SB Nation - Ronnie Brown

Dolphins rally but fall in OT to Titans; playoff hopes now slim

Matty I — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:06:29 -0000

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If only Yeremiah Bell was a few inches taller...

I could sit here and talk about the heart, toughness, and resiliency that this Miami Dolphins team showed on Sunday in Nashville. As fans, we have every reason to be proud of this football team. They battled all game long, rallying from an 18 point second half deficit. But at this point in the season, "heart" doesn't get you into the playoffs. If it did, this team would be a shoe-in. But as it is, the Dolphins just made too many mistakes and failed to take advantage of too many opportunities, resulting in a heart-breaking 27-24 loss to the Titans.

Missed opportunities and very costly mistakes
I could sit here all day and talk about the numbers with you (and I will highlight a few in a bit). But the bottom line of any football game is you have to score touchdowns when you get into the red zone and you can't turn the ball over. The Dolphins did both. And perhaps it as fitting that it was a Chad Henne interception in overtime (and a completely bogus unnecessary roughness penalty) that wound up souring what could have been a remarkable comeback victory. I say it's fitting because Henne made a few bad throws. However, the Dolphins somehow kept their head above water and climbed back into the game despite those earlier miscues. But you just can't continue to make mistakes and expect to win a football game.

In a way, this game was a microcosm of the 2009 season for the Dolphins. They fell behind early, battled their way back, but eventually came up short.

I won't kill Chad Henne here like some will want to do. He's a kid who is just 11 starts into his career. These kinds of mistakes are to be expected. What is impressive is how he battled back, leading touchdown drives of 80 yards and 90 yards in the fourth quarter to get this thing into overtime. That's pretty damn impressive for as young quarterback if you ask me.

Henne, aided by a ridiculous catch by Brian Hartline, was 11/16 in the fourth quarter for 150 yards and a touchdown - recovering from a 17/27, 195 yard, 2 interception first three quarters. Entering overtime, you got the feeling that Henne would again march down the field, as he did on his two previous drives, and get the Dolphins into scoring position. But he made a horrendous throw. No excuses - and Henne owned up to it after the game:

"There are excuses, but I am not going to make them. I will just say that I missed the pass, and next time I will connect on it."

Honestly, there's no reason not to believe him, either.

Of course, this game goes deeper than just Henne's miscues. The Dolphins were unable to cash in on their first two red zone opportunities. After the Vontae Davis interception, the offense stalled out and settled for a field goal. Then, trailing 10-3, the Dolphins had it first and goal inside Tennessee's 10 yard line. That's when Pat White ran for a yard, Lex Hilliard ran for two yards and Brian Hartline got called for a false start. An incomplete pass on the next play forced Miami to settle for a FG once again.

That's two red zone trips resulting in six points - surprising considering how good this team has become at converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns. Then, of course, we had the Henne interception on the pass intended for Ricky Williams - a pass that was under-thrown, and should not have even been thrown on first down from Tennessee's 14 yard line.

And we can't forget about Ricky's most fumble that stalled another drive just outside Tennessee's 20 yard line.

Four turnovers and eight penalties. It's almost a miracle the Dolphins came as close as they did to winning.

Defense steps up in second half
Like most of you, I was ready to kill this defense for their terrible first half performance. They let the Titans convert on 6 of their first 8 third downs, including three on their first touchdown drive. They let these mediocre receivers get behind them way too often. Vontae Davis got beat. Nathan Jones got beat. Gibril Wilson, of course, got beat as well. All of this resulted in the Titans gaining 228 yards and scoring 17 points in the half.

But the second half was different. The defense actually stepped up. They held the Titans to just 136 yards, 57 of which came on their one touchdown drive. They limited Chris Johnson to just 33 second half yards on 15 carries. And Tennessee was just 2 for 7 on third down - an impressive turnaround from a unit that is known to collapse in the second half.

This was the third consecutive game, by the way, in which the Dolphins shut out their opponent in the fourth quarter - quite the improvement from where they once were. The coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for that.

In the end, though, this defense did all it could but couldn't overcome having to play against the referees, too. They held the Titans to -1 yard of offense following the overtime interception. But the terrible call by the refs to hit Greg Camarillo with a 15 yard penalty set the Titans up for a 46 yard field goal. A tough way to lose - but kudos to the defense for doing their part in the final 30+ minutes of the game.

Playoffs?
I know this will be asked a million times. But the bottom line here is that it's just not likely. To even think about the playoffs, the Dolphins have to first do their part and win their final two games - both at home. Then they need help. Lots of it.

If the Patriots were to collapse and lose both of their remaining games, Miami could win the division. Not likely.

I won't even get into the numerous other playoff scenarios. Let's first let next week play out and then we can (hopefully) look at some of these crazy ways the Dolphins can sneak in.

But don't be disappointed. Think about this. After starting 0-3 and losing Chad Pennington for the season, would you have signed up for 7-7 with two weeks left? I bet most would have - especially with Chad Henne going 7-4 in his first 11 career starts and leading three fourth quarter comebacks (two of which came against the Jets and Pats).

Instead of getting angry or being disappointed about how this season is probably going to end, think about where this team has come from and just how close they are getting to being where we all want this team to be. Despite the loss, it's an exciting time to be a Dolphins fan, folks!

QUICK HITS
Just a few more quick thoughts on Sunday's game:

Jason Taylor played exceptionally well on Sunday. And I'm not even talking about his sack. He was a key reason why the Dolphins contained Chris Johnson in the second half, setting the edge and keeping CJ inside. I was REALLY impressed with JT's performance. This is the first time where he actually looked like a strongside linebacker.
I really like this group of receivers. But don' get fooled - they are indeed missing that one key piece: a true #1 receiver. And I'm not ready to buy the idea that Brian Hartline or Davone Bess will become that guy. They could be great complimentary guys, though.
How much do you think we miss Ronnie Brown?
Enough with Gibril Wilson. It's time to send him to the bench - and then to unemployment once the season is over. He flat out stinks.
We desperately need new return men. Ted Ginn runs sideways way too much and Davone Bess is just not fast enough to be a real threat back there.

