Dolphins-Jets: The sequel

In a strange scheduling quirk, the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets face off for the second time in three weeks, this time in the Meadowlands. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

The last time the two teams played, of course, was on Monday night. And in one of the best games in the rivalry in recent years, Ronnie Brown's 2-yard TD run with six seconds left lifted Miami to a 31-27 win.

The next week, the Jets continued their skid with a 16-13 overitme loss at home to Buffalo, their third loss in a row. Quarterback Mark Sanchez single-handedly lost the game with his worst day as a pro, tossing five interceptions.

But last week, New York got back in the win column with a 38-0 demolishing of the hapless Raiders in Oakland.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, had unbeaten New Orleans on the ropes until a 22-point fourth quarter led to an improbable Saints 46-34 come-from-behind victory.

That loss dropped Miami to 2-4 and 2 1/2 games behind the Jets in the AFC East.

The Dolphins defense had no answer for New Orleans, as Drew Brees led the Saints to 43 points over the last two quarters.

Brees riddled the Dolphins secondary for 298 yards and one TD, and Miami also lost veteran cornerback Will Allen for the season with a torn ACL.

That elevates rookie Vontae Davis to the starting lineup, where he will play opposite another rookie, Sean Smith.

Jets receiver Braylon Edwards feasted on the Fins in the first meeting, catching five passes for 64 yards and a TD, but he has not been productive in the last two games.

Also, Jerricho Cotchery should return after missing the first meeting with a pulled hamstring, giving the Jets another receiving threat.

The Dolphins pass rush struggled against New York on that Monday night, tallying just one sack.

The defense started like a house of fire againast New Orleans, sacking Brees five times and intercepting him three times -- but all the damage was done in the first half.

Miami must get pressure on Sanchez to give the two young corners help, and the running game will be a priority for both teams.

The Jets ran the ball effectively against the Dolphins in the first meeting, tallying 138 yards.

New York lost a key player for the season last week as well, when do-everything running back Leon Washington broke his leg.

But the Jets found another option to team with Thomas Jones in rookie Shonn Greene, who lit up the Raiders for 144 yards and two rushing TDs.

Greene and Jones will look to pound it inside, while the Dolphins Wildcat offense will try to continue its dominance.

Miami ran for 151 yards against Rex Ryan's defense in the last meeting, which Ryan later lamented as an embarrassing effort.

Since then, the Jets have sunk to 22nd in the league against the run, and they lost a key run-stuffer in tackle Kris Jenkins, who also is out for the season.

Somehow, I get the feeling Ryan will have his defense better prepared this week than he did Monday night. The Jets have the home crowd on their side, and the revenge factor.

Plus, I don't think Chad Henne will have the same kind of day he had three weeks ago, when he riddled the Jets for 20-of-26 passing for 241 yards.

Ryan took the last Dolphins game personally, and I think he'll unleash the hounds on a team that might still be suffering a hangover from last week's meltdown.

Jets 27, Dolphins 24.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

High-scoring Saints march into Miami

The Miami Dolphins come out of their bye week and into the fire, as they host the undefeated New Orleans Saints at Land Shark Stadium. Kickoff is at 4:15.

To say the Saints are a high-scoring outfit is an understatement. Through five games, New Orleans is averaging 38.4 points and 430 yards of total ofense per game.

Last week, Drew Brees and Company eviscerated the then-No. 1 defense in the NFL, the New York Giants, for 493 total yards and 48 points in the Saints' 48-27 drubbing.

Brees was at his best, completing 23-of-30 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns, and Marques Colston caught eight passes for 166 yards and a TD.

These two teams met in the preseason, but Brees and many of the offensive starters did not play in Miami's 10-7 victory.

For Miami to win, the Dolphins must employ the same strategy they almost executed against the Colts and Peyton Manning back in a Week 2 loss: Control the ball with the running game, and limit Brees' opportunities offensively.

The problem that week was that Manning made the most of every chance he got, and led the Colts to a 27-23 win despite having possession of the ball for only 14 minutes and 53 seconds.

The Saints present a variety of problems, as they have playmakers at every offensive position, and are even fifth in the NFL in rushing offense.

Colston will be a handful for the secondary, though Sean Smith and his 6-foot-3 frame should have some opportunities against him.

The bigger problems may be Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush out of the backfield.

