Miami Dolphins Keys To The Game: Shut Down QB Mark Sanchez

When the Miami Dolphins play in their home opener this weekend their main concern should be on stopping one person:

Mark Sanchez.

I know that the New York Jets running game is supposed to be really great, but I am here to tell you that the running game should not be our main concern. The most important thing the Dolphins can do Sunday night is to get in Mark Sanchez's head by pressuring him all night.

You Might As Well Replace The 6 With A Target
Look at last week's game against the Vikings, for example. Adrian Peterson ran everywhere on the Dolphins, but they still couldn't win because Miami shut down Brett Favre and forced him to make mistakes.

They should do the same with Sanchez.

Sanchez is a young player, and when he is pressured he is definitely more likely to make a mistake than a more experienced player.

Mark Sanchez is the Miami Dolphins primary concern for two reasons. I have already mentioned the first reason, which is that he is young and inexperienced and Miami should be able to capitalize on his mistakes with turnovers. The other reason is that a potent passing offense is much more dangerous than a potent rushing offense.

We don't want Mark Sanchez airing it out all night because that would mean the Jets will put up a lot of points on the board. I am not yet sure if the Dolphins are capable of winning a high-scoring shootout just yet. I would rather a ground battle between the two that could be decided by turnovers.

Running the ball is less efficient than passing and does not give the offense a better chance to score. When you run the ball you have to depend on consistent yardage practically every play so you can earn a first down. All it takes is one loss of yards and you are at risk of having to punt the ball.

New York needs to lose confidence in Sanchez throwing against the Dolphins defense. That way they will have to run the ball, which is better because when a team is passing the ball they will usually get a first down after a single completion. That means they have room for a few incompletions and can still be successful. We don't want the Jets to have that option. We want them to be forced to run through the fear that Sanchez will throw a pick.

The NFL has already transformed into a passing league. You've heard it a million times before, and it is true. Teams have started to realize that the best way to win is to throw the ball, which is why we need to shut down Mark Sanchez.

That is my thinking. Do you agree that Sanchez is the main concern, or is the running game more of a concern?

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