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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.

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.

Bills at Dolphins: Five Questions with The Phinsider

Brian Galliford — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:45:09 -0000

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This week is one of my favorite weeks - not just because the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins are big divisional rivals, but because we get to interact with folks from The Phinsider. There are some nice little blog rivalries here at SB Nation, and Buffalo Rumblings versus The Phinsider is at or near the top of the list. Some of the best discussions I've held as a blogger have come while talking to Dolphins fans over at Matty I's excellent blog.

Speaking of Matty I, he's here! And y'all know why - to talk about the upcoming game. Without further ado, here's Matty's latest breakdown of the Dolphins - and if you're looking for the reciprocating interview, be sure to visit The Phinsider today.

You haven't seen much of Chad Henne, professional quarterback, but I assure you we've seen less. What do the Bills need to be wary of with Henne as it relates to his skill set, and how can they attack him?

Matty I: Random fact of the week - Dan Marino, like Chad Henne, also received his first career start at home against the Bills. Coincidence? Well... yeah, of course. But I'm just sayin'...

As far as Henne's skill set, the most obvious thing Buffalo's defense has to be wary of is his arm strength. The Bills can essentially throw out the film of Chad Pennington running Miami's offense - because it's probably going to look a little different on Sunday. Look for more deep outs and go routes.

The best way to attack him is obvious - blitz the crap out of him and use many different kinds of coverages in the secondary. Antonio Cromartie said last week after the game that the Chargers were throwing a ton of new looks and blitzes at Henne once he came in to replace Pennington. And that's definitely the route Buffalo should take on Sunday.

CBS' Pete Prisco had the following to say about Miami's Wildcat formation following the loss to Indy on MNF (via Twitter): "The Dolphins would have run the ball -- Wildcat or not. That thing takes them out of a possible groove." How much validity do you find in that statement?

Matty I: Well I think I need to preface this with the fact that Pete Prisco has long been a "Wildcat hater." It seems like the man goes out of his way to criticize the formation whenever he can.

With that said, there might be some validity to the idea that it could cause the offense to get out of rhythm, particularly with the quarterback coming off the field in some variations of the formation. But that's just the price you pay and I think the negative effect of the formation is outweighed by the positive.

As far as the idea that the Dolphins would have been able to run the ball regardless - that's just a ridiculous statement to make, in my opinion. That's like saying the Dolphins didn't need to go to the "Power I" formation to run the ball effectively. The bottom line here is that the 'Wildcat' is simply a power running formation and is no different, in my eyes or in the eyes of the Dolphins themselves, from any other formation they run. They might run 6 plays in a game out of the "Split Backs" formation, 6 more plays out of the "Singleback Aces" formation, and 6 more out of the "Wildcat." It's just another formation to the Dolphins at this point - nothing more nothing less.

But please keep in mind that the 'Wildcat' is different than the spread option offense the Dolphins have been working on with Pat White taking the snaps. That formation is an entirely different animal.

The Dolphins had some question marks in the middle of the O-Line this past off-season. The running game has been great for you guys, obviously, but the sack rate is up a bit as well, though also not detrimental (surrendering 7 through 3 games). What's your take on how some of the new guys are gelling with the likes of Jake Long and Vernon Carey?

Matty I: As far as the line's run blocking is concerned, like you said, it's coming together nicely for the Dolphins. Jake Grove has seemingly been an upgrade over Samson Satele and a healthy Donald Thomas is a huge upgrade over the right guards the Dolphins were trotting out there last year after Thomas went down in week one.

As far as their pass protection goes, things are slowly coming together. Four of those seven sacks allowed came back in week one. Since then, there has been noticeable improvement. Ironically enough, Jake Long and Vernon Carey have been the biggest culprits of allowing sacks. Each of them allowed two sacks in week one. Since then, though, Long has looked much better. I think it was just a technique issue he had against the speedy John Abraham. He bounced back well the following week against Dwight Freeney. Carey has gotten beat a little too often for my liking this year. But he's a proven commodity and he'll get his act together.

All told, the interior offensive line has been pretty solid in pass protection for the most part - and they should only get better as they get more work together.

Joey Porter's status was in question heading into the San Diego game, where he re-aggravated his hamstring injury. We've seen how effective Miami's pass rush is with Porter. How has it looked when he's been on the sideline? What are his chances of playing Sunday?

Matty I: Well Miami's pass rush isn't nearly as effective when Joey Porter is on the sidelines. Last week when Porter was forced out of the game with his hamstring injury, the Dolphins didn't get nearly enough pressure on Phillip Rivers as we all would have liked. But truth be told, even with Porter they weren't getting as much pressure as they needed to.

