SB Nation - Ted Ginn Jr.

Dolphins vs Titans: Three Key Matchups

Matty I — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:15:08 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

Most important part of Sunday's game: containing this man.

It's time to turn our attention to Sunday's game in Tennessee between the Dolphins and Titans. For the third consecutive week, the Dolphins will play in what is essentially another "playoff game" - meaning a loss and their season could be over. A win and they live to play another meaningful December football game the following week. After the rough start that Miami went through, this is all we could ask for.

The Titans also had their own rough start but have battled back themselves, recovering from an 0-6 start to win six of seven and get back into the playoff picture. Their lone loss in their last seven came at the hands of the undefeated Colts. Needless to say, this one promises to be a battle.

Onto my weekly critical matchups:

Chris Johnson vs Dolphins rush defense
This is obviously a no-brainer. If the Dolphins are to win this game, then they must find a way to slow down the most dangerous runner in the NFL. Chris Johnson leads the NFL in rushing yards, over 300 yards in front of the second ranked rusher. He's run for over 100 yards in eight consecutive games and has his sights set on a 2,000 yard season. And his 6 yards per carry average is tops among all backs with at least 100 carries. He's simply a dynamic play-maker who has 20 runs of 20+ yards this season and 7 of 40+ yards and is a threat to score every time he gets his hands on the football.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, have done a much better job over the past few weeks in stopping the run. They held the Patriots to just 96 yards rushing and 3.8 yards per carry. Then last week, Miami limited Maurice Jones-Drew to just 59 yards and 3.3 yards per carry. Impressive, for sure - especially for limiting MJD like they did. But this unit has not faced a back as fast and elusive as Chris Johnson. And outside of MJD, the most talented runner the Dolphins have faced this season, DeAngelo Williams, ran for 122 yards on just 13 carries against this defense.

Needless to say, the Dolphins most focus this week on limiting Johnson's impact on this football game.

Dolphin receivers vs Titans Secondary
While the Titans will look to run the ball on Sunday, I have a feeling that the Dolphins' game plan will be to throw. The Titans are seventh in the league defending the run but 31st defending the pass. Now part of that is because Tennessee has had to play some games without starting corners Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper. But still, with both of those guys in the lineup, Matt Leinart was able to complete 68% of his passes for 220 yards.

On the season, the Titans are allowing over 258 yards per game through the air and have surrendered 27 touchdown passes - the second highest total in the league, just two fewer than the Lions. But one of my favorite pass defense statistics is even more telling. The Titans are letting over 67% of the passes thrown against them get completed. And don't let a Titans fan tell you this is because of the injuries they've sustained in 2009. Finnegan is allowing 64% of the passes thrown his way get completed while Harper's completion percentage against is a staggering 73.3%. In fact, opposing quarterbacks have a rating of 115 when throwing in Nick Harper's direction.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, have really been looking to throw the football more often these past two weeks. Chad Henne is completing 62% of his pass attempts over these last two weeks and is averaging 278 yards in that span. Miami's receivers have been the key. Henne has had places to throw the football and his receivers have been consistent catching the football. In these last two games, the Dolphins have had two different 100 yard receivers - Davone Bess against the Pats and Greg Camarillo last week in Jacksonville.

For all of their faults, one thing you can say about this group of receivers is that they have a number of reliable targets. And I think the Dolphins will be able to exploit Tennessee's nickel corner. Whether it's Vincent Fuller or Jason McCourty, the Dolphins should get a favorable matchup against either - or both - of these two. Fuller has allowed 83% of the passes thrown his way to get completed while McCourty has let 89% get completed for an average of ober 14 yards per reception.

This is one matchup the Dolphins have got to exploit.

Ted Ginn vs Titans kick coverage
Here's a little "did you know." Did you know that Ted Ginn Jr. leads the AFC in yards per kick return, averaging 28 yards per attempt? Did you know that no player has more kickoff returns for a touchdown this season than Ginn - and only one player has as many? Did you know that Ginn is fourth in the AFC in kickoff returns of over 20 yards and second in the AFC in returns of 40+ yards? In fact, 72% of Teddy's returns result in at least 20 yards - the same percentage as "return star" Josh Cribbs. And only one player has more 40+ yard kick returns in the AFC than Ginn.

Meanwhile, the Titans are one of the worst teams in the league in kickoff coverage, surrendering 25 yards per kickoff return - the third most in the entire league. And with only 9% of Tennessee's kickoffs resulting in touchbacks, Ginn figures to have some opportunities to make plays on Sunday.

So how about it? Can we see something special out of one of the most polarizing players on this Miami roster?

Panther Paw Prints - Dolphins Loss Edition

Jaxon — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:12:43 -0000

by Chuck Burton - AP

about 1 month ago: Miami Dolphins' Tyrone Culver (29) knocks down a desperation pass in the end zone as Carolina Panthers' Dwayne Jarrett (80) reaches in vain at the end of the Dolphins' 24-17 win in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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This edition of Paw Prints has the sour taste of a loss all over it. Let's take our medicine Panther fans.

Key Moments - CharlotteObserver.com
Facing third-and-goal from the Miami 7, the Panthers fail to convert a third consecutive pass play, leading to a field goal. Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter beats left tackle Travelle Wharton to sack Jake Delhomme, who's previous two passes from the 7 were incomplete.

This is the series causing all the heat on OC Jeff Davison. 1st and goal and we attempt to throw the ball three times? He will be hearing abouth this one for a while. My second biggest concern from this loss was the continued poort play from our kick coverage, which gets an unearned 'C' grade from the Observor.

Panthers Report Card - CharlotteObserver.com
SPECIAL TEAMS Grade: C Comment: Miami's superb kickoff returner Ted Ginn Jr. had a big day against a Carolina kickoff unit that has struggled much of the season. Ginn had returns of 37 and 48 yards. Panthers punt returner Captain Munnerlyn let a punt go without a fair catch that wound up costing the Panthers quite a few yards. Punter Jason Baker appeared to shank a low punt near the end of the first half. It went only 34 yards and resulted in a 22-yard return. Baker bounced back and later had a punt downed at the 7. Carolina rookie Tyrell Sutton looked sharp as a kickoff returner. He had returns of 31 andd 29 yards.

