The Phinsider

Big plays doom Dolphins as they fall to Patriots

2009-11-09T05:39:16Z

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Note to Paul Pasqualoni: You might want to double-team Randy Moss. He's only one of the greatest receivers of all-time.

A lot of people will likely want to focus on the negatives in the Dolphins 27-17 loss to the Patriots on Sunday. And I'll obviously highlight some of the more glaring ones myself. But let's not sell this team short. The Dolphins went up to New England and stood toe-to-toe with a team with superior talent. And despite everything that went down, the Dolphins had the football with three and a half minutes left in the game, needing only a touchdown to tie. That's not too shabby.

Of course, there are no m oral victories in the National Football League. And I think head coach Tony Sparano said it best:

"Close in this game just doesn't get it. That's why these guys have a lot of banners out there right now. They figure out a way to win those close games. From our end, we understand where we are right now."

"We're a good football team. We're really close to being a really good football team. But we've got to get it to turn.''

Let's talk about some of the story lines from Sunday's game.

Can we get a little pressure, people?
You will look at the box score from this game and see that the Dolphins registered two sacks. But even that figure is misleading. Personally, here's the important question to ask: did the Dolphins make Tom Brady uncomfortable at all in the pocket? The answer, obviously, is a resounding "no."

How many times did we have to sit and watch Brady sit in the pocket for three or four seconds? How many times did we see Brady have the time to stand tall in the pocket and pat the football two or three times before firing a completion to one of his receivers? Far too many times, folks. Far too many.

After the game, Sparano himself acknowledged that a lack of pressure on Brady was a huge problem. But he also explained why the Dolphins couldn't just continually blitz left and right like some were probably hoping to see.

"We need to have more pressure on the quarterback," Sparano said. "Against a guy like Tom Brady, you can't come out there and just blitz the guy. This ain't his first rodeo. You've got to be able to win some of these [one-on-one] deals. You've got to win some of these five-man rush situations. We've got to do a better job of getting pressure on the passer, period."

Randy Starks was among those who echoed Sparano's sentiments.

"He had far too much time sitting back there," said Starks. "When you have the one-on-one, you've got to win."

Reggie Torbor was another Dolphin who believes that a lack of pressure on Brady was a big problem. In fact, even Brady himself said after the game that he really didn't feel any pressure, telling the media:

"There weren't too many pressures or hits, or anything like that. I had a lot of time to sit back there and make the throws."

But for some reason, Joey Porter - whose mouth I might be beginning to grow tired of - doesn't think that anything was wrong with Miami's pass rush:

"As a team we got pressure on them. But not enough. We could have made more plays out there. But it wasn't the lack of pass rush why we lost the game."

Ugh! Of course the lack of a consistent pass rush wasn't the one reason why the Dolphins lost. But it's among the biggest reasons. If Joey honestly thinks that the Dolphins got enough pressure on Brady, then I think he needs to take some time off or something because he's delusional. His head coach, teammates, and even the opposing quarterback all agree that the Dolphins really didn't do a good job at all pressuring the passer. And in my humble opinion, the lack of consistent pressure was the single biggest defensive problem on Sunday.

The 'Wildcat' and 'WildPat'
You know, maybe this Pat White experiment has some hope after all? That's what many Dolphin fans - those who have doubted White - were left saying following Sunday's game in which we saw some extensive Pat White snaps.

While White is still yet to complete a pass, we saw the kind of play-making ability White has and the new wrinkle - the spread option - that White introduces into this offense. White had a dazzling 33 yard run on Miami's first touchdown drive. And that drive was capped by a Ricky Williams 15 yard touchdown run in which White took the snap and ran the option to the right side, executing a perfectly timed pitch to Ricky, who then did the rest by powering his way into the endzone to tie the game at 10.

If nothing else, this is just another wrinkle now that opposing defensive coordinators must prepare for when facing the Dolphins. But at its best, this new wrinkle has the potential to gain some of that elusive "chunk yardage" that this offense seems to have so much trouble gaining.

White actually looked comfortable running the ball, too. He showed good vision, terrific acceleration, and even some toughness when running between the tackles. It's enough to get me excited about what this new wrinkle could become as White progresses.

All told, White took eight snaps at quarterback. On those plays, the Dolphins gained 60 yards of offense - including 52 of the 80 yards gained on that first Miami touchdown drive. Not too shabby.

On the flip side, the 'Wildcat' wasn't very effective at all. The Dolphins gained just 11 yards on 10 'Wildcat' plays. But they did lose 11 on the attempted reverse pass in which Henne was sacked. So if you take that away - which is a high risk, high reward, kind of play - the 'Cat gained 18 yards on 9 snaps. It did score a touchdown, though, when Ronnie Brown threw a 1 yard pass to Joey Haynos. And I really like the potential of more 'Wildcat' snaps inside the red zone because of Ronnie's ability to accurately throw. But the 'Wildcat' was bottled up effectively for the third week in a row.

To be fair, though, the entire running game was bottled up due to the lack of any real passing attack. Ronnie and Ricky combined for just 81 yards and averaged only 3.68 yards per carry. So it's not so much that the 'Wildcat' is dead as it is Miami's inability to run the football right now due to defenses making it a priority to shut down the ground attack.

Passing continues to be an issue with mediocre receivers
Chad Henne's stat line wasn't terrible. Of course, 42 of those yards were garbage time passing yards. But even still, I like what I have seen out of Henne thus far.

Henne continues to impress with his arm strength. There's no question that he has a cannon. His accuracy is still off at times - but I see the number of inaccurate throws going down each week it seems, which is a positive sign. But most of all, I have been impressed with his poise and toughness in tight situations.

Take that final drive with the score 24-17, for example. In a hostile environment with the game on the line, all Henne did was put the ball right on the money on to two of his receivers. But, yet again, Miami's receivers failed to make the plays that must be made to knock off good football teams. Brian Hartline dropped what was a catchable ball and would have resulted in a first down. Then two plays later, it was Ted Ginn dropped a catchable ball that would have also resulted in a first down and extended that potential game-tying drive.

Was either catch an easy catch to make? No. But Henne put the football right where it had to be each time to give only his receiver a chance to make the catch. Both passes hit the receivers in their hands. Both catches have to be made.

But more than anything else, those two plays just emphasize what the Dolphins must address in the offseason. They need that true "go-to" receiver that good NFL teams have. They need to give their young (potential franchise) quarterback some help out there. All he can do is stand tough in the pocket and put the football right where it needs to be. He did that twice on a potential game-tying drive and his receivers failed him. It's that simple.

With all that said, Henne still has issues to iron out himself. For example, he can't run backwards when under immense pressure. He needs to learn to either throw the ball away or at least reduce the negative yardage by going down rather than backwards. Obviously, his use of that "fourth timeout" was costly in a crucial moment of the game - resulting in a five yard penalty. But even still, he showed the mental toughness to put that mistake behind him and make a throw to Ginn that a good receiver has to make.

The fact of the matter remains that the Dolphins simply don't have the receivers to get the job done. And until they do, this offense will struggle. Teams will key on the run - as we've seen these past three or four weeks - and will force Chad Henne to beat them. I think he has the talent to do so. But he needs his supporting cast to make some plays.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
The Dolphins had just put together a 16 play, 66 yard, 10 minute touchdown drive to take a 17-16 lead. Leave it to this defense to give the lead right back.

