SB Nation - Akin Ayodele

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Run Defense

John B — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:42:35 -0000

Once upon a time, the league's best rushing attack was struggling. Then came a Week 5 game at Miami. A talented offensive line kicked it into gear. The Jets ran the ball for 138 yards and 4.6 per carry. Two 300 yard rushing performances followed. In this time, the Jets have vastly scaled back their offense for their rookie quarterback. Teams have known what is coming and have stacked the box. It hasn't mattered. The offensive line has its sea legs after a slow start run blocking.

This is going to be a lot tougher than the games against Buffalo and Oakland. Despite the way the Jets ran the ball at Miami three weeks ago, the Dolphins still have a top five rush defense. Whenever the opponent plays a 3-4, a key matchup occurs between the nose tackle and center. The job of the nose tackle is to hold the point of attack and occupy two linebackers. Miami has a good nose tackle in Jason Ferguson and a developing young backup, Paul Solai. Nick Mangold's ability to contain the pair will go a long way to deciding how well the Jets run the ball.

Miami is probably going to be without inside linebacker Channing Crowder, their second leading tackler a year ago. The only thing Crowder does more than tackle is talk. Reggie Torbor will take a lot of the snaps in his place. He'll pair with Akin Ayodele, who has 25 tackles.

The Dolphins have been vulnerable on the left side of their defensive line, where Kendall Langford lines up. That's the side of the field the Jets love to pound the ball. Randy Starks is the other end in the 3-4.

We know the Jets are going to run, run, and run some more. Miami's leading tackler Yeremiah Bell will probably line up in the box. As we discussed earlier this week, Braylon Edwards and David Clowney can play a big role in the passing game. If they can stretch this defense and keep the safeties back, it will be that much easier to run. With that said, the Jets seem to match up well with Miami.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Pass Defense

John B — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:30:39 -0000

by Ben Margot - AP

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I think it's fair to say the coaching staff lost a bit of confidence in Mark Sanchez after the 5 interception performance against the Bills. The almost 4-1 run to pass ratio indicates that. So do the almost exclusively safe, simple reads he was given on the pass plays. The Jets are probably going to run first and second, but they'll need more from Sanchez this week. They won't be able to run the ball on Miami's physical front to the degree they did on Buffalo and Oakland.

The Jets should have some areas to exploit in the passing game. Braylon Edwards had that big debut a few weeks back working against Miami's secondary. He'll work against rookie Sean Smith. The Dolphins need the big and athletic Utah product to hold Edwards in check. If Edwards goes off like he did in the first meeting, Miami will have to double him.

On the other side, Jerricho Cotchery will probably be back for this one. He'll operate against rookie Vontae Davis. Starter Will Allen is gone for the season for Miami with a torn ACL. Davis has looked pretty good for the Dolphins and has plenty of athletic ability, but the Jets have to like this matchup. Cotchery was getting open even when he was the focal point of the opposing passing game, and he'll have the opportunity to work against a guy making his first NFL start and who is still learning technique at the position.

David Clowney has put up a big performance in two of the past three contests. He burned the Dolphins deep in Miami and will see action against a relatively slow straight line corner, Nate Jones.

The real question is whether the real Dustin Keller will please stand up. The Dolphins have had trouble with athletic tight ends this year. There may be no bigger disappointment on the team than Keller. This is a matchup made in heaven for him. Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele are subpar linebackers in coverage. Neither Gibril Wilson nor Yeremiah Bell is spectacular as safeties. Edwards and Clowney will have a great chance to force those safeties to stay deep and give Keller room against the linebackers.

The offensive line will need to hold up against Jason Taylor, Joey Porter, and Cameron Wake. Sanchez will need to have it in his head that throwing it away quickly instead of forcing a throw under pressure is not a bad thing.

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.

Jerricho Cotchery Makes Trip To Miami

Xander Diaz — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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It looks like Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery will be a game time decision for Monday nights game with the Miami Dolphins. Cotchery and the team flew down to Miami in the early afternoon on Sunday.

Cotchery is currently listed as questionable on the team injury report. "Questionable" means there’s a 50-50 chance that a player will play.

Cotchery, suffering from a hamstring injury, has had hours of treatment for several days. Cotchery has told friends he expects to play and the extra time off should help his chances.

The Jets’ debut of Braylon Edwards may severely test the skills of the newly acquired wide receiver if Cotchery doesn’t play. Edwards is facing playing a Monday Night Football game against a division rival with a new team, a rookie QB and a couple of back ups tag teaming the other receiver spot.

