Matchup Miami MUST Expose Against San Diego; other notes

These next five weeks are, put simply, everything for the Miami Dolphins.

Quite honestly, if this team wants to start talking playoffs in December, then they have to treat November like it's January. Every single game from here on out will be critical for this team.

The fates of Ryan Tannehill and Joe Philbin will be linked to the next four games.

The fate of Dennis Hickey could also be determined by the next four games as well.

San Diego, Detroit, Buffalo, and Denver.

Somehow, someway, the Miami Dolphins need to exit that gauntlet with NO LESS than two wins. This team has to find a way to squeak out two wins in the next four weeks. I don't care where you do it, I don't care how you do it, but if they do not enter December with the BEAR minimum of six wins then this season, well, she's over.

We'll worry about the other three another time. For now, however, all of the focus is on San Diego.

The Chargers come in at 5-3, and losers of two in a row. It must be noted, though, that they last lost to the Broncos last Thursday night, which means they'll have ten days to prepare for Sunday's game.

In looking at the month of November, this game may be the most winnable game out of the four. Yes, I know, Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates. I get it. But I don't worry about those two because I believe with the way the Miami defense is playing they should be able to somewhat contain them.

I see this game as possibly the most winnable game because of one simple fact... Miami is just the better team in the trenches.

The Dolphins have the better defensive line, and, most importantly, the better pass rush.

Think about it. What teams routinely give the Dolphins trouble? Ones with a GREAT pass rush.

Buffalo has one. Detroit has one. Denver, believe it or not, has one. Those teams are bad match ups for Miami, as you've seen the past THREE games with the Bills.

But San Diego? There pass rush is nothing special. Remember last season? Did that front four give the Dolphins problems?

I have news for you, not much has changed this year. Through eight weeks the Chargers rank 18th in total sacks with 15. Comparably, the Bills are first with 28, followed by Jacksonville (remember them?) with 27.

Denver ranks six with 24 sacks. Who are they tied with? Oh yeah next weeks opponent, the Detroit Lions.

The Dolphins come in ranked ninth with 21 sacks on the year.

This is where Sunday's game will be won or lost, folks. This is where, I believe, the Miami Dolphins MUST assert their dominance and get their biggest win of the season.

Because, as scary as San Diego is, as you just saw, they're not on the same playing field as the next three opponents when it comes to trench play.

That's a problem.

But a problem for another time.


INJURY NEWS

The Dolphins returned to the practice field today ahead of Sunday's game. Well, most of them did.

LG Daryn Colledge was absent with a sinus infection. This coming off the heels of his migraine issue that caused him to miss most of the Jacksonville game. His status for Sunday is up in the air, but I'd be shocked if he doesn't play.

TE Dion Sims also didn't practice. He has a toe injury and was seen walking around in a boot. His status is also up in the air.

Charles Clay (knee), Nate Garner (neck), Chris McCain (foot), Koa Misi (ankle), Mike Pouncey (hip), Jimmy Wilson (hamstring) all practiced, but were limited. Wilson is expected to return to the lineup this weekend after missing the past two games.

John Denney (knee) and Cortland Finnegan (neck) practiced in full.

Dolphins beat Jags 27-13, but concern looms all around

First, the good.

The Dolphins beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. They improved to 4-3. They kept pace in the division and wild card race.

They needed a win today, and they got the job done. With a daunting November  looming, this was a must win. 

Now, to the bad. And there was an awful lot of bad out there.

The offense was pathetic in the first half. It was a Buffalo-like performance.

Ryan Tannehill was sacked twice. You were seeing shades of the 2013 line for the first two quarters.

The running game was non existent. Receivers, mainly Brian Hartline, were dropping critical passes. 

It was terrible.

The defense was also shaky in the first half. Denard Robinson gashed an over aggressive Miami defense. He tallied nearly 100 yards in the first half.

The defense also could not get off the field. Too many third down conversions. Too many penalties.

It was a putrid performance for the first 30 minutes. A Louis Delmas pick six was the only difference.

The offense finally woke up in the second half, as Tannehill capped off a 95 yard drive with a two yard TD pass to Rishard Matthews. The drive came after a Grimes pick six, and featured a 50 yard third down conversion to Mike Wallace, who made a fantastic catch near the sidelines.

A few drives later Tannehill had Matthews open again for another touchdown, but the ball was tipped and intercepted in the endzone. Tips were a nagging problem again today for Tannehill.

This was a must win for Miami with San Diego, Detroit, Buffalo, and Denver all looming.

However, every facet of this team must improve, and they need to do it quickly, because you're not beating those teams with another performance like today.

Dolphins lead Jags 24-6 after third quarter

Finally, Miami has taken firm control of this game.

Brent Grimes returned a Bortles interception for a touchdown early in the third quarter to make it 17-3 Miami.

Following a Scobee field goal, Ryan Tannehill hit Mike Wallace for a 50 yard catch on third down from inside his own 10 yard line.

The catch would set up a long Miller run, followed by a touchdown pass to Rishard Matthews.

To the fourth.

Dolphins lead Jags 10-3 at half

Jacksonville has 219 total yards. Miami has 56.

Jacksonville has 118 yards rushing. Miami has 26.

Jacksonville has had the ball for a staggering 21:26. Miami has had it for 8:34.

The Dolphins lead 10-3.

Mercy.

Louis Delmas had an 81 yard interception return did a TD.

Jelani Jenkins drives a Blake Bortles fumble.

Randy Starks blocked a Josh Scobee field goal.

And those are the ONLY reasons Miami is winning this game.

The offense has been stagnant when on the field. Ryan Tannehill has been sacked twice. Brian Hartline has dropped two passes, one on third down. The Jags defensive line has manhandled Miami, batting down THREE passes.

Defensively, it's been bend but don't break. The line has gotten to Bortles, but they cannot stop Denard Robinson. He has over 100 yards already.

This has been awful. However, Miami gets the ball to begin the second half.

Again, somehow up by a touchdown.

Fins, Jags scoreless after first quarter

This game had a Buffali type feel to it.

Ryan Tannehill has been sacked twice. The offense hasn't got a first down. 

The defense has been on their heels all day long as they can't stop the run, and the over aggressiveness has been killing them

A Miami blocked FG is the only reason it's still scoreless, but the Jags are on the move.

To the second. 

Misi OUT, Jordan ACTIVE as Dolphins, Jags Near Kickoff; full inactive list

Bit of a surprise here, as Koa Misi will NOT play today due to a lingering ankle injury. Jason Trusnik will start in his place as he did for the first five games Misi missed.

This is a pretty huge loss for Miami, and one that could potentially shake up the complexity of this game. Misi is Miami's best linebacker, and he's been playing well since returning a few weeks ago. This is something I'd monitor today.

As for the rest of the inactives for Miami:

CB Jimmy Wilson, MLB Koa Misi, RG Shelly Smith, OT Jason Fox, DT Anthony Johnson, G Billy Turner, and TE Harold Hoskins.

As you can see, second year DE Dion Jordan is active today. Expect him to be a big contributor n special teams. As for defensive, I'd be surprised to see him get much action, but we'll see.

WR Brandon Gibson is also active today after being a healthy scratch last week.

Here are Jacksonville's inactives:

CB Alan Ball, G Tyler Shatley, DE Andre Branch, CB Mike Brown, CB Payton Thompson, RB Storm Johnson, OL Sam Young.

The Dolphins are in all white. Jacksonville will be in some sort of black on black/white combination I'd assume.

Kickoff is 80 minutes away.

See you after the first quarter.

Game Day: Five Keys to a Victory PLUS Prediction

Welcome to week eight in the NFL, as the Dolphins and Jaguars are just under three hours away from kickoff from Everbank Stadium.

This is a huge game today for the Dolphins. As I wrote earlier this week, this is NOT a trap game, but a STATEMENT game for them.

A statement game for Ryan Tannehill. A statement game for Joe Philbin. A statement game for this defense. This team, as I wrote, should destroy the Jaguars today.

How do they do it?


1. Hey Rookie: Blake Bortles leads the NFL with 10 INT's this season. That's a huge number, folks. Time to get after the rookie quarterback all day long. Between Cam Wake, Olivier Vernon, and the Miami secondary, Bortles should be in for a long, long day. Take advantage of him, take advantage of the league's worst offensive line, and make nightmare day for the third overall pick.

