SB Nation - Kendall Langford

Dolphins Mid-Season Review: Shifting expectations

Matty I — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:15:18 -0000

by Lynne Sladky - AP

Can this head coach/quarterback (Sparano/Henne) duo eventually do what the greatest head coach/quarterback (Shula/Marino) duo in team history couldn't do?

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We've officially hit the halfway point of the 2009 Miami Dolphins season and are now a season and a half into the Bill Parcells-Jeff Ireland-Tony Sparano era in Miami. Considering where we were when the "trifecta" took over, nobody should be disappointed about where this team is in terms of the long haul. With that said, of course, it's difficult to not be disappointed with Miami's current 3-5 record.

In this league, you are what your record says you are. That's generally true. But in the grand scheme of things, the Dolphins are much more than just an average run-of-the-mill 3-5 football team.

A shift in expectations

Entering the season, I was among the many who declared we wouldn't just be satisfied with an 8-8 or 9-7 season because of the "tougher schedule" the Dolphins faced in '09 as compared to '08. I wanted to be a playoff team once again and I honestly thought this team could pull it off. But lo and behold, wouldn't you know that it was indeed these "tough games" that have dug the Dolphins into a deep hole in the AFC playoff picture.

Now I'm not saying that I'm giving up on the playoffs in 2009. In fact, if the Dolphins take care of their next three games (against Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Buffalo) and they get a little help from New England's tougher opponents (@ Indianapolis and @ New Orleans), the Patriots could potentially be heading down to Miami on December 6 with a 7-4 record to face the 6-5 Dolphins. While those are a ton of "ifs" that must break in favor of Miami, it's not totally out of question.

With that said, my own personal expectations have shifted. I'm no longer as concerned with making the playoffs in 2009. If the Dolphins somehow pull it off and reach the postseason, that's terrific. But if they don't, that's fine too. Why? Because injuries and a lack of talent at critical positions have made me more concerned with developing this team for the long haul - not just for the immediate future.

The injuries to Chad Pennington and Will Allen, in particular, have changed what this season means to the Dolphins. I'd say that most fans would agree. But it's been these losses to teams like the Colts, Saints, and Patriots that have made me realize that this Dolphins team just isn't ready to really compete with their talent level. However, the strides that this franchise has made since the 2007 disaster are remarkable.

Integration of young players

Want to know why I'm not as distraught as some other Dolphin fans seem to be about this 3-5 season? It's because of how the Dolphins are setting themselves up for the future. The coaches are doing something that you don't see too often - they are trusting a number of rookies and young players. And the result is that we're seeing tangible reasons of why we should be excited for the future of this franchise.

First and foremost, there's Chad Henne. As you all know, I was squarely on the "start Chad Pennington" bandwagon all offseason long. While I hate to see what happened to CP - he deserves better but his body continually lets him down - letting Henne play and gain experience has been huge, and will continue to be huge, for this franchise. Ffor the first time in a long time, fans, coaches, and the front office can all be excited about the quarterback position. Folks, I really think we've found "our guy."

Has he been great? No. Has he been terrible? No. Has he shown flashes of greatness? Yes. Think back to just his second career start when Henne put together one of the best fourth quarters a young quarterback has put together in recent memory.

Does he have a lot to work on? Of course. His accuracy is shaky at times. He holds the ball too long sometimes. At times, he runs backwards when pressure is closing in - especially when he's pressured on those designed roll-outs.

At the same time, I've seen just as many positives. I've seen that strong rocket arm. I've seen some perfectly thrown balls. I've seen a toughness to hang in the pocket and deliver a pass with pressure bearing down on him. I've seen him get back up after taking a nasty shot in the pocker - like Sunday's "roughing the passer" hit by Patrick Chung. Most of all, I've seen the poise and mental toughness necessary to lead a team in hostile situations. Sure, against both the Saints and Patriots, Henne was unable to lead a game-winning or game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter. But both times, it wasn't because Henne failed. His teammates failed him.

There's a lot to like about Henne, that's for sure. But there are also other young players with a lot to like.

You got two rookie corners who are being trusted to start. And neither of them have played poorly. Both Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have had their ups and downs. But there have been more positives than negatives and they will only continue to get better. Over the long haul, the Dolphins are set with their starting cornerbacks.

The offensive line is also set for the foreseeable future. Only one starter, Jake Grove, is over 28 years old. And two, Jake Long and Donald Thomas, are only 24 and in just their second season. The way an offensive line gets better is by playing together for a long time, and that's what we're going to see in Miami over the next few seasons.

The defensive line also suddenly has a nice young core to build around. Kendall Langford, Phillip Merling, and Randy Starks all look like long-term contributors at defensive end for the Dolphins. And none of them are older than 25 years old (Starks). Tony McDaniel also looks like he could become a solid backup and he's only 24 himself.

The Dolphins also have other young contributors who could become major long-term factors. Chris Clemons and Tyrone Culver are two young safeties who will probably see more and more opportunities as the season goes on. Davone Bess and Brian Hartline are two young receivers who, ideally, would be very good complimentary receivers. Greg Camarillo is also relatively young and is looking more and more recovered from his knee surgery every week. I will continue to stand by my belief that Camarillo, once he's healthy, can be a starting #2 receiver in this league.

And let's not forget our favorite former CFL stand-out, pass rusher Cameron Wake. He's only 27 and has the potential to be a pass-rushing force for years to come. But he is still raw, which is probably why he hasn't seen the amount of snaps many would like him to see.

Clearly defined needs

One of the positives - if you can call it that - to come from Miami's 3-5 start has been how well defined this football team's needs have become. We all know what this team needs - some needs more pressing than others, of course.