Munnerlyn has let too many balls hit the ground this year resulting lost yardage; another issue I blame on coaching.

The players lost to injury is being felt too.

Dolphins outplay both Panthers' lines - CharlotteObserver.com
On Porter's second sack, Wharton appeared to be interfered with by fullback Tony Fiammetta. Wharton angrily stalked off the field after the play. "Early on, we were a bit of a new offensive line in there," said Panthers coach John Fox. "Once, we got picked off by our running back, our left tackle (Wharton) did. "But we settled down and our protection got a little better as the game wore on. Unfortunately, we came up a little short."

From the land of the obvious here's another one:

Delhomme, Smith not the same duo - CharlotteObserver.com
Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith were once one of the NFL's telepathic quarterback-wide receiver duos, seemingly able to read each others' minds on the fly. That ability comes and goes nowadays, like a cell phone call with inconsistent reception.

Inconsistent reception? More like the call was never completed period... Scott found five things from this loss he didn't like...only five?

Scott Says ...: 5 things I didn't like in loss to Miami
. Defensive pressure and tackling. The Panthers’ defense gave up three touchdowns to Ricky Williams, who is a good back, yes. But he’s also 32 years old and wasn’t good enough to start in Miami until Ronnie Brown got hurt. Yet Williams was nearly unstoppable and broke off a 46-yard run that was the play of the game with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter. Plus, Carolina never sacked Chad Henne.

Fox speaks:

Playoff hopes dashed for Carolina Panthers? - CharlotteObserver.com
"I think there's a lot of fight in that room," he said, speaking of his players in the locker room. "There's still a lot of football left to be played and we're in no way or stretch out of it." But there's no doubt this one hurt the Panthers deeply. "Those guys fought hard," said Fox. "I'm disappointed for them."

Mathmatically we are still in it sure, but just like going 0-4 int he preseason, 4-6 doesn't give us much confidence they can pull it off.

Tom Talks: Marriage proposal at BofA Stadium? - CharlotteObserver.com
Third-and-1 from the Carolina 41 and the Panthers go deep to Steve Smith? What are they thinking? They're thinking that Smith will get single coverage from rookie cornerback Sean Smith. Both Smiths played at Utah. Jake Delhomme throws a nice pass and Steve Smith reaches for the ball and gets his fingers on it and - the ball falls incomplete. Sometimes a good call fails. It fails here.

2nd and 1 sure, give it a shot. 3rd and 1 on your own 40 run the ball and get the 1st down. Dumb....So even the players most optimistic outlook is 8-8?

Third-downs fin-ish off Panthers in 24-17 loss
"This is the fourth time we could have been .500 and we didn't execute enough to get there," said Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams. "I think we play well under pressure, but we can't continue to do this. Eight and eight doesn't sound like it will get us into the playoffs." "Playoff talk is something that is not even brought up," added quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Where is he getting 4 more wins I wonder?

We got another week to shake off this funk and get up to NY to shoot down the Jets!

Dolphins vs Bucs: 5 Good Questions

Matty I — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:15:17 -0000

In preparation of Sunday's intrastate battle between the Dolphins and Buccaneers, myself and Niko from Buc 'Em - SBN's Bucs blog - have exchanged some questions about each other's team. Niko's responses to my questions about the Bucs are below. Be sure to head over to Buc' Em to see my responses to his questions about the Dolphins sometime in Thursday.

Matty I: While many aren't surprised with the struggles that Tampa Bay has gone through this season, I don't think anyone thought they'd struggle this much. What's been the single biggest reason for Tampa's disappointing start?

Niko: Its hard to put it on one reason, but the bottom line is the Bucs did for 2009 what they were supposed to do probably in 2006 or 2004. Instead of rebuilding, they kept plugging in BandAids, and now in 2009, that was all that was left. Youngsters, and bandaids. The little flesh colored plastic bandages were removed in the offseason, and now this team has to put together a real team like it did for Tony Dungy in 1996.

Matty I: Josh Freeman made his first career start on Sunday against the Packers and, from an outsider's perspective, played relatively well in leading his team to their first win. Can you break down Freeman's game in a nut shell (strengths, weaknesses, etc...)?

Niko: We were all amazed mostly at his poise. Here is a kid who did not start out brilliantly, and had many drops kill his completion percentage. But unlike other quarterbacks in recent years, Freeman was able to convert 3rd downs and convert red zone opportunities into Touchdowns instead of FGs. He did great moving around and throwing on the move.

Matty I: Many might not be very familiar with these Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tell us a player or two that Dolphin fans might not know too well right now but will certainly be familiar with by the end of Sunday's game.

Niko: Wide receiver Sammy Stroughter (#18) was an up and coming college player who had three or four close relatives die all at once. He suffered from depression at the worst time, going into his senior season and the combine. The Bucs got a steal picking him up in the 7th round and he is going to be a leading receiver for Freeman in the years to come. He ran a kickoff back for a TD, too. Geno Hayes from Florida State wore Derrick Brooks number in Tallahassee, and he has taken his old job now, too. Hayes is coming into his own as a linebacker.

Matty I: How do you see Sunday's game unfolding? Who wins and why?

Niko: We're really not sure how to grade the Bucs win over the Packers, but we know we are still not stocked with enough talent on defense to implement Jim Bates defensive system which Dolphins fans know oh so well. I think it will be a close game and feel that Miami will run for over 250 yards - and we know what happens when you run for that much. If Miami cant run for 100 yards, it will spell trouble for you.

Matty I: And finally, same question back to you. If you could have any player on the Dolphins' roster, who would it be?

Niko: Ted Ginn Jr. would be nice, as we are lacking in WR help.

Thanks to Niko for his time. And be sure to head over to his blog for a little Dolphins talk.

And yes, I too almost fell out of my chair when I read that Niko would like to see Ted Ginn in Tampa Bay. But jokes aside, I wonder if that statement by Niko should tell us something about how others feel about Teddy. Are we being too hard on him because of his draft status - which isn't Ted's fault at all? Maybe there is still hope for him. If nothing else, assuming the Dolphins find a receiver who can stretch the field this offseason, perhaps the Dolphins should call up Niko and help him persuade Tampa's front office to give up a draft pick for Teddy.