2. Keep it comin', Bill: I was very, very critical of OC Bill Lazor earlier this season. I didn't like the game he was calling. I didn't like how he was using Ryan Tannehill. To me, he was a huge disappointment. Until the Oakland game. Since then, it appears Bill has finally figured this team, and this quarterback out. Today, I need to see consistency from him in the play calling department. Keep running Tannehill, keep throwing from the play action, and keep mixing it up.

3. Good Ryan: Each week, by halftime, I can usually tell you which Ryan Tannehill showed up for the day. For the past 10 quarters, it's been the good Ryan Tannehill. In fact, last week, it was probably the best Ryan Tannehill I've ever seen. Today I need to see CONSISTENCY. Today is not the time for regression. Today is not the day to take a step back. Stay accurate, stay smart, stay quick, and stay hot. It's a huge day for Ryan Tannehill.

4. Keep the blankies involved: As I've said before, there are three players on this team who Ryan Tannehill relies on when in doubt: Brian Hartline, Charles Clay, and Jarvis Landry. I don't include Mike Wallace here because he's on a different level than these three. He's the big play guy. These guys are the grinders, the heavy lifters, the guys who, I believe, make Tannehill a better player. Last week Tannehill and Clay finally got it going. This needs to continue today.

5. Be Specialer on Special Teams: Caleb Sturgis had a rough day last week. The kick coverage, punt coverage, and punt return units have had dreadful outings all year long. This needs to improve today, because special teams may very well be the only way Miami loses this football game. The offense is lightyears better. The defense is lightyears better. If special teams doesn't get it together, it could be a long day for the Dolphins.


PREDICTION

Say it with me... This is not a trap! Again... This is not a trap! One more time... This. is. not. a. trap.

This is a STATEMENT game today for the Miami Dolphins. A win simply doesn't suffice. This team needs to dominate all day long, in every aspect, in every quarter of this game. Anything less, as Brandon Marshall would say, is unacceptable.

I know I'm a jinx this season, but I think they do it today. Gulp.

Final: Dolphins 34 Jaguars 20


Alright, pre game news and notes, including the inactives, coming up next.

Then kickoff at 1:05.

THEN the live blog after the first quarter.

See you then.

Week Eight in the NFL: Picks and predictions

Last week's record: 9-5

Overall record: 64-35


Lions @ Falcons: I won’t be up at 9:30 Sunday morning, and if I am, then I’m simply doing college all wrong.

Pick: Lions 28 Falcons 23

Rams @ Chiefs: Austin Davis isn’t a terrible QB after all I guess. Still though… AUSTIN DAVIS.  I don’t care what Brett Favre says, I’m just not buying it. I can’t. I won’t.

Pick: Chiefs 23 Rams 17

Texans @ Titans: Zach Mettenberger is starting for Tennessee. What a weird team.

Pick: Texans 17 Titans 16

Vikings @ Buccaneers: Two teams, who are a combined 3-10 this season, led by a rookie and second year QB, are playing in Tampa Bay on Sunday. Riveting stuff. #BlameRoger

Pick: Buccaneers 21 Vikings 13

Seahawks @ Panthers: I’m going to root so hard for the 6-9-1 Panthers in the playoffs. Seriously, how awesome is that going to be? Love a good underdog story.

Pick: Seahawks 27 Panthers 17

Ravens @ Bengals: Not only are the Bengals going to win this game, but Andy Dalton is going to throw three touchdown passes….all to himself. Need one, got one. Upset City, population: Ginger World.

Pick: Bengals 21 Ravens 19

Bears @ Patriots: The Bears aren’t playing at home, so they have that going for them here. Um, yeah, that’s about it. But hey, it’s closer than people think.

Pick: Patriots 26 Bears 23

Bills @ Jets: Remember when these two played last year and there were like a billion combined penalties by the end of the game? This one has U-G-L-Y written all over it, just saying. As far as Percy goes, really, who cares? He’s a ticking time bomb. Isn’t it migraine season?

Pick: Jets 23 Bills 20

Eagles @ Cardinals: The Cardinals do not lose at home. Say it with me. The Cardinals do not lose at home. One more time, all together now: The Cardinals do not lose at home.

Pick: Cardinals 30 Eagles 27

Raiders @ Browns: Brian Hoyer, that was fantastic last week. Really, that was impressive. Throwing 24 incompletions against a bottom feeder defense is no small feat! Hat’s off to you, big guy.

Pick: Browns 20 Raiders 16

Colts @ Steelers: Antonio Browns and T.Y. Hilton have 97 combined catches for 1,430 yards, and six touchdowns this season. It’s week eight. While I try to re-insert my eyeballs, I’ll go ahead and pick the beard OVER the biker.

Pick: Colts 27 Steelers 24

Packers @ Saints: Two things: Number one, the line for this game is even right now, that shows the power of the Superdome. Number two, the over/under for this game is 56.5. Have you seen the New Orleans defense? Bet the over. And bet it confidently.

Pick: Packers 38 Saints 30

Redskins @ Cowboys: Alert: Colt McCoy still plays football. I repeat, Colt McCoy still plays football. Remember that one time earlier this season when everybody, including myself, anointed Kirk Cousins the next Joe Montana? That was funny. And humbling. And pretty embarrassing. I hate myself.

Pick: Cowboys 33 Redskins 14 


Game day morning kicks things off tomorrow, as I'll have all your Dolphins coverage leading you up to the actual kickoff at 1:05.

THEN, after that, come back and check out the live blog throughout the game.

16 hours.

Trap Game? Dolfans Have It All Wrong

I get it.

I understand better than anyone.

You've been burned too many times, Dolfans. Burned so frequently, so badly, so harshly, that the scars run from head to toe. They cover us. Engulf us. For years, they've defined us.

As a whole, we're a beaten and battered fan base. We're a product of a mediocre, inconsistent, mind numbingly frustrating organization. One that better resembles a teaser trailer than an actual movie.

So I understand the anxiety you've been feeling all week over this game. That pit in your stomach that just won't go away?

Yeah, I have it too.

But this is not a trap game. Yes, this is a game the Miami Dolphins should win. Yes, they're coming off a dominant road win. Yes, the entire world is picking them to win this game.

But no, this is not a trap game.

This is a measuring stick game; and an enormous one at that.

This is a game where the Dolphins show they belong in the playoff race. This is a game where Miami shows the world that they're just getting started. This is the game where Ryan Tannehill continues his elite level of play, instead of stumble backwards like he's done so many times before.

On Sunday, Miami shouldn't just beat the one win Jacksonville Jaguars. They should absolutely, undeniably, irrefutably, destroy them.

To steal a quote from Remember the Titans, at the end of this one, the Miami Dolphins should leave no doubt.

This is not a trap game. Trap games are for the NFL's elite- The Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboy's of the world. Miami is 3-3 right now, they're not even on the same playing field as those teams.

This is a statement game.

A statement game for Ryan Tannehill. A statement game for Joe Philbin and Bill Lazor. A statement game for that fourth ranked defense.

By Sunday night, you should know whether the Miami Dolphins are contenders or not. Not next week against San Diego, and not the week after in Detroit, but on Sunday night.

Because contenders pummel teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars. Contenders dominate inferior opponents from the word go. Contenders don't play down to their opponents level, something Joe Philbin's Dolphins have done with great ease over the past two seasons.

Remember Cincinnati last season? That emotional, season saving, back and forth overtime win last Halloween? That victory got the Dolphins back to .500, much like last weeks win did.

Remember the following week? Remember the Monday night debacle against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where the Dolphins managed just TWO rushing yards?

That was a statement game too, and the message Miami sent was loud and clear: Pretender. Fraud. Not ready.

This game on Sunday has that same feel to it. The world has taken notice, Ryan Tannehill is playing well, and the Dolphins appear ready to take that elusive next step that has been so close, yet so far, for so many seasons now.

Right now, the Miami Dolphins have two options:

Either step up and finally take it.

Or, once again, trip and stumble, leaving an already bandaged fan base with yet another ugly scar.

Tannehill, Dolphins, Must Build, Not Dwell, On Latest Performance

He was, in every sense of the word, spectacular.