That sounds like a heck of a trial by fire to me.

Edwards has reportedly been a hit with his new team mates and has been impressive in practice. The 6-3, 215-pounder is making circus catches in practice and displaying the potential to open up the entire offense.

This is great news if he is doing this against the first defense. With Edwards having come from a similar offense in Cleveland, it is obviously a great advantage as he tries to transition.

Cotchery is the Jets’ leading receiver with 23 receptions for 356 yards and one TD.

The Dolphins are sure to play us tough. They come into this match up with a rookie QB who just led them to their first victory of the season. They haven’t won a prime time game since 2004, losing just 3 weeks ago on MNF to the Colts. This means they are coming in on a high and maybe with a bit of a chip on their shoulders too.

I think that our back ups, David Clowney, Brad Smith (the likely starter) and Wallace Wright, can get the job done but I also think they will need to bring their ‘A’ game. Perhaps even their ‘A+’ game. There is no doubt that Edwards presence should greatly improve how they look on the field.

Look for Edwards ability to threaten Miami deep to really help the Jets open things up for tight end Dustin Keller. The Miami defense has been very weak against tights end so far this season. The Dolphins’ defense made Dallas Clark look like a Hall of Famer during that week 2 Monday night loss to the Colts.

Clark had 7 catches for 183 yards including an opening drive 80-yard scoring pass where he got behind linebacker Akin Ayodele and broke the tackle of safety Gibril Wilson.

I’m guessing that Keller may end up playing the biggest role of the night in defeating the Dolphins.

Xander Diaz is Editor-In-Chief at AFCBeast.com

Poll

Jerricho Cotchery is currently listed as "questionable" and will be a game time decision for the Monday night game against Miami. Do you think Cotchery will play?

Bet On It! He's not as hurt as it seems and he will be ready to join Braylon Edwards.

194 votes

No Way. Hamstring injuries can follow a guy if he doesn't let it heal up...Cotchery sits this one out.

46 votes

240 votes | Poll has closed

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Run Defense

John B — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:54:44 -0000

More photos » by J. Pat Carter - AP

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Miami ranks second in the league against the run, only surrendering 61 yards per game. The average against them is 2.9 yards per rush. This is going to be a tough team to get the run game going against, but the Jets' offensive line needs to start living up to its potential. The Dolphins are one of the rare teams to operate primarily out of a traditional 2 gap 3-4 defense. Every coach with such a scheme is from the Parcells-Belichick school. In this system, the linemen are responsible for tying up defensive linemen, holding the point of attack, clogging 2 gaps, and freeing others up to make plays. Other teams with a base 3-4 like the Jets want their linemen to pick a gap, win a matchup, penetrate, and make a play.

Former Jet Jason Ferguson anchors the middle. Paul Solai is his backup at nose tackle. This will probably be the area to watch in the run game. It's up to Nick Mangold to win battles up front by himself. He's certainly capable of doing so. If that happens, the other linemen get freed to hit the second level. It comes down to whether Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele can get off the blocks of Jets linemen. Advantage New York if that's the case. I'm sure we'll see plenty of 8 man fronts. Yeremiah Bell is strong in run support. If Mangold wins his battle, though, the Jets are going to be able to get the ground game going.

At end, Miami will rotate Randy Starks, Kendall Langford, Tony McDaniel, and Phillip Merling. Langford is the starter opposite the right side of New York's line, where the Jets like to run a lot. Damien Woody' status could be a key here. I know how much everybody loves Brandon Moore, but he's looked very ordinary when the man next to him hasn't been good. Moore has been something of a liability without a strong tackle like Kareem McKenzie or Woody. He hasn't been able to help compensate for weaker players like Adrien Jones and Anthony Clement.

It's also time for more Shonn Greene. Teams are stacking the box against the Jets. There hasn't been a ton of room to run. Get the physical rookie in there to grind out yardage.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Pass Defense

John B — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Patrick Semansky - AP

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Two words: Dustin Keller. The Dolphins have been abused by tight ends this season. Tony Gonzalez had 5 catches for 73 yards for Atlanta against Miami. Dallas Clark went off with 7 catches for 183 yards in Week 2. Antonio Gates had 5 for 64 the next week. This means this week's gameplan is probably going to be Keller heavy. The Dolphins cover the tight end like they're the 2008 Jets. The middle linebackers, Akin Ayodele and Channing Crowder, and the safeties, Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson, have been bad in coverage. An athletic tight end like Keller is a matchup problem.

