Bleacher Report - Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins Refuse to Sink

T.J. Morrill — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:14:59 -0500

Two wins in five days have brought the Miami Dolphins back to the .500 mark. The team has shown promise as they look to make another miracle run at the playoffs.

What makes the last win so impressive is the big story with Ronnie Brown.

Brown is out for the season now with a lisfranc fracture in his foot. Many were wondering what would happen with the wildcat, and the offense as a whole.

Let me tell you, although the Dolphins utilized the wildcat and Ronnie Brown a lot this year and last, they do not need the formation nor did they ever solely rely on it.

I hate seeing someone like Brown go down but I'm glad to see our beloved 'Phins moving the ball with a conventional offense. This team is capable of winning games without Brown.

Don't get me wrong. I love Ronnie Brown as much as the next Dolfan, still while he's useful and beneficial to have out there, he is not necessary to win games.

The key is that the Dolphins are very deep at the tailback position.

I know Brown is arguably one of the best backs in the NFL but look at how Ricky Williams ran against the Panthers and the Buccaneers. He's outstanding.

Age is just a number and Ricky is proving it. He's continued to take excellent care of his body and still has the ability to be an elite runner in this league.

Lex Hilliard also showed us what a strong runner he is on Thursday night. This guy shows promise, and I'm amazed he hadn't played a snap all year (yes I know he played special teams) with how strong he is. Hilliard always keeps his legs going and we should expect to see plenty from him in the future.

Let's not forget that lead blocker either, Lousaka Polite put the hurt on some Carolina defenders and he is a surefire first down option on short-yardage situations.

Wow, did the defense step it up on Thursday. I know they didn't shut Carolina out but less than 20 points is a great accomplishment the way the defense has been playing all year.

They proved one of my favorite defensive points, that playing aggressive makes you better. So much pressure was put on Jake Delhomme that it helped the DBs and it benefited the middle linebackers. Maybe Paul P. has finally figured it out.

The pass defense took a tremendous step forward and kept from giving up the long touchdown passes that have plagued the Phins all season long. The run defense gave up some big yards but for the most part did a pretty good job after the first quarter.

Much of the credit on offense goes to the lineman.

Although an epidemic of cramps swept through the line on Thursday, they kept going and real props have to go to Andrew Gardener for playing four different positions including center.

Gardener played left guard, right tackle, center and tight end in the wildcat. Great blocking job as Chad Henne rarely got hurried and Williams was able to run the ball efficiently.

As a whole, I see this team making a run. I don't know if they'll make the playoffs or not but they are certainly capable.

The running back position is deep now even with Patrick Cobbs and Brown out for the season. The Dolphins remain a strong running team, with much of the credit going to the line though.

Ted Ginn is finally finding his hands and maybe will be more of a factor in the upcoming weeks. The pass game doesn't put up the same astronomical stats the Patriots or Colts put up week in and week out, but it's looking a lot more efficient of late.

The Miami defense is making strides in the right direction while finally being able to defend the pass attack.

I really think all these factors are swinging the Dolphins' momentum in the right direction down the stretch of the NFL season. With a tough road ahead of them, a playoff birth is a long shot, but we've seen crazier things (like the Lions winning) happen right?

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Why the Miami Dolphins Should Not Depend On One Player

Roberto Alvarez-Galloso — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:20:53 -0500

The 2009 NFL season for the Miami Dolphins is a far cry from the 2007 and 2008 seasons. It has been marked with five victories and five defeats as well as Ronnie Brown and Chad Pennington being out during most or the rest of the season.

The pundits were afraid that the season would be over with the injury of Pennington and have repeated their predictions after Ronnie Brown's injury. The game against the Carolina Panthers proved that this was not the case.

The Fins still have life and have been able to cope in their last game with the help of Ricky Williams. It does not mean that they are going to win every game and that they are Super Bowl material.

The underwriter wrote in previous articles about the meltdown of the southernmost NFL Team in America. He stated reasons such as lack of practice methods that have been tried with success.

The other problem has been the dependence on one player. When Marino was active in the franchise, he was looked (directly or indirectly) as the player who kept the team together.

Pennington, Brown, and Williams have been placed in the same limelight which means increased pressure to success. The dependence on one player should not be the basis for any NFL Football team.

The players of today will be the players of history but a franchise such as the Dolphins must remain independent of such dependence on one person. The team must concentrate on practice as well as attempting to salvage what remains of the current NFL Season.

It should do that by having players attempt different positions and game strategies. The Fins should look forward and not look back with the intention of playing football like it has never been played before without depending on one player.

If this could be done, there is the possibility that the Dolphins may have saved what remains of their 2009 NFL Season before returning to the drawing board in the NFL Draft.

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Miami 'Fins Find a Way To Stay Alive

Jason Clary — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:48:24 -0500

You start the year 0-3 and lose your starting quarterback, what do you do?

You start to win with a second year quarterback. You are on the verge of getting back to .500 and you lose your best offensive weapon, what do you do? You run the ball anyway.

You can like em' or hate em' but there is no denying this Miami Dolphins team is going to fight until there is no fight left.

After an 0-3 start the future looked grim as the Fins' were sitting at the bottom of the AFC East. Insert Chad Henne into the equation and the playoffs are by no means out of the question as they have won five out of seven games.

Their 24 to 17 win against the Carolina Panthers just shows the resiliency of this team. They were getting knocked down and banged up. They had gone almost the entire first half without scoring and before you could blink they racked up 14 points before half time.

Ricky Williams, for the first time in his career, scored with both a run and a reception. Ted Ginn averaged 42 yards returning kicks this game. Davonne Bess converted important third downs. Lousaka Polite was doing an outstanding job lead blocking. And the list continues.

The Dolphins did something against Carolina that shows so much promise. They finished a game. Although it took a knockdown in the end zone the Dolphins came up with a win.

The Dolphins will play another pivotal AFC East game next Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. This Thursday game will serve as a mini bye-week as the Dolphins, for the first time this season, look to achieve a winning record.

This may just be another game, another week, another season in the NFL but this win could have helped Miami turn the corner to contention, again.

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Miami-Carolina: Dreams Do Come True—Dolphins Devour Panthers in 24-17 Win

Hotnuke — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:59:30 -0500

Noted psychic Edgar Cayce once said, “Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions.”

I dared to dream of a Miami Dolphins victory over the Carolina Panthers in my preview you can read here . I guess, according to Cayce, those dreams I wrote of were the answers to the questions surrounding the Dolphins' chances in the game against the Panthers and about the rest of their season.

Would Chad Henne play well? Would the offensive line hold up and protect him? Would the “Wildcat” formation be abandoned? Would Joey Porter’s return spark the defense to play well enough to stop Carolina’s prolific offensive weapons? Would Ricky Williams be able to shoulder the rushing load all by himself now that Ronnie Brown is out for the season?

And most importantly, would Miami win the game and reach the .500 mark?

Questions answered; dreams come true. The Dolphins ate the Panthers Thursday night in a 24-17 victory.

Henne played very well, nearly mirroring his performance of five days earlier against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in which he finished 17-of-31 for 175 yards), this time completing 17 of his 29 passing attempts for 172 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.