Five Questions: Miami Dolphins @ Jacksonville Jaguars

silencecs — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:16:09 -0000

Earlier this week, your's truly had an opportunity to speak with the head blogger over at The Phinsider. It was a cordial and civil discussion, and we exchanged "Five Questions". Here's his response to BCC's five questions about the Fins...

1) Ronnie Brown is injured... Can Ricky run the wild-cat effectively, or can we expect a more traditional offense? What about Pat White, will we see him at all?

No - Ricky Williams is not nearly as effective as the Wildcat "triggerman" as Ronnie is. It's not even close, in my opinion. So I don't think you will see the Wildcat much - if at all - on Sunday. Last week, the Dolphins didn't use the Wildcat at all against New England. And quite frankly, Ronnie Brown is the Wildcat. He is what makes it work.

As for Pat White, you could see a play or two with him. Recently, the only game in which he hasn't played was against Carolina on that Thursday night. Last week, White took two snaps. One was a botched option play. The other was a sweep that went for nothing. You might see him once or twice. But I think the "non-conventional" offensive packages will be kept to a minimum.

2) Coach Tony Sparano is 5-0 in December. Was that due more to facing weaker competition last season, or is Tony a great clutch coach?

He was actually 4-0 last year and is 1-0 this year. Now last season, you could say that Miami's weaker opponents played a role in their 4-0 December. The Bills, Niners, and Chiefs were all below average opponents. But this team did go to Kansas City in December, play in the coldest game in Dolphins' franchise history, and leave with a win. They also went up to the Meadowlands in week 17 and knock off the Jets in what essentially was a playoff game for both teams. So it's not like these games were cakewalks.

Then last week, the Dolphins beat a Patriots team that everybody was picking to be Super Bowl contenders prior to their ugly Monday night game against New Orleans. They clearly aren't "weaker competition."

So I think Tony Sparano does deserve some credit for preparing this team well late in the season. I think that he knows how to motivate a team. I think that his players love him and will work their asses off for him. And I just think that Sparano knows how to handle a team week in and week out to make sure his players aren't worn down for these important late-season games.

3) Chad Henne's got a cannon and the Jaguars have a weak secondary. We know Ginn can't catch, is there anyone else we should be concerned with?

You know it's bad when non-Dolphin fans know that Ted Ginn can't catch. But don't just write Ginn off. He isn't a number one receiver - and probably isn't a number two, either. But he will surprise you from time to time - like he did last week by making two big catches against the Pats. But you're right in saying you don't need to concern yourself with Ginn.

Who you do need to concern yourself with is Davone Bess. He's coming off of a career high 10 reception, 117 yard game against New England. He's 7th among AFC receivers in catch percentage - hauling in 70.2% of the passes thrown his way. And he's second in the entire NFL in both 3rd down receptions (29) and 3rd down conversions (23). Basically think of Bess as a poor man's Wes Welker.

But also don't sleep on Greg Camarillo (6th in AFC among receivers with a 71% catch percentage) or rookie Brian Hartline (leads team with 3 receiving touchdowns and 14.8 ypc average). Camarillo seems to make a clutch reception in every game - such as his 4th & 6 reception to keep Miami's game-winning drive alive last week. And Hartline seems to be really clicking with Chad Henne.

4) The Dolphins traded the Jaguars a 7th round pick for Tony McDaniels. How has his production been this season?

Most Dolphin fans would agree that only giving up a seventh round pick for McDaniel was a steal. He's really transitioned well into Miami's 3-4 defense. Somebody with his combination of size (6'7, 305) and athleticism is rare. And it's shown. His role has expanded since Jason Ferguson was lost for the season. But he's still only played in about a quarter of Miami's defensive plays. His production, though, has been surprising. He's got a sack and a half and has made a handful of big plays/stops in his limited action.

I think that the 24 year old will be in Miami for a while as part of the team's young defensive line rotation with guys like Kendall Langford, Randy Starks, and Phillip Merling - all players who are 25 or younger.

5) The Dolphins picked Jake Long 1st overall after Cam Cameron's debacle. How has he progressed, and what's the state of your offensive line on the whole? Are they better in pass-blocking or run-blocking situations?

Jake Long has come along as well as we all hoped he would. He's quieted his critics who believed he might not have the foot quickness to play left tackle in the NFL. He was a Pro Bowl player last year as a rookie (albeit as an alternate) and has a good chance at returning this year. He had a few hiccups earlier this season. But he's been outstanding of late and solidifies Miami's LT spot for years to come.

As a whole, the offensive line is very good. They're very well balanced. I'd say that they might be a little bit better of a run-blocking unit than a pass-blocking. But that might be hard to tell to outsiders who don't realize that because of Miami's lack of firepower on the outside, teams stack the box and make it a point of emphasis to shut down the run. With that said, this offense is still fourth in the NFL in rushing and averages 4.5 yards per carry.

Injuries have hurt this unit at times this year. Starting center Jake Grove - who has been outstanding, by the way - has missed some time recently and is questionable to play on Sunday with a high ankle sprain. Justin Smiley missed time as well at left guard with a shoulder injury. But their replacements - Joe Berger at center and Nate Garner at guard - have even played well. This is a pretty young unit as well, which bodes well for the future. After all, lines that stay together for a long time and gel tend to be among the best in football. So needless to say, Dolphin fans are optimistic.

Thanks to Matt from the Phinsider.

