The Dolphins are now a quarter of the way through their season - meaning it's time to do a review.  We looked at the offense yesterday, so now it's time to turn our attention to the defense - a unit that is ranked 7th in the NFL in total defense.  What a difference a year makes!

DEFENSIVE LINE
This unit has probably been the most changed - and most improved - from last season.  I think you need to credit the front office for this.  They saw what we all saw - a terrible run-stopping team in 2007 - and made the necessary changes.  And now this unit is, without question, one of the greatest strengths on the team.  They use a terrific rotation - thanks to the depth at the position - to keep their guys fresh.  In fact, it's rare if a single defensive lineman ever plays over 40 snaps in a game.

The addition of guys like Jason Ferguson and Randy Starks along with the drafting of rookies Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford have made this defense line one of the best in the entire NFL.  In '07, the Dolphins surrendered 153 yards per game on the ground - by far the worst in the league - and 4.5 yards per carry.  But '08 has been different, allowing just 82.8 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry on the ground.

And if you go one step further, Football Outsiders - using their complex formula - ranks Miami's defensive line 9th in the league in "adjusted line yards" - the key stat in their rankings.  This unit also ranks 5th in the league in "stuffed percentage" - at 30%.  What that means, essentially, is that on 30% of opposing runs, the opposition runs for either 0 yards or negative yards on 1st down as well as one-fourth or less of the yards needed for a 1st down on second through fourth downs.  Perhaps a confusing, but nonetheless critical statistic.

Grade: A-

Continue reading this post »

Alright.  So the Dolphins surprised many people and put forth a performance that made all Dolphin fans proud.  Now, some of these key contributors in Sunday's win over the Patriots need our help.

Four Dolphins have been nominated for weekly awards.  But they need our votes.  So use the links below to show your appreciation for what this team did on Sunday and cast your vote!

Motorola Coach of the Week:  Tony Sparano

Fed-Ex Ground Player of the Week:  Ronnie Brown

GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Week:  Joey Porter

Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week:  Phillip Merling

So go vote, vote, vote!!!

Dolphins 38 - Patriots 13

I don't think it would be possible for me to type that score too much over the next 2 weeks.

And on September 23, what do the Dolphins have in common with the Colts, Chargers, and Jaguars (all teams who were "expected" to be among the top teams in the NFL)?  They all have the same record.  Who would have thought?

Now let's talk a little bit more about Sunday's big win up in Foxborough.

AN IMPRESSIVE DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE
We talked a lot yesterday about the performance put forth by this offense and, in particular, Ronnie Brown.  But I think that one thing that was overshadowed a bit was the terrific performance by this Dolphins defense.

And sure, they weren't the "Tom Brady Patriots."  But even still, the Dolphins found ways to contain Randy Moss and avoid giving up the big play.  And I think a lot of that has to do with the return of Renaldo Hill to Miami's starting lineup.

Hill was really the "QB of the secondary."  He's the guy who makes sure everybody is in the right spot and he's the guy who will make the coverage audibles at the line of scrimmage, if necessary.  So it's probably not a coincidence that the secondary looked much more cohesive out there on Sunday than they previously had looked.  And Tony Sparano agreed, stating that "the communication was a lot cleaner out there."

Interestingly enough, the Dolphins actually won the coin toss on Sunday and elected to defer until the 2nd half.  They wanted the defense so get onto the field and set the tone.  Says Yeremiah Bell about that decision:

"We wanted the defense out there first, to get some confidence and start the game on the right note. The first two games, we gave up plays we shouldn't give up. If they were going to beat us, we were going to make them beat us."

A bit of a risk?  Sure.  But it paid off, as the Patriots went three and out on their first possession.

But I don't think enough was made of how the Dolphins stepped up on New England's second possession.  The Dolphins, too, went three and out on their first possession.  The Pats them marched down the field, only having to convert one 3rd down to get inside Miami's 10 yard line.

But that's when this defense stood its ground.  Joey Porter picked up his first sack of the game.  That was followed by Phillip Merling's first sack of his career (though it was a little bit of a "gift" from the referee who blew the play dead).  And then the most overlooked play of the game occured when Randy Starks intercepted Matt Cassel on a pass he probably should have never thrown.