With that said, I think the Dolphins have the personnel to survive without Joey Porter on the field. Jason Taylor would still be out there and, while he isn't the JT of old, he still knows how to get to the quarterback and can still give offenses trouble. Charlie Anderson is probably the primary backup of Porter's and he's a guy with a lot of experience and who made some big plays late in the year last year. And we can't forget about former CFL star Cameron Wake - who, if nothing else, knows how to get pressure on an opposing quarterback. But he's still inexperienced at this level and doesn't have the technique to be more than just a situational pass rusher.

As far as Porter's chances of playing, I'd say they're 50/50 right now. I will never question Joey's fire to go out there and play. Even if it's as a situational player, if he feels like he can go, he'll go on Sunday.

Miami's 0-3 start has been pretty surprising given their AFC East division championship last season. You wrote about missed opportunities after the Chargers loss; aside from that, what has been the biggest issue, or cluster of issues, in Miami's slow start?

Matty I: Aside from all of their costly mistakes - i.e. fumbles in the redzone (and at the one inch line) and penalties - there are probably two main issues that have contributed most to Miami's ugly start. And both have to do with the passing game.

The first has been the Dolphins tendency to give up the big play in the passing game. Tony Gonzalez killed the Dolphins in week one by making big play after big play. In week two, the entire country got to see the Dolphins surrender huge play after huge play to Peyton Manning and company. And then last week, Phillip Rivers connected with Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd for numerous big plays as well. As great as the Dolphins have been defending the run, they have been equally as bad defending the pass.

Issue number two is the exact opposite of the first issue - the Dolphins inability to make a big play in the passing game. Three games into the season and the Dolphins have just one play that has gone for over 25 yards. And that play was a pass to Ronnie Brown. No receiver has a reception for longer than 21 yards on the year. And the Dolphins rank dead last in the NFL in yards after catch, with just 126 total yards after catch - good for an average of 2.06 yards after catch.

It's hard to win football games in this league when you surrender big plays in the passing game to opponents and then can't create any big plays of your own at all.

SI's Andrew Lawrence spends some time talking Dolphins

Matty I — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:19:10 -0000

Last week Sports Illustrated released their NFL preview issue. It's filled with a lot of good stuff in general. But the article about the Dolphins - written by Andrew Lawrence - is of high interest to all of you, I'm sure. The article talks about a topic that's been beaten to death by the media already - Pat White's possible role in the 'Wildcat' formation.

But I got the opportunity to interview Lawrence to ask him other Dolphin questions as well. Since he spent some time at camp preparing to write his article, I figured everybody would like to hear his views on the team. Below are my questions and Andrew's responses. Enjoy!

In your article for the SI NFL Preview, you write that the Dolphins have "put together a Pat Package in hopes of capitalizing on White's talents." But to this point, we haven't heard anything from Tony Sparano to indicate that the Dolphins are using Pat White in the 'Wildcat' formation. In fact, we've heard the opposite. Sparano has talked about how effective Ronnie Brown has been running the 'Wildcat' and that the team is focusing on getting White comfortable running the base offense. So what exactly do you think this "Pat Package" is? Is it just more of a spread-based offense like he ran at West Virginia or do you think there will be 'Wildcat' elements to it?

All of the above is true. When I spoke to coach Sparano in camp last month, he hit on the same notes: that he first wanted Pat to be well-versed in his job as the Dolphins third quarterback before further burdening him with any Wildcat stuff, and that Ronnie did an excellent job as the formation’s lead triggerman (and, crucially, didn’t turn the ball over). But at the same time, I did see Pat take a couple snaps out of the formation in practice, which suggests that it might only be a matter of time before we see him do the same in a game—particularly if past is prologue. A couple of the local beat guys told me of how Sparano occasionally ran Wildcat plays in practice early in the season, but because they didn’t know exactly what they were looking at at the time, they just dismissed it as the usual ‘trickeration’.

As for what the Pat Package will look like, I’m not sure it will look much different from the way the Wildcat does now other than the fact that there’ll be more shifting out of it. I could easily see a scenario where the Dolphins put him under center in the Wildcat to give the defense one look, then drop into their base offense. The best place to look for clues might be Philly, who will be using Mike Vick much the same way.

In the "spotlight" for the Dolphins, Gibril Wilson is quoted as saying how excited he is to be more of a ball-hawking safety than an in-the-box type safety in Miami's defense. How confident do you think the Dolphins are that Wilson can excel teaming with Yeremiah Bell in the defensive backfield?

Very confident. The Dolphins staff is full of old Dallas guys who speak to the fits that Wilson gave them when he was with the Giants. (Sparano in particular praises the guy effusively.) What’s more, Wilson couldn’t have handled his situation in Oakland more professionally. A lot of splash free agents who sign in Oakland just pocket the money, pack it in and malinger. Certainly Wilson pocketed his dough, but not without giving the Raiders plenty of bang for their buck—133 times over, in fact.

