Will This Be Ronnie Brown's Last Year With The Miami Dolphins?

Will We See Ronnie Brown In A Dolphins Jersey Next Season?

Let me start by saying that Ronnie Brown has been able to do a lot of great things for the Miami Dolphins in his six years with the franchise. He is Mr. Wildcat, and he won a lot of games for the Dolphins in his time here. He was able to carry a lot of the burden when Chad Henne first came in as a starter, and he is a big reason the Dolphins made the playoffs two years ago.

Sadly, though, I think this will be his last season with the Miami Dolphins. He is averaging a career low 3.9 yards per carry, and he has lacked the playmaking ability that he had in years past. He is technically a veteran player, and running backs have a short shelf life in the NFL nowadays. Six years as a running back in the NFL is like 12 years as a receiver. Running backs really take a beating, and they begin to wear down after years of playing.

I am afraid that Ronnie Brown can no longer be the premier running back for the Dolphins. He just doesn't have good enough numbers to be one. He wasn't able to reach 100 rushing yards off of 24 carries against the Raiders, He has only had four games all season where he averaged over 4 yards per carry, and he only has three touchdowns after 11 games.

His running style no longer seems to work with the Miami Dolphins offense. His main strength was running the wildcat, and now he doesn't really run it very effectively. That may be partly Dan Henning's fault because he is too predictable when he calls it, but Ronnie still can't make much of anything happen.

He just doesn't seem like an explosive player anymore, and we need an explosive back to work with Chad Henne. Henne can be really good, but he needs to have a running back carrying part of the load because he can't handle it himself.

I know that Dan Henning has been largely to blame for the running game, and consequently Ronnie Brown's, performance this year, but I just get the feeling that Ronnie's time in Miami will be limited. His contract expires at the end of this year, and I am not sure that the Dolphins will be willing to give him a new one that he would accept.

He had said earlier this year that he hadn't had any talks with Miami Dolphins officials about a new contract yet, so that tells me there is a good chance Miami won't keep him. The Dolphins organization doesn't show loyalty to players who have been in Miami (just look at Jason Taylor), so, I have a feeling that Ronnie will be another player added to the list of career-long Dolphins that end up going to another team.

We will see what happens, but don't be surprised if he ends up going to another team this offseason. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if he does go to another team and ends up bouncing back and playing like LaDainian Tomlinson has played this year. He may not do as well as LT has done, but I have a feeling that if he is put in the correct offense he can still make things happen.

Thanks for reading, and please be sure to leave a comment on what you think. I would be surprised if every Miami Dolphins fan that reads this doesn't have a strong opinion one way or the other about Brown.

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Chad Henne Finally Plays Like He Should Have Been Playing All Season

Henne Showed Promise On Sunday

Yesterday, we saw that Chad Henne was finally able to play the way we have been expecting him to play the entire season. He was able to throw the ball deep when he needed to, but the most important thing was that he didn't have to carry the entire team on his shoulders.

The Miami Dolphins running game was able to carry part of the load, and that was a huge help for Henne. There have been too many games this season where the Dolphins have relied completely on Henne's arm, and he isn't ready for that kind of responsibility yet.

He shouldn't have to have that kind of responsibility, either. Not many veteran quarterbacks can do well without help from their running game, so why would a young Chad Henne be able to do any better for the Miami Dolphins?

Miami's numbers running the ball actually weren't anything special. With the exception of a late 45 yard touchdown run when the game was already put away, the Dolphins numbers were a little pedestrian. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams gained 180 rushing yards together off of 44 carries. Those are pretty good numbers, but you would think they would have been able to gain more yardage with that many carries. If you take out the 45 yard run, they combined for 135 rushing yards on 43 carries. That is 3.1 yards per carry, which isn't very good.

What I am trying to say, though, is that maintaining a steady dose of the running game is important because it keeps defenses guessing. Keeping defenses guessing helps Chad Henne do better and throw fewer interceptions. Even though running the ball didn't move Miami down the field too well, it still kept the Raiders defense honest.

I liked what I saw in Henne against Oakland, too. He was able to keep his composure after throwing a bad interception and continue to drive the ball down the field later on. The crazy thing is that he didn't even have Brandon Marshall. He wasn't even playing with his best players, yet he was still able to throw the ball all over the field. He threw touchdown passes to Marlon Moore and Patrick Cobbs, who (I might add) aren't really considered playmakers in the NFL.

I'll be honest, I wasn't too confident about the Dolphins coming into this game, but Chad Henne showed me a lot on Sunday. He had good numbers, but the biggest improvement was the mentality he played with. He is playing with a lot more fire after being benched for Chad Pennington and then Tyler Thigpen.

Don't give up on him yet. I have a feeling that he is going to have a great career after watching that game.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment saying what you think about Henne.

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Miami Dolphins Pull Out Win Against Raiders Thanks To Balanced Attack

The Miami Dolphins was finally able to be the dominant offense they were capable of being, and they didn't even have Brandon Marshall.

Miami was able to gain 471 total yards on offense, and they dominated the Raiders in pretty much every aspect of the game except for special teams. Miami's special teams allowed a kickoff to be returned for a touchdown on the opening drive and Dan Carpenter missed two field goals later on. If it weren't for the Dolphins special teams, then this game would have been that much better.

Special teams were probably the only bad thing about the Miami Dolphins this game. Ronnie Brown combined for 180 rushing yards on 44 carries. I know 44 carries may seem like a lot, but it is a refreshing number considering how little they ran the ball against the Bears.

Chad Henne also had a good game. With the exception of a stupid mistake that resulted in an interception, Henne played well, throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns. Davone Bess also had a great game. He caught 6 catches for 111 yards, and was the Miami Dolphins top receiver with Brandon Marshall being absent.

On defense, the Dolphins were able to turn the ball over three times, including 2 interceptions on Bruce Gradkowski. Cameron Wake also picked up another sack, which puts him at 10.5 sacks for the season. That is a really impressive number, and makes Dolphins fans not miss Joey Porter even less than they ever did.

That's about all for today. If you'll excuse me, I have to go trash talk my Dad now who is a Raiders fan.

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Miami Dolphins Keys To The Game: The Offensive Line

Dolphins Center Joe Berger Is Back

News has recently come out that Tony Sparano is leaning towards starting Chad Henne for the Miami Dolphins game against the Raiders on Sunday. This is the first indication this week from anyone in the Dolphins organization on who the starting quarterback is, so hearing that Sparano is "leaning towards" Henne probably means Henne will be the starter.

And, while the Miami Dolphins quarterback situation has received the a lot of attention in the past few days, whoever the starter is that is eventually named won't be able to do anything if he doesn't have a good offensive line protecting him, which could very well be the case.

The offensive line will be the Miami Dolphins key to victory or defeat against the Raiders. They were a big reason Miami lost to the Bears last week, and they must perform better if the Dolphins want a chance at winning anything at all for the rest of the season.

Injuries have plagued the Dolphins offensive line recently. In the game against Chicago, both of the Dolphins centers were injured, so they had to move left guard Richie Incognito in at center, which left a hole to be filled at left guard. It was a pretty big mess, and I wasn't too surprised that the offense stumbled with their beaten up o-line.

The good news for the line is that left tackle Jake Long's left shoulder has been doing really well and center Joe Berger (knee) has returned to practice and looks to be ready to start again.

I think the Dolphins line will be able to hold up a whole lot better than the Bears game, and they should give whatever quarterback is in the game a chance to work his magic.

It probably doesn't really matter, though. I almost want the Dolphins to start tanking games to get a better draft pick, but I don't think they should yet when they still have a possibility of making the playoffs. It isn't a strong possibility, but there is still a chance.

