Keys to a successful season for Dolphins

and if we somehow pull victories out from these two first games, i see us defeating the patriots when we meet. Those two games are the measuring stick in my opinion. I am really excited for this season an truly TRULY believe we can win this division. Just TOO Much lack of respect for the defending champs. (Patriots losing Seymour is a blow)

I think that one of the reasons the Pats were so dominant in 07’ was the fact that the Dolpins were so weak that those 2 “lay-down” games made it easy for them. It was almost like they had a 14 game season that year, so they cruised. I know that this Dolphins team can match up with anyone so its going to be game by game and injuries as always will be key. If we make it to the playoffs playing at the necessary high-level such as what Pittsburg did last year, similar results will be possible.

If they give pennington time and they open up some holes for our backs i think we can be as good as anyone

Our front 7 is solid, if our secondary can make some plays for us this year we will really be tough to beat.

The way people are talking about Miami’s schedule you would think they are the only ones with a tough schedule. No one even mentions that the Patriots schedule is the same as ours aside from 2 games. We really get no respect…. We have always matched up good against New England despite what they all say, as long as we have had Jason Taylor. Tom Brady tends to have a bad game after we plant his butt on the ground a few times. JT has always been good for a few sacks against the Brady. He once said in an interview that he would retire when he couldn’t outrun Brady… then quickly added that wasn’t any time soon…. Add to that Porter and Wake … I think we might surprise all those analysts… Beyond that … I can’t wait to see Sean Smith go up against Randy Moss. True Randy Moss is going to be Randy Moss, but now Brady has to worry about putting the ball in just the right place. If he doesn’t we have a cornerback with the hands to make an amazing play on the ball. Add to that the rush coming from JT and J-Peezy …. should be interesting

especially about the division

last week that they were talking about Brady being back. One of the “experts” said something along the lines of “I don’t think that we will see Brady throw for 50 tds this season, but somewhere in the 40s is definitely within reason.” Are you for real? I know this guy is good, but to average 2.5 – 3 throwing touchdowns every game?

It annoys me how much the media is all over brady’s sack.

With the rest of the positions seemingly shaping up quite nicely, if Langford progresses this season like I think he just might, our defense could be elite. They nasty.

Excellently put in regards to New England’s schedule. I just read on ESPN that the Patriots reportedly fart, burp and shit like the rest of us, too.

As soon as the run’s established the safeties cheat forward and Penne can use Ginn (& co) as he should be used. We gotta wear down Atlanta’s D line. Then toss a few of last year’s wildcat plays to spread the score.

The buck starts here. We’ll (wait a minute, I’LL see!) in Atlanta Last night on desperation/impulse/excitement, I snagged tix to the game down in GA!

I’m an optimist, and I’ve been all over people ripping the Phins for an easy schedule last year (it’s one of the perks when you go 1-15, I guess), but it IS true the schedule is much, much stronger this year.

Chargers/Steelers or Ravens/Broncos? Considering it wouldn’t be a shock to see the first pair in the AFC Championship game this year, and the second pair looks equal or worse to last year’s performance, I’d say that’s a significant swing. Although I certainly think that we can play with both teams, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Phins go 0-2 against those 2, and the Pats go 2-0. If so, that’s 2 (or really 3) games we’d have to make up against the Pats to win the division again (in the common games). Possible, but it would be tough.

In my mind, we have to go at least 4-2 within the division to have a shot at the wild card, and probably 5-1 or better to have a serious shot at the division.

are key to our having a successful season. All areas really have to shine to get to the big dance. I think the LB play is really important, whether it be the inside guys stopping the run and keeping the runningbacks and TE contained on the short passes or the outside LBs pushing the running plays inside and putting pressure on QBs. Porter and Taylor have to have great years. I’m sticking with my 13-3 prediction.

little to now significant injuries.

Maybe it goes without saying, but last year was amazingly clean, with the biggest injury being probably the one to Smiley late in the season.

Thomas was a loss, and so was Cammy, but we worked around them. Can you imagine if we had lost Will Allen last year? or Ferguson for the season? or Long? or Porter?

What I’m saying is that I would probably put injuries at the top of my list of things that could torpedo the season in a hurry. While we have MUCH better depth at most positions, we would still be in trouble if Long, or almost any O-line, gets hurt. And even though we have quality depth at RB, losing Ronnie would be a huge blow to the run game and the WC.

