Miami got a touchdown from Ronnie Brown in the 2nd quarter followed by 3 FGs from Dan Carpenter to get their 16pts. The Miami defense would be the story of the day though as they held the Rams to nothing but FGs on the day, never allowing them into the endzone. Stephen Jackson returned for the Rams and rushed for 94 yards, but the Dolphins would shut down the Rams’ passing game.

The Dolphins’ defense held the Rams to 149 yards passing and had 3 interceptions on the day to keep the St. Louis offense in check and out of the endzone. It was a less than impressive game from the Dolphins, especially considering the quality of opponent the team faced. The Dolphins have struggled this year in games against mediocre teams while making an impressive display of themselves against tough opposition.

The victory was important for the Dolphins. Combined with the Patriots’ loss to Pittsburgh this weekend, the Dolphins’ win moves them into 2nd place in the AFC East, one game behind the Jets with a game remaining against the Jets. More importantly, the victory keeps the Dolphins in the hunt for a Wild Card spot in the AFC as well. With 4 games remaining in the season, the Dolphins find themselves still in the playoff race and each game will be critical to their playoff hunt.

The first 3 1/2 quarters of Sunday’s game were perhaps the most exciting quarters of football witnessed in Miami in recent memory. The game saw 6 lead changes by the middle of the 3rd quarter as the teams traded blows in an offensive onslaught. New England scored first on a 30 yd field goal in the 1st quarter to make it 3-0 and from there it was one lead change after another. Miami would go ahead 7-3 on a Chad Pennington TD pass to Greg Camarillo, but the Patriots would answer later with an 8 yd TD run from Matt Cassel to go ahead 10-7.

Pennington would answer with a TD scramble of his own to put Miami back in front 14-10, but just before the half Randy Moss caught a 25 yd TD pass from Cassel to take the lead at halftime 17-14. The back and forth would continue though as Miami answered right away in the 2nd half with another Pennington TD pass, this time to Casey Cramer to go up 21-17. Back to back New England touchdowns in the 3rd quarter though would bring an end to the lead changes, as the Patriots went up 31-21.

Miami would make one more run at the Patriots early in the 4th quarter when Pennington threw his 3rd TD pass of the day, this time to Ricky Williams, to close the gap to 31-28. From there however it was all Patriots as they would go on to score a TD, FG, and TD to win by a final score of 48-28.

The loss hurts the Dolphins playoff chances as they fall to 3rd in the AFC East. Barring a collapse of the New York Jets, the Dolphins have little to no chance of winning the division and it is even difficult to see how the Dolphins could climb into the Wild Card race at this point. That being said, the Dolphins have nothing to be ashamed of. The Patriots, like it or not Dolphin fans, are simply more talented than the Dolphins. Too much has changed since the last time these two teams have met. Matt Cassel almost has Patriot fans saying “Tom who?” and their defense is resurgent.

The Dolphins made a good showing of themselves and no matter how the team finishes the rest of the season, they should see nothing but positives out of the 2008 campaign. They went from 1 win last season, to 6 already this season and still have a chance to finish with a winning record. Given the lack of talent at some key positions on this team (WR!), they are proving they can compete nonetheless. Hold your heads high Dolphins, you’re doing just fine.

On the flip side of this coin is reality. Camarillo may lead the Dolphins in receptions and yardage, but we aren’t talking about the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, or New Orleans Saints. The Dolphins offense does just enough each week not to lose. Camarillo is not the leading receiver on a high flying offense, he is the leading receiver of a sometimes inept passing team that can be hot one week and pathetic the next. Camarillo has only caught one, yes ONE, TD pass this season.

OK, so Camarillo didn’t sign a bank busting deal, in fact he won’t be anywhere near the top pay echelon of WRs. However, this is money that could have been used as a signing bonus for a top tier WR next season. In the NFL these days, players will follow money wherever it leads them. Miami is not a pathetic team anymore as they are 6-4 and it won’t take as tremendous a sales pitch to lure new players next season. Miami is a franchise on the rebound, giving their image a fresh look, and trying to become a contender year after year. Camarillo is not the man to lean on, and giving him any money to remain long term is a waste when better talent could have been brought in to boost the franchise for the future.

