Dolphins vs Raiders: 5 Burning Questions

Alright? I said it! lol. I thought the Wildcat, in it’s original form, was pretty much figured out by defenses. I didn’t realize they were planning on adding in new variations and using a triple-option look out of it. So I’ll own up to that one. Dan Henning, David Lee, Tony Sparano, my apologies. Please don’t send me to Parcells office, I have a fear of clowns and Ronald McDonald is on all the happy meal boxes.

I think what we need to do is pressure Russell like there’s no tomorrow. I think he’ll get rattled and throw a couple up for grabs. Our secondary (in particular, Will Allen and Yeremiah Bell) have pretty good ball skills, so anything that’s off should end up in a pick. Sacks breed interceptions, so the more pressure, the better. And giving Chad P and Co. good field position with turnovers will make his job even easier.

  First Down: Yes they can, I really think that the Seahawk game showed the team and the coaching staff that no game is something to be taken mildly. NOT that they did, but if anything it really put it in their faces that every game is a battle in its own right.

  Second Down: Really don’t know. I know what my Dolphin heart is saying, but, its the NFL. Anything can happen. They aren’t going to lay down by any means. I still feel though, the Dolphins will prevail. Hopefully we coast on this one.

  Third Down: Matty, buddy, friend of mine……When did you ever see or remember the mighty wishbone? This is a great wrinkle to a already effective scheme. Seeing lots of old Big 8 football, I love it. (Speaking of wrinkles…did you hear about the wallet made of elephant foreskin? You just rub it, and it turns into a suitcase) sorry, that was a detour.

  Fourth Down: I think its shut down time. There might be a fluke big play, just because the do have some talent on their team. But overall, the lid will be on tight come Sunday.

  Field Goal: Porter goes nuts. Call me crazy, but he could possibly get 3 sacks in this game. We have the total advantage on defense, and I hope Sparano and Co, take off the leashes and let the dogs run wild. Watch for Roth to get one or two as well. He’s not salivating, he’s frothing!

The Wildcat was (and is) more then just a formation, gimmick or experiment,etc.. it was exactly what this team needed! Something new and different to somewhat re-energize the view of this down-trodden team. It sparked the interest and imagination of the fans… and the bottom line is, that it’s effective and has worked over the course of half a season with a very decent amount of success! It’s still fooling teams and creating yards, opportunities and touchdowns. The players seem to love it and it seemed to give them and the team a little something extra towards their identity this season, even though it was joked about a little in the beginning.

As a football fan, I am absolutely thrilled to see something like this actually get used and work in the NFL! I can’t remember how long it’s been since something like this has come into the league and turned heads and opened eyes like this has. Even if it hadn’t been the Dolphins who brought it out, I would have still be thrilled to see it in the league but since it was from us..and it has worked so well, that’s even better!

There are too many nay-sayers around the league today about what can and can’t be done or work in the NFL… especially in regards to certain college plays and formations, “that would never work” or “never last” in today’s NFL. That’s hogwash! and this has proven it!
 
This is a highschool formation! and when done properly..it fools other teams..and it works and more importantly, what it truly comes down to (said perfectly by coach Sparano) is execution! Just like every other formation and play, it’s all about x’s and o’s and getting players to do what they’re supposed to… and with this there are just so many different options and possibilities, it just tickles me to think of all the things that can be done.. and what is yet to come..
This could be the next thing to sort of revolutionize the game.. and that gets me pumped! I’m not trying to be overly dramatic about that statement because this game can’t be changed in dramatic ways to the extent some my take that statement by but this could lead to enough change and possibilities that could spread league wide in a way that hasn’t been seen since “the west coast offense” or something like that..
 
Bottom line..I love it.. I hope they keep using it.. tweaking it, experiementing with it…and WINNING with it! doesn’t have to be 20 times a game or anything.. a few times, here and there.. like what picklescapone said.. early downs and short..stuff like that..
There’s a lot to look forward to.. now let go kick some Raider butt!

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2008/11/10/658162/got-a-question-about-the-d

Is that the hawks are a good team having a terrible year. There is talent there, but injuries have killed their momentum and they’re playing below themselves due to loss of confidence. That’s the sort of team that was always likely to cause a less experienced team like ours problems. They know how to win better than we do, even if that hasn’t been shown this year.

