Thursday, November 12, 2009

Damn! This Team Bucs! - or - The Dolphins Pick Up Win Number 4

I'm not really going to go into depth on how to beat the Buccaneers, because I think the key to beating them is just to show up for the game.

So let's forget about game-plans for a moment and talk personnel.  I said earlier in the week that, other than WR, I was fairly content with the current roster going forward this season and into 2010.  Well there have been some developments roster-wise this week so I'd discuss them here.

First, during surgery on his torn ACL, Will Allen was found to have all sorts of ligament damage other than the diagnosed injury.  This was not Allen's first knee injury either (someone will have to remind me what and when, but I remember him having another serious knee injury 2 or 3 years ago).  It's been reported that he could be out for another 12 months, meaning he could miss half of the 2010 season.

Chad Pennington jerseys have been put on clearance ($39.99), indicating that the Dolphins have reached an injury settlement with him, and that he won't be invited back next year.

Coach Sparano said this week that he wants to get Patrick Turner on the field.  So look for someone to sit out this week (possibly an outside linebacker?) in order to make space to bring 5 WRs to the game.  There's no way they'd go without Ginn and Camarillo, and Hartline has been developing, while Bess is unlikely to be benched despite his poor performance.  So unless the Coach goes against conventional wisdom, getting Turner to the game means sitting someone else at another position.  I'm actually deeply tempted to put Turner on my fantasy football team this week, for all we know he could come out and score two touchdowns in his debut, but that would only serve to piss of those of us who wanted him activated weeks ago!

Here's what I'd like to see on Sunday:  
  1. Cameron Wake getting to start.  Even if Joey Porter is 100% healthy (which he isn't), the time for Wake to get his shot is now.  Porter hasn't performed, and Wake has in limited reps.  Even when JT got most of his sacks, it was partly due to Wake being on the other side.  
  2. Josh Freeman will start again and if the Dolphins don't come out and absolutely punish him, he will become a media darling/town savior come Monday morning in Tampa Bay.  I'd rather have the Dolphins get that media attention and love from the fans.  Tampa's O-line is not good.  8 sacks, 2 INTs, and a forced fumble is what I'm looking for, no, EXPECTING, from our defense.
  3. The Bucs look decent running the ball with Cadillac Williams.  But their o-line is a bit beat-up, and their starting FB is on IR.  This is a chance for the Dolphins to get back to their early season run-stuffing dominance.  Keep in mind that Freeman is a running QB, so it's hard to say how many total yards they could rack up but I'd like the Dolphins to keep their running backs under 80 yards for the game.
  4. Rotation Rotation Rotation.  Jason Ferguson is back, but now Soliai is out.  Porter is out. Justin Smiley is out.  Lydon Murtha has been practicing at Guard, but is limited due to illness.  Fasano is limited as well.  Not much we can do about the O-line, but the other positions could be handled better by the coaching staff.  If Porter was injured, why was he made to play 80 snaps in the game?  With Roth and Wake healthy and able, and with Charlie Anderson and Erik Walden (out for Bucs game) in the wings, there's no reason to force a 34 year old to play that many snaps, especially when they're not exactly putting up pro-bowl numbers.  I'd like to see more of Merling and Tony McDaniel on the D-line.  They have both looked good on limited reps - McDaniel especially.  As for Fasano, we don't need to be running 30 routes a game with him.  Haynos is much better at route running, IMO, anyway, and with Turner being activated, he could run some of those middle of the field routes.  Even a 6 yard toss to Turner down the middle could turn into a 10 yard gain once he turns up field and drives forward.
  5. Number 5 is for you guys.  Tell me what you're hoping to see this week vs the Buccaneers.

Oops, forgot to mention, the only places getting the game locally are the State of Florida, and the State of West Virginia.  Why West Virginia?  Because they love Pat White THAT much!

Speaking of the Big East, the University of South Florida Bulls are on national TV yet again tonight taking on Rutgers on ESPN.  All I want for Christmas is for George Selvie to sack Mike Teel twice. 

52 comments:

  1. The Knight who says Ni!November 12, 2009 at 12:24 PM

    #5 - a 34-10 victory or something like that.