On the ensuing New England possession, on the third play of the drive, Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss on a crossing route - in which Brady had a ton of time throw - and Moss stiffed-armed Vontae Davis and was off to the races for a 71 yard touchdown. The Dolphins never recovered. Without question, that play was Sunday's turning point of the game.

QUICK HITS
Some more quick hit thoughts on Sunday's game:

I know the secondary didn't perform well today. But I'm very excited about the futures of Sean Smith and Vontae Davis. Vontae's interception was a spectacular play. And he even impressed Randy Moss, who said after the game about Vontae, "Look, I'm heading out of this league. You're coming in. You're going to be a good player. Keep working."
So why was Moss single-covered so much? Tony Sparano said after the game that "you can't double them all." And that's exactly it. When the Patriots have 5 guys going out in routes, the Dolphins don't have too many options. Should they have had a deep safety more often? Probably. But a deep safety doesn't help on Randy's 70 yard touchdown off of a crossing route. And Vontae was step for step with Randy on his first big reception. He just didn't get his head around quick enough and Randy made a terrific one-handed catch. What can you do?
The Dolphins converted 52% of their 3rd downs (9/17). That's pretty damn good.
Dan Carpenter continues to earn his "DC$" nickname. Anyone want to argue about it at this point?
Joey Haynos? Ain't nothing wrong with that. I want to see some more of him in the coming weeks.
I'm still not a fan of Ricky Williams taking the 'Wildcat' snap. I think I've seen enough of it. Ronnie just has a knack for it - let's stick to him as the 'Wildcat' orchestrator.
Did the Dolphins miss Jason Ferguson and Channing Crowder or were the Dolphins just too concerned about the pass? Either way, the Pats averaged 4.5 yards per carry on the ground. Not acceptable.
Still some questionable play-calling. But the thing is - if those play-calls work, nobody would be calling for Dan Henning's head like some were during the game. He's a genius if a play works; an idiot if it doesn't. Is that fair?
With that said, I HATED the quick screen to Davone Bess on a 3rd & 19. At least take a shot deep. In fact, why didn't we see at least one deep pass attempted during the game?
Last word about the "clock" controversy before halftime: it's not a controversy. When the football hit the ground on the incomplete pass, there was still one second left on the clock. Period. Sure, if it's in Miami, the operator would run that second off. But props to Gillette Stadium's clock operator for being alert and stopping the clock as soon as the ball hit the ground. That's a benefit of home field advantage. If the roles were reversed and we were at home, I'd hope our clock operator would be as alert.

Post-Game Thread: Dolphins hang tough but fall to Pats

2009-11-08T21:15:37Z

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

about 11 hours ago: Miami Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis, left, goes up over New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss (81) to intercept a Tom Brady pass during the first quarter of their NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Browse more photos »

A loss is a loss. But I'm very proud of how the Dolphins stuck with the Patriots. We all know that the Pats are the more talented team. But this Dolphins team played right with them. So let's not get too frustrated here.

The Patriots did win 27-17. But I'm not hanging my head at all.

As far as Ted Ginn goes, lay off him. Yes, he dropped that nice 4th down pass form Henne. But we should all know by now that Teddy isn't going to make that catch. In fact, no Dolphins' receiver is probably making that catch. That's the biggest need right now - a true number one, go-to receiver who will make those big catches.

Oh - and Brian Hartline dropped a pass on what would have been a big pass completion two plays earlier. And Davone Bess had a couple of drops himself. So don't single out Ginn.

That's all I'll say for now. Use this thread to discuss the game. Please don't create a new fanpost just to write a few sentences about today's game - that's what this post is for. So keep all of the talk about today's game in this thread.

My usual recap post will follow tonight.

Week 9: Dolphins at Patriots Game Thread

2009-11-08T17:08:44Z

MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-4)	WEEK 9	NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (5-2)
	AT

Date:	November 8, 2009	Location:	Foxborough, MA
Time:	1:00 p.m. ET	Stadium:	Gillette Stadium
TV:	CBS	Spread:	Patriots by 10.5
Radio:	WQAM (560 AM)	Over/Under:	46.5
Weather:	Sunny, 63°F	SBN Affiliate	Pats Pulpit
Final Score:	Patriots 27 - Dolphins 17

Today's Inactives:

Dolphins - LB Channing Crowder, DT Jason Ferguson, WR Patrick Turner, LB Quentin Moses, OT Lydon Murtha, QB Tyler Thigpen, RB Kory Sheets, and OT Andrew Gardner
Patriots - RB Sammy Morris, RB Fred Taylor, WR Julian Edelman, CB Jonathan Wilhite, LB Eric Alexander, OT Matt Light, OG Rich Ohrnberger, and DE Jarvis Green

Lionel Dotson will be active today for the first time this season. But I'm a bit disappointed that we won't see Patrick Turner or Kory Sheets on the field today.

Regardless, gameday is here. I'm pumped. You're pumped. So let's sit back and hope for the best, folks.

As usual, please don't post any pictures in this thread - they only slow it down. And remember - do not request or post links to illegal internet streams of the game (instant temporary ban if you do).

Overflows will be posted as needed.

Overflow Thread: Click Here
Overflow Thread #2: Click Here

GO DOLPHINS!!!

Dolphins make roster move; Crowder & Ferguson downgraded to "out"

2009-11-08T00:45:39Z

Dolphins make roster move; Crowder & Ferguson downgraded to "out"

The Dolphins have officially ruled out LB Channing Crowder and NT Jason Ferguson. That means Reggie Torbor will start for the second straight week and Paul Soliai will likely start in place of Ferguson.

The Dolphins also signed rookie LB J.D. Folsom to the 53-man roster and have released William Kershaw.

2009 Perspective VII

2009-11-07T16:26:22Z

As most of you know, I am currently serving in the U.S. Army. As some of you may know, I am stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. And, as I am sure all of you know by now, Fort Hood was the scene of a tragic mass murder on Thursday.

My unit was out in the field conducting some training when we received the phone call to get 100% accountability of all of our people and that Fort Hood was on lock down. Not really knowing what was going on, we complied with the accountability order and waited for details. Then, the details started trickling in.

When something like this happens, it shocks. When something like this happens, it touches everyone, as a human and as an American. Here we are, the greatest nation on Earth (if you are from a nation other than the U.S., I apologize for this seemingly arrogant statement, but in my opinion, it is 100% accurate), with the greatest military ever seen, and now we are reacting to one of our own slaying us. It's a difficult thing to understand and to grasp.

Most of you have probably heard the details by now. Fort Hood, which is the largest military post in the country, lost 13 Soldiers during the incident, with another 31 wounded. What a tragic day.

The alleged shooter, a psychologist working with soldiers here on the post, is currently in a coma after being shot. There is still no known motivation behind the shooting, but there is a lot of speculation out there. I won't speculate myself, and I won't jump to any conclusions, but we are still waiting for the real story behind why a commissioned officer (a Major if you understand the Army's rank structure), a doctor with an oath to do no harm, and a soldier sworn to defend the U.S. Constitution and to live the Army Values would do such a thing.

More importantly, though, are some of the stories just starting to emerge. Soldiers running into the chaos multiple times, trying to help the wounded and lead others to safety. Two soldiers, in the middle of their college graduation ceremony at the theater next door, ran - wearing their graduation gowns - into the shooting site and brought out more wounded. Meanwhile, other soldiers outside the building were loading up the wounded into their personal vehicles, fully loading them, which includes pickup truck beds, and speeding their way to the hospital.