Sunday Fish Fry, Part I: This Chowda not "Dolphin Safe," but pulling in the nets no easy task

JohnHannahRules — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather (31) with a pick-6 in London two weeks ago. Disciplined play from the safety position will be a key this week against Miami Dolphins. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Well friends, we're in it now. With the bye week in our rear-view, the true meat of the schedule is here. In what promises to be an absolutely brutal five week stretch, New England will face, in order: Dolphins, Colts, Jets, Saints and Dolphins. If that doesn't look like a sphincter-clenching run through the briar patch of the AFC, then you must know something about football that I don't. Or you're clueless and at this point I'm prepared to go with that. Other than the Steelers, the Pats will have played the class of the Conference by the time all is said and done, plus the best the NFC has to offer. Right now, we're 1-1 against better teams, with a squeaker over Baltimore and an overtime heart-breaker at Mile High (I hate playing in Denver).

High School, college or pro, the best teams discipline themselves to focus on only the next game. It is for the fan to agonize and prognosticate over what the future holds. But that's all part of the fun and the media are more than happy to help us along. Below the fold, I've swiped wholesale Tim Graham's first half/second half graph, analyzing the relative strength of schedules for the AFC East. Under the heading of "it figures," the 'Phins have the easiest road the playoffs. The hardest row to hoe belongs to your New England Patriots.

Take a gander, but this week we face the first game of our annual series against Miami. Since that's what's on the menu, let's get out our tartar sauce and lobster bibs and look at how to catch some Phish. Part I is a look at the Dolphins on offense and some of the challenges they pose.

(Note: Part I may also be the only part I get to, as I need to be on the road this weekend. But if it isn't, I'll be taking a look at the Miami defense in Part II.)

AFC strength of schedule: Weeks 9 through 17
Team	Opp. record	Opp. win pct.
New England Patriots	38-28	.576
Indianapolis Colts	38-29	.567
Kansas City Chiefs	35-31	.530
New York Jets	30-27	.526
Baltimore Ravens	34-31	.523
Houston Texans	29-28	.509
Oakland Raiders	29-28	.509
Denver Broncos	32-33	.492
Buffalo Bills	28-29	.491
Tennessee Titans	32-34	.485
Jacksonville Jaguars	32-25	.478
San Diego Chargers	31-34	.477
Pittsburgh Steelers	30-35	.462
Miami Dolphins	30-35	.462
Cleveland Browns	25-32	.439
Cincinnati Bengals	29-38	.433
AFC strength of schedule: Weeks 1 through 8
Team	Opp. record	Opp. win pct.
Cleveland Browns	38-20	.655
Miami Dolphins	33-19	.635
Tennessee Titans	32-19	.627
Oakland Raiders	34-25	.576
Cincinnati Bengals	29-22	.569
Baltimore Ravens	29-22	.569
Kansas City Chiefs	27-24	.529
Denver Broncos	26-25	.510
New York Jets	29-30	.492
Buffalo Bills	28-31	.475
San Diego Chargers	23-28	.451
Pittsburgh Steelers	23-28	.451
New England Patriots	22-29	.431
Houston Texans	25-34	.424
Jacksonville Jaguars	21-30	.411
Indianapolis Colts	17-33	.340

The two-headed monster: Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Coming out of Auburn, Ronnie Brown weighs 230 pounds. He's not slow, he doesn't shy away from contact and he's smart with the football. That's a good thing, because in the catPhish offense, he's the guy that makes ballhandling decisions. He'll throw, too. He's only 1 of 4 this year, but that one went for over 20 yards.

Unlike a team might do if it were running the 'cat as a gimmick, Miami will frequently pull quarterback Henne off the field altogether, rather than splitting him out wide. They do this for a couple of reasons: first, it discourages the corner blitz -- a quick way to stuff up the 'cat if you're asking a QB to get in the way. Second, because they trust Brown to throw the occasional pass, defenses can't load up against the run. They have to honor the pass at least a little bit.

That puts Brown on the field with Ricky Williams along with a full compliment of blockers.

The attraction of the single wing for most amateur teams that run it is the misdirection piece. It lets you move the ball effectively against bigger or faster defenses by using their superior ability against them. You can line up with a smaller line, or slower backs, and still grind out yards by getting defenders to chase players instead of staying home and playing their assignments. That's one way it works.

The other way it works is by taking that misdirection piece and complimenting it by smashing you in the mouth at the same time. That's what Miami does. As Vince Wilfork said, "They're not trying to trick you. They're going to try to run the ball." Their two-fisted, body-blow approach to running the ball is balanced with the much-maligned Ricky Williams.

I will say straight out: I am a fan of Ricky's. There are two reasons for this: First, when it came about that Ricky likes the reefer, the cry that went up condemning him was so loud and so strident that you'd have thought that he beat his girlfriend. Or obstructed a murder investigation. Or broke a teammate's jaw. Except all that he did was a) smoke weed and b) admit that maybe football isn't the most important thing in the world. In fact, it might not even be the most important thing in Ricky's world. Second, Ricky fought with and overcame social anxiety disorder, in public. So anything he does in the way of paying back the 'Phins on his contract, rehabilitating his image, or being a success, I'm willing to celebrate.

via blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com

Plus, he brings the wood. Ricky is averaging 5.4 yards per carry right now, more than he ever has. He's also catching the ball, with 15 receptions for an average of 12.3 yards per catch. As Belichick said, "I think either one of those backs could be the back for anybody." The Jets, the Saints and the 'Phins are the only teams that run more than they throw. They aren't fooling around.

The obvious implication is that you have to stop the run. At times, the Jets and the Saints had eight men in the box to do that. Can the Patriots follow suit, and will that work?

Phlying Phish: We all know Chad Henne is young. He's starting at least a year ahead of schedule, and he's struggling a little bit. But one thing that he has which Chad Pennington does not is a cannon. Henne can air it out if he gets the chance. We know our pass rush has been anemic, and we know that Miami has a good offensive line. Who is catching Henne's passes?

