Chad Henne completed 11-of-14 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars. After a nearly two-hour-long delay due to lightning in the Jacksonville area, the Miami Dolphins were finally able to get their second preseason game in against the Jacksonville Jaguars.The Miami Dolphins had some lightning of their own early on as the first-team offense excelled for much of the first half. Chad Henne was extremely productive and Brandon Marshall showed flashes of why the Dolphins traded for him in the offseason.Not all was well with the Dolphins‘ play, however, and with that I’ll turn to my game observations:Offense Chad Henne was absolutely fantastic last night and showed the potential he has to be a top quarterback in this league. He completed 11 of his 14 passes for 151 yards and two scores, and two of his incompletions were drops.

Henne showed everything you want to see in a starter—poise, pocket awareness, good decision-making, arm strength, touch, an accuracy. The Dolphins’ backup quarterbacks looked good as well, as Tyler Thigpen did fairly well given his rough pass protection and Chad Pennington did well in limited duty at the end of the first half. Miami has to be one of the deepest teams at quarterback with this trio. Pat White once again saw no action running the offense, and this time wasn’t even trusted to hand it off to Lex Hilliard with time running out. White’s defenders are running out of excuses, and it’s becoming blatantly obvious the Miami Dolphins have given up on the former second-round pick. He should stick around through the preseason in the event of injury, but I don’t expect him to be with the team come September. The Miami Dolphins didn’t do much on the ground, but didn’t really have to as they aired it out for much of the first half. Ronnie Brown was stuffed a few times in the wildcat, but Ricky Williams showed good power on a few runs. I think it’s safe to say that the wildcat with Patrick Cobbs leading it is not the same as with Brown leading it. Cobbs is a versatile guy, but he can’t carry the load that way.

Lousaka Polite was money on third-and-short as always, but Rolly Lumbala was stuffed on his chance to convert a short-yardage play. Lumbala has never really had a chance to make this team and that hurt him even more. Despite one drop, Brandon Marshall was all-around excellent, coming down with a jump ball, showing good run after the catch Miami Dolphins, and making some devastating blocks downfield. He took out two guys on Anthony Fasano’s first touchdown catch in blocking as good as I’ve ever seen from an NFL receiver. There’s no doubt the guy is the complete package. We saw practically no Greg Camarillo last night. I think he’ll make the team given how reliable his hands are and how much the staff likes his work ethic, but I’d say there is a very, very faint chance he doesn’t make the team. I think in the end he will,Miami Dolphins,though. Marlon Moore excelled more than any of the fringe wideouts with two catches for 32 yards, but his longest reception he was essentially uncovered the entire time. I still haven’t seen enough from Moore, Julius Pruitt, or Roberto Wallace to kick Patrick Turner off the roster.

It was a tough break (no pun intended) for guard Ray Feinga, who broke his “feinga” last night. Feinga was already a long shot to make the roster, so this probably sealed the deal. He’ll probably be waived/injured in the next day or two. Defense The Dolphins’ defensive line did a good job stopping the run early. Kendall Langford made some good plays as always Miami Dolphins, and Randy Starks was dominant against the run. He also contributed a sack from nose tackle, which is no small feat. Some people have questioned how well Starks will transition to nose, but I am zero percent worried. He’s a great player no matter where he plays and has plenty of bulk for the position. Charles Grant had a very good game and got good pressure from the defensive end spot, so it looks like he should have no problem earning a roster spot. It’ll be interesting to see who wins the fifth defensive end spot though between Ryan Baker, Lionel Dotson, and Tony McDaniel. McDaniel has the most experience but wasn’t that great in 2009, but Baker can double as a nose tackle and looked good last night. I just haven’t seen Dotson do anything in two seasons and I think it’s time for him to go Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins’ outside linebacker didn’t record any sacks, which is a cause for concern given the team’s struggling secondary. Cameron Wake, Charlie Anderson, and Erik Walden all got some pressure on the quarterback. Ikaika Alama-Francis was pretty quiet last night and actually really whiffed on a run play Miami Dolphins, so it’s obvious his transition from the defensive line is far from complete. Tim Dobbins did well in place of Channing Crowder, and it seems to me that anyone that plays next to Karlos Dansby is going to get quite a few tackles. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Dobbins take some of Crowder’s playing time in the regular season, especially if he can be better in coverage. The battle for the fourth inside linebacker spot is very heated, although Austin Spitler seems to be losing the most ground. Spitler hasn’t looked good in coverage, while J. D. Folsom did well on special teams and against the run.

Micah Johnson also racked up three tackles, although his range and athleticism is obviously his weak point. Folsom looks like the favorite at this point. Sean Smith had a rough day and was burned by Mike Sims-Walker a few times, although one of those plays he was picked by his own teammate off the line Miami Dolphins. Smith and the rest of the secondary struggled for a lot of the game though, and it’s a bit concerning at this point. Nolan Carroll had a very rough game on defense and allowed a touchdown on an out route. I still like his upside though, and his special-teams ability should secure him a roster spot while he develops on defense. After a huge game in the preseason opener, cornerback Nate Ness was a bit quieter last night. He replaced Vontae Davis when he left with a chest injury though, so it was nice to see him get a chance earlier in the game Miami Dolphins. I still don’t know where he fits onto the roster unless Will Allen misses significant time. You can’t cut Carroll and Jason Allen is phenomenal on special teams (he forced a fumble on a kickoff last night). Chris Clemons wasn’t great at free safety, but he still isn’t really being challenged by anyone. Reshad Jones made a few plays last night, but I don’t think he’s ready to start. Yeremiah Bell made a great tackle in space against Maurice Jones-Drew and is probably the only reliable part of the secondary.

Undrafted rookie Jonathon Amaya made a great play for an interception, although I don’t know if he’ll be able to make the team. However, Tyrone Culver hasn’t really flashed in camp and Amaya has good upside for an undrafted player, so he may be worth hanging onto over Culver. Special Teams Dan Carpenter was perfect with two field goals and three extra points, so there doesn’t appear to be anything to worry about despite some struggles in camp. Despite two blocks in tow games for Brandon Fields, I’m not concerned about the Dolphins’ punter. He’s got an elite NFL leg and isn’t to blame for either block this preseason. Chris Clemons was actually the culprit last night when the Miami Dolphins allowed a blocked punt and safety while pinned back against their own end zone. Nolan Carroll tightened his grip on the kickoff return job with good burst and vision. Patrick Cobbs simply can’t threaten to take one all the way like Carroll can.

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