The Dolphin Pod

The Wildcat Cometh

Last year, the Dolphins took the Patriots by surprise with their Wildcat offense in a game that shocked the football world.  The mighty Pats went down hard when they were unable to adjust to a play that many consider to be a gimick.  This year, the Pats will be ready.  So what else do the Fins have in their arsenal to shake up the Pats with once again?

Believe it or not, the Wildcat will not disappear just because the Pats are aware of it.  It is likely that the Fins will stick to their usual game plan…at least, to begin with.  Pound the ball in on the ground, slip in a Wildcat here and there and look for rookies, like quarterback Chad Henne, to come up with big plays.

And on the defense, veterans Jason Taylor and Joey Porter will need to make Pats QB Tom Brady uncomfortable.  When Brady feels pressure, that is when he tends to go off his game.  Porter told the Miami Herald this week that he has “natural hate for them (Patriots)” and that Brady is a player who ”gets his own rules.”  This refers of course to the rule about lunging at a quarterback's knees and making contact with the helmet or shoulder, which was put in place because of an injury to Brady last year.  Porter clearly feels animosity towards Brady and the Pats for this and various other reasons, including the Spygate scandal.

Taylor, on the other hand, is friendly with Brady off the field.  But that has never and will never stop him from taking Brady down in defense of his Dolphins.  Taylor has sacked Brady 9.5 times in 14 total meetings, which is more sacks on any QB that Taylor has had in his career.  Brady has a healthy fear of Taylor, which should work to the Fins advantage.

Honors

Earlier this week, Ted Ginn, Jr. was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after 2 touchdown returns of 100 yards or more in the win over the Jets.  Ginn is the first player in NFL history to accomplish this feat in the same game.  Maybe Ginn has finally found his niche on this team.

Injury Update

Inside linebacker Channing Crowder (shoulder injury) and nose tackle Jason Ferguson (elbow) are both still limited in practice.  Their game day status is still uncertain.

Dolphins Ground The Jets

In a game that stared out slow, the Dolphins defense and special teams came up big in the 2nd half of the 30-25 win over the Jets.  This marks the 2nd win for the Fins over the Jets this season and completes the season sweep.

 

By the second quarter of the game, each team had scored just one field goal a piece.  But in the 3rd quarter, the Fins explosion was led by an unlikely source; Ted Ginn Jr.  Ginn has not produced well or lived up to his expectations this year, which has brought a heap of criticism his way.  But on this Sunday, Ginn redeemed himself with two 3rd quarter kickoff-return touchdowns, each 100 yards or more.  Those touchdowns made Ginn the first player in NFL history to complete 2 kickoff-return touchdowns of at least 100 yards in the same game.

 

The veteran defenseman Jason Taylor also made his presence known on Sunday.  In between Ginn touchdowns, Taylor snapped up a Jets fumble and took it 48 yards for a touchdown of his own.  It was the 9th TD of his career and 6th by way of fumble.  Taylor was missed last year when he spent a year with the Redskins and the Fins are surely glad to have his power and experience back on the field.

 

Quarterback Chad Henne had an ok day; he completed 12 of 21 passes for 112 yards, 1 TD and was sacked 5 times.  But the greatest accomplishment is that he did not make any big mistakes.  Injured QB, Chad Pennington has been schooling the young Henne in between games by studying game film of the opponent and reporting back to Henne.  The results have showed as Henne continues to improve and avoid the fatal errors.

 

The running game was a bit slower than we are used to with this team, but the defense and special teams made up for it.  And in the last minutes of the game, with the Jets trying to comeback, the defense not only held them but also sacked rookie QB Mark Sanchez for a loss.  The Jets turned the ball over on downs and the Fins took the victory.

 

There will need to be a lot of preparation though for next week’s battle against the division leading Patriots.  Much like the Saints last week, the Patriots pose a challenge of a whole new level, especially in the harsh cold of New England.  The game may be on in your area on CBS; game time is 1:00pm.

The Saints Came Marching In

…and the Dolphins actually put up a fight.  But with a 24-3 lead in the first half, the Dolphins still lost the game 34-46.  A touchdown seconds before the end of the first half made it 24-10 going into halftime.  That TD was the result of a fumble by Davone Bess which gave the ball to the Saints in the final 2 minutes of the half.  Before that, Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown tore up the field as the defense held the Saints at bay.