The Patriots match up well, in my opinion, against the Dolphins pass-catchers. The Dolphins' two leading receivers are Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo, with Ted Ginn Jr. in the number three slot. Ginn's troubles with route running and catching (you know, the two things receivers do) have been mentioned before. He's probably the most explosive return man in the East, though. Bess has had similar trouble of late, with two fumbles and a dropped ball in the last two games. Still, if Henne has a go-to wideout, it's probably Bess.

Don't sleep on Brian Hartline. He's only got 10 catches, but they've gone for 157 yards -- highest average on the team. He's the kind of gut-punch white slot receiver that always seems to kill us (see, Stokley, Brandon).

Patriot Pride: Defense used to be the name of the game in New England, forget what you heard from the press. During the second Super Bowl Run in 2003, New England enjoyed one of the finest defenses to play the modern game. That unit grew old as the offense matured and later days have seen lots of fireworks, but no championships. I believe the defensive side of the ball is on the way back.

There has been an enduring impression, created over the past few years, that the Patriots defensive backfield is weak. That is no longer true. I expect to see Brandon McGowan playing close to the line -- perhaps getting a "shadow Ricky" assignment -- in his key run support role. The Patriots will rotate corners through according to matchups, down and distance, and who seems to have the hot hand. I'm going to predict that UConn's own Darius Butler pulls down another pick and that Brandon Meriweather does at least one thing that blows your mind (in a good way).

That leaves the front of the house, and what is still something of a soft underbelly. I hope that someone shows that to the fellas, 'cause they're going to have to man up this week. If you grew up watching the Dolphins of Dan Marino, as I did, you'll remember a team with a questionable running attack and an erratic defense. Well, this is not your father's Miami Dolphins. These guys aren't going to carry the fight with the pass -- they want to run it down your throat.

The Patriots have been good against the run, but only when they're concentrating. The front 7 have yet to put together a complete game in that way, and every team we've played has seemingly had at least one drive where they ran through, over and around our guys. We can't have that this week, which makes it an even tougher time to lose Jarvis Green. Pryor, Wright and probably Brace are going to have to step up and match Wilfork and Warren.

I'm not worried about Mayo, but I am worried a bit about our outside linebackers. There isn't one among the five of them (Banta-Cain, Burgess, Ninkovich, Thomas and Woods) who hasn't had some trouble setting the edge this season. I think Ninkovich and Banta-Cain have been the most consistent in that regard, but maybe this is finally Thomas's week to show us the real deal. I hope so, because you don't want to see Ricky Williams get into the flat.

Special Note: Tyler Thigpen can throw and run, and Pat White can run and throw. If you're looking for the Dolphins to launch a surprise on the league by slashing the Pats like they did last year, I'd look for more passing out of the catPhish. White could be dangerous on some of Williams' sweep-style plays, particularly if he pulls up and chucks it. Vice versa for Thigpen out of Brown's customary slot. He's not averse to running outside the tackle.

Overall, I think this game will come down to our safeties. The Dolphins are going to break off their share of runs. The key will be to limit big plays and that goes to discipline in the middle of the secondary. Run-force is a critical role for the secondary as a whole, but a misdirection running attack is a great opening act for play-action passing. If Meriweather and McGowan can keep everybody on the same page while making their own correct reads, the Dolphins will eventually screw up. You can't win it all with a run game -- since the invention of the forward pass, no one has. Dan Henning has shown that he won't stick with it anyway, even if it's working. If our safeties have solid outings, we'll be able to keep the score down.

Then it will be up to our offense to hang up some points.

(For the record, I hadn't yet read Bruschi's Breakdown when I wrote this up. In it, he tips safety play as a key.)

Bart Scott And Rex Ryan Can't Back Up Their Trash Talk

aramnath — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:51:16 -0000

Rex Ryan's big belly would definitely carry him in a fight with Channing Crowder.

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The Dolphins defeated the Jets at the Meadowlands yesterday 30-25, powered by two kickoff returns for touchdowns by Ted Ginn Jr. Here's what Jets linebacker Bart Scott had to say sarcastically after his team's second loss this season to their division rival Miami Dolphins.

"They're a great team. They'll probably contend for the Super Bowl. They have a tremendous offense, great running backs, a great quarterback, a tight end. They are stacked across the board. I'm serious. They are great."

"Like I said, they have a great team. They have a tremendous offense and they showed it today. They are Super Bowl contenders and they will probably take it all the way."

Dude. Shut up. You just got ran twice by a division rival in three weeks. If anybody should be talking trash after the game it should be Chad Henne, who Scott said earlier in the week he wanted to knock out of the game.

Bart, I'm not really a football expert, but from what I saw your defense is the reason the Dolphins won the first matchup this season. On that night that quarterback you mocked was dropping dimes in the fourth quarter in his second start of his career. Those running backs you also insulted, well they actually ran the Wildcat all fourth quarter to beat you. The Dolphins as a team put up 413 total yards of offense in that game and scored 31 points, with 21 coming in the fourth quarter.

This isn't really anything new with the all talk, little substance Jets and their jackass head coach Rex Ryan. First off it's amazing how when you are 4-4 you can find a way to still talk trash. Your signature win this season was against the Patriots in Week 2, with Tom Brady clearly still getting his feet under him coming back from knee surgery. Then you lucked out a win over a real powerhouse team like the Titans in Week 3 and your last win came against a high scool team from Oakland that is so bad your quarterback was preparing himself to challenge Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi in a hot dog eating contest.

Bart, if you are going to talk smack, make sure you back it up and if you don't just shut your mouth after the game. You aren't playing on the Ravens anymore. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed aren't out there to free you up to make plays.

Same goes for you Rex. Ryan had a verbal spat with Dolphins lineback Channing Crowder over the summer. Way to back up all that talk Rex. That preparation in June really has helped you become a winner in your first year as head coach. I would pay to see you twenty years younger try and "handle" Crowder like you said you could have. I'm sure that huge belly of yours would protect you against any body blows.

Ginn paves way as Dolphins sweep season series against Jets

Matty I — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:26:23 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Ginn...gone. What a day for the young man!