Now that he’s in Miami, he doesn’t have to worry about making every tackle. (Channing and Yeremiah can sweat that.) If Wilson plays anywhere close to the level he did when the Giants won the Super Bowl (and Miami’s pass rush can get some pressure; a little more on that later), I see Sean Smith having the rookie year that Aaron Ross had in 2007. And that worked out pretty well for the Giants.

What is your take on Miami's defense? Would you confidently say you expect to see players other than Joey Porter getting pressure on the quarterback?

Assuming Matt Roth fully recovers from whatever mystery injury or illness that’s plaguing him at the moment, yes. (He says it’s his groin, but methinks it’s the contract that’s nagging him.) And if that doesn’t happen, the team can once again lean on Jason Taylor, whose reacquisition, I think, might be one of the more underreported coups of the offseason. If he can stay healthy, he’ll bring plenty of heat with Joey, Channing and Yeremiah.

What is your impression of Vontae Davis and Sean Smith? Did you get the feeling from the coaching staff that they are confident in the abilities of each?

Jeff Ireland was extremely high on both guys when I spoke to him, saying that he felt each was ready to play. Nevertheless I still got the sense that Davis was the guy who had the better shot at starting on Week 1 and Smith was more of a project. Shows what I know; the exact opposite has happened! Then again, given how many big wideouts roam the AFC East, the move hardly surprises. I haven’t seen enough of the 6-foot-3 Smith to know how he would hold up against the Mosses and Owenses of the world — though, that one-handed pick he had against New Orleans was certainly something to behold — but I expect he and Davis will take their share of lumps, as all rookies do.

The Dolphins have invested a ton of money into their offensive line. What is your take on the starting unit? Do you think the Dolphins will be able to get a rushing attack going through their base offense?

I like the unit a lot. The only question mark they had going into the season was at that right guard spot, and they seem to have resolved that by plugging Donald Thomas in there. The guy I expect to take another huge leap this year (perhaps not surprisingly) is Jake Long. When I visited with him in camp, he talked a lot how he’s working to be more fluid in his execution. The guy he thinks does this best is Walter Jones. "He just glides and makes it look real easy," Long said of the Seahawks tackle. If Long can pull off an even passable imitation Jones, look for a lot of gaping holes on the left side of the line this season. (Also, Dolphins fans should not put too much stock in the two times he whiffed on blocks in preseason games; it is preseason, after all.)

This is Ted Ginn Jr.'s third season in the league - a year when many young receivers mature and break out. What is your take on Ginn? Do you think he finally steps up consistently in 2009? And what do you think Miami's coaching staff feels about Teddy?

Teddy’s a weird dude. Two years ago, when I was trying to interview him for a first person piece for the magazine, ‘Where’s Teddy?’ was an oft-played parlor game of the Dolphins PR staff. Apparently it wasn’t uncommon for him to go missing for stretches at a time before someone would find him asleep in a pitch dark meeting room or something. And when he finally did turn up he wasn’t in much mood to talk.

Still, can’t blame him for that ho-hum rookie season; after Trent Green went down, that whole team was a disappointment. But once Teddy was matched with a capable passer — and Chad Pennington is certainly that — you started to see flashes of the player who was so dominant at Ohio State. I suspect he’ll take another step in his third year and he and Pennington get tighter. By all accounts, Teddy had the best camp of any Dolphin. Will he be ‘Randy Moss good’? Likely not. But he’ll be better than ‘Chris Chambers good’, so take comfort in that.

What is your impression of Chad Henne and how he's developing? And what kind of future do you think Henne might have as a future starter for the Dolphins?

Henne’s another strange case for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of his coming out of college. Always thought that despite his considerable arm strength — and he made plenty of NFL-type throws at Michigan — that his delivery was Leftwich slow. Still, he’s certainly showed great resolve over the last couple weeks, bouncing back from that horrific outing in Tampa with a solid effort in New Orleans. Not sure if he’s ready to take the reins from Pennington quite yet. Pennington may not have Henne’s arm strength, but he has everything else: the footwork, the accuracy — the lot. But that’s not to say Henne can’t get there with another year of hard work and studious clipboard holding. Let’s table this discussion until the’10 offseason.

If you had to pick one player from the Dolphins who is currently flying under the radar in the eyes of most fans but will really break out in 2009, who would that player be?

I loved what I saw out of Brian Hartline. Not the fastest guy, but he knows how to get open and catch the ball and secure it right away.

What is your personal prediction for the Miami Dolphins in 2009? What might be their best-case scenario and their worst-case scenario? And if you had to bet on it, what would you say their '09 record will be?

