The Phinsider: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
New Blog: The Nova Blog for Villanova Fans!

Dolphins vs Patriots: Miami's Keys to Victory

I'll take some more of this, please.

I'll take some more of this, please.

Huge. There's no way around it. That's what Sunday's game between the Dolphins and the Patriots up in Foxborough is. It's huge - for the Dolphins, at least.

A win up in New England would pull the Dolphins within one game of the division lead and give the Dolphins a 4-0 record within the division - which would mean a win over Buffalo later on in the year would give the Dolphins the tie-breaker over the Patriots regardless of how their second meeting plays out in Miami. So let's be real about this game - it's a season-defining game, though at this point I think every game for the Dolphins is critical. But that's what putting yourself in a 2-4 hole does - it magnifies every game from here on out.

So what do the Dolphins have to do to leave Foxborough with a win for the second consecutive time? A lot, of course. But these three factors are among the most important.

Pressure, Pressure, Pressure
This is probably the most obvious key for the Dolphins - and yet it's also the most important. We know how dominant New England's passing attack can be. In my opinion, there is no better duo at the wide receiver position than Randy Moss and Wes Welker. They each have their own strengths and roles and they compliment each other absolutely perfectly.

It's no coincidence that the Patriots have the second best passing offense in the NFL and have been sacked the third fewest times all season. It's also no coincidence that in two of their last three losses with Tom Brady under center, it's been outstanding, relentless pass rushes that have slowed New England's dynamic offense - scoring just 23 combined points in those two games. The two games I'm referring to, of course, are the Super Bowl against the Giants back in February of 2008 and the Pats' week two loss to the Jets back in September. In each of those games, Tom Brady was under constant duress. The Giants got to Brady for five sacks. The Jets didn't actually record any sacks. But if you watched that game, you'd know that the various blitz packages the Jets were sending did enough to force Brady to have to throw the football well before he wanted to.

In those two games, Brady connected on just 55% of his throws and averaged just 5.07 yards per attempt. That's the blueprint the Dolphins will look to follow on Sunday.

To accomplish this, the Dolphins will obviously need big performances out of Jason Taylor and Joey Porter. But it goes beyond just those two. Randy Starks has been outstandthing this year and another big performance out of him would be terrific. Cameron Wake has been quiet since his big week against Buffalo, but I think we might see a little bit more of him on Sunday. I also expect t o see more of those safety blitzes we saw last week with Gibril  Wilson and Yeremiah Bell.

The Pats will likely be without starting left tackle Matt Light, which means the Dolphins should have even more opportunities to get to Brady. They can't let those opportunities go to waste.

Star-divide

Pound the rock, but keep Pats honest
We all know the blueprint for what the Dolphins must do on offense against the Patriots. They have got to establish the ground game with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams against a rush defense that is average at best. The Patriots are allowing 4.5 yards per carry on the ground this season, with is in the bottom third of the league. But teams have been forced to abandon the run against New England because they fall behind early. The Dolphins have got to prevent that from happening by getting the ground attack going early.

Of course, the Patriots know this. Bill Belichick can probably tell us all the exact number of times the Dolphins have ran the football out of every formation - 'Wildcat' included. And with him having had two weeks to prepare for this game thanks to New England's bye week, I'm sure we'll see some looks out of this Patriot defense that nobody has seen all year. But keep in mind that they traded away Richard Seymour prior to the season and Jarvis Green is out with a knee injury, meaning Mike Wright - a player with minimal starting experience - will be starting at the defensive end spot opposite Ty Warren, who is nursing an ankle injury himself.

With that said, though, it's important that the Dolphins do their best to prevent the Patriots from loading up on the run like the Saints and Jets have done the past two weeks. There were times on Sunday when the Jets actually had nine men in the box. That's because teams don't respect Miami's group of receivers nor do they think Dan Henning will call plays for Chad Henne to throw some deep balls.

This week I hope to see Henning give Henne a chance to make some plays down the field, which would help keep New England's defense honest and prevent their two athletic safeties from inching closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. The Patriots aren't exactly loaded in  the secondary, either. So there will be plays to be made if Henning just gives Henne a shot. I know we all want to remain committed to the run. But I just don't think Belichick is going to let the Dolphins have a chance to get Ronnie and Ricky rolling. He's going to go all out to stop those two - as he should. It'll be up to Miami's offense to give Belichick a reason to stop loading up against the run.

Make a game-changing non-offensive play
Last week, the Dolphins beat the Jets thanks to three game-changing plays that were made in the other two phases of the game - not on offense. Ted Ginn's two kickoff returns for touchdowns and Jason Taylor's fumble return for a touchdown spotted the Dolphins 21 non-offensive points. This week, the Dolphins need another big play in New England.