The Dolphins have had problems all season with elite tight ends. In Weeks 1-3, Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark and Antonio Gates had their way with Dolphins linebackers and the secondary.

Not coincidentally, in this two-game winning streak they managed to shut down Derek Fine of the Bills and Dustin Keller of the Jets.

Shockey is banged up, but if he plays, he should see a lot of passes from Brees.

The Dolphins' pass rush, which has been largely nonexistent this season, may not have much of a chance Sunday, as Brees gets the ball off so quickly, teams can barely get to him.

The Saints have allowed just four sacks all year, fourth in the NFL, and the Giants' great pass rush did not drop him once in last week's victory.

Dolphins enter with balanced attack
The Dolphins are coming off their best offensive performance of the season.

In a 31-27 win over the Jets on Monday Night Football two weeks ago, Chad Henne had the finest day of his young career, completing 20-of-26 throws for 241 yards and two TDs.

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams spearheaded a 151-yard rushing effort out of the Wildcat, and Ted Ginn made his first big play of the season, when he beat a Jets triple-team for a 53-yard TD catch.

Now, the Dolphins must find a way to penetrate a Saints defense that has been surprisiingly good this year.

New Orleans ranks ninth in the NFL in total defense -- just one spot ahead of the Dolphins -- and last week the Saints held Eli Manning to his worst day of the season, with just 14 completions in 31 attempts for 178 yards and an interception.

Darren Sharper is the quarterback of the defensive backfield, and he is a master at reading a passer's eyes.

Sharper has five interceptions through five games, and he had a sixth last week that was called back due to a penalty.

He is exactly the type of crafty safety Henne should be wary of.

Other than Sharper, the New Orleans defense is largely the same outfit that has been a sieve the past few seasons.

What has changed is the addition of Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator.

His imaginative schemes and aggressive tactics have transformed the New Orleans defense, and the big men up front -- led by Charles Grant and Will Smith -- have formed a brick wall for opposing running backs, as the Saints rank fifth in the league against the run.

The Saints have too many weapons, and though I think the Dolphins will be able to move the ball on them -- particularly on the ground -- I see the Saints slipping by with a 31-24 score.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Grading the Dolphins

With the Dolphins on a bye this past weekend, this seems like a good time to grade the team on its performance so far this season:

Offensive line -- B: The space-eaters up front are reportedly making a combined $155 million in salaries this season, and they've earned every penny in the running game, paving the way for an attack that leads the league with an average of 177 yards per game. It's not just that the Dolphins are running it a lot; they are also running effectively, as their 4.8-average per carry attests. The only downside: The pass protection has been leaky at times, as the Dolphins have allowed 13 sacks through five regular season games, tied for 13th in the NFL.

Running backs -- A: Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have been the reasons for the Dolphins resurgence, and the Wildcat has been close to unstoppable in the last two games. Brown ranks eighth in the NFL with 443 yards, and he has already scored six TDs. Williams ranks 20th with 316 yards, and he has a gaudy 5.2-yard average per carry.

Wide receivers -- D: A group that has been wildly inconsistent from game to game, and is now a secondary factor in the offense. Davone Bess leads the unit with a paltry 23 receptions. Ted Ginn, the Dolphins' nominal No. 1 receiver, ranks 53rd in the NFL with 16 catches, and he has enjoyed just one 100-yard game. Too often the receivers have not been able to get separation from opposing corners, and the tight ends have been even worse, with just 10 receptions coming from that position.

Quarterbacks -- C: Chad Pennington didn't do much before his season-ending injury, averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt and throwing only one TD pass. Henne has been better through 2 1/2 games, but he's already been sacked more times (7) than Pennington had been in the same amount of action.

Defensive line -- B: The line has been the starting point for the Dolphins' excellence at stopping the run. Miami is third in the NFL in that category, allowing 76.4 yards per game and holding opposing backs to an average of 3.4 yards each time they run the football. Randy Starks and Kendall Langford have three sacks combined, but far too often the unit doesn't get enough push up the middle against opposing quarterbacks.

Linebackers -- C: Against, the run, this unit is stout, as Jason Taylor and Channing Crowder always seem to fly to the football. But against the pass, opposing tight ends have feasted. Three straight weeks, the Dolphins were burned by Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark and Antonio Gates, meaning this unit has been a big contributor to the team's 18th-ranked pass defense. The pass rush has also been poor, with half of the team's 12 sacks coming in the Buffalo game. Jason Taylor and Joey Porter are not providing the push they have in recent years, and Cameron Wake needs more playing time after his three-sack effort against Buffalo.

