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Game Day: 5 Keys To Success

The Miami Dolphins will kick-off their 2008 season in a few short hours and I have personally cracked my name into the New York Times.  You can read what I had to say for them on this game, here.

Arch-rival New York will be headed by familiar name Brett Favre.  The NY Jets spent a ton of salary cap this year on names like Favre, Faneca, Woody, and Pace.  They revamped their defensive system switching more to a 34 than a 43.  Head Coach Eric Mangini is immediately on the hot seat with GM Mike Tannenbaum in part thanks to the 65 million dollars in guaranteed money on 5 players.  If this team fails, they fail monumentally.

While the Jets will come to Miami as 3 point favorites, most of the mainstream media is picking the Jets to beat the Dolphins.  A not so surprising fact given the outcome of games the last time this team played in a regular season.  While the new look Dolphins should put up a bigger fight, this by no means is a cake walk and any enthusiasm for the return of football should be tempered with the reality that this team is rebuilding and unlike the Jets is not in rebuild mode.  That does not however mean the Dolphins should roll over.  This is a  winnable game and these are my 5 keys to success.

1:  Pressure Brett Favre. The Dolphins must keep contained constant pressure on Brett Favre who does not like to take sacks.  Instead, he will often throw ill advised passes that are interceptable.  Pressure on the ex-Packer will be vital to keep field position and time possession optimal throughout the game.  Allowing Favre time to pick and choose his targets will only put more pressure on a secondary that struggled last season and have several unanswered questions surrounding them heading into the season.  That’s why keeping Favre out of the rhythm is imperative to the success of this game.  With Favre out of the game, the Dolphins can then focus on Phins killer Leon Washington.

The Jets have a formidable offensive line, but they are playing together for the first time in reality so they are still learning each other nuances.  If the Dolphins can pressure Brett Favre, then they can force the Jets to turn to a rushing game allowing the Dolphins to play tighter up front.

2:  Open up the Pass. The Miami Dolphins offensive lineman will be the key to victory.  Opening up the pass for the R & R express is more vital as the duality of the play on “Pass” will also open up the passing game.  A strong rushing attach will allow the Dolphins to play action and pass when they want to and not because they have to.  The Phins will need to take a patient approach to their options.  Going to deep to Ginn will keep the safeties out of the box, Hagan or Camarillo for 15 yarders and 10 yarders will keep the LB’s back allowing the TE’s to slip underneath or the RB’s to slip outside.  When the running game is moving, the passing game becomes easier.  The offensive line must allow the RB every opportunity to exploit a weaker defensive front that comes to Miami with questions of their own.

3:  Mistake free football.  It’s a cliche’ I know.  Keep the ball off the ground and the passes away from the defenders.  This is not a team that is built now to win and therefore they are not built to overcome costly turnovers that result in points.  Chad Penning10 must be frugal with his decisions from when to move out of the pocket, when to check down, and when to throw the ball away.  Forcing passes into tight coverage with an inexperienced WR corp will not be smart.

Penalties are drive killers and the Dolphins can not afford to watch momentum die because of a holding penalty.  An offsides.  A false start.  The latter of which has killed the Dolphins in the last few years.  Smart football gains you yards.  Yards will get you first downs.  First downs leads to long drives which in turn leads to points and eats up clocks.

4:  Special Teams must be special. Last year the Miami Dolphins looked horrible on special teams.  This year they must change that.  Long returns by the Jets will allow Brett Favre shorter fields which will then keep the gunslinger looking at shorter intermediate passes than the the long ball that the gunslinger likes.

Conversely, taking away long gains by Ted Ginn or another returner with ST penalties will keep the Dolphins in a hole that for this team could be hard to get out of.  Ted Ginn must be able to count on his wedge guys to keep the defenders in front of him and he must move up field.

Both punter Brandon Fields and Dan Carpenter must be on their games today.  Fields could likely see a lot of punting if the Dolphins can not open lanes or drive themselves back with penalties.  Carpenter may be the difference maker as the Dolphins may find themselves coming up short on TD’s but find plenty of opportunities to kick field goals.