Perhaps the most pressing need is at the wide receiver position. This offense will never be what it needs to be to get to that next level until they get a true "go-to" number one receiver. Opposing defenses have no reason to respect Miami's passing attack, allowing them to go all-out to stop the only real threat this offense has - their ground attack. But Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will become less and less effective on the ground as teams continue to put eight, and sometimes even nine, in the box to shut them down. In all honesty, can you blame them? I'd do the same thing. None of these receivers would even scare me a little bit.

This need has been magnified even more the past few weeks, too. In their last two losses, the Dolphins have been within a touchdown and had possession of the ball with over three minutes left. But each time, the Dolphins failed to move the ball, thanks in large part to receivers who just can't make the plays necessary to win football games.

But there are other needs as well. The Dolphins need upgrades at both inside and outside linebacker. A play-making free safety is another obvious issue. And we saw on Sunday that Paul Soliai might not be anything better than a back-up nose tackle. He underwhelmed as a starter, replacing the injured and aging Jason Ferguson. So nose tackle is also a need.

See this team for what it is

As a fan, we all want to see our team win championships. Year in and year out, we all look through "aqua and orange colored glasses" and view our team as either championship caliber or playoff caliber. But let's be real - this team just isn't as talented as the league's elite teams. That's why it's so impressive that the Dolphins were able to play teams like the Colts, Saints, and Patriots and nearly knock them off. Is it frustrating to lose those games? Of course. But we need to see what these losses show.

The Dolphins played teams with superior talent and gave them all they can handle - with a number of rookies and second-year players being key contributors. That says a lot about where this team is.

It says a lot about this coaching staff. Say what you want about some of their questionable play-calling and their gameday decisions. But this staff knows how to prepare to play more talented football teams.

It also says a lot about the mental toughness of these players. Some young players will go into a shell and back down to the elite NFL teams. But not this group of guys. They battle. And they're only going to get better.

The future is bright, people. We just need to give this front office time to address those remaining needs and the young players on this team more time to mature. But we're clearly on the right path.

Big Fish: Jake Long Leads Miami Youth Movement

JohnHannahRules — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:33 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

Miami Dolphins' Ted Ginn Jr. (Booo!) returns a kick for a touchdown against the New Jersey Jets (Yaaaay!) during the third quarter at Giants Stadium last Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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In the history of the NFL draft, only three offensive lineman have been picked first overall:

In 1968, the Minnesotta Vikings made young Ron Yary the first pick. Coming from Chicago by way of Cerritos Junior College and USC, Yary anchored the right side of the Vikings' line for 14 years. Over a 15 year NFL career, Yary missed only two games due to injury. He was a seven-time pro-bowl selectee and would be enshrined in Canton in 2001.

In 1997, Orlando Pace was taken in the first slot by the St. Louis Rams. Pace came roaring out of Ohio State as the hands-down best offensive lineman in that year's draft and, by some writerly lights, one of the best young tackles in a generation. Starting 13 games in his rookie year, Pace is now under a 3-year agreement with the Bears in this, his twelfth season. Like Yary, Pace has been selected to seven Pro Bowls and, like Yary, will one day be given a very ugly yellow jacket to go with a bronze bust of his head and a place in the Hall of Fame.

via assets.espn.go.com

Finally, in 2008 the Miami Dolphins made Jake Long from the University of Michigan the third offensive lineman chosen first overall. They also made him the highest paid offensive lineman in the game, with a five year, $57.75 million contract, $30 million guaranteed. He started immediately, helping to lead a resurgent Miami to an 11-5 record and the AFC East title. In his first year, he started every game and played in the Pro Bowl as an alternate selection.

Long's selection was the first big move by the Sparano-Parcells partnership, and it represented a commitment to youth that paid immediate dividends.

In all, the Dolphins have 24 players on their roster with two years or fewer in the NFL. And they play:

Chad Henne, QB; Davone Bess, WR; Donald Thomas, RG; Long; Brian Hartline, WR; Vontae Davis, CB; Kendall Langford, DE; Sean Smith, CB; Ted Ginn, WR/KR; and Dan Carpenter, K, all start or see significant playing time. That's half of the offense and a third of the defense, plus the kicker and a guy who, while he still can't seem to run routes or catch passes, managed to return two kickoffs 200 yards for two touchdowns in New Jersey last week.

In 2008 the Young Fins rode the surprising introduction of the so-called "Wildcat" to media acclaim though, as detailed by Cold, Hard Football Facts, it was pinpoint passing by underrated Chad Pennington that made it all hum. With a season-ending injury to Pennington (brittle hardly begins to cover it) the 2009 Wildcat has seemingly lost much of its bite. Miami stumbled out of the gate, dropping its first three in a row before beating hapless Buffalo and scoring two wins over the fraudulent New York Rex (thanks, gents).

These wobbles are perhaps to be expected from a young club with a young new leader, as it tries to sort its identity in a competitive division with inbred franchises that all hate each other. To be fair, the Dolphins have lost to some very respectable teams. The Falcons, the Colts and the Saints are not to be sniffed at. All three of those teams were pressed by the feisty Phish to their respective limits.

Anyone watching the tilt with the Saints will have been impressed by an opportunistic Miami defense and a spirited and resilient offensive unit. The "O" was at its best when Jake Long and company were paving roads with golden helmets and fleur-de-lis. Wildcat or pussycat, Miami's run game is legit. They average 4.5 yards per carry (5.4 when running the old single wing) and have racked up enough running yards to rank 4th overall. (New England's run defense is, shall we say, a bit porous at 14th league-wide.)

