fins are ask to cover a kick or punt. We saw changes made last week, with Courtney Bryan being re-signed and Renaldo Hill being placed on the coverage teams. Expect heads to roll again this week.

-At least we know that we have a potentially very good kicker and a promising punter. Brandon Fields, who many wanted to have cut, punted 5 times. Their distances? 57, 48, 56, 26, 48 - good for a 47 yard average. And that short punt was downed at Oakland's 8 yard line. In total, Fields had 4 punts inside the 20 - with 2 of those inside the 10.

-Yet again, the Dolphins win the coin toss, defer, and then go 3 and out to open the 2nd half. Sparano is going to be pissed about that.

-Was that the quietest 100-yard game from Ronnie that you've ever seen?

-These refs were terrible. First, they call a phantom pass interference penalty that gets Oakland in FG range. Then they waste precious seconds off of the clock before halftime because Ed Hochuli didn't see Pennington calling for timeout. Said Pennington about that, "I'll have to come up and tackle him next time or something."

FINAL THOUGHT
Sure, it took 7 Raider penalties, a missed FG, and a late 4th quarter comeback, but the Dolphins got to 6-4. They're now in the thick of the playoff race and just one game back of the Jets. Wasn't this team 0-10 this time last year? What a difference a year makes.

Enjoy it, drink it all in, and then get ready for an enormous game next week when the Pats come to town seeking revenge from their week 3 loss to the Dolphins.

Should be a fun week.

Ted Ginn and Joey Porter spark Dolphins in 25-16 win over Bills

Matty I — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:14:14 -0000

There's nothing like defeating a divisional rival - especially a team that was 5-1 and had the media thinking they were legitimate Super Bowl contenders. And doing so in the way that they did - by coming from behind in the 2nd half - makes this win even sweeter.

Let's get to the headlines from today's game:

TED GINN: A GLIMPSE AT POTENTIAL
In the words of Tony Sparano at his post-game media availability, "What do you want to talk about? Ted Ginn? Yeah, let's talk about Ted Ginn."

So let us talk about Teddy. For really the first time in his year and a half career, we saw the kind of player that Ginn could potentially be. We saw a glimpse of a #1 receiver.

Ted was just spectacular today. He caught just about everything that came his way, showed his play-making ability, and played with a fire we haven't really seen from him. Yes, it was nice seeing a long ball to Ginn to open the game (which would have been a TD if a stronger-armed QB was throwing it). But I enjoyed even more the plays where he caught the ball, took a shot from a defender, then popped right up and either ran his mouth a little to the defender or struck the "1st down pose." He has a swagger about him that we haven't seen from a Dolphins' receiver in quite some time.

More interestingly, though, is how Teddy was used today. The Fins went over the top with him. They went over the middle with him. They used him to the outside running curls and ins. What's interesting, though, is that he was targeted just 9 times. Seemed like more, didn't it? While this was the most he's been targeted all season, Teddy was targeted 8 times against the Chargers and 7 times against both the Jets and Ravens. So it's not like the Fins game-planned around him. I think it was more that Chad Pennington just looked to him more often today and Teddy got more separation than he has been getting - helped by a slightly gimpy Terrence McGee covering him for many of the plays.

What's puzzling, though, is that Ginn is still not being used enough. Following his 64-yard reception, Ginn was on the sidelines for the next 3 plays - which resulted in a FG. On the next possession, Ginn caught a 19 yard pass but then sat out the next 5 plays - leading to a FG. He needs to be used even more. While the coaches will say that the reason is Ginn just isn't involved in those particular receiver packages, Teddy needs to be on the field as often as possible.

Regardless, a great day by Ginn and a brief look at how good he could eventually become. Now let's see if he can build on this performance; use it as a springboard for the rest of the season.

CHAD PENNINGTON: LEADER OF THIS OFFENSE
"It's just leadership. He gets fired up. And today was one of those days."

Those are the words of Ronnie Brown after the game. And Chad again proved he's the leader of this offense. He played spectacularly. He made all the right reads and was accurate on every single pass - except for when he threw behind Ginn on a drag route right after the 2 minute warning that would have put the Dolphins in better FG position. Oh - and it wouldn't have hurt to have led Teddy more on that first pass play. But we all know he can't do that very often.