Best case: they go a Wildcard 10-6 and lose in the first round. Worst case: they go 6-10 — but that would be because their schedule proves too tough. But by no means would it be a reflection on the guys calling the shots. I’ve visited my share of teams over the year, and you can always tell the ones that are well managed. The Pittsburghs, the Indianapolises—they all have a certain vibe to them, a certain something that reassures you that there’s one guy in charge, the philosophy is clear and everyone’s on the same page. I definitely get that vibe from the Dolphins. Doubt they’ll make it to the big game this season, but I suspect it won’t be long before they do.

A big thanks to Andrew for taking some time out of his busy day to share his thoughts. It seems as though Lawrence was pretty fair and objective - and that he came away from his trip to Miami with more positive thoughts than negative.

What do you think about all this?

Dolphins vs Falcons: Three Key Matchups

Matty I — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:59:28 -0000

I don't think I've ever been so pumped to write a post than I am now. At long last, after focusing on who is running with what team in practice and debating such hot topics as the Dolphins 53rd man on the roster, we get to turn our attention to an actual game - and meaningful game. Finally!

Kicking off the festivities this week will be a look at my three key matchups for Sunday's battle between between the Dolphins and Falcons. And that's not all for this week. We still have our yearly season predictions post - which is always fun because of the debate it sparks - and an interview with the person who wrote Sports Illustrated's Dolphins preview. So be sure to check back all week long.

Onto the matchups:

Dolphins' Offensive Line vs Falcons' Defense Line
One of Atlanta's glaring weaknesses is their ability to stop the run. Last year the Falcons ranked at the bottom of the league in rushing yards allowed per game and their 4.9 yards allowed per carry was the 4th most in the NFL. Yes, the Falcons addressed this by drafting DT Peria Jerry and signing OLB Mike Peterson. But they are far from sure things to improve Atlanta's front seven.

But what I wanted to bring up in particular was the sheer size advantage Miami's offensive line has over Atlanta's defensive line. The average weight of Miami's starting line is 315 pounds while Atlanta's defensive line averages just over 280 pounds. If you take it a step further, the Falcons three starting linebackers are all under 250 pounds, with strong side linebacker Stephen Nicholas tipping the scales at a paltry 232 pounds.

Bill Parcells and company are big believers in being big. Many claim they actually have size limits and will remove players off of their draft board if they don't meet their requirements. On Sunday, the Dolphins and their high-priced offensive line must flex their muscle and take advantage of their size and supposed strength (Jake Grove, Justin Smiley, Donald Thomas - I'm looking at you) and knock Atlanta's front line off the ball at the line of scrimmage. Ball control is a must in this game with Atlanta's talented offense. And running the football effectively is critical. But it won't matter how good our backs are if this line can't knock some defenders on their butts.

Roddy White vs Will Allen/Sean Smith

Very quietly last year, Roddy White quickly pushed himself into the elite category of wide receivers, catching 88 balls for 1,382 yards (4th in NFL). It was his second consecutive 80+ reception and 1,200+ yard season. But people tend to forget his name when discussing who the game's top receivers are. But they shouldn't. White was a guy who had immense talent coming out of UAB but was very raw. Now, though, he has polished his skills and uses his great physical gifts to dominate opposing defenses.

White's also Matt Ryan's go-to receiver. He was targeted 148 times last year - 67 more targets than any other player on the Falcons. In fact, only seven players in the entire league were thrown more balls than White. Roddy also ranked 7th in the league in yards per reception among receivers with at least 50 catches - averaging 15.7 yards per catch. And his 61 first downs ranked him 6th in the league. He's a guy who makes big plays at big moments.

How will the Dolphins defend him? That's a good question. From what we saw in the preseason, the Dolphins will probably stick to keeping Will Allen on the left side (from the defense's perspective) of the defense and Sean Smith on the right side. If that's the case, then the Falcons will be able to dictate who defends the play-making receiver. Regardless of what side he's on and who is covering him, though, I'd expect safety help will be there for most of the game over the top. Most teams roll coverages towards the offense's top receiver - and White is certainly deserving of it.

Dolphins' Receivers vs Falcons' Secondary
Did anyone happen to catch the preseason game last week between the Ravens and Falcons? I only ask because if you did, you got to see the Ravens offense march right down the field for a touchdown on their first possession against Atlanta's starting defense. What's so remarkable about this? It was John Beck leading Baltimore's 2nd and 3rd string offense. He was throwing to Demetrius Williams and Jayson Foster (yes - that Jayson Foster). Jalen Parmele (yes - that Jalen Parmele) was the featured running back for the drive. And the drive began at Baltimore's own 9 yard line.

