Miami Dolphins: 16 Winners and Losers from Preseason Week 1 vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Miami Dolphins made their unofficial debut on Friday night, defeating the Atlanta Falcons in their 2011 Preseason opener. 

Miami may have departed the Georgia Dome with a 28-23 victory, but preseason victories are completely meaningless. Instead, we should take note of the starting offense's futility and the second team defense's brilliance. 

We should be encouraged by the "winners" of the night like Jimmy Wilson and Matt Moore. And we should be frightened by the "losers" of the night like Chad Henne and the offensive line.

Who are the other winners and losers from Friday night? Here's 16 of 'em.  

Winner: Jared Odrick

With such an abundance of talent along the defensive line, it was hard to envision where 2010 first-round draft pick Jared Odrick would fit in—or if he would be any good. But on Friday night, Odrick displayed an overpowering and dynamic skill-set that will have him pushing for a major role come September.

Odrick recorded only one tackle (a beautiful hit on Michael Turner in Atlanta's backfield), but he was a disruptive force on seemingly every single play.

Even though he did most of his damage against the Falcons' second string unit, Odrick definitely earned the opportunity to play with Miami's first team defense next week against Carolina.  If he can replicate the dominance he showed against Atlanta, Odrick could be in line for a big role. 

Winner: Vontae Davis

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense wasted no time testing Vontae Davis on Friday night. In two of the first three plays from scrimmage, Ryan targeted rookie Julio Jones. Davis smothered the top-10 draft pick, forcing a pair of incompletions. 

Even though Jones is a rookie, he is no slouch. He caught two passes for 43 yards and carried a reverse for 12 yards. 

Nobody is concerned about Davis' outlook for the 2011 season, but it is very comforting to see him looking fresh and precise—especially against an explosive player like Julio Jones.  

Winner: Phillip Livas

Every summer, the Dolphins sign a speedy, undrafted free agent to compete for kickoff and punt return duties.  None—set aside Chris Williams, who fell victim to injury—have ever panned out, but former Louisiana Tech Bulldog Phillip Livas made a strong case for himself on Friday. 

Livas busted a 75-yard punt return open for a touchdown, displaying blazing speed and razor sharp field vision.

Miami's special teams units annually rank amongst the league's worst, so finding a lethal returner could be absolutely tremendous for this team. Livas must be consistent in order to make the 53-man roster, but the Dolphins should be excited by his prospectus. 

Winner: Brian Hartline

For much of this offseason, Brian Hartline was pinned as one of the many scapegoats for Miami's offensive struggles. Hartline was supposed to be the team's deep threat in 2010, but he simply lacked the vertical speed to fill that role.

With Clyde Gates now on the roster, pressure on Hartline to play that role is gone, but he is not ready to surrender any playing time.

Hartline snuck behind the Falcons' secondary and caught a gorgeous 44-yard touchdown toss from Chad Henne. 

Winner: Benny Sapp

At the outset of training camp, Benny Sapp projected as nothing more than a fourth or fifth cornerback option. But with Will Allen sidelined by injuries, Sapp is pushing for a more significant role—perhaps a starting one. 

Sapp started at nickelback for the 'Fins on Friday and performed admirably. He shut down Harry Douglas and looked like a potential replacement for Allen if he cannot get healthy. 

Winner: Roberto Wallace

If you put a No. 19 jersey on Roberto Wallace, it would be nearly impossible to differentiate him from Brandon Marshall. Wallace and Marshall share an almost-identical physical build, and they might soon share the field together.

Wallace led the Dolphins in receiving on Friday, reeling in three receptions for 60 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown catch from Matt Moore.

At this rate, Wallace is a mortal lock for the 53-man roster, and could easily factor into Miami's offensive scheme throughout the regular season.  

Winner: Jimmy Wilson

Hands down, the most valuable player of Miami's first preseason game was seventh-round draft pick Jimmy Wilson. The dude was everywhere. 

Wilson racked up five tackles, one sack and a pivotal forced fumble that led to a Dolphins touchdown. 

This performance was not totally unexpected, either. Wilson has been outstanding at training camp and looks like a lock for the opening-day roster. As of now, he will probably be relegated to special teams duty, but if he maintains this level of play throughout the preseason, Tony Sparano might have to expand his role. 

(Despite his success, let's all calm down. Wilson had one great game. Let's not proclaim him an All-Star quite yet.)

Winner: Matt Moore

When the Dolphins acquired Matt Moore they essentially ended any and all hope that a Kyle Orton trade would materialize. Naturally, the fanbase was enraged, and Moore was disregarded as measly competition for Chad Henne.