But, if they are going to tank I am hoping they will do it starting next week because my Dad is a Raiders fan, and I don't want to hear crap from him until the next time the Dolphins play Oakland.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment with your keys to the game. I hope to hear from you soon.

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Brandon Marshall Likely Out, Chad Henne Likely In For The Miami Dolphins

The Only Thing Harder Than Finding A Picture Of Marshall's Hamstring Injury Is Finding A Picture Of Him Scoring A Touchdown In A Miami Dolphins Jersey

From what I can tell, Brandon Marshall is probably not going to play this Sunday against the Raiders due to a hamstring injury.

This will be a significant blow to the Miami Dolphins passing game, but I think it may actually be a good thing for the rest of the season. Losing Marshall will force offensive coordinator Dan Henning to use Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams more in the game, which he has failed to do up to this point.

Instead of putting the game entirely on the quarterback's shoulders, Henning will have to use Ronnie and Ricky a lot more, and that is a good thing. He may not want to use them as much as he will, but that's a good thing. We don't want the offense to run the way Henning wants it to anymore.

I almost get the impression that Henning doesn't care about how the offense plays anymore. It sure doesn't look like he does with the Dolphins recent offensive performance. I am actually kind of glad that Miami didn't score a point against the Bears because it brought on the "crayon and a pizza box" rant by Mark Schlereth, which brought the terrible play calling to light.

If they hadn't done so bad in that game, I don't think there would be much talk about firing Henning even though his play calling has been consistently bad for the entire season, not just the Thursday night shutout.


I have also heard good news about Chad Henne's health. He has been practicing with the team, and it appears that he will be ready to play against the Raiders. The question is, will Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano allow him to start, or will he put Tyler Thigpen in as the starter again?

Nobody from the Dolphins organization has said anything, so we can't be sure, but I have a feeling Henne will be starting. He was playing really well against Tennessee before he injured his left knee, and it seems to me like he has come back with a little more fire in him.

I have a good feeling about this Sunday's game even though Miami is pretty much out of the playoffs. We could see a completely different Chad Henne(in a good way) against the Raiders, and I am excited to see what he can do. Let's just hope that the Miami Dolphins offensive line can hold up long enough for him to throw it.

That's it for now. I hope everyone enjoyed a day off for Thanksgiving. I know I did!

Please feel free to leave a comment.

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Miami Dolphins: What I'm Not Thankful For On Thanksgiving

Funny Picture, Courtesy of cartoonstock.com

Thanksgiving is here, and that means we get to eat lots of good food, spend time with family, give thanks for what we have, and watch football.

While most of the stuff you read today and tomorrow will be about giving thanks, I have decided to write a little piece on what I am not thankful for on the Miami Dolphins.

Let me just say first that I do, in fact, have a lot to be thankful for, and I appreciate what I have in life. I am not encouraging you to start thinking about things that you aren't thankful for, because that isn't healthy and helps nothing. I encourage you to think about everything that you have in your life and appreciate it because there are a lot of people that would love to have what you do. I will be writing solely about the failures of the Miami Dolphins and why I am not thankful for those failures.

So, with that being said, I have a bunch of things not to be thankful for in the Miami Dolphins Organization, and here are a few:


Dan Henning, Offensive Coordinator
Who else would you have me start off with? I have been writing so much about Dan Henning this past week that it is getting old, so I am going to keep this short and simple. Just know that he has been terrible this year in play calling, and he hasn't been able to work the offense around his players' strengths.

A .500 Record
Blame it on whomever you want, but a .500 record in a division with the Jets and Patriots and a tough conference like the AFC just isn't good enough. I expected a lot more from this team, and they have disappointed. It is incredible how little the Miami Dolphins have been able to use their weapons on offense.

This has made players like Davone Bess and Brian Hartline do well, but they haven't been able to make up for the mediocre numbers of Brandon Marshall, Ronnie Brown, and Ricky Williams.

Injuries
This is what has really hurt the Miami Dolphins recently. A few weeks ago I believed that the Dolphins still had a good shot at making the playoffs, but injuries have been consistently popping up all over the roster, and they have, pretty much, crippled Miami this year.

The offensive line has been hit the worst, though, and it really showed with a scoreless effort against the Bears on Thursday night. I am not completely sure what the Dolphins should try and do to prevent injuries from piling up so badly, but I hope they can figure something out before next year.

17.2 Points Per Game
That is 29th worst in the league. That is unacceptable for a team whose owner predicted the Miami Dolphins would be in the Super Bowl this year. With so many weapons you would think that the Dolphins would be scoring more than 28 other teams in the NFL instead of scoring less than 28 teams, but that isn't the case here. This is largely Dan Henning's fault, and it should be fixed by next year if the Dolphins want to be successful in the near future.

Brandon Marshall's Inability To Score
This goes with the 17.2 points per game, but it is still an issue of its own. Brandon Marshall is a beast, plain and simple, which is why I am baffled that Dan Henning doesn't find ways to use him more, and that he doesn't find better ways to use him.

Marshall has 58 receptions and 693 yards. How do you only score one touchdown with 693 receiving yards? I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but leave it to Dan Henning to find a way.

Special Teams
Special teams for Miami hasn't been really bad lately since the Dolphins promoted Darren Rizzi to Special Teams coordinator, but it cost the Dolphins early in the season. It cost them the game against the Patriots, and it hurt them numerous times before Rizzi came in. Miami's return game was largely useless, and they allowed a lot of long kick returns by other teams. Rizzi seems to have cleaned up Miami's special teams for the most part now.

Note that I am not including Dan Carpenter in this, because he has been great and has won the Dolphins multiple games that the offense couldn't.


That is most of what I am not thankful for on the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have had a couple of things to be thankful for, like the play of Cameron Wake, Vontae Davis, Brian Hartline, and Davone Bess, but not nearly as much as things not to be thankful for.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment letting me know if there is anything not to be thankful for that I have left out.

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Den Henning Will Most Likely Be Gone From The Miami Dolphins After This Season

He Won't Be Smiling After This Season

We finally have confirmation on what have been hoping would happen for a while now.

It has come to my attention that, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, people around the Miami Dolphins organization expect Dan Henning to be gone as an offensive coordinator after this year.

This is finally some good news amongst all of the trouble around the Dolphins organization, and hopefully it will actually happen. What I read does not say who the people in the organization are, but they must have some knowledge about the situation or the Miami Herald would not have put it up.

Henning has been terrible this year. His play calling has been atrocious, and he is too stubborn to change the game planning around the personnel he has in.

He wasn't going to change the offense when Chad Pennington came in as the starter, which tells you how stubborn he is. He was basically admitting that he had Chad Henne playing the same offensive style as Chad Pennington, even though they have completely different styles. In doing that he admitted his incompetency to all of us, and that was a big indicator for me that he shouldn't be the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins anymore.

Henning has turned the Dolphins into one of the worst scoring offenses in the NFL. Miami is at a 29th worst 17.2 points a game. He hasn't been able to use Brandon Marshall, Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, or Chad Henne to their full abilities. He turned a very talented offense into one of the worst offenses in the league. I don't know about you, but that pisses me off.

How does one of the best wide receivers in the NFL only score one touchdown after 10 games? People may blame Chad Henne, but I promise you it isn't his fault. Henning had Henne on such a short leash that he was rendered almost completely ineffective.

I can't wait to hear the news about his firing from the Miami Dolphins, and I look forward to letting you guys know about it.

Thanks for reading, and please be sure to leave a comment.

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Is The Season Over For The Miami Dolphins?

Let me start this off with a video that I think is a pretty good embodiment of the Miami Dolphins this season. Just click play below.



Now, on to the task at hand.