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This time last week, Ted Ginn Jr. was drawing the ire of Dolphin fans everywhere. So it figures that it was Ginn who would be the most important player in the Dolphins' 30-25 win over the Jets on Sunday - without even catching a single pass. And thanks in large part to Teddy, the Dolphins have done something they haven't done wince 2003: sweep the season series against the hated division rival Jets. More importantly, perhaps, the Dolphins are now back within a game of .500 and are 3-0 within the AFC East.

Ginn puts the "special" in "special teams"
This past week, much of the talk was centered on what the Dolphins should do with their former number one pick. The Dolphins decided to bench Ginn, who started every game this year at wide receiver, in favor of rookie Brian Hartline. Ginn admits, too, that this past week was the toughest of his professional career.

But Ginn reminded us all of just how damn good he can be as a return man, taking two consecutive kickoffs all the way to the house. And his 100 yard and 101 yard kickoff returns for touchdowns made NFL history. Teddy became the first player in NFL history to score two touchdowns of at least 100 yards in the same game. He's also the first player to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same quarter since Travis Williams did it for the Packers in 1967. Not a bad way to gain some confidence.

If you're human, you can't help but be happy for the embattled Ginn. And perhaps what is most telling is how his teammates spoke of Ginn after the game, including Jason Taylor - whose fumble return for a touchdown was overshadowed by Ginn's big day.

"That's all right. That's all right. After everything Teddy has been through, he deserves all the glory," said Taylor. Here are some more quotes about Ginn:

"People should respect him more, and, now, maybe they will," Brian Hartline said. "It was good to see him play so well."

"He loves the game. This is what he does," Justin Smiley said. "He's a professional. It's his life. I see him every day and how hard he works. He takes a lot of flak, but he had a great day."

But I think Ginn himself said it best. He said after the game that he convinced himself following his demotion that "big things might happen." Ginn added, "It's probably one of the toughest weeks I've ever experienced playing football. Last week was one of my toughest games I've ever had, the worst game in my career."

And now?

"I feel at peace more than anything. I made plays for my team. I stayed confident. My team believed in me," said Ginn. "To make them see that smile and have that happiness, to go from 2-4 to 3-4, that's great."

Now let's see if this confidence can translate into more production as a wide receiver.

Defense makes just enough plays to survive
Midway through the 3rd quarter, the Dolphins had only surrendered 6 points to the Jets. But then Davone Bess muffed a punt, the Jets recovered and the wheels came off for the defense. The Dolphins would surrender three touchdowns over the final 20 minutes of the game and nearly surrender a fourth that would have given the Jets the lead with under two minutes to play. It was the kind of performance to make even the most optimistic Dolphin fan think, "here we go again."

Second half defensive collapses have become all too familiar this season. And the Dolphins did just enough to avert another disaster. But man, it was not easy to watch.

Let's start with the good. The Dolphins did an outstanding job of stopping the Jets rushing attack. Yes, the Dolphins allowed a 100 yard rusher and a total of 127 yards on the ground. But that was with the Jets running the ball 40 times. Miami held New York to just 3.2 yards per attempt - which is damn good.

From individual standpoints, Jason Ferguson, Paul Soliai, and Randy Starks were outstanding. Give credit to Soliai for not only playing stout at the point of attack but also for ripping the ball away from Shonn Greene, leading to a fumble recovery that Jason Taylor returned all the way.

Gibril Wilson also looked like a different guy out there. Tony Sparano needs some credit here for deciding not to start Wilson. Chris Clemons was on the field for the first play of the game. Sparano said after the game that they "shook some things up this week, purposefully so. There's no reason for anybody to feel comfortable when you're 2-4.''

That strategy worked well, as Wilson was far more productive today than in any of his previous games as a Dolphin. Now he still wasn't perfect in coverage, but he was active against the run, effective as a blitzer, and didn't miss any tackles (that I can recall off the top of my head).

But it's Starks who was the man on defense, picking up 7 tackles, a sack (which we'll highlight in a minute), and two quarterback hits. He, too, had his best game as a Dolphin on Sunday. All told, it looks like the Dolphins have a damn good defensive line rotation - and will continue to do so for years to come.

Besides the rushing defense, though, I think the other key stat for the defense was how good they were on 3rd downs - holding the Jets to just 21% efficiency (3/14). And on the biggest third down of the game, it was Randy Starks coming through with a huge sack to push the Jets back to Miami's 15 yard line with under two minutes to go. That play is my "turning point of the game" - which we'll get to momentarily.

But, obviously, there were some defensive issues. The tight end position continues to kill this defense. Yeremiah Bell just doesn't look quick enough or fluid enough to stay with these athletic pass-catching tight ends when he's asked to. And the linebackers aren't nearly athletic enough to keep up with a tight end like Dustin Keller, who went for 76 yards receiving and a touchdown.

I also think that there was far too little pressure on Mark Sanchez, especially in the second half. There were countless plays that saw Sanchez have seemingly all day to throw. And for the most part, if the Dolphins didn't blitz, they didn't get pressure on Mark.

The rookie corners played as well as you could expect. They had their ups and downs. Each had at least one glaring mistake. For Vontae Davis, it was trying to undercut a ball thrown to Jerricho Cotchery on a drag route. Davis couldn't break up the pass and Cotchery took it 53 yards before being shoved out of bounds. For Sean Smith, it was a play in which he let Braylon Edwards get inside too easily, resulting in a 20 yard gain on an eventual scoring drive.

With that said, both made enough positive plays to keep me excited for their futures. I think they're going to be very good for a long time.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
If the Dolphins ended up losing, the turning point would have definitely been the muffed punt by Davone Bess. But Davone is off the hook. And part of the reason why is because Randy Starks came through in a big way. It was 3rd & 6 from Miami's 8 yard line when Starks beat one of the best guard's in football, Alan Faneca, one on one and laid a big hit on Mark Sanchez, resulting in a 7 yard loss and making it 4th & 13 from the 15 with 1 minute and a half to go. Those were a big seven yards, people. Just think of the difference between a 4th down from Miami's 8 to a 4th from the 15. There are a million more options for the Jets if Sanchez is able to even throw the ball away. But Starks came flying through the line seemingly out of nowhere to make a game-saving play for this defense.

TOOL OF THE GAME
Bart Scott - you're an idiot.

