I saw Calvin at a bar last night and I asked him what he thought would happen tomorrow night when the Dolphins and Jets battle on Monday Night Football.  Above was his response.

Anyways, this is your open thread for all of Sunday's action.  Feel free to discuss whatever you'd like.

I'll be paying special attention to the Broncos/Patriots game at 4:15 ET today.  If the Broncos can pull off the win and the Dolphins can take care of their own business tomorrow night, Miami would be just one game behind both the Jets and Pats heading into their bye.  Not bad after a disappointing 0-3 start.  Needless to say, tomorrow's game is a big one for our Fins!

Enjoy your football Sunday, everybody!  And be sure to come back later tonight/tomorrow morning for my "keys to victory" post.

It's that time again.  It's time to once again go around the internet and see who the "experts" are picking on Monday night.

I'm a little surprised that so many people like the Dolphins' chances on Monday night.  I always get a little uneasy when the Dolphins - as an underdog - are a popular pick.

I won't post my prediction yet for this game because I'm yet to even post my "keys to victory" post - which will go up on Monday morning.  So I'll hold off until then before making my pick.  On the year, I am 2-2 picking the Dolphins games, having been correct in each of their last two.

I need a lot of work, though, with my "weekly locks."  I've gone 1-2 in each week now and need a solid 3-0 week to get back to .500.  My locks are below.

My Week 5 Locks
Colts -3.5 over Titans - When I said in my season prediction post that I didn't think the Titans would be as good in 2009, I had no idea they would struggle like this.  Vince Young time yet?
Panthers - 2.5 over Redskins - Washington is the worst 2-2 team I can recall.  The Panthers face a must-win situation if they want to get back into the hunt.
Patriots -3.5 over Broncos - If Denver can win  this game, I might just become a believer.  But for now, I'm still not buying it.

Last Week: 1-2
Season: 3-6

More photos » by Bill Feig - AP

Hopefully, what Mark is pointing to here is what will be hurting him after Joey Porter, Jason Taylor, and Cameron Wake get done with him.

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In preparation for Monday night's game between the Dolphins and Jets, John B, of Gang Green Nation, and I have exchanged some questions to get to know each others team better.  You can head over to GGN on Friday to see my responses to his questions about the Dolphins.  John's responses to my Jet questions are below.

You're now four games into the "Mark Sanchez era" in New York. What have you seen from Sanchez that you like and what concerns you most about him?

I’ll give you two for both. The first thing I like is that he’s adjusted well to pro defenses. You see a lot of rookie quarterbacks in over their head, totally baffled by the different looks they see for the first time. Not so with Sanchez. He’s made his share of mistakes, but they haven’t been as a result of the defense confusing him. I’ll give credit to the schooling he got at USC. College teams running pro type offenses are a novelty in these days. They taught him well.

The second thing I like is how he’s bounced back from adversity. There have been times in every game where he made a mistake. He could have started doubting himself. After an interception against the Texans, he led a touchdown drive to ice it, hitting a big third down pass. He had an awful first half against the Pats and led the team to victory in the second. There were some midgame struggles against the Titans, but he finished strong. Even in an ugly performance against the Saints, he responded to two consecutive killer turnovers by leading a scoring drive before the half to at least get the Jets back in the game.

Two bad things. First are the turnovers. He’s given it up way too much, and there have been occasions where defenders have helped him out by dropping interceptions, or he was lucky his guy was closest on a fumble. These are rookie mistakes like staring down receivers. He also leaves the ball exposed to pass rushers. Coaching and experience will help correct these things, but they can spell doom for a team trying to win now.

He also is way too wreckless leading with his head, whether it’s diving with the ball, taking on a defender, or trying to make a tackle after a turnover. You don’t want your $50 million quarterback doing stuff like that.

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More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

This can't happen on Monday night. Improved pass protection is a must.

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While it definitely feels good to finally get that first win of 2009 - and to do so by dominating a division rival - it's time to get back to business.  On Monday night, the hated New York Jets come down to Miami to face the Dolphins in what should be a physical and emotionally charged football game.  So let's talk about three critical matchups for this game.

(And do remember, if you're going to the game on Monday, to wear your orange - at the request of the Dolphins, who hope to have an "orangeout" at Land Shark Stadium.)

Dolphins offensive line vs Jets pass rush
Truth be told, this will probably be the most critical of all the matchups on Monday night.  It's no secret that the Jets love to blitz and blitz and blitz - bringing seven or eight guys at one time every once in a while.  And while the Jets only have four sacks on the season, their pass rush has been simply ridiculous through these four games.  That's because even when they don't get to the quarterback in time, the pass rush still did it's job.