He was especially poised considering both his starting center, Jake Grove, and Grove’s backup, Joe Berger, went down with injuries, and he was left to take snaps from Nate Garner, a tackle who had been playing guard and was moved to center when Berger went down.

Garner had never taken a snap at center in his career prior to the game, and it showed, as Henne bobbled the exchange on the second snap with Garner at center. He recovered, though, and all was well—even if they did practice snaps on the sideline afterward as if it was a high school game on Friday.

Despite all the injuries to the offensive line, it held up exceedingly well, allowing Miami to rumble for 182 yards on the ground and protecting Henne enough that he never really felt a great deal of pressure, and was never sacked as Miami logged 201 yards through the air.

His opponent, Jake Delhomme, couldn’t say the same of his offensive line. Missing starting left tackle Jordan Gross, the Panthers’ quarterback felt the pressure all evening, taking four sacks and being harried on numerous other occasions as he completed 19 of his 42 attempts for 227 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Miami linebacker Joey Porter’s return from a one-game benching by the coach spelled doom for Jake. In just the first Carolina series of the game, Porter flew by Gross’ replacement, Travelle Wharton, who normally plays left guard for the Panthers, to record the first of his two sacks of the game, forcing Carolina to settle for a 29-yard field goal with 9:31 left in the first quarter.

“That’s Joey,” Miami defensive end Jason Taylor said. “We thrive off his energy and his passion. He came out tonight and had one heck of a game. He deserved it. I’m happy for him. It’s no surprise. That’s what Joey is and who he is and how he plays. He had one heck of a game.”

Two other Dolphins defensive ends recorded sacks on the night against Delhomme, as Phillip Merling threw Jake down for a loss and Randy Starks had one to tie Taylor for the team lead at 5.5 sacks on the year.

It wasn’t the passing attack or the defense that stole the show last night, though. Both the Panthers and the Dolphins have been great running teams this year, and that didn’t change on Thursday night.

DeAngelo Williams rushed for a game-high 122 yards on 13 carries, his 9.4 yards per carry average showing why he’s one of the best running backs in the game. The other half of the Panthers' great rushing tandem, Jonathan Stewart, also contributed 43 yards on the ground on 12 carries.

Neither running back, though, was the star of the show last night. The spotlight was almost exclusively on the Dolphins’ Ricky Williams.

When Miami running back Ronnie Brown went down for the season with a foot injury in the game against the Buccaneers this past Sunday, most thought the Dolphins' running game would suffer serious damage. They also believed the “Wildcat” formation would have to be completely abandoned, and that Ricky Williams, at 32 years of age, simply couldn’t shoulder the load.

They were wrong. They apparently don’t dream like I do. I dreamed Miami’s rushing attack would be fine, that the Dolphins would continue to use the “Wildcat” when needed, and that Ricky Williams would rush for 120 yards.

Well, I missed that last one by a yard, as I also missed predicting the score by four points (I predicted a Miami victory over Carolina, 24-13). Ricky Williams rushed for 119 yards on 22 carries, running for two touchdowns, including a spectacular 46-yard touchdown dash with 3:55 left to play that sealed the win.

He also caught a touchdown, giving him three on the night, as he hauled in a Henne 14-yard touchdown toss with 3:57 left in the second quarter, giving Miami its first lead of the game, 7-3.

This was the first time in Williams' career he caught a touchdown pass in the same game he ran for one. He scored his second touchdown of the night just three minutes later on a one-yard run to the right, with 0:57 left on the clock in the half, giving the Dolphins a 14-3 halftime lead.

The Panthers didn’t just lay down quietly in this contest, though.

Even after Williams' third touchdown that gave the Dolphins a 24-14 lead with just under four minutes to play, the Panthers marched down the field and got a 48-yard field goal from John Kasay. After forcing the ‘Phins to punt on their next possession, they still had one last chance to tie the game.

On that final drive, Delhomme found Gary Barnidge for passes of 29 and 17 yards, but with the possibility of a tie game right there for him from Miami’s 26-yard line, his pass into the end zone was knocked down by Miami’s Tyrone Culver to end the game.

In the end, Miami suffered some possibly crippling injuries, as the aforementioned Grove left the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury and nose tackle Jason Ferguson would leave the game with a knee injury early in the fourth. The status of both is still up in the air, and Miami can ill-afford to lose either of them for a significant amount of time.

Regardless of that, Miami (5-5) and its fans can still dream.

They can dream that the Jets (4-5) might find a way to beat the division-leading New England Patriots (6-3) this coming Sunday and put the Dolphins just a game away from taking the lead in the division with a win over the Patriots at Land Shark Stadium in two weeks.

First the ‘Phins will have to contend with a very tough (despite their 3-6 record) Buffalo Bills team on Thanksgiving weekend, and that will be no easy task, despite the problems the Bills are facing with their coaching carousel.

Yet, the dream remains. As Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Ricky Williams and the Miami Dolphins showed last night they have courage in spades, so I’ll continue to dream of another miracle season from coach Tony Sparano and the boys from South Beach.

Quote taken from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel recap of the game.

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Are My Hogs in the House?: A Tribute To the Miami Dolphins' O-Line

Geoff Zochodne — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:50:32 -0500

Michael Oher may have a fancy movie starring the timeless Sandra Bullock (who's carving out her own cougar niche), but the real story is the Miami Dolphins' offensive line.

Against the Carolina Panthers, the Fins had more guys going down than a Jacques Cousteau production and still came out smelling like roses. Good O-Line play has been one of the more consistent facets of Miami's season.

The Dolphins went out and spent some serious dollars on their line in the offseason, and even though there's been some injuries recently, it's been money well spent.

Taking my cues from the so-called "Porkquistador" that is Peter King, I took him up on his plug for the web site Pro Football Focus . On said site, the folks in charge take time out of their busy day to rank all players for every position.

And as I'm an amateur rankologist (a phrase so lacking in cleverness that it took a man of my IQ to coin it), I took it upon myself to check out Miami's big men.

The Fins boast two offensive linemen in the top five of Pro Football Focus' rankings. Vernon Carey is ranked at No.3 at tackle, and Jake Long isn't too far behind at No. 12. Considering the Fins used two first round draft picks on their tackles, it's good to see it's been worth it (according to PFF anyways). First round picks panning out? Get outta town!

Jake Grove (who got banged up in Thursday's game) is listed as the No. 3 center as well. It's only in the guard spot that Miami falls short, as Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas (Miami's projected starters) are the 39 and 42 ranked guards.

Fortunately, the real proof is in the pudding, delicious, nutritious, and Bill Cosby-endorsed, pudding.

Despite Ronnie Brown's absence, Miami will need to continue getting production from their run game; and that's spearheaded by the offensive line. Not counting Thursday's brouhaha against the Panthers (where Ricky Williams still rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns) the Fins are averaging 156.2 yards a game on the ground (fourth in the NFL).

The run game is in good hands. Tony Sparano is an offensive line guy, and his guys on the offensive line are clearly flourishing in Tony Sparano's offense.