Normally, when a team is 5-5 and has as much talent as the Miami Dolphins have, that team's fans haven't given up on the season yet. There is normally still hope for that season, and the fans are excited for the rest of the season.

Normally, yes, but that is not the case with the Dolphins.

Through a combination of injuries, poor coaching, and being in an extremely hard division the Miami Dolphins seem to be all but out of the playoff race. They are still mathematically in the playoff chase, and they actually aren't that far from making it in.

They are only two games behind the Steelers, who are currently sitting in the last wild card spot. All it would take is winning the majority of their remaining games and other teams to lose a few. That is no easy task for a 5-5 team, but it is usually still doable.

It's not doable for the Dolphins, though.

A lot of people in Miami have pretty much given up on their team, and I don't blame them. The Dolphins have been extremely disappointing this year. Not many people have been performing at or above the level we were expecting them to perform at this year, and it has showed with a mediocre record.

You guys may not remember, but Stephen Ross predicted the Dolphins would make the Super Bowl this year. He also said that he hoped Chad Henne would be the franchise's greatest quarterback.

I can tell you right now that the Miami Dolphins aren't going to make the playoffs this season, and I haven't given up on Chad Henne yet, but I don't think he is going to be better than Dan Marino.

So, in my opinion, yes the season is over. I just don't see how the Miami Dolphins can come back from that embarrassing loss to the Bears and win for most of their tough remaining schedule.

There are two main reasons why, and the first is injuries, specifically to the Dolphins offensive line. The Dolphins have an injury-riddled line, and I don't see how they will be able to protect whatever quarterback is in there with the personnel we have.

Injuries can cripple a good team, and they have definitely played a part in the crippling of the Dolphins.

Injuries aren't the main reason, though.

I think you all know what the reason is, but I will still say it anyway:

Dan Henning

The man calls all of the wrong plays at the wrong times, and he does it consistently. Sometimes I think he is just trying so hard to catch defenses off guard that he is predictable in what he calls. I didn't mention it before, but when the Dolphins beat the Tennessee a few weeks ago, Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan would tell Brandon Marshall the exact route he was going to run before the ball was even hiked.

The worst part is that Finnegan was right 80 percent of the time.

That, of course, is not Marshall's fault. It is completely Henning's fault. If you are so predictable that a corner can tell the exact play you are going to run, then you shouldn't be in the NFL.

On top of the predictability, the play calling has been atrocious this year, and it is a big reason that players with huge talent like Brandon Marshall, Ronnie Brown, and Ricky Williams have been largely ineffective.

Henning has forced Chad Henne to throw short passes, and rarely allowed him to throw the ball long, which is one of Henne's strengths. Why he had Henne on such a short leash is beyond me. Offensive coordinators that are worth their salt would build their offense around the strengths of their players, but not Henning. He forces players to run his style even when they are obviously unable to do so.

I know that I complain over and over about Dan Henning, but I am not the only one wanting him out of Miami. He needs to be fired ASAP to give the Dolphins more time to prepare for next season. Forget this year. All that matters right now is the future.

In my opinion, Dan Henning is the sole reason the Dolphins are not one of the best teams in the league. He doesn't know how to use the talent that is available to him, and it has shown with a .500 record.

Henning is like the Dolphin who comes up and hits the other Dolphin, who represents Chad Henne, in mid-air. Instead of allowing Henne to soar, Henning just gets in the way and ruins everything.

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment. I am always checking and responding to comments, so I look forward to hearing from you soon. Also, if you ever just want to talk football, please feel free to email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I always find it fun to just talk to other Dolphins fans about their opinions on the franchise and recent moves they have made.

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Miami Dolphins Work Out Left Tackles To Replace Jake Long

Long's Health Should Be Top Priority

Jake Long is not officially on the injured reserve, but he may as well be.

According to Mike Berardino of the Sun Sentinel, The Miami Dolphins brought in two players that could fill in as left tackles for a workout over the weekend. One tackle, Levi Jones, is an experienced veteran who has been in the NFL for 8 years and started 97 games. The other, Tony Ugoh, is normally a guard who has started 27 games in his four years in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins working out these two players is not really significant because of who they are gaining, it is more significant because of who they are losing. The fact that the Dolphins are bringing in players to audition for left tackle is important because it tells us that the Miami Dolphins are seriously considering putting LT Jake Long away for the rest of the season.

If Miami does in fact place Jake Long on IR, it will also tell us that the Dolphins have somewhat given up on this season. Jake Long is an extremely important piece of the Dolphins offense, and if they still believed they had a shot at making the playoffs they would try and keep him in. Instead, keeping him out of the game would keep him from harm's way and prevent any further injury.

I tend to agree with what the Dolphins are doing here. I know you shouldn't just give up on a season, but there comes a point when there is way too much risk for not enough reward, and this is one of those situations. Yes, the Dolphins are technically still in the season, but trying to make the playoffs is not worth risking Miami's franchise left tackle. Talented left tackles like Jake Long are hard to come by, so the Dolphins need to be sure to protect his health.

It is possible Long may not make the Pro Bowl if he is taken out, and that is one reason why Long doesn't want to be taken out, but I just don't think keeping him in to make the Pro Bowl is worth it.

We will probably know what happens in the near future, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think Long and the Dolphins should do.

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Chad Henne Or Tyler Thigpen: Who Should Start Next Week For The Miami Dolphins?

By now you have probably calmed down somewhat after that extremely frustrating and humiliating shutout against the Bears. No matter what you think about this year's team and its players, the show must go on.

The season is not over yet, and the Miami Dolphins are back to .500 with 6 games left to play. It is going to be considerably harder to make the playoffs after that loss, but the Dolphins still have a shot.

Because the Dolphins still have a shot, my question is: Which quarterback gives the Miami Dolphins a better shot? Chad Henne or Tyler Thigpen?

Normally, after a 16-0 loss you would expect the losing team's starting quarterback to be on the bench for the next game, but this loss is not completely Tyler Thigpen's fault.

Thigpen hardly had any blocking at all Thursday night, and was constantly forced to scramble with the ball. Yes, Tyler Thigpen is a good scrambler, but no quarterback can be successful while on the run for every single play of the game. He never had time to get settled, and it showed in the Miami Dolphins inability to score a single point.

Despite all of Thigpen's struggles, he only threw one interception that was tipped on the line, and had a pretty good completion percentage going 58% by completing 17 out of 29 passes. He was able to be moderately successful while the rest of the offense was crumbling down around him.

Chad Henne, on the other hand, has had great blocking this season, but poor play calling and a pathetic running game have held him back. Henne isn't nearly as fast as Thigpen, and he hardly ever scrambles unless there is a wide-open hole in front of him. What Henne has going for him is his arm strength. If Miami's offensive coordinator Dan Henning were capable of calling the correct plays, then Henne could be a dangerous downfield threat.

Henne has a bunch of weapons on the Miami Dolphins, but he is never allowed to use them to his full abilities because he is always forced to throw short passes. He also has a knack for throwing interceptions, but many of them are because he has to constantly throw the ball short distances, which isn't one of his strengths. After a lot of the shorter throws he is forced by Dan Henning to make, he is bound to misfire every once in a while, resulting in an interception.


If I were the Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator choosing whom to start, I would put Chad Henne in there. Henne has an incredible arm and more experience in this offense than Thigpen.

If Dan Henning finally allows Henne to air the ball out we could see a major improvement in this Miami Dolphins ability to score. Not only would passing the ball turn out better for the Dolphins, but running the ball would work better, too. Defenses will be more concerned with covering receivers and less concerned with stopping the running game, which can really open things up for the backs.