Even after losing to the Dolphins for the second time this season, Scott still ran his mouth after the game, sarcastically mocking the Dolphins:

"They're a great team. They'll probably contend for the Super Bowl. They have a tremendous offense -- great running backs, a great quarterback, a great tight end. They are stacked across the board. I'm serious. They are great.

"They have a tremendous offense and they showed it today. They are Super Bowl contenders and they will probably take it all the way."

Leave it to a New Yorker, of all people, to say it best. On his Sunday night sports show on NBC in New York, Mike Francesa blasted Scott, calling him a "total fool" and "total jerk" - among other things. And he said he's the kind of player you don't want on your team. Can't disagree with any of that.

QUICK HITS
Some more quick thoughts on the game:

I love love love the defensive back blitzes that Miami used on a lot of their 3rd downs today. I recall seeing, on any given 3rd down, Yeremiah Bell, Vontae Davis, Gibril Wilson, and Nathan Jones all have a chance to blitz. And it seemed to work. Don't know why they got away from it late in the game.
The Jets call the 'Wildcat' a gimmick? The Jets ran a flea-flicker and an end-around, both more "gimmicky" than the Wildcat.
Speaking of the Wildcat, the Jets did a good job of stuffing it all game.
Which brings me to the offensive line. They played poorly today, no doubt about it. They gave Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams no running room and really struggled to protect Chad Henne. I hope this is just a bump in the road.
As far as Henne goes, it was an "ok" performance. But I get the feeling he might be over-thinking some throws, especially when he's under pressure. He needs to get rid of the ball quicker. And he simply can't afford to go backwards when under pressure. That's always a "no-no." But at least there were no mistakes. All in all, not bad for his first career road start.
Boy does this team need a go-to receiver. There were too many times where no receiver at all could get open.
Is Reggie Torbor better than Channing Crowder? I would have laughed at that question a week ago. Now it's not a no-brainer anymore, folks. He isn't any worse, that's for sure. Just something to think about, I suppose.
Davone Bess hasn't looked like himself these past two weeks. But even with that said, I'm not worried about him at all. That's the kind of trust I have in him after his impressive rookie season last year.
Even with the poor defensive performance today (allowing 378 yards of offense), that unit did something it hadn't done all season - it finished. That's certainly a building block for the rest of the year.

What's next for Ted Ginn?

Matty I — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:35:19 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey M. Boan - AP

The Dolphins have reportedly lost patience with "Teddy Bobbles."

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One of the hot topics following the Dolphins' collapse on Sunday against the Saints has been centered on receiver Ted Ginn. We all know that he's been a huge disappointment this season and it has all finally come to a head after another poor display by Ginn on Sunday - which featured a couple more dropped balls, one of which was plucked out of the air by a defender and returned for a touchdown.

Since then, I've noticed a new website, TedGinnSucks.com, and a petition by Dolphin fans to have Ginn cut from the team - which, as of this posting currently has close to 100 signees already.

But the "real news" comes courtesy of Chris Mortensen, who said on ESPN during their pre-game show on Monday night that Ginn will begin to see less action on gamedays:

Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen (who likely still has a pipeline to his former ESPN colleague, Bill Parcells), Ginn will see reduced playing time going forward.

Mort also said that, if the trade deadline were tomorrow instead of last Tuesday, the Dolphins would be dialing up the Ravens and offering Ginn to the team whose offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, drafted Ginn in 2007 with the ninth overall pick.

First off, it's probably true that Mortensen is more "dialed into" the Dolphins front office than most other reporters because of his relationship with Bill Parcells. And I'm not surprised at all that Ginn will start to see less playing time. That's what he deserves. But I get the feeling that the idea Miami would be "dialing up the Ravens and offering Ginn" is pure speculation by Mortensen. I doubt this front office would ever let that information out to anyone, let alone a reporter who will just turn around and announce it to the world. What would the Dolphins even get by trading Ginn? Does he really have any value at all at this point?

More importantly, though, while most of you probably will jump over to the petition and sign it and then proceed to talk about how much Ginn sucks, I did want to just bring up one thing that I haven't seen talked about much in regards to Ted. Yes, he's been a huge disappointment this season - there's no debating that. And yes, in a perfect world, the Dolphins could just cut him. But can we get real for a moment? What alternatives do the Dolphins currently have?

Like most of you, I do like guys like Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo. Both seem to be ideal complimentary wide receivers. Brian Hartline has also looked pretty good in his limited playing time - and I expect he'll be the beneficiary of Ginn's lost playing time. And yes, it might be time to start getting some looks at the team's other rookie receiver, Patrick Turner. But the fact is that none of these guys are deep threats. None of them possess the speed needed to keep an opposing defense honest. And without Ginn on the roster, opposing defenses wouldn't even have to prepare for any kind of deep threats.

Quite frankly, the Dolphins need to keep Ginn for the rest of this year just as a decoy, if nothing else. After all, the Dolphins can't trade him now that we've passed the deadline and cutting him seems rather useless without any clear-cut upgrade on the roster.

I'm also not in favor of just making him a weekly gameday inactive. While this would give a guy like Patrick Turner an opportunity to play, I just don't think this is the solution. Ginn needs to at least get some snaps in three and four receiver sets for no other reason than forcing opposing defenses to respect the threat of the deep ball. The Dolphins have absolutely no other options. Is Kory Sheets, a speedy running back the Dolphins signed last week to take the roster spot of the injured Patrick Cobbs, going to suddenly convert to receiver? He's the only other offensive player on this roster with any kind of speed that can stretch the defense. But let's be serious - he isn't the solution.

The fact of the matter is there is no solution right now. We just have to suck it up for the rest of the season, keep Ginn on the active roster but reduce his number of snaps, and hope that when he does get behind the defense that he actually hauls in the Chad Henne deep ball like he did against the Jets. Then, once the offseason comes, we all know what one of this team's top priorities will be - finding a receiver.

Dolphins vs Saints: Miami's Keys to Victory

Matty I — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

I hope to see a large dose of Ronnie on Sunday!