-Collin Streetman

Quick Recap: Dolphins defeat Patriots, 22-21

MaPatsFan — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:17:02 -0000

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For the first time in a long time, our New England Patriots lose back-to-back regular season games. And yet again, we come up short in the second half. There is no single play that typically loses a game. In this game, our defense was absolutely horrible against the pass. But today I will blame a 4th and 6 "go for it" for this loss. This is absolutely pitiful football against a division rival, a win we absolutely needed to seal up this division.

Yet again, we fail on the road. Yet again, hubris gets in the way of winning a game. Miami came up strong in the second half to take this game. Even without Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat, the Patriots still manage to screw this one up.

Discuss.

5 Questions: Patriots @ Dolphins

MaPatsFan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:09:41 -0000

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Moving on. Divisional game. Miami Dolphins at home. That's all that matters right now. Just as our favorite team and players are doing, it's time to stop mourning and start figuring out how we can make this a W. I'm not simply being nice when I way Miami gives New England trouble. More than any other division rival, they seem to know us pretty well and know our tendencies. However, in the last 5 games, we're 4-1 against the Fins and with Tom Brady under center, 3-0. That being said, Miami has managed an impressive 3rd in yards per game rushing...and that's WITHOUT Ronnie Brown. I also believe Head Coach Tony Sparano has been burning the midnight oil watching game film from our Saints matchup.

But on to the Dolphins. As is our custom, Head Blogger Matty I of The Phinsider and I exchanged questions on our upcoming matchup. Matty offered some excellent insight into how his team is doing this year and how some of the young guys have progressed.

Read on after the jump...

What impact has Ronnie Brown's absence had on the Dolphins? Can you think of any situations where his presence might've swung a game in your favor?

Well the Dolphins have only played two full games since Brown went down with his foot injury. In those two games, the Dolphins are 1-1. But I'll admit I can't help but think that if Ronnie was still healthy, the Dolphins wouldn't have lost to Buffalo last week.

Why? First off all, the 'Wildcat' really lacks any teeth without Brown. Ricky Williams is a talented back and all - but he's not nearly as good as the 'Wildcat' triggerman as Ronnie is. Truth be told, Brown is the 'Wildcat.' Secondly, I get the feeling that offensive coordinator Dan Henning doesn't attempt that ridiculous 'Wildcat' pass on first and goal from the three yard line against Buffalo on their first drive of the game last week - which resulted in an interception, of course. If Brown was healthy and the 'Wildcat' was as effective as usual, I think they decide to just pound it in. Also, if they were planning on throwing it there out of the 'Wildcat,' at least it would have been Ronnie - who has experience and some success throwing the football - rather than Ricky. In fact, Ronnie might decide to not even make the throw after seeing how the defense reacts. Ricky, on the other hand, doesn't have the experience and tried to force it in.

Most importantly, though, is how I think too much of the load is falling on Ricky's shoulders. The Dolphins got away from running the ball in the second half. And I can't help but think that if the Dolphins had a healthy Brown to go with Ricky, Dan Henning wouldn't have gotten away from the running game.

The bottom line is simple: Ronnie Brown was this offense's best player. And they aren't the same offense without him.

The Dolphins are #3 in rushing yards per game. Tell us about some of the guys who have stepped up in Brown's absence.

Well since Brown went down, it's mainly been Ricky Williams as the guy who has stepped up. Beginning with the game against Tampa Bay three weeks ago, Ricky has three consecutive 100 yard rushing games. He had just one all of last season. In fact, he hasn't had a run of 100 yard games like this since November of 2003. Dolphin fans everywhere just hope that he can keep it up as the increased workload takes its toll on him.

The other player who has stepped up - and who will probably see more carries on Sunday than he ever has - is running back Lex Hilliard. Hilliard is a second year player (spent '08 on practice squad) out of Montana who is a big, physical runner with lots of power. And he got his first career carry just two weeks ago against the Panthers. It was a 3rd & 16 and Hilliard ran up the middle, bouncing off defenders, for 18 yards and a first down. But in his two weeks of experience, he has just 9 carries for 46 yards. The coaches, I'm sure, just wanted to ease him into the role. Keep in mind that Hilliard is this team's fourth running back and just narrowly made the cut out of training camp. But injuries to Brown and to third running back Patrick Cobbs has thrust Hilliard into a bigger role. So far, he's looked promising in limited action. But I think he'll see a good 7 to 10 carries on Sunday - his biggest test yet.

Now that Jason Taylor has been around for a while, do you feel like he's been able to make significant contributions on the field or do you feel he's more valuable as a veteran locker room guy?

It's hard to know for sure how much of an impact in the locker room Jason Taylor has had this year. Keep in mind that this is a team that is not short on locker room leaders, especially on defense (Jason Ferguson and Joey Porter, for example). But it says a lot that Taylor was voted one of the team's captains back in the preseason by his teammates even after that ugly 2008 offseason mess that resulted in his trade to Washington.

On the field, Taylor has made significant contributions. Has he been as good as he was when he was younger? Of course not. But to even expect that is crazy. He's still an effective pass rusher, though. He is tied for second on the team with 6 sacks and probably gets more pressure on the quarterback than anyone else on this team other than Cameron Wake. Throw in a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception that set the Dolphins up deep in opponent territory - and yes, I'm pretty happy he's back in Miami.

Chad Henne was going to ease into the roll of starting quarterback until Chad Pennington's season ended abruptly. Was Henne's "instant" promotion a positive or a negative? Where have you seen Henne improve and where has he struggled?

I don't want to say his promotion was either a positive or a negative. He obviously brings something to this offense that they didn't have with Chad Pennington under center - a big arm. But that doesn't replace all of the things that Pennington brought to the table. His accuracy, his knowledge of the game, his leadership. With all that said, however, Henne's promotion to the starting role this season is definitely a positive in terms of what it means to this franchise's future.

As far as his play is concerned, his big arm comes as advertised. He can make all of the throws. We've seen his decision making improve. He had a tendency of holding onto the ball too long. But recently, we've seen him throw the ball away when necessary. And outside of last week's game, he hasn't really had issues with forcing the ball into coverage. I've also been impressed with Henne's ability to roll out and throw on the run.

