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Carolina will be looking at a Falcons team with an explosive offense and a porous defense that lacks both talent and leadership. And the Atlanta team that was so lucky on the injury front last year may be struggling with them in 2009.
Mike Mularkey's offense will probably be more explosive than it was in 2008, but that also means the defense will be spending more time on the field. And if they end up swapping field goals for touchdowns, there will be a hint of desperation in Atlanta,
It's happened to New Orleans in the past two years. Great offenses with poor defenses just don't win consistently in the NFL.
The Panthers will probably drop the first contest, and will probably win this one. Or they'll win in Atlanta, and disappoint the home team here. The Falcons and Panthers are probably headed for another split in 2009, their fourth in as many seasons.
Atlanta leads this series 17-11
Week Eleven, the Miami Dolphins
2008 Record: 11-5
2008 Offensive Rank: 12th (10th in passing, 11th in rushing)
2008 Defensive Rank: 15th (25th in Passing, 10th against the run)
The Dolphins were one of the surprise teams of 2008, going from a 1-15 season in 2007 to a first place finish in the AFC North and a playoff spot.
They did it on the strength of a favorable schedule and improved defensive play. The Dolphins switched to a 3-4 defense in 2008, and that unit was the key to their success. Their consistency as a team, however, was another story.
The point differential in their games was just 345-317, but they played in only three games where the outcome was decided by four points or less. When the matchups were favorable, they won and won big. When they weren't, they got killed.
On the defensive line the Dolphins look set at nose tackle, but Jason Ferguson will turn 35 this year. At the ends, second year men Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford will try and make fans forget Vonnie Holliday's presence and leadership.
In the 3-4 though, it's the linebackers who star. The Dolphins have some good options there, with Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele in the middle, Pro Bowler Joey Porter on one side, and on the other Jason Taylor and Mike Roth. Crowder has had knee problems in the past and Taylor's getting up there in age, but this is a solid unit.
In the secondary is where the questions lie. Cornerback Will Allen is a Pro Bowler, but they need someone to emerge on the other side to replace Andre' Goodman, who signed with the Broncos in the offseason.
They also need help at Free Safety, and may have gotten a steal in free agency. The Raiders severely overpaid for Gibril Wilson, and had to let him go in a salary cap move. The Dolphins were the lucky team to snag him, and he should be an improvement over Renaldo Hill.
On offense Chad Pennington will still be the starting quarterback this year. He's never had a big arm, and his receiving corps of Davone Bess, Ted Ginn Jr., and Greg Camarillo only combined for five touchdowns last season.
Miami uses their tight ends as receivers a lot, and led by Anthony Fasano that group scored ten touchdowns in 2008. When your tight ends outscore the receivers, no one is going to think of your offense as dynamic.
But the Dolphins like to mix it up in the running game, bringing back the popularity of the wildcat offense. Panther fans will remember how Dan Henning used this with DeAngelo Williams to beat Atlanta in 2007.
In Miami, it's Ronnie Brown who lines up to run it, and they also drafted Pat White, who projects as a wildcat option in the NFL, or he may be used to help out the receiving corps.
The Fins also have Ricky Williams, who's getting old but can still run the ball.
So in sum, the Dolphins don't have any stars on offense. But they have a group of capable players. Capable or not, they can be shut down. And they will be.
Unlike their 2008 season, the Dolphins play a brutal schedule--the hardest in the NFL. At this point in the season the age they have on defense will probably be showing itself in the form of injuries, and there will be a whole book out on how to handle the Miami offense.
The Panthers have never beaten the Dolphins. But the Dolphins won't stop the Panthers offense, and at Bank of America stadium they'll struggle to move the ball. The streak ends here.
The Panthers have a lifetime record of 0-3 against the Dolphins
Week Twelve, at the New York Jets
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