Jerricho Cotchery might face his toughest test of the year facing Sean Smith, a rookie corner from Utah, who is huge at 6'3" and has displayed great cover skills in the early going. A lot does depend on how much Braylon Edwards will play and how much the playbook he feels comfortable with. If he can actually get on the field and make an impact, Smith is the best fit to match up with his physical tools. That would leave Will Allen on Cotchery, which is a matchup the Jets want. In not, Jerricho is in for a tough matchup against Smith, and Brad Smith will go against Allen, which seem to favor Miami.

Mark Sanchez is going to have to make sure he protects the football this week. It seems likely for the Jets defense to hold Miami down. Miami's easiest path to victory will be forcing turnovers to produce a short field. On obvious passing downs, they will have three terrific pass rushers on the field, Joey Porter, Jason Taylor (ironically the one Miami linebacker who has kept his mouth shut this week), and CFL sack king Cameron Wake. Miami's coaches have watched tape on Sanchez. They have seen how loose he is holding the ball. I can guaratee you the defensive coaches have been preaching to their guys to go for the strip.

The Jets don't necessarily need their passing game to win this game. They just need it not to lose the game.

Damien Woody's status is up in the air. He left the game against the Saints and didn't practice on Friday with a foot injury. You would have to think the game being on Monday would be a benefit since it gives him an extra day of rest, but there's a real possibility he's sitting this one out. Robert Turner would start in his place. Considering the way Woody handled Joey Porter in Week 17 last year, it would be a big loss. The Jets would definitely have to give Turner extra help handling Porter.

Five Questions With The Phinsider

John B — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:15:10 -0000

To get ready for the Monday Night Showdown in Miami, Matty I of The Phinsider and I exchanged questions. Matty's blog is THE place to go for Dolphins information. How good is it? I check it every day even though it's about the team I hate most in football.

1. Chad Pennington has a unique skill set. There are things he does very well and others he doesn't do so well. A team really has to build its offense around his game. Were there any changes in the offense that really stuck out in Chad Henne's first start?

That's something a lot of Dolphin fans wondered themselves as last week's game approached. Many, in fact, were hoping to see some changes in the passing attack; changes that would better suit Chad Henne's arm strength. But much to the disappointment of some fans, those changes were non-existent.

It was clear the Dolphins wanted to run the ball as much as possible last week - and that came as no surprise. But when Henne was asked to put the ball in the air, 90% of those passes were of the short, 7-10 yard range. That frustrated some Dolphin fans - despite the win Miami came away with - because they were all instantly hoping to see Henne start firing some deep balls left and right. But that will come in time. Right now, it's more important to let Henne build some confidence. And these receivers are also more suited to the short passing game rather than a vertical passing attack.

2. The Dolphins used a pair of early Draft picks on corners and signed Gibril Wilson to upgrade the secondary. It doesn't look pretty on paper. Have the additions not worked out to this point, or are there mitigating factors?

I wouldn't say the additions haven't worked out. In fact, the two rookie corners have been very good. I'd even go so far as to call Sean Smith's play as exceptional through four games. He won the starting spot opposite Will Allen in camp and has never looked back. He is yet to get badly beaten. The only two times he has surrendered long completions, he was in perfect coverage. On one, the receiver just made an amazing catch. On the other, it was a "back shoulder" pass in which Smith just didn't get his head around quick enough - but he had perfect coverage and was step for step with Terrell Owens before Owens came back to the under-thrown ball. Smith has played so well, in fact, that teams are picking on Will Allen - the veteran - instead of Smith. That says a lot.

The main problem with Miami's pass defense has been stopping the opposing tight ends. Tony Gonzalez and Dallas Clark each had very big games against Miami. And Antonio Gates didn't have a big game, but made key plays when it mattered most. The main culprits? Gibril Wilson, Yeremiah Bell, Channing Crowder, and Akin Ayodele. Basically, the linebackers and safeties who have been asked to cover the tight ends and the backs out of the backfield have really struggled.

And making matters more frustrating has been Gibril Wilson's missed tackles. He's whiffed on a number of tackles that have resulted in big plays for the opposition. So it would be fair to say his addition hasn't worked out. But both rookie corners have played very well - and that gives us Dolphin fans hope in the long-term.

3. We had a friendly debate over the summer on receiver play between our respective teams. Jerricho Cotchery has made me look good. Chansi Stuckey and David Clowney? Not so much (and one of them just got traded). How has the Miami trio of Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo been?

