Miami Dolphins Preseason: 10 Things We Learned vs. The Atlanta Falcons
As they cross the three quarters mark of the 2010 Preseason, the Dolphins continue to show glimpses of greatness and growth, as well as an unhealthy mix of struggle and shortcomings.
The Dolphins were handed their first loss of the 2010 Preseason by Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night, dropping their meaningless record to 2-1.
Miami will return to practice this week in the aftermath of a nauseating performance by the offensive line's rush blocking, but also what appeared to be a bit of a revival from a struggling secondary. In the end, though, everybody can rest their heads on their pillows at night and remember: nothing matters and it doesn't count, it's the Preseason.
But, hey, there's no harm in trying to learn some stuff from these games, right? Plus, what would any great sports website be without constant over-analysis of the NFL?
Jason Allen Is Never Going to Be a Serviceable Cornerback
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Okay, cut Jason Allen some slack. The guy has taken enough verbal abuse during his young NFL career. We know he's a bust, and we know he's never going to be anything more than an ace special teamer. Yet, every Preseason we here about Allen's work ethic and how impressed the coaches are, and that he is moving up the depth chart, this year included.
And Allen was given another chance at redemption against the Falcons. Sean Smith violated a team rule, granting Allen a starting cornerback role. Unfortunately, and to the surprise of few, it was ugly.
Matt Ryan and Roddy White quickly zeroed in on an overwhelmed Allen and connected for an 18-yard touchdown pass.
It is tough not to sympathize with Allen, considering he has worked so hard to scrape his name off of the bust label, but at this point, there is little hope.
Wallace, Turner, and Moore Cannot Separate Themselves From Each Other
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With Greg Camarillo gone, the Dolphins may now be able to facilitate some combination of Roberto Wallace, Marlon Moore, and Patrick Turner. It still appears as though the Dolphins might look for a veteran wide receiver to replace Camarillo's veteran savvy, but after Friday night's game, cutting one of these receivers looks increasingly difficult.
Initial belief is that Patrick Turner has already secured a spot as either the number four or five receiver, leaving Moore and Wallace to duke it out for the last spot on the depth chart. Prior to the Falcons game, Moore looked to be ahead based on his superior game performances, but Wallace showed up on Friday, catching three passes for 28 yards.
It is impossible to gauge who has the edge in the position battle and who will survive roster cuts, but it is comforting to see three such talented players competing for the last spots on the roster.
Chad Henne Is Trying Too Hard To Get The Ball To Brandon Marshall
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Imagine inheriting a 1964 Shelby Cobra. Naturally, you're going to want to jump in the driver's seat and drive that thing around until the wheels fall off. But, there's a catch. The Shelby eats up gas like Vernon Carey eats up burgers, and quite frankly, you can not afford to feed your car's appetite for fuel on your budget. Still, how can you resist that piece of vehicular mastery sun-bathing in your driveway?
This is kind of, sort of, what is happening to Chad Henne right now.
He inherited superstar receiver Brandon Marshall, and judging by the team's Preseason games, he feels the need to throw the ball in Marshall's direction at every given opportunity. This has led to multiple uncatchable balls being thrown in Marshall's direction.
Granted, Marshall has the ability to catch anything thrown in his direction, it seems as though Henne is trying too hard to feed "The Beast's" appetite when he has two other trusted targets in his arsenal.
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Dan Carpenter Has an Inner-Sebastian Janikowski
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With two seasons and a Pro Bowl appearance to his brief NFL resume, Dan Carpenter has established himself as one of the NFL's most accurate kickers. He struck on 21 of his 25 field goal attempts in 2008, and improved with a 25-of-28 field goal record in 2009.
Despite his early success, Carpenter's accuracy conveniently overshadowed his struggles with deep kicks. After two years, he has hit only two field goals over 50 yards.
On Friday night, however, Carpenter smashed a 53-yard field goal through the uprights of Sun Life Stadium. If Carpenter can summon his inner-power-kicker and maintain his accuracy, he will not only further establish himself as an elite kicker, but further expand the Dolphins options inside opponents' territory.