The Miami team that pressed New Orleans ripped into the Jets (in an odd scheduling arrangement, only two weeks after their first meeting) with special teams success, again led by a youngster -- this time Ted Ginn. Given the Patriots' uneven performance in coverage, it was a sobering sight. (Our coverage unit ranks 20th in average yards per opponent's return.)

Keeping with the youth movement in South Beach, we'd be remiss not to tip the tri-corner in the direction of Henne. He isn't lighting up the highlight reel by any stretch. But as a young guy who wasn't slated to start until 2010 at the earliest, he is settling into the role. His biggest trouble on the field has been a sustained case of the dropsies in the receiving corps. (Besides, Henne's all they've got before Pat White. White's a project for now, but don't sleep on him. He's got a rifle arm and in spite of all the yak about his potential as a runner, he's a more complete passer than people give him credit for.)

There is plenty of promise in the Sunshine state. Luckily for us, "promise" is a word which, like "potential," better describes what is missing than what is there. This young team is mistake-prone. Where it isn't young, it sadly lacks discipline. Joey Porter and Channing Crowder continue to lead the league in the "losing your cool and costing your team 15 yards at the worst possible time" category.

Perhaps more unsettling to the Phins Phaithful is the questionable play-calling and game management of Dan Henning, OC and playcaller for Tony Sparano's men. When then-65 year old Henning was fired by the Panthers following the 2006 - 2007 season, he was heavily criticized by fans and media for being overly conservative in his play-calling. In what might be considered a reaction against that label, Henning installed the single-wing in Miami. Ironically, it could be argued that this was the ultimate in conservatism, as the single-wing had its hey-day when Henning was in high school. Nevertheless, the catPhish have made for some exciting times and entertaining football. For a year at least it was also associated with winning football as Miami won the east.

This year, however, the Wildcat doesn't surprise anyone. It's still effective -- yielding a respectable 5.4 yards per carry -- but the shine is off the apple and no longer dazzling the eyes of the defense. With Pennington sidelined, the pinpoint passing of last year's run is largely gone, showing the difference between a leading game manager (Pennington) and a quarterback for whom the game must be managed (Henne).

Yet confusingly, Henning has kept the pattern fresh -- even when some regularity might be of help. Miami was giving New Orleans all the Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams it could handle and more. But as the second half dawned, Henning turned to his young gun, bizarrely engaging Pro-Bowler Brees in a shootout with a first year quarterback. He was in a back-alley brawl, bashing a flashy foe with two big bats, but he picked up a BB gun and dared Drew to draw: Dumb, Dan. (Needless to say, I gave him a "D.")

Nevertheless, there can be no denying that the Dolphins are stockpiling the young talent. Jake Long should be the poster-child for that movement, a brilliant draft choice and a very solid cornerstone for the franchise's future. As Henne develops, one thing he won't have to worry about is what's going on behind him. That's peace of mind worth paying for. The Miami youth movement will certainly pay dividends as the young shoots mature. But without the steady hand of old head Pennington, 2009 isn't looking like 2008.

Youth will be served, but not this Sunday: Patriots 28, Dolphins 13.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Run Defense

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

More photos » by Tony Avelar - AP

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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 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.

Dolphins First Quarter Review

Matty I — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

Pay this man!!

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The NFL season, as great as it is, can be very frustrating in that we wait all offseason long for it to begin and then the season just zips on by in what seems like just the blink of an eye. Believe it or not, the Dolphins are already at the quarter pole of their season. Needless to say, you won't find a Dolphin fan anywhere who is satisfied with where the Dolphins stand right now. But there are a lot of football games left to be played - don't give up hope just yet.

Anyways, today we take a look back at the first quarter of the Dolphins season.

Offensive MVP: Ronnie Brown
This one is pretty easy. Ronnie has been a tremendous force running the ball and operating the 'Wildcat' for the Dolphins through these first four games. His 136 yard, 2 touchdown effort back in week two on Monday night against the Colts should have been enough to win that football game. His 115 yard, 2 touchdown effort last week against Buffalo did lead the Dolphins to a nice easy win. And for the season, Brown is third in the entire NFL in rushing yards (369) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (4). And his 5.1 yard-per-carry average ranks second among all backs who have at least 50 carries. At this pace, Brown is on his way to a 1,400 yard season. Now let's pay the man and keep him in Miami!

Defensive MVP: Kendall Langford
This one was very tough. The two players who lead the team in tackles have been victimized a lot in the passing game and have missed a lot of tackles (Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson). Cameron Wake and Jason Taylor lead the team in sacks. But Wake has only been a factor in one game and Taylor has been quiet for at least half of the 16 quarters of football played by the Dolphins. But what has been outstanding is Miami's ability to stop the run - ranking second in the entire NFL. And Kendall Langford is a big reason why. Using a complicated method, Pro Football Focus ranks Langford as the 4th best 3-4 defensive end in the league thus far. He also leads all Dolphins' linemen in tackles and has a sack to go with his effective play against the run. Being completely honest, I believe the Dolphins uncovered a true gem when they spent a 3rd round pick in '08 on this kid - he just might be a special player.

Offensive Least Valuable Player: Ted Ginn Jr.
Teddy has been taking a beating recently by fans and the media alike. And for good reason. He was supposed to make that big "3rd year leap" that young receivers make and finally become the number one receiver this team desperately needs. Instead, he has seemingly taken a step back. Ginn has been targeted 30 times - more than any other Dolphin - but has just 14 catches and is averaging 9.9 yards per catch. And over the last two games, Ginn has just one catch on nine targets. He's also losing snaps now to other receivers and seems to be in Tony Sparano's "doghouse."

