def a statement game, win or lose if they compete down to the gun, we can legitimize ourselves.

couple notes on this game… I heard that SD has given up alot of action to the TE:
Week 1: Dante Rosario, big game, game winning TD
week 2: Tony Scheflter, 2 TDs
week 3: Dustin Keller, TD
Week 4, Zach miller over 90yds and a TD

its possible teams are taking advantage of the injury to Merriman.
I look for a big day out of Fasano and/or Martin in this one…. Looks like the TE is featured in Hennings O so far as it is….

we’ve also had SD’s number lately, pulling a huge upset in SD a few years ago that sparked that streak of wins we got in 06 w/ Saban… granted its a totally different team.

We have to get penetration from the DL, whether it be stuffing Tomlinson behind the line, or pressuring Rivers up the middle, that will key our whole defense. When LT can get through to the second level untouched and moving downhill, he’s a threat to go all the way just about every time. If we can hit him in the backfield, or at least force him to make somebody miss in the backfield, we’ll be in pretty good shape. And getting pressure inside will force Rivers to move, which definitely isn’t his strong suit. It would force him to leave the pocket, where Joey Porter can run him down and load up on sacks.

Offensively, we need to obviously run the ball effectively, but I think we need to attack off tackle and get bodies on their OLB’s. Make Phillips play the run on every play so he can’t tee off on CP, and we should be able to buy enough time for guys to run free. I think we should have Wilford in the game for his physical presence and to beat up on their corners, who are about as athletic as they come. I agree completely with Yatil above in that TE’s have been killing SD all year, and our gameplan should incorporate that. Sending guys like Ginn and Bess up the sidelines and Fasano down the middle will present alot of problems for their secondary.

Special Teams could be a huge factor, so I think now is the time to put Ginn deep on kickoffs and see if he can counter Sproles with a big play of his own. I’d love to see Carpenter kick a couple towards the pylon to try and pin him to one side, and Fields just need to keep the ball high and towards the sideline.
GO DOLPHINS!!!

that, RIGHT NOW, there is no dominting team in the AFC nor the NFC, so there is no SB favorit and the wildcard is up for the taken, and it looks like we are in the mix. YEAH BABE!!!
Just enjoy that we have a legitime break to be in the wildcard hunt!!

on Rzayos “Show Me Sunday Baby” post regarding some of this.
  It wouldn’t matter who was coming to town this weekend. Miami must get a home win. For them, for the fans, for the whole rebuilding process. I’m sure if they win, there will be no talk of playoffs or wildcards or any of that. Simply put, it’ll be on too the next game. And thats the way this team has to take it. One week at a time.
 Nicky pretty much described the x’s and o’s of how we need to win, and because I agree won’t go into that. Showing what they are capable of at home and getting the win are paramount for this “new” Miami Dolphins.
I’d love to see Ronnie get a few more touchdowns Sunday, and look at the frenzied crowd after one, raise his arms with that “Are you not entertained?” stance and give the home crowd something to go crazy about.

Mentioning the “P” word is a lightning rod for criticism and derision. Now, if it was an average poster writing that, I would just assume that he was making a rookie mistake. But coming from YOU, I know that you realized the implications prior to posting it.

SO, I’ll back you up. :) While you did not say the Fins were possibly, potentially, in an alternate universe sort of “maybe”, going to the (insert P word), you certainly implied that it could happen if the Fins beat the Bolts at home this week and come away with a 2-2 record.

I agree. Most good teams that get to the (insert P word), improve as the season progresses. Rarely do we see a team make it that starts out hot and then falls apart. If the Fins beat the Bolts, aside from improving their record, they are: 1) showing improved team play over last week; because the Bolts look like a better team than the Pats, and will have had time to prep for any use of “Wildcat”, and 2) building momentum from a morale, chemistry, cohesion standpoint. Teams with momentum can be hard to stop (a little Newtonian humor there).

So, in order to beat the Chargers, we will need to see continued growth on the O-line, and improved pass D. The pass D concerns me. I know a lot of people are looking at the win over the Pats and thinking that our pass D looks much improved, but let’s face facts: It is “Advantage D” to be playing from 20 points up, and NEs pass offense is suffering from the loss of Brady. This week will be a real test, more along the lines of Arizona. If the Fins shut down the run, San Diego will go to the air. It will be interesting to see how they handle it.

Whichever Fins team shows up for this game will probably be the real one. Will it be the one that crumbled in the face of an aerial attack, or the one that swatted a division arch-enemy like a pesky gnat? I look for this game as a very good gauge of exactly where the Fins are in the process of gelling as a team.

IMO

As long as we are putting up points and holding the Bolts to FGs (or less, preferably) there is no reason we can’t win this. Last week showed that our O-LINE and D-LINE are no joke. We were constantly in the backfield of a NE o-line that allowed only 5 sacks i believe during the regular season last year, and our O-Line dominated one of the best NTs in the game today, last week.

C’mon stop being a bunch of negative nancy’s (you know who i’m referring to) and have faith in your team!

I won’t say that beating the Chargers equates to being a playoff hopeful but I agree that a win against them following a win over New England gets Miami some serious respect – and who knows how that helps improve confidence. This is a better opponent than New England, and my hope is that Miami can keep it close enough to win at the end. I think Miami has the mustard to stay competitive week in and week out.
Best case scenario is that Miami wins enough games this year to at least be within a stone’s throw of the playoffs late in the season (and outside of the Titans, what AFC team hasn’t shown some sort of exploitable weakness thus far? None, and even the Titans have a depressed franchise QB on the bench. Miami can stay alive in the AFC this year if they stay lucky, healthy and play above their reputation) and maybe even gets a flex game on Sunday night football this season.

Ahh screw it, we beat the turd outta New England…my year’s made no matter what happens (but we better win a few more games just to be safe)

were gonna win in the end.

bring it