5:  Manageing the game. This is the first HC job that Tony Sparano has had on any level.  While he has strolled the practice sidelines and barked orders and has shown a Shulaesque quality of catching players coming off the field to voice his displeasure, this is the real deal.  Miami fans are still reeling from 1st year HC Cam Cameron and his inability to manage the game left the team without direction and fight.  Tony Sparano must overcome the 1st game jitters and run his game and not let anyone or anything take him out of it.

He needs to be direct and decisive regardless of whether his actions turn out right or wrong.  Indecision will only lead to the rest of the team being indecisive.  On Thursday night the NFL nation watched as new Washington Redskin and first time HC Jim Zorn appeared lost at times on the sidelines.  His lack of direction caused a lack of cohesiveness on the field that showed it’s ugly face in the two minute drill.  Tony Sparano must keep this team together on the field and he will be relying heavily on Chad Pennington to lead the offense.

OVERALL: This game is almost a win/win situation for the Dolphins regardless of the win/loss tally at the end of it.  A solid showing by this team will go a long way to boosting their confidence that has been flying high after finishing the pre-season 3-1.  A close loss to the Jets will allow the Phins to take away something positive to work on.  A win of course will do more for this franchise and it’s fans than anything done in the last 5 years aside from the Baltimore win last year which was more for face than faith.

Aside from a blow out loss at the hands of the Jets, this game could easily set up the future confidence and attitude of this team.  It’s imperative to keep the game close and allow the team a chance at victory.

I don’t like to predict scores for the Dolphins.  If you go to one site I will say they win, go to another and I will say they lose.  If I pick the Dolphins I do so as a homer pick, if I pick the Jets I do so because of superstition.  So this year, I will only pick the score in these games that should be close and let Tony Sparano, the Miami Dolphins, and the NFL Hall of Fame Gods decide the rest.  24-21…fate will decide who has what.

Game Day Preview: Jets @ Dolphins

Call me insane because I woke up at 6:30 this morning and I couldn’t fall back to sleep. I had butterflies in my stomach as if I was going to have to strap it up this afternoon. Lucky for me, I’ll be enjoying a burger while the Jets go to work.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Dolphins scare me this week. I think this game will boil down to a couple of factors. The Jets need to stop the run on defense, and secure the ball on offense. To accomplish this, it all boils down to one thing: Run the Ball early and often.

I believe the Dolphins have an underrated defense even with the loss of Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. They have some good players in a revamped 3-4 D, that will play disciplined ball under the Parcells umbrella. In my opinion Ferguson, Porter, Ayodele, Crowder, Holliday & Merling are all guys that are built for a 3-4 system. The Jets obviously have a bunch of new faces on the offensive line and the way to get them going is to have them running down hill. Tony Richardson’s success opening holes for backs is well documented which is why the Jets need to let these guys loose.

The threat of Brett Favre’s arm alone will keep the secondary at bay. The Jets WR’s are excellent blockers as well, which is why they should spread it out, and pound Thomas Jones all game long. Will this be exciting? Probably not. but this is the way to get the win.

The defense is going to have it’s hands full with Ricky and Ronnie. Plus, Pennington didn’t throw a pick against this defense for the first 4 weeks of training camp. So despite what many people say, he has the advantage! The Jets ability to keep these three on the sideline while keeping the defense fresh should go a long way into having fresh legs into the fourth quarter.

The humidity at this time of year in Miami is always unbearable. Fresh legs in the fourth quarter is going to be hard to come by. This will be the time of the game where if the Jets can continue to run the ball, they will wear out the home squad. Brett Favre just needs to facilitate this offense which I thought he did a fantastic job of in the preseason.

How do I see this one playing out?

I think this one will be a Field Goal Fest! I expect both teams to move the ball, but I don’t see many TD’s. I like both teams to have plenty of yardage between the 20’s but will end up settling near the goaline. Obviously I hope the Jets blow the doors off this Dolphin team, but in reality I expect a close one throughout. The more talented team prevails. The Jets have had the Dolphins number posting 4 W’s in a row, and 16 of the last 20! I have the Jets in a close one: Jets 22 - Dolphins 19!

