Unlike the 2nd and 4th pre-season games, the 1st and 3rd exhibition games are the highest anticipated, for any team.
The first because it will be the first time anyone gets to see their team hit someone else that is not on their team.
The third because it is called "The Dress Rehearsal" for teams league wide. This is the game where the starting units for both teams playing against each other play just into the third quarter, then give way to the reserves.
This is the game where one fan can get a good evaluation on where your team is at before the season starts. This is where the coaches decide who will be a starter, and what they need to fine tune before the season starts. Believe it or not, a lot can be learned from this game.
The Miami Dolphins made some enormous strides as a unit on the offensive side of the ball.
On the other hand though, they took some steps back on the defensive side of the ball. The third exhibition game will be crucial for them as a team to find out what progress they made as a team over the off-season.
Man-Press:
Some of the most pressing questions for the Dolphins going into the game against the Atlanta Falcons have to deal with their defense.
- Can the secondary and pass defense as a whole get their act together? So far this pre-season I have not been impressed with the way the coverage schemes have been going. The corners have been laying off their man, allowing easy touchdowns in the red-zone. Allowing chunk yardage through the air has also been a problem for the secondary. The linebackers have been allowing running backs and tight ends to be a factor as well. These were the same problems that we had last year, which scares me. Can the defense hold their own finally against Matt Ryan and the Falcons solid offense?
- Will Brian Hartline be able to stand out as a second year receiver? Hartline has big expectations coming into his second season in the NFL. With the addition of Brandon Marshall, Hartline will be expected to make some things happen on his own now that Marshall will be drawing double teams. I'm not expecting Hartline to be a superstar, but so far this pre-season he has been invisible, and that is something that the offense needs to figure out going into the season. Hartline can be a vital part of the offense if given chances, and to be successful through the air, the Dolphins will need to utilize both of their starting receivers.
- Who will win the starting center job? Both Joe Berger and Jake Grove have been battling all off-season long to be named the starting center for the Dolphins. It was rumored earlier last week that Berger had won the job, but then Grove put on a clinic during the exhibition game against the Jaguars, and has been practicing with the first team ever since. If Grove out-performs Berger again against the Falcons tomorrow night, then Grove very well might be named the starting center, after being the underdog only a week ago.
Zone Coverage:
- Can Patrick Turner, and/or Marlon Moore step up with the departure of Greg Camarillo? The Dolphins parted ways with reliable receiver Greg Camarillo yesterday, trading him to the Minnesota Vikings for corner Benny Sapp. To me this is an example of confidence in the two young receivers. Turner will now almost definitely make the roster, and Moore will most likely make the cut as well with the release of guard Randy Thomas. These two have been catching the coaching staffs eyes during the games, and if they keep it up, they could see some playing time come regular season time. I'm interested to see if they can keep up the consistency and out perform the opposing second teamers.
- Who will be the red-zone threat for the Dolphins? The team has always relied on their two tight end sets in the red-zone to score their touchdowns, but now that they have Brandon Marshall, will it still be their go-to formation? Marshall draws so much attention by himself, that any formation would do inside the 20 yard line, but the question is who will be the go-to target on that crucial play. Will it be Anthony Fasano? Marshall? Davone Bess? Ronnie Brown? We should be able to find out a little bit aout this question in tomorrows game.
The Dolphins have without a doubt made progress this off-season, but the biggest question for me is whether or not they can be a good, if not great team on a consistent basis. The AFC East is a tough division, and the Dolphins will have to have taken a step forward this off-season as a team to be successful this year.
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