phins2phins

Week 4 Preview: Dolphins @ Cardinals

2012-09-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

After coming off a devastating loss against the Jets on week 3, the Dolphins head out 3,000 miles west to face the undefeated Arizona Cardinals, add to that the fact that their star player Reggie Bush is lised as questionable and you now have Tannehill facing the toughest challenge of his professional career thus far. I don't know about you, but I am excited to see just how this game plays out because I do believe we can take this one.

It all comes down to the defense, both teams have a solid defense (Arizona is currently ranked at #2), and have had average play at the QB position. I expect our front seven to shut down their running game, something they've been doing all season long and which should be an easier task this week given the injuries that the Cardinals have in the backfield (B. Wells is in IR and they have injuries at TE and FB) this would make the Cardinals offense one-dimensional and put it all in the hands of Kolb who is a backup and whom I expect our secondary to shut down. I want to see how far Sean Smith has come when he's covering a true #1 receiver such as Larry Fitzgerald.

With Bush out, the load of the carries would go to Thomas with Miller playing a complimentary role, which means the pressure really would all be on Tannehill who would likely have to rely on his passing game more heavily. This is the same exact situation he found himsle fin last week after Bush went out and despite that one INT early in the third quarter, he found a way to bounce back. This week however he goes into the game with a gameplan, and Bush finds himself listed as questionable. If Bush was to suit up, this would increase the rookie QBs options and may just give him the confidence he needs to beat this Cardinals team even if Bush only had a small number of carries.

I'm excited to see this one play out... It's a reach but I'm saying Dolohins 17 Cardinals 13 in a game that's close until late in the fourth quarter.

Week 3 Dolphins v Jets

2012-09-23T08:32:00.003-07:00

Well call me a coach and put me on the sidelines since my game plan for last week was executed completely and to perfection. This Sunday’s game, which is suspected to be a wet one, will be against a much tougher opponent but the rewards for pulling off a win are significantly bigger. First of all, the winner will be at the top of the AFC East, and who really predicted the Dolphins would ever find themselves there? Talk about a confident booster for a young team from whom people around the league have little to no expectations at all.

Most importantly however, a victory this Sunday gives all loyal dolfans the chance to walk up to any obnoxious Jets fan and tell them to suck it, and I can’t think of anything better than that. The fans wouldn’t be the only ones walking away with bragging rights though, the players also get to walk away from a game in which they beat their former coach, and while Sparano may have been loved in the locker room prior to departing, you know the players he coached would love to walk up to him at the end knowing that they were the better ones on Sunday.

The keys to winning the game this Sunday are simple really, run the ball on offense with enough passing to open up lanes for Reggie and Miller, and make them one dimensional on defense forcing them to throw the ball in uncomfortable situations. The tricky part in defense this week will be defending the so called “Tebow package” which is really just a fancy name for we’re going to run the wildcat on the team that re-introduced it to the league! I mean we should be able to defend something we have been practicing longer than anyone else and a gimmick which we perfected before the clown who mocked us tried to make it his own. I think Sparano prepared the Tebow package just for this game but I also think the Dolphins are prepared for Tebow, after the number he ran on us last year when he came in to town and singlehandedly won a game in the fourth quarter. I also believe that after Rex’s outburst this week when confronted about his starting QB situation, his pride may get the better of him and put him in a position where Sanchez, once again plays longer than he should just to prove a point.

Regardless of what the situation with that dysfunctional team that’s coming into town is, it’s important to remember that we win this game by playing our game and having them adjust theirs, stop their gimmicky plays once or twice and limit their third down conversions like we did last week and surely they will implode but that’s not enough, we also have to be sharp on offense and make our own QB mobile and comfortable, don’t force him to pay visits to Revis island but don’t discourage him from it if he feels he gets a good look. We need to trust our QB and our QB needs to trust his line and playmakers so the chemistry that we are seeing continues to develop, this will be a true test to the team’s ability and cohesiveness and I really do believe that we will be the ones that come out on top this weekend.

Score predictions: Dolphins 17 Jets 9 (I mean it is field goal Sparano, lol)

Week 2 Dolphins v Raiders Preview

2012-09-16T06:12:00.001-07:00

In this Sunday's home opening game against the Raiders the Dolphins will pay homage to the 1972 team in honor of the 40 year anniversary of their still unmatched undefeated season. Fans attending the game will receive a throwback hat commemorating the event, but as big of an honor as attending this event is, there are other things us fans expect to see this Sunday from what is the first real test of where this team stands in term of of competitiveness in the league this year.

The Raiders are traveling 3000+ miles, changing time zones and missing key components in their offense so loosing is definitely not an option for them, not only do they have the better match up going into the game but starting the season at 0-2 heading into the Jets game next week is just not an option.

Here are some of the things I look forward to seeing this game: first of all I expect to see Reggie Bush carrying the load off the back field with both rushing and receiving yards, I'm also hoping Miller can step up and fill the void left by Thomas who has been ruled out for the game (he's a third round pick and thus I'm expecting him to perform at a high level, otherwise, Ireland opposers will have some more ammunition to attack his character going forward).

I also expect to see more mobility from Tannehill, after throwing 3 INTs in last weeks game against the Texans, I would think adjustments have been made; introducing a 5-7 step drop would be helpful in terms of buying him time, as it was that short 3 step drop that allowed the Texans to get to him several times last game.

The offensive line also needs to step up their protection, I am not interested in playing the blame game, tipped passes are both the QBs and o-lines fault, it's not like the o-line doesn't realize they have a rookie under center, he might make some mistakes but we need to be more aggressive in coverage when he does, we can't allow all tipped passes, regardless of culpability to all go the other way.

I'm also looking forward to Brian Hartline being put more to use during the game, he came into play several times late into the last game and seemed to be pretty effective despite having had missed most of the offseason's mini camps and training camp. If he's to be our # 1 WR going forward then we need to start exploring and building that bond between him and the QB.

On the defensive side of the ball I expect to see more of what I saw last week, we were very effective stoppingt he run, which will be important considering most of the Raiders offense will likely come from McFadden since the team has injuries at the WR position. The secondary needs to remain tight however, we need them to step up their coverages little bit more, something that should be considerably easier to do this week.

Finally, I expect to see more stamina from the team as a whole, we can't go into the 4th quarter with the tank running close to empty, the weather conditions in South Florida should make it so that we can outlast every other team so I hope conditioning played an important role during practice this week; I mean we all know how long a football game is, and I expect to see the same level of play from start to finish.

Game score prediction: Dolphins 24 - Raiders 10

Week 6: Dolphins at Packers Preview

2010-10-17T08:42:00.001-07:00

The Dolphins are set to kick off in Green Bay at 1 pm today and after a bye week I am ready for some Dolphins football. I have to admit that I still have a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth following our last loss to the Patriots, but with it being two weeks behind I’m fairly confident that the team has put enough time in to correct their mistakes and bounce back. Sure two divisional losses going into the bye week are not ideal, but with a 2-2 record and knowing that we get the opportunity to play them again at the end of the season, there is no reason to count our boys out, we are still in it and where we end up this season is still pretty much in our hands.

A win at Lambeau would be exactly what we need to get ourselves right back on track and it is something that we have the tools to accomplish. This is what I’m looking forward to seeing this game, my predictions if you will:

Offense: After a disappointing performance following what was the best game of his career, Henne will bounce back and deliver a new personal best, being benched after throwing three interceptions has a way of building up the fire in you and I think that will come out today. I am also hoping that Henne will take the time to look down the field before throwing some questionable passes, Hartline was open after all for most of the game last week and was overlooked every time, something that I am sure the team reviewed while watching tape.

Defense: Aaron Rodgers might be one of the best QBs in the league but his O-line is not the best so I think we will see Wake explode in this game, the Packers should be worried about how a hit on their QB could affect him after coming off a concussion.

Special Teams: I’d be happy if the special teams unit makes no mistakes… Baby steps people, if they can manage to get the job done then our offense and defense can do the rest.

And finally my score prediction is Dolphins come out with a 21-17 win… What do you think???

Sundays Are Not the Same Without the Dolphins

2010-10-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Prior to the start of the season I can admit I was worried about the fact that our bye week came by so early on; but now that it's here I have to admit I am thankful. The Dolphins started this season stronger than they have in the past few years by going 2-0 with road victories only to come home and fall to two division rivals, and while their performance against the Jets is not something to be embarrassed about, the game against the Patriots was an ultimate disgrace!

At 2-2 the Dolphins sit third in the division, and although working their way out of that hole will be difficult, it's not an impossible task. As of right now, the team needs to remain focused on the fact that although it doesn't seem like it, their destiny is indeed still in their hands, we do after all play both of the teams that beat us and a split will leave us even with them when it comes to the division.

Another unlikely small advantage also materialized last week when Randy Moss got traded to the Vikings; this trade benefits the Dolphins two-fold. On one side, the Patriots have given up one of the better wide receivers in the league, making them a slightly weaker team, and on the other hand, it made the Vikings stronger. The benefit for us lies in the fact that while we already beat the Vikings, the Jets and the Patriots still have to play them and the addition of Moss adds to the possibility of the Vikings pulling those wins, thus giving the Dolphins the little bit of the edge they might need come the end of the season if they pull the wins they need to pull themselves.

There has been a lot of talk about pressing the panic button last week, and I'll admit I was close to considering it as well, but now that I've had a couple of days to regroup I have decided to wait and see what kind of a performance we can put up in Green Bay coming of a bye, against a Packers team that was beat by a not so strong Bears team a week ago. I have faith in the boys, and I will stand by them til the last game of the season... I'll miss you out on the field this week, but I know you will make it up to me the next =)

Dolphins v Jets Week 3 Preview

2010-09-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come when we get to see our Miami Dolphins take on the field in front of their home crowd and it couldn't be against a better opponent than the New York Jets. Just to make it clear, I don't think the Jets are the best opponent we could face in our home opener because they are a good team, but rather because there isn't a single team I get more pleasure out of beating than the Jets, and I am confident we will beat them.

I could try to write a never-ending post on how bad we are going to beat the Jets tonight, but this week only, I have decided that I will let my team do the talking, and I'm just going to stand up and scream while it happens. See you all at the stadium, it's going to be a great night in South Florida

Super Fan Series: PhinAddicts

2010-09-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines addiction as the compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance characterized by tolerance and by well defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. If you’re one of those people who go through the week counting down the minutes until kick-off because nothing brings you greater joy than watching the Dolphins take the field, and the idea of a having to fill your Sundays with some other form of entertainment during a bye week is unbearable, then you my friend are a PhinAddict.

Jeff Smith and Jeff Rudman were the first to coin the term "PhinAddicts". Smith who resides in Fort Myers and drives hours to and from each game has been a Dolfan for decades. Rudman is a 26 year season ticket holder who grew up attending Dolphins games at the Orange Bowl during the glory days. The two met only a couple of years ago when near the end of the 2006 season Smith bought West Endzone Field Club tickets from Rudman and was so overwhelmed by the experience that the two decided to attend games together in the Field Club during the 2007 season.

Solely attending games was not enough though, so in 2007 Fro and Stripe were born. Fro and Stripe more than being characters are a true representation of Smith and Rudman’s identity as Dolfans and are so named because of the outfit , or more specifically the headware each of them sport on gameday; Smith an orange afro wig and Rudman a teal mohawk with an orange stripe down the middle.

While at the stadium doing their thing one day their phones began to buzz with texts and phone calls from friends and relatives who had just seen them not only in the jumbotron but also on network TV. Shortly thereafter their true moment of realization would come when they had people coming up to them around the stadium asking them to keep up the good work, it was then that they felt the need to adopt an identity that all Dolfans could relate to, hence the PhinAddicts.

