Dolphins and Saints: Keys To Victory

As The New Orleans Saints come to Miami, both The Dolphins (2-3) and The Saints (5-0) are finalizing game plans and preparing their bodies for the weekly pounding an NFL athlete takes.

I am not trying to state which team will take the bigger physical beating; just that with a win on the schedule the physical pain seems a little bit easier to bear.  

So as the Dolphins and Saints gear up for this late afternoon match-up, which team will be better prepared?  Which will have luck on their side? Which team will walk into the locker room Sunday evening with smiles on their sweat poured faces? And which will quietly disappear into the tunnel with the not so fortunate inkling of a loss?

I cannot tell you what the outcome will be, but I can paint a broad picture of what each team HAS to do in order to win this football game.

Dolphins Keys to Victory :

1. Control the clock —They have been doing this all season long.  Their balanced rush attack that features the R&R Express (Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams) has punished opponents every game this year.  Their continued success running the ball should not only shed time off the clock, it should also lead to points.
2. Convert third downs —One thing Chad Henne has done surprisingly well is convert third downs.  Henne showed pocket presence while staring the Jet's heavy blitzes right in the face and fired first down after first down.  His decision making is a pivotal part of this offense's heart beat.  If he is on point with his passes and judgement this Dolphins offense will be hard to stop.
3. Force turnovers —This is really the only way to stop the Saints offense.  Drew Brees finds a way to make plays no matter what.  If the Dolphins defense can step up and make plays with conviction they will have a chance.  If they can't force turnovers, good luck trying to play catch-up.
4. Stop the run —OK this may be an important key for any team playing any Sunday, but stopping the run this game will turn the scary Saints offense into a one dimensional offense,which is still pretty scary.  You are probably asking yourself why try to make Brees pass even more?  When you take the run game out of the equation, the defensive line can pin their ears back and go right after the quarterback. It also gives you the ability to run nickel and dime formation without having to worry about run support in the middle of the field.

Saints Key To Victory :

1. Run Between the tackles —If the Saints can run between the tackles they will be able to move the ball in any facet.  They will be able to keep the Dolphins defense guessing which is not a good thing for Miami.  Ability to do this will allow the Saints to put points on the board as well as control the clock, which will also prevent the dolphins from racking up possession time.
2. Control the line on defense —The Dolphins offense is run first and if the Saints can take this part of the game away from Miami, they will have to rely on Chad Henne's inexperienced arm to bring them from behind.
3. Pressure the quarterback —Putting pressure on Chad Henne will force him to rush throws and force throws into coverage.  If the Saints can dial up successful blitzes expect veteran Darren Sharper to be all over the field forcing turnovers and making plays in the secondary.

As the week quickly approaches Sunday, this match-up is being talked about more and more.  If the Dolphins can stick to their game plan and execute their plays with conviction, this game will be a great one to watch.  However, if the Saints play as spectacular as they did last week against the Giants, expect a quiet LandShark Stadium.