It's amazing the reactions of soldiers in a time of crisis. Soldiers, who are preparing to leave for war or are home from war, suddenly were facing a situation no one could have seen coming. Unarmed and unprepared, they were suddenly under fire. What was their reaction? Help others. Suddenly, soldiers were helping soldiers. It became more important to help their buddies than it did to help themselves.

One female soldier carried a wounded soldier out of the building. She then turned and ran back in, bringing out another two wounded soldiers. As she was running back into the building, the EMS personnel finally stopped her. She was bleeding from her arm and leg, where she had been shot. She didn't care. She wanted to help others.

The mental, physical, and emotional toughness of the soldiers serving the United States is amazing. I am currently in command of over 125 of the finest people I will ever meet. Every day, I realize how lucky I am to be in this position. I have been given the responsibility to train, prepare, and lead soldiers in combat. I have seen firsthand the ability of Soldiers to react to a situation and do things I would not have thought possible.

I know this is a Miami Dolphins blog and we are all looking forward to the game this week against New England, but I ask you to please take a moment and remember our men and women in uniform. Say a prayer for the families of those we lost here Thursday and those who were wounded in the fire. Don't forget to think about the soldiers affected by losing friends and colleagues. Really, that's my perspective for this week.

In a time of war, we expect to lose soldiers. It's the price of war, and, while devastating every time we lose a single life, it's at least understandable.

When soldiers are at home, on a military installation, it's hard to rationalize the loss of 13 of our nation's finest.

May God Bless them, their Families, all of our soldiers, and America.

Dolphins vs Patriots: Prediction Time

2009-11-07T06:00:22Z

It's that time of the week again. It's time to make our predictions for Sunday's game. But first, let's see who the "experts" are picking (hmmm...I wonder):

Chris Mortensen - NE	Adam Schefter - NE	Mark Schlereth - NE
Tom Jackson - NE	Cris Carter - NE	PFT - NE
Peter King - NE	Jason Cole - NE	Michael Silver - NE
Pete Prisco - NE	Harmon Forecast - NE	Dave Richard - NE

Not one person went out on a limb and picked the Dolphins. Surprised? Me neither.

But I'm not about to give the Dolphins no chance to win this game, as many in the media seem to think. I think that if the Dolphins can just make a couple of plays, they can certainly hang with the Patriots and even pull off the win.

The Dolphins are one of the most physical teams in the NFL and that's going to play to their advantage on Sunday. The Patriots are beat a little bit on both their offensive and defensive lines. If the Dolphins can control the line of scrimmage and dominate up front - on both sides of the ball - they could very well surprise a lot of people.

So what do I think? I don't know if the Dolphins will win. But I'd be rather surprised to see the Dolphins get blown out on Sunday. I think this game will actually be close. And if the Dolphins can make it to the fourth quarter in a tight game, I'll take my chances.

My Week 9 Locks
Dolphins +10.5 over Patriots - Like I said, I don't have a feeling one way or the other about who will win. But I think the Dolphins are getting disrespected with this very high point spread.
Ravens -2.5 over Bengals - This is the time of the year when the "cream rises to the top." That means it's time for the Bengals to start sinking.
Jaguars -6.5 over Chiefs - I look for a big dose of MJD against KC. The Chiefs might keep it close for a half or so, but the Jaguars will pull away late.
Packers -9.5 over Bucs - Tampa just stinks and the Packers have too much offensive firepower for the Bucs to keep up with.

Last Week: 3-1
Season: 13-11

Dolphins/Patriots Final Injury Report

2009-11-06T21:53:25Z

Key injuries for both teams, so let's take a look.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Doubtful
Channing Crowder, LB (shoulder)
Jason Ferguson, NT (elbow)

Notes
-Tony Sparano said that he's "on the fence" about Crowder's availability on Sunday.
-Reggie Torbor would again replace Crowder if he can't go.
-Paul Soliai would replace Ferguson.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Out
Julian Edelman, WR (forearm)
Jarvis Green, DE (knee)
Matt Light, OT (knee)
Sammy Morris, RB (knee)
Fred Taylor, RB (ankle)

Questionable
Ty Warren, DE (ankle)
Ben Watson, TE (back)
Jonathan Wilhite, CB (illness)

Probable
Tom Brady, QB (shoulder)
Randy Moss, WR (shoulder)

Notes
-Warren and Watson both participated in practice on a limited basis on Thursday and Friday.

Dolphins vs Patriots: Miami's Keys to Victory

2009-11-06T05:15:20Z

I'll take some more of this, please.

View full size photo »

Huge. There's no way around it. That's what Sunday's game between the Dolphins and the Patriots up in Foxborough is. It's huge - for the Dolphins, at least.

A win up in New England would pull the Dolphins within one game of the division lead and give the Dolphins a 4-0 record within the division - which would mean a win over Buffalo later on in the year would give the Dolphins the tie-breaker over the Patriots regardless of how their second meeting plays out in Miami. So let's be real about this game - it's a season-defining game, though at this point I think every game for the Dolphins is critical. But that's what putting yourself in a 2-4 hole does - it magnifies every game from here on out.

So what do the Dolphins have to do to leave Foxborough with a win for the second consecutive time? A lot, of course. But these three factors are among the most important.

Pressure, Pressure, Pressure
This is probably the most obvious key for the Dolphins - and yet it's also the most important. We know how dominant New England's passing attack can be. In my opinion, there is no better duo at the wide receiver position than Randy Moss and Wes Welker. They each have their own strengths and roles and they compliment each other absolutely perfectly.

It's no coincidence that the Patriots have the second best passing offense in the NFL and have been sacked the third fewest times all season. It's also no coincidence that in two of their last three losses with Tom Brady under center, it's been outstanding, relentless pass rushes that have slowed New England's dynamic offense - scoring just 23 combined points in those two games. The two games I'm referring to, of course, are the Super Bowl against the Giants back in February of 2008 and the Pats' week two loss to the Jets back in September. In each of those games, Tom Brady was under constant duress. The Giants got to Brady for five sacks. The Jets didn't actually record any sacks. But if you watched that game, you'd know that the various blitz packages the Jets were sending did enough to force Brady to have to throw the football well before he wanted to.

In those two games, Brady connected on just 55% of his throws and averaged just 5.07 yards per attempt. That's the blueprint the Dolphins will look to follow on Sunday.

To accomplish this, the Dolphins will obviously need big performances out of Jason Taylor and Joey Porter. But it goes beyond just those two. Randy Starks has been outstandthing this year and another big performance out of him would be terrific. Cameron Wake has been quiet since his big week against Buffalo, but I think we might see a little bit more of him on Sunday. I also expect t o see more of those safety blitzes we saw last week with Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell.

The Pats will likely be without starting left tackle Matt Light, which means the Dolphins should have even more opportunities to get to Brady. They can't let those opportunities go to waste.

Pound the rock, but keep Pats honest
We all know the blueprint for what the Dolphins must do on offense against the Patriots. They have got to establish the ground game with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams against a rush defense that is average at best. The Patriots are allowing 4.5 yards per carry on the ground this season, with is in the bottom third of the league. But teams have been forced to abandon the run against New England because they fall behind early. The Dolphins have got to prevent that from happening by getting the ground attack going early.