Essentially the PhinAddicts are a byproduct of the 2007 character building one win season. They saw this as a chance to show everyone that they would support any team that wears the dolphins uniform, even if the product on the field is not as productive as it should be. As they expressed to me, they were and continue to be just a couple of passionate fans in the stands who enjoy expressing their “Phintensity” and are looking to raise the bar of “Phinaddicism” reenergizing the Dolphins fan base while bringing back the home field advantage we as a team used to have!

Spreading the word about the PhinAddicts proved to be an easy task thanks to Facebook, where a page with the PhinAddicts name was created as a place for them to easily talk to their fans. The PhinAddicts page might not be the most informative of all Dolfan pages or even the one with the biggest following but that was never their intention upon creating it; what they really wanted was to establish relationships with true Dolphins fans and that is something they feel like they have truly done. “There are days during the work week that we are up most of the night just chatting with other Dolfans from around the world and we love every minute of it.”

Today, they’re not alone in their goal; the PhinAddicts, along with other groups and individuals like the Dolfan Bandits, Fins Chix, FINtastic Four, Papa Pump & Co., Roger Avila & Jr., Finman Finhead, Mike Smoller and his precious girls, Venus Utegg and many others understand that the sports culture in Miami lends itself to bandwagon jumping and together they have set out to change this mindset and they truly believe that they can spread the Phinaddicism not just on a local or national level, but on a global one. “It is gut check time for true Dofans to be accountable as are their players for their play on the field and give it all they have through both the great and challenging times.”

This group of fans has become so tight knit that when one of the members was called out in a local sports talk radio show for choosing to spend much of his available personal time painting his body and pumping up the crowd in practice they decided to use Facebook as a platform to voice their opinion and spearheaded a movement to demand an apology which they received not only on the air but off the air as well.

It is this sense of camaraderie that has made the PhinAddict movement worthwhile for Smith and Rudman, whom I got a chance to interview for this article. It has been almost impossible for me to replicate the passion they showed when talking about what they do which is why I have chosen to share a little bit of that session with you so you can see for yourselves.

Q.- What game are you looking forward to the most this season and why?
A.- Without question the Jets Sunday night home opener. This intense rivalry game on its own would be circled on our calendar but the fact that it represents the return of J.T. in a Jets uniform makes the plot line all the more interesting. Nothing would make us more excited than to pound them in our Home stadium and be able to watch Rex “Cryan” over and over again during the post game press conference. ;)

Q.- What is the best thing that has come from this?
A.- Easy answer; undoubtedly, the camaraderie with fellow PhinAddicts such as Erwin Ridwan, Cynthia Rubio & Mark Tiapkov! The networking has allowed us to meet some amazing soldiers fighting over seas as well as some wonderful veterans. We are so appreciative for what they have done and continue to do keeping America safe and out of harm’s way allowing us to enjoy our liberties. Being asked to participate as a judge for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleading Selection Committee was quite an honor and an amazing experience. We have the most talented and beautiful group of girls in the entire NFL!
Dolphin games give us a sense of community, a familiarity among ordinary strangers joined by one common bond MIAMI DOLPHINS FOOTBALL. We recognize how fortunate we are to attend all home games and the occasional road game. There are so many Dolfans out there who we have come into contact with whose dream it is to simply attend one Home game. It’s an amazing feeling to get recognized whether it is on the jumbotron or by someone walking by you with a high five. Each time we express ourselves on the field we do so knowing full well we are representing those who wish they could be there! If we have our voice left after a game; shame on us!

Q.- Do you have a favorite memory?
A.- There are so many to choose from like reminding Ravens DB Terrell Suggs he picked the wrong endzone to celebrate his INT-TD “NOT IN OUR HOUSE” but we would have to say Camarillo’s TD to prevent our proud franchise from going winless and the ensuing celebration thereafter with the entire team in our Field Club section. That was what we call a “PHINGASMIC” moment. Phingasm – Euphoria following a climactic, game defining moment leading to a Dolphins victory. Look out Wikipedia – here we come!

Q.- Is there anything you look forward to doing in the future?
A.- Raising more money for the Miami Dolphins Foundation. We look forward to meeting new Dolfans and celebrating Super Bowl Victories with our Fan base! Also, we are currently in the process of creating the “ULTIMATE DOLFANS GLOBAL ALBUM”. The Purpose of the album is to bring about the unification of all Dolfans worldwide. We are asking everyone to submit their favorite Dolphins picture of all time for all to enjoy. We currently have hundreds of pictures submitted and are hopeful to have it completed by the 1st quarter of the 2010 season. You really have to see these! Right now we have them in one of our many Facebook albums called; you guessed it, ULTIMATE DOLFANS GLOBAL ALBUM.

As much as they feel have taken from the Dolfan community, the PhinAddicts have also made sure to contribute back in many ways. They collaborated on a project to produce Phinaddicts’ “PHINFANS4LIFE” original art T-Shirts for “$19.72” while donating a portion of the proceeds to the MDF - Miami Dolphins Foundation. Thus far, they have had a very favorable reaction and are very grateful for all the support. Their second print titled “Logo” will be priced at “$20.10” and has just been released so please look out for it! The MDF is devoted to providing and supporting signature Education, Health, Youth Athletic Programs and Volunteer Activities that inspire and engage communities throughout Florida.

They have also made sure to find a way to give something back to the fans that make everything they do possible; so, as a way to reward their Facebook friends, their journey has enabled them to partner up with www.Gold Marlin.com, a successful internet based retail store who is an authorized Hook & Tackle® dealer specializing in innovative technical fishing wear and the casual fisherman lifestyle. Gold Marlin has graciously become a sponsor of their Facebook Score Prediction Contest for all Dolphin road games. The objective of this contest is to be the closest to predict the final score of a Dolphins victory and the winner will receive an authentic Hook & Tackle® garment/s. The contest is usually announced on their FB page a few hours before kickoff and the first person to submit the most accurate score after their submission request post wins.

Ultimately, the PhinAddicts are about one thing, and that is interacting with other fans who share their “addiction” for Dolphins football and so before I go I will share this request with you:

“We love to tailgate at E-12 - Blue Lot in front of Gate D and would hope that everyone reading this knows we encourage all to come by and say hello or just hang with us. We’ve got good food, good vibes and nothing but good times. A tailgate would not be complete without a competitive game of corn hole so if you have not heard of it and are willing to try something new come on over.

We would love nothing more than to travel to each road game and find front row seats to represent our team but unfortunately our obligations to our families prevent us from having the time and resources to make this happen. We do our best to make it to at least one road game a year and we have yet to decide which one it will be for this season. In the meantime, we do the next best thing; hold Dolphin Road Rallys at different sports bars. We usually announce the location a few days before the game on Facebook so everyone can make their plans, so please join us.”

The PhinAddicts were featured as the fan of the week the very first week of the season on ESPNs Facebook page, show them your support by heading over and reading that article as well, and let's do them proud by heading out to support our team each and every Sunday. We know the Dolphins have the best fans in the NFL, let's go out there and prove it.

Dolphins @ Vikings Week 2 Preview

2010-09-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Dolphins enter the second week of the NFL season with a positive 1-0 record, something they haven't been able to do for a few years now, but this week they face a stronger opponent when they prepare to take the field against the Minnesota Vikings tomorrow at 1 pm.

The Vikings represent the first big challenge the Dolphins will face in the next few weeks as they prepare to take on four consecutive opponents who all made the playoffs last season, and they have all the tools required to pull of the upset, the question is whether or not they'll be able to pull it together in time to do so. There were a lot of questions surrounding the Dolphins victory last week over the Bills, but I stand strong in my opinion that they were just trying to do enough to get by; we will find out this week whether or not I was right.

The Vikings on the other hand come into this game having lost to the Saints last Thursday in the opening game, a rematch of last year's NFC Championship. For a team that has high Super Bowl expectations two consecutive losses would just not be accepatble. Favre himself has something to prove too since he lacked chemistry with most of his receivers and didn't really connect with any of them in a big way during that game; oddly enough he seemed to have the most chemistry with Camarrillo, a guy we traded and someone whom he has never shared the field before. Favre also probably has a little bone to pick with the Dolphins since it less than two years ago the Dolphins D threw him around all over the field in that final game of the 2008 season when we defeated the Jets and earned the top spot in the division.

It'll be interesting to see how our defense will do against a team like the Vikings, Clemmons will see himself challenged this week and I hope he will make his presence known as he did last week, I expect the same from the secondary and I want to see the D line be strong both, when containing the run and when limiting Favre to throwing from the pocket. Having Dansby show up like last week and get a sack three games into the game would be a nice touch.

On offense I'd like to see Henne cut lose, the Vikings have a strong run defense and the only way we can open up the game is by stretching the field out with our passing game, it's about time we hear the first Henne to Marshall for a touchdown of 40+ yards.

This is a game that we can win and one that I expect for them to win, going into the season I had originally conceded this to be one of the games we would lose, but now that it's here and having watched both teams my opinion has changed. I don't think it'll be an easy one and I'm sure my opinion is strongly biased but here is my prediction anyway: The game will be a nail biter until the end, the Dolphins win it 20-14, and just fo fun Favre thrown one int... I just haven't decided who is the one that picks him... Benny Sapp maybe?

Dolphins Get the Job Done While the Jets Crash and Burn… Week 1 in Review

2010-09-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Miami Dolphins started their season of the right way by pulling in a victory in Orchard Park, against division rivals the Buffalo Bills, which for the time being puts them in first place. A lot of people out there are calling this an ugly victory, yet I wasn’t at all disappointed about the way the Dolphins played.

Going into this game I predicted the final score to be 17-10 so I wasn’t surprised to see the game play out the way it did. First of all, the Bills have always been a tough division opponent at home, and proved to be an especially tough challenge for Henne last year, so cautiousness was to be expected from the QB. Second and most importantly, I believe the team went out there trying to get a victory while giving away the bare minimum as far as our playbook goes.

In the next three weeks the Dolphins will have games which are considerably more challenging than the Bills game was, starting out next Sunday against the Vikings, a game that I think we could just win if we play our cards right, because we have the talent to do it. What I saw on Sunday from the Dolphins was just enough to entice me to see more, because there is a lot more “good” coming this season.

The defense on Sunday was outstanding and that was without being fully unleashed. Dansby took control of it and showed everyone just how aggressive they have to be when he got his first sack just three plays into the game. Clemmons who’s had a question mark on him since the first week of the preseason also made his presence known and gave the fans confidence in the safety position, something they have not felt comfortable with in years. Overall, the defense was dominant, allowing the Bills only 166 yards and nine first downs and putting up two points in the board by way of a safety.

The offense although not as impressive got the job done, and now has an opportunity to go back and make the adjustments needed before next week’s game, but I believe that part of it also was conservative play calling, because again, we don’t want to give up all out tricks against the Bills. Some people have expressed concern over Henne and while it is true that he was taking a little too long to release the ball and maybe locking down on his receiver a little to quickly, you also have to consider the fact that not only was it the first game of the season, where this is normal (just look around the league), but also, his last appearance in Buffalo didn’t end to well, when he got picked three times in a game that was as much of a must win as this one was for us on Sunday.

We started out the season with a W and that is something we should be proud of, next week’s opponent won’t hand it over too easily; so let’s put that win in the books and move on and get ready for will be the first of many challenges. We had a few close hard games last season and we let them slip let’s not do that again this season!

On Monday Night Football, not too far from where the Dolphins earned their first victory, the Jets put on a show Monday night, but unlike Hard Knocks, there was no laughter or obnoxious comments from Rex Ryan as the Jets got exposed on both sides of the ball. The Jets have absolutely nothing on offense and I still believe they are a team running on hopes of having a QB when clearly Sanchez is not everything they have built him up to be. On defense, while still a force to be reckoned with, Cromartie proved to be more of a liability than an asset, costing the team an excessive number of yards in penalties which were enough to convert first downs, leaving people wondering if Revis’ island will be a place team's chose to vacation in when they have a five star resort on the opposite side of the field.