The rest of my picks for week 1 are below! Enjoy!

Westhoff Visit Sparks More Spy Talk

For 15 years Mike Westhoff paced the sidelines of the Miami Dolphins as their special teams coach.  In 2001, he left the team and signed with the New York Jets.  Westhoff left the Jets in 2007 due to medical reasons that required surgeries on his leg.  Now,  a mistake by the Dolphins, a non-disclosed contract by Westhoff, and an ill-advised visit to the team, is sparking game day chatter of what exactly the Jets have on Miami.

On August 5th, the Dolphins brass invited the long time coach to attend practice.  Westhoff agreed and got an up close and personal look at the 3 facets of the Dolphins team.  What he did not say however, was that he was still under contract with the NY Jets.

Tony Sparano has stated that he would not have invited him to the practice had he known of his contract situation, but also states that he has no concern over what Westhoff has in his head about the team.  See, on Monday of last week, Westhoff rejoined the Jets as the special teams coach.

While the knowledge of what Westhoff could have seen and taken with him was over a month ago, some worry that the witnessed formations could be advantageous for the Jets.  While this does not smell on the surface like cheating because the Dolphins did in fact invite him to the facility, the lack of decorum by Westhoff and his contract should be addressed at some point by the league if for no other reason that the incident does not repeat in the future.  After today however the issue will be a dead one unless the Jets just seem to be clued in on the Phins formations…and then we will all be complaining about that tomorrow.  Just another chapter in a bitter rivalry.

Live Game Coverage On Sunday Right Here

Let’s tear up the number tomorrow what do you say?  The Miami Dolphins vs. the New York Jets game will be covered “LIVE” right here on Phinphanatic.  We will have an open chat room through “Coveritlive” starting at 12:45 PM and lasting until the end of the game.  

Can’t see the game live?  Can’t get audio from NFL.com?  No sweat, we not only will have you covered with what is going on, on the field, you will get plenty of input from the fans and what they are seeing.

DON’T MISS OUR COVERAGE TOMORROW….and remember…GO DOLPHINS!!!

Before you join us, head over to Finsradio.net at 11:00AM until 12:30 PM for the Finsradio tailgate party with live updates from outside Dolphins stadium including special guests Sandy Williams, the mother of Ricky Williams, and Jim “Crash” Jensen.  Then rememember to come back here and get ready for some football!

JETS BETS: A SEASONAL JOURNEY WITH POLLY-O!!!

Lets get one thing straight before I start, I love cheese. I’m talking Mozzarella, American, Gouda, Muenster, whatever! If I had to live on one thing for the rest of my life, it would be pasta salad with loads of cheese, and if you made me choose… then hold the pasta!!! That is why it is easy to understand how important it is for me to accumulate extra cheese every weekend which is why this weekly segment is no joke! I will hit up the Fridge each and every week until the season is over and by the end of the season, hopefully we’ll have enough cheese for a really expensive bottle of wine to go with it!

Of course we will break down the current weeks Jets matchup on Saturday and Sunday where I’ll explain my thoughts on how Gang Green should attack each opponent. I’ve already have my mind made up on the Dolphins, but we’ll get to that before game time. For now, let’s eat!!!

Week 1 of each NFL season is nearly impossible to predict for the men in the kitchen which is why we can hopefully take advantage of their mistakes. Each season is so unbelievable different which is why many people are left scratching their heads on a week to week basis. I’ve now spent 9 years researching this topic and there are a few things that can help your average guy beat the chef! Home Field, Injuries, Past results, Strengths vs. Weakness’, Weather and Karma from the football gods are all factors in how much spread you choose to put on your crackers! Let’s not eat too much before we get a better look at the league this year!