The decisions were flawless. The throws were as cool and crisp as the fall Chicago air. The chemistry with not one, not two, but eight different receivers was spot on.

On Sunday, for the 10th time in 12 quarters, Ryan Tannehill was a franchise quarterback. He ran like Duper. He threw like Marino. He led like Shula. For the first time in his three year career, Ryan Tannehill was, without a doubt, the best player on a football field for an entire 60 minutes.

But it's over now. Done with. Kaput. Nothing but a pleasant memory. As Joe Philbin told the team in the locker room following the game, it's now on to Jacksonville.

Because for Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins, there is no time to dwell on this victory. If history shows us anything, it's that.

They beat New England. They lost to Buffalo and Kansas City.

They beat the Raiders. They lost to Green Bay.

Last season, they beat the Jets, the Steelers, and the Patriots. They were one measly win away from a January date with the Bengals.

They got shut out in Buffalo. Then they were pummeled by the Jets.

History shows us that Ryan Tannehill, and, in effect, the Miami Dolphins are about as inconsistent as they come. This team, and their quarterback, are the quintessential Jekyll and Hydes of the NFL. One week they'll look ready for February football. The next they'll look like a team gearing up for April's (May?) draft.

Sitting at 3-3, with four of the next six games on the road, there is simply no time to bask in yesterday's glory, no matter how sweet it was. Because the reality is this: A loss on Sunday, scratch that, anything but a convincing win on Sunday, and yesterday's win is nothing more than exactly what Joe Philbin, Ryan Tannehill, and the Miami Dolphins have been over the past two seasons:

A tease. A mirage. The Lucy's to our Charlie Brown's.

But it doesn't stop against Jacksonville. In fact, it's only just the beginning. Miami is supposed to beat the Jaguars. It really shouldn't even be close.

The real test starts the next week, with San Diego. And then the next week after that, with Detroit. And then the week after that with Buffalo. And then the week after that with Denver.

That's when the wins start meaning something. That's when playoff talk becomes something more than an eye rolling conversation starter.

Beat three of those four teams, and then Ryan Tannehill gets the franchise label. Enter December with seven wins, and then the Jim Harbaugh talk goes away for good.

Because we've seen this movie before, at least I have, and as good as it is at times, the ending is always, and I mean always, a heartbreaker.

The season is still young, as Mike Wallace said yesterday, there's still a lot of football left to be played, and the signs are promising, don't get me wrong.

Ryan Tannehill has played some of the best football of his career over the past three weeks. Starting with Oakland, Tannehill has completed 72 percent of his passes (68 for 94) for 799 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. In that time span he's accrued an excellent 105.7 passer rating.

It's not just Tannehill. Charles Clay seems to be coming back to his old form. Jarvis Landry has emerged as a top playmaker on both offense and special teams. Mike Wallace seems to finally be comfortable and happy. The defense is ranked fourth in the entire league.

But if this team, and their quarterback, do not use this win as a building block for something much, much greater, than I fear yesterday's fine performance will be just that- a fine performance on one Sunday in October.

Because we've seen this before. You know who these guys are, and you're kidding yourself it you think otherwise. They're the model of inconsistency, and have been for over two seasons now.

Yesterday's win must be the start of something new, something more. It has to change the narrative. The script absolutely must be rewritten.

There is no time to dwell. Not at 3-3. Not in a jam packed conference like the AFC.

With ten weeks remaining, the real season starts now.

Dolphins Get Back to .500 with 27-14 win

The score may not exactly dictate it, but the Miami Dolphins dominated this football game.

They out gained the Bears 393-224.

They nearly doubled Chicago's time of possession.

They forced three turnovers. Chicago forced zero.

From the word go this game belonged to the Dolphins. Even more importantly, it belonged to Ryan Tannehill.

The third year QB had a career game, completing 25 of 32 passes for 277 yards and two scores. He also ran 6 times for 46 yards, including a 30 yard run on 4th down.

His 123.6 quarterback rating was a career best. He was accurate on every throw, involved everybody, and made smart, quick decisions every drop back.

It wasn't just him, though. Charles Clay had a breakout game. Mike Wallace caught another touchdown. Brian Hartline was the Brian Hartline of old. Jarvis Landry continued to produce.

This was the offense I expected this season. Creative play calls. Playmakers making plays. Read options in key situations. Bill Lazor featured all of it today.

Defensively, it was dominant. Brandon Marshall had 6 catches for 48 yards. Alshon Jeffery was held to only two catches. Martellus Bennett was held in check.

The front seven, led by Cam Wake, pressured Cutler all day long. He was sacked 3 times, including a Wake strip sack that he also recovered.

Reshad Jones had an interception. Cortland Finnegan had his best day as a Dolphin. Brent Grimes was, well, Brent Grimes.

Even the linebackers, led by Koa Misi, were effective today. That's something rarely said nowadays.

Huge win for this team, no doubt about it. Especially coming off last week's heartbreaker. I wouldn't have been surprised if they rolled over, but give credit to Joe Philbin and these players, folks. This was a gut check win.

Miami is now 3-3 with a trip to Jacksonville on deck. 

Dolphins lead Bears 21-7 after third quarter

Quick quarter? Why? 

Both teams had 80+ yard drives, and both ended with touchdowns.

Matt Forte scored on a 10 yard pass from cutler. He was wide open.

Then, Miami took it 83 yards on 13 plays, ending in a Lamar Miller 2 yard TD run.

Both teams also converted 4th downs on their drives. For Miami, Ryan Tannehill took a read option 25 yards on 4th and 1 to set up Miller's score.

Final quarter coming up.

Dolphins lead Bears 14-0 at halftime

Good Ryan Tannehill.

That's the person Miami had gotten, so far, today. 

14-15, 176 yards, two TD's.

He's completed passes to every receiver, and running back. He's run well, too. He's made good decisions, accurate throws, and commanded the Miami offense, which has out gained the Bears 209-54.

The defense has been equally dominant. Reshad Jones has an interception. Derrick Shelby has been in the backfield all afternoon. And, most importantly, defenders are making GOOD tackles.

Now to the bad.

Tannehill has been sacked four times. All at the expense of Jay Ratliff. Some on Tannehill, but most on the offensive line.

This needs to be improved next half.

Caleb Sturgis also missed a 50 yard FG wide right. Let's hope that doesn't prove costly.

The Miami running game has also been nonexistent. They'll need to find it soon.

To the third.

Dolphins lead Bears 7-0 after first

Well, that was about as good of a first quarter as Miami could have hoped for.

Ryan Tannehill marched the Dolphins down the field on the second drive of the game, connecting with Charles Clay three times, including a 13 yard TD. It was Clay's first of the year.

The following Chicago drive ended with a Derrick Shelby sack.

Miami now has the ball and is on the move again.

Ryan Tannehill is on today. He's yet to throw an incompletion.

Can he keep it up?

To the second.

Gibson, Wilson Inactive for Dolphins; full list HERE

50 degrees and cloudy from Chicago today, as the Dolphins and Bears are a little over an hour away from kickoff at chilly Soldier Field.

Here are the inactives for Miami:

10 Brandon Gibson
27 Jimmy Wilson
66 Shelley Smith
74 Jason Fox
76 Anthony Johnson
77 Billy Turner
89 Harold Hoskins

And for Chicago:
LB Bostic
LB Briggs
DE Scott
S Dixon
S Conte(shoulder)
CB Mitchell
OT Leno, Jr.


I'm a little surprised that Brandon Gibson isn't active. However, after Jarvis Landry's game last week I'm not shocked that Philbin wants him starting again.

Everyone else on the list was expected. Expect Jamar Taylor and Will Davis to fill in for Jimmy Wilson.

The Dolphins are in all white, while the Bears are in the dark blue tops and white pants.

Kickoff is at 1:05. The live blog begins roughly 30 minutes later.

See you there.

Gameday: Five Keys to a Dolphins Win PLUS Prediction

Fall is finally in the air here in week seven, as the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears are three hours away from kickoff in chilly Soldier Field.

Miami is 2-3, and coming off a heartbreaking loss last week that put Joe Philbin, Ryan Tannehill, and others under a huge microscope today. Can they respond? Can they make the RIGHT calls at the RIGHT time? Can they keep pace in the AFC East?

