Preview Archive

We Came, We Tailgated, We Conquered. What’s Next?

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012

MetLife TakeoverBefore we look ahead at things to come, let’s first revel in the glory of a truly epic victory over the Jets. Rex Ryan must be sweating as his seat grows ever hotter. Perhaps even more epic than the victory itself was the event put on by Dolfans NYC – Michelle and Igor, Curtis, and all those involved with the tailgate committee – a big thank you from all who were there. Phin Nation took note, from the publicity we saw heading into the game, to the increase in membership on the Facebook page. Let’s not forget that Mr. Stephen Ross, Mike Dee, Nat Moore, Fergie and a host of Dolphin cheerleaders turned up at the tailgate as well, proving once again that the Dolphin fan base and the organization are the best in the league. Just so sweet to top it off with such a one-sided victory.

Right – this Sunday, the Dolphins head to Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts. Like the Dolphins, many pundits did not expect much from a team that finished in last place with their talisman QB. Seemingly landing the most coveted QB in college football would not be enough to get them back on track, but just like the Dolphins, the Colts currently hold a 4-3 record. Luck has been as good as advertised, throwing 280 yards a game. To give you a comparison here, his rookie year should and will turn out much better than his predecessor. Reggie Wayne has been the go-to guy throughout Luck’s season, catching 108 yards a game – a league best. Their defense is a capable unit: in the Colts, we have a perfect example as to why having decent QB play is so crucial for the success of a team. It isn’t just that Peyton Manning was so good, though that has a large part to do with it, it is more that Curtis Painter was so bad, the Colts were never really as bad as they appeared to be last year and, in many respects, I think that people underestimated how good many of the players on that roster still were. Enter Andrew Luck, and we have a revitalized Colts team ready to compete for a playoff spot.

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Upset for Upstart Cardinals?

Saturday, September 29th, 2012
Dolphins Vs. CardinalsThis Sunday, Miami travels to Phoenix to take on the upstart Cardinals, who currently are one of only three teams undefeated this season. An impressive record for a team that was floundering horribly in preseason and are unsettled at quarterback, but for all that, this team has an undeniably strong defense and Larry Fitzgerald is always going to make the job of whoever is under center that much easier.
The Dolphins, however, boast a team with arguably an equally impressive defense, especially when it comes to stopping the run – an area where the Cards have been struggling. But if the Phins want to win this one they are going to have to get more pressure on the QB, Wake is yet to even record a sack. Kolb or Skelton will need to throw to move the chains against us, so look for whoever they have starting this week to air it out. Sean Smith has been good this season so far, but he will have his hands full with Fitzgerald. Marshall has struggled and could prove to be the difference in what I foresee as a very closely contested game, defense-dominated and low-scoring.
The Cards’ pass rush has been brutal – just ask Michael Vick – they will be bringing the heat on Ryan Tannehill. Thus, a much more disciplined offensive line needs to show up for this game. Tannehill has only been sacked four times so far this season, but much of the credit should go to him and his quick feet. His ability to evade the pressure coming down on him and to buy his receivers more time has been excellent, sadly, his receivers’ ability to make use of that time, not so much. Bess is as reliable as ever and is a great Number 3 guy. Hartline is decent, but following a great outing against the Raiders, was unable to play as well against a better Jets secondary. He was targeted nine times and came away with one reception, albeit a huge one that almost kept us within striking distance of a victory. He makes a nice Number 2 guy. The game was marred by horrible drops once again, and Tannehill lacks a solid Number 1 receiver. The depleted wide out core will be contending with a solid secondary, which includes the very talented Patrick Peterson. Hartline will likely be removed from the game for most of the night with this match up. Don’t expect Fasano to get open much as I anticipate him being required to try and stave off a mean pass rush for much of this game.
Should we get Bush back this would provide a much needed boost for the team, Reggie has been nothing short of brilliant and would have probably won us the game last week were he not injured. I still cannot believe that the NFL did not make more of the “Hot Sauce” comment from Bart Scott. Either way, Reggie will return in the near future and in the meantime Lamar Miller looks to be a more than capable back up in a similar style to Bush, averaging 5.9 yards a carry. Thomas will continue to feature as the bruising inside runner and capable pass protection, but serious questions about his ability to hold on to the ball are being asked as he has now lost 2 fumbles in just 22 carries.
It could be a chance for Dan Carpenter to exorcise his demons from last week. This will be a tough battle, and I believe that, once again, it will be a game decided by 3 points or less.

We Want Bush!

Friday, September 21st, 2012

With our legitimate reporter Alex moving to California I recently reached out to Dolfans NYC member Ross Barnes who often posts mini opinion pieces on our Facebook group to see if he wanted to start writing for DolfansNYC.com. He was excited for the opportunity so enjoy the first article by Dolfans NYC’s own British ex-patriot Ross Barnes. 

Reggie BushTo echo the sentiments that followed Reggie Bush’s exploits in last Sunday’s game, I want Bush! As I look down the Dolphins schedule I can see many winnable games, and for a team that many pundits had written off at the start of the season (I myself was/am reticent to get too excited just yet) there is a lot of promise on the horizon for this team. However, I do not believe that promise will translate into success without the continued play of Reggie Bush as he is currently performing. The Dolphins in 2012 are a far outside bet right now, but don’t write them off just yet. This team is a dark horse in the race and, if nothing else, we could play spoiler to a few other teams. The worst thing an opponent could do right now is underestimate what this unit is capable of, and to some extent the pressure will be on them, not us. But Bush will be key to our success.

In Week 1, Tannehill made some costly mistakes. He turned the ball over three times, twice of which came off of tipped balls at the line of scrimmage where Houston’s big defensive linemen were able to read and anticipate Tannehill’s throws as he stared down his receivers. In Week 2, Tannehill did not make these same mistakes. Sure, the Oakland Raiders are not on the same level as opponents like the Texans, but this is the kind of progression that is encouraging to see nonetheless – now we look to consistency. Tannehill was able to score on a run, this is something that we need to see more of him doing. One of the key factors of his game that did draw praise was his athleticism, his ability to get out of the pocket, extend the play and to bust open huge gains scrambling.
It is also important to note how many touches Reggie Bush got against the Raiders – in fact, the entire running game for that matter was more involved and, in doing so, Tannehill was not asked to do too much. Bush saw 14 carries against the Texans; the number almost doubled last week as he was handed the ball 26 times. Lamar Millar got 10 carries and, between he and Bush, they tore chunks out of the Raiders as they combined for 237 yards rushing.
Reggie Bush drew some attention during the offseason when he set himself the goal to be the NFL’s rushing leader, a goal that many people didn’t take seriously. Well, they may want to start taking him seriously now. After Week 2 Bush had amassed 241 rushing yards and currently sits at second on the Rushing Leader Board. The man in front of him is C.J. Spiller (292 yards), who just so happened to have ripped 169 yards off his total when playing against the Jets in Week 1.
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