LOX WITH CREAM CHEESE FOR WEEK 1:

20 Slices of Cheese on Cincinnati -1.5 @ Baltimore… Really? Carson Palmer vs. Joe Flacco. Ocho Cinco & Houshyourmamma or Mason and Heap? Look, I know Cincinnati has had it’s problems in years past, but this team is too talented to lose to the Ravens. The Ravens are going no where fast. Cincinnati doesn’t have a great defense, but when you can put 9 in the box against a line that no longer has Jonathan Ogden, then the project from Delaware is gonna find himself running for his life. It looks like his backfield mate will be Ray Rice. As much as I love the kid (GO RUTGERS), we’re talking about 2 rookies anchoring a backfield that needs to keep up with an attack that now has a healthy Chris Perry, a reinstated Chris Henry, and an underrated Ben Utecht as contributers. Not gonna happen!

10 Shakes of Parmesan on Tennessee +3 vs. Jacksonville… You know that every time someone goes into a season with all sorts of hype, they end up losing game 1. This years targets are Jacksonville and Minnesota, everyone’s sexy pick. Well, I don’t like the matchup here for Jacksonville against the Titans who are a live home dog. The Titans defense is stout and they are extremely well coached. The Jags lost Marcus Stroud in the offseason and I’m expecting them to have at least a few games where they are making adjustments to replace him. Tennesse is better than we all think. Vince Young is a winner and with Alge Crumpler as a legitimate threat and the speed of rookie Chris Johnson, I think the Titans can pull off the outright win here. The Jags are turning into the Bengals of the South with 11 arrests in the past few years, not to mention the tragedy that struck this past week with the shooting of Richard Collier. Jerry Porter and Reggie Williams are Questionable for the game, while Mojo Drew is probable. This is one of those gut feelings, Titans win or come within the number in a slugfest.

Besides that, I will place some melted cheese in a bowl to dip pretzels in until next week… Here are the rest of my thoughts.

• Jets -3 @ Miami… Very Scary, I’ll break it down soon!!!
• Pats -15.5 vs. KC… It will be closer than most think, but Pats win by 17.
• Texans +6.5 @ Pittsburgh… D-line will give Big Ben fits without Faneca to protect.
• Lions -3 @ Atlanta… Falcons score some points, but Megatron Dominates!
• Seattle +1 @ Buffalo… The Hass throws 40 times and a FG wins it!!!
• Saints -3 vs. Tampa… Surprisingly low scoring game, Saints push.
• Rams +8 @ Philly… Philly builds big lead… St. Louis comes within the number in garbage time!!!
• Browns +6 vs. Dallas… See Rams & Eagles…
• Carolina +9 vs. Chargers… John Fox coaching for his job, Chargers feel they’re owed something.
• Cardinals -2.5 @ 49ers… The year of the Cardinal, probably not, but J.T. O’Sullivan?
• Indy -9.5 vs. Bears… If it wasn’t for Jeff Saturday’s injury, I’d put my whole Fridge on this game!!!
• Packers -2.5 vs. Vikings… Yup, too much hype for Minnesota right now. This game grounds ‘em!
• Raiders +3 vs. Denver… Raiders match up well for this one! Raiders pound it for a Monday Night W!

Good Luck Folks!!! Enjoy the snack!!!

Crowell Out, Peters In

First, on the Crowell situation, putting him on the IR for the season for an injury/surgery with a known short recovery time is shady.  It reminds me of what the Sabres did to Tempo Numinen last year.  Both teams are within their rights, the players (Tempo and Crowell) should have taken care of their problems well before the start of training camp….not right before the season starts.  Professional athletes being irresponsible with their time off.  Maybe they need babysitters during the offseason.

Peters ending his holdout without a new contract is good news, but COO Brandon says that they will renegotiate during the season see how he plays to see if he is deserving of an extension at that position.  I think its great that he is coming back, the O line could really use him, its too bad he couldn’t do it in time for the Seattle game.  Now lets see if he can pass his physical.

Injury Report & RB Starter Named

The NFL kick-off is scheduled for 1Pm Eastern time and the Miami Dolphins have updated their injury report and named a starter at RB for the 1st game of the season.  Ronnie Brown, you can take a seat.  The return of Ricky Williams has finally put to rest the Ricky/Ronnie drama.  While both backs will see significant playing time, it will be Ricky who heads onto the field first.

INJURY UPDATE: Miami’s injury report was almost perfectly clean as everybody who is eligible to play except for cornerback Michael Lehan is expected to be in uniform. Lehan participated in a full practice but he is listed as questionable.