A lot of questions, a lot on the line today.

Here's how to win:

1. Change the narrative: I wrote about it yesterday, I've harped on it all year long. NO MORE SLOW STARTS. Get out of the gate fast, and don't fall behind. The defense needs a chance to pin their ears back early on with a lead, and if the offense doesn't change the narrative from the first five games it's going to be another long day.

2. Turning over a new leaf: Two, count em', two turnovers in the first half last week for your Miami Dolphins. That just doesn't work in this league, and it's really not going to work on the road against a potent offense. Limit them today. Create them today.

3. Spread the wealth: Again, I talked about this yesterday... When is Ryan Tannehill at his best? When he's throwing to Brian Hartline every other play, when he's finding Charles Clay, and when he's hitting Jarvis Landry over the middle. Yes, Mike Wallace is your playmaker, he's the guy everyone wants to see, but he's going to be covered closely today, folks. Time for this offense to expand, it'll do wonders for Tannehill.

4. David vs Goliath: Have you seen Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery? Have you seen Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan? Yeah, there's a bit of a size difference there. How does Miami counter this? Get to Jay Cutler, and get to him a lot. I wrote about this earlier this week, I believe the front seven has a chance to have a huge day against a below average defensive line, and if they are to win they're going to have to. Giving Jay Cutler and those monsters time to connect is a death sentence.

5. Pray: I don't have any smart, quick fixes here, so bear with me. Two guys really, really concern me today: Matt Forte, and Martellus Bennett. I don't know who, or how, Miami plans on covering these two, and I fear it could be a huge problem. The Dolphins struggle with covering TE's. They have for years now. Bennett is a monster of a player, and, somehow, between Koa Misi, Philip Wheeler, Jelani Jenkins, and others, this defense is going to have to find a way to stop him.

Forte is an equal, if not more concerning, problem. This defense struggles with fast, playmaking running backs. Especially ones that catch the ball all the time out of the back field. Forte fits both these categories, folks. My one suggestion... Pray.


PREDICTION

These teams are the jekyll and hyde's of their respective conferences. You just don't know what team you're going to get. However, I'm burned. I'm burned so badly after last weeks fiasco, and I don't think I can trust this team yet. I need to see some consistency first.

And, unfortunately, I don't see them finding it on the road, in hostile territory, against an offense like Chicago's.

But hey, I'm 1-4 this season in picking games. So this is probably the best thing for all of us.

Final: Bears 27 Dolphins 23


Alright, you know how it works. Come back before kickoff for the inactive list and any last minute news. THEN, make sure to come back during the game for the quarter by quarter blog, beginning after the first quarter.

2.5 hours.

Week 7 in the NFL: Picks and predictions

Last week's record: 7-7

Overall record: 55-30

Falcons @ Ravens: Battle of the birds!! Hey Joe… Uh, where’d that come from? Keep it up, champ.

Pick: Ravens 30 Falcons 20

Titans @ Redskins: I’m not sure there’s a game on the entire 2014 schedule that I could care less about.

Pick: Redskins 20 Titans 17

Seahawks @ Rams: Remember on Monday when you watched the first quarter of the Rams game and said, “hey, Austin Davis is kinda good!” and then three quarters later you said something like, “lol, jk, no he’s not.” Well, expect more of the same this week, except probably not the first part.

Pick: Seahawks 27 Rams 10

Browns @ Jaguars: So this is where we’re at in the world right now? The Browns are relatively relevant? Fine. I guess I’ll succumb. Still… #BringBackChad

Pick: Browns 24 Jaguars 21

Bengals @ Colts: Andy Dalton has six touchdowns this season. Six. Andrew Luck has 17. I’m going to let you guys connect these dots.

Pick: Colts 28 Bengals 27

Vikings @ Bills: Hear that? It’s the sound of the Teddy Ballgame bandwagon coming to a screeching halt. I still like the kid, but it could get worse before it gets better, starting with Buffalo.

Pick: Bills 21 Vikings 12

Saints @ Lions: The Saints are 0-3 on the road and feature a defense that resembles a fine piece of swiss cheese. Really, who do you think I’m picking here?

Pick: Lions 30 Saints 27

Panthers @ Packers: The very thought of Aaron Rodgers makes me want to curl up in the fetal  position and cry. After Sunday, there is no doubt in my mind that he’s the best quarterback in this league.

Pick: Packers 28 Panthers 17

Chiefs @ Chargers: Philip Rivers has more touchdowns (15) than Alex Smith, Knile Davis, and Travis Kelce- Kansas City’s leading scorers- combined. Ride on, Cowboy. Ride on.

Pick: Chargers 30 Chiefs 23

Cardinals @ Raiders: Hey David Carr, you’re playing for one of the greatest coaches of ALL TIME now. Get it together. No more throwing into triple coverage when you’re already in field goal range and are only down by three. Probably a good rule of thumb to live the rest of your life by.

Pick: Cardinals 24 Raiders 17

Giants @ Cowboys: So the Cowboys are coming off their biggest win in years, while the Giants are coming off a demoralizing shutout on national TV. Should be a no brainer, right? Wrong. Very, very wrong. I need one. I got one. Upset City, population: The worst home field in all of sports.

Pick: Giants 26 Cowboys 23

49ers @ Broncos: This is a delicious little game, isn’t it? Peyton going for the record, against a team who hates their coach even though he’s done nothing but win. If that doesn’t spell F-U-N then I don’t know what does. I’ll take Peyton to throw a couple wobbly touchdowns, break the record, and win in this one. But it’s oh. so. close.

Pick: Broncos 27 49ers 25

Texans @ Steelers: So, like, what happened to Pittsburgh? Antonio Brown has 1.6 billion receiving yards this year. Le’Veon Bell is averaging close to 100 yards per carry. The offense is ranked 6th and the defense is 12th. So why is this team so mediocre? To be honest with you, I have absolutely no idea. They’ve alternated wins and losses every week this season, and they lost last week, so I guess I’ll just assume they stick with that pattern on Monday.

Pick: Steelers 20 Texans 16

Come back in the morning for all your Miami Dolphins pre game coverage, including my prediction of the game (although I don't know why you would want to, seeing as I'm 1-4 this season). Then, after that, come back right before kickoff for any last minute news, including a full list of the inactives.

THEN, after that, make sure to follow the quarter by quarter blog of tomorrow's game, beginning after the first quarter.

16 hours.

A Troubling Trend That Miami Must End

Yes, the headline is a masterpiece. I know.

Anyway, as we've reached the 24 hour mark until tomorrow's pivotal week seven matchup, something has been weighing on my mind for, well, the entire season now. I've mentioned it nearly every week. I've harped on it. Preached it. Lost sleep over it. And it must end tomorrow.

The Miami Dolphins cannot produce a solid start to a football game.

And it's absolutely killing them.

Against New England it looked all too promising. Chris McCain blocked a punt. Tannehill and the offense capitalized with a TD. It seemed this team was off to the races. And then...

Fumble. interception. Fumble. Field Goal. Downs.

20-10 halftime deficit.

Things only got worse against Buffalo. Punt, blocked punt, punt, punt, punt, end of half.

9-0 (somehow) halftime deficit.

How about Kansas City in week three? Punt, punt, punt, missed FG, FG.

14-3 halftime deficit.

Things were all ham and eggs against Oakland, though. I thought they finally figured it out. FG, TD, TD, TD.

24-3 halftime lead.

But no, they didn't. Because last week you saw more of the same. FG, downs, INT, punt, INT, punt.

10-3 (again, somehow) halftime deficit.

In 28 first half drives, the Miami offense has scored four touchdowns. Three of those came in one game. In that same time they've kicked four field goals, fumbled twice, thrown three interceptions, and failed to convert on fourth down once.

28 first half possessions, and only EIGHT have ended in points. That's not going to work. That hasn't worked.

It needs to change starting tomorrow. Scratch that, especially starting tomorrow. You never want to start slow on the road, but you really, really don't want to do it at Soldier Field, against an offense like the Bears.