Of course, the Patriots know this. Bill Belichick can probably tell us all the exact number of times the Dolphins have ran the football out of every formation - 'Wildcat' included. And with him having had two weeks to prepare for this game thanks to New England's bye week, I'm sure we'll see some looks out of this Patriot defense that nobody has seen all year. But keep in mind that they traded away Richard Seymour prior to the season and Jarvis Green is out with a knee injury, meaning Mike Wright - a player with minimal starting experience - will be starting at the defensive end spot opposite Ty Warren, who is nursing an ankle injury himself.

With that said, though, it's important that the Dolphins do their best to prevent the Patriots from loading up on the run like the Saints and Jets have done the past two weeks. There were times on Sunday when the Jets actually had nine men in the box. That's because teams don't respect Miami's group of receivers nor do they think Dan Henning will call plays for Chad Henne to throw some deep balls.

This week I hope to see Henning give Henne a chance to make some plays down the field, which would help keep New England's defense honest and prevent their two athletic safeties from inching closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. The Patriots aren't exactly loaded in the secondary, either. So there will be plays to be made if Henning just gives Henne a shot. I know we all want to remain committed to the run. But I just don't think Belichick is going to let the Dolphins have a chance to get Ronnie and Ricky rolling. He's going to go all out to stop those two - as he should. It'll be up to Miami's offense to give Belichick a reason to stop loading up against the run.

Make a game-changing non-offensive play
Last week, the Dolphins beat the Jets thanks to three game-changing plays that were made in the other two phases of the game - not on offense. Ted Ginn's two kickoff returns for touchdowns and Jason Taylor's fumble return for a touchdown spotted the Dolphins 21 non-offensive points. This week, the Dolphins need another big play in New England.

There's no way around the fact that Miami's offense isn't nearly as potent as the Patriots are on offense. That's why the Dolphins really do need some kind of huge game-changing play in one of the two other phases of the game. The Patriots are 19th in the league in kickoff coverage, allowing 23.5 yards per return. Prior to last week, the Jets were allowing only 20.5 yards per kickoff return - one of the lowest totals in the entire league - before Ted Ginn and the Dolphins' return unit sliced the Jets up for 299 kickoff return yards on just 6 returns, including Teddy's two touchdowns. So there's no reason why the Dolphins can't get a big play or two to, if nothing else, swing the field position battle and build some momentum.

Defensively, the Dolphins will see a ton of passes fly through the air as Tom Brady is expected to throw the ball early and often against Miami's secondary. To date, Brady has thrown just 4 interceptions so making that big game-changing defensive play obviously will not be easy. But he also isn't afraid to put the ball up for grabs - especially in the direction of Randy Moss. And for the first time in a while, the Dolphins have at least two capable corners who can make a big play. Sean Smith and Vontae Davis both have excellent ball skills. Now I'm not saying I expect some kind of big play - but I wouldn't be surprised, either.

Wildcat Weekly Issue 3: Swiffer Edition

2009-11-06T04:31:56Z

Issue 3:

Current Record (3-4, 3-0)

Break out the brooms, bitches! It's funny how a Jet victory can cure all. I had a cold during Halloween and went to the doctor and his advice was to get some rest and watch the Dolphins beat up on the Jets, again. And what do you know, 2 1/2 teaspoons of Jason Taylor and Ted Ginn later, I felt like a new man. After a tough loss to the Saints, sweeping our most hated rivals and sending them spiraling into a whole notha' world of mess is about as good as watching people fall. Kind of crazy that our last 2 wins were against the one team we loathe the most. How great it is to see Sanchez on the sideline sulking. Don't get me wrong, it was ugly at times, but we hung in there and found ways to win in which I've never seen before. We might not be the best team in football - but sometimes it's hard to deny the magic that we see from our boys every gameday.

I have no idea what you're saying but YES, sweep the jets!

JT: "I know you want to intercept Brady, but we have to wait one more week, Okay?"

Division foreshadow

FishNFinz posted a nice little post on Monday you should check out just taking a ponder into our future for the rest of our schedule. He's planning on making it a weekly thing, and now that I shouted you out don't disappoint me, bro!!

Anyways, this week's battle at Foxborough brings Miami back into their comfort zone - you know the place where we shocked the world last year by completely bending over the Pats and making Belichick look as stupid as, well, Rex Ryan. The Dolphins are still in the hunt but let's all be a bit realistic... even though we have the 3rd easiest remaining schedule in the AFC East, I don't think 9-0 is a realistic goal. Sure, it's possible. But let's face it, we play 8 other teams who want to win too.

Unlike last week's victory, this game isn't necessarily a MUST WIN game. Believe me, it would be HUGE to walk out with a win, but as long as we split the series between the Pats, we are still VERY much alive. Let me repeat, for the Dolphins to make the playoffs this year they NEED to split or sweep the Pats and beat the Bills again up in Buffalo. This will put our division record at 5-1, or 6-0 (pending the Pats series) and will put us in control of our own destiny. If we beat the teams we are supposed to beat (see weeks 10-15), and beat the other playoff contenders (HOU and PIT) when we play them at home, I can easily see this team 10-6 with a 5-1 division record at the end of the year; but will it be good enough against the ALWAYS competitive AFC conference? THAT'S WHY THEY PLAY THE GAME!

Where's the Pressure? A look at our LB's

There sure are a lot of things to praise about this year. How about our #1 ranked rushing offense and the fact that the wildcat continues to perplex opposing teams? How about the chosen one taking over for our fallen soldier CP10, and how about him winning 3 of his first 4 starts, with two coming against the Jets? The one thing that has to be a thought for improvement going into the future ,however, is our LB core. Trust me, I love all our guys, I mean where do you start? You got Peezy's popcorn muscles, JT's circle-punch and Channing's loud mouth! But watching the last couple games, I have realized that this is the one area where we may need to bring in some youth. Last week's game against the Jets showed good pressure in the first half and a whole lot of nothing in the second. In fact, if it wasn't for Ted 'The Savior' Ginn it could have gotten ugly very quick on Sunday. I think it has to do with age, JT and Porter are a pair of unbelievable play-makers, but they fatigue easily. As much as we would like to hope, they can't do this forever. We need to develop names such as Wake and Moses to be valuable substitutes to fill in when needed. Roth needs to be the player we know he could be, or get him out of there if he fails to produce. If they don't get the job done, then we need to find someone who does. Let's face it, in today's pass-first league, pressuring the opposing QB is one of the most important aspects of the game. We got some good names now but this is definitely the area that will make or break games; LB is a definite option to look in next year's draft to find that dynamic play-maker that we need.

WR News

In other completely under the radar news, I think we have found the WR the Dolphins have been desperately seeking. That's right, look no further than......

Me.

That's right, want to fight about it? Don't think I've got what it takes? Well don't take my word for it, check the video...

Below is a video of my UCF flag football team. We are currently 8-0 (2-0 playoffs) and are playing to beat out 83 other teams for the school's best. Monday night, we were up all game after a 7-0 TD, when we gave up a miracle TD catch and a 2 pt conversion with about 30 seconds left in the 4th quarter and were down 8-7. FML, I know. We had 30 seconds and 1 TO to drive the field and score to win it. After a defensive penalty and a great 30 yard catch it was 4th and long from the 30 when this play transpired..

1. You can see me line up late, wide as a slot WR on the right
2. Our QB takes the snap, looks right, jukes a defender and throws it deep left.
3. I, currently on the right corner of the endzone, BEELINE as fast as I can along the back of the endzone running 2x faster than I have ever ran in my life.
4. The ball lands ON the OB line, but not before I slide with my hands underneath it and with a knee down.
5. Our team erupts, biggest group hug I've ever been a part of (no homo) and sure we got a penalty but it was SO WORTH IT.