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Sunday's big game between the Dolphins and Saints is now just days away. All Dolphin fans know that this game certainly will not be easy. But it's definitely not an "unwinnable" game. The Dolphins certainly can win this game. But they'll have to play a near-perfect game. And these three keys below will be very important:

Keep it close
This one almost goes without saying. Even with the stronger armed Chad Henne under center, the Dolphins are not a team that can come back from big early deficits. They do not have the firepower and that's just not their way. Meanwhile, the Saints have the kind of explosive offense that allows them to score quickly and score often. The Dolphins obviously can't allow this to happen.

In three of their five games, the Saints have had halftime leads of 18, 14, and 17. And the Saints have scored on their first possession in all five of their games - putting up four touchdowns and a field goal. They've also never trailed in a game all season. And excluding when the game was 0-0, the Saints have only been tied for 19:22 of game time - meaning the Saints, after scoring on their first possession, have only been in a tie for 19 minutes and 22 seconds combined in all five games. That's insane.

But that also presents an opportunity. The Dolphins have been in tight games in the second half in all but one of their games. So this team is familiar, and comfortable, playing in tight, pressure-packed situations. The Saints might not be. Who is to say how New Orleans will react as the game progresses into the late 3rd and early 4th quarter of a tight, one-score game?

Linebacker Akin Ayodele, whose brother is a starting defensive tackle on the Saints, agrees:

"We've really faced adversity early in this season. I think it has put us in a better situation when certain things come about that we're prepared. Mentally we're prepared. We know how to deal with it."

"That's what we're shooting for: the fact that maybe nobody has pushed them. We're not the team that's going to just sit back and let them come on our home turf and push us around."

Frankly, I'm actually borderline over-confident that the Dolphins can pull off the win if they can keep this game close in the fourth quarter. And I say this only because I don't know how the Saints will react if/when the Dolphins refuse to go away. Like Akin said, nobody has pushed them yet in 2009. The question, if the Dolphins can indeed push them, is if the Saints have the right mentality to push back - especially when their on the road with the stadium rocking.

Get in manageable 3rd downs and convert
On paper, the Saints have the top 3rd down defense in the league - allowing opponents to convert on just 27% of their 3rd down attempts. But I think that stat is misleading in that many of the 66 3rd downs the Saints defense has faced have been 3rd & long situations due to incomplete passes on early downs as teams attempt to play catch-up. But I'm still not sold on New Orelans' ability to get off the field on 3rd and short situations. And the Dolphins are one of the league's best in converting those opportunities.

This season, the Dolphins are number one in the NFL in coverting 3rd and 2 yards or less to go - converting at an 85% clip (17/20). That stat is a big reason why the Dolphins lead the NFL in 3rd down conversions, with a rate of 56% - 5 percentage points higher than the numer two team. Of course, the percentage drastically dips when the situation is not a 3rd & 2 yards or less - from 85% to 45%. Not bad at all; but not as impressive, either.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Brown ranks third in the NFL since 2000 in 3rd down conversion percentage with two or fewer yards to go (among backs with at least 25 attempts). Ronnie has converted 40 of 53 attempts (75.5%) - less than four percentage points lower than Joseph Addai and just over two percentage points lower than Adrian Peterson, who ranked one and two.

When you factor in Ricky Williams and Lousaka Polite, it's easy to see why the Dolphins are so effective in short-yardage situations.

On Sunday, the league's top 3rd down offense will face the league's top 3rd down defense. And whoever wins more of those matchups will obviously go a long way towards determining the outcome of the game itself. The Dolphins must do a good job of staying in manageable 3rd down situations.

Win the third phase of the game
We all know that the Dolphins don't exactly possess the best special teams units in the league. But the Dolphins have the rare opportunity of going up against a team whose own special teams units are nothing special, either. Both are mediocre and the Dolphins would really benefit from making a big play or two to gain that "hidden yardage" and swing field position in their favor.

The Dolphins average only 22 yards per kick return. The Saints average only 22.1 yards. The Dolphins average 8.6 yards per punt return. The Saints only average 3.9.

As far as kick coverage goes, there's a big discrepancy. The Dolphins have been surprisingly effective covering kickoffs. They rank 3rd in the league in yards allowed per kick return - only 20. The Saints, however, allow 26.8 yards per kick return - the 3rd highest figure in the league. So whoever replaces Patrick Cobbs as Miami's primary return man - likely Ted Ginn Jr. or Kory Sheets - should have an opportunity to at least make a big play, which could really create some momentum for the Dolphins as they bid for the upset.

A way too early look at offseason needs

Matty I — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:09:33 -0000

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

Ted Ginn might become a very good number two receiver in this league - but I don't ever see him becoming a true number one. And that's what the Dolphins need the most.

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The dreaded bye week is upon us. While it's great having the bye coming off of a win - a Monday Night Football win over a hated division rival, by the way - these off weeks still anger me. After all, there's only so much talking we can all do about the Dolphins' win over the Jets last week before we're all itching for another game. But we have to deal with it - and the "bye week Friday" is always a crappy day. Now when the work/school week ends, we have no Dolphins football to look forward to.

So as I was racking my brain trying to figure out what to talk about today, I had an idea. It's never too early to talk about what kinds of offseason improvements the Dolphins need to make to get better for 2010. And with these latest rumors that the Dolphins might be "buyers" here as the trade deadline approaches, I figured we should quickly touch on what needs this team has that have to be addressed in the offseason. And to spark some debate, I've ranked the needs in order of priority - as I see it, anyways. Below are my thoughts. Be sure to share yours in the comments.

Priority #1 - A true #1 receiver
This is obviously the top need on the team. While I love the guys this team has (to varying degrees, of course), you simply can't argue the fact that the Dolphins do not have a true, legitimate number one receiver on their roster.

This isn't a knock on any of the guys who are here right now. In fact, there was never a time in which I did think any of these guys were going to eventually become a number one receiver. Even when Ted Ginn was drafted - or "over-drafted," as he was - I never thought he'd become a true number one guy, despite the slot he was selected in the draft. He just doesn't have "it." But I do think he's an ideal number two receiver - and has a lot of value on this team as the only receiver on the roster who can stretch the field.