Overall this first week of football couldn’t have turned out any better, the Dolphins secure a win while the Jets lose in such an embarrassing fashion that even ESPN analysts are trying to express some doubts (who knew?). Weekend like this one remind me there is nothing I’d rather do… Is it Sunday yet?

Dolphins @ Bills Week 1 Preview

2010-09-11T09:23:00.001-07:00

The Miami Dolphins kick off their season in approximately 24 hours against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Expectations are high for this Dolphins’ team going into the season despite all the mishaps that the team showed during preseason and tomorrow’s game is one of those games they just can’t afford to lose.

The last time the Dolphins beat the Bills in Buffalo was in 2003, with last year’s loss being one of the most disappointing ones because it was the one that started us on the downward spiral of loses that kept us out of the playoffs.

This season the stakes are higher as the front end of our schedule is the toughest one, and we need to be able to get a solid win in Buffalo to start the season on solid ground, since as I have pointed out many times before the leader in the division will be established by week 4 when everyone in the AFC East has had the opportunity to play against one another and I don’t want the Dolphins to be digging themselves out of a deep hole from early on.

Our goal going into Buffalo should be to win in as easy a fashion as we can and without giving away to many of our secrets early on, especially on defense since our new defensive scheme is yet to be fully revealed and might be the difference maker in the first few games of the season, starting with the Vikings game in which, I believe, the defense is what will make the difference between walking out with a win or loss.

There are a few things I expect to see in tomorrow’s game, I want to see the chemistry between Henne and his receivers and I want him to be given the opportunity to throw a few long passes to build his confidence. We went out and got ourselves a number one receiver in Marshall, let’s go out and use him! The only way the Marshall effect will cause a ripple effect is if we use Marshall so we need to throw a couple of good long passes to him early on to let other teams know he is truly something they need to worry about.

I also expect the defense to come out strong in this first game, the nice thing about playing Buffalo is that we can present a strong defense, especially when it comes to defending the run, while saving our pass rushing schemes and blitz packages until next week because Buffalo’s passing game doesn’t represent a real threat.

Finally, I want to see a solid secondary and I expect to see a difference in special teams; the team went out and made a few changes to the roster in the past few days and I expect these players that we got to go out there and at least establish their presence on the field.

Football season is finally here, preseason is over and there is no more time for major adjustments. On Sunday our boys will get their gear on and step onto the field ready to show us what they have and how bad they want it, there is no room for error this year, so let’s go out there and show that this season the most overlooked team in the AFC might have just been Miami.

GO DOLPHINS!!! Happy start of the season to everyone.

Dolphins v Cowboys - The Game That Sets the Roster

2010-09-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

This review was intended to be much longer, but with the cuts taking place today and the knowledge that the final 53-man roster will be released shortly some of them are better left to discuss once that final roster is released.

I know some people were disappointed with Thursday night's performance, but the truth of the matter is we gained a lot from that game; the first team offense might have not been perfect but they had chemistry on the field and managed a good drive early on, and the defense although they got beat in the secondary quite often at least didn't look completely lost. The thing is, this game was not meant to be about the starters even though they played, it was about those people fighting to earn a spot, and those guys really did leave it all out there, we just have to wait and see which ones actually made the cut, but let me just say that I think Marlon Moore and Roberto Wallace are in.

My favorite part of the game was getting to see Ricky run for 40+ yards one play and getting the chance to see Sparano enjoying himself out on the field when calling plays. The smiles on the players faces at the end of the game is something I want to see all season long, the final score on the other hand is something I hope not to.

Some people have been ready to press the panic button all preseason but I have managed to stay away from it, preseason is what it is, preseason, a time for testing players, combinations and plays and not a reflection of what's to come in the season; remember that we have started the past two seasons with a perfect 4-0 preseason record only to go on and lose the first couple of games, something we can't afford to do this season. I know Sparano loves to win games, preseason or not, but I honestly believe I saw a different approach to this preseason, he was trying to figure out not only what and who works best, but how much they can all do and how far he can push them because this season starts on week 1 and we can't afford to let down.

The first four weeks will determine who the leader in the division is and will leave all the remaining teams playing catch up. By the end of week 4 all teams in the AFC east will have played one another and the way the schedule is set up Miami has the advantage to take on that lead, all we have to do is get a W at Buffalo and take care of business at home. I have stood behind this team for a long time, but this group in particular is something special and I for one can't wait until they step on the field a week from tomorrow and show us what they are truly made of. The time for tests is over, it is now time to go out there and get the wins I know we can get, starting week 1 with Buffalo!

GO PHINS! Let's get this seasn started

Dolphins v Falcons Review - Lack of Consistency Is Becoming an Issue

2010-08-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Friday night’s game against the Falcons was disappointing to say the least; it wasn’t so much the loss that was disappointing, it was the way the team played. That being said, it is really difficult for me to pinpoint what or who exactly is to blame since we struggled in so many areas of the game, and at this stage having so many question marks is somewhat worrisome.

Henne came into this game with high expectations after last week’s performance and his performance left a lot to be desired. I wouldn’t say he had a horrible game but he did struggle significantly and didn’t seem able to find a rhythm until the last drive of the first half, yet it was the conclusion of that drive that worried me the most. It wasn’t the fact that the drive ended with an interception in the endzone which in and of itself is demoralizing, it was more so the fact that the interception came at a critical point in the game, and it is something we saw last season in the game against the Titans as well; in both instances the interceptions came at critical points in the game that and were important in determining the outcome. Having scored a TD right before the second half would’ve not only evened the score, but it would’ve also generated momentum going into the second half were we would get the chance to start on a new drive as well. I understand that time was an issue and that Marshall wasted a lot of it when he didn’t go down fast enough but Henne needs to get better at not rushing himself in those clutch situations; he needs to take the time to look down the field and when determining whether a player is truly open, because I honestly don’t believe he even saw the LB that tipped the ball coming.

On the plus side though, I noticed that Henne continues to perfect his touch in those short pass situations which has helped in adding some significant yardage, there was only one pass that was thrown with too much force to Bess which caused him to drop it but it was in a situation where he had a LB coming at him and he had to get rid of the ball.

The WRs last night weren’t stellar either, we continue to see a number of dropped passes and it is starting to become an issue of miscommunication. It seems as though in most instances when passes are dropped or completely missed it is a result of a misunderstanding between the receiver and the QB and that was the case when either Henne or Pennington were in so it makes me think it has more to do with how the receivers are running the routes or the fact that they are still not completely in sync with either of the QB’s style, which is a big problem. Hartline however continues to develop and has shown significant improvement when it comes to generating yards after the catch; he also seems to be more aggressive against the defenders when it comes to pursuing the ball, both very good qualities that Marshall is known for.

The most disappointing area offensively however was our running game. Ronnie didn’t add many rushing yards outside of a big chunk that came in a wildcat play and Cobbs and Hillard were virtually invisible, Ricky although not adding much in the running game either did manage to catch a couple of passes for a decent number of yards which is a good thing considering he sometimes has difficulty holding on to the ball.

The offensive line did a fairly good job of protecting the QB which is something they were lacking in at the beginning of training camp so that’s good, but they struggled significantly when it came to opening up space for the running game, even when it came to making a push for those short yard down situations; in their defense, the opposing team doesn’t face much of a challenge when trying to figure out how to defend those situations because they too have come to expect the handoff to Polite.

My biggest concern overall last night was the number of penalties and a lot of them came from players in the O-line. Penalties on offense can cost you the game be it by turning a TD situation into a FG situation or by taking you out of FG range altogether and forcing you to punt the ball. The Dolphins have consistently been one of the least penalized teams in the league during the past few seasons so I’m sure Sparano will have something to say about this. I know the officiating was horrible, but that’s part of the game and you will encounter it throughout the season as well so when it happens you need to find away to adjust, 9 penalties for 75 yards is just not something we can afford to have in any game.

The defense wasn’t great Friday night either but I believe the score would’ve been a lot different had we not had a couple of guys making plays. Our secondary was a little better than in the previous game, but Smith continues to struggle and it was proven yet again that Jason Allen is not suited to fit the bill either. Sapp did a decent job as a CB in his first appearance but his biggest contribution came in the form of special teams where he made his presence known. The brightest star in the secondary was by far Vontae Davis who had a stellar night, he was making plays out in the open with assertiveness and tackling hard all night, even forcing a fumble; if he can find it in him to play at this level consistently he will be one of the most talked about young players this season, and I’m really looking forward to that.

The defensive line is what I have the most trouble of analyzing because there were so many changes going on throughout the night that it was hard to tell who was in at times. This is where I think consistency will start to play a role; once we can figure out the pieces and be consistent with them we will see this d-line blossom. Our rookies had a decent performance and we continue to see Misi grow, he showed some flashes of explosiveness during the game that have me intrigued with what’s to come once the defensive scheme gets unleashed at the beginning of the season; I’m starting to see a lot of promise there. Dansby however, was the best player of the night for me, he was covering an incredible amount of ground during most of the game and making plays on his own and in conjunction with Vontae that were superb; any worries that I had about lack of leadership in the defense after Taylor left have dissipated, as Dansby has done an amazing job at stepping up and filling in his shoes.

Special teams continue to struggle but we are starting to see some players make an impact, including the newly acquired Sapp, so hopefully we will see a few more guys step up to fill their roles in the next few days. Special teams can win games but they can also cost you games and the Dolphins now that better than any other team so I’m sure it is something they will continue to focus on.

The team plays their next game Thursday night against the Cowboys in Dallas, and although it is unusual for starters to play a significant portion of the last preseason game I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in there until half time. Sparano wasn’t any happier with what he saw than we were and considering the game will be played earlier in the week than I think the benefits of having the starters play together one more time before the end of the preseason will outweigh the need to rest them, we’ll find out then.

Dolphins @ Jaguars - What a Difference a Week Makes

2010-08-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Last night's game in Jacksonville was a good one, even though we had to wait 2 hours to get things going. Things started off a little bit rough but we pulled it together quickly and our starters managed to prove a week later that we can indeed play in the rain.

Contrary to last week, this time it would be the offense which would make an impression while the defense showed some weakness. but special teams continue to be a problem and don't seem to have improved much.Overall though we can take away mostly positive things from last night's game, as well as a W, even though we know wins mean nothing in the preseason, it's always better to walk away the winner, it means our backups are better than the other teams'.

Henne had a great night last night, not only did he throw two TD passes, but he was executing all the play actions flawlessly and was throwing the ball beautifully, the only thing I wish I would've seen more of from him is long pass throws. I would love for Henning to start showing some more confidence in Henne by letting him throw the ball deep down the field. Pennington who we all know has a weaker arm was given the opportunity to do so. I understand that Pennington is known for his accuracy but his first pass. which was a long one to Marshall, even though it was caught was underthrown. You have a guy that can run and catch it, use him more! That being said, Pennington had a great night as well and reminded me why I felt so strongly about resigning him, having him on the roster just makes me feel more at ease.

Marshall also had a great night, and the best part is it wasn't as a result of catching the ball. Despite the few drops he's had in the past few days, we all know Marshall can catch the ball, but yesterday I saw him become part of the team. Not once did Marshall give up after the play, instead he was seen blocking, which is what allowed the first TD, and assisting on screen plays. I love seeing Marshall taking that role in stride, he might be known to be a diva but he didn't act like one yesterday and if he continues to play this way, which I am confident he will, then he will become an even greater addition to the team than we first thought.
The player of the game last night for me was Fasano though, he executed those two routes that resulted in TDs last night to perfection, and proved that he is still the player he was in 2008. If you didn't believe the TEs would be a factor in the Dolphins' offense this season, last night served to prove you wrong. We are just two weeks into the preseason and we can already see our offensive game expanding, and the best part is I know they have a lot more they are not showing.