Note: We actually almost lost by a hail mary pass at the end (lol)but held out the win.
I was sick all weekend and still made the catch as well with an INT. MJ Who?
Our next game is Friday, we need to win 5 more games without a loss to win it all, wish us luck.

FUN & GAMES

Word Search-

Find the 5 'hidden words' above and post them first to win 5 WW Points. Words can be horizontal, diagonal or vertical and may contain spaces.

Shoutout to buckeye Bill, who was Week 8's Nostradamus of the Week (link). Double B predicted 2 Ted Ginn TD's last week, who would have thunk it... I'll give u 3 WW Points because I'm in that good of a mood.

Total Wildcat Weekly Points-

Matty-6

Mosul-5

BuckeyeBill- 3

Quick Hits-

I'll keep it short so you don't blast me here.. but quick props to my New York Yankees for finishing up a great season. To all Yankees fans, what a year. To all the haters out there, I present you this picture... have fun with it.

If you can make it funny AND keep it clean (ok PG-13 lol) then the best caption posted below gets 3 WW points!

Chambers a Chief!? Going to be crazy to see him in red, although it was probably smart we kept him off our squad though it would have been a little bit cool to see a reunion. The guy made some great catches in Miami, and an even cooler commercial, and definitely won us a few games single-handedly (Buffalo link).
I love how Sean Smith is publicly stating how he wants to make plays. First he says he predicts 3 INT's before the season started, and now he is talking more about his NEED to make the big play (link courtesy of Matty!). Meanwhile after a stellar preseason he is being outshined by fellow rookie corner Vontae Davis. But this guy could go quiet for 12 games and then get back to back pick sixes, he is THAT athletic. Overall I've been super impressed by both of these guys coming in DAY 1 and being asked to cover the best receivers in football!

I dedicate this issue of Wildcat Weekly to a fallen soldier. That's right, this goes out to Yitro, the loud mouth Jet fan who felt an urge to come to last week's WW and talk junk in Week 5 even after we beat his team down mercifully on MNF. Since then his team has been 1-4 with a loss to Buffalo, oh and yes, us AGAIN. KARMA is a bitch brother so I'd love to see you back but since you probably won't be back I'll just dedicate this pic to you.

Yitro, seek help, they have therapy for this kind of stuff.

That's all I've got ,guys. Hope ya enjoyed it! If you liked it, REMEMBER that I love rec's like Sanchez loves the.. well you know... If you didn't like it, then hey - at least give me props on the sick TD catch lol. Hopefully I'll come out with another fun filled WW, after we return home from Foxborough. I'll leave you with a video that will be sure to make you laugh, your day can not get worse then this guys...

-B

Poll

Just because I'm curious... how do you feel about the stunning baseball season that just ended.

I should have picked that ball off and run for 100 yards, I could start with that. God! And then on...

2009-11-06T01:02:54Z

I should have picked that ball off and run for 100 yards, I could start with that. God! And then on the play when Braylon scored, it was supposed to be a bracket with me and the safety on him. But I kind of misplayed my leverage and pretty much didn't use my safety at all. I put myself in a bad position, where the ball shouldn't even have been thrown over there. The play we had, the call was perfect. I just had a mental lapse and I kind of put myself in a bad position. Small things like that, things that shouldn't happen...I guarantee that isn't happening again.

-Rookie CB Sean Smith, answering a question about what he thinks he could be doing better.

Dolphins vs Patriots: Game Capsule

2009-11-05T17:30:31Z

MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-4) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (5-2)

SERIES

	DOLPHINS	PATRIOTS
SERIES LEADER	48-36
STREAKS		3 of past 4
COACHES VS. OPP.	Sparano: 1-1	Belichick: 11-9
LAST WEEK	W 30-25 at Jets	Bye (Wk. 7: W 35-7 at Buccaneers in London)
LAST GAME	11/23/08: Patriots 48 at Dolphins 28. New England QB Matt Cassel passes for 415 yards with 3 TDs - his 2nd straight 400-yard game - & adds 8-yard TD run.
LAST GAME AT SITE	9/21/08: Dolphins 38, Patriots 13. Miami RB Ronnie Brown accounts for 5 TDs (4 rush, 1 pass) as Dolphins halt New England's NFL-record 21-game regular-season win streak.
BROADCAST	CBS (1:00 PM ET): Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf. SIRIUS: 153 (Mia.), 122 (NE). XM: 108 (NE).

STATS

PASSING	Henne: 74-124-771-4-3-78.4	Brady: 179-273-2,032-15 (T2C)-4-99.9
RUSHING	R. Brown: 120-518-4.3-7 (T2C)	Maroney: 61-265-4.3-2
RECEIVING	Bess: 30-206-6.9-0	Welker: 46 (T2C)-484-10.5-4
OFFENSE	305.4	406.0 (1C)
TAKE/GIVE	-2	+9 (1C)
DEFENSE	328.4	285.7 (3C)
SACKS	Taylor: 5.5	Wright: 4
INTs	W. Allen: 2	Butler (R), Meriweather: 2
PUNTING	Fields: 46.5	Hanson: 39.5
KICKING	Carpenter: 50 (20/20 PAT; 10/11 FG)	Gostkowski: 60 (2C) (21/21 PAT; 13/16 FG)

NOTES

DOLPHINS: Head coach TONY SPARANO is 7-2 vs. AFC East...Dating back to 12/07/08, club aims for 6th consecutive win against AFC East...In 3 career starts against division opponents, QB CHAD HENNE is 3-0 & has completed 46 of 69 passes (66.7 pct.) for 468 yards with 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 105.2 passer rating...In last game at NE, RB RONNIE BROWN gained 113 rush yards & set franchise record with 4 rush TDs. Has scored 7 TDs in past 6. RB RICKY WILLIAMS averages 5.4 rush yards per carry in '09 (78 att., 423 yards). Brown (7) & Williams (5) are only teammates with 5+ rush TDs in '09...TE JOEY HAYNOS recorded 1st TD rec. of '09 last week...DE JASON TAYLOR leads active players with 126 sacks. Has 12 career sacks against Patriots...LB JOEY PORTER aims for 5th consecutive game w/sack vs. Patriots & has 8 in past 4. Tied career-high w/4 sacks vs. NE on 9/21/08...KR-WR TED GINN JR. is 1st player in NFL history w/2 TDs of 100+ yards in same game & is 8th player in NFL history with 2 KR-TDs in game. Also became 1st player w/2 KR-TDs in same quarter since Packers' TRAVIS WILLIAMS in 1967...

PATRIOTS: In past 5, QB TOM BRADY has completed 117 of 173 passes (67.6 pct.) for 1,438 passing yards w/13 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 113.3 passer rating. Brady aims for 3rd consecutive game w/3 or more TD passes vs. Miami & has 9 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 124.2 passer rating in past 2 against Dolphins...In last game RB KEVIN FAULK became 26th RB in NFL history with 400 rec...WR RANDY MOSS posted 8 rec. for 125 yards (15.6 avg.) w/3 TDs in last meeting vs. Mia. Since '07, WR WES WELKER leads NFL with 269 rec. Aims for 6th consecutive game with 6 or more rec. (46 total in those 5). Seeks 3rd consecutive game with 100+ receiving yards (150, 107)...Pats have forced turnover in 15 consecutive games...S BRANDON MERIWEATHER registered career-high 2 INTs & posted 1st career INT-TD (39 yards) last game...Rookie CB DARIUS BUTLER (Round 2, Connecticut) aims for 3rd consecutive game with INT...LB JUNIOR SEAU has won 24 consecutive games w/NE.