What he can do? He can lead an offense and make the players around him better. That's exactly what he's done. He was insanely efficient again today, posting his 6th career 300-yard passing game and a passer rating of 117.9. He continues to move well in the pocket - which I've been very impressed with. And he makes some nice throws on the move - like the first down pass to David Martin on a bootleg right.

What else can you say about him other than this: 73% completion percantage, 10.46 yards-per-attempt, 0 turnovers, and a win. Meanwhile, Trent Edwards: 60% completion percentage, 6.49 ypa, 3 turnovers, and a loss.

Thought so.

THE SECONDARY: WHO ARE YOU?
Seriously. Who were those guys playing in Miami's secondary and what did they do to the "real defensive backs"? Talk about a turnaround in a matter of days.

This was a completely different kind of performance than we've seen all season from these guys. They deflected more passes today than they probably did all season. They were in position most of the time. And Will Allen even caught a ball for an interception, albeit off of a tip.

Come to think of it, there were some differences between the previous defensive back rotation and the one we saw against Buffalo. For starters, Michael Lehan was placed on IR. That meant more playing time for...Jason Allen. And while I'm not going to go overboard about his performance today (as some seem to be as I look around the internet), I'll say that I was impressed. Early on, it seemed like he was playing too far off of his man - like on a critical 3rd down conversion during the 1st half. But he did seem to get better as the game wore on. He got more confident. He played tighter coverage and was actually in good position most of the time. He closed well on the ball - though he could still improve in that area. And his most impressive play might have been breaking up a pass intended for the 6'6 James Hardy on the play leading up to the Joey Porter-forced safety. But all in all, encouraging signs from this former first rounder.

I also noticed more Tyrone Culver out there. And I was impressed with his play. He seemed to have good ball skills - breaking up at least one potentially long pass. It'll be interesting to see how Culver is used from here on out after an impressive day from the youngster.

QUICK HITS
-Joey Porter. Joey F'in' Porter. He's a beast. Two more sacks today give him 10.5 on the year (and 5 in his last 3 games). Could he be on his way to a 20+ sack season? You never know. But considering his all-around impact on the game - 2 forced fumbles (one resulting in a safety credited to Charlie Anderson), a fumble recovery, and numerous more QB pressures - Porter is definitely in contention for the Defensive Player of the Year award right now. Not bad for a guy who was rumored to have a career ending back injury during training camp, huh?

-3rd downs still a problem for this offense. They converted just 3 of 11. And they still only have 1 3rd down conversion of over 7 yards on the season.

-3rd down defense, however, was impressive on Sunday - holding the Bills to just 28% (4/14). Both the improved secondary play and some solid DL play in short-yardage situations are to credit for this performance. Nice job getting off the field by the "D."

-I love the creative play-calling. Going over the top on the first play to Ginn. Running a new variation of the 'Wildcat." Going 5 wide - with 4 to the left - at least twice in the game. Nice job by Dan Henning - except for the end around to Greg Camarillo on 3rd ans 14 from Buffalo's 23 - the play before the blocked FG.

-Speaking of the blocked FG, it's a moot point now, but still. That should have been a "leaping" penalty. You can't launch off of a teammate's back to block a kick. Damn refs called that on us a few years back.

-Does it bother anyone else that the defense seems to struggle against a no-huddle offense?

-Still too many mistakes and missed opportunities - leaving points on the field. Ricky's fumble on the first play of a drive beginning at Buffalo's 37. Two consecutive penalties on 3rd down to give the Bills a 1st down on a drive that resulted in a Buffalo FG. The blocked FG (should have been a penalty, but still - Justin Smiley got trucked). That's at least a net of 9 points right there. Can't let that happen.

-Offensive line keeping Pennington upright. That's HUGE! Jake Long is continuing to impress me.

-Dan Carpenter was clutch today. We might have something here. Same with Brandon Fields, As Nicky pointed out, his punts were on the mark today.

FINAL THOUGHT
Don't go getting ahead of yourselves here. Yes, 3-4 is nice - but it's still under .500. So don't start up that playoff bandwagon yet - the same one that most jumped off of after those 2 losses to Houston and Baltimore. Instead, just enjoy what you're seeing - a rebuilding team coming together and flashing signs of a potentially ridiculously bright future.

Thoughts below...

Dolphins vs Bills: 5 Burning Questions

Matty I — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:15:04 -0000

So what's the best way to get over 2 tough losses in a row? You look ahead.