The offensive line was much improved yesterday as well, we still have things that need to be fixed but we are getting there. We are starting to see the things we have talked about being possible in theory starting to happen out on the field and they are working perfectly. I like the direction the offense is heading in, we are changing up what we do and taking advantage of all our opportunities. I hope we will become more aggressive in time, but the season opener is still a few weeks away so I know we'll get there.

It was the defense which took a bit of a step backwards last night. Although they were very effective at stopping the run, we had a lot of problems with the passing game. I still don't see anybody stepping up as a pass rusher and the secondary fell from that place of high praise they put themselves on last week. When it comes to the safeties, Bell continues to excel, while Clemons seems a little lost at times, I do give him a lot of credit though because he is getting better and he isn't ever to far from where he should be, he just needs to be more assertive, and that will come from experience.

The guys that I'm most disappointed about though are Davis and Smith, they both need to be more consistent. This is the second year and by now they should be able to mantain the same level from week to week, I'm not saying they were horrible, but our pass defense last night was average at best and if we want to get anywhere this year we need to improve in that area consistently. I know they have it in them I saw it last week, which is why I was a disappointed with what they showed last night. I might be expecting too much ,but I do so because I know they can deliver.

As disappointed as I was with our poor pass protection yesterday I know it is something that we have the tools to fix and I trust that as unhappy as I am about it, Mike Nolan is probably twice as unhappy and will find a way to fix it. What seems to be quite a way from fixing though is our special teams play.

Two weeks in a row one of Field's punts has been blocked, neither time has it been his fault and last night it cost us points. We can't give up points like that and we have to stop giving away the amount of yards we are giving away on those punt and kick returns, the defense doesn't need that kind of pressure and all the opponent needs is two ten yard conversions to get in field goal range.

It doesn't get much better the other way around either, we need to become more effective at blocking when we are returning kicks as well. I do like what Carroll did last night and think he is a viable option for returns because of his speed and agility, but it would be nice to help by clearing some space.

We have a lot of work to do before our next game Friday against the Falcons, but I do see us improving so I expect next week will be a lot better. There are a lot of things to look forward to in the Falcons game, thankfully the wait will be a little shorter and it will get us a little closer to the start of the season.

Training Camp Series: Part 4 – CBs and Ss

2010-08-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

The secondary was the biggest area of concern for the Dolphins going into the offseason; it was also the one that impressed me the most during Saturday’s game against the Bucs. Our young guys have come a long way and if they can continue to play at the level at which they played on that first game our defensive game as a whole will get to a place much better than we could’ve imagined.

CBs

Vontae Davis continues to be one of my favorite players to watch. Going into his second season, Davis seems to be a lock for the starting left corner spot, as he has proved throughout camp that if nothing else, he is consistent. As the days go by, we see Davis improve his game, even when covering Marshall, he manages to stay close and make the play without drawing a flag, a quality that is extremely important for a corner to be successful in this league.

Sean Smith had a rocky start in camp and even lost his starting spot to Jason Allen a couple of times, but he’s coming back strong and was one of the most noticeable players in the first pre-season game. All that work against Marshall coupled with the pressure of not performing well in camp might be just what he needed to elevate his game to the next level, since I honestly believe he is the most talented corner we have.

Jason Allen has been hot and cold at days during training camp, but is a lock to make the team based solely on the contribution he makes on special teams; that’s not to say he won’t be used as a corner though, because he certainly will be. Sparano is very impressed with what J. Allen has done thus far in camp, mentally, he is the sharpest guy on the team and according to Sparano seems to finally have figured out exactly what his niche is, and that is OCB. He also performed exceptionally well during the game on Saturday so I’m sure we’ll see more of him this next game against the Jags.

At the start of camp, Will Allen had been used exclusively in the nickel package and was said to be the only player who could take on that role, something by the way, he does extremely well. W. Allen’s future seems a little dull at the moment, since he recently suffered an injury and has been out of practice. As usual the extent of the injury is unknown so it’s not clear whether or not he will participate in the next preseason game.

One player who has benefited from this injury is Nollan Carroll. Carroll has definitely made an impression during training camp, especially in recent days when he has been used as the number one guy in all nickel plays in place of W. Allen. In addition to that Carroll has been used in all dime packages and is believed to have almost locked a spot in the 53 man roster where he will also play a role in special teams. Carroll is the rookie I will more closely be following in the next couple of weeks, out of all the rookies he has the hardest road ahead to earn a starting job so I believe he will continue to try to develop his game and get the experience he needs to succeed at this level, I don’t think he will become a starter this season on this team but he can definitely make a significant contribution and will add depth to the roster.

The other two rookies on the team are newly acquired Hobbs, who was signed to replace Oglesby who was cut from the team yet again following injury and Nate Ness, who made the move to the position from safety. Both of these players made a splash during the first preseason game but have a long way to go before securing a spot on the team.

Ss

SS was never a worry for the Dolphins, and that’s because Pro-Bowler Yeremiah Bell is the one filling that position. Bell is one of best in the business as they say and can always be relied upon to make the play, even if his 1-on-1 play is a little shaky at times. Headed into the season there was never any doubt about whether or not he would start there was just the question of who would start opposite him as FS.

Up until this point Sparano has all but said that Chris Clemmons is the guy who will be filling that role. Clemmons has received nothing but praise from the coach who is impressed by just how sharp mentally Clemmons is. According to Sparano, both Clemmons and Bell combined have made 4 mental errors in 945 plays, a definite upgrade from what we saw from Gibril Wilson last season.

Rookie Reshad Jones has also made his presence known at camp and is currently listed as the backup for Clemmons and from the looks of it, he would be ready to step up and fill the role at any time, that is if he is healthy since he was seen limping off the field during yesterday’s practice. Tyrone Culver and Jonathan Amaya have also managed to make some plays in camp, but seem a long way from the rest of the guys.

The secondary seems to be the most improved unit of the team thus far, and I continue to look forward to seeing all of the players, most of whom are really young, continue to develop, not only during preseason, but all year long.

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I want to give special thanks to the Dolfan Bandits and Marky Marc from WQAM for the updates they have been providing on the page and which have been invaluable in adding to my camp information on the days I haven't been out there.

Also, I recently started a facebook page for the blog so if you enjoy reading I hope you'll join:http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Phins-2-Phins/144135708947740?ref=ts

Dolphins v Buccaneers Pre-season Game Impressions

2010-08-16T09:06:00.001-07:00

The long wait for football finally came to an end on Saturday as the Dolphins took the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Weather conditions were horrible for most of the first quarter, and although the rain would eventually stop, the “damage” to the field had already been done, especially near one of the end zones where the Marlins diamond turned into a slippery mud pit which would affect players on both sides for the duration of the game.

After being down 0-7, the Dolphins, led by Thigpen, managed to turn the score around and delivered a 10-7 victory. Despite the win, Saturday’s game wasn’t an easy one, and we saw the weaknesses in certain areas of our game get exposed. As the game went on we did start to see improvements, but I’m not sure how much of it had to do with the adjustments being made as opposed to the fact that we were playing against all of Tampa’s backups. It is worth mentioning though that even if it was due to the latter, that would still prove to be a positive thing; we were after all also playing with our backups and they showed we have good quality players adding depth to the roster.

Overall, the defense proved once again to be dominant on the field compared to the offense, but by far, the one area that needs the most work is special teams. I was not pleased with the special teams’ performance at all. Our kick and punt returns didn’t produce significant gain and we were unable to stop the opposing team when it was their time to return. We need to get a lot better at both of these! By the start of the season I would like to see the special teams improve significantly so they can be the ones giving the offense a good starting position and not leaving the defense in precarious situations as opposed to it being the other way around.

When it comes to the offense, it wasn’t all bad, in reality most of what I saw was good. The running game was very strong with Ronnie leading the way and Ricky making an impression. I was also very impressed by Hilliard who had a chance to show more of what he can do in light of Cobbs’ absence. Not only was Hilliard getting yardage out of rushing plays, but he made a pretty impressive catch as well.

The offensive line was also key during these rushing plays; they were holding the line strong and creating holes for the RBs to get through. It is in the passing plays that they continue to struggle. The QBs are being attacked, and even though there were no sacks in this game, they are feeling the pressure. Henne who is normally very poised in the pocket seemed to be rushing the whole game, even at times when there was no one near him and I feel as though this might have to do with a lack of trust in the offensive line when it comes to keeping him safe, then again it could be due to the fact that no one wants to get injured during the preseason. Whatever the reason might be he needs to find a way to take the time to look down the field before making the pass.

While Henne was on the field, there were a lot of incomplete passes being thrown and although a couple of them were clearly miss-thrown, the majority of them were actually dropped. Marshall dropped both passes during the game and while I’m not happy about it, I think the comparisons that are being thrown around between him and Ginn are extremely farfetched. I am not worried about Marshall at all; this was the first preseason game and honestly I rather him get his one or two bad games out of his system during the preseason. I’m not very worried about Hartline either, both of these guys will step it up as the start of the season gets closer.

Despite all these dropped passes, there were a couple of guys who managed to impress. Fasano made himself very visible during the game and the way he was being used indicates that he might have a season more closely resembling his ‘08 season this year, something I’d very happy to see. At the same time, Pat Turner and Marlon Moore, both put on a pretty good show and made their presence known. Both of these guys are looking to secure that fifth WR spot in the roster, and will continue to be monitored for consistency from this point on.

Something else that was worrisome when watching the offense on the field was their inability as a whole to hold on to the wet ball. Playing in a state where afternoon showers are the norm, we need to be able to handle a wet ball better. This too has sparked some debate about whether training in the bubble proves to be a disadvantage because it takes away some of the home field advantage by not having the players play out in the conditions. I personally think the bubble is very advantageous, we don’t need to put the players in danger and force them to play in inclement weather let’s just get some wet balls when running drills. I’m sure Sparano will be taking care of this very soon, out of all the things to work on this should be the easiest fix. I’m sure he’ll have something to say about the penalties as well.

The defense had a strong showing during this game, and I was very impressed with how far we’ve come along with the changes and how the new guys have adapted. The defensive line was holding strong and our ability to stop the run has improved, but the thing that impressed me the most was the secondary. Our corners were by far the most impressive unit this past game. Sean Smith, who had been struggling in camp was doing exceptionally well in coverage and even managed to complete his first interception. Davis and Jason Allen were also working well in coverage and managed to break big plays without drawing flags. Even Hobbs managed to make his presence known out there; he was doing a great job of putting pressure on the receivers.

The free safety position which was our biggest worry going into the season didn’t seem to be a problem at all either. Clemmons, although not extremely noticeable got the job done and proved he wasn’t a liability like Wilson was last season. Reshad Jones and Nate Ness on the other hand made big plays. On one of the drives were Tampa Bay was in the red zone and looking to score they were the ones responsible for stopping the passing attempts, and on the following drive, even though the Bucs managed to complete the pass, Ness stays on the play and batted the ball out of the receivers hand forcing another turnover. That last play was the play of the game for me.

Some other players on defense that stood out for me were Channing Crowder who had a few good stops, and Paul Soliai who was virtually a wall for the duration of the game, but so many players did well out there that it is very difficult to single out who was the best, and that’s always a good thing.

The thing that impressed me the most from the defense was their ability to force turnovers. I see these guys all taking a more aggressive approach and I like the results. The best quality the Saints defense had last year was their ability to force turnovers, if we can get the turnovers and the offense can turn them into points, we will become the team to beat, so I like the fact that we have at least one half of the equation close to being solved.

The only thing I saw from the defense that I didn’t like was their inability to get to the QB. What bothered me wasn’t the fact that they weren’t creating as much pressure as I’d like or that they didn’t get sacks, it was the fact that on more than one occasion the QBs ran the ball and gained significant yards because no one would get to them, so I look forward to this getting worked on prior to the next game.