Defensive Least Valuable Player: Gibril Wilson
You can probably go with Wilson or Channing Crowder here. But I chose Wilson because his mistakes and poor play has been more costly than Channing's. Using Pro Football Focus and their metrics to measure safeties, Wilson ranks 113th among NFL safeties in production - and that's out of 118 who were ranked. Truth be told, though, statistics and various metrics only tell half the story. If you've been watching the Dolphins all year, then you know just how poorly Wilson has played. He's missed many tackles and has allowed far too many completions when he's asked to cover. Is this what we get for a 5 year, $27.5 million contract that includes $8 million in guarantees?

Most Pleasant Surprise: Run Defense
It's not that the Dolphins were bad against the run last season. They were ranked 10th in the league. But they still surrendered 101 yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. Many of us also had some concern about their defensive line heading into 2009. Kendall Langford, Phillip Merling, and Randy Starks had all shown some flashes - but still weren't as consistent as they needed to be. Meanwhile, we all worried about Jason Ferguson because of his age and wondered who would be the primary backup nose tackle. But through four games, the Dolphins are ranked 2nd in the NFL in rush defense, allowing only 61 yards per game and just 2.9 yards per carry. If the Dolphins can keep this up, they certainly give themselves to win any game they play from here on out.

Most Unpleasant Surprise: Pass Defense
Last year the Dolphins were not very good against the pass, allowing 227 yards per game through the air - which ranked 25th in the NFL. While we all expected the Dolphins to have some trouble defending the pass in 2009 because of their two rookie corners having big roles, I don't think many people expected this kind of struggle. They've allowed 238 yards per game through the air in '09 - only 11 yards more than last year. But that only tells half of the story. Because of how well the Dolphins have done in controlling the ball and keeping the opposing offense off of the field, they haven't given up a ridiculous amount of yardage. But they are allowing a putrid 8.7 yards per pass attempt - the worst figure in the league. They have also allowed the second most passes of 20+ yards (16) and the second most passes of 40+ yards (5). Not good.

Biggest Storyline: Chad Henne takes over
We all figured that we'd see Chad Henne get some reps - maybe even some starts - at some point in 2009. But nobody thought it would happen this soon. It was a total shame to see Chad Pennington go down like that for the season. Even if you you did want to see Henne start over Pennington, CP is just too classy and too good of a person to wish injury on - especially something that could end his career. But it is what it is and now Dolphin fans get the chance to see Chad Henne make 12 more starts this year. We're all hoping for the best - and a win over the Bills and Jets to start your career is a great way to gain support. Get it done on Monday night, Chad!

Breakout Player of Remaining 12 Games: Brian Hartline
We've already seen the rookie from Ohio State catch his first touchdown pass. Is it long before we see him take a fellow Buckeye's starting spot? Ted Ginn is already losing snaps to Hartline and the rest of Miami's receivers. Hartline is a better run blocker and has better size than Ginn as well. Chad Henne also probably has a better rapport with Hartline already after working more with the second team offense in training camp. I expect to see more and more of Hartline as the season progresses.

Key to Remainder of Season: Chad Henne
It would be easy to claim that the offensive line is the key to the final 12 games for the Dolphins. And I agree that those big guys up front will be very crucial to the success of the team. But if the Dolphins want to get back into the playoff hunt and remain there for the year, there is going to come a point in the season - especially with how the defense has struggled against good passing attacks - where Chad Henne will be asked to win a football game or two. Will the young gunslinger get it done? It's a lot to ask, especially with these receivers. But stranger things have happened and if Henne can develop quickly and provide a balance to Miami's dominant ground attack, the Dolphins very well could surprise a lot of people by the end of the year.

Scouting the Enemy: Intel on Henne, Dolphins pass rush

Brian Galliford — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:45:11 -0000

The Buffalo Bills have lost seven consecutive games against AFC East division rivals. They are 1-2 this season, and despite flashes of excellent play (against some quality opponents, I might add), Buffalo's fan base is right back to its fickle pre-season state. Morale is low. Desperation for a win is high. The Miami Dolphins are 0-3, and their veteran leader, QB Chad Pennington, was just placed on Injured Reserve.

Needless to say, this is a game the Bills can win - and if they truly consider themselves contenders, it should be a game they win with ease. But skepticism towards that expectation is certainly warranted.

Miami is coming off of a 23-13 loss to the San Diego Chargers - a game where Pennington left, replacement starter Chad Henne struggled, and Joey Porter left with a hamstring injury. In order to get the freshest intel on one of Buffalo's most heated rivals, I sat down with John from Bolts From The Blue (SB Nation's Chargers blog) for the scoop.

My questions are in bold - there are only two of them - and John's responses immediately follow.

Describe, if you will, your objective opinion on Chad Henne's brief appearance in San Diego's 23-13 win over Miami.

Chad Henne played scared. Really scared. From my notes, I saw only one pass from him that went further than 10 yards in the air, and that was on 3rd & 10 on a pass to Ronnie Brown that was only caught because Ronnie Brown is awesome. (He turned around and caught a high pass while falling backwards out of bounds.)

He was also inaccurate. Not so inaccurate that he was throwing easy interceptions, but inaccurate enough that 6-yard curl routes were not being caught. He had no touch on his passes and was rocketing the ball at his receivers, even though he refused to throw a deep pass.

Henne made a rookie mistake that led to the "pick six" for Eric Weddle. He came back to the receiver, which was his second read, and held onto the ball while staring at the receiver (Davone Bess) and waiting for him to "get ready". He played like a QB that had no faith in himself and no faith in his receivers. If I was Miami, I'd be starting Pat White.

How did Miami's pass rush look getting after Philip Rivers?

