Know early What You Got

I think that's an advantage of playing the pats in week one. a nice test to see how this team stands up against one of the better teams in the league. then again, we beat the packers on the road and lost three home games to the browns, bills and lions...

 

The Pats game will set the tone for the season; Monday night, national stage, at home...it's gonna tell us everything we want to know.

 

Eh, we'll see, gm #1 is the maiden voyage for both teams for 2011, hard to know one way or another how the rest of the season turns out with the injuries and adjustments that every team has to handle.


Will say I'm happier with Henne starting then a Mallet or a Gabbert.

 

So we are using how bad of a beat down we get, first game of the season against are arch enemy, to see where we are at as a team?
This will be our measuring stick? <shaking head>

 

I'm not saying its a measuring stick, I just feel it's better to play a team like the pats to kick you into shape than to beat up on a lower level team

 

I'm just saying that it's a sad state of affairs if your first game of the season is a wake up call.

 

Real problem is the first game that counts is generally sloppy and Starters are moved around and schemes tweaked, imo wk #4 you should have the team together and doing what you need it to do to win, that's why to me placing importance on Gm #1 is basically saying preseason gm #5 is how your season will turn out...does not work like that...though a win would be just huge for us from a positivity standpoint.

 

Well, you can say that but I have a different opinion.

1) Lockout/strike shortened offseason.
2) FA period shortened to 7-10 days versus the normal 4-5 months.
3) New CBA and rules to abide by.
4) BB and the Cheatriots are an established organization. They have the same offensive and defensive systems as the last several years.
5) They have a plethora of game and system experienced young talent to mix with a core of veteran players.
6) They have an elite QB in Brady certainly the consensus 1A or 1B best in the game today.
7) We have a new offense, OC and revamped scheme to work with.
8) We have an up an coming D, who should get better just from the experience but with questions at OLB, SS, FS and perhaps at LCB. Not questions of ability but questions of just how far they've developed.
9) We have an OL in flux. Basically only one guy in the same position as last year (Long), a rookie at C calling the protections and certainly questions of ability on the right side.
10) We have a new RB, a rookie RB and a guy making a conversion to a quasi-fullback spot. Each have questions.
11) The only speed we have are all youngsters (Gates, Clay, Moore, Wallace).
12) Henne has had a renaissance this PS. Will it carry over to the season...he didn't show that last year.
13) We have a history under Sparano of slow, sloppy starts.

Now I know that the Cheatriots have other weaknesses that I didn't mention. I basically listed their strengths and our weaknesses. The over-ridding factor is Belichick. They are beatable. The difference is that in order for us to beat them, we have to do everything right. That is not the case for them being able to beat us. Brady by himself can make the difference. What I don't want to see is us embarrass ourselves on national TV the first game of the season after a positive, confidence building PS. If we lose (and it's very likely), let's at least make it look like we belong on the field with them.

 

We're winning the game.

 

Well Den..,

If the first game is against what many think will be the team in the SB this year representing the AFC, it will be a good measuring stick... Don't you think so too???

 

The one positive to starting with New England is that their front seven is not that strong at the moment. Their pass rush is close to nonexistant. They are actually moving Jerod Mayo to the outside on passing downs and using him as a rusher. I doubt Albert Haynesworth is going to make much of an impact for him. The fact that they are keeping him around is, in my opinion, a sign of desperation on their part. At some point, scheming can get you only so far. I see some major weaknesses on that Patriots defense.

 

There's going to be a wake up call, but not for the Dolphins. For the Patriots and the rest of the people who aren't giving us a chance in this game.

 

Marshall, Hartline and Bush all offer speed on offense as well.

The schedule is what it is...

 

Agreed. I don't think their pass rush will be much of a factor. I'm guessing that Henne will see a lot of 3-4 man rushes with soft, zone type coverages behind it. They'll try to confuse Henne more so than pressure him, hoping he'll get impatient and force throws as he did last season. Hopefully Henne learned his lesson. With Bush and Thomas as check down targets instead of Polite/Ronnie/Ricky, the Pats will be hard pressed to cover the shallow zones with their 3 LBs so IMO there's no excuse for being overly aggressive vs soft zone.

 

I could see Miami winning this game and then having to endure a week of the media explaining why we shouldn't get too excited about the Dolphins and the negative posters switching from, "I'll wait to see Henne in the regular season" to, "I'll wait until Henne is consistent during the regular season".

 

Too True!

Enough winning cures all in the NFL though. Even if in Henne's case that might take more winning than normal to have people respect his qb play.

 

Actually we have 2 Olineman playing the same position as they did last year, once the season starts, LT and LG

Although Murtha has progressed some, Long was still missed in pre season. My concern last year and still this year, is from the center to the RT. Center is a rookie and does seem talented but just the same, a rookie. The short camp this year was really detrimental on our behalf as Pouncey as of yet, seems he cannot move the larger DTs he has comeup against. He will get a quick lesson come our Monday Night game against NE. Not only does NE have some of the best DTs in the league, they now have literally, a legion of some of the largest, most athletic DTs in the league.

 

In the week 4 Preason game, the Giants started their 2nd team offense with their 3rd string RB against the Pats starting defense. Up front were Wilfork, Ellis and Haynesworth. The Giants backup OL handled them really well. 2 of the 5 backups have since been cut and as of yesterday on the street. The RB, Aaron Brown, was waived and now on the Giants PS. If their reserves can do that, we better hope our starters can. Granted the Pats may have been playing a vanilla defense, but Stacey Andrews, Chris White, Kevin Boothe, Mitch Petrus and Jamon Meredith pushed their vaunted line around. White and Meredith are available to sign with anyone right now. Damn, White has been a seldom used backup in the league since 2005, and I was not really even familiar with him.

 

Marshall and Hartline are not speed players. Marshall is a big WR that operates in the middle/intermediate area of the field and is best known for his YAC. Hartline is a little faster, able to get open, but not elite speed. That is what this offense has been missing since we dumped Ginn (of course, there was good reason for that and a subject we've all discussed in the past). Marshall, Bess and Hartline are all actually very similar receivers in that none are stretch the field guys. All are slot/YAC/best due to route running, toughness and elusiveness. None of them are elite speed. Gates and Moore are faster than those guys as well. This is what this offense needs, but will these younger guys with speed be able to adapt to the pro game NOW for us. However we need that type of speed to best utilize Marshall, Bess and even Hartline. Someone who the D has to pay some attention to when he's on the field.

Of course the schedule is what it is. I'm not sure what you meant for sure, but playing the Pats was going to happen whether it was the first game or not. I think they still are overall better than we are, if for nothing more than the coaching. If our guys don't play a bit above their experience and ability or at least where we all think that ability is, we won't beat them. Conversely, their players can play just to their level and beat us...

 

And if Henne plays poorly I'm sure the positive posters will come up with something to excuse his performance. "He's still getting used to the scheme" is the odds on favorite

 

Probably won't matter as Henne will be criticized for any pass that isn't absolutely perfect anyways, much like the preseason.

 

Does every game have to result in some grand narrative regarding the Miami Dolphins organization?

 

No, and IMO not all games do.