All of this is assuming that Henne is healthy enough, though. I have not heard any indications about whether he will be able to play next week, but I am assuming that the extra rest he gets because of a Thursday night game will be enough to recover. He also had his pads and jersey on Thursday night, which tells me he could have played if it was absolutely necessary.

That's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment below with your predicted starter. I would like to hear what you think.

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Miami Dolphins Shut Out By Bears In Embarassing Performance In Primetime

Chad Henne's Injury May Have Been More Costly Than We Thought

 Well, I guess the Tyler Thigpen experience is a failed one.

I was completely wrong about Thigpen. I thought that he would be a spark to the Miami Dolphins offense and help put more points on the board. Instead, he didn't put a single point on the board as the Dolphins were shut out by the Chicago Bears 16-0.

Granted, it was not all Thigpen's fault that the Miami Dolphins lost. The Miami Dolphins were absolutely decimated by injuries. On top of all the other injuries the Dolphins sustained before Thursday night's game, we saw center Cory Procter, who was in for injured starter Joe Berger, go down with an apparent season-ending ACL tear, and we saw Brandon Marshall go down with a hamstring injury in the first half.

Normally, the injury to Brandon Marshall would be considered a killer for the Dolphins, but it was nowhere near as bad of a loss as the injury to Cory Procter.

The Miami Dolphins are able to function without Brandon Marshall because they have other dangerous receivers to throw to.

Losing Cory Procter was a killer because it forced the Dolphins to move left guard Richie Incognito to the center spot, who apparently doesn't play center too much. Many of his snaps were too low, and Tyler Thigpen had to constantly reach for the ball wherever it went, and on top of those bad snaps, Thigpen had terrible protection from the beat-up line. He was sacked 6 times in just 22:09 with the ball.

The Dolphins running game also suffered extreme hardship because of the depleted line. Thigpen was the team's leading rusher with 6 attempts for 27 yards. Ronnie Brown had 3 carries for 10 yards, and Ricky Williams had 3 carries for 1 yard. Those numbers just tell you what kind of game it was for the Dolphins.

The only bright spot in the game was Cameron Wake. Wake was incredibly disruptive throughout the game. He drew countless holding penalties on the man blocking him, a sack, and a bunch of tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

As for Brandon Marshall, he dropped two passes that should have been easy catches before he left the game with his hamstring injury. Hopefully he can start to pick things up. At least the Dolphins have a bunch of talented receivers to step in for him. Now all we need is an offensive line to give our quarterback enough time to find those receivers.

I am not sure if this will be the end of Thigpen or not. He didn't get much help from the running game or offensive line, but he didn't do much himself. We will see in this extended week where the Miami Dolphins quarterback situation ends up.

I just find it weird that our 3rd-string quarterback was taking snaps from our 3rd-string center. That doesn't happen too often.

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment.

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Miami Dolphins Keys To The Game: Tyler Thigpen Must Create Plays

In order for the Miami Dolphins to be successful Thursday night against the Chicago Bears, Tyler Thigpen must perform similar to the way he did last Sunday against the Titans and create big plays.

This game is entirely upon Thigpen's shoulders, and if he can play well the Miami Dolphins should be able to win this game. People think the Dolphins are down and out because they are now down to their third-string quarterback. What they don't realize is that Thigpen is a better playmaker than his two predecessors.

Thigpen's is noticeably faster than Henne and Pennington ever were, and he is able to throw the ball well on the run. He is very similar to Michael Vick, and he will need to play similar to Vick against the Bears.

Chicago has an exceptional defense. Their only "weakness" is their 15th ranked passing yards allowed. They have allowed the second lowest amount of points this year, and the Dolphins have struggled to score points this year.

That was before they had Thigpen playing, though.

If we had Chad Henne or Chad Pennington playing in this game, then we would have had to be pretty concerned about the Miami Dolphins ability to make plays on offense. Thigpen changes the entire dynamic of the offense because he can use all of the weapons provided to him. Chad Henne seemed to struggle with using all of his weapons.

Tyler Thigpen will not.

Thigpen showed us he could use TE Anthony Fasano as well as star-receiver Brandon Marshall. He also gained a crucial first down near the end of the game last week to seal it and help Miami improve to above .500 for the year.

This game will be a huge step to catching up to the rest of the AFC, and Tyler Thigpen is going to need to show up in order to make that step. Brandon Marshall guaranteed the Miami Dolphins would make the playoffs, but he can't do it on his own. He needs a good quarterback throwing him the ball, and I think we have found that quarterback in Tyler Thigpen.

So, Dolphins fans, I hope you are ready for the game. Please feel free to leave your comments on your predictions for the game.

I am thinking 35-24, Miami wins. I am very confident in Thigpen, and I think he will have a huge performance against the Bears tough defense.

Thanks for reading everybody!

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Anthony Fasano Gets Well Deserved Contract Extension When The Miami Dolphins Need Him Most

Anthony Fasano received a two-year contract extension yesterday, just two days after his huge performance against the Tennessee Titans.

Fasano had 5 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown, and he was a big reason Tyler Thigpen did so well late in the game. When Thigpen was in trouble and scrambling to the side, it was Fasano who had the presence of mind to get open for a big reception down the field from Thigpen.

Fasano's real impact, though, had been his unselfishness and his ability to block. Coach Sparano had this to say about Fasano when answering questions after it was announced he received the extension:

"He's blocking well. ... He's been really productive for us that way and really good for the young guys. He's tremendous for the young players and hasn't been really selfish at all. He's the kind of guy we really want to have around"

The Miami Dolphins are going to need Fasano more than ever now that we have Tyler Thigpen in. He may need extra protection help because of the injury to Jake Long, and Fasano's receiving skills will be crucial for when Thigpen scrambles looking for a receiver like he did against Tennessee when he and Fasano connected.

The actual extension will keep Fasano on the Miami Dolphins for two more years, and is worth as much as $7.75 million dollars. The contract includes two $75,000 workout bonuses(one for each year), and a $2.1 million signing bonus according to NFL.com.

I am very pleased that they made this move, and it is good that they recognize the need to keep as much talent for the future as possible. I have a good feeling about the Thigpen-Fasano connection for the Miami Dolphins. They were great together in the 4th quarter. I can't wait to see them work together for a whole game.

Stay tuned, and please leave a comment. I want to hear from you about anything involving the Miami Dolphins.

He may need an online accounting degree
just to count that money.

Big Time Game Will Show Us What Tyler Thigpen Is Made Of

Tyler Thigpen is expected to make his first start with the Miami Dolphins in front of a national audience Thursday night against the Bears.

This is going to be a huge game for Thigpen, and if he plays like he did at the end of the Tennessee game he may very well become the starting quarterback in Miami for a long time.

Last week when he came in for the injured Chad Pennington and Chad Henne, Thigpen was able to give the offense a big spark and lead a scoring drive.

With the exception of his very first pass, Thigpen was on the mark and pretty much perfect on every one of his throws. He was able to scramble and make plays when he needed to, and because of him the Dolphins were able to pretty much seal the game.

My guess is that the Bears (and the rest of the football community) won't be expecting Thigpen to do well. Chicago is probably just thinking about how lucky they are that Miami is going to be without their 1st or 2nd string quarterbacks. Not long form now they will find out, though, that Thigpen is a very dangerous quarterback.

What excites me so much about Thigpen is how well he can create plays with his feet. I was reading about him earlier, and someone called him the poor man's Michael Vick, which is actually a very good analogy. He may not have the speed of Vick, but he is very similar in style to Vick. Heck, I wouldn't mind him being similar to Vick after his performance on Monday night.