But there are two main areas that Henne still needs to improve in. One - his accuracy. Sometimes he's perfectly on the money. Other times he's off. It's more of a consistency issue than an accuracy issue - which is a good thing. He has the ability to be extremely accurate. He just needs to be more consistent. Two - his tendency to stare down receivers. This is the biggest issue, in my opinion. He still tends to telegraph where he's going to throw by staring down his receiver. But I've seen him do this less and less as he has gained experience. Hopefully this is just something that goes away as he gets more comfortable in this offense with these receivers.

In our last matchup, Brady threw for 332 yards, 147 of those to Randy Moss. Do you feel like the Dolphins' young secondary has made some positive strides? Is Vontae Davis the guy who will get Moss and if so, will Randy Moss have a tough day?

I think that Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have definitely made some positive strides. And every time either one gives up a big pass, I see it as a learning experience for those two kids. With that said, I'm very worried about Sunday because it's beginning to look like both of those two young corners are hitting the dreaded "rookie wall." Most rookies only played in 12 or 13 games per year at the college level. We're now getting to that point where their bodies aren't used to taking this weekly pounding. And if either of them are a step slower because of this, Sunday could be a long day.

As far as who covers who, I'm still not too sure. I thought we'd see more of Sean Smith on Randy Moss last time - simply because of his size. But Vontae got the duty last time and didn't play poorly outside of one or two plays. Unfortunately, you can't give up one or two big plays per game and hope to win. The only thing I can guarantee you is that we'll see plenty of Nate Jones covering Wes Welker whenever Wes is lined up in the slot. Outside of that, it's anyone's guess.

A big shoutout to Matty I from for his most excellent answers. Head on over to The Phinsider for my answers to his questions.

Focus on the Dolphins - Patriots prepare for another divisional matchup

MaPatsFan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:47:01 -0000

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Hoodie likes Jason Taylor. He likes him so much that he went after him during the off season. Taylor ultimately made the right decision and decided to go back home for the 2009 season. 2010? Taylor's keeping an open mind:

"We’ll see what happens after the season’s over," Taylor just said on a conference call. "I know my deal ends at the end of the year and we’ll reevaluate at the end of the year, and what the teams are wanting to do and go from there. You never close off any of your options, you don’t burn any bridges and you always keep an open mind."

Taylor's no dummy. Belichick would have Jason's babies if he could. He loves the guy. Even in his mid thirties he could make an impact on a Patriots defense suffering from "No pass rush-itis". However, I still don't think Taylor should come here and it's not for any football reason - well sort of. Turn the tables and think about this for a minute: if Mike Vrabel became available, would you want him going to the Miami Dolphins? I can't see it. Same situation. I don't think a Fins fan could tolerate Taylor rocking a Flying Elvis.

After a very disappointing smackdown in the Big Easy, we're back to the AFC and a division rival. As you all know, conference games, especially division ones, are key. You could have the weakest division on the planet but as long as you win it, you're playing in January. Remember how aggravated we were last year? 11-5 and we lose a tiebreaker to the Dolphins while an 8-8 Chargers heads to the playoffs. With our remaining schedule (Dolphins, Panthers, Bills, Jaguars, Texans), it appears we don't have much standing in our way. I know, any given Sunday but you know what I mean.

Is there a loss in there? If there is, it could happen in any one of the five remaining games and Miami is just as likely an axeman as any of them. We have traditionally had trouble with the Dolphins, but recently have been 3-0 with Brady at the helm (2007: 2-0, 2009: 1-0). Read what you want into it. I always think Miami spells trouble, especially when we play them in their house.

The absence of Ronnie Brown is an issue, but the Fins' rushing offense still ranks third in yards per game. Not too shabby when you lose one of your best running backs. I'll be writing more about this in the next few days, but I think Belichick will use a similar strategy when facing the Dolphins this time around. That is, pick on the young secondary. Wes Welker seems to have success against Miami and when Randy Moss matches up against talented rookie Vontae Davis, I believe experience wins out.

Face-to-face wins is the first tie breaker for a playoff spot. If it comes down to that (again), it'd be nice to have this one in the W column.

Keys to Victory: Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins

Kurupt — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:30:11 -0000

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The Miami Dolphins aim to keep their playoff hopes alive as they travel to Ralph Wilson Stadium to take on the injury-depleted Buffalo Bills this Sunday. This will be the second meeting of the season between the teams, with Miami taking defeating the Bills handily, 38-10, in the first game. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams ran wild, while the Bills' offense continued its downward spiral. Since then, Brown has been lost for the year, Buffalo's offense has gotten even worse, Dick Jauron has been fired and another Bills season has gone by the wayside. Perry Fewell will be at home in Buffalo for the first time as the Bills' interim head coach. It should be a much closer game this time around, as the Bills look to pick up their first home victory over a division rival since 2007. What do the Bills have to do take care of business and get that mythical home W?

Run at the Dolphins: Even with a depleted offensive line, I still think it's very possible to run the ball well this week. The Dolphins have placed NT Jason Ferguson on IR with a quad injury, but were already proving to be vulnerable on the ground. After allowing just 61 yards per game on the ground through four games, the Dolphins' defense has given up 136 yards per game. Fred Jackson (and Marshawn Lynch if he plays) could have a nice game assuming the offensive line isn't downright pathetic. I expect the offense to try and get the ground game going early, especially if the weather is a factor. If they can establish the ground game, look for the Bills to go play action more often than we've seen.

Get it to TO early: Maybe Terrell Owens can still get the job done. Maybe the offense can continue to look a little better with him more involved. Maybe he can make some more big plays down the stretch. One thing that does seem certain is getting the ball to TO early in the game keeps him interested and focused. That needs to continue this week. Whether or not it was the plan, Perry Fewell seemed intent on making sure TO got some looks and catches early in the game. He was open over the middle often this past week and looked great on the deep passing routes. I'd love to see more of those. Getting Lee Evans more involved, once again, should also be a priority.