John Beck led this group of backups and camp fodder on a 14 play, 91 yard touchdown drive against the starting Falcon defense - throwing for 50 yards and a touchdown on 5/5 passing. If that group of guys can do it, then why can't Chad Pennington and his group of receivers?

The fact of the matter is Atlanta's secondary isn't very good. Chris Houston isn't a bad starting corner. But Brent Grimes stinks. And their backups now are Brian Williams (signed last week) and Tye Hill (signed two weeks ago). While Hill is just another first-round bust they acquired from St. Louis, Williams is still a solid corner. But there's a reason he was cut. After all, Jack Del Rio and the Jaguars just don't release talented defensive players. He's not the corner he used to be. He spent much of last season at safety because, at 30 yars old, he isn't the athlete he once was. So to think he's Atlanta's answer to their secondary problems is a reach.

The bottom line here is that there is no reason for Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo to struggle getting open and making plays. From an offensive standpoint, this is actually a good opening game because it should be a confidence booster - with "should" being the key word. And if the Dolphins do lose this game, it should definitely not be because of the offense. That would be unacceptable to me.

Dolphins at Buccaneers: What to watch for

Matty I — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:30:09 -0000

We've finally reached the "dress rehearsal" for the regular season. The third preseason game is historically when coaches decide to play their starters into the second half. Thursday's game will be no different for the Dolphins when they visit Tampa Bay. The good news for Dolphin fans nationwide? The game will air live on FOX at 8 pm eastern.

Here are just some of the things to look for on Thursday night:

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION OUT OF FIRST TEAM
Through the first two preseason games, there's no doubt that we've seen improvement out of the first-team offense. But of the Dolphins six total offensive possessions with the first-team offense, only three have resulted with points - and only one ended with a touchdown. On Thursday, Tony Sparano plans to keep Chad Pennington in the game into the second half and plans to keep the starting offensive line together for the first three quarters. It has also been reported that the Dolphins did at least do a little game-planning for this game despite it only being a preseason game. That means we should see a more efficient and, hopefully, productive offense on the field in Tampa.

It'll all start up front, of course, with the offensive line. After a tough start against Jacksonville to open the preseason, the line put together a very strong showing against Carolina last week. Justin Smiley and Jake Grove looked much more comfortable in that second game and Donald Thomas continued to progress as he continues to make up for lost practice time. While the Bucs aren't as stout up front as Jacksonville, they have done a great job of holding opposing starting running backs to little yardage. In their preseason opener against Tennessee, Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for just 13 yards rushing on 10 carries. The following game against Jacksonville, the Bucs held Maurice Jones-Drew and Greg Jones to just 13 yards on 5 carries. So Tampa's starting defensive unit is no slouch against the run - making this a good barometer to measure how the offensive line and the ground game is coming along.

But while Tampa has been tough on the ground, they haven't been nearly as effective defending the pass. Last week, David Garrard lit up the Bucs secondary to the tune of 216 yards through the air on 10 of 16 passing, including a 74 yard TD pass to Troy Williamson to start the game. Even if you take away the long TD pass, the Bucs surrendered 9.46 yards per attempt to Garrard. Meanwhile, Chad Pennington has quietly put together a solid preseason. He's completed 12 of his 18 attempts for 143 yards and a touchdown. But if you take away his (under-thrown) 35 yard 'Wildcat' pass to Patrick Cobbs, CP is only averaging 6.35 yards per attempt. Better than Chad Henne's YPA? Yes - but not nearly as good as his current 7.9 YPA average.

WHICH RECEIVER MAKES A PUSH TO BE A STARTER?
But more important than Chad Pennington's performance - and I say this because I'm fairly confident we know what we're going to get from CP - is how the receivers perform. Ted Ginn had a solid opening game but was quiet last week against Carolina. Many fans are hoping this is the year Teddy finally breaks out - and it could be. But I'm hoping to see more consistency out of Ginn.

With that said, though, all eyes will really be on the battle to start on the other side of Ginn. Greg Camarillo, Davone Bess, and Brian Hartline have taken turns working with the first-team offense throughout camp. Bess than began the preseason as the starter. Last week, however, Hartline got the start. Tony Sparano said on Tuesday that he is getting close to figuring out who his other starting receiver will be - meaning this game against Tampa will be each player's final opportunity to make a case that he should be the starter. In particular, though, I'm interested to see how much work Camarillo gets. He only saw four plays in the opener and got in a few more plays last week. I'd like to see him get more involved in the offense as he works his way back. Regardless of if he wins the starting job or not, Greg is going to be a key contributor to this offense.