It was that interception which prevented the Dolphins from falling behind early and gave Miami the momentum.  On the ensuing drive, the "Wildcat" would makes its debut, Ronnie would go in for the TD, and the rest would be history.  A huge turn of events thanks to a defense that made plays inside their own 10 yard line.

And, quickly, I can't forget to mention the solid run defense by the Fins, holding Patriot running backs to just 55 yards on 16 carries (3.4 ypc).

So let's hear it for the defense - which is now in the middle 3rd of the league in total defense and 11th in the league in rush defense.  Oh, and how's this for improvement?  Last season, the Dolphins were ranked 29th in yards-per-carry allowed.  This season?  Miami is ranked 5th in the league, allowing just 3.3 yards-per-carry.

Not too shabby.

Alright.  We're almost there.  Kick-off is just around the corner now. 

So now I put on my "homer" hat.  Let me preface this post by putting out this disclaimer: the idea of this post is for me to act like a bias Dolphins fan.  Below are some reasons I would tell a Jets' fan as to why the Dolphins are going to win this game.  Think of it as a debate in a local sports bar with an opposing fan.  He'd be giving us reasons why the Jets will win.  And I, of course, would be telling them the following:

The Dolphins will stop the run
One of the things that just amazes me is when I watch TV or read articles online about what fantasy football players to start and I see Thomas Jones listed as a "must play" guy.  Why?  They point out that the Dolphins' defense was dead last in the NFL against the rush in 2007.  So my question to them is if they have even paid any attention to Miami during camp or the preseason.  If they have, then they'd know things have begun to change.

First off, in two games against the Dolphins last year, Jones ran for 185 yards on 49 carries.  That's a 3.78 yards-per-carry average.  Considering the Dolphins were as bad against the run as they were last year, a 3.7 ypc average is as unimpressive as it gets.

Secondly, it's clear that the Dolphins' run defense is much improved in 2008.  The acquisitions of Jason Ferguson and Akin Ayodele along with the drafting of Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford have clearly made this defense much better.  Need proof?  Consider that the Dolphins held Deuce McAllister, Larry Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Fred Taylor to a combined 85 yards rushing on 33 carries (2.58 ypc) during the preseason.  Sure, it's preseason, but even still, that's damn impressive. 

So if Thomas Jones could only pick up 3.7 yards per carry against the '07 defense, how will he find any room on the ground against the '08 version?  He won't.  And Brett Favre will be foreced to make plays through the air - hopefully leading to some turnovers.

Miami has a "game-planning" edge
Allow me to explain what I mean here by a "game-planning" edge.  First of all, the Dolphins now have Chad Pennington and will be able to pick his brain about what the Jets are doing on both sides of the ball.  Pennington obviously knows what the Jets want to do defensively and that should help him - especially in reading the defense at the line of scrimmage.  He also surely can tell Paul Pasqualoni and company some of what the Jets plan on doing offensively, though I'm sure a little has changed since they acquired that drama queen at quarterback.

On the flip side, the Jets don't have much film to gameplan off of.  This is a first time head coach running the show.  And while the Jets coaching staff could look at what Dan Henning has run in the past at Carolina and what Pasqualoni and Todd Bowles did defensively in Dallas, that's only going to provide a basic look at their offensive and defensive philosophies respectively.  But the Jets will not have any real idea on how this staff will use the personnel in Miami.  And Tony Sparano and company know this and will surely look for ways to take advantage of this.

Desperation
This next thing some people might disagree with, but I firmly believe that I've never spoken truer words: the Miami Dolphins are the most desperate week one team ever.  Think about it.  There isn't a team in the league that needs a win as badly as the Dolphins do to start the season.

Remember, this team is coming off of a historically bad season last year in which - without a little luck - they would have lost every single game.  While half of the players who make up the team in 2008 weren't part of last year's disaster, this is still a franchise and a fan base that needs to win.  They need to put last year behind them and a victory in week one is how you do that. 

Otherwise, if the Dolphins lose this game, you can't help but begin to think back to last season.  Then the Dolphins travel to Arizona in week 2.  Sure, they don't look all that great on paper, but they have a terrific offense and anytime you fly across the country to play on the road, it's difficult.  Following that game, the Dolphins have to face New England for the first time in '08.  So a loss in week one could potentially spark an 0-3 start heading into that bye week.  And should that happen, you can't help but begin to have thoughts of "1-15" creep back into your minds.  And these players are human, too, and (despite the coaching change and the change in culture) it'll be hard for the players who were here last season to not begin to think about what a nightmare last season was and wonder if it could happen again.