There's no way around the fact that Miami's offense isn't nearly as potent as the Patriots are on offense. That's why the Dolphins really do need some kind of huge game-changing play in one of the two other phases of the game. The Patriots are 19th in the league in kickoff coverage, allowing 23.5 yards per return. Prior to last week, the Jets were allowing only 20.5 yards per kickoff return - one of the lowest totals in the entire league - before Ted Ginn and the Dolphins' return unit sliced the Jets up for 299 kickoff return yards on just 6 returns, including Teddy's two touchdowns. So there's no reason why the Dolphins can't get a big play or two to, if nothing else, swing the field position battle and build some momentum.

Defensively, the Dolphins will see a ton of passes fly through the air as Tom Brady is expected to throw the ball early and often against Miami's secondary. To date, Brady has thrown just 4 interceptions so making that big game-changing defensive play obviously will not be easy. But he also isn't afraid to put the ball up for grabs - especially in the direction of Randy Moss. And for the first time in a while, the Dolphins have at least two capable corners who can make a big play. Sean Smith and Vontae Davis both have excellent ball skills. Now I'm not saying I expect some kind of big play - but I wouldn't be surprised, either.

0 recs  |  Comment 88 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

I think you missed mentioning that Henne's performance will be

a huge factor in this game. There is no way around it, we are not going to win again without a quarterback, like we did against the Jets and Buffalo. He needs to step up. A 3rd bad game in a row will really put some pressure on him.

by MauMontaV5 on Nov 6, 2009 1:15 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

He needs to play well

I would say that in all likeliness, Henne needs to complete about 60% of his passes, not turn the ball over and limit the Pats to no more than 2 sacks. Those sacks also can’t be the 15 yard variety.

by Vanman_FishFan13 on Nov 6, 2009 11:45 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I don't think he's had a bad game yet.

The NO game was a fault of the receivers, not Henne. And The Jets game performance was actually decent… it’s not his fault that we only had one possession during the entire 3rd quarter. When you score 3 times on defense and special teams, you are going to inevitably see lower numbers in the offense category. It’s not like our offense was orchestrating sustained drives for those scores… their defense got to rest THE ENTIRE 3rd quarter. What do you expect his numbers to look like?

Driver of the Make David Lee OC Bandwagon
Repentant Former Driver of the Trade-Ronnie-Brown Bandwagon.

by joel311 on Nov 6, 2009 3:13 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

"I don't think he's had a bad game yet"

hahahahaahaha. He had a 45 qb rating against NO – not to mention the interceptions- and a 50% completion percentage against the Jets last week, yes. 10 out of 20 passes. Plus taking a couple of 15+ yards sacks. In those games, without the defense and special teams we were going nowhere. He has to step it up. Child please

by MauMontaV5 on Nov 6, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

For a new starter...

I think Henne has done OK. He had a great game against the jets the first time but he’s been average in some other starts.

There’s nothing I’ve seen to show that he’s not capable of doing well. Plus, as much as I’d love for it to be otherwise, he’s not throwing to a legitimate top 10 pick receiver like, say, Michael Crabtree and is instead left with Ted Ginn – the receiver, not returner…

by Natalya on Nov 6, 2009 5:16 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I never understood it

until I got it: Miami’s Keys.

Clever!

Staring down Mark Sanchez. Just look into the those brown beauties.

by DolfinPhan on Nov 6, 2009 1:19 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

haha

you’re the first person to figure it out

by Matty I on Nov 6, 2009 1:48 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

We managed to shut down the best offense in the league for a half before we blew so that gives us hope in shutting down the Pats offense.

Think about it, they have a great WR tandem but the Saints had more weapons than the Pats. Taylor, who is there best back is injured along with Morris, and so is Watson the TE. So our main problem will be Moss and Welker

Jets have from what i saw have a better Defense than the Pats and we ran up and down their throats the first time and yes they stacked the box the second time but i dont think they have the talent in their front seven like the Jets did and kris Jenkins is better than Wilfork so up the middle shouldn’t be as bad

Point is, I agree with Pressure and covering the WRs and our pass Defense NEEDS to make plays and step up this game, as well as the offense

The game rest in R&R, the O-line, and the Pass defense in my opinion

Do our recievers exist? Ginn crawls out the hole, Bess is stumbling but hope is not lost.
Gibril i like you and imma let you finish the season but, Ed Reed is the best safety of all time, of all time!!

by dolfan0918 on Nov 6, 2009 1:42 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

When i meantion Taylor i mean RB Fred Taylor
just to clear things up. :)
what do you think Matty about my assesment?