All in all, I believe this first game was a good one. Seeing the players out there in action against another team gives us a better feel for what we need to work on, and gives us an opportunity to take notice of some of the things we have improved on. We will start to see things coming together in the next couple of weeks, and by the start of the season, we should be in a much better position than were we are now.

Training Camp Series: Part 3 - Offensive line

2010-08-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

By no means did we have a weak offensive line last season, yet while at camp that was the one area I noticed we were struggling with the most. Things don’t seem to have changed much since I was last down there and there’s still somewhat of a game of musical chairs being played in some positions. Some of the best plays we have seen in camp have come after what would’ve been sacks and although our defense is indeed getting stronger I am ready for the line to hold long and strong to give Henne the time he needs to get to the receivers without going down and to open up hold for our RBs. Tonight’s game should provide some answers and as to who is better suited to fill each position and hopefully we’ll start to see the pieces coming together with enough time to fine tune by the start of the season.

Cs

It became apparent early on in training camp that the center position was open and the guys would be fighting for the starting role. Jake Grove was the starter last season, until an injury took him out, and just a week into training camp he would suffer another injury that although not season ending would probably help to establish him as the team’s backup. Grove has been a key player in the Dolphins O-line, especially when it comes to our running game since he has proved he has excellent run blocking abilities, unfortunately his inability to stay healthy prevents him from being relied upon. Considering Sparano said he is looking for toughness at this position I believe it will be extremely difficult for Grove to reclaim that starter spot and wouldn’t be surprised to see him fall further back in the depth chart depending on what Hartline can deliver during the preseason.

That starter job seems to be all but locked by Joe Berger who has been filling in the role exclusively ever since Grove suffered his leg injury; even after Grove returned to camp it would be Berger who would continue to take reps with the first team. Berger got the opportunity to start at center in six games this past season and proved at the time that although a backup he was ready to fulfill the role fulltime, something that he would come to do immediately and seamlessly so I expect we will get a lot of production from him at the position during the season.

Andrew Hartline also seems to be coming along great in his development, even earning praise from Sparano a couple of times. Hartline had the opportunity to showcase what he could do with both the first and second team when Grove went down for a few days and continued to run drills with the second team even after Grove returned, so although the starter job seems to be taken, It seems as though there is still some competition when it comes to filling that second spot and both the guys fighting for it are solid players so I don’t think the center position is something we should be too worried about at the moment.

Gs

The guard position is the one place where we have seen the most movement so far, and according to Sparano the race between the players is so close it’ll be hard to determine who the winners will be until very close to the start of the season. One guy who has made a big impression is third round draft pick John Jerry. Jerry was the only offensive player the Dolphins picked up in the draft and with his size he seems to be the perfect fit to stand right next to Jake Long. Jerry has been the only guy taking reps as a starter for RG so far but that doesn’t mean he’s a lock for the starting job, according to Sparano he wants to see what this guy can do against the best he can present, there’s a lot of tape on some of the other guys on the team but Jerry needs to be challenged and Sparano has made sure he gets challenged, the best part is that he seems to be coming along really well. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs on tonight’s game, since it will definitely play a factor on where he ends up in the team.

Richie Incognito is without a doubt the player with the biggest attitude in the locker room, not only has he been fighting teammates, but he has been fighting to earn his spot as well. At the start of training camp Incognito found himself being used exclusively as a RG and falling to the spot behind Jerry as the backup, it wasn’t until recently that he got moved to LG and has finally moved up to take reps as a starter. Still, even though he is listed first I the depth roster there is no guarantee he will remain there and just like everyone else he has something to prove tonight.

Donald Thomas is the guy most closely competing with Incognito for the LG position. He’s been working almost exclusively on the left side and had moved up to replace Procter at the position prior to Incognito being moved. The difference between Thomas and Incognito lies in their agility and their ability to infiltrate and pull defenders on the other side. Regardless of what happens, I expect both of them to make the team.

Cory Procter who at the beginning of camp was being worked as the starting LG has recently been taking reps as Jerry’s backup on the right hand side and doing a good job at it, if he continues to perform he will become part of the 53 man roster, and just like the other three, I believe he will be given a chance to prove what he has out there on the field tonight.

Ts

Three year veteran and Pro-Bowler Jake Long faces no competition at LT, there are very few guys out there who are capable of beating Long and that has been proven at camp repeatedly over the past few days were I think you’d be press to find a time when he has made a mistake. Long is without a doubt the most reliable guy we have in the offensive line and Henne should not be worried about protection on that side too much because Long has done nothing but kept him safe and will continue to do so. At 25 years old Long will continue to get better every season, and there will be more Pro-Bowl appearances for him in the future

Vernon Carey who also seemed to have locked in his position as starting RT has been out of camp for a few days recently nursing a leg injury. The severity of the injury is not known but whether or not he plays tonight will be telling. Although he’s had a couple of rough days in camp, Carey is the player best suited to stand opposite Long on the line so hopefully he will be fully recovered and ready to go at the start of the season.

Nate Gardner has shown to be the most promising backup, not only as a tackle where he is listed as a backup to Carey, but also as a guard where he was used for a stretch of time. Yet Wednesday, Gardner walked off the field limping and was later seen in crutches, furthermore, he was not in practice the next day. Although apparently he doesn’t seem to have suffered a major injury it is hard to tell how long he will be out but losing him will be extremely detrimental to the team.

Lyndon Murtha and Andrew Gardner are the other backup tackles on the team, and both of them have been used as RGs as well. it’ll be interesting to see what they can do once they get thrown into action, so I’m hoping we can see some good things come out of them tonight.

The addition of Brandon Marshall and the promise of Henne, have made the expectations for this Dolphins’ offense increase tenfold from what they were last season; to win games we need to score and to be able to score we need a line that can hold so expect all these pieces of the offense to come together before the start of the season, and once they do watch out because this will be a Dolphins offense which we have never seen before.

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I want to give special thanks to the Dolfan Bandits and Marky Marc from WQAM for the updates they have been providing on the page and which have been invaluable in adding to my camp information on the days I haven't been out there.

Also, I recently started a facebook page for the blog so if you enjoy reading I hope you'll join:http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Phins-2-Phins/144135708947740?ref=ts

Training Camp - Part 2: TEs and RBs

2010-08-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Sparano made some good points when talking about how tight ends like Fasano will benefit from the addition of Marshall to the team. Basically what he said is a guy like Marshall will more often than not be double teamed to stop him from scoring; so now teams don’t really have the option of stacking the box to defend our running game because by doing so they leave a guy like Marshall wide open and he will score. When you go from stacking nine guys in the middle of the field to only being able to stack seven then all of a sudden there are holes to sneak by, but are the tight ends the only ones that will be able to do so? No, the running backs will benefit from this as well. We all knew that Marshall was going to help stretch the field, but now we are beginning to see exactly how the coaches plan to take advantage of the “Marshall Effect,” so let’s take a look at the guys who will be taking advantage of these newfound opportunities.

TEs

Back in February I attributed Fasano’s decline to the heavy focus on the running game and the lack of a true number one receiver. I also stated that acquiring that number one receiver would stretch out the defense and provide him with more opportunities to score so yesterday morning as I was listening to Sparano’s press conference I almost felt as though he had just read my blog! All kidding aside though, Fasano has a great opportunity this year to come out and become an even better player than the one he proved to be in the 2008 season. In addition to being good with his hands, Fasano is also great at blocking and that’s something that the Dolphins will continue to take advantage of.
Fasano has been doing well in camp and has made a few good plays every day as the Dolphins continue to work him more and more into the mix which is something I’m happy to see. This might be a bold prediction, especially because I know there are a lot of people who aren’t too sure about him, but I honestly think Fasano will have his best season yet this year.

Part of the reason I believe Fasano will have such a great season has a lot to do with a familiar face returning to camp just a few days after it started. David Martin donned his Dolphins uniform again for the first time a week after the start of camp having just signed a new contract and ready to fight for a spot on the team. Although the depth chart currently has him listed as fifth in the position he is considered to be the number two guy and has been playing with the first team ever since he returned. Martin who is coming back from a knee injury he suffered during camp last season is looking good during training and although he admits he still has to get his running legs back he feels like he is ready to go. A source close to me has told me he looks to be back to his old self and continues to work in the two TE sets with Fasano, he is sure to be a factor this season.

Having Martin back significantly improves the tight end position and leaves the other three guys who play this position battling for just one spot in the roster. Joey Haynos is the guy with the most experience and will probably be the one to lock up the spot but he definitely needs to show something more than he has during these preseason games. Although Martin represents a threat to him when it comes to earning a spot, I believe he could benefit a lot from his addition, since he is a veteran who’s been around for a while.

Kory Sperry and John Nalbone complete the list of guys competing for the final tight end position, and although both have been talked about and seem to be coming along according to Sparano, they both seem like long shots to make the team as of now.

RBs

Despite not having signed a contract as of yet, Ronnie Brown has reported to camp every day and is listed as the number one running back on the depth chart, he has clearly expressed that the lack of a contract at the moment is not a sign of a disagreement over whether or not he will play or how much money he wants but simply a matter of him trying to work out a longer deal. Brown who suffered a broken foot last November which cut his season short shows no signs of a nagging injury and has said he feels confident he’ll be able to rush for over 1000 yards this upcoming season.
During camp the running game has not been as heavily featured as the passing game, but when it has been used Ronnie has proved that he is ready to get the job done. Brown has also been used almost exclusively during practice when running the wildcat and has thrown out of the formation a couple of times, so I expect that as predicted we will still see the wildcat make an appearance at times during games and I do believe as long as we have Ronnie it will continue to be successful.

Another player who has also said he will rush for 1000 yards this upcoming season is Ricky Williams. Ricky had an outstanding season last season and I believe he is ready to take on a more prominent role next to Ronnie this season. While I believe it will be extremely difficult for both of them to deliver on this 1000 rushing yard goal, especially with the addition of Marshall to the team, I like the confidence they express and I believe there will be plenty of opportunities for us fans to scream Run Ricky Run during the games. There is no doubt in my mind Ricky and Ronnie will continue to be one of the most feared rushing duos in the league.

Patrick Cobbs was back out on the field Tuesday after pulling his hamstring during practice Saturday and sitting out during Monday’s practice. Cobbs who suffered an ACL injury last season started camp by making a strong impression; he was out on the field running faster and stronger than I’ve ever seen him before and I expect to see him get a little more action this upcoming season. If he can maintain the consistency on the field that he has maintained while active at camp I believe he’ll be able to secure the spot as Williams’ successor when he retires at the end of the season.

Lousaka Polite will continue to be our go to guy for those 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 situations. He will continue to hold his spot as the team’s fullback, a job he does better than anyone else. Polite has been consistent during camp and has secured his spot on the roster. The only other fullback on the team is Lumbala who at one point prior to the signing of Martin had been tried out as a tight end.

The other two RBs present at camp are Lex Hillard and Tristan Davis. I haven’t really heard much about how they’ve been doing in camp so I will have to wait and see what they can do during the preseason. Hillard showed promise during the last season though so I hope that they will continue to develop him.

Also, for those of you that haven’t heard Kory Sheets who seemed like a strong candidate to become the team’s punt returner due to his speed is out for the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.

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I want to give special thanks to the Dolfan Bandits and Marky Marc from WQAM for the updates they have been providing on the page and which have been invaluable in adding to my camp information on the days I haven't been out there.

Also, I recently started a facebook page for the blog so if you enjoy reading I hope you'll join:http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Phins-2-Phins/144135708947740?ref=ts

Training Camp Review – Part 1: QBs and WRs

2010-08-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

With training camp just past the halfway point and the first preseason game just five days away I figured this would be a great time to review some of the things that we’ve seen in camp along with the newly released depth chart.