    I'd say both Pennington and Will Allen's careers with the Dolphins are likely over. Justin Smiley might be next because it sounds like he could be headed for another shoulder surgery.

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  2. I am hoping to see this team not "play down" to it's opponent. These are the type of trap games we tend to lose.  Also NO MORE INJURIES! everyone come home healthy. and finally just win.  good bad or ugly. just win!

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  3. Likelihood of playing with Dolphins in 2010:
    Pennington = 0%
    Will Allen = 28%
    Justin Smiley = 70% with chance of showers.

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  4. The Knight who says Ni!November 12, 2009 at 1:40 PM

    Why would the Dolphins play down to anyone at 3-5?

    Tin, how did you come up with 28% for Will? LOL

    I'm not sure Smiley can even keep playing anymore. He's had like 14 shoulder surgeries.

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  5. He's had 2 1/2 surgeries, not 14! lol
    Will just signed a big extension. The Dolphins can't afford to release
    him. Although I do recall saying we shouldn't have re-signed him and got
    booed for saying it.
    If we go into 2010 having failed on Jason Allen, Ted Ginn, Ernest Wilford,
    Will Allen, Gibril Wilson, Justin Smiley, et al, we'll have to trade away
    our first day draft picks because we won't be able to afford to pay anyone.
    Thank God Terrell Hudgins isn't on ESPN's radar!

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  6. <span style=""><span style="">"Oops, forgot to mention, the only places getting the game locally are the State of Florida, and the State of West Virginia.  Why West Virginia?  Because they love Pat White THAT much!"</span></span>

    LMAO.  You don't really think that's it do you?  It's me!  I know people!!! 8-)

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  7. What Other reason could it possible be other than the Pat White factor? WV
    doesn't have an NFL team, so it's not a division thing...and it's literally
    ONLY in WV and florida. nowhere else.

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  8. How do you have 1/2 of a surgery?  We don't do it that way around here!  LOL

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  9. Even if the check bounces?
    He had surgery before he came to the Dolphins, then he had surgery in
    December 2008 for a new injury and during that surgery he had another
    procedure done. 2 1/2.

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  10. Ok, had to check the distribution map on facebook....it is better than google I'm telling ya....

    EASY answer...I started to say this without checking but the fear of being wrong stopped me.  As if....

    Anyway, the answer is, the Steelers are playing the Bengals, the two teams we always get, so a two for one deal there.

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  11. The Knight who says Ni!November 12, 2009 at 4:27 PM

    Tin, you can't blame Will Allen's knee injury for validating not re-signing him. He was the most seasoned vet and a true pro at CB to help keep things somewhat together, and help the young guys along. It's on the young guys now.

    Remember too that there is no CBA for 2010 yet.

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  12. The Knight who says Ni!November 12, 2009 at 4:37 PM

    I posted this on the SS "How can the Dolphins fix the passing game" blog. I thought it would be good discussion for here.



    Our passing game is a work in progress and I don't know why anyone would expect anything else with all the youth at QB, WR and TE. There is no chemistry there yet. They're just getting started. They don't have a few seasons of going through tough battles together.

    Henne has 2 halfs and 5 starts in his career. Ginn is still very young and struggling. Bess is a 2nd year guy. Camarillo is the veteran of the group but he didn't play much early in his career and he missed part of the season last year with the knee injury that he's trying to work his way back from. Hartline and Turner are rookies. Fasano is like Camarillo experience wise. Haynos is a 2nd year guy just starting to catch some passes.

    It is what it is. Time is the best way for the passing game to improve and then adding more talent. But more than anything it's building chemistry and timing. That starts with the OL and protection, the QB getting set, making his reads, throwing accurately and the receivers running good routes and making the catch. Tough ones from time to time. It takes time.

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  13. #5..  RB , RW , TG (one way or another) TWO TD'S EACH  ,  42 - 21 ....

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  14. 5.  A win.  By any means necessary.....