The Raiders, on the other hand, are possibly the worst run club in football. Their offence is apocalyptically bad, they have drafted poorly, and there seems to be a consistent lack of belief on the part of their players that they’ll get it turned around. Which is probably accurate – as long as Al ‘Dracula’ Davis is around, they won’t.

I predicted a narrow win last week and before the game changed it to a narrow loss. Thank god I was wrong, though I wish I had taken that ridiculous +8.5 spread for a ride. This week I don’t see how the Raiders get within a touchdown of us. I think this is the first week in a while we can breathe easy in the 4th quarter. 20-10 or 24-7 is how I see this one panning out. Go fins!!

Their front office is in shambles, but they’ve got plenty of talented athletes.
Start off with cornerbacks Nnambdi Asomugha and Rashad Baker.
They have Wildcat personnel: both Ronald Curry (WR, if healthy) and Michael Bush (RB, if healthy) were former quarterbacks and Darren McFadden ran the Wild Hog full-time at Arkansas (if healthy, he’s a little bit of a whiny softie, glad we didn’t draft him, btw)
They also have Javon Walker who along with Curry are the kind of big-fast receivers that give the fins’ pygmie cbs trouble.
I am in no way predicting an upset, but it was not too long ago that the experts predicted that Miami had no chance against NE on their home field. A few creative unexpected wildcat plays later and the rest is history.
If the Raiders can find a way to throw the ball effectively out of the Wild Hog formation, they could be dangerous. It will hide their O-Line deficiencies, make-up for their weak QB play, and put the ball in the hands of their playmakers. Their defense played their hearts out against a very good Carolina team.

but there is a new breat of doom fans around here!!
It may me think that last year was a great year for them. We didn’t have anything to win. Now we have something to lose and a lot of this Dolphans(?) are trying to cheer for the loss. Goshhhhh THIS SUCKS BIG TIME!!

Raiders shuffling WRs . Raiders WRs Javon Walker and Chaz Schilens missed Wednesday’s practice with ankle injuries. The papers are saying Walker is likely out. Look for Johnnie Lee Higgins and Ashley Lelie to start at Miami.

If he plays, he is exactly the kind of back that our defense has trouble with. I think he won’t play much. I don’t think he can make cuts on that toe.

As for the Wildcat, I never really understood why people kept saying it’s dead. Diminishing returns as teams prepare to defend it, sure. But Sparano said it is part of the base formation packages, and that they would keep running it.. Did people seriously believe Sparano was bluffing? And if so, did no one realize that as long as the Fins run it, other teams need to spend time preparing for it?
So now we had a week in which it was more successful, and people say “it’s back”. It never left, and according to Sparano is not leaving.

We are too cocky, too arrogant, and we think we can beat everybody right now.
We have to get real and realize that we play our best when we are not supposed
to and teams that suck will use our arrogance to motivate them.

God, I hope I’m wrong ! GO DOLPHINS !!!!

Why in help can we feel PROUD of our team acomplishment?
If you do, them we are cocky and arrogant?
Last year, what were we? Idiots, for been fans of a 1-15 team?
We are celebrating that we are not the worst team and that we might end up with a WC berth. What is wrong with this? JFC!!

Raiders just signed Justin Miller. Don’t know if he still has pro bowl skills at return, but…..the secondary needs to be aware of this guy.

I’m a freshman at Penn State and new to this whole signing up and posting thing, but I swear Ive been reading this blog since we all thought Cam Cam would be a good fit for the fins.

But as all of you may know, I just sat through a last week that was a football fan’s version of the seventh circle of hell as I watched my nittany lions get completely upset by “a team we were supposed to beat” in iowa, completely knocking off all chances for national title hopes. All I can say is, thank God this isnt the same Dolphins team as last year and didnt give up a possible victory against the seahawks last week or else I would have literally checked myself into the local campus hospital/health center and not left until they believed me that there is in fact something called Phinsfan broken heart syndrome and then medicated it…. intensely. I love the dolphins more than anything (including past girlfriends, as I pushed her off the couch I was on when I started going nuts after my boy Greg Camarillo gave us our first victory). And that is exactly why I just pray they don’t take this game lightly and stay focused Tony Sparano style, and I dont have to sit through another Penn State- Iowa type heartbreak. Please dont make the raiders the new Iowa…

Go Fins

WHATCHA GONNNAAAAA DOOOOOOOOOO RAIDERS?!!!! WHEN THE WILDCAT GOES CRAZY ON YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!~!!!!