,Chad Pennington

Heading into training camp, the Dolphins are the X-Factor in the AFC East. They can
do what many expect and simply improve a tad and challenge the AFC East

Or they can moderately surprise and do very well although seriously contending for the division.

Or they could
shock the NFL however again and take it.

Before anything, though, there are a few questions I have as the Dolphins prepare for the grueling month that is camp. These questions are just a few in a
long list and cannot be answered correct away. I will need re-visit them when
we are a few weeks into August.

? Is Brandon Marshall really the missing piece? Well, he must be since the Dolphins
have needed a big play wide receiver since, well, basically their glory days. It has been nearly a
a period of ten years that the Fins have had a WR that got DBs shaking in their pads. Marshall has
the tools, is happy (hopefully) and

has a young strong-armed QB in Chad Henne. So,
the questions are … How’s the hip? How’s the attitude? And how good can it get with a
Henne-to-Marshall connection?

? Who is the MVRB? The most valuable running back on this team is not who you
probably thought. Ronnie Brown is an injury risk as we all have seen. Last year
when Brown injured his foot,Jared Odrick, Ricky Williams stepped up and was a beast in the tail end of the
season. It is going to be very interesting watching the camp progressions, and
see if this is a 50/50 share or not. Williams is the RB to watch this season….as of
the moment.

? Will Chad Henne silence the critics? When asking many fans around the league what
they think about the Dolphins, most say, “They need a QB.” Sure, that was the decade-long mantra until they had Chad Pennington to thank for their 2008 division crown. Now
the other Chad takes the Week 1 snaps instead of the Week 1 clipboard, and it is his
career that is now the focus in South Beach from a football standpoint. Let’s see if he
can become a poor man’s Matt Schaub this season, or, let’s see if he is relegated to
creature a poor man’s Mark Sanchez.

? What young defensive performer will step it up and make Dolphin fans say Joey and
Jason who? We know that Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have already “stepped-up,”
as apparent by their very imnewspapersive 2009 season as a young CB duo. This question
is focusing squarely on the front seven.

Even as Joey Porter and Jason Taylor waltz (yeah,
that’s a DWTS jab at J.T.) to new teams in their career twilights, their presence and
production will be missed in Mike Nolan’s 3-4 defensive scheme. Nolan,Davone Bess, Tony Sparano
and Fins Nation are waiting to see who the next young Dolphins defensive stud will
be. Say what you want about the offensive drafting over the past few seasons, but
defensively, the Fins have found gold in the draft humorh the likes of the aforementioned
Smith and Davis,Mark Gregory, Channing Crowder, and going
back a little further, Sam Madison, and of course the poster boys for the Dolphins
defensive juggernauts in the 2000’s, Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor.

Will Jared Odrick and/or Koa Misi be the next defensive youngsters to make a name for themselves? Both
could, and one better, if this team hopes to contend in the East. Outside of the talented
rookies, look for Cameron Wake to be a solid player for Miami who can appeal some of
the missing sacks lost by Porter and Taylor’s departure.

– JASON SARNEY
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,Miami Dolphins

The AFC won the Pro Bowl 41-34. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub won the MVP award after throwing two TD passes. But what we will remember most about this experience are the sights and sounds — and smells — of checking out the NFL’s elite up close.
– Want to be Ochocinco’s date for the Super Bowl? He is seeking big-game companionship in the Dolphins ownership box with Mark Anthony and J-Lo:

– Ray Lewis discusses Rex Ryan,Jared Odrick, Dwight Freeney and Peyton Manning:

– Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports asks Ray if he could have one QB in one game, who would it be. Lewis,Jake Long, showing his true colors,Chad Pennington, debates the assumption about even choosing a QB to start. You know he’d probably select a middle linebacker first … but when newsed on the subject Ray gives the only answer he could — Joe Flacco!

– Pint-sized reporter hits Lewis humorh tough questioning:

– Darrelle Revis and Vince Young meet the newspapers:

– DAVID KATZ
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The Dolphins are coming off a win for the foremost time in 2009 as they head into their Monday Night equalup with the hated New York Jets. The war of words, as usual, has been a week-long back and forth series of tirades and jabs because these two teams absolutely despise each other. So often when these two teams meet, the game comes dbecause of the wire and habitually leaves each fan base gasping for their collective breaths. Last season, the teams split,Karlos Dansby, with Miami clinching the AFC East on the last Sunday of the regular season … I remember, because I was there (in my best Chris Berman voice).