There is also a good chance that left tackle Jake Long will be able to play Thursday, so Thigpen should have the necessary protection to play his game. I have a good feeling about this game. Our offense won't be robotic any longer. We may actually see a couple big plays. The Dolphins let the offense loosen up a little bit, and that was evident with the long flea-flicker play from Henne to Brian Hartline.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you are ready for some early football.

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Injuries Plague Miami Dolphins Before Short Week Of Preparation

These injuries could not have come at much worse of a time.

In one game the Dolphins saw injuries sideline quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Chad Henne, left tackle Jake Long, and linebacker Cameron Wake.

The injury to Pennington is almost certainly career-ending.

The injury to Henne is possibly season-ending

The injuries to Jake Long and Cameron Wake do not appear to be really serious, but I have a feeling that Long could be out for a month and Wake will miss this Thursday's game.

On top of that, right tackle Vernon Carey was shaken up against Tennessee but returned, cornerback Vontae Davis is playing with a right-knee injury, and free safety Chris Clemon's groin forced him to be replaced by Reshad Jones during Sunday's game because he didn't get enough time to practice during the week.

Yes, the Dolphins are, all of the sudden, forced to deal with a bunch of injuries in a short period of time. Almost any other week would have been better because they would have had more time to prepare, but that's not the case here. We can at least be thankful that we are playing the Bears instead of a division rival like the Patriots or Jets. Not that Chicago is a bad team, because they are actually pretty good, but they are not as good as New England or New York.

Despite all of the problems Miami is having with injuries, I am actually pretty excited about this game. We have found a great, young quarterback in Tyler Thigpen, and our offense appears to finally be able to make big plays with some consistency.

Thigpen's mobility will also be helpful because he may feel some extra pressure with Jake Long out for a little while. He will be able to avoid sacks that neither Chad would have been able to avoid themselves. Jake Long is probably the most irreplaceable player that the Dolphins lost due to injury against the Titans, but Miami should be able to come out alright because of Thigpen.

So, don't lose faith in Thursday's game just yet Dolphins fans. We still have a good shot at winning this game with Thigpen in.

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Miami Dolphins Win Incredibly Important Game Against Tennessee Titans In A Crazy Way

I don't even know where to start with this one.

Let me begin by saying that the short time period between now and Thursday is going to be an incredibly eventful and interesting one.

In that time we will find out who will be starting at QB, and I honestly don't know who they will pick. I can only say what I think

Chad Pennington gives the Dolphins a lot of experience, but he would be my last preference at starter. Chad Henne gives them a strong arm and is the youngest option, but he isn't even my first preference. No, my first preference would by Tyler Thigpen.

I know that Henne is supposed to be the future of the Miami Dolphins, and he may still be. The Dolphins may still choose to run with him and keep him as the starter, but I couldn't help but feel the added energy on offense when Thigpen was playing.

Thigpen was able to elude defenders that Henne and Pennington would have never been able to elude, and his elusiveness was very evident with his big scrambling pass to Anthony Fasano late in the game.

I don't know if you guys noticed it, but when Thigpen threw his only completion to Brandon Marshall he threw the ball with incredible accuracy. The ball was placed just above the Titans defender's hands, but not too far above to where it sailed past Marshall's, too.

I really think Thigpen would be a great player to jump in as the starter, and why not? He is only one year older than Henne at 26. He could be the franchise quarterback we have been looking for.

I would really hate it for Henne if he lost the job to Thigpen because I think he has been coming along pretty well, but Thigpen is just the more explosive quarterback with the ability to make things happen.

We will have to see how it plays out, so stay tuned, but now to other aspects of the game:

Brian Hartline had a game that we all knew he was capable of and RB Patrick Cobbs had a surprisingly good receiving game, but the best receiving performance came from TE Anthony Fasano. Fasano had 107 yards and a touchdown, and he showed us that he might have finally returned to producing the same numbers that he was able to put up two years ago.

Fasano is another reason that I want Thigpen in. Henne never really used Fasano to his full ability, but it appears to me that Thigpen will be able to.


Rookie FS Reshad Jones also did really well late in the game. He was filling in for the injured Chris Clemons, and he did really well with 1 sack, 1 interception, and 3 tackles. I remember at the beginning of the season we were worried about the free safety position, but it appears now that we are set at FS with two talented players competing for the same spot.


Now, to a touchy situation: Brandon Marshall. He was visibly frustrated multiple times during the game, and I have a feeling the combination of a few poorly thrown passes by Henne with the extra coverage he was receiving caused him to be so mad. He is used to putting up big numbers, and 3 receptions for only 34 yards is not what he wants to put up. If he wants to reach 100 receptions for this year he will need 6.4 receptions a game, so hopefully the resurgence of a bunch of other receivers on the Dolphins will help take away some of the coverage on Brandon.


That is all of my analysis for today. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the short week we have before Thursday's game. I haven't felt this great after a Dolphins game in a while.


Update: I have just found out that Chad Pennington is likely out for the season, so it looks like the battle will be between just Henne and Thigpen. Let us hope Pennington's shoulder is able to fully heal.

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Miami Dolphins Keys To The Game: Stop Randy Moss

Even with all of the changes that have occurred this week to the Miami Dolphins, the key to Miami winning this Sunday's game against Tennessee has nothing to do with any of them.

Instead, they key to winning will be second year CB Vontae Davis' ability to cover Randy Moss.

This will be Randy Moss' first game with the Titans, and when Moss debuts with a new team he typically does very well and helps put points up on the board.

So, it will be crucial for Davis to stop Moss' "successful debut" trend and keep Tennessee from putting up too many points.

Don't worry, though. I have reason to believe that Vontae will be able to keep Moss from doing much of anything. Last time he matched up with Moss was the Patriots game, and he shut him out and prevented him from catching a single pass. Pair that with the fact that Moss has not had much time to work with the team, and you can see that Vontae Davis has a good shot at shutting down Moss.

If he didn't do well with Tom Brady, who's to say that he can do well with a lower-caliber quarterback who he hasn't had much time to work with.

Plus, the addition of Al Harris will be a big help with stopping Randy. Harris is a talented cornerback with a lot of experience who is capable of covering Moss when he lines up opposite of Vontae. Before we would have had to worry about whether our "other" cornerback would be able to cover Moss, but now we can rest assured that Harris will be able to cover him well enough.

That's about it for now. Please leave a comment with your own "keys to the game." I would like to hear what you think.

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Dan Henning Announces That Miami's Offense Is Still Going To Be The Same Despite The Quarterback Switch

Without even meaning to, Dan Henning has just announced his incompetence as a coach.

But, before I elaborate on my point let me ask you a few questions:

1. Would you agree that Chad Henne and Chad Pennington have completely different strength's and weaknesses as a quarterback?

2. Would you agree, then, that they require different styles of offense and offensive play calling?

3. If you were the offensive coordinator, would you not cater your offense around your quarterback by calling plays that utilize his strengths instead of his weaknesses?

Hopefully you answered yes to all three of those questions, because they are all obvious answers. The only problem is that, apparently, Dan Henning thinks all three of those answers are no.

Henning has completely ignored the fact that Henne and Pennington play with different quarterback styles, he has ignored the fact that they require different play calling, and he apparently doesn't believe that the plays he calls should work well with the quarterback who is throwing the ball.

No, instead of doing the above he has decided to force Chad Henne to play like Chad Pennington, and it has resulted in a 28th-worst scoring offense and the benching of Henne, who I believe is a young quarterback with huge potential.

All because Henning is too stubborn to change things around.

You may be wondering, "Paul, what makes you say he hasn't catered the offense to Henne's skills? Henne has still thrown the ball deep periodically."