They got away with it against New England, and Buffalo, and Kansas City. Those offenses aren't exactly prolific, folks. But if this offense comes out of the gate slow once again tomorrow, I don't know if the defense, which has bailed them out time and time again, can hold down the fort against guys like Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, and Alshon Jeffery. I just don't see it happening.

My suggestion? Get your playmakers involved from the very first possession. I'm not talking about Mike Wallace, he's been plenty involved this season and will be covered closely by the Chicago secondary. No, I'm talking about guys like Brian Hartline, Charles Clay, and Jarvis Landry. Guys who, with the exception of Landry, have been near non factors this season.

Get the ball to Hartline on the outside. Find Charles Clay over the middle and let him make a play. Everybody wants the ball to go to Mike Wallace, and I understand that, but ask yourself this:

When is Ryan Tannehill at his best?

When he's throwing to Brian Hartline every other play, when he finds Charles Clay over the middle, and, most recently, when he finds Jarvis Landry, well, anywhere on the field.

This offense can ill afford another slow start tomorrow, and getting crucial playmakers involved early on could get this offense going before, like so many times this season, it's simply too little, too late.

Picks and predictions are on deck.

Matchup Miami MUST Exploit On Sunday; Final Injury Report

Big game on Sunday, as the Dolphins will look to get back to .500 for the third time this season in hostile territory.

Chicago is a good team.. at times. I like to think of them as the Dolphins of the NFC. They have talent all over the field, but you just don't know what you're going to get week in and week out, quarter to quarter. 

Put simply, they're inconsistent. Like Miami, they're textbook jekyll and hyde. 

However, they are consistent in one specific area:

Bad blocking. 

Their offensive line has struggled this season, giving up 14 sacks through six games. That's good for 10th worst in the NFL. By comparison, the Dolphins offensive line, which features a rookie right guard and injured left tackle, ranks 10th in the league with 10 sacks.

What does this mean? Well, the Dolphins have a Super Bowl ready defensive line. They've gotten to the QB 14 times this season, good for 8th best in the league. They're also coming off a stellar performance against Green Bay, in which they sacked Aaron Rodgers four times. 

This, to me, is where Miami MUST make plays on Sunday. 

Jay Cutler is no Aaron Rodgers, and it's no secret that, if you put some pressure on him, he'll usually make plays in your favor. If the Dolphins are to win, they'll have to be in the backfield early and often. 

Cam Wake has to have a big day. Olivier Vernon has to have a big day. Randy Starks has to have a big day. Jared Odrick has to have a big day.

The Bears offense is explosive, and if the Miami front seven allow Cutler time, and allows plays to develop, you better believe it's going to be a long day for the Miami defense.

Trench play will either win, or lose, this game for the Dolphins. Bank on it.

FINAL INJURY REPORT 

For the second straight week the Dolphins boast a relatively healthy injury report.

The only players in real jeopardy of missing the game are DB Jimmy Wilson, and C Samson Satele. Both have been dealing with hamstring issues all week, and while I believe Satele will play (he's listed as questionable), Wilson may be in trouble, as he's listed as doubtful for Sunday's game.

In his place expect Jamar Taylor and Will Davis to once again see plenty of playing time.

Other than that everybody is good to go. 

Picks and predictions comin' at ya tomorrow.

Two. Days.

From Coaches, to Players, Lack of Trust is Apparent

I first noticed it during the Buffalo game in week two, when Joe Philbin elected to run the clock out at the end of the first half with ample time, and three timeouts remaining.

I saw it, took note of it, and stored it for a later date. I hoped it was just me; that it was something I would laugh about at the end of the season. I wished, so badly, that it was nothing more than mere paranoia.

After Sunday's debacle of a fourth quarter, I've come to the grim realization that what I saw last month was just the beginning.

From the sidelines, to the field, a major rift is growing within these Miami Dolphins. One that, if not addressed, like, now, could send this franchise into a disastrous tailspin. One that Joe Philbin won't survive. One that Ryan Tannehill won't survive. And one that, fair or not, Dennis Hickey won't survive either.

Trust. It's a pivotal emotion that must be airtight in the National Football League. It has to exist in all facets of the game, from the coaches down to the players, in order for a team to be successful. The head coach has to trust his players, and, equally so, the players must trust their coaches.

Right now, as we near the midway point of the 2014 season, the Miami Dolphins resemble a broken ship, stranded at sea. The engines are failing, the crew is losing control, and the only thing keeping them from drifting back to irrelevance is an anchor that's holding on for dear life.

If that anchor fails, if it breaks away, then the ship is lost forever. The chances of recovery are sim to none at that point.

The anchor holding down this team is dangling. It's hanging on by a thread that's ripping more and more with each heartbreaking loss.

Right now, nobody trusts anybody. And it was never more apparent than on Sunday.

It started in the first quarter, when Joe Philbin elected to go for it on fourth down in a 7-3 game at the time. I didn't mind the call, in fact, I liked it. Touchdowns beat the Green Bay Packers, not field goals. In order to beat the best, you have to be aggressive, plain and simple.

What I didn't like, was the play call. Lining up from the shotgun, when you have one yard to go, and calling the same play you just called rarely works. But that's not my point here. Go back and watch the replay. Watch Mike Wallace's reaction in the background. Watch him throw his hands in the air, put his head down, and walk back to the sidelines.

Does that look like someone who trusts his coaches? Keep in mind, Wallace is a winner, he's played in, and won, a Super Bowl. He knows what trust is.

He doesn't have it.

Fast forward to the final forty seconds of the first half, when the Dolphins had the ball inside the Green Bay 45 yard line, facing a fourth and three.

Joe Philbin elected to punt the football. Cameras would then catch him and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle arguing on the sideline, presumably over his decision to not go for it. The problem here was simple:

Joe Philbin didn't trust Ryan Tannehill and his offense to get the first down, and, effectively, didn't trust his defense to keep Aaron Rodgers out of field goal range.

Kevin Coyle comes from a winning team in Cincinnati. Like Wallace, he knows how to win, he's been there before.

He knows what trust is, and he, maybe just for those few seconds, didn't have it.

Now to the final four minutes of the football game. The infamous final offensive drive that will, unfortunately, forever live in Dolphins lore.

Like earlier, I didn't mind the aggressive play call on first down. When you're going against a star you need to give a star effort. Bill Yoast, anyone?

However, when Joe Philbin, as he later admitted, overruled Bill Lazor and chose to run on third and nine, trust, once again, was lacking. Trust in Ryan Tannehill. Trust in the offensive line. Trust in everybody.

The ensuing Green Bay drive was the final nail in Miami's 2-3 coffin. And, like so many times before, trust was a rare commodity.

Joe Philbin called not one, but two timeouts on the final drive. The first came on a fourth and ten, when the Miami defense had Aaron Rodgers pinned in a corner. Instead of trusting his defense, which had just sacked Rodgers for the fourth time in the game, to regroup and make one final stop, Philbin called timeout.

The only problem here? While Philbin gave his guys a chance to regroup, he also gave Rodgers and the Green Bay offense a chance to as well.

18 yards. First down.

The second time out came a few plays later, with six ticks left on the clock. I don't mind this timeout, the idea behind it was solid: See their formation, call timeout, come out with a counter formation. Joe Philbin wasn't the first to do this, and he certainly will not be the last.

The only problem was, when Miami came back out, and lined up against the same Green Bay formation that they just saw, they were ill prepared for it, as evidence when Philip Wheeler, Miami's worst coverage linebacker, gave up an all too easy touchdown to seal the football game.

After the game, Wheeler questioned the call, and when you have arguably the weakest player on your defense questioning a call, you have a big problem.

Not all of this goes on Joe Philbin, and Kevin Coyle, and Bill Lazor. Not by a long shot.

If Ryan Tannehill hadn't resembled a JV quarterback in the first half, my guess is Philbin would have gone for it on fourth down in the first half, and thrown on third down in the second half.

That's not on Philbin. That's on Tannehill.

If Philip Wheeler was a better linebacker he would have been the hero, instead of the goat. He's not. Put as simply as possible, he's just not.

That's not on Coyle, that's on Wheeler.

However, there comes a point when coaches must realize what they have in a player, and be smart enough to know when, and where, to use him. When that doesn't happen, and when it hasn't happened for three seasons now, players stop trusting you.