QBs

As expected, Chad Henne will be the starter and at no point has there been any competition for the starting position. Overall, Henne has been doing really well in camp; according to Sparano, he has completed 75-76% of passes and has thrown only 2 interceptions. That being said he’s had a couple of bad practices, and while we all know he’s capable of bouncing back from bad drives and is able to put interceptions behind him as he proved last season, I would feel more comfortable if we didn’t see any more of those bad practices.
After seeing him a couple of times during training camp and watching the way he carries himself on the field I feel as though Henne has matured a lot this offseason and now feels more comfortable with his role as the leader of this offense. That maturity, paired with his big arm and resilience is what will help him lead this team to victories.
The one thing Henne continues to struggle with though is touch. In short pass situations he continues to be erratic at times. This is where I think having Pennington on the team will benefit him since the other Chad is very accurate and fine tuned, especially in those situations.

Pennington himself started out camp as the third backup QB, and although the current depth chart shows him to be fourth, all indications are he’ll make the team. During camp Pennington has proven to be an invaluable tool, not only because of his accuracy, but also because of his natural leading abilities; QBs and receivers alike are constantly seen having conversations and seeking advice at Pennington’s side.
There are, however, still many questions surrounding Pennington’s arm and how much strength he had left in it. Sparano has been holding him to a limited number of reps and although he started camp strong and continues to make long passes every once in awhile, his balls seem to be fluttering a lot lately so that’s something to watch for. Unfortunately, those observations will continue to be made during camp because Sparano has already stated that he knows what Chad needs. This coupled with the notion that Henne will be protected during the preseason, indicates Thigpen and White will be the guys we can expect to see more of during the preseason.

Thigpen came into camp looking to establish himself as the backup QB, and although the depth chart does put him there, he knows he needs to step up his game because Pennington is right at his heels. So far in camp, Thigpen’s been doing pretty well; he’s completed some nice long passes and has been able to carry a couple of drives. From what I’ve been told it seems as though he had one of his best practices yesterday, so hopefully he’ll be able to hit his stride. The best test of his abilities will be during the preseason though, so I’ll keep an eye on him on Saturday.

Pat White made his first training camp appearance on day two and that same day Sparano made it very clear that he was being considered strictly as a QB. The one thing White has been consistent about in this training camp is being inconsistent. He’s had good passes here and there, even a great one to Roberto Wallace during the 7-on-7 drills this past Saturday, but if he continues to perform as he has been he won’t make the team. Having White third on the depth chart is surprising to me considering the way all the QBs have been used during practice. I’m still not sure that he can do much, if anything to help this team out, but who knows? Maybe Sparano has something up his sleeve, either way, I’ll be watching to see how he’s used during the game on Saturday.

WRs

Brandon Marshall has undoubtedly been the star at camp; he’s burned every corner and has caught almost every ball thrown in his direction. Most importantly, Marshall has proved to be a great team leader and has been seen talking to the corners as well as other receivers out on the field in between plays. What has impressed me the most about Marshall though is how serious he is about his commitment to the team. After having a bad day on Saturday during the team’s first scrimmage session, Marshall was his own worst critic; he even expressed regret on having let his teammates down; a great thing to see from a guy who many thought might be a problem in the locker room.

The player who has benefited the most from the addition of Marshall is Brian Hartline. Hartline understands how the attention commanded by Marshall on the field will benefit the other receivers, but most importantly, he seems to be able to use it to his full advantage. At this point although according to Sparano there is room for competition, Hartline has pretty much cemented his spot opposite Marshall. He had a close scare on day 3 of training camp and was limited in practice after going down but seems to be doing fine so there’s not much to worry about there for now. Hartline showed flashes of greatness last season and has continued to do so in training camp so he’s one of the players I’m the most excited about following this season.

The first thing I have to say about Bess is that he is dedicated. He is always the first out on the practice field at Davie, and I don’t mean he happens to be the first one to walk out every time. He is out there 45-60 minutes before the start of practice every practice and he is working on catches despite the near 100 degree weather and that is commendable. At this point Bess has secured a spot in the roster and is still in competition for the number 2 spot. Bess is currently being used as the number one slot receiver, a position that we all can agree he is perfect for and will be great in, but as Sparano said, it’s unfair to catalog him simply as a slot receiver because he can do more than that, sure we should take advantage of him at the slot, but we shouldn’t rule him out for other plays; there’s a reason he was our leading receiver last season.

Greg Camarillo has been paired with Bess for most of the practices and is also said to be in contention for the number two spot. After replacing Marshall as the starting receiver Thursday when Marshall was rested, Camarillo suffered a groin injury on Friday which kept him out of practice all weekend; he was back on Monday and seems to be moving around fine. Although not the most explosive receiver on the team, Camarillo is certainly the most reliable. Last season, he didn’t drop one pass during games and that’s certainly a good quality to take advantage of when you’re out on the field, so hopefully he is fully recuperated. I will however continue to monitor him and keep you posted on any news.

Patrick Turner who seemed to be a little stiff at first after coming back from an injury seesm to be doing really well, he’s turned in a number of solid practices thus far and Sparano has taken notice. He seems a little more confident out there and if he can deliver consistently he could grab that fifth WR spot even though he’s behind a couple of rookies in the depth chart at the moment. Turner is 6’5”, the tallest WR in the roster and could benefit enormously by watching Brandon Marshall and the way he moves on the field.

Roberto Wallace is a name that’s been coming up a lot in the later days of practice, he’s been doing good things and Sparano is beginning to take notice. Although he doesn’t have as much experience playing football in general as do other rookies coming into the league, this 6’4” undrafted rookie has shown some potential, and while I believe it’ll take time to develop it, he has shown he has a lot of fight, always going for the catch, even though he sometimes has a little problem hanging on. I have a feeling this is a guy they will take the time to groom and who could turn out to be a diamond in the rough.

Marlon Moore, Julius Pruit and Taurus Johnson have all made a number of good catches but seem like a long shot to make the team at the moment, as does Ryan Grice-Mullen who had to sit out a number of practices after suffering a leg injury.

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I want to give special thanks to the Dolfan Bandits and Marky Marc from WQAM for the updates they have been providing on the page and which have been invaluable in adding to my camp information on the days I haven't been out there.

Also, I recently started a facebook page for the blog so if you enjoy reading I hope you'll join:http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Phins-2-Phins/144135708947740?ref=ts

Notes on the First Day of Training Camp

2010-07-31T03:43:00.000-07:00

It was close to a hundred degrees Friday afternoon in Davie, FL as the Dolphins took the field on the first day of training camp. Davone Bess was first to come out, thus bringing an end to what seemed like an infinite number of months waiting for football season to come back around. Last out was Brandon Marshall who received a warm welcome from the fans and generated more than his fair share of screams during practice.
Also present on the field was Ronnie Brown, despite not having a contract signed as of yet; a pleasant contrast to other players around the league who despite having a contract are not happy with their situation and have announced they will sit out of camp. Brown seemed pretty comfortable out on the field and there was no evidence of any problems with his foot, so hopefully we will see him on the field for every game this upcoming season. Ricky Williams was also out there and he looked pretty solid, but the RB who impressed me the most was Patrick Cobbs, he was running drills pretty smoothly and looked really confident when running the ball.
Notably absent from training camp was Pat White, who according to a report in the Sun Sentinel, seems to be dealing with issues of a personal nature that are set to keep him of the field at least in the short term. Chad Henne on the other hand was out there and seemed to be comfortable in his starting role. He exuded a confidence which I had never seen before and seems to be doing great in his leading role which might have been what was lacking a bit from him last season. Now when all the guys are huddled up and ready to line up his presence seems to command attention and everyone is waiting to listen and ready to follow, which is a clear sign of a team who is ready to play together and do whatever it takes to win, with Chad at the head.
The most closely followed and intense part of training camp though was clearly that of the WRs. Fans came in ready to see Marshall in action and he delivered, twice he managed to burn CB Sean Smith and the whole crowd erupted into cheers. For the first time in a long time we are seeing the posibility to get that chunk yardage and it is very exciting. As for Smith, I wouldn't be too worried, even as a rookie he showed to be pretty solid at the position when he got thrown into it and playing alongside Marshall will only help him get better, he seems to be a quick learner too because although Marshall left him completely in the dust in that first burn, he managed to stay close by during the second and the catch that Marshall made is something that only a hand full of WRs can make.
That wasn't the only action we saw from the WRs though, it is clear that Hartline, Camarillo and Bess are all competing for the starting spot opposite Marshall, and the competition in intense. Hartline seems at the moment to be edging out the others, running and catching with the confidence of someone who's been out there playing for years, but the other two don't need to worry because Camarillo is still delivering and will surely make his way to the roster and Bess seems to have done all he needs to secure his spot as the slot receiver.
Our newly drafted players were also out on the field and looked to fit in quite comfortably alongside the starting lineup. There was no easing into the teams for the rookies as all of them went out into practice and assumed starting roles. Jared Odrick, the first round pick lined up at right defensive end, and is expected to stay in that role after Philip Merling got sidelined due to an injury; while Koa Misi took his spot as OLB and John Jerry lined up at RG.
All in all, the first day of training camp was very successful. Fans got to get a little taste of what's to come and it looks as promising on the field as it looks on paper, now we just have to wait for the season to start to prove to everyone out there just how good we really are.

Egos a problem for the Heat but not for the Jets???

2010-07-18T10:07:00.001-07:00

A week and a half has passed since LeBron James announced he would be joining Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and immediately this new Miami Heat roster became one of the most talked about topics in the sports world. It is obvious that the Heat organization had one clear goal when headed into this offseason, and that goal was to win championships; not one, not two, not three… not eight as LeBron himself said. Yet, although there is no denying that these are three of the best players in the league, the general consensus among NBA analysts and fans alike seems to be that this team won’t win a championship during their first year.

I would consider this to be a valid argument if it was based on the fact that bringing superstars together is not enough to get you there, they need time to get to know each other, develop chemistry and become a team, but once they get to that point the championships will come. This could indeed be said about any team in a similar situation. The problem with making that argument about the Heat roster is that these guys have played together before, and it seems the argument is mostly being made based on the presumption that these superstars egos will get in the way of them ever becoming a team; Miami is after all Wade’s house, LeBron is the King and needs to have the spotlight, and Bossh will clearly get tired of living in their shadow.

There’s no point denying that some, if not most athletes do indeed have big egos, and I have argued many times before that having so many big egos in a locker room can be problematic for a team, it has been observed many times, in many teams, at different levels and across all sports. Most recently in basketball we saw it with Kobe and Shaq who were unable to work together in the Lakers, and in football we saw it with McNabb and TO in the Eagles. So it isn’t the argument itself that I have a problem with per say, it is when it is being used.

Ever since the NFL free agency period started Rex Ryan and the New York Jets started collecting big name players and talks of the Jets being a powerhouse in the NFL this season, and the team to beat in the AFC East haven’t stopped. The Jets seem to be among all the NFL analyst’s top teams, and many believe they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They even came in at number four on Sports Center’s Ultimate NFL Team Rankings list, ahead of current Super Bowl Champions, the New Orleans Saints who were ranked at number five; and the only criticism I’ve heard mentioned to be working against them is the fact that they are still counting on second year quarterback Mark Sanchez who is still unproven. No mention has been made of the fact that the only reason they ever made it to the AFC Championship game was that the Colts handed them a playoff berth and then came back and crushed them the next time around and even more disconcerting for me, not one person has stood to question whether or not they can actually perform as a team, which is insane considering that this new team has not taken to the field together as of yet and there’s so many egos in that team right now, it is hard to imagine them fitting in one locker room.

So, can someone explain to me the discrepancy when it comes to talking about egos and how they’ll play a part in the performance of these two teams? Because in my opinion they got this completely backwards!