First, Henning obviously hasn't let Henne throw the ball deep enough this year. The Dolphins passing offense has only had two plays of 40 or more yards in the entire season. Only four other teams have thrown for less, and it is embarrassing for the Miami Dolphins offense to not have thrown the ball that far more often with a quarterback who's arm is as strong as Henne's.

That is only the proof that I could come up with through my own research about him not changing the offense around for Henne. Here is proof coming from the man himself. Dan Henning said the following during his press conference:

This question was asked:
"Does Chad Pennington have greater freedom to call audibles than Chad Henne and does the list of plays change based on the quarterback change?

His answer:

Same. Same. The list of plays are based on who we're playing. I don't think we'll have a different scope of things. You obviously know different people see things differently. They read things differently. When it comes down to the quarterback you have judgment that takes place so you might see him do something that you didn't see Henne do. You also might see him do something that Chad did do that might not be as good. That's what you live with whenever you make that type of change.

Henning said a lot in that quote, but the thing that I want you to pay attention to is the beginning of his quote. He said that the list of plays would not change, and they depend on whom Miami plays.

Basically, he is saying that he has the same plays for Henne that he did for Pennington, and he does not recognize the need to change the plays around.

I really hope that the Dolphins do fire Henning at the end of this season. He works better with Pennington, so I think that we have a better chance to win this year, but after this season I want him gone so we can bring Henne back in. Henning doesn't call the right plays for Henne, so we will need a different offensive coordinator that is actually willing to cater to Henne's strengths.

It is time we stop accepting mediocrity on offense, and that is why we need someone new to actually use Chad Henne correctly.

Thanks for reading, and I'm sure you have opinions on the Dolphins "situation" on offense, so please be sure to leave your comment.

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Putting In Chad Pennington Is Not What The Miami Dolphins Need As A Franchise

Anyone who is in favor of the Miami Dolphins putting in Chad Pennington as the starter needs to take another look at the situation.

Instead of getting to the root of the Dolphins problem, Tony Sparano is just temporarily covering the problem up.

The root of the problem for the Miami Dolphins inability to score points is Dan Henning and his terrible play calling. So, instead of replacing Henning, the Dolphins replaced Chad Henne who isn't the problem.

If Chad Henne had an offensive coordinator who was willing to let him throw the ball longer than 10 yards on a play, then he would be a successful quarterback right now, but instead he is on the bench with an uncertain future.

Don't get me wrong, I believe the Dolphins will be better this year with Pennington in, but they won't be as good as they could have if they replaced Henning instead of Henne. If we can give Chad Henne an offensive coordinator that works the offense around his skill set, then our offense would be ranked in the top 5 right now, guaranteed.

Instead we had Dan Henning trying to change Henne into another Chad Pennington, but that didn't work so they just put Chad Pennington in. It is ridiculous that all of the blame falls on Henne when the offense doesn't perform well even if it isn't his fault.

How would you feel if you signed up for a job with a certain talent and your employer expects you to do something that doesn't even use that talent? Instead, your employer forces you to do work that you are weak at, and you are fired because you can't perform well enough.

That's pretty much what happens to Henne. Instead of Dan Henning using his arm strength with longer passes to stretch out the field, he forces Henne to constantly throw shorter passes that require consistent pinpoint accuracy Henne hasn't developed yet.

I know I say it over and over, but the Miami Dolphins need Chad Henne in to help him develop into the quarterback we all want him to become, even if it means losing this season. Chad Pennington is just a band-aid on a gaping wound. He may help for a short amount of time, but when next season rolls around he won't be enough to cover up the Dolphins offensive problem. He is not a long-term answer for the Dolphins.

Chad Henne is.

If we want to be a successful franchise capable of winning year after year we need a top-tier quarterback, and Chad Henne can become top-tier with practice. The problem is that he won't get that practice on the bench.

Fans who want Pennington in are just looking for short-term success. We want a franchise that is a consistent Super Bowl contender every year, not just a one-hit wonder.

We will see how it turns out, but I have a bad feeling about the next few years.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment with your argument.

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Tony Sparano Announces That Chad Pennington Will Start At QB For The Dolphins Against Tennessee

If you have not heard by now, Tony Sparano has announced that Chad Henne will be benched in favor of Chad Pennington this Sunday.

This is a preliminary post for what I will have up tomorrow. I just wanted to let you guys know that I am not dead, and have heard about the move.

As you can probably guess, I am pretty mad about this move, so be sure to check back. I am sure there are a bunch of you who support Pennington instead of Henne, so I want you to be sure to check back so we can argue the point.

Stay tuned.

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Brandon Marshall Defends Chad Henne And The Miami Dolphins, Proving He Is Worth Every Penny Of His Contract

This is why I am glad the Miami Dolphins were willing to give up so much to bring Brandon Marshall in.

Not only did Brandon Marshall strongly support Chad Henne, he also supported the entire Dolphins team saying:

"We have a Dolphins team that will be in the playoffs and will contend in the championship game. This is not a Tim Tebow moment. We have what we need to be a championship team. Guaranteed, from here on out we will compete, we won’t lay down and we’ll make the plays necessary to win the game."

I love hearing that from Marshall who was, for the most part, shut down last Sunday. Marshall realizes the amount of talent this team has, and these quotes could not have come at a better time.

Everyone seemed to be down on the Dolphins, and everyone was especially down on Chad Henne after he threw three interceptions without a touchdown against Baltimore.

I also like his playoff guarantee. He is putting himself out there for the team, and now it is their turn to start performing better. He recognizes that talent and potential on this team so he is trying to bring it out.

The most important thing Marshall did, though, was that he attempted to calm a lot of the Henne doubters with the following comments, and I think what he said will have a huge impact for Miami fans, as well as Henne. Here is what he said about Henne and the criticism's surrounding his recent performance:

Those criticisms are probably coming from people who don’t watch the game. Chad Henne is a guy who’s more than capable of being an All-Pro quarterback. Again, it’s not just him. His destiny is in the hands of others: wide receivers, offensive line, offensive coordinator, the organization. It’s not just one guy. He relies on everyone doing their job.

Brandon knows what he is talking about, and hearing his confidence in Henne is very reassuring.

Normally you would expect Marshall to be the first person who is critical of Henne because his production has dropped, so hearing him really does give me new hope for Henne. I hadn't fully given up on him yet, but I was starting to have my own doubts.

Marshall then went on to talk about the incredible amount of coverage he is receiving from defenders. He talked about how he was being double and triple teamed on every down. The fact that he was able to get any statistical production with two and three people covering him was a testament to his supreme ability.

I have been afraid that Marshall would act out negatively because of his lack of touchdowns, but I now know I don't have anything to worry about. He may have been considered a diva in Denver, but I am confident that we don't have to worry at all about him now.

So hang in there Dolphins fans, we are only getting better from here. It has also come to my attention that Jason Allen has been released and CB Al Harris has been signed, so be ready for some form of analysis of the move in the near future.

Thanks for reading.

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The Channing Crowder Situation: Angry And Funny At The Same Time

After Sunday's loss to Baltimore, Miami Dolphins LB Channing Crowder got pretty mad and accused Ravens RB Le'Ron McClain.

Crowder was interviewed in the locker room after the game, and even though the interview was completely serious, there are still some funny little quotes that we can get from it.

McClain denies ever spitting on him, but I find that hard to believe because Crowder wouldn't just lie about that. I have put up a video for you guys, and in the video you can see McClain spitting on Crowder as well as part of Crowder's reaction.



It is pretty obvious he spit on him, and Crowder has right to be mad. What I find funny about the whole thing, though, is a certain part of Crowder's interview. Here is the funny part courtesy of ESPN's AFC East Blog:

Crowder said referee John Parry's officiating crew wasn't sympathetic.