Desperation is an amazing motivator.  It will motivate the fans to be loud.  It will motivate the players to find a way to win.  And that they will.  Some how, some way, the Dolphins will win this game.

There's some disturbing news coming out of Dolphins camp.  Apparently, Joey Porter's recent back issues are severe enough that he could possibly miss the season - or even end his career.

On Monday, the Dolphins spent some practice time doing work for that opening game against the New York Jets. Porter was absent from practice. Again.

He was visiting a doctor -- again -- trying to get a fix on a mysterious back ailment that has him, and the team, fearing he's going to miss portions of this season, including the opener.

This is very bad news for Porter and the Dolphins.  There's no question Joey wants to be out there and wants to contribute - and earn his hefty contract.  But back issues are major problems for athletes.

So what have the Dolphins done while Porter is missing practice?  Charlie Anderson has been working at weak-side linebacker, with Phillip Merling getting some work as his backup and potential replacement sometime down the road.  But then you have to question if Merling is athletic enough to play standing up.  He's a big guy, after all, and seems to lack that elite burst that the good pass-rushing outside linebackers need.  Says Merling about the situation:

"I'm getting a reasonable amount [of work] with ends and linebackers. They said I might be going out there a little bit as a backup to learn the position. It's going pretty good. I'm learning from Joey and the coaches.''

So what do you think?  How big of a loss would it be for Porter to miss games - or even the entire season?  Can the Dolphins generate enough of a pass rush without him?

Hat tip to "Rzayo24" for posting about this in his FanPost.

As promised, let's talk some more about Saturday's shutout win over the Chiefs.

FRONT 7 SHAPING UP NICELY
What a game this Dolphins' front 7 played on Saturday.  Really, the entire defense played with emotion and a fire we haven't seen from them in a long time (or so it seems).  But the front 7 simply dominated Kansas City's offensive all game long.

Channing Crowder seems to be the leader of this defense right now.  He's seemingly all over the field, flying around, and making plays (something he hasn't done much of in the past).  And I really like the idea of blitzing Crowder.  We didn't see much of that in the past, but Paul Pasqualoni seems to like the idea of sending Crowder after the quarterback in the right situation.  And it payed off on Saturday, with Crowder basically crawling to get to Brodie Croyle and force that fumble that Matt Roth recovered.

Speaking of Matt Roth, I'll admit it: I was wrong.  Roth, in just a short amount of time, has really began to play well at outside linebacker.  I always thought he'd be solid against the run, but I was worried about his ability to pressure the QB off the edge.  Not any more.  He consistently got a a good push and hurried the QB when he was asked to.  It'll be interesting to see who starts at the OLB positions in week one.  Joey Porte will be one of the OLBs.  But the other could be Roth, meaning Porter would play the weak side, or Charlie Anderson, likely meaning Porte would move to the strong side.

Above, I spoke a little bit about how I like Crowder being used as a blitzer.  All in all, I like how Pasqualoni is not afraid to blitz, especially in clear passing situations.  This is a much more aggressive defense being run now in Miami and it's fun to watch.

I was also very impressed with the play of Phillip Merling.  Sure, he's a solid run stopper (as shown during that goalline stand).  But he also does a great job of moving the man blocking him back at the point of attack when rushing the passer.  That ability coupled with his height and long arms could mean we might see some balls batted down by Merling.

Speaking of that goalline stand, Akin Ayodele also made two key stops there.  I really like his ability to stop the run, but I worry about him in coverage, though we'll likely see Reggie Torbor out there in place of Akin in certain situations.  Torbor is a far better linebacker in coverage, or so it seems at this point.

And lastly, it would be wrong of me to not mention the solid play of Jason Ferguson.  Ferguson is really the key player in Miami's 3-4 defense, as any nose tackle should be.  He takes up space and blockers very well.  But he also makes plays at times, too.  He's not simply there to free up the linebackers.  He was in on 5 tackles, 3 of which were solo, which was tied for the team lead.  He's also a vocal leader on the field as well, and his value can't be under-stated.  What a great pickup by Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland.