 

And so it was a tale of two halves.  For the first 28 minutes, things looked good for the Dolphins.  But the next 32 minutes were a total nightmare.  Despite the huge lead, 3 TD’s from Williams against his old team, another from Brown and 2 pick offs, more sloppy play saw the Fins playing right into the hands of the Saints.  Ted Ginn Jr. continues to be a sore spot on this team.  He has not lived up to his potential, fails to make big plays and on Sunday, he tipped a pass he should have caught which landed in the hands of a Saint who ran it 42 yards for a touchdown.

 

But the horror did not end there…penalties, dropped balls and interceptions created the perfect storm.  Add to that the defense, which played only one half of the game.  To the Saints credit of course, they are undefeated for a reason.  And even with 3 interceptions, Drew Brees still managed to walk all over this Fins defense.  But judging from the 1st half of the game, the Dolphins had a real chance to beat this team, which makes the loss even harder to take.  It boils down to a huge missed opportunity.

 

As far as sheer entertainment value though, the game was action-packed and full of exciting plays.  If you like scoring, this was a game you would have loved.  But as a Dolphins fan, it was an opportunity lost.

Looking Ahead

The New Orleans Saints are up next for the Miami Dolphins and this will be an epic challenge for this young team.  The Saints walked, ran and stomped all over the previously undefeated New York Giants yesterday by a score of 48-27.  The Saints offensive assault, led by Drew Brees, has been incredible.  And the Dolphins defense this year, especially against the pass, has not been great.

But the offense of the Fins is greatly improved with a stellar running game and new life in the passing game with the young QB, Chad Henne.  The big question then is, can the Fins defense outlast Drew Brees?

Another interesting bit to consider is that the Saints have a good chance of going undefeated this year.  There only real challenges remaining are the Patriots on 11/30 and the Cowboys on 12/19.  The rest of their schedule includes the Panthers, Rams, Falcons, Bucs and Redskins, all of whom are having down seasons.  The Dolphins then, maybe be one of the only teams with an opportunity to knock them out of the running for that still unmatched 1972 Dolphins performance.

Of course, this is football and anything can happen.  It is only week 6, headed for week 7.  But come week 15 or 16, will the Fins be looking back on a lost opportunity here if they lose to the Saints? 

My prediction: The Fins will be ground into fish food by the overpowering Saints.  Better hope the Patriots can knock them down a peg.

Speaking of the AFC East, the Jets lost yesterday to the Bills so here are the current standings:

	W	L
New England Patriots	4	2
New York Jets	3	3
Miami Dolphins	2	3
Buffalo Bills	2	4

 

Injury News

Patrick Cobbs was put on the Injured Reserve list with a torn ACL after last week’s game.  To fill his spot on the roster, the Dolphins signed RB Kory Sheets off the 49ers practice squad.  The 24-year old undrafted rookie will have quite a challenge trying to learn the offense in just a short few weeks but is happy to be playing in the NFL.

Two In A Row

The Dolphins offense put on a show for Monday Night Football yesterday as they battled to a 31-27 win over their division rival, the Jets.  It was a see-saw battle where the lead changed back and forth as the two teams continually traded scores.  But a strong 4th quarter led the Fins to the win.

 

As usual, the Fins controlled the time of possession with more than 33 minutes on offense.  Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 142 yards rushing plus 2 touchdowns from Brown.  Williams was also the game leading receiver with 3 catches and 70 yards.  Another running back, Pat Cobbs, suffered a knee injury and his status is unknown at this time.

 

The play of quarterback Chad Henne in his second full game as the starter was very impressive.  In fact, the Jets manager compared him to Dan Marino, although the comment was aimed more at the Jets lack of defense.  Henne passed for 241 yards, 2 touchdowns and did not turn the ball over.  The fact that he did make any mistakes is as encouraging as anything else.