A shortcoming you could point to is the Fins pass protection. It hasn't been stellar, as Miami has allowed 23 sacks, making them 25th in the NFL in protecting the passer. The silver lining is that they've only allowed 35 hits on their quarterback total, which means that their pivots are usually being hit for sacks, and not constantly harangued by opponents.

Another positive is that against the Panthers the Fins allowed zero sacks, despite being in a game where they were shuffling linemen in and out all night. Even though they were facing the ghost of Julius Peppers, it's still something.

It's no secret that Miami cherishes protecting the football and controlling the clock. As a matter of fact, I'm sure that Tony Sparano has it tattooed on his body like that guy from Prison Break. With this offensive line it's been a dream fulfilled. They're good, is probably what you can glean from this spiel.

The most satisfying part is that teams like to think of Miami as a finesse squad. Using the Wildcat is still viewed as a soft way to get yards.

Um, nah.

Actually, it's hard-nosed football that has been giving opponents trouble all year. It's like throwing a dress on Smokin' Joe Frazier (IT'S A METAPHOR, DON'T HURT ME JOE). He may look soft, but he'll still sock you in the mouth and keep coming forward.

That's Miami, Smokin' Joe in a dress. For all the frills they may present, when you cut through the wrinkles they're a steamroller with half a mind to rape and pillage every city they're in.

Let the word go forth: These cross-dressers are not to be toyed with.

There's probably a better word I could put forth but I'm not much for recanting. This season has been a war from Day One, but the Fins have the right men in the trenches.

For more reasons I need to catch a beating, go check out The Chirp Show . It's where jerks go to hide behind a transparent veil of jerkdom.

Read more Miami Dolphins news on BleacherReport.com

Ronnie Brown Goes Down: Will He and the Wildcat Remain in Miami?

Phil Shore — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:15:26 -0500

The Wildcat just got tamed.

The Miami Dolphins placed running back Ronnie Brown on injured reserve yesterday with a right ankle and foot injury, shelving him for the rest of the season.

Brown’s injury is a huge blow to the remainder of Miami’s season.

Part of a fourth ranked rushing attack, Brown had 648 yard rushing and eight touchdowns, leading the Dolphins in both categories. What makes him more irreplaceable to Miami though is how well he ran the Wildcat offense .

Miami’s offense, minus the ‘cat, is pretty bland. Ranked 30th in passing offense, Davone Bess is the team’s leading receiver with only 334 yards through nine games and only one tight end or receiver, Joey Haynos, has caught two touchdown passes.
The Dolphins rely heavily on the rush, but what gives them flexibility and makes them unpredictable in order to keep defenses honest is their ability to run the Wildcat.

Brown was the triggerman for the unorthodox formation. First things first, he is able to cleanly catch the direct snap. Although basic, running backs aren’t familiar with taking snaps from the center, and dropping the snap easily botches the entire play. Also, he was able to make clean handoffs to Ricky Williams. Again, while they get the handoff, actually passing the ball on to someone is not something they do very often and would ruin the play.

Everyone is aware of the ability Brown has as a runner but what made him so effective in the Wildcat was his ability as a passer.

During his career, Brown has completed four of 10 passes for 63 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and has a 101.2 passer rating. His ability to roll out and throw a left handed pass to a receiver in the end zone keeps defenses off-balance.

While Ricky Williams, the 2002 NFL rushing champion, is having a fine season himself—compiling 558 yards on the ground with six touchdowns, with an additional 193 receiving yards (fourth-best on the team) and one receiving touchdown—and is a more than capable backup running back, replacing Brown in the Wildcat will not be something easily done.

How well will Williams throw the ball? The possibility of a pass, even without a quarterback, keeps teams guessing. If Williams is a lousy passer, then the formation will not be effective.

And who will take Williams’ role in the formation? With Brown taking snaps, Williams has been the key motion man, and without him, the play becomes even less effective.

Without Brown, Miami fans could see more of the Pistol formation, where backup quarterback Pat White enters the game. White has completed zero passes on three attempts, but the threat is there. He does have 48 rushing yards on 11 carries and is a dangerous ball carrier.

Another question that begs to be answered is with Brown accumulating another injury is his career as a Dolphin in jeopardy?

In five NFL seasons, only once has Brown played in all 16 games and this will be the second time in three years that he plays in less than 10 games due to an injury on his right leg.

While he is a very talented player and plays a critical role on the team, durability is a big issue, especially with Bill Parcells and his crew running the team. If Brown is not healthy and cannot perform on the field, what sense is there in keeping him around?

Brown is in the last year of his rookie contract and will turn 28 years old next month. With questions of his durability coupled with his advanced age, will Miami be willing to bring him back or will they start to look in a new direction?

This latest injury to Brown creates a new question the Dolphins will have to answer: How much longer will both the Wildcat and Brown be around in Miami?

NFL Week 11 picks:

Another Thursday night game this week. Miami (4-5) faces off against Carolina (4-5).
The Panthers had a big win last week against Atlanta, while Miami just squeezed by Tampa Bay.

The biggest factor here, as stated above, is how Miami’s offense responds without Ronnie Brown in the lineup.

Will they still run the Wildcat?

Can Ricky Williams shoulder a larger load?

Can the Dolphins be successful in a more conventional style of offense?

On the other side of the ball it will be Miami’s pass rush against Jake Delhomme.
While Miami’s pass defense is not very good, their pass rush has generated 25 sacks, good for fourth best in the NFL. They also get the return of Joey Porter, who has not been as effective as he was last season, but still has enough talent and bravado to provide some extra punch.

Delhomme is second in the NFL in interceptions thrown with 13 (Jay Cutler, 17, is first). However, he hasn’t thrown an interception in his last three games, two of which were Carolina wins.

On Tuesday, Carolina placed left tackle Jordan Gross on injured reserve with a broken ankle. Gross has been one of the league’s best left tackles and Delhomme, in his rockiest moments, has depended on the 6’4”, 305 pound man to protect his blindside.

The Gross injury will have a greater effect in the game than the Brown injury because Miami will take its aggressive pass rush and attack Delhomme, coming after him and forcing him to make plays and causing turnovers.

Miami wins.

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Fourth & One Debate: Fantasy Strategy For Thursday Night Football

Jacob Sloan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:20:41 -0500

Last week’s question for the Fourth & One Debate was an interesting one from Eric Stashin of Rotoprofessor. I didn’t get a chance to share it last week, so it’s worth sharing this week before our second Thursday Night Football game of the season.

The question :

What adjustments do you make to your fantasy strategy in the second half with games now being played on Thursdays?

My answer :

Well, for starters, I set my lineups on Thursdays rather than Fridays or Saturdays. I find that helps.

But more to the point, by the time that Thursday play rolls around, my fantasy football roster has become almost set.

Extra defenses and tight ends have been moved through trades or waivers because there’s no need to carry them.

Starters and bench depth has been established, and I’m going with a pretty core group every week that’s performing at a high level.

There won’t be too many more waiver wire adds or trades to shake up my roster, so it makes it easy to have it set and ready to go on Wednesday or Thursday. My roster has been simplified.

Though having fantasy points accumulated on Friday morning does add some extra layers of strategy to the decisions I make on Fridays and Saturdays.