On one side you have Wade, LeBron and Bosh; three guys who have a great friendship off the court, a relationship that developed as a result of the chemistry they found on the court while playing on the US Olympic basketball team in 2008. Yet, for some reason 2 years later, their egos seem to have grown so much that they won’t be able to work together and share the spotlight? And yes, the spotlight can indeed be shared, as they proved with that Olympic team were Wade averaged more PPG, while LeBron averaged more minutes on the court and Bosh averaged more RPG.

These three guys who have already proved they are great players on their own right and have built an empire for themselves all gave up a lot of money to play together because they want to build a legacy and win championships are going to have a problem with their egos getting in the way? I just don’t see it.

And then on the other side you have Antonio Cromartie, LT, Santonio Holmes, Darrell Revis, Rex Ryan you can even throw Jason Taylor in there. No doubt these players want to win championships, all athletes do, but they also have something to prove individually. Cromartie had a breakout season in 2007, but hasn’t done much of anything the past two seasons, some people attributed this to the fact that maybe QBs avoided throwing down his side of the field, but now that he is coupled with Revis that won’t be an excuse anymore so he will be forced to step up his game and prove that he still has it; and is he really going to want to play second to Revis, or will he want to have the island renamed to Cromartie Island? LT is facing the same dilemma as he also has something to prove himself; ever since his injury he hasn’t been able to perform at the level expected and for a guy who is nearing the end of his career making it this season has to be a top priority for him. Santonio Holmes has a history of getting into trouble, not only is he facing a five game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but he is also facing a lawsuit in Florida; this could all be attributed to immaturity or it could be a result of him thinking he is above authority, either way it could represent big issues when dealing with his persona. Even Taylor who is one of my favorite players has something to prove, I’m sure he’ll want to show the Dolphins’ front office that they made a big mistake by letting him go, and as good as he was to the Dolphins during all those years, he was somewhat of a nightmare for the Redskins when he was there, refusing to participate in training camp in Washington and wanting to bend the rules to favor him.

So now you have all these big name players, with their big egos and each with their own personal agenda if you will, coming in to a young team all at once and no one thinks there might be a problem? Training camp hasn’t even started and we already see the cracks with Revis sitting out until a new contract gets worked out because he is worth more! You signed a contract and you expected to get paid whatever amount of money you agreed to because that’s what you thought you were worth at that point, if it had turned out that you couldn’t play at that level you still would’ve gotten paid, but now you believe you are the best corner in the NFL, which you very well may be so your ego says you will get more money or screw the team? I guess that’s the way it works.

It is difficult to say what will happen until both teams take to the court and field respectively but I will say, if any team is going to crumble due to egos in the locker room this season it will definitely be the Jets, YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK.

There's Never Been a Better Time To Be a Miami Fan

2010-07-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Being a Miami fan in general is a tough thing, there are a lot of up and downs and generally a lot of heartbreak involved, but over the last couple of months being a Miami fan has been good, great actually.

Three days ago I woke up to some great news, not only would Dwayne Wade be returning to play in his house, but he was also bringing Chris Bosh with him. All day I kept telling people in Orlando that LeBron James would be next, yet 36 hours later, as I was driving through Fort Lauderdale on my way to Miami listening to ‘The Decision” special I can honestly say I was genuinely surprised to hear him say he “would be bringing his talent to South Beach to join the Miami Heat.”

Wade, LeBron and Bosh are already considered a dream team despite the fact that basketball is a game played with five players and the Heat roster currently consists of only four players (Mario Chalmers is the fourth guy in the roster). There is no denying that a trio of players of that caliber all playing in the same team will make an immediate impact in the NBA. It is something that has never been done before, and it is something that Pat Riley found a way to do because he had one specific goal in mind, and that goal is to win championships; not one but many. Pat Riley wanted to give Miami a team that would be not only a championship caliber team, but a dynasty and that is what I am the most excited about.

Making the same kind of immediate impact in a football team is a lot harder, yet I believe Bill Parcels approached this offseason with the same winning mentality that Pat Riley dd. For the first time in a long time the Miami Dolphins went out there and put down the money they needed to get the big name key players needed to build a winning team. Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby are the Dolphins equivalent of the Heat’s LeBron and Bosh and although you could argue that it is a lot more difficult for two players to make an impact in a football team than it is in a basketball team, you also have to remember that the Dolphins were not a four man roster, they actually have more than one “Wade.” The Dolphins also have a great group of young players that will only continue to get better by virtue of playing with the best and knowing who they are playing against in the division. But more importantly, both, the Dolphins and the Heat’s front offices have send their players and their fans one clear message during their offseasons and that message is that they are looking forward to not only competing but to winning, and that is the one thing we have all been anxious to see.

Miami is not the first city that comes to mind when talking about sports, and that’s because Miami has never been close hosting teams of the caliber of the teams in cities like Boston or New York in any sport other than football. Out of our three main local teams, the Dolphins are the only team to ever have reached a dynasty status. They had their first great run from 1971 through 1974. Not only did they win the division four consecutive times, but they also became AFC Champions three consecutive years and one back to back Super Bowls; the first of which came as the perfect conclusion to an undefeated season, a feat which was never been achieved before then and has never been achieved since.

The second great run for the Dolphins came in the 80s during the Marino years. Although not as successful as the first run since it didn’t produce any Super Bowls, the team still nominated the league for most of the decade, winning the division five times, playing in the AFC Championship game three times and enjoying back to back Super Bowl appearances. There’s no denying the Dolphins are Miami’s greatest franchise, however, the last time the Dolphins made it to the Championship game I was 10 years old, and the last time they made it to the Super Bowl I was 2 so needless to say, their success seems like a distant memory at times.

On the other side, we have two teams who have enjoyed success more recently, but whose success has been followed by unprecedented failure. The Miami Heat are Miami’s most recent champions, bringing home the title in 2006 (first and only in franchise history) and although the title was preceded by a Conference Championship appearance in 2005, it was followed by disaster. In 2007, the Heat struggled to make the playoffs; once there the suffered the franchise’s first and only sweep in a playoff series when they faced the Bulls in the first round. Things didn’t get any better the following season; the Heat ended their 2008 season with a 15-67 record, the worst record in the history of the NBA.

The Florida Marlins, Miami’s youngest team, has also enjoyed success, twice they have won the World Series and both times the wins have been followed by disappointment. The Marlins were established in 1993 and won their first World Series in 1997, establishing a record for the fastest franchise to win a World Series (this record would later be beat by the Arizona Diamondbacks who won the World Series in 2001 after only four seasons). During the offseason following that win the team got dismantled and in 1998 the Marlins became the only team ever to lose 100 games after the World Series.

History would repeat itself after their second World Series win in 2003, although not in such dramatic fashion. After the win, the fans biggest worry was that they would see their team dismantled again, and this time, although it didn’t all happen during that first offseason, it did happen again eventually. Since winning their last World Series, the Marlins have only made it to the playoffs twice.

This disappointment is something that all Miami fans have come to know and accept. Yet, now, for the first time ever, Miami fans are watching two of their teams make a legitimate push to win. The Dolphins and the Heat have both bet it all with big time moves this offseason in an attempt to bring home the ultimate prize, a Championship win and a Super Bowl, and I can’t help but think that the Marlins will probably make a similar push in the next two offseasons as well, they do, after all, have to be looking forward to building a stronger team to kick off their 2012 season in their brand new stadium.

So move over Boston and New York, Miami is now looking to make their impression in the sports world and I love the attitude change. Let’s build teams that are strong enough not only to win one title but multiple titles. Miami fans are among the most loyal fans out there and now the time has finally come when being a Miami fan is better than ever.

Super Fan Series: Phinvaders

2010-07-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

I think all football fans will agree with me when I say there is no better day than game day, and the one thing that makes any game day better is having the chance to experience the game right in the stadium surrounded by fans. During those Sundays (or sometimes Mondays or even Thursdays) it is more than just the game that we look forward to, it’s the whole experience. You get up early in the morning, put on your Dolphins’ gear and drive down to the stadium ready for some action. The action is not limited to what goes down on the field though, there is the tailgating, trying to catch a glimpse of the players as they arrive at the stadium and getting to meet some amazing fans; all that before you have even had a chance to walk through the stadium gates. Once inside, you quickly become acquainted with all the people sitting near you and join the crowd in the chants all in an effort to get your team going, to let them know you are behind them and doing everything you can to help them earn that win.

Writing that just made me realize that if I could be anywhere right now there is nowhere else I’d rather be. If you have had the opportunity to go to a game, I’m sure you will agree, and any Dolphins’ fan who hasn’t had a chance to go definitely should. For those that don’t live in South Florida, making the trip down south is probably difficult, yet I am sure they would love to get a chance to get that Dolphins’ game day experience. Bringing that experience to fans in different cities is what Bill has been doing with his Phinvaders Project.

The idea for Phinvaders came about when after moving to Chattanooga in October 2008, Bill noticed just how many Dolphins’ fans there were, so he decided to start a club. By the end of the 2008 season, they had their own location and were 40 strong. Club members started asking about getting a group together for the Falcons’ game, he was expecting to get a group of 25-30 club members to go, yet wound up with only 20… plus another 85 thanks to some internet promoting. After that, what started out as the ‘Chattanooga Dolfans Club’ became the ‘Phinvaders’.

Getting the Phinvaders name out there and being able to promote the events has definitely been easier now that it would’ve been a few years ago thanks to the internet, mainly Facebook. Being able to reach out to so many fans is what made that first Phinvader event in Atlanta “legendary” as Bill puts it. And this season, although he is looking forward to both planned Phinvaders’ events, he is especially looking forward to the one in Cincinnati where they have planned a Halloween party for the night before the game, in which they’ll even have a costume contest, which is sure to add to all the excitement.

Getting these Phinvasions organized is not easy; it can be very stressful and takes a lot of time to plan but getting the opportunity to meet other Dolfans and to share that Dolphins game day experience make it not only worth organizing but also worth attending. What started out as a plan to get 25-30 Dolfans to go to an away game together has turned into a dream of filling out an entire section in an away game, with the ultimate dream being to be able to do so in a Jets game; and although that particular Phinvasion is not on the books for this upcoming season, there are two others planned. Tickets are on sale for the Raiders and Bengals Phinvasions and they can be found, along with additional information under the upcoming events tab at http://www.phinvaders.com. So if you’re a Dolfan who lives anywhere near Oakland or Cincinnati get your tickets soon, as I expect to see you make your presence known in those stands. And like Bill I am especially looking forward to that Cincinnati game, but in my case it is for selfish reasons, I want to get a super special Dolphins’ win for my birthday, and I’m sure your presence will help get the team there.

Super Fan Series: Phinzrage

2010-06-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Dolphins’ fans are easily some of the most loyal fans in the NFL. They celebrate the good times with the team and always try to see the positive when the times get rough (after the necessary venting, of course). Yet, just because they stand behind the team every step of the way, it doesn’t mean they do so blindly.

Like every other fan of any other team or even other sports, they have opinions and usually the more loyal the fan, the stronger those opinions are, and more often than not, this sets the stage for great debates. These debates are a major part of the whole football experience and without them the experience wouldn’t be the same. Talking about a game, a player, the draft… that’s what gets most of us through the days when we don’t have the opportunity to turn on the TV and watch the team play.

Providing a place where the fans can really express their opinion without being over moderated is what Phinzrage is all about. Steven and Ken who are both long time Dolphins’ fans had funded a site with the same idea, unfortunately, things went sour with a third partner. Instead of engaging in legal procedures and trying to fight for a site which in their opinion had been tainted, they decided to start a new site. The two of them, along with Brian, Mark and Phinvader Bill, who some of you may know from Phinvaders, all help run the site, so it truly is a site from the fans for the fans.

