PREVIEW: Pre-Season Game 4 - Miami vs New Orleans

            VS.

Ah, the Dolphins versus the Saints.  This is the one we kind of wish was the week 3 matchup because it presents the biggest challenge in the pre-season and offers opportunities to see our biggest unknowns against their best quality competition.

The strength of the New Orleans Saints is their high-powered offense, which relies heavily on a stable of quick wide receivers getting open and dynamo QB, Drew Brees, taking the safest throws and racking up the yardage.

Despite this being the 4th pre-season game, there will still be plenty of competition out there.  The one thing the Saints don't lack is a bevy of talented wide receivers to test our young secondary.  Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, Lance Moore, Marques Colston and Courtney Roby can be quite a handful for ANY secondary.  And even if Brees doesn't play much, former Dolphin QB Joey Harrington will get quite a few snaps.  New Orleans also has two of the oldest players in the NFL in QB Mark Brunell (38) and K John Carney (45).  If one of these guys gets rolled on in the game they might not get back up.

We'll also probably get our first taste of a team that has really stressed the Wildcat during the offseason.  They reportedly worked on it for extended periods on more than one day of practice. But don't expect them to run it offensively with Reggie Bush being injured yet again.  The question is can we run it against them.

On the other side of the ball, our tight ends and young crew of wide receivers will also have their hands full after New Orleans was worked during this off-season to improve their horrid pass defense.  They drafted Malcolm Jenkins in the 1st round and Chip Vaughn in the 2nd.  Via free agency they added Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper.  They held over their strongest players, Roman Harper and 2008 rookie Tracy Porter.

The Saint's 4-3 front includes notables like Charles Grant, Sedrick Ellis, Remi Ayodele (Akin's brother), and of course Johnathan Vilma, who has looked as spry as ever this pre-season.

The Dolphins and Saints both come into the match-up with a 3-0 record, and while the Dolphins have been winning by defense, the Saints have been using their offense as their difference-maker.  So expect the best game of the pre-season out of this one, because, let's face it, anything would be better than last week's lightning-delayed bore-drone of a game.

  

Here is what I'll be looking for:

1. Our interior linebackers should have a field day in this one.  With both Reggie Bush (questionable) and Pierre Thomas (doubful) injured, the scrub running backs will be getting the workload here for the Saints.  This works in favor of William Kershaw to show he belongs on the 53.
2. The Saints will not be starting their best defensive ends in Charles Grant and Will Smith as they will both be suspended for the first 4 games of the season due to the starcaps scandal.  However, they WILL play as reserves, so Chad Henne and/or Pat White will be going up against their top pass-rushers.  Considering Henne's poor maneuvers in game 3 and White's instincts to evacuate the pocket, it will be interesting to see if they both can show the patience and shiftiness that Pennington (and the greatest pocket passer of all-time, Dan Marino) shows in the pocket.  A split second more time could spring a receiver open or just allow an extra read and can be the difference between a coverage sack and a 30 yard gain.
3. I want to see Patrick Turner and Brandon London on the field together.  We heard all these reports about this line-up during the off-season, but it's yet to be utilize in the pre-season.  Considering that they may well be fighting for a roster spot, it makes sense to give them as much opportunity here as possible.  And speaking of wide receivers, I don't want to see Ted Ginn returning kicks and/or playing more than one series.  Even if Sparano gives the first team 2 or 3 series, there's no reason why EVERY starter has to be out there that long.  With competition at WR and CB, they surely can rest Ginn and Will Allen.
4. This is when the initial practice squad comes into focus.  While there'll undoubtedly be 'catches of the day' plucked from the waiver wire, it's fair to think at least 50% of the 8-man squad will be guys who have been here all summer (assuming they don't get plucked by other teams).  So even if they're not going to make the 53-man roster, this is a huge showcase for these young players.  J.D. Folsom, Ryan Baker, Will Billingsley, Mark Lewis, James Robinson, Lex Hilliard, John Nalbone, Andrew Gardner are the main focus here.  Hilliard and Lewis are the most likely to be poached, but it would be very difficult to slide either of them onto the roster, and definitely not both of them.  Robinson is an enigma.  He has played a lot of special teams during the pre-season, but I haven't noticed him even getting any reps on offense.  Still, Miami chose to keep him here until now, so you have to believe he is making an impression somewhere.  If Nalbone makes the roster over Haynos, then we won't have a TE on the PS off our squad.  Considering that this management regime likes to have an offensive lineman and a tight end on the P.S., they may have to look to the leftovers from waivers for these positions.
5. Chad Pennington.  He will get to play the 1st quarter.  I expect to see him come out more focused and with the rust shaken off.  A ten-play drive to open the game for the Dolphins with a touchdown run up the middle would be enough for me as fake-Coach Sparano to say, 'OK, you're done for the night, Chad!'.

 So what is everyone else looking for from tomorrow's game?