This season, however, is a bit different. The Jets got a facelift during the off-season and put together what looks to be a fresh, new team, lead by Rex Ryan’s fearsome blitz crazy defense. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez has shown signs of brilliance, in addition to some signs of any typical rookie, but nevertheless, he has already won over the hearts of Jets fans and more importantly, those of his teammates.

As for the Dolphins, the magic is gone from last year’s miraculous turnaround from 2007’s 1-15 nightmare. At 1-3, the Fins must win Monday night against the Jets if they have any thought of a playoff run. This game may be a make-or-break one for Miami. A loss would drop them to 1-4 heading

into a bye week, followed by games against the Saints, Jets and Patriots, and could be a major blow for any realistic post-season goal.

On paper, this game seems to favor the Jets especially now that they have acquired talented, but at times, stone-handed wide receiver, Braylon Edwards from Cleveland, in an early week trade. Miami has had trouble with the deep ball this year, and that is Edwards’s specialty. With Jerricho Cotchery banged up, we could be seeing a lot of Edwards against a 24th-ranked Miami pass defense.

If the Dolphins stand a chance on Monday night, they must contain the Jets pass catchers better than they have against the Falcons, Colts and Chargers during their three losses. That matchup, is one of three I am focusing on heading into this huge AFC East slugfest.

Miami Cornerbacks vs. New York Wide Receivers: Although Cotchery is dealing with a hamseries injury, he is still a solid bet to perform, and his physicality, mixed with Braylon’s size and speed, will give Miami’s young corners Vontae Davis and Sean Smith all they can handle.

The big play is something Miami can ill-afford to allow, and that will fall mainly on these two rookies, as well as veteran Will Allen. The corners will get help from safeundertakes Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell, but they must display better tackling than they have therefore far this season.

If Mark Sanchez is hitting Cotchery and Edwards deep regularly, the Jets ground game is good enough to pound the Fins in their territory for scentral ideas, unlike Buffalo and even San Diego were able to do these past few weeks.

Smith and Davis must have their best NFL games to date, as shutting down or just simply limiting them to mediocre stats is important to a Miami victory.

Rex vs. The Wildcat: Teams know its coming, yet defenses have however to be able to shut it down. Over the course of a full game, as seen in Miami’s first four games, the ground game has registered a total of 183.5 rushing yards per game shared among Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and even
Patrick Cobb – many of these yards coming via the Wildcat.

Rex Ryan is a defensive mastermind, humorh the pedigree (he’s the son of ex-NFL defensive genius Buddy Ryan) to back him up. The Jets’ rookie coach has led this unit to the NFL’s third-best scoring defense, nevertheless until present this year, they have given up 100.2 yards per game on the ground

Miami must keep its offense on the field, using a heavy dose of the Wildcat to simply tire out this Jets’ defense. Should New York shut this rush attack and the Wildcat down, Miami will be in serious trouble if Chad Henne is forced to drop back and pass all night because the Jets’ blitzkrieg will tee off on him.

Miami Offensive Line vs. Jets Pass Rush: Even if the Wildcat is clicking,Miami Dolphins, it is likely that Henne will have to throw his fair share, and I expect about 24 pass attempts. With the heavy blitz packages Ryan throws at QBs, Jake Long and the offensive line must protect their young signal-caller, and allow him to hit his receivers down field. This will be hard enough, as cornerback Darrelle Revis is one of, if not the best, include corner in the NFL. He will most likely blanket Ted Ginn, Jr. so look for Henne to hit Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess on short slant and out routes to neutralize the pass-rush. Bess specifically is a guy who can turn a quick pass into heavy yards after the catch, and Henne could exploit those blitzers that way.

Henne must have time to make his reads, and if Miami’s line can’t keep his jersey relatively clean Monday night, this offense may not have a chance to put anything but field goals on the scoreboard. Henne is coming off of a solid perwere createdance last week against the Bills,Chad Pennington, which helped earn the Dolphins their first win,Kory Sperry, and all he has to do is replicate that game. Miami’s line will dictate if Henne even has the chance to put up a solid game.