Dolphins in the red zone: Week 8

2009-11-05T05:15:22Z

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

On Sunday, both red zone offense and red zone defense were critical for the Dolphins. Offensively, the Dolphins were only in the red zone one time - a sad commentary on who ineffective they were on offense, of course. But nonetheless, the Dolphins converted on the one time they made it down there, and that was simply huge.

The Jets had just scored to cut Miami's lead to 24-19 late in the third quarter. But the Dolphins answered with a critical 13 play drive that ate up nearly eight minutes. On that drive, they converted three crucial third downs. Then once they got inside the 20, the Dolphins relied on a tough 7 yard run by Ricky Williams and a defensive holding penalty to get down to the 5 yard line. That's when Chad Henne faked the hand off to Ronnie Brown, rolled out right, and threw an accurate pass on the run with a defender closing in to Joey Haynos for the touchdown. And give credit to Haynos, who did an excellent job of selling his "block" just enough to keep the defender honest and a step behind when he broke right for his pattern. Maybe it's just me, but I want to see more of Haynos in the coming weeks.

With their one red zone conversions, the Dolphins are now scoring touchdowns on 63% of their red zone trips - a solid ratio for sure.

Defensively, the Dolphins stood their ground when they absolutely had to. There were two trips into the red zone in which Miami's defense held the Jets. The first time, which I don't think has gotten enough attention, was early in the second quarter with the score tied at zero. The Jets had made their way down to Miami's 9 yard line and had it first and and goal. On first down, using that "heavy formation" with 7 or 8 offensive linemen, Thomas Jones carried it for four yards, with Gibril Wilson - who actually looked decent on Sunday - making the stop. But the key play was made two plays later, on third down from the five, when Sean Smith did an excellent job of reading the route by Jerricho Cotechery and cutting in front of the receiver. He couldn't haul in the pass when he undercut the receiver, but he did still break up the pass and prevent the Jets from taking a 7-0 lead. The Jets settled for the field goal on the next play.

Then, of course, we had the "red zone stand of the season" - at least up to this point - late in the fourth quarter. We don't need to rehash everything because we all know what happened. But I just can't say enough about both the coverage in the secondary and the play of Randy Starks. The much maligned secondary stood up and made two key plays. On second down, they did a great job of blanketing the receivers, forcing Mark Sanchez to scramble for just a yard. Who made the stop? Randy Starks of course. The next play was Randy's big sack of Sanchez, forcing NY back to the 15 yard line on fourth down. Again, the secondary stepped up and gave Mark nowhere to go with the ball.

Sure, the defense struggled all second half. But they made the plays that they absolutely had to have - which is a great sign.

The Phinsider goes over 3 million visits

2009-11-04T20:30:10Z

The Phinsider goes over 3 million visits

Today, our little community achieved a major milestone. Less than three years after launching, this blog has gone over the 3 million visit plateau.

At 3:14 pm ET, a reader from the Winter Park, Florida area became the 3 millionth visitor to The Phinsider. So congrats to you, anonymous reader, for being the person to crack the 3 million barrier.

And thank you to all who have become loyal readers and community members. This place wouldn't be what it is today without all of you!

Hey Jason, tell us how you really feel...

2009-11-04T20:00:34Z

Incase you needed another reason to love Jason Taylor. As if his return home to Miami this season wasn't enough of a reason to love that man, I offer you this.

Jason Taylor recently taped an interview for Sirius NFL Radio that will air on Friday. But ESPN's Tim Graham got a hold of some of what Taylor said and posted it in his blog. I just wanted to highlight a couple of JT's quotes.

How happy were you to have the opportunity to score a touchdown on Sunday against the Jets, Jason?

"To score a touchdown in New York against the Jets in the last time I'll be in the hellhole they call a stadium up there before they get rid of it and move to the new one, it was outstanding."

Why do you dislike Jet fans so much, Jason?

"It's the times like this where you beat them and they just keep talking. They just keep going, and they just don't know when to be quiet."

"You know, I've said a lot of things about Jets fans in the past, and I’m sure at heart they're good people. Most of them are good people. The Giants fans are a different type of people. Just put it that way. There's a little more class on the Giants' side, and some Jets fans take the 'c-l' out of class."

On a side note, I know exactly what Jason means. Living in Jersey about a half hour south of the Meadowlands, I know many fans of both the Jets and Giants. And yes, Giants fans are completely different - in a good way.

There are a couple of more good Taylor quotes in the post. And if you have Sirius radio, I suggest listening on Friday to Adam Schein's show to hear the full interview.

Vote for Ginn as Sprint's Can't Miss Play of the Week

2009-11-04T19:06:25Z

Vote for Ginn as Sprint's Can't Miss Play of the Week

Ted Ginn's second kickoff return for a touchdown against the Jets is a nominee for Sprint's Can't Miss Play of the Week. Click the link above and cast your vote.

Ted Ginn named Special Teams Player of The Week

2009-11-04T18:14:05Z

Ted Ginn named Special Teams Player of The Week

And rightfully so, tying a NFL record for returning back to back 100+ yard kickoffs. Even ESPN honored him with the best play in their Top 10. Congrats to Teddy, no other player needed the confidence boost more then the burner from Ohio State.

Dolphins vs Patriots: Three Key Matchups

2009-11-04T05:19:04Z

Back to the scene of the birthplace of the 'Wildcat.'

View full size photo »

While we'll all admit it was great to knock off the Jets last week and sweep the season series, it's time to now shift our attention to the other divisional rival - the one that actually matters. The Patriots have been the beast of the AFC East for far too long. And even with the Dolphins improbable division title last season, things have shaped up in 2009 like they have shaped up for a while - with the Patriots currently sitting atop the AFC East. On Sunday, the Dolphins will travel up to New England to go toe to toe with the Patriots looking to make a statement.

To get it done, these three matchups will be critical.

Dolphins running game vs Patriots front seven
It's become almost legendary now what the Dolphins did against the Patriots up in Foxborough last season in the first meeting between these two teams - unleashing the 'Wildcat' and running for 216 yards en route to a 25 point thrashing. But in their second meeting down in Miami, the Dolphins were unable to get anything going on the ground, 'Wildcat' or not. They ran for only 66 yards and averaged only 3.7 yards per carry as the Dolphins, who hung with the Patriots for two and a half quarters, just couldn't keep up with the Patriots and their high-scoring offense.

Obviously, the Dolphins can't let themselves get involved in another shoot-out like we saw down in Miami last year. And while the Patriots are ranked 15th in rush defense - surrendering 109 yards per game, which doesn't seem that bad - those numbers are skewed due to the fact that most opponents are trying to keep up with New England's offense and abandon the run too early. They only see roughly 24 rushing attempts per game by opponents. But in the key statistic, yards allowed per rushing attempt, the Patriots are ranked 22nd - surrendering 4.5 yards per attempt. That, my friends, means there's a lot of yardage to be had on the ground.

Of course, everybody is aware that Miami's strength on offense is the running game and the Patriots will obviously stack the box to limit the amount of success Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams can have. That's why it'll be very important for the Dolphins to remain committed to the ground game even if it isn't working with a lot of success early on. Last week, the Dolphins got away from the run too quickly because the Jets were selling out to stop it. That can't happen on Sunday.