QB TALK
For the 2nd consecutive game, Chad Pennington played very well.  His numbers aren't spectacular, but he moved the ball down the field and made plays when he had to.  And I continue to be impressed by his pocket presence and awareness, as well as his mobility.  Sure, he isn't very fleet of foot.  But he can move around the pocket to keep a play alive - as he did on that 3rd down completion to Ted Ginn - and can even scramble for 10 to 12 yards when the opening is there.  He also isn't afraid to stand in and take a shot in order to deliver a pass, like on the TD pass to Anthony Fasano.  And those who don't think he can throw the deep ball are wrong.  Did you see him launch it 40 yards down the field on an incomplete pass to Derek Hagain?  Sure, that's probably about his limit and the pass was a bit of a rainbow, but if a player like Ginn gets open down the field, he'll get him the ball.

Oh, and Pennington was robbed of perhaps his best pass of the night; the one right after the fumble recovery by Roth.  He sold the play-action and then threw a perfect pass to Justin Peelle, but the refs (both before and after the review) claim Peelle didn't have full control of the ball as he landed out of bounds.  And it's true that he didn't, as the ball popped out.  But he had 3 freakin' feet in before going out - with possession of the ball - so doesn't that count for something?  Either way, it was an absolute perfect pass.

Chad Henne, on the other hand, looked like a rookie.  But he was due for one of these kinds of days, so let's not go crazy.  The only thing I will wonder about, being a John Beck fan, is why fans won't get on Henne even though his numbers don't even compare to Beck's during last preseason.  Henne hasn't even led a TD drive yet, something everyone killed Beck for last year during the regular season.  But I guess Henne is this year's "flavor."

Continue reading this post »

Just wanted to post a couple of things that took place today:

MERLING GETS TASTE OF OLB
This comes from the Dolphins' official website:

Roth has been working at outside linebacker for the last two weeks and started their against the Jaguars last week, while rookie defensive end Philip Merling got a little taste of what it's like to drop into pass coverage this afternoon early in the afternoon practice.

Now I wouldn't read too much into this...yet.  Sure, Bill Parcells did convert DeMarcus from a college DE to an OLB in Dallas.  But Ware is far more athletic than Merling.  In fact, when I posed this question to two separate people who cover Clemson football for a living, they both told me that Merling is not athletic enough to play outside linebacker in the NFL.  So I'll trust them.

But what this does tell me, though, is that the coaches could be a little bit worried about their current depth at outside linebacker.  Joey Porter can't seem to shake these nagging injuries (though he did practice today) and Charlie Anderson continues to sit out of practice with a hamstring injury.  Perhaps if the Dolphins knew what they know now - about how quickly Kendall Langford would be ready to make an impact at DE - they may have decided to take Quentin Groves over Merling at pick #32 back in April.  But as always, hindsight is 20/20.

DOLPHINS TO HORN:  NO THANKS...RIGHT NOW
The Dolphins finally got back to Joe Horn's agent today.  And they reportedly told him they are not interested in Horn's services...for right now:

The Dolphins have not ruled Horn out for down the road should one of their current crop of pass-catchers go down with an injury. But the team clearly isn't viewing Horn as a guy to carry on the roster ahead of the group of guys they currently have.

This confirms pretty much what you've been reading here that the Dolphins are starting to feel better about their young crop of receivers as those players have gotten more familiar with the offense and the quarterbacks and the speed of the game.

This is basically what many of us thought.  Right now, it doesn't make sense for the Dolphins to bring aboard a 36 year old receiver who has clearly lost a step or two.  Not to mention he likes to run his mouth a little bit too much.

And I'll admit that I'm personally excited to see some of these young receivers.  For some reason, I have a feeling growing in my gut that Ted Ginn is on the verge of becoming a very good receiver.  Maybe it won't be this year - though improvement is certain - but I just can't help but get excited over what he might become.

I'm also anxious to see what Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo could potentially turn into.  Remember, I called it all along that Bess would be on this 53-man roster.  And I get the feeling he's going to really open up some eyes this year.

So no, Joe Horn wouldn't have made any sense for this team and I'm glad the Dolphins realized this as well - though I bet if Horn was a "Parcells guy," he'd be on a plane to Miami by now.

Don't forget to get involved in our community projections.  We're currently doing Yeremiah Bell and Will Allen.