CAN SECONDARY REBOUND?
I'm not trying to say that Miami's secondary played poorly last game against Carolina. But I also wasn't impressed, either. If you look at the numbers, the Dolphins didn't play poorly against the pass. But those watching the game know that the Fins had trouble defending Carolina's tight ends in addition to surrendering two big 3rd down conversions. On the drive that resulted in the DeAngelo Williams TD run, Jake Delhomme completed a 15 yard pass on 3rd & 8 and a 16 yard pass on 3rd & 12 to keep the drive alive. Those are the kinds of situations where this secondary must step up, make a play, and get off the field.

Of cours, the return of Sean Smith will should certainly boost the unit's play. Smith was exceptional against Jacksonville in the opener but missed last week's game with a mysterious "illness." Jason Allen, who also missed, will be back, too, and should provide some quality depth to the secondary. While I'm very interested in seeing how Smith performs in his second professional game working with the starters, I'll also be paying close attention to safeties Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson. Carolina's tight ends did a number on the Dolphins last week and, generally, it's a safety's fault when a tight end makes a big reception. Last week, Carolina's tight ends combined for 7 receptions and 109 yards despite not having a single tight end who would rank in the top half of the league. That's unacceptable and I'll be looking for improved play against opposing tight ends.

MORE TO WATCH FOR
Some other quick hits on what I'll be watching:

Punt coverage must improve. The Dolphins surrendered a 58 yard return last week against the Panthers. Those kinds of mistakes are killers in regular season games against tough opponents.
Who shows the most ability as return men? I expect Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, Patrick Cobbs, and Brian Hartline to all get opportunities to return kicks and/or punts against Tampa. Let's hope some of these guys make a play and win the job thanks to their own strong play - not by default because nobody else stood out.
Consistent pass rush - that's a key for the first-team defense. We've seen that unit apply a lot of pressure on the QB during their limited action in the first two preseason games. But can they do it consistently?
After being somewhat inconsistent, Dan Carpenter has been on the mark during the preseason. He's out-kicked Connor Barth on kick-offs and is perfect on FG attempts - hitting both of his kicks from 40+ yards. One more perfect game and he could have this job officially locked up.
Third downs are key. So far through the preseason, the Dolphins have been excellent on 3rd down - converting 43% while holding opponents to just 28%. But as I said above, the Dolphins surrendered two key 3rd down conversions last week against the Panthers that kept a drive alive that resulted in a touchdown. Those kinds of breakdowns need to occur less.
Let's see some Lex Hilliard against an opposing team's starting defense!

GAME THREAD
Game time tonight is 8 pm eastern and our live thread will be up around a half hour before kick-off. The game will be televised live on FOX. So join us then!

Dolphins Preseason Review: Who has made the biggest impression?

Matty I — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:15:08 -0000

More photos » by Alan Diaz - AP

Lex Hilliard may have ran himself into a roster spot with two consecutive strong performances.

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Believe it or not, we are less than three weeks away from week one of the NFL season. Training camp will soon be winding down for the Dolphins and we're halfway through their preseason schedule. So what better time than now to do a mid-point review of what we've seen from the Dolphins in the preseason?

What I've decided to do is simply list which players have made the biggest positive impression on me during the preseason as well as those who have made little or no impression on me - with a special emphasis on those players who are currently on the proverbial "roster bubble." Of course, this list is far from comprehensive, which is where all of you come in. Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

THREE WHO HAVE MADE POSITIVE IMPRESSION

RB Lex Hilliard - Entering camp, there wasn't much thought given to the Dolphins keeping four halfbacks on their final 53-man roster. But Lex Hilliard has suddenly put that thought into his coaches' heads and has made a strong case to make this football team. We talked yesterday about the "numbers game" and how keeping four running backs would affect how the final roster is assembled. But this is something the coaching staff is really going to have to discuss. After all, this regime is not in the business of waiving good football players. If Hilliard is as promising as he might be (more as a future complimentary back - not a feature back), you don't just let go of him. His 18 carry, 94 yard stat line is impressive - but it has been produced against opposing teams' 2nd and 3rd string defenses. And if you take away his longest run in each of the two preseason games, Hilliard is averaging just 2.75 yards per carry on those other 16 rushing attempts. But he's shown good quickness and explosion through the hole for a 240 pound back. And Tony Sparano did praise his special teams work in both games. That's how he can cement his roster spot - by going out and proving he can be a special teams contributor on gameday. It'd also be nice to see him get a few carries against a first-team defense.

RG Donald Thomas - The right guard position was a big question mark entering camp. Donald Thomas was coming off of a season-ending foot injury entering the offseason and then injured his chest while working out during the offseason. He started off camp with rehab work and was slowly implemented back into the offensive line rotation. But he has been very impressive when he has been on the field during the preseason. In the opener, despite a lackluster performance by the first-team offensive line as a whole, Thomas had a solid game - regularly "pancaking" his man. Last week, Thomas played even better. He won the majority of his one-on-one blocks and even showed the quickness to get out and pull - making a key block on Hilliard's 39 yard TD run. The man is clearly strong and powerful and, most importantly, he finishes his blocks. The starting right guard spot is officially all his. Now he just needs to stay healthy.