Do our recievers exist? Ginn crawls out the hole, Bess is stumbling but hope is not lost.
Gibril i like you and imma let you finish the season but, Ed Reed is the best safety of all time, of all time!!

by dolfan0918 on Nov 6, 2009 1:43 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

That was great dolfan918

I know i’m not Matty,but it was good anyways i think with the NE preparing for two week is going to be a challange,we had 2 weeks for NO but that didn;t mean anything bc they won so it depends on how well we play on Defense if u ask me.

by Tuna4Prez on Nov 6, 2009 1:47 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Not a problem lol any feedback is welcomed
Defense wins or loses the game for us and yeah the extra week of prep could pose a problem but our counter should be Nickle Defense the entire game
and just to really send a message, 46 defense on some second downs lol
That’ll get some heads spinning!!! its so stupidly insane it HAS to work

Do our recievers exist? Ginn crawls out the hole, Bess is stumbling but hope is not lost.
Gibril i like you and imma let you finish the season but, Ed Reed is the best safety of all time, of all time!!

by dolfan0918 on Nov 6, 2009 2:02 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

disagree that Jenkins is better than Wilfork.

"check that...the 29th of Feb. this year.....why is that the record day for hits? Did Matty have the Kim Kardashian sex tape or something?"
-Treat
"yes he did. and Jersquall recut it to look like Marino was boning her."
-Treasure

by chrislucas on Nov 6, 2009 10:27 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

You know

maybe it is just me but it always seems like teams backup running backs are always the ones that kill us…the Leon Washington’s, Mike Bell’s, Reggie Bush’, etc etc. Does it seem that way to anyone else here?

Official Leader of the "Bring Back Zach Thomas!!" Foundation
On Matty's "Draft Sean Smith Squad" since he declared
Smacking Beck lovers for opening their mouths, since 09'

by Dragon27az on Nov 6, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Leon Washington is the same dynamic with Thomas Jones that Ricky and Ronnie share

Same with Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas. And Reggie Bush has one big play. Bush is sorta like Ginn, one brilliant play, and plenty of people forget about all of his past horrors.

Head Weatherman/ Injury Specialist of the Phinsider.

Bender: Who wants dolphin? Leela: Dolphin? But dolphins are intelligent. Bender: Not this one. He blew all his money on instant lottery tickets.

by Farorefox on Nov 6, 2009 1:51 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

case and point

it is always the back up getting that key 3rd down or catch. Maybe it just seems that way, but even last week (with the exception of his fumble) it felt like Green was killing us more than Jones. I dunno, maybe my perception is off.

Official Leader of the "Bring Back Zach Thomas!!" Foundation
On Matty's "Draft Sean Smith Squad" since he declared
Smacking Beck lovers for opening their mouths, since 09'

by Dragon27az on Nov 6, 2009 2:04 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

My point is, Bell and Leon aren't backups, they are tandems

Head Weatherman/ Injury Specialist of the Phinsider.

Bender: Who wants dolphin? Leela: Dolphin? But dolphins are intelligent. Bender: Not this one. He blew all his money on instant lottery tickets.

by Farorefox on Nov 6, 2009 2:13 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

true, but

if they arent on the starting roster, they are technically a back-up. I see your point, but they are still back-ups by classification.

Official Leader of the "Bring Back Zach Thomas!!" Foundation
On Matty's "Draft Sean Smith Squad" since he declared
Smacking Beck lovers for opening their mouths, since 09'

by Dragon27az on Nov 6, 2009 3:06 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Go ahead,

call Ricky a backup.

Driver of the Make David Lee OC Bandwagon
Repentant Former Driver of the Trade-Ronnie-Brown Bandwagon.

by joel311 on Nov 6, 2009 3:23 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

pothead

oh, you said backup

"check that...the 29th of Feb. this year.....why is that the record day for hits? Did Matty have the Kim Kardashian sex tape or something?"
-Treat
"yes he did. and Jersquall recut it to look like Marino was boning her."
-Treasure

by chrislucas on Nov 6, 2009 4:33 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

BenJarvus Green-Ellis is someone you don't want to underestimate.

He’s a good back.

Abandoned the Draft Sean Smith at #25 Bandwagon to Join the Draft Sean Smith at #61 Bandwagon and get Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons. Trio > me.

by DolphDallas on Nov 6, 2009 2:00 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

That was a mouthful....

Can you imagine having to learn to spell that for Kindergarden?

by Vanman_FishFan13 on Nov 6, 2009 2:32 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Fred Taylor may be their best traditional rushing back,

but Kevin Faulk is the most clutch 3rd down back in the league. Receivers out of the backfield are more of a threat to our defense than a traditional running back.

Driver of the Make David Lee OC Bandwagon
Repentant Former Driver of the Trade-Ronnie-Brown Bandwagon.

by joel311 on Nov 6, 2009 3:15 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I think P Cobbs

is well on his way to being our Kevin Faulk, or at least he was until that acl.

by phillyfinfan on Nov 6, 2009 4:10 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, but Taylor's out with an injury for this game

Head Weatherman/ Injury Specialist of the Phinsider.

Bender: Who wants dolphin? Leela: Dolphin? But dolphins are intelligent. Bender: Not this one. He blew all his money on instant lottery tickets.

by Farorefox on Nov 6, 2009 4:44 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Is Pouha better than Wilfork?