Say my Thursday night starter failed me completely. I may sub out a more reliable starter with little chance of a big day, like Matt Forte, for a more boom-bust guy who could save my week, like Steve Slaton. It just depends on how deep I am in the hole.

It also works the other way. If Devin Hester locks up 30 points for me on Thursday, I may sub out Robert Meachem for a reliable guy like Muhsin Muhammed. Nothing flashy, but he gets the job done.

It’s not as likely that I make a conservative play like this. Why show mercy? But I could see it as a possibility if I was just looking to make sure I had that eight-to-10 points of padding necessary to stay ahead of my opponent.

For the complete fantasy football roundtable, visit Rotoprofessor’s compilation post of the debate.

And if you missed the question from two weeks ago, when I asked what players to target for your playoff run, be sure to read up on those tips from the fantasy football roundtable as well.

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Ronnie Brown Officially Out for Season, Ricky Williams Stock To Rise

kevin roberts — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:37:07 -0500

ESPN's Adam Schefter and many other sources have reported that Miami star running back Ronnie Brown's 2009 season is officially over .

NFL Soup was among the first to report the possibility of Brown's season coming to an end, based off of ProFootballTalk.com 's original speculation, and now the terrible news for Miami fans has come true.

Further reporting from Miami beat writer Jeff Darlington via Twitter said that Brown had a Lisfranc fracture. Despite negative connotations that go with Lisfranc injuries, immediate diagnosis apparently does not suggest that this is a career-threatening injury, not does it suggest Brown won't be able to make a full recovery for the 2010 NFL season.

Fantasy Perspective: As assumed in previous reports, this type of blow to Miami's offense will likely force Chad Henne and the passing attack to take on far more responsibility, while adding a solid boost to option (Wildcat) quarterback Pat White's value.

Regardless, the man who should reap all the benefits is Brown's former back-up and Miami's new starter, Ricky Williams . The former Texas product was already getting 10+ touches per game and producing at a high level, but should put up even bigger numbers as the lead back in a running back friendly system.

To paint an even better picture for Williams' owners, his next three games come against the Panthers, Bills, and Patriots, the first two being horrible run defenses, while New England isn't exactly a beast against the run, either.

Needless to say, if you have Brown it's time to cut him loose and pick up the best replacement possible, that is of course, if you're not in a Keeper league. Next stop, the waiver wire .

Williams, meanwhile, should see his status and role take a tremendous leap from a solid RB2 status to an elite RB1 option. He should be a must-start in all fantasy formats going forward.

For all breaking NFL news and fantasy information, go to NFLSoup.com

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Liver's 2009 NFL Week 11 Thursday Night Pick

Adnan Tezer — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:17:33 -0500

At least this should be a better game then last Thursday’s 10-6 dud between the 49ers and Bears.

Of course it goes without saying that the following pick AGAINST THE SPREAD is for RECREATIONAL USE ONLY . Only Rick Pitino, LeGarrette Blount, Donte’ Stallworth, Braylon Edwards, Bob Griese, Miguel Cabrera, Tila Tequila, Steve Phillips, Travis Henry, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Tony Romo, Elizabeth Lambert, Richard Heene (a.k.a. Balloon Boy’s father), the Liver’s biological father (a.k.a. The Most Interesting Man in the World) and all Somali Pirates would be drunk enough to question the Esteemed Liver's pick.

Last week’s record: 10-5

2009 record against the spread: 91-52-1 (.632)

Thursday, November 19

Miami at Carolina (-3)
Carolina looks like a different team compared to the one that started out 0-3 with Jake Delhomme throwing picks coming off the team bus. Despite both being questionable for the game, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have found their ground game after a slow start. Unfortunately for Miami, their leading rusher, and wild cat instigator, Ronnie Brown is out for the rest of the season with a right foot injury. That means A LOT of Ricky Williams for the Dolphins in this game. Both teams should have beaten New Orleans in their respective games and are very similar right now in regards to their rushing attack. Carolina, however, has found their air attack of late. Miami has won only once on the road this year and is not good having to play from behind. Pick: Carolina

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Miami Dolphins Lose RB Ronnie Brown for Remainder of 2009 Season

Chris J. Nelson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:41:55 -0500

The Miami Dolphins were able to come away with a victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10, but it was not without a steep price.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Dolphins have placed starting running back Ronnie Brown on season-ending injured reserve, just three days after the Pro Bowler suffered a foot injury in the third quarter against he Buccaneers.

Brown finishes the 2009 season 648 yards and eight touchdowns on a 4.4 average in nine starts.

Brown joins Patrick Cobbs, who suffered a torn ACL in early October, as one of two Dolphins running backs in injured reserve.

With the injury, Ricky Williams will see an increase workload and will become the feature back in Miami. Second-year man Lex Hilliard should see extended playing time as well, while October signing Kory Sheets could see his first playing time as a Dolphin.

To take Brown's room on the roster, the Dolphins promoted safety Nate Ness from the practice squad.

An undrafted rookie out of Arizona, Ness signed with the Dolphins on Oct. 28 after spending time with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Seattle Seahawks in the offseason and preseason.

You can find out more about Ness, who will wear No. 31 and likely play special teams for the Dolphins, in my article on his initial signing here.

Analysis

With all due respect to Chad Pennington, this is about the toughest blow the Dolphins could have suffered this season.

The second overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Brown was having another impressive year, not only as the ever-hyped wildcat quarterback but also as simply one of the best all-around running backs in the NFL.

With Brown now finished on the field in 2009, it's worth taking a closer look at his somewhat complex contract situation.

Essentially, if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached, Brown will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

However, if there is no new CBA and the league goes into an uncapped year, Brown will have a $5 million contract in 2010 and will then become an unrestricted free agent in the 2011 offseason.

(This benefits Brown anyway, because with no new CBA, a player will need six years of NFL service to qualify for unrestricted free agency. If Brown's contract were to expire after 2009 with no new CBA in place, he'd only be a restricted free agent with five years of service.)

Regardless of whether Brown hits the market this year or next, the Dolphins would be wise to retain him assuming the price is reasonable. His injuries to date have been more of the fluke variety rather than the result of a lack of durability, and there is no question Brown is a rare complete back that is not easily replaced.

In the mean time, the Dolphins should still be able to put together a productive running game with Ricky Williams taking over and a strong group of run-blockers up front.

One thing that remains to be seen, however, is how the Dolphins will utilize the wildcat offense in Brown's absence. Williams has looked uncomfortable and slow in accelerating when he's taken snaps out of formation.

There have also been reports that 2008 sixth-round pick Lex Hilliard could take snaps out of the wildcat, though Hilliard's a questionable talent at best and will struggle to produce anything close to what Brown could no matter what formation the team is in.

More Pat White is yet another possibility, but I'm still not behind that draft pick and I don't believe the spread option can be a productive offensive strategy in the NFL. I also question whether White has the body to take the kind of pounding—especially at the NFL level—he would in that role.

There is no question the Dolphins will certainly miss Brown, and at 4-5 the team can ill-afford to lose a star player. It was the reliable running game (for the most part, anyway) that had eased second-year quarterback Chad Henne's transition from backup to NFL starter.

