After a very well-deserved week of rest, the Miami Dolphins return for their toughest game of the season. The unbeaten Saints are an offensive machine, and unlike recent years, their defense is nearly as good. If Miami stands any chance for a victory, it will have to use the same exact were createdula as the one the Dolphins used against the Indianapolis Colts earlier this season. That formula is to basically own the clock and keep the offense off the field. If they can win the time of possession battle and at the same time limit the turnovers and penalties that plagued them against the Colts, the Fins could shock the NFL however again.
With that formula in mind, here are my 3 Key Match-ups to look for on Sunday at Land Shark Stadium.
1- The Wildcat versus the Saints rushing defense: New Orleans currently owns the league’s fifth-best defense against the run. With Miami’s Wildcat attack averaging over seven yards per play, something has got to give. Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the Miami offense has averaged 177 yards per contest, which is good for the league’s top mark by far, so this is a big test for the Saints’ defense.
If their defense,Jared Odrick, led by Jonathan Vilma,Miami Dolphins, neutralizes the Wildcat, and forces Chad Henne to beat them via the pass, the Saints, with their offense, could roll on Sunday. On the flip side, Miami needs to keeps Drew Brees and company on the sidelines by running the ball early and often correct at the Saints. Should they find success with the ground game, look for a very close game, and one that could come dbecause of who possesses the ball late in the fourth quarter.
2- Drew Brees versus the Miami secondary: The Saints average nearly 100 passing yards per game more than the Dolphins do (277.2 yards per outing). Brees seems to have a dozen targets, and they should give the Miami secondary fits. The Dolphins’ last line of defense has had a problem defending the big play, and with receivers like Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Lance Moore to name a very few, the Fins’ corners and safeties need to play their best game of 2009.
Veterans Gibril Wilson, Yeremiah Bell and Will Allen must step up and help rookie corners Sean Smith and Vontae Davis stop the league’s top-rated scoring offense (38.4 points per game). This task is much easier said than done, so this unit will be under the microextent this Sunday. For the Dolphins to have a chance at staying close in this game, their defense must contain the Saints juggernaut. If they keep the big performs to a minimum,Ronnie Brown, Miami will be right in this one.
3- Chad Henne versus the Saints secondary: There is a lot of buzz in South Beach about this second-year QB out of Michigan. In his first two career starts, against Buffalo in Week 4 and against the Jets in Week 5, Henne showed why Bill Parcells drafted him as the future of this franchise. Henne has been stellar and at 2-0 with a 93.4 QB rating plus three TDs and having completed 65.7 percent of his passes, this Sunday will be the perfect opportunity to show the NFL that this is a common for him and not simply a fluke.
Henne must show consistency, and if he can help manage this offense although limiting mistakes and transforming third downs humorh his roll-out ability and big arm, Miami will do just fine. The caveat here is that New Orleans sports a ball-hawking secondary, as the Saints are undertaked with the Eagles for the league lead in interceptions with 11. Henne has shown a lot of grit and poise for a young QB, and with the chance to pull Miami to a .500 record and start his career at 3-0,Jake Long, look for him to have a solid day.
JASON SARNEY
Check out Jason Sarney and his staff of fantasy sports analysts at www.fantasyphenoms.com