OLB Quentin Moses - Before training camp started, I really didn't think Quentin Moses had any shot to make this final roster. But Matt Roth's mysterious groin injury has allowed Moses to get more reps in practice and extended looks during the preseason. He's made the most of these opportunities. I've noticed Moses getting pressure on the quarterback on more than one occasion. He hasn't picked up a sack yet, but quarterback hurries are just as valuable. I've noticed that the 260 pound linebacker looks to have a quicker first step. And remember, he's a guy with a lot of talent. He was a third-round pick coming out of Georgia. And entering that season for UGA, there were rumblings that Moses could be a late first or early second round selection. But now it seems as though the game is finally slowing down for him - and he's making plays. He looks strong at the point of attack, too, which is very important because it allows him to set the edge on runs his direction (much like Matt Roth was good at doing last season). I don't think his roster spot is a lock by any means, but he went from having little chance (at least in my mind) to being right in the mix for one of the OLB spots.

Other Candidates - Cameron Wake, John Nalbone, Sean Smith, Nathan Jones, Paul Soliai, Reggie Torbor

THREE WHO HAVE MADE LITTLE OR NO IMPRESSION

WR Anthony Armstrong - Many fans were jumping aboard the Anthony Armstrong bandwagon during the offseason as we continually read reports of Armstrong beating Miami's corners deep for big plays during OTAs and minicamp. But the corners he regularly dominated were guys who were either cut (Eric Green) or will be cut (Will Billingsley). During training camp, Armstrong has been relatively quiet. And in the preseason, Armstrong has been completely non-existent. He doesn't have a reception. He's dropped two passes. And in his one kickoff return, he only gained 20 yards. That's not how a player like Armstrong is going to make this team. Considering he can't really contribute on coverage units because he weighs 185 pounds soaking wet, he needed to really make a name for himself as a receiver. But he's failed to do so and I don't expect him to stick once it's time for final cuts.

TE Joey Haynos - With the release of Ernest Wilford, the battle for the third tight end spot (if the Dolphins keep three) is between Haynos and rookie John Nalbone. Haynos, though, has failed to get my attention at all. He has great size (6'8, 270) but hasn't been a factor at all during the preseason. But while no passes have come his way - which isn't exactly his fault, making it hard to blame him - I've been underwhelmed with his blocking skills. From what I've noticed during games, Nalbone is the better blocker. And whichever TE is kept as the third one will have to be able to block - especially since David Martin isn't exactly a reliable blocker, either. In my opinion, Haynos is losing the battle to Nalbone and will have to step up if he hopes to stick.

DE Phillip Merling - Merling entered training camp working as a starter opposite Kendall Langford. But since then, he's fallen back to the second unit while Tony McDaniel and Randy Starks have gotten reps with the first team. And it's been Starks, not Merling, who has gotten the majority of the first-team reps during the preseason. Merling isn't exactly known for being a great practice player, either. But you can almost look beyond that if the player in question performs on gameday. Thus far through two preseason games, I haven't seen any sense of urgency from the second-year defensive end. Last season, Merling came on strong late in the year. So here's to hoping he's just a slow starter.

Other Candidates - Lionel Dotson, Erik Walden, Brandon London, Gibril Wilson, Pat White

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%.

Dolphins vs Panthers: What to watch for

Matty I — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:30:09 -0000

Didn' the Dolphins just play a preseason game a few days ago? After months and months without football, the Dolphins hit the field for their second game this week as the 2009 preseason marches on. On Saturday, the Dolphins welcome the Carolina Panthers to Land Shark Stadium. And below are just some of the things I'll be watching for as the Dolphins continue to prepare for their division title defense.

OFFENSIVE LINE TO BOUNCE BACK?
Last week against Jacksonville, the Dolphins first-team offensive line struggled to get any push or open up any holes. Often times, though, it did seem like they were a block (or missed block, really) away from breaking a decent run. The Panthers don't have as talented of a defensive front as the Jaguars do. There's nobody up the middle for Carolina like Jacksonville's John Henderson. Hopefully that means Jake Grove and Justin Smiley play much better than they did on Monday night.

Donald Thomas is also expected to start with the first-team and play more than he did on Monday. He's still working to get back in shape after missing a lot of time due to the injury he sustained while training during the offseason. His first game activity since the '08 season opener went well for Thomas. He impressed me on Monday night with his ability to sustain his blocks and drive his man out of the play. But he still had hiccups with his technique - which is to be expected for a 2008 6th round pick who spent all but one game on IR last year. But with Thomas back where he should be - starting - it's time to see the offensive line start to gel.