Through four games, the Jets have 21 "official" quarterback hits - which is a lot.  And what happens is these opposing quarterbacks must get rid of the ball before they want to.  So while the Jets only have four sacks, their 21 quarterback hits and the QB rating of their opposing quartebacks (56.4) is proof that the rush is doing what it's suppose to do - make the QB uncomfortable and ineffective.  The Jets are allowing just 5 yards per pass attempt (2nd in the NFL) and allowing a league low 51% completion percentage.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, have had trouble protecting their quarterback this season.  This unit has allowed 13 sacks through 4 games (3rd most in the league) - including surrendering 6 sacks to a Buffalo Bills' pass rush that is average at best.  Sure - some of those sacks were due to the inexperienced Chad Henne holding the ball too long.  But even still, that figure is way too high.

A big concern I have is that it seemed like the Dolphins had some communication issues in picking up the blitz last week.  And the Jets, as I said, love to blitz and will blitz in some way on probably 70% of their defensive plays (and that's a conservative estimate).  They also get their best pass-rusher, Calvin Pace, back after he served a four game suspension to start the year - making the Jets pass rush even more dangerous.

One thing to watch on Monday is how the Dolphins adjust to the Jets when they use their over-load blitz packages - where they blitz up to four or five players on one side of the offensive line.  If Miami's communication up front doesn't get drastically better in a hurry, Chad Henne could be in for a long night.

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More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

Pay this man!!

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The NFL season, as great as it is, can be very frustrating in that we wait all offseason long for it to begin and then the season just zips on by in what seems like just the blink of an eye.  Believe it or not, the Dolphins are already at the quarter pole of their season.  Needless to say, you won't find a Dolphin fan anywhere who is satisfied with where the Dolphins stand right now.  But there are a lot of football games left to be played - don't give up hope just yet.

Anyways, today we take a look back at the first quarter of the Dolphins season.

Offensive MVP: Ronnie Brown
This one is pretty easy.  Ronnie has been a tremendous force running the ball and operating the 'Wildcat' for the Dolphins through these first four games.  His 136 yard, 2 touchdown effort back in week two on Monday night against the Colts should have been enough to win that football game.  His 115 yard, 2 touchdown effort last week against Buffalo did lead the Dolphins to a nice easy win.  And for the season, Brown is third in the entire NFL in rushing yards (369) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (4).  And his 5.1 yard-per-carry average ranks second among all backs who have at least 50 carries.  At this pace, Brown is on his way to a 1,400 yard season.  Now let's pay the man and keep him in Miami!

Defensive MVP: Kendall Langford
This one was very tough.  The two players who lead the team in tackles have been victimized a lot in the passing game and have missed a lot of tackles (Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson).  Cameron Wake and Jason Taylor lead the team in sacks.  But Wake has only been a factor in one game and Taylor has been quiet for at least half of the 16 quarters of football played by the Dolphins.  But what has been outstanding is Miami's ability to stop the run - ranking second in the entire NFL.  And Kendall Langford is a big reason why.  Using a complicated method, Pro Football Focus ranks Langford as the 4th best 3-4 defensive end in the league thus far.  He also leads all Dolphins' linemen in tackles and has a sack to go with his effective play against the run.  Being completely honest, I believe the Dolphins uncovered a true gem when they spent a 3rd round pick in '08 on this kid - he just might be a special player.

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This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel.  Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations?  Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

It's no secret that one of the issues the Dolphins had in their first three games was there production and efficiency once they got inside their opponents' 20 yard line.  Entering Sunday's game, the Dolphins were only coming away with touchdowns on 50% of their red zone trips - while also turning the ball over on 25% of those trips.

But the Dolphins did an excellent job on Sunday against the Bills at getting into the endzone, converting 4 of their 5 red zone trips into touchdowns.

Their first red zone trip on Sunday probably got many fans worried.  The Dolphins ran the ball twice, got sacked once, and settled for just a field goal.  It looked as if it was going to be the same old story.  But they quickly righted the ship, so to speak.  And a big part of it was thanks to some good play-calling.

On their second red zone trip, for example, the Dolphins faced a 3rd & goal from the one yard line.  In my opinion, I think the coaches already decided in their heads that they were going to go for it on 4th down, which allowed the Dolphins to take a chance and put the ball in the air.  The pass was incomplete, but the Dolphins pounded it in with Ronnie Brown on the next play.

I also really loved the call on 1st & goal from Buffalo's 5 yard line on their next red zone trip - putting Brian Hartline in motion from left to right and then letting Chad Henne fling it out right towards the front pilon.  It was a great play design, and an excellent throw and catch by Henne and Hartline.

Thanks to their performance against the Bills, the Dolphins are now converting 62% of their red zone trips into touchdowns - a very respectable figure.  But the going will get a lot tougher next week when the Jets come to town.  But hey - have no fear - the power of the orange jerseys will win out!

It's now been over 24 hours since the Dolphins dominated the Bills en route to their first win if 2009.  There's been a lot written and said since then and I wanted to just highlight some of it.  But first, incase you haven't heard, the Dolphins will bust out their orange jerseys on Monday night against the Jets.  And yes, the Dolphins are undefeated (2-0) when wearing those gloriously ugly uniforms.

