Dolphins fall to Jets, look to bounce back against Cardinals

Miami faces Arizona in the desert looking for win #1

The Dolphins late rally against the New York Jets came up just short Sunday afternoon, as Chad Pennington’s heave towards the back of the end zone in the game’s final seconds landed in the awaiting arms of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who adroitly controlled the wobbly pigskin as receiver Ted Ginn tried to pry the ball away. Thus, Tony Sparano’s tenure as head coach began in the same fashion as Cam Cameron’s ended… with a loss.

For a team and a coach that pride themselves on toughness, the Jets game was an unwelcome reminder of how far the Dolphins still have to travel to become a physical and disciplined football team. The Jets dominated the Dolphins along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, holding Miami to a lowly 49 yards on a mere 17 carries. Miami’s talented duo of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, the theoretical foundation of the Dolphins attack, were relegated to an afterthought. Meanwhile, Jets running back Thomas Jones piled up 101 yards at 4.6 yards per carry on the Dolphins’ supposed strength going into the season.

In spite of their difficulty in both establishing and stopping the run (a common occurrence for Miami last season as well), it is important not to overreact to only one game. The offensive line is young and features three new starters, including two rookies and should therefore improve as the season progresses. Nonetheless, defensively, the front seven will need to prove over the next few games that they are capable of shutting down the opposition’s ground game.

Also, as expected, the secondary struggled against Brett Favre, as evidenced by his 56 yard touchdown strike to Jerricho Cotchery, who beat cornerback Andre Goodman and safety Chris Crocker deep. Crocker reportedly struggled defending the deep ball last season with Atlanta, so that will be something for fans to look for. On a positive note, Yeremiah Bell played well and appears to have fully recovered from the Achilles injury he incurred in the opening game last season.

The Dolphins passing game carried the offense throughout the second half, as Sparano essentially abandoned the run. Perhaps the biggest bright spot on offense was the play of tight end Anthony Fasano. The former Notre Dame star caught 8 passes for 84 yards and touchdown, providing Chad Pennington a safety valve in the passing game. Pennington played well, throwing the ball with accuracy and efficiency. He completed 26 of 43 passes for 251 yards and 2 touchdowns. Unfortunately for Miami, its unheralded group of receivers caught only six passes against the Jets, a paltry number especially considering how often the Dolphins threw.

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Here’s a look ahead at what to expect in this Sunday against the Cardinals.

The Cardinals may feature one of the most prolific passing attacks in the league this season. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both elite wide receivers and could present serious problems for the Dolphins secondary. Kurt Warner played effectively against the 49ers last week, throwing a touchdown to Fitzgerald and completing 19 of 30 passes for 197 yards. The key to shutting down the Cardinals aerial attack will be Dolphin’s ability to get pressure on Warner, who is always prone to problems with ball security when under pressure. However, if Warner gets time, look for him to pick apart Miami’s lackluster secondary.

Arizona is true to their running game but often struggles to run the ball effectively. However, after last week’s debacle against the Jets, the Dolphins must prove that they have the ability to stop anyone on the ground.

Frank Gore gashed the Cardinals for 96 yards last week, including a 41 yard run. Look for the Dolphins to try to establish their identity as a run first team this weekend and get both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams going. If not, it could be a long day for Miami, as Arizona’s pass rush teed up on J.T. O’Sullivan last week, sacking the novice signal caller 4 times and forcing him to fumble twice. However, the Dolphins offensive line and blocking scheme is superior to the 49ers, so the team should be able to protect the quarterback much better.

All in all, this match up is similar to last week’s game against the Jets. Arizona has a capable offense, a vaunted passing attack, and an improving defense. There’s no reason to expect a different outcome.

Arizona 27 - Miami 17

By Glenn Katzman
ProFootball-fans.com Miami Dolphins Correspondent