Micah Johnson and Tim Dobbins Are Playmakers, Thanks To Karlos Dansby
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With Channing Crowder sidelined, Tim Dobbins got a chance to start alongside Karlos Dansby at inside linebacker for the second straight week on Friday. Meanwhile, the Dolphins also rotated undrafted free agent Micah Johnson into the linebacking corps. Conclusion: Whoever plays next to Karlos Dansby is going to reap some serious benefits.
Dobbins racked up five solo tackles, and Johnson trailed him with four. Obviously, not all of their success should be attributed to Dansby, and to see these unknowns perform so well against one of the league's most potent offenses is a great sign.
Still, there's no denying that Dansby's presence is invaluable for this front seven. While he draws the attention of opposing offensive lines, Miami's other linebackers will have freedom to get into the backfield and cause chaos.
We Can Exhale: Vontae Davis Can Be a Shutdown Corner
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Keyword in this slideshow title: can. Vontae Davis can be a shutdown corner. He proved that to us on Friday night. Will he do this on a weekly basis? We will find out in due time.
But, live in the moment, right?
Davis went into what I like to call F-U mode (you can fill in the blanks). After posting some horrible performances against some horrible passing offenses, Davis responded with a monstrous effort against Roddy White and the Falcons.
He finished the night with three official pass deflections, but managed to break up three passes intended for Roddy White, and one intended for Brian Finneran. Then, Davis read a Roddy White screen pass like a novel, flew into the backfield, and wrapped White up for a loss.
It is only one game, but needless to say, it was a welcomed relief.
Henne Still Trusts Bess and Hartline In The Clutch
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Although Chad Henne appears to be having some issues forcing the ball to Brandon Marshall, he still has not forgotten about the receivers who led him through his rookie season.
On multiple third downs on Friday night, Henne opted not for Marshall, but for Brian Hartline and Davone Bess instead. Perhaps Henne has become aware of Marshall's drop-problem, or perhaps he still has not cooked up the chemistry he is hoping to form with his new receiver. Either way, Hartline and Bess won't fall by the wayside in 2010.
Charles Grant Could Be a Very Valuable Asset For This Defense
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A lack of depth along its defensive line led the Dolphins to bring in a pair of veteran defensive linemen. Slowly but surely, both Marques Douglas and Charles Grant are starting to make their presences felt.
And slowly but surely, Charles Grant is starting to make a push for a more prominent role with Miami's defense. Grant broke into the Falcons backfield and wrapped up a tackle for a loss on Friday, making his tackle of the night an explosive one.
Although he had only one tackle on Friday, Grant has received great praise out of Dolphins camp despite joining the team a few weeks into training camp. His signing flew far under the radar due to a 2009 triceps tear, even though he served as a cornerstone in the Saints defense for seven seasons. The Dolphins got a great bargain for Grant, and the signing looks like it may pay off.
Mike Nolan Is Saving His Blitz Packages For The Regular Season
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Three Preseason games and three sacks can mean only one thing: Mike Nolan is keeping his blitz packages under wraps until the regular season.
The Dolphins have applied little pressure to opposing quarterbacks, (which we can only hope explains the secondary's struggles) despite Mike Nolan's promise to create an "offensive defense." Hopefully, the Dolphins' lack of pressure is in fact a product of a simplified Preseason playbook and not an ineffective system. But with Cameron Wake and Koa Misi anchoring the edges, and Randy Starks creating havoc up the middle, it is hard to believe this team will struggle with getting to opposing quarterbacks once September rolls around.
Offensive Line Is Having Some Serious Run Blocking Issues
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Plugging two new starters into the offensive line was bound to create problems at some point, and on Friday, it did just that.
The Dolphins offensive line looked stellar in pass protection, but against the run: horrible.
This unit literally could not create a hole for Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams. Either there was a lack of urgency, or the Falcons just overpowered this young line, but blocking for Ronnie Brown's eight carries for nine yards and Ricky Williams' four carries for five yards simply is not going to cut it during the regular season.
Granted, Ricky and Ronnie deserve their share of the blame, the offensive line should take most of it. They looked horrible.
The longest rushes of the night? Chad Pennington's nine yard scramble, and Marlon Moore's 12 yard rush on a reverse. Not good.
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