And when players stop trusting their coaches, you lose the locker room. That's exactly what's happening right now in Miami.

The anchor is slipping away. The boat has begun to drift.

It's time for Joe Philbin, and his crew, to either fix it or be lost forever.

Aaron Rodgers beats Dolphins, 27-24

Put simply, Miami just got Aaron Rodgerd.

11 plays, 60 yards, four yard TD with 3 seconds left.

Packers 27 Dolphins 24.

Miami had their opportunities. 

They had the ball with four minutes left, and punted with about 2:30 left.

On third and nine they elected to run the ball.

Aaron Rodgers did the rest.

Ryan Tannehill had a superb second half, connecting on 2 TD passes, but that, combined with a heroic effort from the Miami defense, just simply wasn't enough for Aaron Rodgers.

The Dolphins now fall to 2-3 and travel to Chicago next week.

Packers lead Dolphins 17-10 after third quarter

Well, things have picked up.

The Dolphins drove the ball 80 yards on 5 plays to begin the second half, ending in a Tannehill to Landry TD.

But Rodgers and the Packers would respond with a 13 play, 8 minute drive ending in a Cobb TD.

The Dolphins are currently on the move.

To the 4th.

Packers lead Dolphins 10-3 at halftime

Missed opportunities. That's the story of this game so far.

Jarvis Landry returned a kickoff to the GB 45 yard line.

Miami kicked a FG.

Jonathan Freeny blocked a punt.

The offense failed to score on 4 straight plays from the two yard line.

The running game that was supposed to dominate?

Useless.

Ryan Tannehill, so far?

Awful. 2 interceptions. 84 yards. Bad.

The defense?

 Very, very solid. Besides the opening drive they've been pretty much in control.

Can Wake has a sack. Olivier Vernon does too. The GB running game has done nothing, and Aaron Rodgers has been under pressure all day.

The fact that this is only a 7 point game is ALL thanks to the defense.

One more big piece of news: LT Branden Albert left the game at the end of the half with what appears to be a shoulder/wrist/elbow problem. Ja'Wuan James is your new LT for now.

This is a problem.

Miami will get the ball to begin the second half.

Can they steal one?

Packers lead Dolphins 7-3 after first quarter

Aaron Rodgers took the opening drive the length of the field to the begin the game, connecting with Jordy Nelson for a TD.

Rodgers was 6-6 on the drive.

Following a long Jarvis Landry kick return, Caleb Sturgis connected on a 48 yard FG to make it 7-3.

The following Packers punt was blocked by Miami.. Only to have the offense go four and out inside the GB 2 yard line. 

They ran four straight plays from the shotgun.

The Packers have the ball at the Miami 15.

Pouncey to Right Guard as Dolphins, Packers Near Kickoff; the inactives

It's official, Mike Pouncey is starting at right guard today, the team announced a short while ago.

This means Samson Satele will remain at center. The Dolphins offensive line will look like this:

Albert, Colledge, Satele, Pouncey, James.

In other news, Reshad Jones will START in his first game of the season. Jelani Jenkins will start in place of Jason Trusnik with Koa miss returning. Jarvis Landry will start in place of the ailing Brandon Gibson, who is INACTIVE.

Speaking of the inactive list:

B. Gibson (Jarvis Landry starts),  D. Thomas, D. Coleman, S. Smith (Pouncey starts RG), J. Fox,  Turner, Hoskins.

The only name on there that surprises is Daniel Thomas, who played well two weeks ago against Oakland. But with Moreno playing, and Damien Williams active, it seems that Thomas is the odd man out.

Miami is, as always, in the all white.

Green Bay is in the green tops and yellow pants.

Kickoff is 70 minutes away.

The live blog will follow shortly thereafter!

GO FINS

Gameday: Five Keys to a Dolphins Win PLUS Prediction

Welcome to week six, and welcome to our first look at Dolphins football in TWO WEEKS.

Today, Miami's NFC North swing begins, with the Packers in town today followed by a trip to Chicago tomorrow. What does this mean?

Well, Miami MUST find a way to pull at least one of these games out if they're to keep pace in the AFC, and, while next weeks opponent may be a tad easier, what better time to start then TODAY?

How do they pull it off?

Glad you asked:


1. Ground, pound, repeat: I've talked about this all week long. RUN THE FOOTBALL. The stats are pretty cut and dry, Miami is the fifth ranked running team in the league, Green Bay is the 30th ranked run stopping team in the league. Run it early, run it often, and then hey, run it some more.

2. Rush four, no more: Between Cameron Wake, Randy Starks, Jared Odrick, and Olivier Vernon, this group needs to get after Aaron Rodgers today. This is even more pertinent today because, if you blitz Rodgers he will beat you, and he will beat you badly. The front four MUST get into the backfield today, because if they don't create pressure, it could be an air show in South Beach.

3. Contain, contain, contain: This one is almost like 2b, because when that front four rushes Aaron Rodgers today, they must keep one thing in mind: HE CAN RUN THE FOOTBALL. They MUST contain the edges, and not allow Rodgers to get outside the pocket. IF they can keep him in the pocket, they'll have a chance.

4. Welcome back, Mike: This offensive line has been solid all season long, and should only get better today when Mike Pouncey makes his triumphant return. They'll have their hands full, however, as the Packers have some players named Matthews and Peppers who I hear are pretty good? This line needs to be on their game today, for a full 60 minutes.

5. Sluggish or slugfest: I can see this game going one of two ways today. Either the Dolphins come out rusty and sluggish, like they have in three of their four games this season, or they'll be in a shootout from the word go. IF they're to win, the Miami Dolphins absolutely cannot afford another slow start. Lets hope this one looks more like the ladder.


PREDICTION

Call it stupid. Call it idiotic. Call it blinded by optimism. But I'm picking the Miami Dolphins to win this football game today. Yes, I know, "Aaron Rodgers." I get it, he's the best. BUT, as I've said all week, he's not the biggest story in this game...

The Miami running game is, and I think they can absolutely take advantage of a porous Green Bay defense, and if/when they do that, I think they can control this game, keep Rodgers off the field, and, somehow, find a way to beat the almighty Green Bay Packers. It'll take an A+ effort, but coming off a bye week, I think this team will be up for it.

Final: Dolphins 30 Packers 27


Alright, you know how it works. Come back before kickoff for any last minute news, including the inactives for both teams.

Then come back after the first quarter and follow the live, quarter by quarter, blog throughout the game.

Until then..

2.5 HOURS.

Week Six in the NFL: Picks and predictions

Another week, another strong outing. Time to make it three in a row.

Last week's record: 12-2

Overall record: 48-23

Jaguars @ Titans: Good lord. Come on, NFL. This has blackout written all over it, and no, not the fun kind either.

Pick: Jaguars 17 Titans 16

Ravens @ Buccaneers: This one will be closer than people think, but at the end of the day I think Flacco out duels the giraffe.

Pick: Ravens 23 Buccaneers 20

Broncos @ Jets: The Broncos are favored by ten points. Um, yeah, I’m gonna say they cover.

Pick: Broncos 38 Jets 13

Lions @ Vikings: Would the Vikings have been better off just running the wildcat all game last week? Yikes. Luckily, Teddy Ballgame returns for this one. Unfortunately for him, its against a pissed off Detroit team.

Pick: Lions 27 Vikings 20

Patriots @ Bills: Go ahead, jump back on the New England bandwagon. I’m good way over here. No seriously, go on without me, I’ll be fine. Upset city, population: The Ralph.

Pick: Bills 26 Patriots 23

Panthers @ Bengals: No AJ Green, no problem. Hello? Andy Dalton is pretty much an equal if not superior receiver.

Pick: Bengals 24 Panthers 21

Steelers @ Browns: Enough with the Browns already. They barely beat arguably the worst team in the league after being down by a billion points at halftime. Vegas can like them all they want, I’ll stick with Big Ben and the curtain.

Pick: Steelers 27 Browns 21

Chargers @ Raiders: Oh man, a pair of man crush alums going at it in this one. I love you, Tony Sparano, and I can’t WAIT to see the sunglasses make a triumphant return. But I just love Phil more. It’s not you, its me.

Pick: Chargers 31 Raiders 15

Bears @ Falcons: Undefeated at home. Winless on the road. Where are the Falcons playing again this week? Oh yeah..