Because he crushed our run game when it went up the middle…

Driver of the Make David Lee OC Bandwagon
Repentant Former Driver of the Trade-Ronnie-Brown Bandwagon.

by joel311 on Nov 6, 2009 3:17 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I think our OC crushed our run game...

by refusing to pass or play action

Abandoned the Draft Sean Smith at #25 Bandwagon to Join the Draft Sean Smith at #61 Bandwagon and get Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons. Trio > me.

by DolphDallas on Nov 6, 2009 3:21 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Hopefully peezy and JT can

get Tom Brady to force some throws when he doesn’t want to..
like Matty said we just need 2 have constant pressure on brady.
but i think its the defense’s game 2 lose ..
GO DOLPHINSS.!

by Mr.Weedman559 on Nov 6, 2009 2:19 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

I think I'd have to go with Boldin and Fitzgerald as the best WR duo right now.

As for the keys to victory, I think you summed it up pretty well. One note I’d like to add about our passing attack. It’s not that Henning isn’t dialing up deep routes for Henne to throw. He’s just dialing em up at the wrong times. You don’t run deep routes when you’ve got an overload blitz coming at you. I’m sure part of it is due to Henne’s inexperience and lack of knowing when to audible out of a play. I’d also probably put some of the blame on Pennington as well, for teaching the art of the quick dump off. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very useful at times, but not every time.

by luvs2drnk on Nov 6, 2009 2:53 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

I was going to post that same comment

I think that they are better than Moss and Welker. Welker is the best slot guy in the game, no doubt. But I think Fitzgerald is a better WR than Moss is with everything except pure speed. Fitz goes up and gets the ball as good if not better than Moss. Boldin is a beast and if he wasn’t fighting injuries his numbers would reflect just how good he is. I think the best way to gauge this comparison is to ask if they they switched teams, who would have the better numbers. I think that if you put Boldin and Fitz in the Pats system, their numbers go up while Moss and Welker’s numbers go down.

by Vanman_FishFan13 on Nov 6, 2009 11:49 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I agree but

welker and Moss are a more dangerous combo to face, simply because they have a better qb and system—which is not to diss Kurt Warner or anything, but Brady, as much as I despise him, really is one of the best ever. So while Welker and Moss’s numbers would definitely drop if they went somewhere else more than Fitz and Boldin’s, would, I would still rather face Arizona’s passing offense than New England’s.

by phillyfinfan on Nov 6, 2009 4:15 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Fitz & Warner

were something special in last year’s playoff run but have been very ordinary this season. Their deep passing game is almost dead in the water and Warner’s metrics in that category are among the worst in the league. Boldin has been injured and that’s played a factor too.

Right now, I’d say Brady/Moss/Welker > Warner/Fitz/Breaston/Boldin

by Natalya on Nov 6, 2009 5:21 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Definitely.

WR’s can’t be good alone, and Brady+the pats system make the Welker/Moss combo more dangerous than Fitz and Boldin.

by phillyfinfan on Nov 7, 2009 1:33 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Deep passing isn't everything.

The Cards still have the 8th ranked passing offense, and the 3rd ranked scoring by passing. They also have 4 players with 35 or more receptions.

by luvs2drnk on Nov 10, 2009 4:08 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

have cam wake blitz him off the edge all day

have joey porter on the other side and let taylor freelance, they prob wont run that much anyway

Can't wait untill Sean Smith puts Randy Moss on his ass lol, Co-Vice President of the official Matty I fan club.

by jojo phin fan on Nov 6, 2009 3:16 AM EST via mobile reply actions   0 recs

Taylor over Porter

any day of the week.

Driver of the Make David Lee OC Bandwagon
Repentant Former Driver of the Trade-Ronnie-Brown Bandwagon.

by joel311 on Nov 6, 2009 3:25 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

3 and outs

We were horrendous on both sides of the ball last week, we have to improve on both sides of the ball to stand a chance. Fields punting last week really saved us on the field positioning.

CP10 and P.Cobbs get well soon
Miami Dolphins 2008 AFC East Divison Champions
"I likem me some UDFAs"

by Phintastic on Nov 6, 2009 7:50 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

I didn't realize Matt Light is out

That line isn’t what it used to be and losing Light is as big a hit as it can take. The loss of Jarvis Green on the other side isn’t as significant as Light but the loss of depth on the D-line might be what really hurts them. They have the weapons on O to pull it off or at least stay in games. On D they’re young as a unit, lack depth and experience in some spots where young talent resides. It might be just enough for us to pull it off.

by special agent wildcat on Nov 6, 2009 9:02 AM EST via mobile reply actions   0 recs