Youth movement coming?

With a climb out of the cellar and into the playoffs highly unlikely even before Brown's injury, I expect to see a handful of younger players get extended looks in the second half of the 2009 season.

I'm not saying the team should mail it in the rest of the way, but I also don't see the harm in taking a look at some younger prospects over players that are declining and unlikely to be around much longer after the season.

Brown's situation opens the door for Lex Hilliard and Kory Sheets, while Joey Haynos and Kory Sperry could continue to phase out Anthony Fasano. We also should get an extended look at third-round pick Patrick Turner at some point in the near future.

On defense, Paul Soliai will likely spell Jason Ferguson often when he's healthy again; Cameron Wake will cut into Joey Porter's playing time at outside linebacker; and Chris Clemons should continue to push free agent bust Gibril Wilson at free safety.

The Dolphins certainly have some holes after the season, and they will do their due diligence in seeing if any young players already on the team are potential long-term answers.

Chris J. Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins web site, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight , and can be followed on Twitter here .

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Not-So-Wild Cat: Miami Dolphins Tame Without Ronnie Brown?

Angel Melendez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:26:25 -0500

The Miami Dolphins offense just went from being a punishing wildcat to a cuddly, yarn batting kitten.

Or has it?

Today's news that star RB Ronnie Brown has been put on IR for the remainder of the season after suffering a foot injury in last Sunday's Tampa Bay game, couldn't come at a worse time.

Not that there is ever a good time to find out that your best player is out for good, but when a team finds less than 48 hours before their next game, it surely messes with the dynamics of, well, everything.

The Dolphins (4-5) are heading into a Thursday night's match-up against the Carolina Panthers (4-5) who just came off a big win against their division-rival Atlanta Falcons. Both teams have had disappointing starts to their seasons considering these were playoff teams a year ago.

Even so, Miami has shown that although they've already reached their loss total from 2008, they weren't done and were going to punch every team they played in the mouth. The left fist, Ricky Williams, softened them up and the right fist, Ronnie Brown, delivered the knockout blow.

It's been a great combo and even with only four wins, the Dolphins season thus far could still be seen as successful considering they have the toughest schedule in the NFL (Colts, Steelers, Falcons, Chargers and twice against the Patriots, just to name a few.)

All that's changed now with Brown gone.

But how it'll change things, that's the question.

Asked a very similar question, Coach Tony Sparano responded with: "Who knows? May not even run it. Never know."

Actually, I do. We all do. Expect to see the wildcat against the Panthers and against everyone else for the rest of the season.

As fantastic as Ronnie Brown (648 yards; 8 TDs) has been this year, Ricky Williams (558 yards; 6 TDs) hasn't been far behind. Even though he's 32, and Williams has taken "breaks" from football, he has never let his conditioning slip. He looks especially rejuvenated this season, running with purpose and conviction.

That's not to say that the Dolphins will continue to run the wildcat at the same frenzied pace as they did, say, in the Colts game. It will suffer and it will be scaled back.

And so, in order for the Dolphins to be successful, they'll run a more conventional offense and they'll need second year QB Chad Henne to mature rapidly. He's already shown flashes of brilliance but has been stymied from making any leaps forward in progress by a poor receiving corps.

Miami's leading receiver, Davone Bess (40 catches, 334 yards) has been solid but boasts no TDs and he's a complimentary receiver at best. As far as Ted Ginn Jr., if you've watched more than one Dolphins game this year, you know he's not the answer either (unless he's returning punts and kicks only ).

Miami will be tempted to use rookie QB Pat White more often, but unless they start effectively executing college-style option plays, it's hard to see White making much of an impact. Then again, this Miami coaching staff has shown they are a brave bunch (see Miami's early meeting against the Jets in an epic Monday Night Football game).

I can't wait to see what kind of creativity this team comes up with to deal with the loss of Brown. After all, they gave us the wildcat formation and made it work. Who saw that coming?

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Ronnie Brown Out, Ricky Williams In: Phins Okay

Andrew Garrigan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:54:52 -0500

With Ronnie Brown being placed on IR and Patrick Cobbs already being out for the year, it looks like the Wildcat is dead for the year. True statement. Brown's throwing ability and ability to run the Wildcat has been unmatched by anyone on the team, aside from one person.

They still drafted Pat White specifically for the formation who can run and pass the ball out of the formation. Dolphin fans should not worry about the loss of Ronnie Brown. They just have to keep repeating to themselves "Run Ricky Run."

Ricky Williams has led the league in rushing before (1854 yards) and has a career high in yards per carry and yards from scrimmage this year. Ricky is a big back who has the ability to run over defenders and make them miss as well. He has been the featured back before and is in the best shape in a long time.

With the addition of Pat White into the mix, it will be a trial by fire because he will be the guy in the formation and will see significant more snaps than he has in the past. Chad Henne has shown that he can be relied on to make the throws and put his team in a position to win the game.

A healthy O-line can aide things for Henne and White, especially for White who can make his reads and be as successful as he was at West Virginia with Steve Slaton and Noel Devine. With an experienced running back in both the Wildcat and traditional sets, Ricky Williams can provide a safety curtain for White as well as Henne.

Both of these quarterbacks know that they don't have a rookie or an un-proven player in the backfield but a veteran and a good all around back behind them that can get the job done.

The Dolphins probably won't make the playoffs this year, unless they go 6-1 in the last seven, and that's if the wildcard gets set at 10-6, which in the AFC is always a gamble but they shouldn't worry that Ronnie Brown is out for the year, just concern themselves with using Ricky as the feature back because he can and will get the job done.

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Bye, Bye Ronnie Brown: Foot Injury Takes RB to IR

Jacob Sloan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:18:39 -0500

The Miami Dolphins have placed Ronnie Brown on IR with a foot injury to end his season. Adam Schefter filed the story this afternoon, and ESPN now has the official word . Apparently, this injury was much more serious than feared.

What does this mean for the Miami Wildcat?

Who knows? "May not even run it," a coy Sparano said. “Never know.”

But don’t order your coffins yet, fantasy owners. There’s still hope, right?

Well, at least there’s always Ricky Williams , who now assumes the duties of starting running back. With increased carries, he can't be expected to take over both Ronnie Brown's and his own level of production, but it’ll be something.

Williams has already had his fair share of big days even while sharing with Brown, and, for at least the next two weeks, he gets to run against the Panthers and the Bills. Even if the Miami offense takes a step back without Brown’s Wildcat wrinkles and bursts, Williams should be an adequate replacement.

Plus, there’s no frustration when the other part of the RBBC gets all the touchdowns, right?

Well, that didn’t seem to cheer you up. If you didn’t get Williams as a handcuff or backup to Brown this season, you got options.

You do also have the good fortune of losing your starting running back when a great deal of the best running backs in fantasy went down with injury.

Bernard Scott would be the most lucrative grab of the multitude available, but only if Cedric Benson ends up missing time (and if Larry Johnson really does just ride the bench as depth). My gut feeling is that Benson misses at least one game.