Miami will enter Sunday tied with New England at 6-4 and 2nd in the AFC East division, one game behind the division leading New York Jets (7-3). If the Dolphins defeat the Patriots on Sunday, they will be keeping pace with the Jets and improving their division record to 3-1 (7-4 overall). A victory puts them that much closer to a possible playoff berth. A win keeps them close in the divisional race and keeps them in the mix for a Wild Card spot at worst. A loss however, and the Dolphins will drop to 3rd in the division and will drop them lower into the mix of possible Wild Card teams.

Circumstances will also be different this time around, much different than when the two teams met in Foxboro back in September. Back then, Miami was 0-2 and given NO chance of winning, while New England was still trying to find its new offensive identity in the post-Tom Brady era. The Dolphins rolled out the Wildcat formation and thoroughly confused and beat down the Patriots. This time though, New England is more comfortable with backup Matt Cassel, and in addition to taking the Dolphins more seriously, they will be looking for the Wildcat formation this time around. Miami also must be prepared for New England to come out firing on all cylinders in an attempt to avenge their embarassing defeat in September.

If ever there was a game Miami could not overlook, this is it. This may arguably be the most important game the Dolphins have played in 2-3 seasons, hopefully the players can use their head coach’s enthusiasm to pull off another crucial victory and keep their streak alive.

Miami took the early lead on a 40 yard TD run from Ted Ginn Jr and led 7-3 at halftime. Chad Pennington would be sacked for a safety in the 3rd quarter to make it 7-5, but late in the quarter a Patrick Cobbs rushing TD would put the Dolphins safely ahead (seemingly) at 14-5. The 4th quarter would see the Raiders put a scare into the Dolphins. The Raiders would get a FG to make it 14-8 and then returned a punt 92 yards for a TD to take the lead 15-14. Miami would get one last shot at the ball and make the most of it. With 4:20 to go, Miami started at their own 20 and would drive 10 plays and 61 yards to set up Dan Carpenter for a possible game winning field goal. With 38 seconds left Carpenter would nail a 38 yard field goal to give Miami the 17-15 win.

There are no rules about how you are suppose to win in the NFL, and that is good for the Dolphins. In the two games this season that they were actually considered the favorite, Miami has not been impressive. The past two weeks Miami has been considered the favorite over Seattle and Oakland and have come away with 2pt, hard fought victories.

On the plus side, Miami is winning these close games against bad teams, and that is all that counts in the end. Chad Pennington is proving more and more potent and efficient each week, the running game behind Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams is stronger each week, and Ted Ginn Jr is beginning to show the promise that got him drafted in the 1st round. Best of all though, the Dolphins are on a 4 game win streak, have a 6-4 record, and the Fins are 1 game out of 1st in the AFC East.

The Dolphins jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with a flea flicker pass to Ted Ginn Jr for a 39 yard TD. In the 2nd quarter Ricky Williams burst up the middle for a 51 yard TD run out of the wildcat formation. Seattle spent the next quarter and a half nibbling away at the Dolphins lead until they found themselves down 14-13 in the middle of the 4th quarter. Ronnie Brown’s 16 yard TD run late in the 4th would prove critical as the Seahawks would again challenge the Dolphins’ lead.

Late in the 4th quarter the Dolphins looked to their defense to preserve the win. Seattle scored a TD with 2:57 to go in the game and went for the 2pt conversion to tie the game and force overtime, but the defense batted down the 2pt pass attempt. The Dolphins would make one final stand and force an incompletion on 4th down in the final seconds to win the game 21-19.

Chad Pennington was 22/36 for 209yds and 1TD, 1INT. Ginn Jr caught 4 balls for 67yds and a TD. Williams had 12rushes for 105yds and a TD while Brown had 10rushes for 39yds and the game winning TD. The Dolphins’ defense meanwhile had 3 sacks and knocked down 6 passes.

The factors that led to today’s victory were the same that have propelled Miami to 3 straight victories. The Dolphins enjoyed greater possession of the ball, played solid defense (especially when it mattered most), and were efficient enough on offense to win.