In particular, I hope to see a lot of 'Wildcat' on Sunday early and often. And I'm not talking about the jet sweeps or attempted passes. I want to see some of that smash mouth power running that the Dolphins did so well earlier this season. I have faith in Miami's offensive line to come in with the right mindset and play physical enough for the Dolphins to be able to pound the ball up the middle. Let's set the tone early by pounding the rock.

Randy Moss/Wes Welker vs Sean Smith/Vontae Davis/Nate Jones
Welcome to the NFL, rooks. Now go cover the best receiving duo in the game.

It's not going to be an easy task. We all know this. But if the Dolphins are to head up to New England and pull off the upset (a pretty big one, at that, seeing as the Dolphins are 10 point underdogs), then these two talented rookie corners are going to have to play their best games to date.

We've all seen flashes from both Sean Smith and Vontae Davis. But there have still been those typical rookie mistakes - whether their mental or related to technique - that have resulted in big plays. On Sunday, those two will have to face the second best passing offense in the league, led by two receivers who are as talented as they get and who compliment each other well.

I expect to see a rotation of Smith and Davis on Randy Moss. Moss is the tall deep threat who is one of the greatest to ever step on the football field. And both Smith and Davis bring different elements to the table. Smith has outstanding size and ball skills. Davis, though, is the more physical corner. And I hope to see Davis get the opportunity to play tight bump and run coverage on Moss. Vontae has the strength to disrupt the timing between Moss and Tom Brady and to move Moss off of his route. And I think that Vontae's make-up speed allows Davis to play physical at the line with Randy and jam him. However, in the red zone, I hope to see Smith match up on Moss to help prevent any corner or fade routes to the big receiver.

As for Wes Welker, expect to see a lot of Nate Jones on him. Why? Because Welker will primarily line up in the slot and Jones is the team's best slot corner following the season-ending injury to Will Allen. I think that if Welker does line up on the outside, we'll see Davis on him for sure. But when Welker lines up inside and attempts to do what he does best, it'll be Jones - who has come on these past two games - who gets the duty of covering the pesky little receiver.

If nothing else, this should be interesting - and will be an excellent learning experience for the two rookie corners regardless of the outcome.

Chad Henne vs Bill Belichick
This isn't exactly an ideal matchup for a quarterback making just his 5th career start, is it? It's hard enough for a young quarterback to head up to New England. Making things more difficult is the fact that Bill Belichick has had an extra week to game plan for the young kid thanks to New England's bye week. Ouch.

Let's be real here. Belichick is probably going to go out of his way to draw up a variety of defensive looks to confuse Chad Henne. The Patriots don't exactly have outstanding cornerbacks. But they have talented, versatile safeties and one of the greatest minds in the game creating the game plan. That means I expect a number of exotic blitz packages and a variety of disguised coverages to test Henne. In what will be a loud and hostile environment, this is going to be a hell of a test for him.

Sure, it's important for Miami's coaches to do a good job game planning themselves and preparing Henne for what he might see on Sunday. But all the preparation in the world won't matter when it's 3rd & long and the Patriots are lined up with no down linemen, five linebackers, and six defensive backs - shifting around all over prior to the snap as the fans scream their heads off.

Yeah - time to show us what you got, kid.

Inside The Mind of Rzayo24: The Ted Ginn Jr. Post

2009-11-04T02:12:11Z

My day started with making a joke that at this point Chad Pennington could tackle Ted Ginn Jr. - and it ended with me wondering where THIS guy has been all my life. I wouldn't say anyone owes Ted Ginn Jr. and apology or anything - but a fruit basket wouldn't hurt. It's all in the kid's head - he's got the talent to be in this league. To show my thanks and regret for giving him so much crap, I dedicate this entire post to him - #19. Now you make some runs after catches like you did on those returns and we are talking entire web sites devoted to you. Not ones that have "suck" or "blows" after your name - real fan sites and stuff. So this won't be your normal ITM - this is an offering to the return God's - also known as the Ginn family.

First - a song dedicated to my Teddy Bear.

And now a reenactment of Sunday - a time line if you will.....

Bench me? I'll show you.... (darts up the field).....

Arghhhhhhhhh - BAM! I'll kick it...then make the tackle MYSELF! Wait 'till I talk about this on First Take - I'm going to spike my hair REALLY good that day. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh Bench PRESS!!! SQUATS! MUSCLE MILK!!!!!!!!!!

Hahahahahhaha!!! New....York....Jets bitches. Tell a friend.

Sigh (Catches the ball) Let's try this again...This is why I frown so much.....Kickers tackling me...this is an all-time new low for me...did I leave my stove on? Did someone in the crowd just say Dolphins suck? Why are they so mean? I do my best...i do my best...i do my best.......(sprints up field at half speed and closes eyes falling ass first into the 20).

(Crunch!) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA.....Kicker!!!.....First Take!!!!.....Spikey hair!!!!!! @Jay_Feely!!!! CURLS!!! PULL-UPS!!!!!! LEG PRESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

O.....M.....F.....G........New York Jets - might as well go ahead and take our ring sizes.

...Here...go ahead

(Chants of J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS) Ted Ginn Jr. is the next Jerry Rice. When he plays football - hummingbirds screw and sunflowers fall from the sky. If only we had 53 Ted Ginn Jr.s - that guy is going places. (Waits for everyone to get that he's a huge asshole) (Smirks)

Hey Bart - har har - look at my ring, dog. Pretty swag, huh?

That doesn't really make any sense coach - but your my guy - so sure.

And your my little black bear, aren't you? Aren't you? Say it.....CMON.....say it before you hit the field.

Ohh. OK - I'm your little black bear.

I am so turned on right now - SO TURNED ON!

Teeeeeeeeeddddddddyyyyyy.....

Brutus? Brutus Buckeye?! WTF are you doing here?

Golly , Teddy - I just want to say YOU ARE still that little Teddy Jr. - you can do it - I believe in you. Don't sweat the hate - return a touchdown and celebrate.

I dunno - just so many haters down here. I've been hated from the minute I was drafted - my heads all messed up. They act like it's my fault Cam Cam took me as the #9 pick - even I would have taken myself lower.

Leave me out of this, Teddy.

For the record - you screwed me too. I'm in HELL!

OK - nothing we can do about that now guys. Listen, remember the time you came to my room upset and said they wanted to switch you to WR? Do you remember what I told you?

You said every flower needs a few stormy days to grow - then we kissed.

Exactly! Keep your head up! On the next return, you go out with fire in your eyes - take a cue from Matt Roth.

Pizza.

OK - you're right - I'll show that, Feely. You know he once slapped the soap out of my hand in the shower - then just looked at me and said "Make a move, FISH."

Messed.

Do you have his cell?

True story - I saw it go down.

He is a little - Mehhhhhhh.

Can I play with your car keys?

Enough! Unleash the power of the Buckeye!!!!

(Locker room fills with smoke.....out comes confident Ted Ginn Jr. )

Shit! RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!

Juke your ass - stiff arm you - turn it onnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Look at me, Brutus!! I'm doing it!!! Just like old times! Hahahahahahahaha!!! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh haters - Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Oh! This isn't extra mayo!

Now AGAIN, Teddy!! AGAIN!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

Holy SH#%!!!!!

What?!!?! This is all the fans fault....they should have checked their messages this week.