I'll admit - Jerricho Cotchery has played better than I thought he would. But it seems like I was pretty accurate about Stuckey and Clowney.

Regardless, the Dolphins' receivers have really been a disappointment. The main culprit? Ted Ginn. Entering his third year, many of us thought that this would be the year Ginn breaks out and becomes a consistent play-making receiver. He's been anything but. Ever since his week two drop of the potential game-winning touchdown against the Colts, Ginn has seemingly lost confidence and has been losing snaps on gamedays. Over the past two games, Ginn has been targeted nine times but has only one reception for four yards. He's only "officially" dropped two passes, but I can think of at least four off of the top of my head. In a nutshell, he's probably been the biggest disappointment on the offensive side of the football through these first four games.

Davone Bess has been his reliable self. He leads the team with 20 receptions and is catching 83% of the passes that come his way. He remains a very "quarterback friendly" receiver. The problem is that he doesn't have good size or great speed - great quickness, but not great speed - so he doesn't get down the field and make plays. He averages just 7.9 yards per catch. He has a ton of upside as a slot, possession receiver - that's for sure. But he's not going to make the big play to pick up chunks of yardage at a time.

Greg Camarillo has gotten off to a slow start as he continues to come back from his ACL injury. He only has 11 receptions, but he did look as good as he has all season last week with Chad Henne under center - catching 4 balls for 42 yards. But he's nowhere near where he was last year before he suffered that knee injury - leading the Dolphins in receiving and on pace for a 90 catch, 1000 yard season.

Also don't count out rookie Brian Hartline. He caught Henne's first TD pass last week and is seeing more and more snaps as weeks go by. He's a better run blocker than Ted Ginn and might have more reliable hands than Ginn (though Ginn had great hands the past two years before his struggles this year). He has also worked more with Henne in camp because they were both on the second team offense for a while. So those two may have more of a rapport than Henne has with the rest of the guys.

4. It looks like the Wildcat has been as effective as ever, but Rex Ryan seemed to handle it pretty well last season. Would it be a good guess the Dolphins have been holding a special wrinkle back for this game? There are two very mobile quarterbacks on the roster in Pat White and Tyler Thigpen.

While I wouldn't expect to see Thigpen active this week, there's a good chance Pat White could see some snaps. The Dolphins had been actively trying to work him into the offense in the first two weeks, but things changed once Pennington went down.

Regardless of if White is used or not, I do think we might see some extra wrinkles in the 'Wildcat' this week. I wouldn't be shocked to see a pass or two out of the formation - even from Ronnie Brown. But I also don't think we can discount the base plays out of the 'Wildcat' either.

Yes, the Ravens shut down the 'Wildcat' last season. There are two major differences, though. One - no matter what you try to convince me of, the Jets defense is not the Ravens defense. Personnel wise, the '08 Ravens are far more talented than the '09 Jets. And two - the Dolphins have improved their offensive line dramatically, which will help. In the playoffs last year, the Dolphins had two backup guards starting because Donald Thomas and Justin Smiley were lost for the season. And they had a center who is now a backup in Oakland - he couldn't even crack the Raiders' starting lineip, which says a lot. Now the Dolphins have a healthy Smiley and Thomas at guard and a center, Jake Grove, who has been very good in the running game. The Dolphins specifically brought Grove in to handle these big AFC East nose tackles, too, because they believe he can handle them. So don't discount the 'Wildcat' and the basic power running plays Miami likes to use.

5. Miami brought in center Jake Grove from Oakland. I don't think it's unfair to say facing Vince Wilfork and Kris Jenkins for a quarter of the season had something to do with that decision. How has he been? Do you think he's ready for the challenge?

Grove has played well. He got off to a rough start in Atlanta, but has improved every week since then. He's proven to be a big upgrade over the run-blocking of Samson Satele. While I think he can improve in his pass protection - and his communication with the line to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage - Grove has really proven his doubters (and I was one of them when they made the move) wrong. In fact, Pro Football Focus, using various metrics, has Grove ranked as the NFL's top center so far in this young season. So I guess that's a good thing.

But like you said above and I said earlier, the Dolphins definitely brought in Grove because they like how he handles those big, physical nose tackles. And in this division, you need to have a guy who can at least turn those those tackles a little to create space for your runner. And this game will be a major challenge. We'll definitely learn a lot about Grove on Monday night.