 

Henne also did an excellent job spreading the ball around and keeping the Jets guessing.  Nine different receivers were used and of particular note, Ted Ginn Jr. finally woke from his slumber, stepped up and made a big play.  In the 4th quarter, he reeled in a 53-yard pass from Henne and landed in the end zone.  Tight end Anthony Fasano caught the other TD and had 38 yards total on 4 catches.

 

The versatility of this offense is very intriguing.  They have running backs who catch, and occasionally throw, almost as well as they run.  The O-line can stand up to players who outweigh them by a large margin and the pass protection has been very good.  Add to that the plethora of rookies who have stepped into big roles and made things happen.

 

The only glaring issues that remain are the defense and the penalties.  Eight penalties knocked the Fins back 112 yards.  Yikes!  And the defense allowed 27 points, 309 yards passing and rushing and only had 1 sack on the Jets QB.  Gibril Wilson had far and away more solo tackles than anyone else with 10 plus an assist.  The next highest total was Randy Starks and Will Allen with 4 tackles each.

 

If the Fins can tighten up on defense and reduce the penalties, this will be a team to reckon with.  But with the Saints on the schedule next, it is going to be a tough order of business to overcome one of the best teams in the NFL right now.  Luckily, they have a bye week to prepare and work on cleaning things up a bit.

 

A few other things of note: The Fins are now 3-0 when wearing the alternate orange jerseys.  Maybe they should wear them more often?  Also, singer and Dolphins co-partner Marc Anthony sung the National Anthem before the game and cheered the team on from above throughout the game.  And did you see the special Monday Night Football theme with Gloria Estefan?  Yes, she joined that country guy, Hank Williams Jr., who usually sings the theme.  And they made the poor guy sing with her in Spanish!  Funny stuff…

Chad 2.0

Oct 4	1	2	3	4	T
Bills	0	3	0	7	10
Dolphins	0	17	14	7	38

 

The Dolphins finally notched a win in 2009 behind quarterback Chad Henne who was given the starting role after Chad Pennington was lost for the season with an injury.  Henne was a 4-year starter at the University of Michigan from 2005-2008 and this was his first NFL start.  Henne did not disappoint; he threw for 115 yards, a TD and did not turn the ball over.  The result was the first win of the season for the Fins, 38-10 against the Bills.

 

Henne got help from the running backs, as was expected.  The O-line did a great job blocking and as a result, Ronnie Brown gained 115 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Ricky Williams had 85 yards and 1 TD of his own.

 

Greg Camarillo led the receivers with 42 yards on 4 catches and the rookie Brian Hartline caught one of Henne’s passes for a TD.  It was the first career TD for both Henne & Hartline on that same play.  Word is that they may cut the football in half so they each get a piece ;O)

 

Joey Porter was out for the defense so the Fins needed someone to step in and make some plays.  Another rookie, Cameron Wake, did just that.  Wake recorded 3 sacks, a forced fumble and 6 solo tackles in the game.  Also, the newbie Vontae Davis snagged a pass from the Bills QB, Trent Edwards and ran it back for a touchdown.  The defense had 6 sacks total in the game, 3 interceptions (2 from Will Allen) and they also helped the offense control the ball for just over 37 minutes.

 

Overall, the news is good.  The rookies stepped up when needed, the offensive line played up to expectations, the defense has improved and Henne has made his mark as a bona fide starter.  The Dolphins have plenty to work on though.  Starting the season 0-3 puts them behind and in catch-up mode.  They are still committing a lot of penalties and their ball handling skills need work.  The Fins fumbled 3 times, but were able to recover.  But this still needs to be addressed.

 

Also consider that they just played a Bills team weakened by injuries.  The Jets will be a better opponent, although they do have a rookie quarterback who can be exploited.  Add the extra pressure of a national spotlight on Monday Night Football, and the Fins better be ready!

 

Question Answered

 

The question of Bill Parcell’s role with the Miami Dolphins team was posed by a reader.  What I can tell you is this:  His official title is Executive Vice President of Football Operations.  What that actually means is a little vague.  Essentially, he is involved with decisions concerning personnel, the coaching staff and player acquisitions, trades and contracts. 

 

For instance, he fired Cam Cameron after a 1-15 season and brought in Tony Sparano.  Parcells is known as a guy who likes to work with familiar people and Sparano was with him in Dallas, as were several other players and coaches he brought in.  This is also the same guy who sent Jason Taylor to Washington and then brought him back to Miami this year.