"Then they said something about they let [Dolphins linebacker] Karlos Dansby get away with a facemask the play before," Crowder said. "Who the f--- cares? A guy just spit in my face! I don't give a damn about Karlos pulling somebody's facemask. Like they didn't see [Dolphins quarterback] Chad Henne get hit twice when he slid. Yeah, a little Stevie Wonder and Anne Frank."

Crowder might have been done talking right then, but I had to ask what he meant by Anne Frank.

"Who was that? Is that the blind girl?" Crowder said.

Helen Keller, I suggested.

"Helen Keller," he said. "I don't know who the f--- Anne Frank is. I'm mad right now. F--- it. I'm not as swift as I usually am.

"That's the first time I've ever been spit in my face in my life. And that's the worst thing you can do to a man as another man, spit in somebody's face. Why would you do that? Why would you try to? Because you're scared of me? Really? Spit on me and then walk away real fast and let your team protect you? That's what he did."

Funny, huh?

Anyways, I Tony Sparano has requested that the NFL review the incident, and if they do see the footage I included above I think they will obviously be able to tell.

I don't know what the ramifications of McClain's actions would be, though, but I still want to see him punished. I especially hate how he backed up after he spit, too. I agree with Crowder that he is a coward. McClain is just mad that he is the 3rd string running back and Crowder is a starter.

Thanks for reading, and I am sorry that I didn't post anything yesterday. I had another migraine, so I wasn't able to do anything.

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Ravens Running Backs Run And Catch All Over Dolphins In Loss

I don't know if there is much to say about this week's 26-10 loss to Baltimore. I can only think of a few main things.

We haven't really learned anything new about the offense. More poor play calling killed Miami in the second half. Miami's running game was working really well, and instead of continuing to run the ball they started to pass it more. Dan Henning needs to learn to call the right plays at the right time. His inability to do so really hurt the Dolphins, who didn't score at all in the second half.

I'm not trying to start any controversy at the offensive coordinator position, but something needs to be fixed in the offense, and I am convinced that something isn't Chad Henne.

The big story of this game, though, was the production of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. Both players were able to run circles around Miami's defense as they gained 246 combined yards in the game. Most of their success came off of missed tackles by the Dolphins defensive players, so Mike Nolan better clean that up before next week's game against Chris Johnson.

As for Brandon Marshall, he had 5 receptions. That puts him at 52 for the season, and he needs an average of 6 per game for the rest of the season to get 100. He also had a poor performance in yardage with only 30. Dan Henning needs to learn how to use him correctly, and soon.

And just a bizarre side note, I am pretty sure the Dolphins lost this week because of me. This is the second week I have eaten pizza during the game, and the last time I ate pizza during a Dolphins game was against the Patriots. That means that when I have eaten pizza this season while watching the Dolphins they have lost by an average of 21.5 points. Maybe the Dan Henning can use me as an excuse before taking the blame himself.

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Miami Dolphins Keys To The Game: TDs Not FGs

Dan Henning: Hot Seat?

The Miami Dolphins offense has been largely unsuccessful getting the ball into the end zone recently. Drives being stopped short have been a problem for Miami in the last two games, and because of their inability to score touchdowns they ended up losing one of those games.

If the Dolphins want to go in to Baltimore and win this game against a top-ranked team, they will have to start finishing off drives in the end zone instead of through the uprights. We need to stop making Dan Carpenter look like the MVP of the team. The man has put up 30 points for the Dolphins in the last two games.

That is a staggering number, and normally a player putting up 30 points would be an exciting statistic for a team, but this statistic is anything but exciting. It exposes the flaw of Miami's red zone offense, and it exposes their inability to finish off drives strong.

Instead of the 30 points Miami got from Carpenter, the Dolphins could have had 70 points from touchdowns instead. I know that it is not realistic to expect any team in the NFL to score a touchdown on every scoring drive, but I just wanted to show you how many possible points Miami could have gotten. That is 40 wasted points.

Even if Miami converted half of those field goals into touchdowns instead, then they would have 50 total points, which is still 20 more points than what they originally had. 20 points is a huge difference, and I am positive that the extra points would have led the Dolphins to a win over Pittsburgh a week ago.

Much of the terrible efficiency in enemy territory can be attributed to poor play calling. If the Dolphins want to win this game, then they will have to call the right plays at the right time and not dig themselves in a hole on 3rd down.

If Miami is able to convert drives into touchdowns instead of field goals by good execution and play calling, then they will be a lot better off against Baltimore. This game will probably have a lot of influence on whether Dan Henning keeps his job after this season.

24 hours from when this article is posted, the game will be over and we will know if Miami was able to convert long drives into touchdowns instead of field goals, and Dan Henning better hope for his own sake that they do.

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I Have A Hunch About What The Miami Dolphins Will Do This Sunday Against Baltimore

Remember That?

I have a good feeling about this Sunday's game against Baltimore. I believe that the Dolphins offense will be able to start back the running game and put points up on the board. Yes, the Ravens have a top-caliber defense, but what you may not realize is that they have a weakness to the running game.

They are 10th or better in the NFL in every major defensive statistic except for rushing yards allowed, in which they are 17th, and they have allowed an average of just over 109 yards on the ground. That is where the Miami Dolphins need to capitalize, and capitalize they will.

My hunch for this week is that the Dolphins are going to bring back the wildcat and be successful with it. I have no quotes by players or hints from any insiders telling me Miami is going to reintroduce it. Nobody has told me that they would introduce it. I am just making a guess based on the fact that the Ravens are weakest against the running game and I don't think the Dolphins (and especially Dan Henning) are not willing to give up the wildcat fully.

I just have a feeling that the Dolphins will run the wildcat, and that they will run it successfully.

The Dolphins woes with the running game this year have to do with poor run blocking. Miami's offensive line has become really good at pass blocking, but that has come at the cost of blocking for the run game. Don't get me wrong, I love how well the Dolphins offensive line blocks for the pass. I would rather them be better at pass blocking than run blocking, but it is important for an offensive line to do both well.

I have a feeling that Miami has been working on pass blocking for the wildcat during practice since they stopped using it. My hope is that they have worked on it enough that they will be prepared to block when Ronnie Brown lines up to take the snap. It worked well before, and I think it can work well again with enough practice and preparation.

It hasn't exactly been that long since Miami last ran the wildcat, but I still feel like Dan Henning won't be willing to keep it on the shelf any longer.

We will see if I am right, though. Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment if you feel so inclined.

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I Believe It Is Finally Time For The Miami Dolphins To Partially Bench Jason Allen

I'd Like To See More Of Sean Smith

At first, when Jason Allen was named a starting cornerback for the Miami Dolphins he played really well, and he was a big reason Miami beat the Vikings in Week 2. Now, he is constantly being beat by receivers, and he gives up huge plays against opposing teams.

Yes, Allen is a talented corner, and he should by no means ride the bench completely, but he should not be out there covering the opposing team's top receiver for the majority of the game like he has been.

That honor should go to Sean Smith.

First, let me say that I would prefer Vontae Davis covering the top receivers, but he always seems to cover the same side on defense, and opposing offenses will put their best receiver on the opposite side so Davis won't be covering him. I am really not quite sure why he sticks with one side. Maybe he is just more comfortable there, I don't know. All I do know is that the Dolphins have to deal with it, and Sean Smith seems more suited to me than Jason Allen to man up on the best receivers in the NFL.

This week's game against the Ravens will be the perfect chance to put Smith in. Anquan Boldin is the most talented receiver on the Ravens, and he is three inches shorter than Sean Smith at 6'1". Smith should be able to use that height to his advantage, and he would be especially good at stopping a jump ball in the end zone.