The Bengals should at least hold him out a week for the sake of keeping him fresh. It’s on the Raiders after all, and then the Browns, and then the Lions.

Yeah, Scott’s a good grab.

So don’t punch your ticket to miss the playoffs…yet.

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Ronnie Brown Out: Ricky Williams, Cast of Maybes To Carry Dolphins' Rushing Load

The Phinisher — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0500

Ronnie Brown, who was formerly ruled out of Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers is now out for the season with a foot injury. At least that is what ESPN is reporting via NFL insider, Adam Schefter and now what the Miami Dolphins have elevated past rumor .

Ricky Williams will now become the feature back and carry a workload that he hasn't seen the likes of in six years. Williams leads the Dolphins backfield with 751 yards from scrimmage this season along with 5.3 yards per carry, the highest average of his career.

Backing up Williams will be the 5'11", 240 lbs Lex Hilliard, who was impressive in preseason action and on special teams throughout the season. Hilliard, a second-year player taken by Miami in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft, has shown impressive speed and agility despite his punishing downhill style. He was a standout at the University of Montana and simply looked untackleable at times.

Hilliard also catches the ball very well in the slot and out of the backfield, and should provide decent blocking for Chad Henne as well.

Hilliard has been on the field for some wildcat plays this season, but he has yet to receive a carry.

Also in the mix will be rookie running back Kory Sheets. An undrafted free agent signed by the San Francisco 49ers, the Dolphins pilfered him the week after RB Patrick Cobbs was injured. Sheets was impressive in his four years at Purdue and had a solid combine where he recorded a 4.47 on his 40-yard-dash.

Sheets is a versatile back, who can catch and run with equal authority and may provide some depth in the wildcat formation. At 5'11" and 208 lbs, he will most likely be asked to fill a role similar to that of the injured Patrick Cobbs.

It will be exciting to see if Williams can do with twenty carries what he does with eight carries—meaning dominate. Additionally, it will be interesting to see if Hilliard can emerge as a viable second punch in the Phins dual backfield. Ball control has been an issue for Hilliard in the past though, fumbling twice in 42 carries during the preseason.

In any case, one of these backs will have to step up and provide some relief for Williams, who at the age of 32 is not going to put together very many 32 carry games.

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Pat White Must Seize Opportunity to Turn Wildcat into Wild Pat

S H — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:20:42 -0500

Let's face it: Pat White was not brought in by Miami's top brass to start at QB.

Bill Parcells and company are confident that Chad Henne is the Dolphins' QB of the future. So far, from what we've seen from No. 7, they seem to be vindicated.

A second round pick was used on White for one thing: to man the wildcat. First and foremost, White's throwing is suspect, so it seems odd they would use a high draft pick one year after drafting Henne.

Speaking of White's throwing, he is a left-handed QB, which means that the Jake Long investment is no longer needed. Sure, you could move Long to right tackle, but the point of paying him the big bucks was to anchor the left side of the line.

White has plenty of potential to shine in the NFL, but it is clear that he was brought in to lead the wildcat—and that makes sense. He can run and he can throw well.

Until now the wildcat has been Ronnie Brown's show, but with Brown out this week versus the Panthers, it will be a good opportunity for White to shine in the "Wild Pat" formation.

While we have seen a little bit of White used in the wildcat, his contribution has been subpar. He has only thrown three times (zero completions), and he's averaging 4.4 yards a carry. The rushing is good for standard formations, but not for the wildcat. With a potentially expanded role in the offense, White's time to show what he has is now.

What is interesting to note is that Henne came into the limelight due to Chad Pennington's injury earlier this year against the Chargers. You never root for anyone to go down, but when opportunity knocks, you must make the most of it. Just as Henne has done, now it is White's turn.

Look for him to throw a little bit more often—if he's throwing 25 to 35 percent of the time, this will make defenses worry about the pass, which would open up running room if he decides to run.

Either way you slice it or dice it, with Brown out, there is a silver lining in the cloud, and his name is Pat White.

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Miami-Carolina: You May Say I'm a Dreamer, But Dolphins Eat Panthers

Hotnuke — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:18:56 -0500

To paraphrase the legendary musical pioneer, John Lennon, you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only ‘Phins fan who is one.

Those dreams were sparked in me and many other Miami Dolphins fans the moment Reggie Wayne caught that one-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning this past Sunday night to cap an incredible roller-coaster-ride of a game, as the Indianapolis Colts stunned the New England Patriots and the world with their shocking come-from-behind 35-34 victory.

With just more than two minutes to go in the game and the Patriots clinging to a six-point lead and facing a 4th-and-2 at their own 28-yard line, New England’s bellicose head coach, Bill Belichick, committed what may have been the dumbest coaching mistake over the past century, thereby assuring Manning had a chance to beat them and giving the Dolphins and their fans the tiniest sliver of hope this season isn’t over.

Deciding to go for it, rather than punt the ball away and force Manning to drive the length of the field to beat him, Belichick watched as quarterback Tom Brady’s pass was initially juggled by running back Kevin Faulk on the 30-yard line as he was driven to the ground close to the 29-yard mark.

The Patriots and their fans, almost to a man, have whiningly complained that the video evidence clearly shows Faulk had possession of the ball at the 30, and should have been afforded the forward progress. Had it gone that way, the Pats would have had a first down and ensured themselves a victory over their nemesis, a one-game deficit in the standings to the Colts, and the tie-breaker for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if Indianapolis should falter a game during the season.

Whatever they were watching in those video replays, it certainly wasn’t Faulk gaining possession of the ball before he lost yardage. Regardless of that, though, the decision by the Patriots head coach was still one of the biggest blunders I’ve ever seen in my life, and I am extremely grateful he made it.

The Miami Dolphins started the season 0-3 this year, losing one of those games to those self-same Colts in similar fashion, as they watched Manning come-from-behind to beat them with just such a heart-breaking touchdown pass; despite the fact the Colts had only controlled the ball in that game less than 15 minutes.

The team they’ll be facing this Thursday night, the Carolina Panthers, also started out the season 0-3.

Like the Dolphins, the Panthers have won four of their last six games to improve their record to 4-5. Unlike Miami, who even with their latest 25-23 victory over the woeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers still trail the Patriots by two games, the Panthers 28-19 win over Atlanta this past Sunday put them just one game behind the Falcons in their own division.

Yet, even though the Dolphins are two games behind the Patriots, are Miami fans not allowed to dream? Aren’t we allowed to posit the notion that our beloved ‘Phins just might pull off another miracle this year and somehow become the first team since the 1998 Detroit Lions to make the playoffs after beginning the year winless in their first three starts?

Carl Sandburg once said, “Nothing happens unless first we dream.”

I’m taking Sandburg’s advice and dreaming.

I’m dreaming that, despite the loss of Ronnie Brown indefinitely, Ricky Williams still has enough in his tank to lead the Miami rushing attack and put up huge numbers against a very good Panthers defense.

I’m dreaming that Henne, being pushed by the fact Chad Pennington is beginning to feel frisky, will live up to the promise and hope he instilled in ‘Phins fans with that spectacular win over the Jets that Monday that seems so long ago now.