I did it, Brutus! I shook off the haters!! I'm BACK! Ughh - I blacked out.

Adda boy, Teddy - I knew you had it in you.

Gimmick.

Smell my thumb.

This has been a "Suck it, haters" public service announcement - paid for by the Ted Ginn Jr. family.

For everything that has been said about this man - when he gets going there is maybe a handful of players in the league that can do what he does. I think I have it figured out - so hear me out. Ted Ginn Jr. is no Ferrari - he doesn't get from 0-60 in 5 seconds, he needs a running start. He has scored on numerous reverses, he has scored on multiple returns, and when he gets going on a deep route - he WILL be open EVENTUALLY. Not only that - but WHEN he gets open he STAYS open. I'm the biggest fan of CP10 - but he didn't mix well with Teddy at all. It's 100% true his arm costs Ginn multiple TD's - it just is. How many times can you remember Ginn being wide open - then having to drift back into the corner he smoked to try to make a catch he isn't physical enough to come up with? This isn't to say he is a good WR - but he is what he is - a deep threat. Do you see Devin Hester being physical and breaking tackles? No. When he's effective he is hit in stride - either on a slant - or on a bomb. If this team had Andre Johnson - Ted Ginn Jr. would be a dynamic player - if only running fly routes every play. This isn't me backtracking on how I feel about Ginn - this is me pointing to the facts and saying "Let him do what he does best." Use his strengths, put him in positions where he is going a million miles an hour - and defenders are turtles in a race with a Cheetah. It's proven at this point - Ted Ginn Jr. is a car that needs to be warmed up - so warm his ass up first and enjoy the show.

Remember this game? It's the best I can remember Ted Ginn Jr. looking. First play - deep. Slants on the run. Everything we could do to get him in the game that day. 11 catches and 175 yards - thats a #1 WR for you. Once again - use him for what he's worth. Running 10 yard outs does nothing to utilize his skills - let's hope we see more games like this from Ted in the future.

Does it get better than this? Wind it back to where Ted Ginn Jr. breaks the last tackle - listen to the sound that Phins fan makes. That's the exact sound you made - it's the only sound audible at that moment. Look at all the Jets fans yelling "Fumble...Fumble!!....."- then it tails off. It tails off like someone waiting for two cars to collide at an intersection - its pure horror in their eyes. I love the one guy standing at the end with his arms in the air - that's a tremendous clutch performance on his part. Don't point at anyone - just look around and take it all in. Checkout how the video ends - it's like the ending of Blair Witch. I wonder what happened after the camera cut! I would be running up and down the aisles catching the beer being thrown at me in my mouth. Hell yea - in your house.

Ted Ginn Jr. can throw the football - probably better than Cleo Lemon ever did. I remember reading about how he played QB in high school sometimes - and could have played at 90% of the big time schools as a QB. With EVERYONE ELSE having a Wildcat package - why not give him a look? This week would be the perfect time to pretend like we want to give him a reverse look - then let him unleash a deep bomb to a wide open Hartline. If you can waste a few plays every game on force feeding Pat White a few useless plays - you can give these a shot. The kid is talented - give it a go.

Random Rapid Fire in Closing:

- Vontae Davis has caught Sean Smith in my book - they are equally the balls now.

- I don't want the Jets to stop talking anymore - I encourage it. Now random people that cover sports in the media, and neutral fans - can totally see why we hate them so much. Mark my words - this Jets regime will crash and burn like none other. After a while they will realize they are what they are - mediocre. Their best players are old - and they will stick with them due to money issues longer than they should. They traded away a lot to get a quarterback that has never played in bad weather - and it shows. Rex Ryan is the kind of guy that will fail HARD and PUBLICLY. He won't sugar coat it - and he will say stuff that will totally embarrass the franchise when they suck even worse towards the end of his time there. It's 3 in a row against them now - and it's set up for us owning their asses for years to come. No matter what happens the rest of the season - we ruined the Jets chances at being a top contender. Just because of us - now they have to scratch and claw just to make the playoffs. This is a team that people wanted to crown AFC Champs just 3 weeks ago - hilarious.

- Way to make a big deal about your new stadium, New York - I didn't even know it was in the works until last week. Maybe I was living in a hole - or maybe you do a shitty job of marketing your team. I also read they had to cut the new stadium's ticket prices in half already - because they don't want the same problems the New York Yankees had selling tickets. So the next time your friend from New York says Miami fans are fake - ask him how many Jets games he's been to in his life.

- Pat White ain't alright. He comes in - it's a run - everybody knows it. It's about time he starts practicing running routes, before he becomes useless in the NFL. All I hear is he sucks in practice, all I see is tip toe and fall for -2 yards - his body language makes Ted Ginn Jr. look like Biff from back to the future.

- Fast..."What if" game. "What if" we beat Indy and the Saints like we should have? Forget it - we don't play that game. Let the Jets talk about hypotheticals.

- I am so damn glad we didn't sign Calvin Pace - we already have him, his name is Channing Crowder. Big talk - small game. Reggie Torbor was actually making the tackle - not flinging himself towards a dead play. He didn't have to tell people who he was before or after either. I want to like Channing - I really do. I just have ZERO confidence in him making a big time play at a big time moment in a game. Too many times Ive seen him be the sheep to an opponents wolf - and not really even fight that much to switch roles. Torbor hit gaps solid - he was the first in on a play numerous times. He made me realize he was in the game more - what more can you ask for? Don't forget - he was a free agent signing - not some loser off the street. That tells me this regime saw something they liked. I saw something I liked Sunday.

- Upon further review - while pretending to work today - I was hoping we didn't sign Chris Chambers. I however think the fact that so many posts went up begging for us to sign him shows just how bad our WR's are. I mean bad as a WHOLE - not individually. Is Brian Hartline good? Yes - I really like him. He is just as good as any other team's #3. Is DBess a good slot man? Top 5 in the league - and I don't feel that's an exaggeration at all. He's sure handed - and he's a hard ass worker that gets it - and he is as cheap a player as you will find since he was undrafted. Camarillo? Not a fan - I'm sorry. 4th or 5th WR that covers punts? Anyday. Starting WR on a team that has any chance to make a serious playoff run? No....friggin'....way. I never called for Ted Ginn Jr. to get benched - I just hated him - I still think he's as good as we got. Unfortunately - that's like saying male strippers are as good as you got at your bachelor party. The Chambers pick was used on Chad Henne - yeah, nice to have real football people running this team finally.

Second in the NFL in INT's - and eating hot dogs on the sidelines - "Sanchise". Keep up the good work, Jets scouting department.

I leave you this week with a clip from the newest South Park - an episode where the Japanese kill the Phins. I was texted "The Japanese just killed the Dolphins." I had no idea what to think - or how to respond to that. Once I found out the details - and saw this clip - I was laughing my ass off.

Chiefs claim Chris Chambers

2009-11-03T21:38:07Z

Chiefs claim Chris Chambers

So that should put an end to that debate. Though I would love to just know if the Dolphins did even consider putting in their own claim for Chambers.

Dolphins re-sign Nalbone to practice squad

2009-11-03T21:21:20Z

Dolphins re-sign Nalbone to practice squad

The Dolphins waived TE John Nalbone, a fifth round pick from Monmouth, last week to make room for Matt Roth. Nalbone has cleared waivers and has been placed onto Miami's practice squad.

No word yet on whose spot he took on the eight man practice squad.