Pressure

I think you said it best when you mentioned we need tons of pressure. It’s the only way to stop that offense, because if you give brady time to sit back and pick apart this defense we wont be able to stop them no matter who our defensive backs are. I also feel that it hasn’t been Henne’s fault the he hasn’t produced. First henning hasn’t given him the opportunity to air it out and secondly the receiving has been sub par to say the least, think of how many more yards he would’ve had if we didnt have all those drops in the saints game and take away atleast one INT…As long as we have pressue on tom and are able to hold them to short drives we can get some decent field position and give ronnie and ricky room to run which will allow henne to air it out given our receivers decide to show up and catch the ball let alone get separation. The key of this game will be our pressure on brady and our O-line.

by tonyy on Nov 6, 2009 10:09 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

i'm banking on JT getting to Brady a couple times early so he hears footsteps all game

and maybe forces or rushes some throws, which will give our secondary the edge we need against Moss/Welker.

I hope to see better play out of our safeties on Sunday. It’s been painful to see the middle so exposed

"check that...the 29th of Feb. this year.....why is that the record day for hits? Did Matty have the Kim Kardashian sex tape or something?"
-Treat
"yes he did. and Jersquall recut it to look like Marino was boning her."
-Treasure

by chrislucas on Nov 6, 2009 10:29 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Saints fan here...

Just wanted to stop by and wish your team good luck with the game this Sunday. A win here would really set you guys up for a great rest of the season. Again, good luck to you, see ya Sunday!

by ArithMattic on Nov 6, 2009 11:02 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

I must say

Saints fans are quite classy….unlike most other teams we manage to play. Honestly, the Saints beat us and they have had more nice things to say than the team we beat twice already.

Official Leader of the "Bring Back Zach Thomas!!" Foundation
On Matty's "Draft Sean Smith Squad" since he declared
Smacking Beck lovers for opening their mouths, since 09'

by Dragon27az on Nov 6, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I don't understand a thing Jets fans say.

Saints fans are a class act.

Fanaticism is not logical

by SunDolphin on Nov 6, 2009 2:28 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah

They seem to be that way……makes you almost like the saints.

by Vanman_FishFan13 on Nov 6, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

thank you sir

Current Phinsider Feud Points: 23

Sparano: Joey Porter, What is best in life?

Porter: To crush The Jets, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of Mark Sanchez

by Patssuck456 on Nov 6, 2009 2:52 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

thanx

i said it then and i ll say it again the saints fans are a classy bunch , you guys are welcome here anytime

by finslifer on Nov 6, 2009 5:25 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

saints fan

i actually like the saints as a NFC team… always have high hopes for them. Brees is awesome!!! i cannot believe we passed him up 2 times.. i just hope you beat NE as well when you play them. Shut them damn pats fans up just like the jets fans should.
even though we beat the jets twice they are still calling the wildcat a gimmick??

by heartherevenge on Nov 7, 2009 5:08 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I'm going to be at the game!

Can’t wait to go! I’ve never been to a Dolphins game seeing that all the bandwagons New England fans drove up the prices since there Super Bowl reign. Give em hell boys!

by REV84 on Nov 6, 2009 11:15 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

After an 0-3 start...

our playoff hopes seem to hang in the balance virtually every week.

This week is no different and might even be the biggest test. Why? Because it is very unlikely that the AFC East will produce a wildcard team. So chances are, only the division champ is getting the the playoffs.

Here’s an interesting tidbit. Among AFC teams, we ended up having the 3rd hardest schedule in weeks 1-8 (3rd hardest based on how our opponents are doing this year, not last year). Now looking ahead to weeks 9-17, among AFC teams we have the 3rd easiest schedule (again, based on opponent’s current schedule).

By every right, we should have beaten the two best, and undefeated, teams in the league: the Saints & Colts.

NE is not at the level of those two teams so we are due for a big win here against the pats.

I think everyone here knows the formula to beat the pats: getting to Brady which disrupts their passing game, controlling the football with heavy doses of Ronnie & Ricky, and playing smart, turnover free football.

The pats had two virtual scrimmages against the Titans & Bucs, they aren’t nearly as good as they looked in thsoe games, so I think we have an excellent chance of going up to foxboro and getting a big W.

by Natalya on Nov 6, 2009 11:26 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

"After an 0-3 start... our playoff hopes seem to hang in the balance virtually every week."

Ain’t it great?!! I mean, I remember all those years of starting out 4-0, maybe going 6-1 up to the bye week, and then all of a sudden collapsing in the 2nd half. Last season was one of the most satisfying of the last decade or so, even though we got blown out in the playoffs. It’s no fun starting out 0-3, but my expectations have still be set for a young rebuilding team and every win is an incredible high! And the fact that we are even still talking about being in a position to win the division? Incredible! Sweeping the loud-mouthed Jets? Priceless!! And going into Foxboro last season and watching all the fans file out of the stadium early in the 4th quarter last season? What can I say about that except you better not ever underestimate this team!!!