 

Think of him as the architect.  Some call him “The Godfather” as he holds the strings that make the team go.  Parcells takes a hands-on approach, watching hours of film and studying potential moves.  While he is no longer in a position to coach and has agreed to stay out of such decisions, once a coach, always a coach.  He does lend a hand when needed, attends practices regularly and allows the coaching staff to use him for advice or direction.

 

Parcells is rebuilding the team right now and Fin fans will need to be patient.  2008 was a big step forward, even though 2009 feels like a small step back.  It should all work out in the end though :O)  The man has a proven track record; let’s see what he can do!

Tyler Thigpen Added To Roster

Yesterday, the Dolphins traded an undisclosed draft pick for the Chiefs 3rd string quarterback, Tyler Thigpen.  It appears that in the absence of Chad Pennington, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury, Chad Henne will be the starter and Thigpen will join Pat White on the bench.

 

Thigpen was a seventh-round pick out of Coastal Carolina who was picked up off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings in 2007 by the Chiefs.  He started 11 games in 2008, but threw 12 interceptions. This year, he was moved to the 3rd QB spot.  This begs the question, are the Dolphins desperate?

 

The Chiefs executive Scott Pioli is the son-in-law of Fins executive, Bill Parcells.  So, in that regard, it explains why the Fins are doing are doing business with them.  However, does this team really need another young, inexperienced quarterback when other options are available?

 

Jeff Garcia was just released by the Eagles, as one example.  This is a future Hall of Famer who can teach the younger players a great deal.  And what about Michael Vick?  He will become disposable once Donovan McNabb returns to the Eagles.  Plus, Vick wants a starting job.

 

I, more than most, am disgusted by Vick on a personal level for what he has done to innocent animals, his community and the NFL’s reputation .  However, the fact remains, the man can still play.  He has shown remorse for his actions and so far, is doing what is necessary to make amends.  Vick should be in the back of the Dolphins mind.

Fins Go 0-3 To Start Season and Lose QB

9/27/09	1	2	3	4	T
Dolphins	0	3	3	7	13
Chargers	0	3	7	13	23

As the Dolphins skid to an 0-3 start after a loss to the Chargers this weekend, Fin fans everywhere began having flashbacks to the 1-15 season of 2007.  Will 2009 be a similar disaster?  We hope not, but so far, things are not going well.

Mistakes buried the Dolphins early as they faced a tough Chargers team.  After an impressive 94-yard drive down the field, the Fins had the ball on the 1-yard line and in one hand-off, it was all for nothing.  Chad Pennington fumbled the ball trying to hand-off to Ronnie Brown; the ball fell into the end zone and the Chargers recovered for a touchback.

Later, Pennington was hit in the third quarter while trying to throw a pass and injured his shoulder.  Chad Henne took over at QB and did lead the Dolphins to 10 points in the 2nd half, but he also threw a big interception which ended any hope the Fins had at a comeback.  Chargers safety Eric Weddle picked off the pass and returned it 31 yards to the end zone.  The score was then 23-6 with just under 6 minutes left in the game.

Davone Bess led the team in receptions with 54 yards on 7 catches.  The interception thrown was intended for him as well.  The team also gained 149 yards rushing, but again, it was all for nothing as the turnovers killed the big drives.  Add to that 7 penalties for a loss of 39 yards and the game was over early.

Joey Porter was also injured in the game and left in the 2nd half with a right hamstring pull.  It is unclear right now how serious the injury is or whether Porter will play next week or not.  Pennington on the other hand, who has already had 2 shoulder surgeries in his career, looks to be out for the season.  The team has not made an official announcement yet, but it does not look good, which means Henne will likely take the ball next week.

The rookie QB Pat White is also an option, but he too lacks any significant experience.  Maybe Dan Marino can come out of retirement?  Ok, maybe not.  But this Dolphins team has had one major problem ever since the Marino days; zero consistency at the quarterback position.  And that problem does not look like it will be solved any time soon.