Really dangerous with Joey Porter, who played the first quarter and some of the second before leaving with a hamstring injury, and nothing spectacular without him. Porter and Jason Taylor are a dangerous tandem if they're both playing and both healthy, and Miami's defensive linemen aren't too shabby either (Kendall Langford dominated before Porter left). Then again, the Chargers were playing without two starting offensive linemen, so we may have made them look better than they really are.

***

One quick note: I spoke with Matty I from The Phinsider yesterday - and as usual, you'll hear all of his thoughts tomorrow - and he views Porter's chances at playing Sunday as 50/50.

The fact that Henne is playing, and Pennington is out, makes me a tad nervous. Not because Henne is a scary quarterback - seriously, we just shut down Drew Brees - but because his presence takes Miami's offense from a known commodity to an unknown commodity. Aside from the Wildcat and the fact that the Dolphins will still be a run-oriented offense, Buffalo should literally prepare to see any and all types of route combinations on Sunday, because you can bet Dan Henning will play to his new starting quarterback's strengths - just as he did with Pennington. Mixed looks and varied pressures will be the name of the game for Perry Fewell on Sunday.

As for Miami's pass rush - well, let's just say that given how inconsistent Buffalo's offensive line is right now, living, breathing human beings pose a threat as pass rushers. Even without Porter, the Dolphins have solid players rushing the passer. If he plays, it will be a massive test; if he doesn't, it's still something to be concerned about, because Buffalo still hasn't proven itself capable of consistently beating the blitz, and Miami knows it.

We'll get much more from Matty I tomorrow, but John's intel (some if it's rather harsh, eh?), while not earth-shattering, re-affirms that this goes beyond 'must-win' territory for Buffalo - it's 'should-win.'

Dolphins vs Colts: Three Key Matchups

Matty I — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

The Dolphins must find a way to prevent Dwight Freeney (93) from doing to Chad Pennington what he's doing here to David Garrard.

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It's time now to put last week's debacle in Atlanta behind us and move forward by turning our attention to Monday night's home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. This will be the first meeting between the Dolphins and Colts since New Year's Eve 2006, won by the Colts in Indianapolis. The Colts have won the last two meetings between these two teams. But the Dolphins have won the last four meeting prior, dating back to that classic playoff game in 2000.

We'll kick off our coverage of Monday night's game by talking about three critical matchups. Just how critical? The Dolphins lost two of the three I listed last week - and we saw how that game turned out.

Jake Long/Vernon Carey vs Dwight Freeney/Robert Mathis
This is a big one, isn'it it? Last week we saw Jake Long look very bad against one of the best pass-rushers in the league. Things don't get any easier in week two. He'll likely be up against Dwight Freeney all game long. While Freeney may be under-sized, he's not any smaller than John Abraham. And we saw just what Abraham did to Jake last week.

For all the criticism that's been thrown Jake's way after last week's game, people seem to be forgetting Vernon Carey also surrendered two sacks on the Falcons. Both Jake and Vernon didn't look like themselves last week and the Colts have some tape to review now that exploit these tackles' weaknesses.

Freeney, historically, has been a thorn in Miami's side. In three career games against the Dolphins, Freeney has three sacks and many, many more hurries. Robert Mathis, though, has never gotten a sack of a Dolphins' quarterback in two career games against Miami.

Over the past four years, Freeney and Mathis have quietly become one of the best pass-rushing duos in the league. Over that span, they have combined for an average of 17.5 sacks per season between the two of them.

This will be no easy task for Miami's two bookends who must protect Chad Pennington far better than they did last week. Expect to see some help in the form of chip blocks from Miami's backs to give Pennington enough time to survey the field. With that said, though, Long and Carey will still be asked to block these two pass-rushers one-on-one at times. And they simply cannot allow themselves to get beat as often as they did last week. If they do, it could be a long day.

Dallas Clark vs Yeremiah Bell/Gibril Wilson
The problem that the Dolphins had covering opposing tight ends in the preseason carried over to the regular season last week when Tony Gonzalez made big play after big play en route to a 5-73-1 performance on Sunday. And even when one of Miami's safeties had good coverage on the big tight end, Gonzalez found a way to make the grab on perfectly thrown passes from Matt Ryan.

Things don't get any easier on Monday night for Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson. These two players will be asked to defend Colts tight end Dallas Clark for most of the game. Clark, though, presents a different challenge than Gonzalez did. Clark is shorter and faster than Gonzalez. And with starting receiver Anthony Gonzalez on the shelf for Indy, there's a good chance Clark will be used even more split out wide as a slot receiver. This poses an entirely different issue for the Dolphins. Clark is too big and strong to matchup a cornerback with him. But he's too quick for safeties. So whoever gets the job of covering Clark play in and play out will have their hands full.

With Anthony Gonzalez out and Marvin Harrison gone, Peyton Manning will rely on Clark and WR Reggie Wayne more now than ever. If the Dolphins can find a way to neutralize Clark, this dynamic Indy offense suddenly doesn't look as terrifying as it has in years past.

Dolphins pass rush vs Colts offensive line
The best way to attempt to contain Peyton Manning is to not let him physically throw the ball. Of course, that's impossible. But the next best thing is consistent pressure in Manning's face. Last week, Manning was sacked just once by the Jaguars and was hit just two additional times. That's three times Manning got knocked around on 30 drop backs. You let that happen, and Manning will do just what he did to the Jaguars - complete 74% of his passes for over 300 yards.

This Indianapolis offensive line is far from a rock solid unit. There's no reason the Dolphins shouldn't be able to get pressure on Manning on a consistent basis. Joey Porter and Jason Taylor both should receive ample opportunities going against Indy's far from spectacular tackles. Last week, Taylor did pick up his first sack of 2009 - but was relatively quiet for most of the afternoon. Porter was just as quiet for the entire game - rarely even getting close to Matt Ryan. Both of these guys must step up on Monday night.