Pick: Falcons 33 Bears 30

Cowboys @ Seahawks: If Dallas wins this game they’re winning the Super Bowl. Pretty cut and dry.

Pick: Seahawks 27 Cowboys 23

Redskins @ Cardinals: Who put together the Washington schedule? Hitler? First the Seattle defense and now Arizona. Who did Jay Gruden piss off?

Pick: Cardinals 23 Redskins 16

Giants @ Eagles: The Giants are the popular pick here. Spare me. I hated popular kids growing up.

Pick: Eagles 27 Giants 24

49ers @ Rams: Grandpa khakis beat majestic mustaches every day of the week. But it’s closer than ya think.

Pick: 49ers 20 Rams 16



Pre-game coverage kicks off in the morning, including my official game day prediction.

And, as always, come back before kickoff for any last minute news, including the inactives for today's game.

THEN, when you're done with that, check back throughout the game for your quarter-by-quarter in game blog.

Until then...

One. Day.

Moreno, Pouncey Among Others Ready To Return On Sunday

The final injury report came out today, and it was a big one for the Miami Dolphins. First, the good news:

Reshad Jones, Randy Starks, and, to the surprise of many, Knowshon Moreno are all listed as probable for Sunday's game. They will join Mike Pouncey, who wasn't even listed on the report.

Jones and Pouncey will be making their season debut's, while Starks will play for the first time since week three, and Moreno for the first time since the first quarter of week two.

This is HUGE news for Miami, folks. This is, without a shed of a doubt, the healthiest this team has been since the early days of training camp.

Moreno's status is a big surprise, even to me, as I didn't expect him back until next week at the absolute earliest. He even told reporters last week that it could be another month until he returns. He'll be in an arm brace, and I don't anticipate an overly heavy workload, so lets keep this in perspective. However, against a terrible rush defense like the Packers this should add confidence to the Miami fan base.

Moreno isn't the biggest story, though. Mike Pouncey is. The Dolphins are getting back one of the best lineman in the league, and, above all, THE leader in the Miami huddle. This is a HUGE return for the Dolphins.

As I said on Wednesday, though, where Pouncey plays remains up in the air.

Some think he could move back to his college position of guard, letting Samson Satele remain at the center position he's played so well in over the first month of the season.

Personally, I think this is the best course of action for Joe Philbin and the Dolphins. Pouncey is a really good center. But he's a GREAT guard. I know this because I watched him play the position for three years at Florida.

With Satele at center, and Pouncey at guard, this is the best offensive line this team has had in years.

Now to the bad news.

WR Brandon Gibson is not expected to play on Sunday as he's listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury. Gibson missed practice on Monday, Wednesday, and today, and was limited on Thursday. Expect Jarvis Landry and Rashard Matthews to see an increased workload on Sunday, which shouldn't be a huge change since Landry has basically been splitting time with Gibson all season long.

On the other side of the ball, CB Cortland Finnegan is listed as questionable with a neck injury. If Finnegan cannot go, expect Jamar Taylor to fill in, with Will Davis seeing his fair share of reps as well. This, to me, is the bigger of the two issues. Miami is playing AARON RODGERS this week. You don't think he'll pick on the second year CB? This will be something to monitor on Sunday.

Two final notes before we head off into the weekend:

Charles Clay appears healthier than he's been all season long. This bye week did wonders for him, and I expect to see him close to his 2013 form on Sunday.

And finally, Koa Misi is expected to start for the first time since week one, when he injured his ankle in the first half against New England. Like Moreno and Pouncey, this is a huge boost.

Picks coming at ya tomorrow.

Two Day.

Dolphins Should Use Week One Formula On Sunday; Full Injury Report

This is a subject I want to BURN into your brains this week. I simply cannot, and will not, stress it enough:

If the Miami Dolphins are to win on Sunday, then turning back the clocks to the second half of week one will be CRITICAL.

What do I mean by this?

OLD SCHOOL FOOTBALL. Winning in the trenches. Being the more physical team. Running the football. Waring out, and waring down, your opponent.

Sound familiar? It should, because this is exactly how these Dolphins pulled off the week one upset against New England.

Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller ran the ball 23 times in the second half, good for over half of Miami's offensive play calls during that time. And it wasn't just running to run, no, it was downhill, physical running that eventually wore out New England to a point where there was no chance they were winning that game.

On the other side of the ball, the Miami defensive front sacked Tom Brady four times. All in the second half.

This team won because of trench play and physical football.

Now, lets take a quick look at the week three lost against Kansas City. I'll do the second half again so you can have a fair comparison, and I'll only look at the plays when Miami was still in the game. Remember, this one got out of hand towards the end.

Number of passes: 13

Number of runs: 7

And don't forget, this was the game Lamar Miller was averaging over 5.5 yards a carry and put up over 100 yards for only the SECOND time in his career.

Which brings us to Sunday, a game I believe Miami has a great chance of winning.... IF THEY FOLLOW THIS FORMULA.

And why wouldn't they? Green Bay ranks 30th.. 3-0.. Second to last... in the entire league at stopping the run. They've given up nearly 160 yards PER GAME. Here are the splits:

Week 1: 207

Week 2: 146

Week 3: 115

Week 4: 235

Week 5: 111

This team, even with Clay Matthews, CAN NOT STOP THE RUN. Adversely, Miami CAN RUN. They rank fifth in the league with 142 yards per game, and have gone over 100 yards each game. And this is with Knowshon Moreno missing the past four games.

Reminder: He may come back this week. He's listed as questionable for Sunday's game.

Think about that for a second. All the talk, as per usual, surrounds the quarterbacks. Can Ryan Tannehill put together consecutive good games? Can the Dolphins stop Aaron Rodgers?

But everybody is missing the real matchup in this game. Trench play will be the difference on Sunday. Mark my words. If Miami can commit to the run, and ware down Green Bay and both sides of the ball, much like week one, then I think this game could surprise a lot of people.

Just food for thought.


INJURY REPORT

The first injury report of the week came out today:

No Mike Pouncey. He's playing on Sunday. The question still remains, however, as to where he'll play.

Randy Starks, Mike Wallace, and Koa Misi will all play as well. I'm sure of that. Expect most of, if not all of the other limited participants to play as well. The only big question mark is going to be Moreno. Right now I'd say its 50/50.

As for Finnegan and Gibson, I'm not quite sure right now. Gibson can be easily replaced with Landry and Matthews. Finnegan is a little harder to replace, though, so lets hope he is good to go.

Four days.

Bye Bye, Bye Week: Dolphins Return to Busy Monday

It was a loud, noisy, busy Monday at Dolphins camp today, as the team returned from their five day hiatus ahead of Sunday's showdown with the Packers.

The big story of the day revolved around defensive lineman Derrick Shelby, who was suspended indefinitely by the team following his arrest early Saturday for trespassing and resisting arrest without violence. Dolphins coaches love Shelby, as do his teammates, so this is a tough pill to swallow for everybody involved.

Details are still murky, even with the official report being released earlier today. Shelby was arrested early Saturday morning outside a nightclub in downtown Fort Lauderdale. According to the report, Shelby was taken to the ground and tased three three times when he assumed a fighting stance against an officer. The report also says that the initial call was made because Shelby was allegedly touching women without their permission.

Shelby's mug shot can be seen in the photo above. The whole "without violence" thing seems fishy to me, no? Just a thought.

As I said, Shelby is a loved and respected member inside the Miami locker room. Jared Odrick, in particular, was a close friend.

“I saw the [headline] and I thought it was the Onion News reporting it, thinking it was fake,” Odrick told reporters this afternoon. “He’s such a smart guy. He’s knowledgable and he loves his job and loves working hard every day and coming in and really setting a standard.”

"He’s just so talented and such a great individual to have as part of the organization and the community. I was very surprised."

In his press conference following practice, Joe Phibin weighed in as well.

"I think you heard me say often times that it’s important for everybody that represents the Miami Dolphins – players, staff members, to represent the organization the right way on and off the field,” Philbin said.