The Fins will take on the Bills this Sunday at 4:05pm and while they are not the threat the Chargers or Colts were, the Bills are still an improved team; especially with the addition of wide receiver Terrell “Get your popcorn ready” Owens.  And this Dolphins team needs a win – bad.  They have a lot of work to do this week…best of luck to them!

Opportunity Lost

DOLPHINS vs. COLTS

9/21/2009	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	F
DOLPHINS	7	6	0	10	0	23
COLTS	7	6	0	14	0	27

Normally, when a team dominates the time of possession in a game by more than 45 minutes, eliminates the run for the opposition, does not turn the ball over and then gains 239 yards on the ground, that game results in a win.  Not so for the Dolphins on Monday night football, however.  The team is now 0-2 on the season and has some major problems to work out.

The most glaring issue last night was the non-existent pass defense.  Safety Gibril Wilson looked lost all game long trying to defend against the arm of Peyton Manning, as did most of the defense.  In fact, it took Manning all of 12 seconds into the game to throw his first touchdown pass.  The Colts had the ball for less than 15 minutes and still managed to outscore the Fins.

While the defense looked anemic, the passing game of the offense also did not help.  It is clear that the Dolphins do not have a big playmaker.  And quarterback Chad Pennington does not have a big arm either.  He overthrew several passes in key situations and then the receivers did him no favors. 

Ted Ginn Jr., in his third year, dropped 3 passes that should have been caught, 2 of which would have gone for touchdowns.  The biggest of those was at the very end of the game when the catch would have ensured the win for the Fins.  Ginn, a former 1st round draft pick, is slowly becoming a disappointment.  This team needs receivers that can step up and make those big plays; right now, they do not have anyone.  Add to that the horrible clock management in the last 3 minutes of play and a lot of wasted time-outs and it was a recipe for disaster. 

The bright spots of course were the time of possession and the stellar running game, highlighted by a very successful use of the "Wildcat" formation.  239 yards rushing versus only 61 yards for the Colts made it seem like a win should have been possible.  RB's Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Patrick Cobbs ran all over the Colts defense and Jake Long did a great job blocking for the O-line.  The offense even converted 71% of their third downs and Pennington did not turn the ball over until an interception on the last Hail Mary play of the game.

This was a heartbreaking loss for the Fins who came very close to beating a good Colts team.  And their schedule does not get any easier from here on out.  Get ready Fins fans - it is going to be a long season.

Sloppy Play = Season Opening Defeat

DOLPHINS vs. FALCONS

Georgia Dome

9/13/09	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	F
DOLPHINS	0	0	0	7	0	7
FALCONS	0	10	6	3	0	19

 

We all know that pre-e season play is not necessarily a reflection of how a team’s season will play out and the Dolphins proved that point yesterday in a 7-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.  The 4-0 pre-season record is now a distant memory.

 

Mistakes and turnovers plagued the Fins all game long and they were not able to put points on the board until the final minutes of the game.  But by then, the four turnovers had buried them and gave the team no chance at a comeback.  4 penalties for a loss of 27 yards also did not help the situation.

 

Quarterback Chad Pennington lost a fumble in the first quarter and then was intercepted late in the third quarter, which looked to be the nail in the coffin.  In addition, tight end Anthony Fasano lost two fumbles of his own.  The Falcons capitalized on the mistakes and scored twice as a result of the mistakes.

 

The defense did what they could to keep the game in hand, but the unexpected quick changeovers took their toll.  They did hold the Falcons to 68 yards on the ground, but QB Matt Ryan still gained 213 yards throwing and 2 touchdowns, including a 20-yard pass to veteran TE Tony Gonzalez.

 

The “Wildcat” play made its 2009 debut with rookie QB Pat White lining up as receiver on one play where RB Ronnie Brown took the snap and ran for 4 yards.  White has been named the 2nd quarterback over Chad Henne, who will serve in an emergency, 3rd QB spot.  So the wildcat and the one 9-yard TD pass from Pennington to Ricky Williams were just about all the offensive highlights on the day.

 

If the Dolphins thought the Falcons were a challenge, it is not going to get any better next week when they take on Peyton Manning and the Colts during Monday night football.  Head coach Tony Sparano will need to start cracking the whip this week to get this team into shape for the Home Opener.  Good luck to him!