But it goes beyond just Porter and Taylor. Phillip Merling had an outstanding game last week and will look to build on that with another on Monday. He got pressure on Matt Ryan three or four times. From what I can tell, Merling is a "gamer" and I do expect another solid performance.

But what about everybody else? Channing Crowder blitzed a couple of times with no success last week. Charlie Anderson needs to get in on the act. Kendall Langford was invisible in week one from his defensive end spot - which was a disappointment for all of us after hearing such great things all offseason and camp long about how he has improved. And what about Cameron Wake? Will he be active on Monday night?

Somehow, some way, the Dolphins must get to Peyton Manning early and often. If he's comfortable in the pocket right from the start, it could be a long night for this defense.

Keys to a successful season for Dolphins

Matty I — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:35:19 -0000

We can finally put training camp, the preseason, and the roster cuts behind us now and look forward to the 2009 regular season. It feels like forever since the Dolphins last took the field for a meaningful football game. That all comes to an end on Sunday when the Dolphins take the field in Atlanta. Between now and then, we'll talk about both the upcoming season as a whole and the actual game itself.

To kick things off, I wanted to provide my thoughts on what the three keys to a successful season are for the Dolphins. Once you read my thoughts, of course, please tell us what your keys to the season are for our Fins in the comments below.

Run the ball effectively out of base formations
As much as I love the 'Wildcat' and believe it can still be a useful formation for the Dolphins, I still can't seem to shake the notion that the Dolphins implemented the formation out of desperation. What I mean by that is that Miami really was unimpressive running the ball out of its base formations.

If you simply look at the 2008 season stats, you would see the Dolphins ranked 11th in the NFL in rushing yards per game and 14th in yards per carry. But those numbers are greatly inflated thanks to the 'Wildcat' success that the Dolphins had last season. And while I love what the formation has meant to this team and look forward to seeing it used in 2009, the Dolphins can't afford to use it as a crutch again to cover up their inefficiencies running the ball.

Last year the Dolphins averaged just 3.8 yards per carry on non-Wildcat plays. That would have ranked Miami 28th in the NFL least year - tied with the lowly Detroit Lions. With the amount of money invested in this offensive line, there's no reason why the Dolphins shouldn't be able to really improve that figure.

Tony Sparano is also a believer of winning the time of possession battle and simply running more plays than your opponent runs. Now that philosophy covers many things - converting on 3rd down, stopping opponents on 3rd down, not turning the ball over, and so on. But a major factor is running the football. And this philosophy is especially important this season when you consider the high-powered offenses that the Dolphins will face. Nine of Miami's 16 games will come against teams that finished in the top half of the NFL in total offense last year. To win those games, the Dolphins must keep those offenses off of the field.

One other stat to consider: Miami was just 1-3 last year when Chad Pennington was forced to throw the football 35+ times.

Consistent pressure on the quarterback
While most eyes will be on Miami's new look secondary - a unit that will feature two new starters - I'm a firm believer that even more attention should be focused on the Dolphins' pass rush. After all, you can't complete passes if your receivers have no time to get open and your quarterback has no time to locate those open receivers.

Last year, the Dolphjns finished 8th in the league with 40 sacks and Joey Porter led the AFC with 17.5. But Porter wore down as the season went on because he was receiving little help from his teammates. In the final four games of 2008 (weeks 15-17 and the playoff loss to Baltimore), Porter had just one sack.

The Dolphins obviously recognized this and went out this offseason to get J-Peezy some help. They brought back Jason Taylor - and he looks ready for a big year, in my opinion - and signed CFL pass-rushing specialist Cameron Wake.

But it's not the linebackers, in particular, that I'm pointing my finger at. No, it's the defensive line. The Dolphins only got 9.5 sacks from defensive linemen last season. I know this is a 3-4 defense so most pressure comes from the linebackers. But good 3-4 defenses still get push from their linemen. For example, the Steelers got 11.5 sacks from their defensive linemen.

Kendall Langford, Randy Starks, Phillip Merling - I'm looking at you here. Pressure from the down linemen only makes it easier for the outstanding pass-rusing linebackers that this team has.

Match your division rivals
So you're probably wondering what in the world I'm talking about here. Well I've been reluctant to bring up what everybody else wants to bring up when discussing the Dolphins - their schedule.

Yes, it's hard. It could potentially be a very difficult schedule that the Dolphins face in 2009. But outside of two games, all of the teams in the AFC East face the same opponents. For example, while the Dolphins face the Steelers and Chargers, the Patriots take on the Ravens and Broncos. No - not as difficult; but certainly not that much easier, either.

So what do I mean by "matching the division rivals?" Simple - just do what they do. All the Dolphins have to do in their 10 non-divisional games is match the records of their division rivals.

You see, I'm not a firm believer that the Patriots are that much better than the Dolphins. There's this thought out there that since Tom Brady is back, the Patriots will instantly revert to their dominating 2007 ways. Sorry, but that's just not going to happen. It doesn't work like that - no matter what ESPN and other media outlets want you to think.

In my opinion, though, the Dolphins and Patriots are indeed the top two teams in the division. So I'll just single out these two teams. To win the division and make the playoffs, all the Dolphins have to do is match what the Patriots do in their other 14 games - and then beat the Patriots when they play. It's that simple. Everybody wants to make a big stink about how hard Miami's schedule is. But these same people seem to forget all about the schedule when they start discussing the Patriots. But I got news for you - the Patriots aren't so much better than the Dolphins that a tough schedule will have little effect on them while, at the same time, will ruin Miami's season.