So that's what we're going to do. Let's begin our coverage of Sunday's big rivalry game against the 5-1 Buffalo Bills. Wow - how weird does that sound? But hey, they've earned it.

Below is a look at 5 key questions that the Dolphins will have to address if they want to knock off the Bills on Sunday.

Where's the intensity?
One of the things I really love about this team is how they've played with a fire and intensity - especially on the defensive side of the ball - that we haven't seen out of a Miami Dolphins team in quite some time. But last week, coming off of a truly heartbreaking loss in Houston, the Dolphins lacked that fire. They quite frankly looked flat and, at times, like the same old Miami Dolphins. The Ravens came out and hit the Fins right in the mouth. The Dolphins didn't respond.

Now it's up to the coaches to get this team fired up. Many of these players are new to the AFC East - so they won't just get fired up simply because this is a rivalry game. Coming off of two consecutive losses, the Dolphins must find that fire - and that swagger - that they had heading into New England despite suffering two losses to start the season. Those are the Dolphins that we all hope to see. And that's the team that can pull off a victory over the 5-1 Bills - not the team we saw last week.

Can the Dolphins get the ground game going?
One way to win this game will be for the Dolphins to get their rushing attack back on track and keep Buffalo's offense - which ranks in the top 10 in points per game - off the field. The past 2 weeks, the Dolphins have averaged just 83.5 yards rushing. In the 2 previous games (both wins), the Fins averaged 191.5 yards on the ground. So tell me: what's the key to Miami's offense?

The fact of the matter is that Chad Pennington is good, but he won't win you games - at least not with the receivers he has to work with. The Dolphins must find a way to get the ground game kick started. That will be priority #1 this week and will really be the key to whether or not the Dolphins can win this football game.

Will anybody help Joey Porter out?
Remember how this Dolphin defense seemed to actually have a decent pass rush, outside of Joey Porter, back during the first 3 games? Things have changed.

Over the past 3 weeks, the Dolphins have just 2 sacks that do not involve Porter - 1.5 for Matt Roth and 0.5 for Vonnie Holliday. Meanwhile, the Bills are led by a young, but very talented QB who is playing as well as any QB in the entire league right now. The Dolphins cannot allow Trent Edwards to just sit back in the pocket and find open receivers. And we all know that, based on how this secondary has played, there will be open receivers.

This makes it imperative for the Dolphins to get pressure on Edwards. Remember, he's only started 15 career games. Young quarterbacks make mistakes when under pressure - no matter how good they are. So who steps up and helps out J-Peezy?

Can the Dolphins please contain Lee Evans?
So we all know that this Dolphins secondary is not very good. And that's why Sunday could get ugly if Lee Evans isn't contained. He's been the ultimate Dolphins-killer over his 4 year career. In just 8 career games against the Fins, Evans has 25 catches for 554 yards and 8 touchdowns. Yes, he averages a TD per game against Miami. In fact, Evans actually averages roughly a TD every 3 catches against the Dolphins while holding a ridiculous 22.2 yards per reception average. Evans is the prototypical "big-play" receiver. But seriously, enough is enough.

I'm tired of seeing Evans running free behind Miami's entire defense. Something has to change and it's going to be up to this coaching staff to figure out exactly how to contain him.

Will special teams ever really be "special"?
Last week was hopefully the beginning of a beautiful thing: Ted Ginn as our kick returner. While he wasn't spectacular, the Dolphins average starting field position on his 5 kick returns last week was their own 38 yard line. Not bad considering he averaged only 18 yards per return. But that's because of how teams actually respect - and maybe even fear - Teddy's speed and return ability. And field position aside, we also all know that Ginn can certainly break one and take it to the house. Sunday would be a good time for his first of the season, wouldn't it?

But this isn't just about Teddy's ability to return kicks. Another problem has been Brandon Fields and his inability to place his punts where they need to be placed. Despite his 44.8 yard average, his net average is just 34.5 yards. This is due to too many touchbacks when he has the chance to pin the opposing team deep and his tendency to kick line drives, which allow opposing returners to have an opportunity to make a play against Miami's poor coverage unit. And this week, Roscoe Parrish - the league's 2nd best punt returner (averaging 14.3 yards per return and already having taken 1 for a TD) - comes to town.

Call me crazy, but I get the feeling that special teams will have a direct impact on this game. Let's hope it's Teddy and not Roscoe who is the one doing the impacting.

So those are my 5 questions of the week. Your thoughts, as always, are wanted below...