Dolphins-Bucs Preseason Recap

Danny DolphinAug 15, 2010

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Final: Dolphins 10, Buccaneers 7

Summary: U-G-L-Y

Individual Stats

Passing

Henne – 5/11, 19 YDS
Thigpen – 10/19, 145 YDS

Rushing

Brown – 5 CAR, 20 YDS
Hilliard – 8 CAR, 19 YDS, TD
Williams – 3 CAR, 10 YDS

Receiving

Marshall – 0 REC, 2 DROPS
Turner – 2 REC, 44 YDS
Moore – 2 REC, 44 YDS

Defense

McDaniel – FF
Odrick – FR
Walden – SACK

Offense

Henne to Marshall: The explosive connection that was supposed to be Chad Henne to Brandon Marshall hasn’t shown face yet. During a monsoon, Henne put the ball in Marshall’s hands on two separate occasions, both resulting in drops. The first was on a quick slant thrown a little behind Marshall and the second was on a post that absolutely should have been caught.
Sloppy play: It was tough to judge the first-team offense in those conditions. However, quarterback Josh Freeman led the first-team Bucs offense down the field with ease in the same dirt, rain, and sludge.
Running game: Ronnie Brown looked solid in limited action. It was tough to watch the injury prone back out there in those conditions in a meaningless game.
Second team offense: When Henne went out, Tyler Thigpen came in and played almost every remaining snap. He look very good at times and inaccurate at others.
Pat White?: White played a few snaps without attempting a pass. I think his time in Miami has run out.

GRADE: D

Defense

Against the run: Miami looked solid against the run all game giving up 117 yards on 29 carries, a 4.0 yards per rush. I’d like to see how fast the defensive line plays in better conditions.
Against the pass: Average. Freeman (5 for 5) blew down the field on the first team offense early on ending with a touchdown, while backups Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter found moderate success collectively passing 14-for-27 for 144 yards. The Dolphins’ Sean Smith had an interception on a deep ball thrown by Johnson in the first half after giving up the Bucs only touchdown a series before. Reserve cornerback Nate Ness made two big plays in the second half stopping two would-be touchdowns.
Pass rush: Although they only produced one sack, there were many QB pressures, a good sign for a new-look Miami defense under Mike Nolan. Cam Wake continued to display his elite pass rushing after nearly getting a sack on two separate occasions. His burst off the line is superb.
Team speed: Despite the miserable field conditions, Miami played very fast on the defensive side of the ball. This years’ linebackers have more range and closing speed than in years past. Wake and Misi on the outside is as athletic of a duo as you’re going to find in the NFL.

GRADE: C+

Special Teams

Punting: Brandon Fields was the player of the game with an average of 53.1 yards on seven points.
Kicking: Dan Carpenter made his only field goal attempt of 33 yards.

GRADE: B+

Overal, Miami’s first preseason game was pretty horrifying on the eyes. I had trouble keeping mine open for the game’s duration with the lackluster play and horrible field conditions. The outcome of any preseason game doesn’t matter in the least. It’s more about getting your players some repetitions in live-game action.

I like the look of this year’s defense. Chris Clemons at free safety gives them range in the secondary with his blazing closing speed and he looked very comfortable in his first game as a starter.

Offensively, I have to say I was disappointed with Henne and Marshall. Maybe this was what they needed after both have received an unbelievable amount of hype heading into the season.

Anytime your punter is your best offensive player, it can’t be a good sign.

We still haven’t learned anything definitive about the Miami Dolphins this season because after all, the preseason is not a good indicator of anything significant. We still have to see this team play on a suitable field before we can make andy sort of judgement about the offense.