Utilize Shawn Nelson: Once a game it seems like Nelson flashes his potential, but then is never heard from again (except with penalties!). With the rookie getting more and more comfortable each week, its time to start making him a bigger part of the passing game. With his size and athleticism, throwing those jump balls to him when he's single covered seem like a no-brainer. He's made a pair of great catches this year and seem routes. I'd love to see more of those, and I also would like to see him on some crossing patterns giving him the opportunity to run after the catch.

Make Henne beat them: They needed to do this in the first game, but couldn't get it done. The Dolphins ran all over Buffalo and Chad Henne only needed to complete short passes to pick up 5-10 yards at a time. In order to force Henne to make plays, the defense has to shut down Williams and the running game on 1st and 2nd downs. If they can force some 3rd and longs, I like our chances of not only forcing some punts, but also forcing some turnovers. It was too easy for Henne last time, that needs to change.

Stop turning the ball over: The Bills have turned the ball over at least twice in eight of their last nine games. No wonder this offense can put points on the board. They can't get out of their own way.

Continue playing hard for Fewell: The Bills looked a little more passionate and played a little bit tougher last week against Jacksonville than we're used to. The intensity and desire needs to continue this week in front of the faithful home crowd. I like what Fewell brings to the table energy-wise, and I like seeing it rub off on the players. Keep it up, but this time turn it into a W!

******

The season is on the back stretch and the Bills will be playing out the string as they prepare for a coaching change, philosophy change, hopefully a front office change and a very important draft. But until January, this team will continue playing hard and playing to win. Nothing will make a frustrated Bills fan happier this Thanksgiving than a win over the hated Dolphins. Let's go Bills!

Bills Fantasy Friday: Week 12 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em

Kurupt — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

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Amazingly, it's already Week 12. The fantasy football regular season is coming to a close in the next few weeks, and it's time to make one final push to the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills might be out of it, but most fantasy teams are still fighting for that championship. Congratulations to all those teams that have been good enough to clinch a playoff berth already. For the rest of you (us!), buckle up, the crazy roller coaster ride of fighting for playoff berths continues! Head on in after the jump for the individual players of note for this Sunday's Miami Dolphins visit to the Buffalo.

Quarterbacks
Chad Henne - Henne made his first NFL start the last time these teams met. He threw for just 115 yards and was sacked 6 times that day, but the Dolphins hardly needed him to do much. That trend has continued for much of the season, as Miami continues to rely heavily on the ground game. However, Henne has thrown 26 or more passes in five of his last six games. Many of those passes are of the short, underneath variety as Henne has averaged 6.4 yards per attempt or less in all but one of his starts. Expect that trend to continue, as well. He has done a nice job protecting the football, throwing just four interceptions and not losing a fumble over 218 pass attempts. On the other hand, he has just 6 touchdowns. Expect the Bills to force Henne into making plays, just don't expect him to make many big plays. He might not make many mistakes, though, either. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Ryan Fitzpatrick - Fitzpatrick looked much better against the Jaguars, although he was still amazingly erratic and inaccurate. The final numbers looked good (297 yards, 1 touchdown, 9.6 ypa) even if most of his passes didn't. Fitzpatrick continues to look downfield more than Trent Edwards ever dreamed of, and was finally able to get Terrell Owens involved. Lee Evans also caught a long touchdown that was negated by penalty. Expect those attempts to continue. I wouldn't expect 297 yards any time soon, or even 200 yards, but if he continues to throw it around, the big play potential is there. Fitzpatrick and the Bills get to face the 22nd ranked Dolphins' pass defense this week. With all that said, he still stinks as a starting quarterback and shouldn't even be a consideration for fantasy owners, especially those of you with playoff aspirations. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Running Backs
Ricky Williams - Is the holistic one the fantasy story of the year? Probably not, but he is one of the nice surprises for fantasy owners. With Ronnie Brown out for the season, Williams is going to be a huge part of the rest of the fantasy season. If you are lucky enough to have him for your playoff run, enjoy! Wiliams already has 10 touchdowns this year, has averaged 5.3 yards per carry and has even added 212 receiving yards. He also needs to average about 54 yards per game to have his first 1000 yard season since 2003. He's going to get that, barring injury, and is going to help a lot of fantasy teams win down the stretch. With the juicy Bills matchup, expect a big week out of him again this week. Even after holding Maurice Jones-Drew to just 66 yards on 25 carries this past week, don't expect that type of success for the Bills defense to continue. Williams had 85 yards and a touchdown in shared duty the first time around. Expect those numbers to go up this week. Verdict: Start 'Em

Marshawn Lynch - As of the time I'm writing this, it's unclear as to whether Lynch will play this Sunday. I'm going to say he is simply because we haven't heard of any major damage. Assuming he does give it a go, I wouldn't expect him to have big numbers again. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that Fred Jackson sees more carries anyhow. The Dolphins are 12th in the NFL in run defense giving up about 106 yards per game. Lynch has been a major fantasy disappointment this year. I'd expect it to get worse before it gets better. Keep him benched until we see some signs of life out of him. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Fred Jackson - Jackson continues to see roughly 10-12 touches a game on offense. I would guess that number goes up this week with a banged up Lynch being questionable. If Lynch were to miss the game, Jackson is probably a solid RB2 this week. Remember late last season when Lynch was out and Jackson ran wild? Well forget about that. Other than Lee Evans, every single other starting player on offense is different. Don't expect a similar close to the season for him this year. BUT you can expect solid numbers, especially if he gets the full workload. If Lynch plays this week, I'd still consider Jackson a flex option as he seems to be getting involved in the passing game more, while continuing his kick return duties. Verdict: Start 'Em as a flex, and a RB2 if Lynch sits