Miami’s win gives them a winning record this season at 5-4. In addition to extending their win streak, today’s victory also puts the Dolphins one game out of first place in the AFC East. It certainly seemed silly before the season to mention playoffs in the same sentence as the Dolphins, it also seemed silly 3 weeks ago when the Dolphins were 2-4. Now however, it is worth wondering at the chances of seeing Miami in the playoffs this season.

Miami’s remaining games against non-divisional foes include Oakland, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Kansas City who are a combined 7-28 this season. Miami’s other 3 remaining games are againts New England, @ Buffalo, and they finish the season @ the New York Jets. One thing is certain, the Dolphins’ chances of making the playoffs are real, and entirely in their own hands.

For the 2nd week in a row, the Dolphins have taken on a team no one would have thought them capable of beating, and defeated them. One week after beating the AFC East leading Buffalo Bills in Miami, the Dolphins went on the road to face the high powered Denver Bronco offense. The Dolphins shut down Denver from the get go and produced just enough offense of their own to beat the Broncos in Denver.

Chad Pennington was his usual effective self, nothing flashy, going 23/40 for 281yds 0TDs and 1INT. Greg Camarillo had a break out game catching 11 passes for 111yds and Ronnie Brown ran for 59yds and a TD, Miami’s lone offensive TD. The Dolphins kept Denver in check partially thanks to ball control, which was proven earlier this season to be Miami’s best friend. The Dolphins held the ball for 36:31 in comparison to 23:29 for the Broncos.

Defense led the way today though as the Dolphins kept Denver’s big threats grounded. Bronco WR Eddie Royal had 69 yds receiving while WR Brandon Marshall was held to 2 catches for 27 yards. The highlight of the afternoon was CB Will Allen’s 32 yd INT return for a TD in the 1st quarter that put Miami up 13-0. Slowly the Broncos chipped away at the Dolphins lead, getting as close as 19-17 in the 4th quarter until Brown punched the ball in from 2yds out to put Miami ahead for good at 26-17.

Today’s victory was important physically and emotionally for the Dolphins. After a disappointing 2 game stretch against mediocre competition in Houston and Baltimore, the Dolphins rebounded to defeat two winning teams in impressive fashion and pull themselves back to .500 at 4-4. Much like their success against New England and San Diego, ball control and solid defense were the key factors in the Dolphins’ victory. Every game the Dolphins have enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in this season, they have won.

When the Dolphins play football like they did today, they are playing smart football. Wins like this show they recognize their strengths and weaknesses and are playing to their strengths while minimizing the effect their weaknesses can have. The Dolphins can have an impressive finish to their season if they can keep working on this formula and keep applying it week in and week out.

Pennington was effective, as usual, with his game management and took care of the ball as he led Miami to the win. Pennington was 22 of 30 for 314 yds and 1 TD pass, with no INTs. Ted Ginn Jr had arguably his best game as a pro catching 7 passes for 175 yards, though it is worth noting the majority of his yards came on two catches for 64 and 46 yards. Ginn Jr has a long way to go, but perhaps today was a glimpse of what he CAN do given the right opportunities. Pennington, in completing those deep shots to Ginn Jr also showed doubters he can still make deep passes, something he was (rightly) criticized for in the past week. Pennington’s performance combined with the victory over Buffalo may quiet, for now, the calls for Chad Henne to be given a chance. Ronnie Brown had a workman like 14 carries for 43 yds marking the 2nd game in a row in which he has cooled off from his early season success.

Most importantly though, the win breathes new life into the Dolphins season. Buffalo came into the game leading the AFC East with a record of 5-1. The loss drops Buffalo into a tie with New England for the lead at 5-2, the New York Jets won today keeping themselves in 3rd at 4-3, and though they sit in last place at 3-4, the Dolphins aren’t canned yet. Working in the Dolphins favor, they have faced everyone in the division once and have the best record againts divisional opponents at 2-1. Working against the Dolphins however, they play all 3 divisional opponents one more time, 2 of the 3 games are on the road in New York and Buffalo in December.