=)

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on Nov 6, 2009 12:23 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, one of these years we will put together a whole season....

Just like maybe one of these games we will play a complete game!!

by Vanman_FishFan13 on Nov 6, 2009 2:35 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

it will be great to see our team go 14-2

it’ll happen soon i believe

Laces out!

-2008 AFC East Champions-
Suck it Pats, Bills and most of all... the god damn jets.

Sean Smith/Vontae Davis= Pat Surtain/Sam Madison

by BSerious72 on Nov 6, 2009 3:10 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Let's go 9-0 THIS YEAR!

Why not start now?

Abandoned the Draft Sean Smith at #25 Bandwagon to Join the Draft Sean Smith at #61 Bandwagon and get Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons. Trio > me.

by DolphDallas on Nov 6, 2009 3:19 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

No kidding Left...

The joke around the NFL was that the dolphins were the by far the best team in September and always floundered in December.

Nice to see the Dallas Cowboys have taken that mantle over and are the yearly December trainwreck….

Considering we had one of the hardest schedules around, I think we’ve done an excellent job – despite some bad coaching, blowing 2 games, and some meltdowns on both sides of the ball – of staying in contention.

I think we can play with anyone in the league – we showed that against the colts/saints. Now, starting this weekend, we can show that we can beat anyone in the league.

by Natalya on Nov 6, 2009 3:47 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

looking at the schedule

in like week 2 or so I realized that getting to the halfway point at 3-5 would still leave the doors open for the playoffs. so even if we lose I think it’s possible to catch the pats, but only if we then hold serve against them at home, which is a big if. But a split with NE, a sweep of the bills to match our sweep of the jets, and winning the games we’re “supposed” to win should get us there.

by phillyfinfan on Nov 6, 2009 4:21 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Possible yes, but 3-5 will be very tough for us to overcome

With Cincy/Pittsburgh @ 5-2, Ravens @ 4-3 – you have to figure 2 out of 3 of these will get in leaving just 1 wildcard slot – or maybe all 3 get in shutting the other divisions out of the wildcard.

Houston is 5-3, SD is 4-3, jets are 4-4.

Let’s just win this week, get to 4-4 and improve our chances immensely :-)

by Natalya on Nov 6, 2009 5:25 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

nuff said

i really feel cincy is going to the playoffs.. i said that in the offseason. i just dont know whos going to fill the last wc spot :(

by heartherevenge on Nov 7, 2009 5:13 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Sunday

Get after the QB but don’t dare hit him late. In fact, don’t touch him at all. Just stand there and face guard him.

Other than that, pound the rock, but Henne has to show up and make some big plays. We’re gonna be in some bad third down situations I’m sure and Chad needs to help, but more importantly, our recievers need to bring their sticky gloves. They need to watch Home Alone Saturday night so they can get a feel for the whole sticky fingers idea.

Then just get after the pigs. Hit harder than they hit, block longer than they block, run faster than they run, throw the ball harder, scream louder, sweat more, and hurt someone.

No 15 yard roughing the passer penalties.

Fanaticism is not logical

by SunDolphin on Nov 6, 2009 11:36 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

destroy brady

but your right, we cant give them extra oppurtunities bc theyll murder us

Laces out!

-2008 AFC East Champions-
Suck it Pats, Bills and most of all... the god damn jets.

Sean Smith/Vontae Davis= Pat Surtain/Sam Madison

by BSerious72 on Nov 6, 2009 3:11 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

roughing the brady you mean

i bet any money we get 2 of those called on us.

by heartherevenge on Nov 7, 2009 5:13 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Open the game...

with a deep pass to Ginn. Even if it is incomplete, it will keep the safeties out of the box from play one!!

by tdecker on Nov 6, 2009 12:46 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

If the Patriots win the coin toss...

Do we onside kick?
Disadvantages:
If unsuccessful, Patriots get a short field, score easily. Crowd goes wild. Fins down 0-7 and under pressure, offense forced out of run-first mentality into mistakes, game goes down the drain.
Advantages:
 If unsuccessful, Pats just score on a 30 yard bomb instead of an 80 yard bomb. (as you can see I have little faith in our defense) We get the ball back, do some trickeration on the kickoff and Ginn runs another back. Or we just drive the length of the field and burn TOP and score. Score 7-7. We try an onside kick a-Ginn????
If successful, and we use some innovative offense to drive down methodically and score, we go up 7-0 in their house, quiet the crowd, put pressure on their offense to match the score, gain one possession more than them (in a shootout, that is big), and send the message that we are daring to risk it all to TAKE THIS GAME AWAY from them.

