Hall of Fame Game 2013: Things to Watch in Sunday's Classic Game

The National Football League’s preseason will commence on Sunday, August 4 when the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys square off for the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game from Canton, Ohio.

Miami and Dallas both missed out on the postseason a year ago, as the Dolphins finished 2012 with just seven wins, and the Cowboys weren’t much better with just eight. The franchises have attempted to improve over the offseason through the NFL draft as well as through free-agent signings.

Sunday’s matchup between the two organizations is our first look as to what’s potentially to come for the regular season. Will Dallas be able to make up any ground in the NFC East this season? Can the Dolphins make the playoffs for the first time since 2008? We won’t know those answers for a while, but a glimpse in the Hall of Fame Game may start to sway you in one direction or another.

Here are three players—and in some cases, matchups—you need to keep an eye on throughout Sunday’s game, as they could have a big impact going forward.

When: Sunday, August 4 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Fawcett Stadium, Canton, Ohio

TV Info: NBC

Lamar Miller vs. Dallas Defense

Lamar Miller only had 51 rushing attempts this past season for the Dolphins. That’s mainly because Reggie Bush got the majority of the carries for the team. But Miller still made the most of his time on the field, as he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and had a pair of runs of 20-plus yards. He’ll definitely have more this season.

Bush signed with the Detroit Lions this summer, making Miller the primary guy going forward. Miami coach Joe Philbin already seems to like what he sees from the 22-year-old fourth-round pick of the Dolphins from a year ago, according the Associated Press via Sports Illustrated:

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He has very good athletic ability. He’s got really good speed. He can pass protect. We feel like he has an ability to pass protect. It took him a little while to get the responsibilities down, get his adjustments down, last year. I think at the end of the year he was very sound in his pass protection. We think he has good hands, and he can catch the football. He has the skillset that you are looking for.

Now we’ve got to see how he performs when he gets more carries in a game than he’s used to.

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Miller should be able to flaunt his skills on Sunday as he looks to have a strong game against the Dallas defense. The Cowboys allowed the 11th-most yards on the ground last season, per ESPN, and gave up 4.5 yards per carry. If Miller can find just a bit of space, he could be gone in the blink of an eye.

 

Kyle Orton’s Dallas Debut

The Cowboys will be watching closely to see how their backup quarterback plays against the Dolphins in the Hall of Fame Game. The spotlight will be on Kyle Orton, as Tony Romo isn’t expected to take the field, according to Ed Werder of ESPN. This is a prime opportunity for Orton to showcase his skills.

Orton signed a three-year deal with Dallas in March of last year, per Nate Davis of USA Today, to be Romo’s backup for the foreseeable future. But Orton saw limited time for the Cowboys last season. In Week 4 against the Bears—his former team—he completed nine of 10 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. That was it for him.

Marc Sessler of NFL.com recently ranked the top backup quarterbacks in the league and put Orton at No. 2 on the list. Here’s what Sessler said of Dallas’ backup:

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We’ve seen enough from Orton to peg him for what he is: A sturdy but unremarkable fill-in. A veteran who probably won’t be viewed as a starter again, but reliable enough to keep Dallas afloat if Tony Romo meets his doom.

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Orton should be able to shine when he takes the field against Miami, as the Dolphins were strong against the passing game a year ago. In 2012, the Dolphins gave up the sixth-most yards through the air, per ESPN. It’s tried to improve its secondary during the offseason, and it’ll be interesting to see how Orton does against Miami.

Dion Jordan’s vs. Dallas Offensive Line

The Dolphins selected Dion Jordan with the No. 3 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, and the defensive end is poised for a strong rookie season. In three seasons at Oregon, the 23-year-old had 103 tackles and 14.5 sacks. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum after the Ducks’ season ended, but he is back on the field now.

Jordan has been great in practice, according to James Walker of ESPN. Here’s what the scribe had to say about how the top pick looked recently:

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The rookie defensive end was a terror against Miami’s starting offensive line. Jordan registered two sacks while matched up against starting left tackle Jonathan Martin. Jordan also looked good in one-one-drills. Jordan is very fluid and athletic in his movements and showed flashes of why Miami made him its top pick in April’s draft.

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The Dolphins finished last season with the 14th-most sacks in the league, per ESPN, and by adding Jordan, the team is bound to move closer to the top of the list this year. It will be interesting to see how Jordan performs against Dallas on Sunday, even though most of the team’s starters won’t be on the field for long.

Jordan should make a big impact whether Dallas tries to throw or run when he’s on the defensive line for Miami. He should be able to clog the gaps and prevent Dallas from running for large gains. There’s no question that he’ll be in the backfield often, and he might be able to register a sack or two throughout the game.

 

All statistics in this article were obtained via ESPN unless otherwise noted.