The Jets listed wide receiver David Clowney (shoulder) out for the game and the following players as questionable - defensive back David Barrett (shoulder), wide receiver Laveranues Coles (thigh), defensive end Shaun Ellis (hand), wide receiver Marcus Henry (calf), defensive back Justin Miller (foot) and offensive lineman Damien Woody (shoulder). All six were limited in practice.

Can’t make the tailgate parties in Miami?  No worries, Finsradio has you covered.  Check out how you can be a part of this Sunday’s opening season tailgate action…from your living room.

Chad Pennington is ready to go and says this game is “NOT about revenge.”

Taylor Debuts In Burgundy And Gold

Just in case you may have missed it, Jason Taylor will not be playing for the Miami Dolphins this Sunday. In fact, Jason Taylor won’t be playing football Sunday at all unless he steps outside for a quick neighborhood pick up game with the kids.  Last night, Jason made his 2008 debut in the burgundy and gold of the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins bought the DE and his contract for a 2nd and 6th round draft pick.  They got 2 tackles out of the reigning NFL Man Of The Year.  No sacks, no forced fumbles, and a couple QB pressures.  His presence surely did not help the team overcome the real problems for the Washington Redskins, their offense.  Scoring only 1 touchdown, the team seemed to look more like the Miami Dolphins offense of last year. Lagging behind a rookie head coach, unorganized in 2 minute drills that at often times seemed comedic.

The Redskins looked nothing like the team that took the 2nd Wild Card spot last year from the NFC to make the playoffs.  Week 1?  Sure of course it is, but it looked more like week 1 of pre-season.  Jason Taylor said he didn’t want to be a part of another rebuild, well, last night it looked they could use a little rebuild.

On Sunday, we will get to see another “ex-Fin” wearing 55 as Zach Thomas takes the field for the Dallas Cowboys.  So while I reserve the right to not judge his play yet, I also am aware that we have yet to see our own rookie HC in action in a real game as well or whether or not our own team will show up on the NFL comedy tour.

Williams Returns Amid Shroud Of Wonder

Ricky Williams will walk onto the Miami Dolphins field for the first time since 2005 and his return will be shrouded in wonder.  Is this the Ricky Williams that Miami has always wanted?  Will he falter along the way when the pressure gets to him?  All valid questions that the Dolphins management team has to wonder as well.

Last year, he carried the ball for 15 yards in Pittsburgh before injuring his shoulder and finishing the season on injured list.  Only a few days before the oft suspended RB was activated after being re-instated from his 4th failed drug test suspension.

This Ricky, they say, is not that Ricky.  In fact, they say this Ricky is not the same Ricky that was on the field in 2005 or for that matter any year prior to that.  Clean shaven, Ricky Williams is becoming a leader in the locker room, someone the youngsters are looking up to.  Ricky Williams?  Seriously?  That’s what word is out of Miami.

Tony Sparano has done nothing but rave about him since the first day the two of them shared a practice field.  Bill Parcells has taken it upon himself to work with the once troubled and spacey man who hid behind face shield, dread locks, and yoga.  Now, in spite of all his history with Miami, the longest tenured Dolphin seems to have found the one thing that for years he has been seeking.  Inner Peace.

The wear and tear on Ricky’s 32 year old body is bright in comparison to other RB’s in the NFL his age.  When the bit 3 - 0 rolls around, the light at the end of the career tunnel begins to fade.  For Ricky, his body feels young, his mind now mature, and his focus is his strength.  For the first time, in perhaps his entire career, Ricky Williams is happy, and finally having fun.  

2 years away from NFL football will do that.  Over the last 5 years, Ricky has spent more time rehabilitating a habit than he has playing ball.  His body is youn, it’s not bruised battered, and worn down.  He is a young 32.

This Sunday, Ricky will start the next chapter in his life.  His next chapter for the Miami Dolphins, how it ends will be up to him.  With a new contract extension that keeps him in Miami through the 2009 season, the Miami Dolphins are relying on the explosive back once again.  For better or for worse.

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