Abandoned the Draft Sean Smith at #25 Bandwagon to Join the Draft Sean Smith at #61 Bandwagon and get Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons. Trio > me.

by DolphDallas on Nov 6, 2009 1:58 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Let the defense try

We held the Saints to 3 points in the first half offensively because the DC called a brilliant game….then he went to the 2 deep prevent zone and the saints killed us. Give it a shot to stop the Pat with a normal game plan before we start resorting to onsides kicks every time.

by Vanman_FishFan13 on Nov 6, 2009 2:38 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

i hate prevent

just play the game straight up and pound them on both sides of the ball give brady nightmares, with a lot of of the jason , joey express, with a little bit of wake for desert!!!

by finslifer on Nov 6, 2009 5:41 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Dolph u have some crazy crazy ideas

u def are “out there” but alot of your ideas actually make alot of sense lol
alot get me very comfused lol

Laces out!

-2008 AFC East Champions-
Suck it Pats, Bills and most of all... the god damn jets.

Sean Smith/Vontae Davis= Pat Surtain/Sam Madison

by BSerious72 on Nov 6, 2009 3:12 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Thanks...

for the privilege of confusing you.

Abandoned the Draft Sean Smith at #25 Bandwagon to Join the Draft Sean Smith at #61 Bandwagon and get Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons. Trio > me.

by DolphDallas on Nov 6, 2009 3:17 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

the pats cant win the toss we would lose it..

since they are at home we call it in the air.. so we would either win or lose it.:)

by heartherevenge on Nov 7, 2009 5:31 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Free Agent Wr's

Hey Matty,

I was wondering what your thoughts are on Parcells going after a big named WR in free agency or even a LB. Clearly we spent a lot of money last free agency on guys like Grove and Wilson, and althought Grove is doing better than expected, wilson hasn’t panned out and im curious to see if we release him assuming he doesn’t have a monster second half? I’ve posted before that I think Marshall, Braylon, and V. Jackson (i think) are free agents…which of those three would you guys prefer to get if we could get one?

by tonyy on Nov 6, 2009 2:33 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

All three of those will probably be re-signed, and franchised.

Head Weatherman/ Injury Specialist of the Phinsider.

Bender: Who wants dolphin? Leela: Dolphin? But dolphins are intelligent. Bender: Not this one. He blew all his money on instant lottery tickets.

by Farorefox on Nov 6, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

that could very well be the case

Current Phinsider Feud Points: 23

Sparano: Joey Porter, What is best in life?

Porter: To crush The Jets, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of Mark Sanchez

by Patssuck456 on Nov 6, 2009 2:53 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I don't like Marshall or Braylon

I think that they are the wrong kind of guys to bring into our locker room. Out of that option, I would pick V. Jackson because he is a pure deepthreat! Something that would losen up the safeties and force them to play us honestly or get beat deep.

by Vanman_FishFan13 on Nov 6, 2009 2:39 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Braylon Edwards is behaving himself thus far.

Wouldn’t that be a trip? Jets sell the farm in players and picks to get Edwards and we sign him away from them.
He gets to trash them via Henne twice a year…HYPOTHETICALLY good times.

Abandoned the Draft Sean Smith at #25 Bandwagon to Join the Draft Sean Smith at #61 Bandwagon and get Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons. Trio > me.

by DolphDallas on Nov 6, 2009 3:06 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

We did go after a free agent (non-big name) WR and gave him a hunk of change

Ernest Wilford
look how that turned out.
Any promising sleeper WRs out of Monmouth available in the draft? :)

Abandoned the Draft Sean Smith at #25 Bandwagon to Join the Draft Sean Smith at #61 Bandwagon and get Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons. Trio > me.

by DolphDallas on Nov 6, 2009 3:04 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

i dont worry about those thungs until after the season

not to mention with the current CBA issue and a possible non-capped year upcoming, it’s hard to predict who will even be available this offseason.

by Matty I on Nov 6, 2009 3:06 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I predict 5 things this game (optimism)

1. Atleast 5 sacks this game agaisnt Brady (2.5 for JT)
2. 2 INT one by either Smith or Jones
3. R&R run wild
4. Front seven forces Brady to throw every down
5. Our WRs stun us with big plays :)

One can hope, right? :)

Do our recievers exist? Ginn crawls out the hole, Bess is stumbling but hope is not lost.
Gibril i like you and imma let you finish the season but, Ed Reed is the best safety of all time, of all time!!

by dolfan0918 on Nov 6, 2009 3:41 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

I feel ya

execution is the key, along with a little consistancy. big incentive for our defense to pound brady, and get some turnovers. Henne also need s to have a banner game to shush the critics , and spread the ball around to our capable(but erratic) receivers, to keep their weakened defense off balance. the last thing we need to do is be typical, we need to come at them with the house every down, and pound ricky and ronnie thru them all game.variations on the wildcat are endless , lets pull some out our collective hats and keep them confused. love the flea flicker out of that formation , or the double reverse pitch back to henne or ronnie for a long pass. not sure how effective white would be in there they have’nt used him much and when they have its mostly a wasted down,I would love to see him break out with a run, hes fast as lightning, and a tricky runner, and like you said one can hope!!! go phins

by finslifer on Nov 6, 2009 5:53 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Can anyone explain to me why Pats are favored by 10.5

even with all there injuries? Personally, I was more worried about the Saints game than this one and they were favored by 6. I know spreads don’t account for crap on the field, but it just bothers me that once again the Phins are being completely underestimated.

by JayGatorPhin on Nov 6, 2009 6:35 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Media Bias.