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  15. <span style="">"Dolphins offensive coordinator Den Henning said that rookie Patrick Turner is not in the top four among his wideouts.
    Coach Tony Sparano earlier said he wants to give the talented yet raw Turner a look, but it doesn't sound like it's going to happen anytime soon. Henning did say Turner is making strides in terms of his aggressiveness to the ball. Turner is still trying to shed his "underachiever" label.Source: Mike Berardino on Twitter"</span>

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  16. Tin,

    Thanks for the insight and blog, haven't commented for a while, but, your still on your game as always when it comes to the Fins, I agree with your assessment of the roster, however, with Parcells perchant for " not " drafting a receiver high in the draft, what are the chances that he changes his thinking after seeing what has happened this year ??????

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  17. wow, just show up to win huh?  i sure hope the players arent taking this game as lightly as all the fans are. 

    what i want for 5.  is the fins to pound the ball all game long, the bucs havent been able to stop the run this year.  so the fins need to rush for 200plus yards.  that would make me a happy camper

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  18. <span style="">"I said earlier in the week that, other than WR, I was fairly content with the current roster going forward this season and into 2010."</span>

    Tins,

    Really???  You said that???  After this season, IMO we're going to be starting from scratch at a number of postions aside from WR.  We need a atarting TE, a starting FS, a few young OLB's that can rush the passer & someone good enough to start on the strong side when JT & Roth leave, a young NT that can replace Ferguson (Soliai is just a backup), & I'm pretty sure we're not going to bring Ronnie back since he's going to ask for about $7 Million a year.  Ronnie is going to turn 28 next month & IMO he's the 2nd best RB we have.  I think that the Wildcat has run its course & we need to leave Henne on the field in a more conventional offense.  Maybe we use it next year every once & awhile but come on....Enough already.

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  19. "Underachiever label???"  Ha!!!  That's hilarious.  Turner is just a rookie.  You want underachievers take a look at Ginn or Fasano or G. Wilson or Jason Allen, etc.  There are others....

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  20. Randy, How about a TE???

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  21. wow, now i am really depressed LOL

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  22. Oh yeah number 5...Peace on earth.  LOL!

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  23. How do you Twitter a whole paragraph? lol

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  24. I don't think Parcells has a penchant for not drafting a player of need, and
    they definitely need a go-to-receiver. My favorite receiver in the draft
    will not be in the 1st or 2nd round though, but it rarely works out that way
    (sure low round guys turn into stars quite a bit in the NFL, but you rarely
    see that before they are drafted).
    In 2008 the Dolphins needed o-line and d-line, so they drafted 3 o-line and
    2 d-line. In 2009 they needed secondary so they drafted 2 CB and 1 Safety.
    In 2010 they need a WR, and other than Vincent Jackson, there's no free
    agents that make you sit up in your seat, so it's fair to say the Dolphins
    will use more than one pick on a Wide Receiver in the next draft.

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  25. You diss the Bucs all decade long then all of a sudden you give them
    respect?
    If we play mistake-free football, we win this game.

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  26. where do you see me giving them respect.  thinking we can run for 200plus yards doesnt sound like much respect to me

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  27. you said that you hope the team isn't taking this game lightly as I am.
    For the record, I'm not taking the game lightly at all, but I don't think we
    need to anything special to win the game, just play Miami Dolphins football,
    whatever that is.
    BTW, can we agree not to talk about last night? ;)

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  28. LMFAO, you going to post something like that and not expect all the pervs on here to say something. 

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  29. and yes, i hope the team isnt taking the bucs lightly.  like i said, i hope the fins can just line up and slam the ball down the bucs throat.  we dont need to do anything fancy, just play smash mouth football.

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  30. LMFAO, tin you think that last line is not going to give herdfan and knight a field day of jokes

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  31. ffr:
    I don't think I am allowed to joke.  I read we have somethin' goin' on!  LOL ;)

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  32. yeah, i saw that.  hmmm, go figure, here we were doing to verbal deed and i never new it.  oh well, that about sums up my ability with women.  lol

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  33. What I want to know is if Porter is out why the hell is Charlie "penalty at the worst moment" Anderson starting instead of Cam Wake!!?  I freaking HATE Charlie Anderson. He's done nothing but set us back on speacial teams with stupid penalties.  Blocks in the back 30 yards from the play, holding, holding holding. CUT the bum, put Wake in.