I completely agree with your points on the running the ball, and pressuring the QB. I got into this discussion last season about our rushing yardage, and was surprised to see that some people didn’t see the difference between WC rushing yds, and non-WC rushing yds. IMO, the difference is HUGE. While I can’t stand Prisco and his know-it-all, condescending attitude about running the WC, he is correct in the position that the Fins started running it because of deficiencies in other areas. He cites QB as the problem, but I believe the real reason the Fins turned to the WC was the lack of an inside running game. If we can effectively put man-on-man in the trenches and win the battle with our O-line, it will open up the passing game and make the WC more effective when we use it. But it all starts with with our linemen, and is measured in out non-WC rushing stats.

I also agree about the QB pressures, but i am a little concerned about the interior pressure. You can downplay the loss of Holliday all you want, but even though he was old, he was consistent and effective. Now Fergi is the only veteran presence in there, and we better pray he doesn’t get hurt, because while Soliai is progressing, he is still not consistent. If we can consistently get push with our front three, it will go a long way towards allowing out outside pass rush, and our blitz schemes to limit guys like Brady.

Matty, i have to be honest about the last point. i had to read it three times to make sure I was not missing something. While my point about injuries might go without saying, the point about winning one more game than the Pats is kind of a “duh!”. =)
I mean, at the end of it, matching them outside the division, and splitting with them in the division, just gets you a tiebreaker scenario. We have to match them and go 1 better somewhere. Which is just a fancy way of saying that we must end up with a better record, or throw our fate to the football gods and hope that the tiebreaker falls our way.

Nice article! Can’t wait for the first game to finally get here!

The Secondary must cover well and the WRs must get open.

Outstanding job Matty! Especially in discussing why Fins schedule won’t be much harder than New England’s. In fact, I’d rather the Fins play the Steelers than the Ravens, anyway (Joey Porter is one reason Miami lost by only 3-0 in 2007), particularly the last week when Pitt should have its division won and will likely rest some starters (plus, the Steelers probably will not be as good as last year). I’d say that Ray Lewis can’t wait to get his hands (or Ngata’s) on Brady! Terrel Suggs on Moss…you get the idea.

Pundits are so ga-ga over what Bellichick has accomplished that they forget even he makes mistakes sometimes—getting rid of Seymour (if that really comes about) is a big mistake and I don’t buy that “rich get richer” nonsense about getting Oakland’s #1 pick in 2011. Folks don’t realize that much of that “dynasty” team earlier in the decade was built BEFORE BB got there! (Compare to Shula’s early 70s Fins: the comparison is very valid). Pioli deserves more credit for the drafting, anyway. And did anyone notice that not only did Brady get injured in the pre-season, so did Welker. Welker, not Moss so much, is the key to Brady’s passing game (and who runs the football? Green-Ellis? Who? Maroney is overrated and Kevil Faulk is not who he used to be).

So it’s not so much whether the Fins have improved (they have) but whether all this talk about “Brady is back” is all hat, no cattle. Anyone who think the Pats will revert to their 2007 form is in deep denial! That “dynasty” is finished, period.

Another thing. Matt Roth, IMHO, has to come back. Can JT carry through vs run and pass for 16 games? either that, or Moses or Walden or someone (Wake, not likely) has to pick up the slack.

just plain nuts.

Yes, it’s hard. It could potentially be a very difficult schedule that the Dolphins face in 2009. But outside of two games, all of the teams in the AFC East face the same opponents. For example, while the Dolphins face the Steelers and Chargers, the Patriots take on the Ravens and Broncos. No – not as difficult; but certainly not that much easier, either.

i might give you that the ravens could be in the steelers/SD class except for the loss of a certain LB & FS….. but i you seriously saying that denver is even a remote playoff contender? heck if they didn’t have KC & Oakland on the schedule i’m pretty sure the under would be 5 or less on them.

and the porblems with the fins schedule isn’t just the teams they play but they terribly unfair stretch of playing 6 out of 8 weeks on the road…. and historically teams on the back end of back to back road games have a much lower win percentage then league average….

as a whole, the schedule LOOKS hard. but winning week by week, team by team, its just one game at a time. When we’re playig the Falcons, we dont even think about the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers. When they are up next on te schedule, we prepare.
Other than that, each game is just a good, hard football game. And every game is going to be like that, our team will only get much better. People tend for forget we were playoff team last year,which means we did something right. Playoff teams arent flukes. Therefore, with the teams we play… we will get stronger and better.

Fins will be 3-4 going into 7-0 New England