That's how this season breaks down in a nut shell - match the Patriots game-for-game in those other 14 games and then knock off the Pats when they play head-to-head. After all, this "tough schedule" nonsense means little if the Dolphins can't go toe-to-toe with New England and beat them.

Dolphins Training Camp: Henne's struggles top story of Monday

Matty I — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:15:08 -0000

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Week two of Miami Dolphins training camp began with two practices on Monday and the release of the first "team-released" depth chart. But it was quarterback play that highlighted Monday's action.

CHAD HENNE STRUGGLES
Following a solid, if unspectacular, performance in Saturday's team scrimmage, Chad Henne began week two of training camp with a disappointing day - particularly in the afternoon session on Monday. Henne, who has struggled all camp during one of Tony Sparano's favorite drills - the two-minute offense - had some ugly moments on Monday. Chris Clemons, the rookie safety out of Clemson, picked off Henne twice during Monday afternoon's practice - and nearly intercepted Henne a third time on a pass intended for Ricky Williams in the flat that would have resulted in a pick six for Clemons.

But it was Henne's inability to lead the two-minute offense - a theme of training camp thus far - that the Palm Beach Post provides play-by-play of. Play one, screen pass that is tipped away. Play two, pass broken up by two defenders. Play three, too far outside of intended receiver. Play four, the previously mentioned near pick by Clemons. Henne connects on the next four, though. And the following pass was also reportedly a great throw that Brian Hartline just couldn't come up with as he had Vontae Davis defending him well. And it wrapped up with Vontae Davis breaking up a pass intended for Brandon London.

As the Post points out, too, Henne's performance in the two-minute offense all camp has been unimpressive - with Henne "rarely driving the team into reasonable scoring position." And just for good measure, Henne ended the practice by "missing a wide open Anthony Fasano by a mile in the endzone during goal-line offense." Yikes!

Of course, it's far too early to panic. It's really too early to even think about panicking. But why then did I bring this up? Simple. It's too illustrate the fact that we still don't know what we have in Chad Henne. However, you have to love how Tony Sparano plans to handle this situation. It's tricky. You want to get Henne experience and see what you have in him. At the same time, you can't risk losing the locker room by benching Chad Pennington - a leader on that team and a player coming off of his best career season.

That's why the Dolphins are handling this situation so well. I love the idea of Henne getting most of the playing time in the preseason. It'll give us all a chance to see Henne perform with "semi-live bullets" flying.

With that said, Henne's struggles in the two-minute offense illustrates why Pennington is the starting quarterback of this football team in 2009. CP is efficient. He doesn't have the big arm Henne has. But it's clear that Henne's arm isn't helping him move the ball in simulated two-minute drills during practice. And right now, it's Pennington - not Henne - that gives the 2009 Miami Dolphins the best chance to win. While some of you want to just throw Henne into the starting role without him earning the job just to see him play and possibly prepare him for the future, I'm not ready to give up on the present. CP is the present.

If Henne outplays Pennington at any point during training camp or the preseason, then I'm on board with making a switch ASAP. But that's not going to happen.

RISERS AND FALLERS
We talked yesterday about how week two of training camp is the time Tony Sparano likes to promote and demote players. And as expected, changes were made - headed by the promotion of rookie corner Sean Smith to the starting role opposite Eric Green. Green was sent to the second team to play opposite rookie Vontae Davis. While this is far from a permanent change, it does reward Smith for his solid play through one week of camp and it provides the coaches with a chance to see how Sean performs against better competition. I'd suspect Davis will get a shot at some point during camp as well - even if he has progressed slower than some anticipated.

Randy Starks also saw a promotion, getting his chance to work with the starters on the opposite side of Kendall Langford. Phillip Merling remained with the second unit after getting moved there last week despite beginning camp with the starters. Tony McDaniel dropped back to the second unit after replacing Merling on the first team last week. Look for those three to continue rotating until the coaching staff gets a better feel for those guys.

The other big riser on was Donald Thomas. While Shawn Murphy remained the starter at right guard, Thomas - despite missing most of the OTAs and the early part of camp - was promoted to the second unit as he inches his way back into the starter's role he won as a rookie out of camp last year. Ike Ndukwe was the loser here - and it's starting to look like his days could be numbered if Thomas remains healthy and progresses as we all think he will.

DEPTH CHART RELEASED
Yes, the Dolphins released their first depth chart on Monday. No, it doesn't mean very much. This depth chart is completely irrelevant because the depth chart basically changes day to day. For example, Donald Thomas is listed as the 3rd string RG right now. But he practiced with the second unit on Monday. Cameron Wake is listed as the fourth string weakside linebacker, but has spent most of his time on the second unit in camp.

The release of this depth chart is a reason why I do my weekly "depth chart bubble watch." At this point, it's probably more accurate as to how the coaches see the 53-man roster looking than this team-released chart is.

QUICK HITS
Some quick thoughts on Monday's action:

Chris Clemons has been around the ball a lot recently, according to various reports. Could he cut into Tyrone Culver's role as the team's top reserve safety and find his way onto the field in the team's dime package?
Channing Crowder picked up two sacks in the afternoon session. What's gotten into him? Whatever it is, I hope it says with him. He needs to be a play-maker this year.
Cameron Wake got to work with the first-team defense in the morning replacing Joey Porter (sitting out just for rest) on the weakside. Not surprisingly, Jake Long handled him. But it's good to see the coaches challenging Wake - who has surprised me so far.
Speaking of surprises, Quentin Moses has quietly been putting together a solidd camp. Moses had two sacks and a tipped pass in the afternoon session.
Interesting battle brewing between Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo for the starting job opposite Ted Ginn.
Yeremiah Bell has been reportedly looking much improved in coverage during camp.