Now onto some talking points:

Don't go "Henne crazy" just yet
In his latest "Hyde Five" post, the Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde is quick to point out that we shouldn't "overdo Henne."  Writes Hyde:

In his first start in 2007, on a cold November day at Philadelphia, John Beck completed nine of 22 passes for 109 yards. No touchdowns. No interceptions. No sacks. His running back was Jesse Chatman. His line was questionable. His leading receiver was rookie Ted Ginn Jr. (four catches, 52 yards, long of 22)

Considering Chad Henne had an extra year to get ready and a far superior supporting cast, his first start was similar to Beck’s: 14 of 22 for 115 yards, a touchdown and six sacks (two fumbles).

No one can get carried away with what he did in the 38-10 rout of a mystifyingly inept Buffalo team. You didn’t see anything new from this offense under Henne. Nor did you see any play that gave a glimpse of what he can be.

Hyde's feelings basically mirror mine on the situation.  He goes on to write that Henne did "manage a good game" and "did everything he was asked."  But let's be honest for a second - Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and Miami's defense won Sunday's game - not Chad Henne.

But please don't take this the wrong way.  I'm not bashing Henne.  In fact, I'm complimenting him.  The gameplan heading into Sunday's game was clear.  The Dolphins were not going to ask Chad Henne to win them that game.  But Henne could have lost them the game.  Any young, inexperienced quarterback can lose you a game (just ask the Jets).  To his credit, Henne never made the costly mistake.  But now we have to see how he progresses and when the coaches begin to take the training wheels off of their young quarterback.

On a side note, like Hyde points out above, we can't forget that Chad Henne fumbled the ball twice on Sunday.  If that was Trent Green, Cleo Lemon, John Beck, or Chad Pennington back there fumbling twice, many fans would be on his case.  But I don't hear anyone killing Henne for his fumbles.  But a 28 point win over a division rival tends to do that.  Let's just hope he protects the football better in the future.

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More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

The "Chad Henne era" begins with a drubbing of the Bills - not too shabby!

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For the first time in a while, Miami Dolphin fans got to savor the taste of a blowout win - as the Dolphins trampled the Bills 38-10.  Even last year during their improbable run to a division title, the Dolphins only had one real blowout victory - a week three win up in New England.  Most of their other games came down to the wire - making Dolphin fans everywhere sweat out close win after close win.  But on Sunday, the Dolphins took an early lead and never looked back.  And while this win doesn't completely cleanse our palettes of three consecutive losses to begin the year - it's a start.

Onto some of Sunday's highlights:

Running game dominates
While some fans declared during the game in our live thread that the Dolphins are the best running team in the NFL now, I'm not exactly ready to go that far.  With that said, however, it's not easy to argue that idea.

The Dolphins were starting their young, inexperienced quarterback and it's no secret that the Bills main defensive goal was to stop Miami from running the football.  Buffalo's defensive focal point was stopping Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.  Everybody was aware of that heading into the game.  And all Brown and Williams did was combine for 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns, averaging 5.55 yards per carry.  All told, the Dolphins ran for a whopping 250 yards.  Not bad.

Ronnie again showed patience as a runner, good vision, and excellent burst on his way to a 115 yard, 2 touchdown day.  That gives Brown 369 yards on the season, which is impressive considering he's only getting 18 carries per game thus far.  The reason for that?  Ricky Williams has been outstanding as Ronnie's compliment out of the backfield.  His 85 yards rushing on Sunday gives him 248 yards rushing on the season, putting him on pace for 992 yards in 2009.  I know I've been highly critical of how Brown and Williams are used, openly stating that I think Ronnie needs a bigger share of the work.  But right now, they just need to keep doing what they are doing.

Could the Dolphins be on their way to a dual 1,000 yard backfield?

They could be - though it's still a long way off.  But it's certainly possible thanks to how Miami's offensive line is performing.  They seem to get better each week as they get more work together and continue to gel.  Sunday's performance by those big guys up front was outstanding - they physically dominated Buffalo's defensive line.

Next week, though, will be a very good test for this offensive line.  The Jets have a very good defense that will obviously focus on stopping Ronnie and Ricky.  If the Dolphins can run the ball effectively next Monday night, then I'll buy into the idea that the Dolphins are the best running team in the league.

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More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

about 1 month ago: Miami Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis, foreground, celebrates after scoring a touchdown following a 23-yard interception against the Buffalo Bills during an NFL football game in Miami, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Finally - the Dolphins get their first "W."  The ground game was dominant and Chad Henne did not make mistakes.  But the defense was the story today, sacking Trent Edwards six times and intercepting him three times.

We'll have much more later in my typical post-game recap post tonight/tomorrow morning.

Enjoy the win and the rest of your Sunday, everyone!

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

about 1 month ago: Singer Marc Anthony, left, and his wife singer Jennifer Lopez arrive at Land Shark Stadium during an NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills in Miami, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)

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First interception of the year for the Dolphins.  Congrats to Vontae Davis on his first career pick and touchdown!!

Cameron Wake has 2 sacks - always nice to see.

Let's see more Ronnie in 2nd half!

Halftime, Dolphins lead 17-3.

Use this thread now for all live game discussion.

GO DOLPHINS!!!