Wide Receiver
Davone Bess - Bess leads the Dolphins with 46 receptions for 397 yards. When your leading receiver averages 8.6 yards per catch, it's safe to say none of these guys are startable. I actually really like Bess as a slot receiver in real life, but he's not a fantasy option and neither are his fellow Dolphin receivers. Bess does have 16 catches for 191 yards in his last three games, so he does have some PPR value. If you are stuck and need a guy to get you 6-8 points in your PPR league, Bess could be your guy. Other than that, don't start him or Ted Ginn, Brian Hartline and Greg Camarillo. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Lee Evans - Poor Evans. He lost out an amazing 53 yard touchdown catch last week because Jonathan Scott couldn't avoid the Three Stooges penalty. He finished with just one catch for 15 yards. Many people wanted to start Evans after his nice game the previous week against Tennessee and his solid production with Fitzpatrick under center before. Pity you folks. If there's one fantasy football mantra to follow, it's never start Lee Evans, ever! He will burn you. He has routinely hurt the Dolphins in the past, but again, don't. start. Lee. Evans. If he puts up big numbers on your bench, so be it. That means the Bills offense did something good and you didn't have to worry about whether he'd actually do anything in your starting lineup. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Terrell Owens - Welcome to the 2009 NFL season T.O.! You were missed. I really don't know what to make of his performance against Jacksonville. Is it a sign of things to come down the stretch, or is it just a blip on an otherwise quiet radar? Did the promotion of Perry Fewell to head coach mean anything for Owens? There are too many questions and too many useless performances from Owens this year to consider moving him back into your starting lineup. He is, however, back in the discussion. If Fewell's gameplans are to get Owens involved early and often, he could be one of the playoff heroes in fantasy football this year. It wouldn't surprise me if Owens were to have a nice finish to the season, I just want to see how he's used this week before recommending him again. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tight Ends
Joey Haynos and Anthony Fasano - Both barely have 100 yards receiving on the season. They are barely a part of the Dolphins' passing game, they shouldn't be a part of yours. I'd rather start a Bills Tight End. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Shawn Nelson - Nelson made a beautiful catch over the top of the defender against Jacksonville, but again wasn't much of a factor overall. That should continue, although it'd be nice to try utilizing him more in the passing game. He's not even worth considering here. I'd rather start a Dolphins Tight End. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kickers
Dan Carpenter - Carpenter has been rather good for Miami this year, connecting on 16 of his 17 field goal attempts. Against the Bills, he might be worth a spot start. As always, I'd be looking at a guy on a team with a better offense. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Rian Lindell - Lindell has also been quite good for Buffalo, hitting 17 of his 19 field goal attempts. Just like Carpenter, I'd be looking at a guy with a better offense. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Defense/Special Teams
Miami D/ST - This unit had four sacks and an interception last week against Carolina. Going against the sieve that is the Bills' OL and Ryan Fitzpatrick, those numbers look likely again. I wouldn't start them, though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Buffalo D/ST - They sacked Henne six times in the first matchup, but don't go expecting that again. Expect a sack or two and maybe an interception. Injuries have ravaged this unit that was only mediocre to begin with. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Sleepers
None. Really, I don't see a surprise performance out of anyone in this game. It'll probably be a boring field goal contest with Ricky Williams running wild.

********

The Thanksgiving games have come and gone, so your Week 12 matchup is likely well under way. This Sunday will make or break a lot of fantasy seasons. Good luck and enjoy the games!

Dolphins vs Bills: Game Capsule

Matty I — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:10:12 -0000

MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-5) AT BUFFALO BILLS (3-7)

SERIES

	DOLPHINS	BILLS
SERIES LEADER	52-34-1
STREAKS	Past 3	7 of past 11
COACHES VS. OPP.	Sparano: 3-0	Fewell: 0-0
LAST WEEK	W 24-17 at Panthers	L 18-15 at Jaguars
LAST GAME	10/4/09: Bills 10 at Dolphins 38. Miami RBs Ronnie Brown (115 yards, 2 TDs) & Ricky Williams (85 yards, TD) combine for 200 rush yards & 3 TDs as QB Chad Henne wins 1st NFL start.
LAST GAME AT SITE	12/9/07: Bills 38, Dolphins 17. Buffalo QB Trent Edwards throws 4 TD passes - 2 to TE Robert Royal & 2 to WR Lee Evans - in Bills' victory. (12/7/08: Dolphins 16 at Bills 3 in Toronto.)
BROADCAST	CBS (1:00 PM ET): Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker. SIRIUS: 121 (Mia.), 130 (Buf.). XM: 107 (Mia.).

STATS

PASSING	Henne: 127-218-1,337-6-4-77.7	Fitzpatrick: 56-108-659-3-6-56.8
RUSHING	R. Williams: 127-677-5.3-8 (T2C)	Jackson: 129-528-4.1-0
RECEIVING	Bess: 46-397-8.6-0	Owens: 35-563-16.1-2
OFFENSE	317.2	275.7
TAKE/GIVE	0	+1
DEFENSE	341.5	366.7
SACKS	Starks, Taylor: 5.5	Schobel: 6
INTs	V. Davis (R), N. Jones: 2	Byrd (R): 8 (1L)
PUNTING	Fields: 46.3 (3C)	Moorman: 46.6 (2C)
KICKING	Carpenter: 74 (3C) (26/27 PAT; 16/17 FG)	Lindell: 65 (14/14 PAT; 17/19 FG)