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  34. Put J.T. back on his most productive side (weak side? I always get them confused, even though Tin explained it to me one time, but his explaination didn't make sense) Put Roth in on the strong side and put Wake in on passing downs on the strong side.  Let Anderson sit at home and activate Pat Turner to see what he can do in a game environment.

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  35. I serve em up on a platter

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  36. Who said Anderson is starting? That would never happen. JT would start for
    Porter, and either Roth or Wake would get the other side.

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  37. Well, I should have read who wrote the blog on SS, but it was Mike B.

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  38. When Porter missed a game a few weeks ago, JT started at weakside and Cam
    Wake started at strong side. Wake had 2.5 sacks in that game and JT had 2.5
    (though really it should have been Wake 3.0 and JT 2.0, the NFL changed the
    credit a few days after the game).

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  39. The Knight who says Ni!November 13, 2009 at 2:20 PM

    Not that there is anything wrong with that.  ;)

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  40. The Knight who says Ni!November 13, 2009 at 2:28 PM

    My guess would be this will be the year of the LB for us in the draft. Both inside and out. A playmaker inside and a pass rusher outside. In today's NFL pressure is the top priority for defenses. I just heard an interview with Tony Dungy and he said if he was a GM he'd search for pass rushers and not so much on shutdown corners because the way the rules are set up those guys can't shut down anyone.

    Tin, remember too that Parcells is not high on drafting WRs early. Not that he'll never do it, but it's not the norm for him. I think we could go TE high, he loves his TEs (insert joke here, LOL) who could be a go-to-guy. I would think we'll look for a veteran at WR who catches the ball well and can help move the chains. Not necessarily an elite FA WR if there is one. Someone reliable for Henne. He needs one of those guys and I'm not sure a rookie will be that. Someone better than Camarillo. Then hope the young guys get better.

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  41. The Knight who says Ni!November 13, 2009 at 2:31 PM

    Rock, the weakside is opposite of where the TE is lined up. That's usually the right side on offense being that most formations were set up for right-minded people. But if you put a TE on the left side that's now the strong side. If you use two TEs on each sides, then it's a wash.

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  42. Confusing...lol...the right side you refer to is the TE, not the
    weakside....I know what you meant though.

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  43. The Knight who says Ni!November 13, 2009 at 3:06 PM

    Tin, I see why I wrote that wrong. LOL

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  44. FWIW, I never said we should use a top 15 pick on a WR, or that Parcells
    should or would. None of my targeted WRs are projected to go that high.
    The highest ranked one I have on my preliminary board is Eric Decker, and
    since he's injured now, it's unlikely he'll go in the top 25, even likely to
    slip to the second round.
    My favorite WR in the draft is currently not even ranked in the 7 rounds of
    the draft. I will put good money on him being drafted no lower than the 5th
    round though, and I would draft him as high as the 3rd.
    In the first round and often the second I tend to go with best player
    available, but with 'influence' of position of need, i.e. cornerback in
    2009. The only position I wouldn't do this with is a QB. you only draft a
    QB high if you need a franchise guy.
    No matter how much we need a #1 WR, if the Dolphins are up at bat, and
    Ndamukong Suh is on the board, I would drop any other influences simply
    because he is the best football player in the draft.
    He's so good we could probably draft him with our first round pick, then
    trade him for two first round picks on the same day.

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  45. The Knight who says Ni!November 14, 2009 at 8:01 AM

    Who is this mystery WR?

    Do you think Suh could play NT? Not that it matters because we won't have a shot at him unless we lose most or all of the rest of our games, and even then there will be other teams drafting ahead of us.

    WR Dez Bryant 6-2 215 from Oklahoma State seems to be the kind of WR we need. That's if he comes out as a junior.

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  46. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/features/midseason09


    I'd agree w'the grade,and the reasoning for it ...    GOFINS!!!

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  47. Hardly a mystery, I've mentioned him at least ten times already!

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  48. Bryant has already announced he'll come out.
    Suh does play NT for Nebraska - they play a hybrid 3-4.

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  49. Good things Come To Those Who Wait

    Time For the Dolphins to TURNER the Corner

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  50. hey guys, is there going to be a stream here today?

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