It's official... just ONE (short? long?) WEEK until the Dolphins play the Patriots at Home on Monday Night Football. Opening against the team that thrashed us to end one of the more disappointing seasons. Opening against the Patriots is probably the best thing for the team. Playing the Texans or Browns would not have the same effect. Get the top team out of the way. A win would be massive, especially in front of a large national audience of millions that may be even more ready than usual for some MNF after a locked out offseason. Not to mention in front of all those pesky "experts" who predict the Dolphins to be worse than last year, possibly worse than the Bills. And at home, where the team won one game in 2010. They want to sell tickets and market the team? Win an exciting game against a perennial Super Bowl favorite and big rival in Primetime. The defense will be on showcase for the first time with high expectations from us, in front of an audience of people who probably don't know their names except for JT and maybe Wake. The pressure is on this deep front 7 to pressure Brady like crazy and rattle him. They better be fired up. And the much maligned offense that not too many people have faith in has a chance to show it has improved under a new offense with less restrictions, with more speed. We can see if this "us against the world" mentality actually means anything. Time to send a message as a complete team. Starting 2-0 last season was nice, but that was ALL defense. And both the Bills and Vikings ended up being last place struggling teams. The Patriots are different. Now of course you have to follow it up by continuing to win, but you must start somewhere. No more excuses. JUST WIN.
I'm so pumped! And I feel I've needed this season to come more than any other. I think we're going to come out and shock the world. We've been given no chance by all the "experts" this season, mixed with the bad taste of a terrible home season last year and I think we're going to be playing with a major chip on our shoulder. LET'S GO DOLPHINS!
This is the time to make our mark and set the standard for success now and in the future. We can win and we will prove it by beating New England. This is the best team on paper I have seen in a long time and I can't wait for the season to get started. Go Dolphins!!!
I've just been watching a little of their final preseason game against the Giants. The Pats started their 1st string defense, including Wilfork, Ellis and Haynesworth up front. The Giants started their backup OL of Stacey Andrews, Chris White, Kevin Boothe, Jamon Meredith and Mitch Petrus. They started their 3rd string RB, Andre Brown. White, Meredith and Brown have since been waived. They are doing a good job of getting push and running on the Pats starting front. Brown looks good. I read a blog that said he did not play in this game due to turf toe, but he is out there and his name is in the box score. They have one of the best and most experienced OL coaches in the league in Pat Flaherty. We got Flaherty's former assistant a couple years ago in DeGuglielmo. Not much rubbed off on Gugs though, because we ain't been able to assemble a consistent cohesive unit like the Giants have. I'm envious. White and Meredith are still on the street and Brown was signed to the Giants PS.
Well, our active 46 players have no doubt been selected for this game, anyone we add now is more likely going to be inactive for the game. We have whom we have for it.
I've been playing in the same FFB 2 QB keeper league with my buddies for the past 5 years now. I finally have two QB's this year and am not relying on a Dolphins QB out of pure love--Henne, Pennington. I'm set with Rivers & Roethlisberger. However, Henne is my backup for bye weeks. I'm starting Henne this week. I like his matchup more than Roethlisberger's with Baltimore. And I think you're right VT. We can throw on NE & Henne has had (taking out last game where everyone quit) successful scoring outputs vs. NE even with INTs (the way our scoring system works). As far as this week, I'm excited too. I hate playing on Thursday Night or Monday Night to open the season. I hate waiting and I hate having to watch everyone else. Had the game been played today rather than next Monday, my butt would be in Miami. However, after a really terrible month for me, I can't afford to miss a day. I'm excited as heck too.
Well, I do think we will move the ball on the pats, whether Henne can cash in remains to be seen. Real question for me is whether or not the Defense is ready to tackle well during an actual game, sometimes it just takes a while for them to get used to the game speed and contact of live play. Nolan has had all of late winter, spring, and summer, to prepare for this game, if he wants another coaching gig this would be a good game to showcase his "defensive genius", wonder if daboll hooked him up with any insights as wel.
I can't wait. I don't like starting on a Monday night either b/c of that wait. As for the game, I see it as a 50/50 thing. I think our run game may struggle against some teams, but could be okay against NE. I think that we can pass on them and that our defense is a tough match-up for them. Even though I have NE as the favorite in the AFC, I could easily see them starting out 0-2.
On a side note, I think what is overlooked, or not talked about is that Daboll was in charge of the Browns offense when they beat Pats 34-14 last year, and that was McCoy's first game. So IMO, Pats will go back and look at that film, while Daboll use similar concepts to try to beat the Pats with. The problem with that is Patriots will be sort of expecting that, so I really hope Daboll won't simply copy + paste his last years game plan vs them.