I believe that it is finally time to allow Smith to retain his starting spot that he had last year. You know he is ready for it. The man has an incredible amount of self-confidence, and I am pretty sure he won't be intimidated too easily by Boldin or any other receiver.

The Miami Dolphins allow an average of 207.9 passing yards a game to enemy offenses, and I am willing to bet that Allen gave up the majority of those yards. I have no statistics to back that assumption up, but I am pretty confident about it.

So, my plea to the Miami Dolphins defense, which has been very impressive so far this season, is that they allow Sean Smith to play a lot more instead of Jason Allen.

That's all for now, and thanks everyone for reading.

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The Dolphins Didn't Get Moss, So Now Our Focus Shifts To Baltimore

Time To Shift Focus

While I believe the Miami Dolphins should have claimed Moss off of waivers, I still think that the Dolphins are an extremely talented team without him. If anything, I was just being greedy in my desire for Miami to pick up Moss. It is very possible that he wouldn't have done anything special, but now we will never know.

But now the Titans have him, and there is nothing more the Dolphins can do about it. So, it is time for us to move on to the Dolphins match-up against the Ravens this week. This is another one of those games that will have huge implications if Miami is able to win. Baltimore is considered one of the top teams in the NFL, and if the Dolphins were able to take them down it would be huge.

A win against the Ravens would put Miami at 5-3, and hopefully one step closer to moving to the top of the division. The Jets and Patriots don't exactly have the toughest games this week playing the Lions and the Browns, respectively, but you never know. Anything can happen on any given Sunday, and after their disappointing loss last week to Green Bay, who's to say that the Jets will do any better this week?

The Ravens have a great defense, but this game is still the perfect opportunity for Miami to move up as a top NFL team. Baltimore is a really good team, but they aren't as good as some people think. They just barely edged out the Bills last week in overtime, and their offense is very middle-of-the-road. The Ravens offense is 15th in the league in points with an average of 21.3 a game, and they are 14th in total yards with 340.3 a game.

Those numbers are not exactly anything to be proud of, so if Miami's offense is actually able to score touchdowns instead of field goals then they should win.

Stay tuned for keys to the Dolphins winning the game, and please leave a comment with any response or reaction you have to anything written here.

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Dandy Randy: Will (And Should) The Miami Dolphins Go For Randy Moss?

Randy Moss

In a move that surprised everybody in the NFL community, except for Brad Childress, the Minnesota Vikings have placed Randy Moss on waivers. The only thing this move assures us of is that Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress will be fired because he made this decision without Vikings owner Zygi Wilf

What that means is that all 32 teams have a possibility of picking Moss up if they so choose. In waivers the team with the worst schedule gets the first opportunity to pick a player up, and if they pass the next-worst team is allowed to get him. This continues all the way to the very best team in the league or until a team decides to pick the player up. The waiver period lasts 24 hours.

If a team does pick up Moss they will have to eat (pay) the remainder of his contract, and he would be on the team just like any other player.

If nobody tries to claim him within the 24-hour period, then the Vikings have to pay Moss the rest of his contract and he will become a normal free agent.

That was the basic details, now for Moss and how he relates to the Dolphins.

Initially after the announcement that Moss would be put on waivers, a report came out that the Dolphins and Seahawks had shown interest in acquiring Moss.

So far, there has not been any more news about any other teams showing interest, but there a lot of teams that have a higher waiver priority than Miami that could really use Moss' help.

But, it is still possible that Randy Moss could end up falling to the Dolphins.

My first thought about Moss playing for the Miami Dolphins for the rest of the year is how he would be a huge help for our passing offense. Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall are both premiere receivers in the NFL, and why wouldn't they be great together?

On the outside it seems like the two would be great together, but I have my doubts. Both players want to put up good numbers, or they will start to complain. While, I don't think that Marshall is nearly as much of a diva and wouldn't complain as much as Randy Moss, he still has his moments. It could end up that one of the two does really well, and the other doesn't produce nearly as much as they normally wouldn't.

That would probably lead to the receiver producing less to start complaining, and that would lead to the Dolphins wasting money. It would either mean that they wasted money on Marshall with the contract they awarded him this off season, or they would have wasted the money they paid for the remainder of Moss' contract.

That is what could go wrong, but adding Moss could also be a big help. It all depends on a bunch of different factors, and one of those factors is Dan Henning. Henning doesn't know how to use our current offense properly. Who's to say that he would know how to use Moss?

We do know that Marshall would like to have Moss on the team. He said this:

"Yeah, I want to go get him. Let's get him. Let's go get him."

Sounds to me like he would like him, and I'll be honest I would like him on the Dolphins, too.

At first I had my doubts, but now that I think about it I would love the Dolphins to get Moss. He is just too good to pass up on for a relatively cheap price tag.

Moss and Marshall could be like an upgraded version of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.

AND, if Randy Moss does fall to the Dolphins I am almost positive they would add him. If you remember, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross predicted that the Dolphins would make it to the Super Bowl this season. I have a feeling that he would be willing to pay Moss the rest of this year's contract to make Miami a legitimate Super Bowl contender right now.

So, be sure to stay tuned. Within 24 hours we will know where Moss ends up.

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"Experts" Weigh In On The Miami Dolphins Quarterback Situation

Ok, so maybe we're not completely experts on the Miami Dolphins, but we have got to be pretty close.

Gary and I both like to think we know a good bit about the Dolphins, but you probably won't agree with us all of the time. So, I implore you to leave a comment any time that you disagree. We love starting discussion, and that is what we write for.

So any time that you have a reaction to something either of us says just post it in the comments.

And now, here is each of our opinions on the Dolphins QB situation. I will start with Gary's:

(Written by Gary)
There has been a ton of debate on who the QB should be down here in Miami, but I think the debate is over. Chad Henne is the QB of the Miami Dolphins for now, and for the future. He has settled in very nicely, and I can't help but feel that the search for a QB is over.

I'm sure he is going to have days we wish he were back playing for Michigan, but that is true for nearly every young QB in the league. Would you rather see us with Mark Sanchez, Vince Young, Alex Smith, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Matthew Stafford, or Sam Bradford? I do like Stafford, so let's take him off the list, and Bradford is doing as well as Henne so he shouldn't be on the list either.

Not convinced yet? Well, in Henne's 2nd year take a look at who is rated below him according to ESPN. Click on this link:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/passing

We have Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Tony Romo, Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler, Brett Farve, and a few other big names. Plus, of those above him whom would you want in his place? Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb, or Kyle Orton? You're kidding right?

As much as Chad Pennington has done for the Dolphins, he is NOT better than Chad Henne. The Miami Dolphins have found their QB, and no he is not a Dan Marino, but who is? He is getting better every week, and I can see him growing into the leader on offense.

I don't know how this year is going to work out, but we have found our QB.


My Opinion (Paul)
I agree with Gary that Chad Henne is our man. Henne gives us an arm that throws the ball farther than 30 yards, and he is still young. Pennington really doesn't throw the ball deep ever, and he will retire soon.

I have said it time and time again. Chad Henne is the quarterback of the future for the Miami Dolphins, and to those of you who argue that Chad Pennington will give the Dolphins a better chance to win you are wrong. Henne has the ability to make a big throw and put points on the board quickly. Pennington doesn't.

He is also a great game manager. He may not be as good at managing the game as Chad Pennington just yet, but he is getting there.

And, for the sake of the argument, let's pretend like Pennington does give the Dolphins a better chance to win. Starting him will not benefit Miami in the future. They may have a good season this year, but what happens when Pennington retires?

You are back to square one with Henne, and then it is rebuilding time again. And while rebuilding is necessary sometimes, it isn't always fun to watch.


Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment responding to either of us.

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