The Dolphins, today, released their latest version of the depth chart.  And this time, we might actually be able to read into this version.  Now, to see the entire thing, head over here.

As far as the QBs go, they are still listed in order of seniority.  But other notable changes have been made.

First off, Ricky Williams is now listed as the team's starting running back, with Ronnie Brown now listed as 2nd string.  It's likely that this really doesn't matter, as one is really "1a" and the other is "1b."  But it's certainly worth noting.  Perhaps the reason for the change is simply Ronnie's thumb injury combined with his comeback from the knee injury.  Either way, I'm not really too worried about who starts and who comes off the bench once the season begins.  Both will get plenty of carries and both will be key factors to the success of the team.

Perhaps the biggest change on the depth chart now is that Matt Roth has been officially listed at strong side linebacker, with Joey Porter moving over to the weak side - Jason Taylor's old position - and Kendall Langford stepping in to replace Roth as the starter at left defensive end.  This also means that Charlie Anderson was bumped back to 2nd team and Quentin Moses has been moved to 3rd team.

I'll admit that after being a little worried about the Roth experiment, I'm much more comfortable with him now at OLB than I was this time last week.  And I really like the move of Porter over to the weak side, the primary pass-rushing LB spot.  But you do have to wonder if this change is only until Charlie Anderson is healthy again.  Will Porter move back to the strong side once Anderson can play?  Also worth wondering is if Roth can handle the coverage aspect as strong side linebacker.  He'll be fine as a run-stopper.  But playing the strong side means he's going to be responsible often for covering either a tight end of a back.  Perhaps the plan is for Roth to work at SLB only on 1st down (and possibly 2nd depending on the situation).  There's no way Roth will stay on the field at LB in clear passing situations.

Perhaps the bigger reason to be excited about this latest depth chart, though, is because of the number of rookies who are now listed as starters.  I mentioned above that Kendall Langford, a 3rd round pick, is now listed as the starting left DE.  Donald Thomas, a 6th round pick, is the starter at RG.  And we all know Jake Long will be starting at LT.  When you also consider that Phillip Merling will be heavily involved in the DL rotation and Chad Henne could very well be our backup QB (and QB of the future), you have to already consider this draft a mild success...with the potential for it to be a truly great draft.

OTHER NOTES

-Barry Jackson reports that the Dolphins' front office do like both Vernon Carey and Channing Crowder (both free agents following the season).  However they have decided to hold off on contract extensions for both as of right now.  In my opinion, though, they should work out a deal with Carey before the season ends.  Otherwise, they run the risk of Carey's agent deciding to hold off to see if Vernon can get LT money on the open market - which is a risky proposition for the Dolphins.

-Yes, I know I have to mention what Chris Mortensen said tonight about Ronnie Brown.  But the idea that the Dolphins would look to trade Ronnie is completely ridiculous and I will not speak of it after this.  Why would the Dolphins do that?  Do they really feel like Ricky Williams, who is a bit "flaky" to say the least, is dependable?  It's not going to happen, so let's just all move on.

-Good news.  Those rumored uniform changes for the Dolphins are just that...rumors.  No truth to them.  Thank goodness!

Don't forget to get involved with our first round of community projections.  We've begun with Channing Crowder and Joey Porter.

Yesterday I posted some quick thoughts on the Dolphins loss to the Bucs on Saturday night.  I told you all I'd have a more comprehensive review today, and that's what I'm hoping to provide.  I re-watched the 1st half of the game and jotted down some things I noticed.  So let's get to it.

JOHN BECK & CHAD HENNE
Where else would we start than with these two.  First off, let's talk John Beck.  I know his 5 for 9 stat line isn't all that impressive.  But I think some of those plays to the fullbacks were designed.  So don't go saying he was "checking down too much" just yet.  Remember that Tony Sparano wants to see if both fullbacks can catch the football and then make a play.  And on both of those plays, it seemed like John looked right at the FBs as if they were the primary receiver on the play.  And both were solid, positive plays.

Also, on the screen pass that John threw into the ground, that wasn't a bad throw.  In fact, it was a very smart play and shows that he has a high "football IQ."  On the play, the back got held up and wasn't open for John to make the throw.  So he smartly threw it into the ground before the lineman got upfield and the team suffered an "ineligible man down field" penalty.  Those who think he should have held on and looked down the field must not have realized that.  That was actually an example of good "game management."