Guys like Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess are also potentially great number two or number three receivers. Bess, for example, will become one of the best slot receivers in the league as he progresses. And Camarillo, before his injury, was well on his way to becoming a terrific complimentary receiver - and still might become one. But there's nobody on this roster who you can rely on making big catches in big spots - like Dwayne Bowe did for KC this past weekend or like Braylon Edwards did for the Jets on Monday night.

Priority #2 - Upgrade at inside linebacker
I'm not here to crap all over Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele. They've both had their good moments in these first five weeks and their bad moments. But we're kidding ourselves if we think these two are anything special. Crowder is what he is - a run stuffing inside linebacker who is a liability in coverage. Ayodele, meanwhile, is a serviceable starting linebacker with a lot of experience and who will perform well enough to keep his job for now.

But Ayodele is now 30 years old and will only lose more of his athleticism as time goes on. And Crowder isn't exactly a quick linebacker himself. There's the problem. Neither of these guys are good in coverage nor are they particularly good at blitzing. In a 3-4 defense, you don't need two great inside linebackers. You can have one slower one who can stuff the run as long as the other can cover and has good range. Neither of these two can do that.

Just imagine how much better this defense would be with a linebacker who is even 75% of what Patrick Willis is.

Priority #3 - Another young pass-rushing outside linebacker
Joey Porter and Jason Taylor haven't exactly been dominant this year. Taylor has 3.5 sacks - but 2.5 came in one game against a terrible offensive line - and Porter has been slowed by a hamstring injury. Neither are exactly spring chickens, either. And while Cameron Wake has shown some promise, he, too, has only put together one great game. Whether it's lack of playing time or not, Wake is still far from a sure thing - though there's a lot to potentially be excited about.

Regardless, you can never have enough pass rushers in this league. The Giants proved that when they went out and shut down one of the best offenses ever on the biggest stage of them all. And remember, you can't get beat deep when you don't give the opposing quarterback enough time to throw.

Priority #4 - Return specialist
Let's face it - the Dolphins have a problem on special teams. We saw just how bad the return teams are last week when Patrick Cobbs couldn't even get the ball to the 20 a couple of times. For the year, the Dolphins are averaging just 22 yards per kick return. Last year, they were even worse - averaging just over 20 yards per return. I know we're all excited about the potential of this offense now with a stronger armed quarterback leading the way, but can't we try to make it a little easier on the offense by giving them better starting field position?

I think that the value of a return man is still underrated, even after Devin Hester proved to the world that return specialist can be dangerous weapons. But the Dolphins obviously realize this fact - as proven by their rumored interest in Joshua Cribbs. And whether it's before the trade deadline or next offseason, I hope the Dolphins find somebody who can become that dynamic return man this team hasn't had in a long while.

Priority #5 - Safety
Some will probably rate this position higher on their lists, but I'm not going to do that. I know that this position has been the obvious Achilles heal of the defense. Anybody with at least one eye can see that just by watching a quarter of Dolphins football. But I didn't rank it higher for two reasons.

One - the money already invested into the position. The Dolphins re-signed Yeremiah Bell to a 4 year, $20 million deal and signed Gibril Wilson to a 5 year, $27.5 million deal. That's a ton of money invested into two safeties.

Two - the Dolphins have two young safeties whom they like. Tyrone Culver was signed to an extension that keeps him in Miami through 2011. He's been getting on the field more and more in recent weeks and his role could continue to increase. Meanwhile, rookie Chris Clemons shined during offseason practices and has all the physical tools you want in a safety. He's got great speed, good hands, and can tackle. But he's very raw and is still learning the mental aspect of the position. And we don't really know yet if he has the instincts that safeties need to play in this league.

But with all that is invested in the position already, I just don't think this front office will make a big change at safety. That is - unless things get terribly worse.

NFL Network's RedZone Colts stat of the week: Week Five

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:41:25 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

2 months ago: Indianapolis Colts safety Tim Jennings (23) intercepts a pass intended for Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nate Washington (85) in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel, a new NFL Network channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

Following the NY Jets Week Two win over the New England Patriots, NFL Sirius radio personality Pat Kirwan was raving about how "tough" the NY Jets defense was and how much he loved Rex Ryan blitzing the hell out of people. When a caller phoned in to talk about the Colts defense, Kirwan pointed out that teams (like the Jaguars) are not "afraid" of the Colts, suggesting Indy was not "tough" enough to handle teams that liked to run the ball.

Well, after watching the Miami Dolphins torch the Jets for 30 points last night, carving them up on the ground with the Wild Cat and through the air with Chad Henne, I wonder if Kirwan will admit that he was... well, WRONG! Seriously, when you blitz a QB, you better get him because if you don't, he'll hit Ted Ginn Jr. on a long TD that will make your supposedly tough defense look like swiss friggin cheese.

Oh, and the Jets allowed 151 rushing yards and a last second fourth quarter TD to Ronnie Brown, winning the game for the Dolphins. Not knocking the Jets or anything. This is more a knock on Kirwan, who is kind of a tool. He seems to love blitzing defenses and hates "prevent defense," aka the Tampa 2.

After five weeks, the Colts defense is ranked 7th in total defense, which is a silly statistic because it only considers average yards per game, and yards are about as meaningless a stat as time of possession is. The key defensive stats are:

The Colts are the #2 scoring defense in football (14.2 points per game)
The Colts have the #7 pass defense in football
The Colts are #2 in average passing completion yards per game (5.5)
The Colts are #6 in opposing QB rating (71.1)
The Colts are #8 in sacks (13 total), with most of them coming from the defensive line (10)
The Colts have only allowed 7 pass plays over 20 yards and have not allowed any over 40
The Colts have moved from ranking near the bottom in run defense to #14 in the league. Throw out the Dolphins game, which seems to be a fluke because other supposedly "tough" defense can't figure out how to stop it, and the yards against is nearly cut in half (277 yards). That means (minus the Dolphins game) the Colts have allowed 277 rushing yards on 38 attempts for an average of 3.7 a carry.

This is a dramatic improvement over last year's defense, and much of the credit should go to Jim Caldwell and Larry Coyer. Remember, the Colts are doing this without Bob Sanders and Kelvin Hayden as both have missed several games due to injury.

Look for shake n bake's DVOA rankings and mgrex03's more advanced stats later in the week.