Let's also not forget about Jake Long and Vernon Carey. I'll be interested to see how those two do when going up against Julius Peppers in a passing situation. Long had a shaky game on Monday and I hope to see him bounce back with a solid performance on Saturday.

HOW WILL SECONDARY FOLLOW A STRONG PRESEASON DEBUT?
On Monday against the Jaguars, the first-team secondary really did a terrific job at shutting down Jacksonville's passing offense. They held David Garrard to just 22 yards passing while limiting him to completing four of seven passes. Of course, the Jaguars don't exactly have big-time receivers. But Torry Holt is still a talented player and remains a savvy veteran. So it's impressive considering the questions we all had about how the secondary would perform.

But now consistency will be critical. The Panthers will be without Steve Smith. So their receiving corps, like Jacksonville's, is average at best. Therefore, the secondary, and Sean Smith in particular, will have to show some consistency. Coming off of a short week, I really think this will be a good test for the secondary as a whole - but especially for the young corners.

But the storylines in the secondary continue even after the starting unit comes out. Will Vontae Davis bounce back after a rough professional debut on Monday night? He committed too many mental mistakes and cost his team yards - a big "no-no" in the eyes of any coaching staff, especially this one.

Also, following the release of Eric Green, guys like Jason Allen and Joey Thomas will likely receive more playing time. How will they respond as each attempts to make a case for having a role on the final 53-man roster?

QUARTERBACKS, QUARTERBACKS, QUARTERBACKS
None of Miami's three quarterbacks really set the world on fire on Monday night. But it's still early and it's expected that the defenses be ahead of the offenses at this point. However, things do need to get rolling eventually.

To be honest, I'm not really worried at all about Chad Pennington. I'm fairly confident that we know what we're going to get from him assuming he stays healthy. But it would be nice to see the first-team offense beginning to get into a rhythm in the passing game.

But I'll be more interested in how Chad Henne performs on Saturday night. He's coming off of a "so-so" performance on Monday night and will enter the game off of a short work week. How much improvement will the young QB show in just a matter of days? Hopefully, we don't see as many poor decisions as we did last week (I counted at least two very bad decisions - one led to an interception, the other should have been but was dropped). To be frank, I haven't seen what others have to declare Henne a young stud QB. He's been inconsistent and, according to all reports, he hasn't had a good camp this year. Now I admit I was impressed with his performance against Arizona last year in week two. But that was late in a blow-out against an average (at best) defense. So as much as I want to believe Henne is going to be a star, I'm not ready to anoint him just yet. I hope he performs well on Saturday to erase some of my doubt.

Meanwhile, Pat White's 2/7 performance on Monday night wasn't nearly as bad as the numbers lead you to believe. Three of those passes should have been caught and he did make a play or two with his legs. But White still didn't look comfortable taking snaps from under center - looking awkward at times dropping back. We'll see how he's improved in such a short week when he takes the field late in Saturday's game.

MORE TO WATCH
Some quick hits of things to watch for:

Will Greg Camarillo get more action? He was only on the field on Monday night for a handful of plays. Speaking of receivers, let's not forget about Ted Ginn. He had a strong showing in just a quarter of action last game. Let's see if he can show come consistency - which was a problem for Ginn game-to-game last season.
How will Miami's outside pass-rush perform? Cameron Wake had a solid debut working with the second-team last game. But he still struggled to free himself once a big tackle got his hands on him. He'll need to develop more than just a speed-rush to be effective consistently. Also, will any other outside linebackers "flash" for the coaching staff?
Will Channing Crowder continue to show improved play? He blitzed a couple of times last game and, while he didn't record a sack, he did help collapse the pocket and make the quarterback uncomfortable. He also showed better ability to drop back into coverage. Let's hope we see more of that from Channing.
Will either kicker separate himself from the other?
Speaking of separation, will any of the possible sixth receivers separate themselves from the others? Many eyes will be on return specialist Chris Williams. Another strong showing by the lightning fast return man will further strengthen his case to make the squad despite limited, if any, contributions to any other aspect of the football team.
Randy Starks had a very strong game last Monday working as the starting DE opposite Kendall Langford. Can he put together back-to-back strong performances and distance himself from guys like Phillip Merling and Tony McDaniel?

GAME THREAD
For the preseason opener, we had over 1,600 comments during our live game threads. I expect a bigger turnout as we inch closer and closer to opening day. The game thread will be posted roughly a half hour before kickoff. And please remember - no posting of links to illegally watch the game and no requesting of links to illegally watch the game. Also, please do not post your e-mail address on the site and request that somebody with info on how to illegally watch the game send you the info. I was lenient last week, but violators will be banned for a couple weeks from this point on. Thanks!