I’m dreaming that the return of Joey Porter will spark a defense to play as great as they’re capable, shutting down a Carolina offense that includes a resurgent Jake Delhomme and two of the most prolific receivers in the game, Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith.

I’m dreaming that Miami will be able to find a way to stuff the run against the third-leading rushing attack in the NFL (156.6 yards per game) and force DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to seek advice from the psychic network as to why they’re unable to run wild anymore.

Most of all, I’m dreaming that Miami can somehow, despite all of the obstacles in their way, come up with a victory this Thursday and get to .500.

My dreams also include thinking about the remote possibility that Miami might be able to catch the Patriots this year and still win the division, but those dreams will have to wait for a while. They’re dependent on so many things, including the Jets finding a way to hand those vaunted Patriots a loss this Sunday, I can’t even begin to contemplate them all.

In regard to that, though, I will close with this:

George Bernard Shaw once said (and it was falsely attributed to Robert F. Kennedy because he used the passage in a speech he gave), “Some men see things as they are and say, ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’”

Will the Dolphins win this Thursday and find a way to overtake the New England Patriots for the division title? Why not?

My Prediction? The Miami Dolphins turn the tables on the food chain and snack on some Carolina Panthers. Miami 24 Carolina 13.

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Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Random Observations

Chris J. Nelson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:30:47 -0500

I haven't had the time or energy to do my observation videos from the Miami Dolphins' 25-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That being the case, I've compiled these observations from the game in text, which some of you might even prefer.

Offense

Outside of his horrendous, nearly game-losing interception late, Chad Henne played pretty well against Tampa Bay. He didn't hold onto the ball too long as much as he had lately, and moved around a little better.
Also, as bad as that interception was, Henne was that much better on the final drive to get the Dolphins in field goal range. It's good for his psyche that he was able to rebound.
The Dolphins need to abandon the option they're trying to run with Pat White . That kind of offense will never succeed in the NFL.
Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams both ran the ball hard and well. Ricky can handle the load moving forward as long as Ronnie is out, but the Dolphins sure are going to miss Brown.
Davone Bess had the biggest day of all the Dolphins receivers, and Greg Camarillo had a few good grabs as well. Ted Ginn, Jr. also had another tough drop, and this mental problem keeps getting worse and worse for him.
Kory Sperry came out of nowhere in his first NFL game and had a great day. With Sperry and Joey Haynos looking promising and Anthony Fasano struggling in a contract year, the young guys could get longer looks in the second half of the season.
The offensive line did a much better job protecting Henne, keeping him off the ground and unsacked all game. The run blocking was also strong, as the Dolphins' two tailbacks and fullback Lousaka Polite combined for over 200 yards on the ground.

Defense & Special Teams

Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman did a great job moving around and avoiding pressure, but I liked the rush provided by the Dolphins' defensive line and linebackers. Jason Ferguson and Kendall Langford stood out to move in positive ways.
The Dolphins didn't miss Joey Porter at all, and not just because his production hasn't been consistent this year. Cameron Wake , Charlie Anderson , and Matt Roth all played very well in Porter's absence.
It sounds like Porter will in fact resume playing this week, but I feel somewhat indifferent. I don't think Porter will be in Miami in 2010, and at 4-5 I wouldn't mind if he gave way to guys like Wake when it came to playing time in the second half.
The Dolphins' consistent pressure and Freeman's inexperience certainly helped, but I was pleased with Vontae Davis and Sean Smith at cornerback against the Bucs. They'll have their ups and downs, but everything I've seen from them thus far tells me they are both going to be good corners.
Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell both had better days than usual, with Bell making a fantastic deflection of a Freeman pass on a big third down. A lot of that had to do with their opponent, but it was nice to see.
Dan Carpenter continued to excel on field goals, going 4-for-4 to raise his season percentage to 93.8. He did have an extra point blocked, but that was more the fault of long snapper John Denney getting dominated by Buccaneers offensive tackle Donald Penn .
Brandon Fields had another good day, with a long punt of 62 yards and half of his six boots downed inside the Tampa Bay 20-yard line.
Ted Ginn, Jr. was pretty pedestrian on kickoff returns, but I don't think he had much to work with in terms of blocking. As usual, Davone Bess was mediocre approaching bad on punts.

Chris J. Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins web site, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight , and can be followed on Twitter here .

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Ronnie Brown Possibly Out for Season: Fantasy Impact

kevin roberts — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:45:29 -0500

Reports are now coming from ProFootballTalk.com that Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown's injury could be worse than feared, and that there is at least a slight possibility that the injury could end his 2009 season.

Brown has already been ruled out for Week 11, making the 32-year old Ricky Williams Miami's starter at running back, but recent updates suggest that his foot injury is bad enough that he could potentially be shelved early and could miss the remainder of the season.

This same report is cautious to admit that the diagnosis is constantly changing and that Brown and the Dolphins would surely get another opinion (or several more) before closing the book on his already very successful 2009 campaign.

Williams, on the other hand, would assume the starting role if this injury leads to Brown sitting out the final seven games.

Fantasy Perspective: Williams was already a solid RB2 as the backup to the dynamic Brown, but would see a huge rise in production and would also have an expanded role to the point where he is the full-fledged feature back in Miami.

There is also speculation that this injury, if it is season-ending, could force the Dolphins to use quarterback Pat White more in the Wildcat.

The loss of Brown would change the make-up of the Dolphins, and while Williams would see more carries and increased value , Miami would also be forced to balance their attack more with just one elite back. Look for their passing game to step to another level and their receivers to be relied on a little more in the coming weeks.

Even if Brown does return this season, there is clearly no word on when that will be, making Williams a RB1 until further notice. If you have both Brown and Williams, it may be a good time to take a chance and trade Brown before you discover he's out for the season.

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Dolphins-Panthers: Miami's Offense without Ronnie Brown

T.J. Morrill — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:33:24 -0500

With Ronnie Brown out, the Dolphins will need to find ways to move the ball other than the Wildcat with Brown as the focul point.

If they want to use the Wildcat Ricky Williams is going to have to be the one taking snaps. I know Ricky is not Ronnie but he is still a great runner. The only problem is that instead of sitting back and improvising like only Brown can do, Williams will probably have to use designed plays and blocks more than Ronnie usually does.

Ricky and Ronnie are both great runners but they are two entirely different types of runners. Ronnie usually is patient and waits for something to develop so he can burst through the hole and get open space.

Ricky goes where he's supposed to and hits the gap with conviction, which is the reason he's not quite as effective in running the Wildcat.

The unconventional formation has shown some success with Ricky taking snaps though. Ricky could very easily break some big runs out of the Wildcat but we won't be seeing it as often as we have in the past.

While they can't completely dismiss the Wildcat, the Dolphins need to make sure they get their conventional attack going to minimize the loss of Brown.

It hurts that Patrick Cobbs is out for the year because this is the time Miami needs him to be a threat on the end-around out of the Wildcat. Sure Lex Hilliard could be a good runner but we just haven't seen enough from him to know what his strengths are.

What will most likely take the place of the Wildcat in the absence of Ronnie Brown is the Pistol, or the "Wildpat," which features QB Pat White.