7 or 10? Home team usually gets 3 by default. But if they are picking Pats by 7, thats not bad. Seeing how they finished 14-2 last year, and clobbered us both times they played us, while we were extremely medicore 7-9....Picking Pats by only a TD isn't bad, IMO.
I think the defense will play a decent game but I just don't see the Dolphins being able to beat the Patriots. The Patriots handled the Dolphins easily last year in the two games the team played. While the Dolphins special teams seem to have improved and the defense is solid. I still have major concerns on the offensive side of the ball for the Dolphins. I hope I am wrong and the Dolphins do surprise me and the rest of the NFL, but right now I think it will be, Patriots 24 Dolphins 10.
I love that it's on MNF. Being from NY. I freak for any nationally televised Phin games. I get to watch it on my big flat screen. We get a Thanksgiving day game as well. Woooo! It's funny that we're playing Dallas. I remember that T-Day game against them when Fiedler and Chambers tore it up! As for the NE game, as we've previously discussed here, I think it's key for us to get substantial pressure from our front 4. We need as many guys in coverage as possible. It's Gradkowski, Welker and even some Hernandez that really worry me. Those are the guys that can give us nightmares and if we can shut them down or keep them in check, I think we will have a good shot at winning the game.
Don't outthink bro, it is still about matchups, and MCoy pretty much ran effectively which the pats could not deal with very well. 3 Wr's 1 Rb, Fasano to help out Colombo is about what I expect and they will not catch us napping on ST again.
The major thing on offense that worries me is our ability to pick up the Pats blitz. I think we should be able to run the ball enough to get by, and I think any defense is going to have a hard time covering our WRs, TEs, and RBs... certainly the Pats. Belichick will, no doubt, come up with a good scheme. However, they cannot physically match up with us in the passing game. No way they cover Marshall, Bess, Bush, and Fasano. No way. Their only hope is to contain the run and get to Henne. I think they'll try and exploit the right side of our OL with overloaded blitzes. That's the most obvious target, IMHO. On the other side of the ball, I think our defense will be good enough to hold any opponents offensive scoring to a reasonable amount. Saying that, I think we split with the Pats this year, and this is the game we win. Remember... always bet on Monday night home dogs to beat the spread. We'll beat the spread and more. Phins 27 Pats 16
Although NE doesn't seem like it will be one of the stoutest of run defenses, it's still our weakness. I don't see any problem picking up their blitzes, nor with Henne getting the ball out. I don't see them having anybody that makes me say, we can't allow him to get to the QB. Wilfork is the only real guy that is fearsome in that front 7. Of course, Jerod Mayo needs to be accounted for, but mostly in the running game.
well they cut brandon tate, which I don't understand..I would love to take a look at that dude..liked him in college.. Pats fans are not happy with Ocho and Branch..There is concern amongst them.
Secondary....HOLD ON to that ball. Special Teams....kick the ball out of the endzone. Patriots scored 3 TDs because of Special Teams failures. That can't happen again. Pressure Brady and sack him. It's a good way to beat them. Shouldn't be too hard to stop their running game, but you have to prepare for it because teams don't expect them to use it and that's when they get big plays out of it. Just have to be prepared. Don't see them being tougher than last season.
We're the biggest underdog in the entire NFL this week. The Vikes are 9 point dogs at San Diego. At home, on Monday night of Week 1, with the clobberings you mentioned fresh in their minds...I think we can do a lot better than -7 but the public disagrees. 80% plus of the $$$ is coming in on New England so far.
Divisional matchup, Week 1, primetime, etc, we all saw what happened last year but that's the exception not the rule, home dogs usually perform well in those circumstances. IMO the talent gap between Miami and NE is negligible and neither team has a major advantage matchup wise. A line of Miami +3.5 would be more accurate but there's no way Vegas would get equal action with a line like that.
That's the number I saw posted at Sportsbook this morning. Joe Public is all over NE, if the line isn't moving could it be that the sharps are betting Miami?
I'm interested to see how our LB's will fare right out of the gates against their RB's & TE's. Kevin Burnett, Karlos Dansby, Yeremiah Bell, Chris Clemons, & maybe Reshad Jones & A.J. Edds vs. Danny Woodhead, Stevan Ridley, Gronkowski, & Hernandez.
We are going to win this game folks. Brady still plays crappy in Miami, Henne has to be feeling as confident as he ever has as a pro, im very confident we win, and im not the most optimistic guy on the site by any means.
I believe the sharps HAVE gotten their bets in only because there is a much better chance of the line dropping to 6.5 then going to 7.5. So IF they are on Miami they have gotten it in or are going to soon. The difference betwen 6.5 and 7 in the betting world is gargantual.
Yeah, I've "heard" that somewhere. LOL Point is that if the bets were placed, it would NOT be 80%, and the line would have changed.
Too many factors involved to say imo, Vegas has their own way of doing things and we dont really know what that is except being pretty damn good at their jobs.