Get used to it, my friend.

Head Weatherman/ Injury Specialist of the Phinsider.

Bender: Who wants dolphin? Leela: Dolphin? But dolphins are intelligent. Bender: Not this one. He blew all his money on instant lottery tickets.

by Farorefox on Nov 6, 2009 6:43 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I think..

It’s because Crowder and Ferguson is doubtful…Miami not used to playing in the cold and playing at Foxborough is tough in November. Also the Pats have looked great the last two games…( I know subpar teams but still) Being a Jets fan, I was confused who I should root for in this game but I decided i’m rooting for Miami cause if your gonna beat us then you might as well beat the patsies. Also a win, would make this a 3 man race( sorry bills) with only a game seperating us all. You have tiebreaker on us, we have tiebreaker on pats…because it doesn’t look like an AFC east team will get a wildcard spot.

by Jerrad p on Nov 6, 2009 10:26 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

We might have caught Gillette at the right time though.

It’s not slated to be very cold, and it’s projected to be sunny. It seems like it’s been an eternity since we played at Miami the second game. Inclement weather won’t be an issue. Brady seems to excel, the worse the conditions.

Head Weatherman/ Injury Specialist of the Phinsider.

Bender: Who wants dolphin? Leela: Dolphin? But dolphins are intelligent. Bender: Not this one. He blew all his money on instant lottery tickets.

by Farorefox on Nov 6, 2009 10:42 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Jets fan??

youre honestly a jets fan?? you seem too nice to be a jets fan. you must not be from NY/NJ

by heartherevenge on Nov 7, 2009 5:19 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

He has his annoying moments.

Head Weatherman/ Injury Specialist of the Phinsider.

Bender: Who wants dolphin? Leela: Dolphin? But dolphins are intelligent. Bender: Not this one. He blew all his money on instant lottery tickets.

by Farorefox on Nov 7, 2009 5:52 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

It's Easy when the Pats ran up the Score on the Titans 59-0.

Those numbers are inflated,now if you compare,the 35-7 game NE and TAM there’s a point diff.of 24,now minus 7 points for TAM, that leaves the avg. at 21 points for NE.

Miami has 4 games of 30+ points.IMO this game should come down to 1 TD.

you heard it hear first from Tuna4prez.Me I think the Bookies have Pats as Favorites,but the upset should go in miami’s favor.Its like the NYG They had that blow game in their 4th week and after that the NYG messed up the spread for alot of bookies bottom line, Miami will win.

by Tuna4Prez on Nov 7, 2009 1:30 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to SB Nation's community dedicated to the only franchise in NFL history to have an undefeated team: the Miami Dolphins!
Start posting about the Dolphins »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

Connect_with_facebook

Comcast NFL RedZone Moments from SB Nation

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Godfather_avatar_small
NFL Draft Strategies: Part 1
Phins_game_small
Reasons not to draft a NT at #12
Kpmg_small
Mt. Cody, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love Earl Thomas
Small
Thoughts on the Draft
Peezy_small
Why CJ Spiller is the Solution

Recent FanPosts

2009_football_009_small
Trying to understand prospecting Incognito.
23_small
My Mock Draft (DPL is back)
Small
Could some answers to our holes already be here?
Knight2_small
Jets Stadium Opening: What would you sign?
Seansmith03-194x300_small
Possible Draft Scenarios (March Madness Style)
Picture_051_small
Best Draft Assuming.....
Chupathingy_small
A Mock Draft for Fun
Cigar_small
Richie Incognito 500lbs Bench Press !!!
Mike1_small
At some point, this gets a little frustrating...
Phinarty_small
Tournament Challenge - Phinsider Style

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

SPONSORS

SBNation.com Recent Stories

Photo link

Lions Bringing In LT Okung, DT McCoy In For Visits

Photo link

Giants Win Coin Toss, Will Open New York Stadium

Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell (17) is sacked by Atlanta Falcons' Kroy Biermann during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) link

The Falcoholic Interviews Falcons DE Kroy Biermann

More from SBNation.com >

Latest NFL Headlines from SB Nation

Hogs Haven
Draftix Season Ticket Sharing (Sponsored Post)
Mocking The Draft
Intersite Mock Draft: MTD represented at pick #26
Mocking The Draft
Lions looking into top players Okung, McCoy

Managers

Phinsider_s_small Matty I