UP NEXT
The Dolphins practice only once on Tuesday - beginning at 2 pm. Wednesday will feature two practices, though. And the late session has been moved outside and will begin at 8 pm.

Miami Dolphins Training Camp Primer: How will the defensive line shape up?

Matty I — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:15:08 -0000

Phillip Merling will be asked to step up and fill the void left by the release of Vonnie Holliday.

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So far we've looked at the receiver position and the tight end position in our 2009 training camp primers. Today we'll flip to the defensive side of the ball for the first time and focus our attention on the defensive line.

Despite the large number of defensive linemen currently on the roster and the mix of veterans and rookies that make up the defensive line at the moment, I think that how the position will shape up entering the regular season is as cut and dry as any position on the team. There probably won't be too many surprises when all is said and done.

THE QUICK BREAKDOWN

Virtual locks to make the roster: Kendall Langford, Phillip Merling, Jason Ferguson
Likely to make roster: Randy Starks, Paul Soliai
On the bubble: Tony McDaniel, Lionel Dotson, Rodrique Wright
Long shots: Ryan Baker, Joe Cohen, Louis Ellis

THE QUESTIONS

Much of the attention on the Dolphins' defensive line during camp will be focused on two players. One is second-year defensive end Phillip Merling. Merling will be asked to replace Vonnie Holliday in the starting lineup at defensive end opposite fellow second-year end Kendall Langford. Merling showed some flashes last year as the top backup at defensive end. But consistency was reportedly the main issue with him. In particular, he didn't practice as well as he played - and that explain why he disappeared at times on gameday. Will Merling effectively take the next step and up his performance to a new level as he replaces the effective veteran as a starter?

The other player who will have the heat on him is nose tackle Paul Soliai. We all know that the 3-4 defense doesn't work without effective play from the nose. Jason Ferguson is still a very good player and does his job well. But he's got a lot of mileage on his body. He'll need to be rested more in 2009. There's also always a higher risk of injury with an aging defensive lineman. Can Soliai step up this year and prove he's a capable alternative to Ferguson at the nose?

THE NUMBERS GAME

Last year, the Dolphins carried eight defensive linemen into the regular season. Six of them were defensive ends and two were nose tackles. I'd expect a similar breakdown this year once the final 53-man roster is set. Like I said above, Langford, Merling, and Ferguson are locks. All three are penciled in to be starters. Merling could play his way out of a starting role with a bad camp. But the other two are probably locked in to their starting roles.

This leaves potentially five roster spots for reserves. At least one will go to a nose tackle. Tony McDaniel, who the Dolphins acquired from the Jaguars in a trade this past offseason, could potentially play both nose tackle and defensive end. His versatility could mean the Dolphins aren't necessarily locked into the previously described 6:2 defensive end to nose tackle ratio.

Also note that the Dolphins tended to dress six defensive linemen on gameday and leave two inactive. Four of the active defensive linemen were ends and two were nose tackles. Again, McDaniel's potential versatility could make their 45-man gameday roster more flexible if Tony can impress the coaches and make the team.

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

Everything above basically means that we have eight players fighting for just five roster spots. But like I said at the beginning, I don't expect too many surprises from this unit in terms of which five reserves make the roster and which three fall short. Perhaps Joe Cohen or Louis Ellis could surprise and win the backup nose tackle job. But more realistically, those two young potential nose tackles could be battling each other for one practice squad spot.

The interesting storyline to watch in terms of the five reserve linemen will be how they position themselves within the defensive line rotation. With Phillip Merling moving from top reserve linemen to starter, the role of top reserve will be open to battle. Randy Starks, Tony McDaniel, and Lionel Dotson will likely all be fighting it out.

Rodrique Wright is entering what is likely his final chance to prove his worth to this regime once camp begins. He spent the 2008 season on the 53-man roster but was inactive for all 16 regular season games. As it stands now, he's probably the eighth defensive linemen on the depth chart. But we know that this regime is not afraid to constantly turn over the bottom portion of the roster - meaning Wright's time in Miami could definitely be winding down.

THE KEY BATTLE

I quickly touched on it above, but I wanted to focus on it here. I think the key battle among defensive linemen will be the battle to take Merling's old role as the top reserve at end. Randy Starks probably enters camp as the favorite. He received a lot of playing time off the bench himself last season and is a very versatile player. He could line up at defensive end or defensive tackle depending on if the Dolphins use three or four down linemen. He even played a little nose last season.

Lionel Dotson will certainly be in the mix for this role as well. He spent all of his rookie season last year on the 53-man roster, but was inactive for 14 of the team's 16 regular season games. However, it's believed that the coaching staff really likes this kid. It's also been reported that some of Miami's offensive linemen that had to face Dotson in practice day in and day out last year said he had the best pass-rushing moves among all of the defensive ends.

Tony McDaniel will the the third player in the battle to be the primary backup at defensive end. He's a massive man - measuring in at 6'7, 305 pounds. He's got long arms and the kind of frame that is well suited for the defensive end position in a 3-4. But he'll also get some looks at nose tackle as well. He's also converting from spending most of his time in a 4-3 defense, so he'll need time to adapt. But certainly don't count him out. He'll be in line for some role within Miami's rotation.

THE PREDICTION

Merling, Langford, and Ferguson are all safe. Despite his potential legal trouble, Starks is probably safe as well. Soliai needs to show improved conditioning - but it seems like he is probably going to make the team. I'd also say both Dotson and McDaniel will make the roster, though I'm not sure who will be ahead of the other. Right now, Wright probably eeks out that final roster spot along the defensive front. But like I said, it wouldn't be surprising if the eighth defensive linemen heading into the regular season isn't even on the team yet.