4 hours till game time: Fridge stocked with Guinness...check Food and snacks…check Game day jersey selected…check – Davone Bess Realistic expectations….maybe. Despite a long offseason, where moves have been scrutinized, big name players traded or cut, Hard Knocks cameras rolling, and grandmothers called, questions remain – especially this one: Just who are these Miami Dolphins? Today, we take a step towards finding out, as Miami travels to Houston to take on a Texan team many think could be the best in the AFC this year. As fans will remember, Miami has never beaten Houston – and this year they see a tougher team than we’ve lost to in the past. Miami has a new head coach, a new offense and defensive scheme, a rookie QB, and what seems to be a lack of deep talent at the WR and CB position. Dansby and Burnett have barely played this pre-season. The RG position is extremely thin after Steinbach retired unexpectedly and Hicks was placed on IR. Long and Jerry are both nursing minor injuries. Can the promise of Ryan Tannehill really offset all that? Here’s what I’ll be looking for against Houston this week. Offensive Line: How will the right side play? Rookie LT Martin improved steadily in camp but needs to play for real today, with some questions next to him at RG. If the line can’t produce room for the running game and give Tannehill some time to throw the ball, this will be a long game, and longer season. Passing Game: Tannehill has shown remarkable poise for his limited experience and his command of OC Sherman’s offense…can the receivers get separation and catch the ball? Or will Houston simply take away Bess and see who steps up, while looking to confuse the rookie QB with disguised coverages and zone blitzes? Defensive Line: Overall considered a strength of the team, this group will be tested by one of the best ground games in the NFL – even if Foster is limited this week. But, is there a pass rush outside of Wake? Who will step up to provide pressure and keep Schaub from having all day to look for playmakers like Johnson and Daniels. Secondary: Miami shocked many by trading Davis to Indianapolis during training camp. While many think they got fair value, it leaves the question – are the remaining players Smith, Marshall, Carroll, Wilson and Stanford ready to step it up against an excellent passing attack? Watch closely for communication issues in the secondary, and Miami’s old weakness – covering Tight Ends in the seam. Coaching: A brand new staff means new questions. How will HC Philbin handle gameday pressure? Will he understand clock management better than recent coaches? Will he be able to inspire his players as well as recent coaches? I’m excited to see Sherman’s up-tempo offensive style – but if the team is not converting, it will just translate to less rest of the defense. DC Coyle did a great job with the secondary in Cincinnati – how does he do with the whole defense in Miami? The HBO cameras may be gone, but conventional wisdom tells us this may be a whole season of Hard Knocks for the Miami Dolphins as they learn a new offense, a new defense, and adjust to significant transition in the team roster against a team that returns most of its starters on both sides of the ball from 2011. It’s a tall order to win today, but we’ll start answering the real question this season – what does Miami have in both Tannehill and Philbin? These questions won’t just be the keys to any given game – they’ll be the key to the season and determine where the team stands going into 2013.
The main thing I'll be looking for is whether the gameplanning and play-calling indicates the priority of developing Tannehill versus winning the game.
Watch for the Tempo on Offense. What is the play clock when they go? Are they keeping the Defense on thier heels. This is what we practice can we do this in a real game?