 "Respect. Respect everybody, every road trip we take. We are ambassadors for the Miami Dolphins [and] the National Football League. Treat people the right way. It’s really as simple as that. We go on the road, we want the bus drivers to think, the stewardesses to think, the people at the field to think this is a class organization and guys do things the right way. Show respect to everybody. It’s a simple message."

BIG MAN SET FOR BIG RETURN

Now to the good news of the day, and there was plenty to go around.

For starters, it appears Mike Pouncey is ready to make his season debut on Sunday, as he practiced with the first team all day. However, according to Pouncey, where he makes his debut may still be up in the air.

"I think I'm going to make a big one obviously, I can't wait to get back out with the guys," Pouncey said. "Whatever position I'm playing I'll help the team."

What position is Pouncey referring to?

"Guard’s my position," he said. “I was kind of forced to play center when I got drafted. Guard’s been the position I’ve played my whole life. … Whatever position I’m playing, I’ll help the team. It’s coach [Joe] Philbin’s decision."

This is an interesting call Joe Philbin's going to have to make. If he chooses to put Pouncey at guard, he'll be replacing Dallas Thomas and sticking with Samson Satele at center. Satele has performed well there this season.

However, don't underestimate the power of Pouncey at center. He makes the calls, the reads, the audibles, all of it. And, he's a Pro Bowler there, folks. Don't forget that.

Tough call, but a good one to have to make.


MORE HELP ON THE WAY

Pouncey isn't the only Miami starter set to return this week. In fact, he's just the first in a long line of guys ready to return.

Randy Starks, for starters, appears to be back, healthy, and ready to go. He practiced in full today.

Safety Reshad Jones, along with Pouncey, is ready to make his debut on Sunday as well. Jones is coming off a four game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He took first team reps along with Jimmy Wilson today.

The surprise sight of the day was RB Knowshon Moreno, who practiced on a limited basis for the first time in nearly a month. Last week, Moreno told reporters it could be four more weeks until he was ready to return, but, as is usually the case with Moreno, it appears he may have been bluffing.

"It felt good to get out there on the field and just and just work out a little bit of the rust,” Moreno said. "I’m just taking it day by day, seeing how I feel the next couple of days and go from there."

Miami has the 6th ranked rushing attack in the NFL, and getting Moreno back sooner than expected would be huge for this offense going forward. We'll know more as Sunday draws closer.


FINNEGAN, GIBSON DON'T WORK

The other bad news on the day revolved around starters Brandon Gibson and Cortland Finnegan.

Finnegan was absent all together today for reasons unknown at this point.

Gibson, on the other hand, was present during practice, but was not active. He was seen jogging on the sidelines and didn't participate in team drills.


Alright. Enough news for you?

The bye week is over. 12 straight weeks of Dolphins football comin' at ya!

Better buckle up.

Week Five in the NFL: Picks and predictions

 

Bye Week... That means, as always, a lighting round of picks.

Got a hot streak going, can't stop now.

Last week's record: 9-3

Overall record: 36-21



Bears @ Panthers: I think a Bear would maul a Panther in real life, right? This game’s a toss up, so that’s the logic I’m going with.

Pick: Bears 30 Panthers 23

Browns @ Titans: Charlie Whitehurst has the hair of a Greek God. Brian Hoyer is bald. Good thing that has nothing to do with the outcome.

Pick: Browns 23 Titans 17

Rams @ Eagles: Would’ve been nice to have LeSean McCoy on the goal line last Sunday. Probably could’ve used, ya know, the top rusher in the league in that situation. Oh wait… Chip Kelly won’t make the same mistake twice.

Pick: Eagles 28 Rams 10

Falcons @ Giants: Back to back roadies for Atlanta means back to back loss(i)es for Atlanta.

Pick: Giants 27 Falcons 24

Buccaneers @ Saints: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Go ahead, Tampa Bay, fool me again. I dare you.

Pick: Saints 35 Buccaneers 17

Texans @ Cowboys: Yee-haw! Love the battle of Texas. Love the south. Love J.J. Watt. Love Demarco Murray. Love the beard. Hate the Texans offense.

Pick: Cowboys 23 Texans 20

Bills @ Lions: Go look up Kyle Orton’s mustache. Do they not have at least an outside shot here?? Unfortunately, Tom Selleck comes up just short.

Pick: Lions 24 Bills 14

Ravens @ Colts: This is sneaky one of the better games this week. A hot Ravens team coming off a pummeling of Carolina, against a QB who’s averaging just short of a billion yards per game. I’m thinking the chin beard prevails here.

Pick: Colts 28 Ravens 27

Steelers @ Jaguars: Does this game even get shown in Jacksonville?

Pick: Steelers 27 Jaguars 10

Cardinals @ Broncos: That Arizona defense, like always, will keep them in this game. But beating Peyton Manning? At home? Coming off a bye week? With Drew Stanton possibly? No thanks.

Pick: Broncos 25 Cardinals 17

Chiefs @ 49ers: Love the way Kansas City plays football. Reminds me of my childhood. Run run run, play-action pass, first down by a half yard. Rinse, wash, repeat. Unfortunately, I don’t think that formula works on the west coast.

Pick: 49ers 24 Chiefs 19

Jets @ Chargers: 1,155 yards. 9 TD’s. 114.5 rating. Need I say more? Love you, Phil.

Pick: Chargers 30 Jets 20

Patriots @ Bengals: If you know football, you know the Pats win this week. Why? Because they shouldn’t. Come on world, wake up. Upset city.

Pick: Patriots 20 Bengals 17

Seahawks @ Redskins: 2013 wild card game rematch!!! Same quarterbacks. Same venue. Same outcome.

Pick: Seahawks 30 Redskins 20


Off week ends on Monday. Until then, sit back, relax, and enjoy your final stress free week of the year.

In a Division Full of Suspects, You Have To Trust a Criminal

The AFC East is one giant mess right now.

Last week, Ryan Tannehill was put on notice in the most passive way possible. Then on Sunday, Geno Smith was booed so much he apparently forgot news cameras exist. 

On Monday, EJ Manuel, yes, the once 2-0 EJ Manuel, was benched. And today, in the aftermath of Monday night's debacle, Bill Belichick made it very clear that his Patriots, well, they've moved on to Cincinnati.

Think about that for a second.

In seven days we've had three quarterback controversies, an FCC no-no, one benching, and one blowout on national TV.

All in one week!

Four teams. All 2-2. All with black eyes. All suspects.

Really. Who can you trust?

For years it was the Patriots. It was New England, and then everyone else. Tom Brady was elite, Bill Belichick was a genius, and "The Patriot way" was about as sacred and coveted as a spot in Playboy Mansion. 

Today they have the worst offense, with the worst receivers, and the worst line in all of football.

Tom Brady looks older than ever; Bill Belichick looks to have all but wrapped up a spot in the "worst GM's of all time" hall of fame; Rob Gronkowski appears to be a part time employee.

The once most dominant team in football may not even be the most dominant team in the division anymore. 

How about the Jets? Can you trust them with Geno Smith throwing around F-bombs like he does interceptions? Have you seen their schedule?

What about Buffalo, where 35 year old Kyle Orton has taken over at quarterback. Sound enticing? Scary? Intimidating?

Don't think so.

Here's my point:

The door is WIDE open, folks. Last year it started to budge, the Dolphins gave New England a mini run towards the end of the season. But today? Right now? This season?

It's so open that it damn well may come off the hinges.

If ever the Miami Dolphins were going to win the East, wouldn't it be now? With all the distractions up North, isn't NOW the time to bring the crown back South? 

That's not to say the Dolphins don't have their own baggage. Far from it, actually. Remember, they started all of this last week.

But what if the offense begins to click every week like they did against Oakland?

What if the defense continues to play at their current 7th ranked level?

What if Lamar Miller has really turned the corner?

Can you really look at this team, in this division, and not give them the upper hand right now? It's not going to take 12 wins. Maybe not even 10. 

But if I told you at the beginning of the year that nine wins would win the division, would you not give Miami a good chance?

Everybody has a black eye. From Miami to upstate New York, hands are bloody, egos have been bruised, and reputations have begun to scar. The entire division is one big police lineup right now.

For the idle Miami Dolphins, after seeing the events of the past few days unfold, the goal should now be simple, and clear:

In a division full of suspects, it's no longer about being the best team.

It's just about being the best criminal.