The unique thing about Phinzrage is that it is a site that doesn’t necessarily suit the masses. In the forums, people are free to express their opinion and some of the debates get very heated, so if you are a fan who get easily offended by things such as language or are a member of the younger fan base, this site might not be one for you as it is better suited for those people who want to express their feelings without a moderator trying to censor them. As Steven told me when I interviewed him “getting our name out there wasn’t really hard, but we don’t market ourselves to the masses because we don’t want to be a message board for everybody so I guess those who want to find us eventually will.”

Everyone at Phinzrage is very proud of the space they have created and they feel like the best is still to come. They are especially looking forward to all the debates that will surely take place in their message boards, so make sure you stop by and engage in some of them since they do make for a fun time and keep in mind that Phinzrage was not a site created with the intention to make an impact, but rather, a site that was created for fans to enjoy. So take a chance to look around and share your thoughts with them, I’m sure they’ll love hearing what you have to say.

Super Fan Series: The Dolfan Bandits - The Unofficial Team Mascot in the Stands!

2010-06-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

The Miami Dolphins, more so than any other team in Florida have a fairly large and loyal following. We all know at least a handful of people who wear their Dolphins gear proud, not only when going to the games or even on game day but on a regular basis, and we see thousands of cars and even houses adorned with Dolphins flags and stickers.
In the past few months since I started this blog I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of fans and not only have I confirmed how large the community support for the team is, but I have also learned what kind of fans Dolphins fans are, and simply saying they are the best fans there is doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Amongst these fans there is a special few which the word “fan” doesn’t even begin to describe, they are what I like to refer to as “super fans.” These are the people to whom supporting the team everyday is not enough; they go above and beyond, each in their own way to find ways to enhance our experience as diehard fans, and they do it because they love it.
I admire these people and what they do and am honored by all the support they have given me personally, but mostly I am thankful for everything they do for us as fans; that’s why I have decided to do a series of posts in the next few weeks highlighting some of these people and giving them a chance to tell their story.

THE DOLFAN BANDITS

I seriously don’t know a single person who watches Dolphins’ football and doesn’t know who the Bandits are, sure some of them might not know what they are called, but they all know that any time there is a home game those crazy painted up guys will show up in the screen at some point. People go crazy when they see them at the stadium or at events and during tailgate hundreds of fans swing by where they are to take pictures with them and meet them, being around them just makes you feel like you belong to the team.
These guys are the most approachable, fun to be around guys in the whole stadium; yet if you asked them today if they ever thought this is where their once crazy idea would take them, they would tell you they never imagined it would be so rewarding.

The Dolfan Badits are made up of four members, Mike Rodriguez, Jose Ortiz, Manny Lopez and Shane Meyers. They are long time season holders that were inspired by the superb transformation the Dolphins made in 2008; after finishing the previous season with a 1-15 record, the Dolphins restructured and made it to the playoffs. In honor of this transformation and as a way to show the team their gratitude, they decided to revamp the Dolfans look and spice things up a little bit by attending the playoff game against the Ravens with their bodies decorated with the team logo and their faces painted in a menacing way as a way of showing that the fans meant business as well. “Although the Dolphins may have lost that day, the team and it’s fans won in the NFL community by proving that the Dolphins may have been down, but they were far from out.”
The goal they set out to achieve that day was a simple one, they just wanted to get the fans more involved and to show the world what kind of “hardcore super fans” the Miami Dolphins have. Their goal has pretty much remained the same ever since, the Dolphins’ following continues to grow and Dolfans around the country and even abroad are getting more geared up for the games and making their presence more known when attending games.

I had the opportunity to talk to them and ask them some questions that I’m sure some of you might be curious about as well so I’ll share those with you.

Q.- What is the best thing that has come from this whole experience?
A.- The kids/fans that smile with us and take pics, some yell hey we saw them on TV, can we get a autograph? That always blows us away, as we are just fans like them. Supporting the team, meeting the players, coaches, owner, cheerleaders. This all has been a experience we could have never imagined so we are grateful for the massive support. We love you Dolfan nation. Go Finsss!

Q.- Do you have a favorite memory?
A.- Yes in 2009 when we played the Bucs at home Channing came by and threw us some game used gloves, a lil’ youg dolfan asked us how we got them, and if we knew Channing, So during the game we gave him a glove, a few moments later his mom and dad came to us thanking us and mom was crying of joy, that touched us in many ways and u don’t expect that in a game..

Q.- When did you realize you had made an impact?
A.- The first time we got painted up during the Ravens game, we came out in tons of pics, blogs, articles, the jumbotron. It was an incredible response, Loius Oliver saw us, took a pic and said he wish we were around in his time, and thanked us for what we do… I knew at that moment that we had made a Splashhhhh!!!

Q.- Is there anything you look forward to doing in the future?
A.- Yes we are looking to expand our group and create a section of wild geared up Dolfans! We have a few names that we are looking into for that section. We have a line of clothes that we are working on..

Q.- What game are you looking forward to the most this season and why?
A.- Always the J-E-T-S suck suck suck!!! Due to bad blood with the players, fans, JT going to the Jest and the media Hex Rex hype!!

By just reading the answers to these questions, it is easy to see that these guys are really just what they say they are, fans like the rest of us, they’ve just had an incredible opportunity to share their love for the team with the rest of the fans and it has only made the team and the gameday experience better. But as if that wasn’t enough, the Bandits have also inspired many of us to give back to the community as they have been involved in many groups, such as the Ricky Williams Foundation, Dolfans Give Back, the Tyler Foundation, the Twan Russell Foundation, the Dolphins Haiti Relief Efforts, and the Shawn Woodsen Boys/Girls Club.

To learn more about the Bandits or simply to show them your support, take the time to visit their website www.dolfanbandits.com , follow them on twitter or join them on Facebook!

Something else that I think is worth mentioning, is the fact that the Bandits attend all home games and try to make it to as many away games as they can because they would like to bring that Dolfan experience to every fan attending every game. If you or your company may be interested in helping them achieve this goal, you can contact them directly at dolfanbandits@aol.com or you can contact me at phins2phins@gmail.com for more information on sponsorships and donations.

Will the Dolphins be the team to beat in the AFC East?

2010-05-20T10:37:00.003-07:00

The NFC East has long be considered to be the toughest division in the NFL, in eight of the past ten seasons, a team from that division has earned a wildcard spot; two of those seasons actually saw both wildcard spots in the NFC go to a team in that division. This year will be no different when it comes to predicting who will win that division, since there is more than one team with the potential to do so, and not many people would be surprised to see that the winner of that division will not even be known until week 17.
Yet, this season, it is another division that seems to be attracting all the attention, and that is the AFC East. It has been a long time since we have heard of the possibility of any team other than the New England Patriots being considered as the true contender in that division, yet during this offseason, that same argument has been made for not only the Patriots, but also the Jets and the Dolphins. Of course all these arguments are just that, arguments, and in reality they are biased by the opinions of the person writing them, but they are still enjoyable to read, and I would love to take the time to make mine.
So the question is: What team is most likely to win the division? And as many of you would suspect by now, my answer to that is that in my opinion the Dolphins have a pretty good shot and in the end it could be their division to lose, and I’ll explain what I mean by that later in this article, but first I want to take a chance to look at what our competition in that division is.
Let’s start off with the Buffalo Bills, they ended last season with a 6-10 record last season, which in reality represents only a one game difference between them and Miami, still, they are clearly the weakest team in the division. While other teams in the division have strengthened their roster this offseason, the Bills seem to have done the opposite, they let go of two of their receivers, Terrell Owens and Josh Reed and did nothing to strengthen their offensive line or improve their quarterback position. Unless C.J. Spiller can singlehandedly run them into winning games, I don’t see how they have a shot of winning the division. That’s not to say that we should underestimate them, we did that last year when we went to play them at Buffalo and that could very well be the game that cost us a ticket to the playoffs. A divisional opponent is always tough because they know your team best, but in the long run, I don’t think Buffalo has the pieces necessary to win the division.
The New England Patriots on the other hand are the team that has dominated the division for almost a decade, they have won the division seven out of the last nine seasons, and their most recent loss came on the season when Tom Brady was out due to injury. There is no doubt that Brady is one of the best QBs in the league, or that Bellichick is one of the best coaches either, but the team is getting older and it is not yet known when Wes Welker will be able to play again, or even if he’ll be able to play during the regular season at all and that is something that will hurt them. We all saw the beating that the Patriots took in the playoffs when facing the Ravens, and although they have the time to work on alternatives and correct all the mistakes that were made during that game, the team is definitely not the dynasty it used to be. That being said, the Patriots are still the team that I believe represents the biggest threat to us in the division, Bellichick is a smart guy and they did manage to keep the guys they wanted on the team on, as well as adding new key pieces through the draft.
The New York Jets have been one of the most talked about teams, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding their big name signings and all the moves they managed to make this offseason, and sitting here and saying they don’t represent a threat would be a lie because I believe they are, but by the same token I believe they are easily the most overrated team as of now. It is a fact that the Jets have the strongest defense in the NFL, and if you believe that defense wins championships then the Jets should’ve won it all, but the thing is it takes an offense as well, which is precisely why they didn’t. Mark Sanchez has yet to prove that he is as good as they think he is, now he will have an opportunity to show if he has it in him, since the tools were provided to him. In last year’s playoffs, the Jets had one decent game, and that was against the Colts who still managed to easily beat them; it was a little bit of luck and a couple of teams who benched their players who got them there. Still, that was last year and the games we played against them were very tough, this year, they have added new players, they have a new stadium and there’s a lot of hype surrounding them so they are under a lot of pressure to perform. This season is “make it or break it” for the Jets, either they live up to the expectations or they turn out to be this season’s biggest disappointment.
Finally, we have the Miami Dolphins; Miami made a big move to improve their offense with the acquisition of Brandon Marshall, not only is Marshall the guy that can tremendously improve the passing game by adding significantly in yards after the catch which is one of the areas in which we have struggled, but he is a tool for Henne to grow into his full capacity as a QB and he is also key in stretching the field which gives rise to improving the performance of the rest of the receivers which come from having just had a good season. Incognito brings with him the attitude that could make our offensive line more aggressive, and Dansby along with the guys drafted strengthen our defense significantly despite the losses that we saw. The Dolphins might be a little over looked by some but they have what it takes to win the division, and they got lucky enough with the schedule to take that lead quickly, which I believe will be the key in the end.
During the first four weeks of the 2010 season, all teams in the AFC East will play each of their divisional opponents once. I honestly believe that the standing at the end of these four weeks will be indicative of which team has the better shot at winning the division. Leading the division going into the bye week, which for Miami is indeed week 5, has the added benefit of putting the players in a great mental state to play each of the games that follows and would leave all the other teams in the division playing catch up to the Dolphins, and this is why I say this could possibly be in the end our division to lose.
Out of all the teams in the division, the Dolphins have the better chance of being 4-0 overall, or at least 3-0 in the division than any other team, and here is why. All four teams in the AFC East have 2 home games and 2 away games during those first four weeks, the Patriots play the Bengals and the Bills at home and Miami and the Jets away, making two of their toughest games road games; the Jets play the Ravens and the Patriots at home and Buffalo and Miami away, which means they have the advantage over the Patriots of having two of their toughest games at home, finally Miami plays the Bills and the Vikings away, and the Patriots and the Jets at home, again two of their toughest games are played at home which gives them the advantage, the greatest advantage though is being able to face the Jets at home, which should be enough to give us the edge if we do intend to win it all this season. Miami might also have a slight advantage when it comes to that non divisional game that will take place because the rumors as of now are Favre is not coming back, and while we all know that nothing is certain when it comes to Favre, if this does turn out to be the season when he does decide to retire, we would be facing the Vikings early enough that it could give the team an advantage over one of the teams I consider to be one of the toughest in the schedule.
Now I understand that the season is 17 weeks long and it might be unfair to think that a division can be decided in the first few weeks of playing, what fun would that be? But if the top spot for the division is going to be so hard to conquer, wouldn’t you rather be defending it than making a push for it in the end?