Dolphins vs Chargers: Three Key Matchups

Matty I — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

Priority #1 for the Dolphins - contain this man!

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For the second week in a row, the Dolphins lost two of the three key matchups that I highlighted in this segment - and the end result of each game was a loss. On Monday night, the Dolphins lost the "Dallas Clark vs Gibril Wilson/Yeremiah Bell" matchup and the "Dolphins pass rush vs Colts offensive line" matchup - and in the process, lost the game.

As they now travel west to San Diego on short rest to take on a Chargers team that is also coming off of a tough loss, here are the three key matchups, in my opinion. Be sure to share your thoughts below as well.

Antonio Gates vs Everybody
On Monday night ,we saw four different players fail to cover Dallas Clark - as Clark went off for 180 yards receiving and a touchdown. Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele, Yeremiah Bell, and Gibril Wilson all had their shots and all failed. Just a week earlier, the Dolphins also failed to contain Tony Gonzalez - as he made big play after big play for the Falcons. And, of course, we saw the Dolphins struggle all preseason in covering opposing tight ends. So this is now officially a recurring problem that needs a solution fast.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that Tony Sparano made it a point to tell the media that they didn't use the same gameplan for defending Gonzalez and they did Clark. And there will be a different one yet to defend Antonio Gates. Hopefully the Dolphins can go back to what worked so well last year. If you remember, the Dolphins did an outstanding job on Gates in their week 5 meeting last season, with Gates being held to just 1 catch for 12 yards. That game saw Yeremiah Bell defending Gates most of the time. I'd imagine we'll see something similar, at least, to start off.

If Bell can't handle him, though, I think you need to go to more drastic measures. That's why I labeled this as "Gates vs Everybody." One of the ideas that has been kicked around my you all has been to replace a linebacker on the field with Vontae Davis in passing situations and let Vontae cover Gates. Truth be told, I love that idea and would be all for it if Bell can't be as effective as he was last year covering Gates. Either way, though, something has to be done to ensure the opposing tight end doesn't simply walk all over this defense yet again.

Dolphins offensive line vs Chargers defensive line
The biggest positive that came out of Monday night's loss was just how dominant Miami's running game was. The Dolphins ran for 239 yards on 49 rushing plays. Up front, Miami's expensive offensive line actually played up to their salaries, physically dominating the Colts' defensive line. They blew them off the ball time and time again and rarely let a Colts defender into the backfield. On 49 rushing attempts, only one was for negative yardage. On the flip side, 12 of those 49 attempts - or nearly a quarter of Miami's rushing attempts - went for at least 7 yards.

That again will be the key formula this week for the Dolphins to pull off the upset. Miami's offensive line must again dominate and provide Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams some running lanes. Last year against San Diego, the Dolphins were able to do just that - with Brown and Williams combining for 164 yards rushing on 36 carries. And that was with the Chargers having their monster nose tackle Jamal Williams. But Williams was placed on Injured Reserve last week and the Chargers continue to look for his replacement. Whoever it is, though, the Chargers will not be able to physically replace the 348 pound monster in the middle that was Williams.

So far through two games, the Chargers are 24th in the league in rush defense, allowing 139 yards per game. On the flip side, San Diego is allowing less than 200 passing yards per game. So for the Dolphins, the ground game will again be critical. And that all starts up front with the "big uglies."

Darren Sproles vs Dolphins coverage units
This one might come as a surprise, but that's how important it will be to contain Darren Sproles on kick and punt returns. He's as talented as they come and can change the momentum of a football game in a matter of seconds.

Last season, Sproles was one of the best return men in the NFL. And in 2009, he has looked even better. He leads the league in average yards per kick return, averaging 33.1 yards per return. Of his 9 kick returns, 6 have gone for at least 20 yards and 3 have gone for at least 40 yards - with a long of 66 yards. To put that into perspective, the league leader in number of kick returns over 40 yards last year had nine the entire season. Through two weeks, Sproles already has three.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins kick coverage has looked better recently than in the past. Against the Colts last week, the Dolphins held Chad Simpson to an average of just 18 yards per kick return, which is impressive when you consider the fact that Simpson averaged 27 yards per return against Jacksonville in week one.

On Sunday, the Dolphins have got not let Darren Sproles shrink the field for the Chargers. After all, they have enough offensive weapons as it is without handing them great starting field position.

Ground attack leads Dolphins over Panthers

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

More photos » by Alan Diaz - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

QUICK HITS
Various thoughts from Saturday's game:

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