NOTES

DOLPHINS: Club is 4-1 on road against AFC East under head coach TONY SPARANO...QB CHAD HENNE is 5-2 as starter & has completed 117 of 199 passes (58.8 pct.) for 1,245 yards with 6 TDs vs. 3 INTs. Posted 92.0 passer rating on 10/4/09 in only start vs. Bills (also 1st career NFL start)...RB RICKY WILLIAMS posted 22nd 100-yard rush game w/Miami last week (most by any Dolphin) & aims for 3rd consecutive game w/100+ rush yards. Williams (8) needs 2 rush TD to reach double-digit rush TDs for 2nd time in career (16 in '02)...WR TED GINN, JR. averages 19.7 yards per catch vs. Bills (14 rec., 276)...WR DAVONE BESS (46) needs 9 receptions to surpass career-high of 54 in '08 rookie season...LB JASON TAYLOR (126) needs 1 sack to surpass DERRICK THOMAS (126.5) for 11th-most sacks all-time. Taylor has 19.5 sacks vs. Bills, most vs. any opponent...DE RANDY STARKS has career-best 5.5 sacks in '09...Rookie CB VONTAE DAVIS (Round 1, Illinois) posted 23-yard INT-TD return in only game vs. Buf...LB JOEY PORTER (4.5) needs 0.5 sack to extend streak of consecutive seasons with 5+ sacks to 10 years (longest active streak in NFL)...
BILLS: Dating back to 11/29/87, Bills have won 4 of past 5 at home in Nov. against Miami...Interim head coach PERRY FEWELL will make home debut...QB RYAN FITZPATRICK's 297 passing yards last week were 2nd most of career (310 w/StL. on 11/27/05)...RB MARSHAWN LYNCH (2,423) needs 77 rush yards to reach 2,500 career. RB FRED JACKSON averages 5.8 yards per carry vs. Mia. (34 att., 198 rush yards)...WR TERRELL OWENS (986) needs 14 catches to become 6th player in NFL history w/1,000 career rec. WR LEE EVANS is only Bill w/rec. in all 10 games this season... Bills rank 2nd in NFL w/17 INTs...Rookie S JAIRUS BYRD (2nd round, Oregon) leads NFL with 8 INTs & needs 2 to tie BILLY ATKINS (1961) & TOM JANIK (1967) for most INTs in season in franchise history (10). S GEORGE WILSON has career-high 3 INTs in '09...DE AARON SCHOBEL leads team w/6 sacks in '09 & ranks 2nd in Bills history with 74.

Bills/Dolphins: Five questions with The Phinsider

Brian Galliford — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:30:17 -0000

by Rick Havner - AP

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You know what time it is. The Miami Dolphins will be gracing Ralph Wilson Stadium with their presence this Sunday for the first time since December 9, 2007, when the Trent Edwards-led Buffalo Bills put a 38-17 beat down on a Dolphins team that finished 1-15 that year. Now Buffalo is attempting to avoid losing their fourth straight game to their biggest rival.

Joining us, as always, for Bills/Dolphins week is Matty I from The Phinsider. His interview with me is after the jump, and his interview of me is over at his site, so make sure you check both out. Away we go.

Chad Henne. He's the present and future of the Dolphins, and Miami is now 5-2 in games he's started. He's been a pretty solid game manager, only throwing 4 INT - but it's also pretty clear that he's not doing some of the things he was supposed to do, like improve Miami's deep game (he's averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt). Have you in any way been disappointed by this guy?

Disappointed? Not at all. Henne is a guy who has stepped in when he wasn't even expected to (at least not that early in the season) and has played relatively well. He's still inconsistent with his accuracy. But his strong arm has come as advertised, and he's made some throws that Chad Pennington's arm just wouldn't allow him to make. He looks very poised in big spots and has been exceptional on third down.

As far as the deep passing game goes, you can't say that Henne isn't doing something he is supposed to do. Those long passes will come in time. The fact of the matter is that the Dolphins don't have any receivers to throw to down the field. Ted Ginn is the only receiver the Dolphins have who can actually stretch a defense - and he has suddenly forgotten how to catch the football. The rest of this team's receivers look like they're running in quicksand. But once the Dolphins actually get some speed at the receiver position, I'm pretty confident that we'll see an improved deep game.

Here's how desperate Bills fans are about our current quarterback position: any chance Miami re-signs Chad Pennington as a backup for the 2010 season?

Ugh.

I say that because I think it makes a lot of sense for Chad Pennington to consider going to Buffalo. And that's the last thing I want to see. Having had the pleasure of seeing how valuable a guy like Pennington is to a franchise in the year and a half he's been in Miami, I would really hate to see him go to a division rival. He's exactly what a team like Buffalo needs.

As far as Pennington's future in Miami goes, I don't think anyone can say with any certainty that they know what will happen. With that said, I don't find it likely that Pennington - if he decides to play next season - is a Dolphin in 2010. I think that both the front office and the coaching staff have decided that Henne is their guy. They also seem determined to develop Pat White as both a backup and a "spread option" quarterback. And I'm not sure Pennington would want to come back to Miami knowing that he was, at best, only going to be the No. 2 guy - especially if a team like Buffalo comes calling offering their starting job to him.

Like I said, it's the last thing I want to see. But if he was to end up in Buffalo, I'd wish him all the luck in the world, because he's among the classiest athletes I've ever seen.

Obviously the Ronnie Brown injury hurts - less so for the Dolphins than for the championship run I was plotting in my fantasy football league. I've spoken with you before about my immense respect for Ricky Williams, but at 32 years old, is he capable of being the workhorse back for a physical team trying to make a playoff run?

Tell me about it, Brian. Ronnie was also on one of my fantasy teams - in the league that has "a lot" on the line (if you catch my drift). So his injury was a double whammy for me.

As for Ricky, that's the million dollar question. I don't doubt his ability and I wasn't very surprised at how effective he was last week against the Panthers. But he did carry the ball 22 times just four days after carrying it 20 times against Tampa Bay. His season high in carries last year was just 16 - back in Week 3. And he hasn't carried the football 20+ times in back to back weeks since the end of the 2005 season. So I'm not as confident as some are that Ricky can handle a much increased workload for six more weeks.

