Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons: 10 Things Dolfans Should Watch For
The Miami Dolphins host the Matt Ryan-led Atlanta Falcons on Friday, marking the first playoff contender the Dolphins will face this preseason.
Halfway through the preseason, Miami struggled to find its bearings against a dreadful Tampa Bay squad, but found some redemption against a mediocre Jaguars team one week ago. Of course, nothing really means anything when the games don't count, but it has been troubling to watch them struggle against teams at the bottom of the NFL food chain.
Despite their struggles, the Dolphins have shown glimpses of a team that has playoff-potential. Chad Henne, Brandon Marshall, & Co. will look to put it all together and take down the Falcons as they continue their march towards Super Bowl 45.
Will Vontae Davis and Sean Smith Please Show Up?
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They made Josh Freeman look like Tom Brady and David Garrard look like Peyton Manning, so if Sean Smith and Vontae Davis don't step up their slacking play against the Falcons on Friday, who will they make Matt Ryan look like? Joe Montana? Shane Falco?
The Dolphins two starting corners' struggles have become a glaring concern in Miami, but they will have a chance to redeem themselves against the best offense they've seen this preseason. A decent performance against Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, and Roddy White will be enough to erase memories of their early preseason struggles, but at this rate, don't get your hopes up yet, Dolfans.
The Starting Center Battle
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Joe Berger dethroned Jake Grove for the starting center job prior to last week's game against Jacksonville, but even after a solid performance, the Dolphins do not appear ready to hand him the keys quite yet.
The team allowed Grove and Berger to split first-team reps at practice this week, but Berger is still in line to get the start on Friday.
Giving Grove a chance to reclaim his job could insinuate a few things:
1. The Dolphins are reluctant to give up on Grove after signing him to such a big contract last summer.
2. The team knows Grove is the better player, but is using Berger merely as a motivational ploy.
3. The team wasn't all that impressed with Berger last week.
This is shaping up to be the Dolphins biggest positional battle, and both Berger and Grove will get a fair share of reps against Atlanta.
Will Somebody Separate Themselves For The Fifth Receiver Spot?
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The departure of Greg Camarillo expands the Dolphins vacant receiver roster spots from one to two, therefore exponentially increasing the chances of some combination of Marlon Moore, Roberto Wallace, Patrick Turner, and Julius Pruitt making the roster.
Turner definitely has the inside track on securing the number four spot, but Moore and Wallace will continue battling for the fifth. Neither Moore nor Wallace have done much to separate themselves this summer, but they still have ample opportunity to do so. Pruitt appears to be the odd man out.
However, do not be surprised to see the Dolphins scour the waiver wire for a veteran receiver before the regular season.
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Kickoff and Punt Coverage Units Try To Redeem Themselves
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The Dolphins' youth movement raised concerns over leadership and game savvy, but everyone managed to overlook the effect it would have on special teams. And according to their atrocious play a week ago in Jacksonville, it has made a very negative one.
Miami has been shuffling youngsters in and out of their punt and kickoff coverage units this summer, and they were exposed last week by Deji Karim and Scotty McGee. Jason Allen is beginning to look like a Pro Bowl-caliber special teamer, but one man can't do the job of 11.
Special teams is a pivotal part of any team's success, and although it's not time to hit the panic button yet, this unit needs to turn the tide.
Benny Sapp's Impact
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The Dolphins swapped Greg Camarillo for Vikings cornerback Benny Sapp this week, bolstering a secondary that is beginning to look like the weak link of both the Dolphins defense and the team as a whole.
Sapp is expected to start at nickelback right away, providing some much needed relief to rookie Nolan Carroll. Sapp's arrival could spell the departure of Will Allen, who has missed virtually all of camp while struggling with another knee injury.
It is unclear if Sapp will see the field on Friday considering the team acquired him just one day ago, but his veteran savvy will be instrumental in the secondary's success.
Patrick Turner in the No. 4 Receiver Spot
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With Greg Camarillo gone, Patrick Turner will likely step up into the number four receiver spot on the depth chart. For now, anyway.
Regardless of whether or not the Dolphins pursue a veteran receiver, Turner will have an opportunity to show he can hold down an expanded role in the offense on Friday.
The team's decision to part with Camarillo should ignite some excitement over Turner. He was thought to be an expendable bust earlier this summer, but apparently has revived the potential he showed early last summer. Turner still is not a lock to make the team, but his chances have increased, and he's worth watching against the Falcons.
Can Nate Ness and Nolan Carroll Recreate Their Early Preseason Magic?
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After the Dolphins' victory over the Tampa Bay Bucs two weeks ago, rookie defensive backs Nolan Carroll and Nate Ness were grabbing headlines all over South Florida for their stellar play.
Two weeks later, however, the excitement has died down.
Carroll was taken to school by the Jaguars receivers last week, and Ness led the team with five tackles, but was nowhere nearly as prevalent as he was against the Bucs.
The Dolphins secondary is thin, so getting significant impacts from these two youngsters would prove to be invaluable.
Nolan Carroll Vs. Patrick Cobbs for the Kick Return Job
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The Dolphins cut running back Tristan Davis this week, leaving Nolan Carroll and Patrick Cobbs to battle over the team's kick return-man job.
Carroll returned four kicks for 100 yards against the Jags, breaking off a 36 yard return to highlight his night. By all accounts, Carroll has the upper hand for the job, but Cobbs is yet to get his reps during a game.
Unless Cobbs blows the coaching staff away with a few sparkling returns, Carroll should secure the job.
Can Ronnie or Ricky Standout?
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Two weeks into the preseason, the Dolphins first team offense is yet to be graced with a dry, solid playing field. Perhaps this could explain the team's decision to permit Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams only 15 combined carries.
It's important to remember that Ronnie is coming off of a lisfranc fracture, so the team will be very timid with his preseason workload. Meanwhile, Ricky is 33, and after eight seasons in the NFL, does not necessarily need much to work himself into a regular season mode.
Still, it would be comforting to see him and Ricky Williams establish a rhythm and break off some long runs against the Falcons' 10th ranked rushing defense.
Consistency From Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne
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What a difference a week makes.
After putting Dolfans in a small-scale panic with a sloppy debut against the Buccaneers, Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne redeemed themselves with a great showing against Jacksonville.
Henne was nearly perfect, completing 11 of his 14 passes (two incompletions were drops) and tossing two touchdowns, while Brandon Marshall grabbed four balls for 65 yards, displaying his physical prowess in the process.
The Falcons added stud cornerback Dunta Robinson this summer and already possess one of the league's brightest young safeties in Thomas DeCoud. Atlanta boasts a much better defense than either the Bucs or Jags, so another pair of great performances by Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall would set a great tone heading into the end of the Preseason.
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