But on Friday, Moore proved that he might be more sturdy competition than previously believed. Despite poor pass protection, he finished the night 11-for-18 for 123 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. 

Moore often held onto the ball far too long and looked shaky at times, but he was poised in the pocket, showed a willingness to take hits and threw the ball with pillow-soft touch. He must gain more confidence before we can declare a true quarterback competition, but one might be in the works. 

Loser: The Enitre Offensive Line

Tony Sparano is supposed to be an offensive line guru. He was supposed to stockpile this team with mammoth lineman who would lay the foundation for a perennial playoff contender.

Instead, the offensive line has become a perennial headache and liability. For the second straight season, Sparano has decided shuffle his line around. Both guard spots are still unsettled, Vernon Carey has been moved to guard after seven years at tackle and Sparano signed injury-prone 32-year-old Marc Colombo to start at right guard. 

And, predictably, they looked bad on Friday night. Daniel Thomas had nowhere to run and Chad Henne had little time to throw. If the line does not mesh before the regular season, Sparano and the Dolphins are doomed. 

Loser: Tyrone Culver

After losing the starting free safety battle to Chris Clemons last summer, Tyrone Culver became a complete afterthought. He recorded only 11 tackles last season, and as the Dolphins add promising youngsters, Culver's role becomes increasingly slim. 

Surrendering an inexcusable touchdown on Friday didn't exactly help his case. 

Harry Douglas grabbed a touchdown reception on a pass that Culver should have most definitely broken up. Miami clearly likes Culver's potential, but unless he starts making plays or shows he can be a valuable special teams contributor, he might be cut. 

Loser: Chad Henne

Could Friday night have gone any worse for Chad Henne? 

Probably not.

He threw two unforgivable interceptions (we can argue about whose they were later) and continued his dreaded checkdown habits. Henne's night was barely salvaged by that beautiful touchdown pass to Brian Hartline. 

Henne has already lost most of the fanbase's support, and an opening-night debacle severely hurts his chances of earning it back anytime soon. Granted, this is only the preseason, but Henne must step up soon. 

Loser: Anthony Fasano

So many of the NFL's best offenses have an athletic tight end who can slip behind linebackers and provide a reliable target all over the field, particularly in the red zone. 

But the Dolphins continue to rely on Anthony Fasano, who is yet to prove he is anything more than a very solid No. 2 tight end. After bobbling Chad Henne's first interception, Fasano was a ghost—and has been one for all of training camp.

Even if he is a solid blocker, this is now a pass-first league and teams need that seam-threat tight end. When will the Dolphins ditch their outdated methods?  

Loser: Daniel Thomas

This was former second-round pick Daniel Thomas' first NFL game, so we can't crucify him for struggling on Friday. After all, the offensive line provided virtually no support and opened up few rushing lanes. 

Thomas recorded four carries for five yards and looked generally unimpressive. He did salvage his night with a nice 25-yard catch and run, but considering he is supposed to carry a significant load for the Dolphins, this isn't good.

Still, let's give Thomas time to acclimate to the NFL before we jump to any conclusions.  

Loser: Nolan Carroll

Last summer, Nolan Carroll was Miami's rookie sensation. He was basically last year's Jimmy Wilson. 

The Dolphins selected Carroll in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, and he quickly made his presence felt in training camp, making a slew of game-breaking plays. He settled in as a kickoff returner for most of the regular season, but hopes for the young cornerback remain high. 

However, Carroll struggled mightily on Friday versus Atlanta's receiving corps. He looked a step behind and did not look much better than he did one year ago. 

Loser: Punt Coverage Teams

Every single season, the Dolphins are plagued by the same exact problems. Their punt and kickoff coverage teams always look putrid, and Friday was no exception.

The Falcons averaged 31 yards on three punt returns, and rookie Jacquizz Rodgers almost broke a kickoff return for a touchdown.

One would think that after poor special teams play cost the team regular season wins, Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland would try to improve those units. But clearly, they continue to neglect them instead. 

Loser: Dan Carpenter

For most of the 2010 season, Dan Carpenter was automatic. He was one of the league's most accurate and efficient kickers.

However, he started to struggle towards the end of the season. In Miami's final five games, Carpenter missed six field goals, including four in a Week 15 loss to the Bills.

Carpenter's struggles continued into Friday night when he missed his only field goal attempt, a 50-yard try. Granted, that is no chip shot, but Atlanta does play in a dome.