— JASON SARNEY

Jeff Darlington,Chad Pennington, Miami Herald

“Like a teenager on the cusp of becoming a man,Ronnie Brown, the Dolphins offense is facing some interesting times. It is a unit in development,Miami Dolphins, one facing the task of sustaining its fundamental beliefs while also maturing along the way.”

Darlington makes a great point here, and goes on to point out that, this past Sunday,Jake Long, the Miami Dolphins underwhelmed when in the Wildcat were createdation, notching just 2 yards on five runs, adding an incomplete pass and two penalundertakes for 20 yards. It’s not exactly the type of outcome Miami fans are used to seeing from this package, but perhaps it also means, as Darlington suggests, that the Wildcat is on its way out of Miami. Which is not necessarily a bad thing; actually, it could mean very good things for a young group who is learning to gel together.

Ben Volin, Palm Beach Post

“Almost immediately after Sunday night’s loss to the Jets, Tony Sparano had already changed his focus.

‘The clock flipped,’ the Dolphins coach said. ‘We’re on to New England right now.’”

Nothing really groundbreaking here, but it’s good to know that Sparano’s head is in the correct place. There’s no need to dwell on this loss. The season is young and there are a lot of good things that can be taken from this game. The Dolphins need to collect themselves, get focused, and prepare to face a New England team humorh a winning reputation and a Golden Boy quarterback.

Jenna Vrentas, Star Ledger

“Taylor said the stvaryst part of his return was going through the visitor’s routine at Sun Life Stadium, which he had never done before. He spoke with a few of his former teammates after the game, Taylor said, and also saw Zach Thomas, Sam Madison and Pat Surtain — cornerstone Dolphins performers during his early years in the league.”

Taylor had a nice return to to Sun Life stadium, something that Miami fans probably weren’t too crazy about. His sack stalled Miami’s second possession, something that he celebrated with his trademark dance. Sure, it was hard for Miami fans not to boo him at the beginning of the game, which they did, but it seems it only fueled the already emotional Taylor. But although he may have gotten the last laugh on Sunday evening, the Dolphins will have the opportunity to make amends next time these two teams meet.

– SEAN JOHNSON
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,Jake Long

We moaned when Braylon Edwards went to New York for third- and fifth-round picks. We whined when Anquan Boldin was traded to Baltimore for third- and fourth-round picks. We pulled our hair out when the Jets stole Santonio Holmes for a fifth-round pick. On Wednesday the Dolphins finally got the big name receiver we’ve yacquired for most of this past century, Brandon Marshall,Mark Gregory, in exchange for two second-round picks. But why was the Dolphins’ price for a premier receiver so much immerseer?

Excuses can be made for why the other players were acquired for bargain bin discounts. Braylon Edwards has a bad case of the dropsies. Santonio Holmes is suspended for four games next year. Anquan Boldin had a slight statistical recession in 2009 from his previous years. But one could also bring up negatives on Brandon Marshall too. He has been suspended by the NFL for home violence and DUI charges. His were createder team, the Denver Broncos, benched him for not showing up to practice and physical therapy sessions.

All four players have at times proven to be all-world talents. They are in the primes of their careers (with Marshall creature the youngest at 26). But Holmes made one of the most clutch acrobatic catches in Super Bowl history without the use of a helmet. And Boldin is not only a model citizen, he also performs like a man’s man. After suffering a violent hit to the face fracturing his sinus, Boldin rechanged to three weeks later to lead the Cradinals to the Super Bowl. Marshall has however to play a playoff game.

Marshall’s statistics measure up humorh Boldin and Holmes, but they aren’t significantly better. Boldin had 1,Davone Bess,024 yards on 84 receptions with 5 total touchdowns. Holmes had 1,248 yards on 79 receptions with 5 touchdowns. Marshall had 1,Chad Pennington,120 yards on 102 receptions with 7 touchdowns.

I should shut up. Dolphin fans got what we wanted in a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and draft picks are only as valuable as the players you select. I just can’t understand why the Dolphins had to pay more for the position than the Jets or Ravens.

– DAVID ROLLAND

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