The only thing I would have liked to see John do differently probably would have been to take a chance on a throw when Ronde Barber blitzed from the CB spot.  He might have had an opening to fit the ball into Derek Hagan down the field, but it would have been close.  The safety was also in the area.  So John erred on the side of caution and took the sack.  But I guess I should keep in mind that if John made the throw and it got picked off, people would be screaming that he should have just "ate it" and not made taken the chance.  I guess the old saying is that "hindsight is always 20/20."  All in all, a solid, if unspectacular, start for Beck against the NFL's #1 pass defense in 2007.

Moving onto Chad Henne, it's easy to see why many are very high on him.  He had a solid performance and made some very nice throws.  He showed poise, both in the huddle and in the pocket, and good arm strength on a number of throws.  Also, his decision to throw the ball away down the left sideline on that 2nd down play from Tampa's 29 was very smart.

However, I don't think we should get too excited just yet.  First off, Henne faced mostly 2nd teamers.  So if anyone thinks he could step into the starting role right now based on his performance the other night, I'd say that's a little bit of a reach.  He wasn't up against the likes of Ronde Barber and Phillip Buchanon.  Also, Henne had some solid pass protection.  The line did a great job of providing Henne with a pocket to step up into on a number of his throws.  So, though I'm very encouraged at what I saw, I'm going to not get too excited.  After all, everyone was impressed with Beck's preseason last year and now many of those same people are ready to see John handed a pink slip.  Remember, this is just preseason.

Continue reading this post »

You'll recall that last year, right around this time of the year, Cam Cameron decided to let many of his veteran players basically relax during much of the preseason.  Some vets saw a few series, while others didn't even see the field in some games.

This year, that will not be the case.  While we don't know how much any particular player will play, we should all expect the entire team to see action in these exhibition games.  Says Sparano:

"We need to be in a game, be in a game environment. We need to get as many guys into uniform as we can get in uniform, being in that locker room together, coming out of that tunnel together. (We need to) be on the sideline together, go through whatever we're going to go through in that game together."

I couldn't have said it better myself.  I agree 100% with Sparano's line of logic here.  Sparano also talked a little about how coming off of a 1-15 season, this team needs a culture change.  I think that we've already seen some of that change in culture in terms of the offseason training program as well as the way training camp has been handled so far by this coaching staff.  Playing all the players who are able to physically play is the next logical step in this culture change.

DEFENSIVE LINE ROTATION
Speaking of Saturday's preseason opener against the Buccaneers at Dolphin Stadium, I wanted to quickly touch on something other than the QB competition that deserves some attention.

The one position that I am confident has been upgraded greatly is the defensive line.  The addition of Jason Ferguson alone was huge.  But to also bring in a versatile player like Randy Starks and then draft two ends like Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford really will drastically improve this team's defensive front, especially against the run.

But the addition of all these new players up front means that there is a lot of competition going on and that there will likely be some kind of defensive line rotation.  Vonnie Holliday has reportedly looked great in camp so far, so his starting spot is probably safe.  But the same can't be said for Matt Roth.  This weel, Roth is working out some as an outside linebacker in Miami's 3-4, which is a good move because it shows that this coaching staff is committed to finding every possible way to maximize each player's potential.  However, this week when Roth lines up as a DE, he's been working primarily with the 2nd team while Langford, the rookie out of Hampton, has been getting some work as a 1st team end.

This has to make you wonder if there's a shot that Langford, a rookie from a small school, might actually win a starting job right out of camp.  He's clearly a little further ahead of fellow rookie Phillip Merling (no knock on Merling - Langford has played his college career in a 3-4 while Merling is still learning the fundamentals of it) and he seems to be outplaying the veteran, Matt Roth, on a daily basis.  So that will be one thing to keep an eye on come Saturday.

Also, it's worth mentioning that the battle to be Ferguson's primary backup as nose tackle is up in the air.  Paul Soliai has reportedly looked much improved over last year.  Meanwhile, the versatile Randy Starks can potentially play both DE or NT in a 3-4.  So which will see action first on Saturday, spelling Ferguson at nose?

Those are just a few of the storylines to pay attention to as Saturday's exhibition opener approaches.

As always, your thoughts below...