But I also think we're going to see Lex Hilliard get more chances as the year goes on. The Dolphins kept Hilliard on the 53-man roster out of training camp as the fourth running back because they did like what they saw from him. Now he's the primary backup and I think we'll start to see 10-12 touches per game for Lex as we move forward. Rookie Kory Sheets might also get a few looks - particularly in the "Wildcat" taking Ricky's spot as the "sweeper" while Ricky mans Ronnie's old spot as the triggerman.

It's hardly surprising that Cameron Wake had his coming out party against Buffalo, but he's been much more than a flash-in-the-pan of late. How has his role changed, and will it continue to do so in the future?

Cameron Wake has proven to be a real pass-rushing monster, to be honest. Despite playing just 100 defensive snaps this year, Wake is tied for second on the Dolphins with 4.5 sacks and leads the team in quarterback pressures with 15. But the coaching staff still isn't comfortable with Wake's ability to set the edge on rushing plays and to drop into coverage when it's necessary to do so. And that's why his snap count has been so low.

But his game reps are increasing. Back in Week 8, Wake saw just one defensive snap. The following week, he saw 12. But then in Week 10 - with Joey Porter sitting out due to a "coach's decision" - Wake saw 33 reps. Then last week, with Porter returning, Wake only saw 10. But I get the feeling that his role is going to slowly increase as the weeks go by - especially to keep the team's two starting OLB, Porter and Jason Taylor, fresh.

Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have been your full-time starting corners for about a month now. How well have they progressed this season?

I think I echo most Dolphin fans when I say that I'm very excited about both Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. Smith has been starting since day one and he's played quite well. In fact, it seemed like teams were picking on Will Allen to avoid throwing in Smith's direction. But over the past few weeks, Smith has been a little more inconsistent. I don't know if it's the "rookie wall" - though that would make a lot of sense considering he's been a starter all season - or if it's just a situation where he's making some mental mistakes. Either way, though, I'm not too worried about it because I think he's going to be a very good player.

Meanwhile, Davis just stepped into the starter's role once Allen went down for the season. And he's progressed very nicely since his increase in snaps. He's making fewer mental mistakes and, right now, might be out-playing Smith. But even still, he does get beat at times. But I've also noticed that when he gives up a big play, it's not because he's beat or out of position. He just needs to get his head around quicker on deep balls.

All in all, though, it's hard for any Dolphin fan to sit here and not be pleased with how these two are coming along. Quite honestly, I think the Dolphins are going to be strong at cornerback for years to come.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Vince Young Is Our Quarterback Edition

August West — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:39:31 -0000

More photos » by Dave Einsel - AP

Andre Johnson spent all night finding Nick Harper because he needed some toast to go with his eggs and bacon.

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This was my favorite quote in years (Full video at the end of this post):

Tafoya: For those people who still questioned, Vince, whether you could still play at this level in the NFL and be consistent, what's your answer to them?

VY: I love y'all too!

Paul K has these great tidbits as well:

When he was installed ahead of Kerry Collins following the Titans' 0-6 start, Young inherited a team with little more to lose. While the Texans seemed to feel the pressure as the moments that would decide the game arrived, the easy-going demeanor Young prides himself was still evident.

He put his arm around coach Jeff Fisher’s shoulder when he arrived at the sideline after failing to realize the 2:00 warning was upon the team in the first half. He patted an official on the backside after he was marked down, correctly, short of the goal line on one scamper. And he said he talked after the game amiably with Cushing, who was flagged for a late hit on Young out of bounds, telling his one-time USC rival that he should be defensive rookie of the year.

Newest VY fanboy: Paul Kuharsky... though, truth be told, if you're still hatin' on the man today then hating is something you were just born to do.

Last night might have been the most encouraging performance we've seen so far from Chris Johnson (and Mike Heimerdinger, in all honesty). Against one of the league's better run defenses, CJ was contained from breaking his signature huge plays yet managed to slash and grind his way to 151 yards while still averaging an elite 5.2 yards per carry. Getting it done in multiple was while never being stopped: just another reason CJ is the best back in the NFL right for 2010.

How far has Vince Young's passing progressed? Even Mike Florio, who got a good chunk of his NBC money for publicly hatin' on Vince, is giving the man some credit.

Follow us through the jump as the celebration continues....

This year, Nick Harper is the worst CB I've ever seen line-up in a Titans uniform, and I watched the entire Reynaldo Hill era. I watched Denard Walker too. This guy has lost it and that game would've been much less heart-attack inducing had Rod Hood started. I guess Fisher needs Bud to make that call for him as well?

Antonio Smith should have been ejected for elbowing Kevin Mawae in the kidney well away from the play last night. How friggin' stupid do you have to be to blatantly cheap-shot the president of the NFLPA? Also, how hilarious is it that the president of the player's union is getting called the dirtiest player in the league by some? How does that make one lick of sense? Are we to believe that Mawae is such a political and legal genius that players would vote for him despite being injured and hurt by him? Or are we to believe that the douchecanoe casting stones is just a petty, vindictive player who was a proven cheater on multiple occasions?

KSK knows why we won: Rob Bironas' Gunfingaz!

There still isn't a clear timetable of Justin Gage's return to the line-up. Kenny Britt has been great in Gage's absence, but getting Gage back would still be a big boost to the offense.

Looking at the AFC standing we have a long hill to climb to make a wildcard spot over the next 5 weeks, but there's one thing working greatly in our favor: the teams that are in front of are the Steelers (could be sans Big Ben for a while, already missing Troy), Broncos (slumping hard), Ravens (Flacco is regressing, D isn't what it was), Texans (can't close), the Jets (somehow Sanchez threw 2 INTs in last night's game) and the Dolphins (missing Ronnie Brown, but they're the one team in this cluster who are improving).

Send me links or don't send me links. I don't care today because WE'RE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!