I’m not crazy enough to predict a playoff appearance this year for the Dolphins. However, this team is showing that it is more talented and has more grit and determination than last years. It would have been easy for this group to suffer a let down after the mediocre losses to Houston and Baltimore, but they tightened up and got the job done in an important game. For the Dolphins though, everything is one week at a time. The victory over Buffalo was good, but it has to be out of mind and they need to prepare for Denver next week, there is more work to be done.

Gone are the whispers and murmurs about the playoffs and a winning season that were prevelant after the team’s victory over San Diego gave it a 2-2 record. Replacing those whispers and murmurs are questions about what can be done to right the ship and avoid finishing the season with a similar record to last season. The task won’t be easy as the Dolphins next two opponents are the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, teams the Dolphins will surely be underdogs against.

If the Dolphins lose these two games and are sitting at 2-6 the coaching staff needs to strongly consider replacing Chad Pennington with Chad Henne. Everyone, including the Chads, is aware that Pennington’s position is to guard the throne until the future starter (Henne) is ready to ascend to the starting position. It was obvious this past week just what Pennington’s limitations are and what they mean to the success of the team.

Pennington was a good pick up because he was more than capable of coming in and providing leadership on an offense that had none. He is an efficient passer, good leader, and he manages the game well, minimizing mistakes and giving the team chances to win. Pennington does not however bring the big play ability that every team needs to get  them over the hump. Pennington missed opportunities on Sunday to hit deep passes to Ginn Jr and Camarillo on several plays when they were open deep. Pennington’s inability to throw the deep ball is going to hurt this team’s ability to stretch opposing defenses and open up the run game, which is crucial to their success. While Pennington does have an impressive 8.12 yards per pass completion, the number is deceiving when you consider a majority of that is due to an 80 yard screen pass and the 53 yard pass to Patrick Cobbs against Houston, which was an under thrown ball.

Pennington was, and still is, the right man for the job now. But if the Dolphins fall in their next 2 games and find themselves at 2-6 their season is over. Henne is going to be the starting QB for this team whether it is this week, mid season, or next season. If the Dolphins find themselves out of the playoff picture it becomes necessary to give Henne reps and time in games to get himself accustomed to the game speed of the NFL. Even if Henne gets knocked around, he is gaining valuable experience so he is ready at the start of next season. There is no sense in keeping him shelved and having him go through his growing pains next season, effectively wasting two seasons.

Since defeating the New England Patriots in week 3, the Dolphins have become very fond of using their single wing (wild cat) offense. Unconventional and possesing many wrinkles, it kept Miami’s opponents off balance and gave the Dolphins a chance to win each week. But what would happen when the Dolphins welcomed the leagues best defense to town on Sunday in the form of the Baltimore Ravens? The results were not good and the Dolphins slugged through for a 27-13 loss to the Ravens.

The Dolphins used the single wing 5 times and gained 4 yards. Ronnie Brown, who promised to show the Ravens and former coach Cam Cameron what he could do, ran for 27 yards on 13 carries and had NO TDs. Chad Pennington was effective as usual going 24-35 for 295 yards, tossing 1 TD and 1 INT. That 1 INT however would prove costly in the end. The game was tied at 3 and as the pocket collapsed around Pennington instead of going down and taking the sack, Pennington desperately tried to unload the ball to a short man, the result however was an INT that was returned 44 yards for a TD by Terrell Suggs. The score put the Ravens ahead for good.

The Dolphins’ defense was also thrown for a loop on Sunday as the Ravens often employed the no huddle offense which allowed rookie QB Joe Flacco to go pressure free for the majority of the game and move his team downfield for two FGs and two TDs, including a TD drive with 30 seconds left before halftime.

The Dolphins have been more impressive than most would have anticipated this season, but lately have been living on borrowed time, so to speak. The offense has been relying a little too heavily on the gimmicks, the wildcat offense in particular, to spark scoring drives and win or stay in games. If the Dolphins want to win more games this season they are still going to have to address their deficiencies. The passing game is impotent, Ginn Jr, Camarillo, and Hagan are terrible and without a passing game Brown and Ricky Williams are going to be useless. The more the offense struggles, the less time they spend on the field and the more time the defense spends on the field. The coaching staff needs to come up with a new scheme because teams have clearly caught onto the wildcat, meaning its effective days are numbered.