Yes the Dolphins need to ask for more out of the rookie from West Virginia. White will definitely need to step it up and maybe complete a few passes against the Panthers.

The option will be key out of the Pistol in keeping the defense off balance. Instead of relying on Ronnie's intelligence in the backfield, the Dolphins will need to keep Carolina looking at White and guessing what he might do.

Lex Hilliard will need to prove himself as a runner this week too. He hasn't been utilized at all offensively for the Dolphins but now is the time for him to show what he can do as I'm sure Ricky won't carry the full load.

Offensively, the Dolphins need big games out of White, Williams and Hilliard to beat the Panthers.

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Miami Dolphins' Wildcat QB Likely Out For Season

bill duke — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:39:03 -0500

Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown won’t see any action in his team’s next game thanks to ankle and foot injuries and will miss the rest of the season.

Citing a league source, The Palm Beach Post earlier reported that Brown is done for the season and ESPN confirmed an hour ago that Miami had placed him on the IR, ending his season.

The Dolphins have a short week, with an impending Thursday night game in Carolina, and are 3-point underdogs with a Total of 42.5.

Brown’s absence will cause many problems for Miami as he not only is its primary tailback but the main triggerman for its Wildcat formation as well.

The Wildcat is a big reason the Dolphins have the the third and fourth-best rushing attack in the AFC and NFL respectively.

Brown suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s 25-23 home win over Tampa Bay, where Miami failed to cover at -10.5; he did not return to the game.

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Miami Dolphins Re-Sign LB J. D. Folsom To Practice Squad

Chris J. Nelson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:45:35 -0500

The Miami Dolphins re-signed J. D. Folsom to their eight-man practice squad Saturday, one day after waiving the rookie linebacker.

The Dolphins waived Folsom in order to promote practice squad tight end Kory Sperry, as starter Anthony Fasano was expected to miss the team's Week 10 against Tampa Bay with a hip injury.

A seventh-round pick out of Weber State in 2009, Folsom spent the first seven weeks of the 2009 season on the Dolphins' practice squad before earning a promotion on Nov. 8 after tight end John Nalbone was waived.

Folsom made his NFL debut that day, recording one tackle on special teams in a 27-17 loss to the New England Patriots.

Folsom will resume his duties as a practice squad player, earning $5,200 per week and working on special teams and the scout team defense in practice.

He could earn another promotion to the active roster for special teams purposes later in the season, and will almost certainly be brought back for training camp in 2010.

Chris J. Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins web site, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight , and can be followed on Twitter here .

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No. One: Miami Dolphins En Route To Another AFC East Championship?

S H — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:13:09 -0500

I might be crazy, and living in some deluded world called Dolfan Land, but I ask the impossible anyways: Can the Phins steal the AFC East again?

Well, it's probably too early to tell exactly which Dolphin team will show up on any given Sunday (or Thursday for this coming week's game), but on paper the Miami Dolphins do have a legitimate chance of repeating as AFC East Champions. In fact with four strong teams ahead of them for the Wild Card berths, this might be the only legitimate way Sparano & Co. could bring the Phins back to the playoffs.

Currently, the Patriots are the only team that Miami has to pass en route to the top of the AFC East. Remember, they were in the cellar earlier in the year -- so it would be a tremendous accomplishment. But the Patriots, for all their Super Bowl rings, are sporting a sub-par contender's 6-3 record, and perhaps coming off one of the most embarrassing losses in recent history at the hands of Peyton Manning's Colts. To complicate matters, New England will be showcased on an upcoming Monday night meeting in the Superdome against the undefeated Saints. All this means is, they could be heading to Miami the following week with something at stake: the division lead.

That's right.

Should the Dolphins beat both Carolina and Buffalo on the road, and the Patriots lose one of their next two games -- Jets and Saints -- then the Dolphins may just be a minuscule one game behind the Patriots in a crucial divisional showdown at Land Shark Stadium on Dec. 6. Moreover, should the Phins prevail, they would have the tiebreaker with a better division record (assuming they would end up 5-1 in the division, with the Pats having at least two losses).

The interesting thing about the two teams coming down the second half of the season is how intertwined their schedules are.

Over the next seven weeks, the Dolphins will play: at Carolina, at Buffalo, New England, at Jacksonville, at Tennessee, Houston and finish up the regular season versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Out of the seven games left on the Patriots schedule -- and counting the Dolphins -- they will play five of the same teams, as their road to the second season entails a home game against the Jets, at New Orleans, at Miami, Carolina, at Buffalo, Jacksonville, and a season finale at Houston.

As of now, the Dolphins combined opponents' record is 32-31, while the Patriots combined opponents' record is 34-29; although, take out the 9-0 Saints and their facing teams with a combined 25-29 record. It's not a matter of who will trip up the Patriots -- they clearly are in the driver's seat at this point. But with an upcoming head-to-head game, you must admit the two-game difference between 6-3 and 4-5 is marginal. In order for the Dolphins to win the division, they must play their hearts out, play mistake-free football, and have the mindset that it's up to them. Because it really is.

Then again, they could finish up with a losing record, too. Either the way the future looks as bright as their alternate jerseys.

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Miami Dolphins Promote TE Kory Sperry to Active Roster

Chris J. Nelson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:11:47 -0500

With starting tight end Anthony Fasano questionable for this week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tomorrow, the Miami Dolphins have promoted tight end Kory Sperry from the practice squad to the active roster.

Sperry takes the roster spot of linebacker J. D. Folsom, who was waived yesterday.

An undrafted rookie out of Colorado State, Sperry will likely be active as the No. 2 tight end behind Joey Haynos if Fasano cannot go against Tampa Bay.

For more information on Sperry's background, see my Sept. 10 article on his signing to the practice squad.

Analysis

Sperry's promotion to the active roster doesn't bode well for Fasano's prospects of playing this weekend, as the Dolphins' third tight end would likely be inactive if Fasano could play.

Should Sperry dress tomorrow, he will likely serve as the No. 2 tight end and play special teams.

The loss of Fasano tomorrow isn't a huge one in the passing game, as he'd taken a major step backward in that department this season. He has however been a key blocker in the running game, which has struggled recently.

It will be interesting to see how No. 2 tight end Joey Haynos does in a starting role, as he has played well of late with a touchdown in each of the past two games.

Sperry's tenure on the active roster could be short-lived, as there is a good chance he'll be waived once Fasano is healthy. In that case, a special teamer like J.D. Folsom could be brought back up.

The most concerning aspect of this move is that it's Sperry earning the promotion in Fasano's absence, and not John Nalbone.

Sperry arrived in Miami in September after spending training camp with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent.

Meanwhile, Nalbone has been with the team since being drafted in the fifth round out of Monmouth in April. He also spent the first seven weeks of the season on the team's active roster before being waived last week to make room for Folsom.

Nalbone's progression is certainly not where it should be at this point, and there's no excuse for not earning the promotion over Sperry with Fasano injured. It's still early, but it's beginning to look like the Dolphins small-school fifth-rounder isn't going to pan out.

Chris J. Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins web site, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight , and can be followed on Twitter here .

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