Secondary -- C: The rookies, Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, have played well. The old man, Will Allen, has also been solid, save for the New York Jets game when Braylon Edwards had his way with him. But the Dolphins have just three interceptions as a team -- all against lowly Buffalo -- and then there are the safeties. Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell were part of the problem against tight ends, and they have missed far too many tackles to help compound the errors.

Special teams -- C: The Dolphins rank in the bottom half of the league in returns, and the problem is a lack of speed. Neither Davone Bess nor Patrick Cobbs have enough of it to break a big return, and now that Cobbs is injured, maybe Ginn can breathe some life into the return game. The kickoff coverage has been excellent, as Miami is allowing oponents an average of just 20 yards per return, though the punt return unit has been a little softer, allowing opponents a 10.3 average per return.

Punter Brandon Fields has been mediocre with 44.5 yards per kick, and he ranks even lower in punts downed inside the 20 with six. Dan Carpenter has been almost perfect this season, going 7-for-8 on field goal tries and 13-for-13 on extra points, though he has just two touchbacks, down from seven a year ago.

Coaching -- B: The Dolphins staff has again made the most out of what seems to be a little, as Dan Henning's game plans have kept opposing defenses off balance. After a bad start, Miami has averaged 31 points in its last three games. However, Henning did make a big gaffe that cost the Fins against Indianapolis, when he decided to run the ball on third down late in the game rather than go for the jugular and a TD that would have made Peyton Manning's job more difficult. Paul Pasqualoni has the defense doing its usual stout job against the run, but he hasn't found the magic formula for pressuring the passer -- though the pass defense has improved over the last two games. Tony Sparano has pushed the right buttons after an 0-3 start that could have ended in freefall, and he has the team believing in Henne.

Overall -- C-: The Dolphins dug themselves a big hole to start the season, but it's to their credit that they did not quit and have put themselves in position to at least make a run down the stretch. That said, there are too many holes on this team right now -- particularly defensively -- to think they have a shot of repeating last year's dream run to the playoffs.

(Yahoo Images)

Mirror images collide Monday night

After losing some steam in recent years, the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets rivalry has returned to prominence over the past two seasons.

Monday night, the two teams meet before a national audience, in a game that will be televised by ESPN.

The Jets will no doubt be playing the revenge card in this one.

It was Miami that ended their dreams of a playoff berth in 2008, and ended the Brett Favre Era in one fell swoop in a 24-17 win at the Meadowlands.

Much has changed in that time.

Favre, of course, is in Minnesota. Coach Eric Mangini was fired, and hired by the Cleveland Browns.

The man who replaced Mangini is his polar opposite.

There is no doubt that Rex Ryan is Buddy Ryan's son. He has the same qualities: He's abrasive, arrogant, and he has the most important thing in common with Dad, he's a great defensive football coach.

Ryan has wasted no time in molding the Jets in his image, and they enter Land Shark Stadium 3-1 and as the de facto leaders in the AFC East.

The Dolphins have gotten off to a much slower start, falling to 0-3 and losing starting quarterback Chad Pennington for the season before rebounding for a 38-10 win over Buffalo last week.

Against the Bills, the Dolphins executed what must have been Tony Sparano's and Bill Parcells' dream game plan: They controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes, ran for 250 yards and forced six sacks and three interceptions.

It was an all-around brilliant performance, one in which first-time starter Chad Henne didn't have to do much (14-of-22, 115 yards, 1 TD).

That will likely change Monday night.

The Jets enter with the fourth-ranked defense in the NFL, though last week, they gave up a season-high 153 yards rushing in their first loss of the season to New Orleans.

But with a rookie quarterback under center, you'd better believe Ryan will stack the box in an effort to stop the run and force the ball into Henne's hands.

The last few weeks, the Wildcat offense has been operating at optimum efficiency. Miami leads the NFL in rushing at 183.5 yards per game, and since being held to 96 yards opening week by Atlanta, that number has risen to 212.7 yards per game.

Ronnie Brown has been the master of the Wildcat, ranking fifth in the league in rushing with 369 yards and four TDs.

But, if you remember last year, the only team that consistently stopped the Wildcat was the Baltimore Ravens, with Ryan as defensive coordinator.

In those two games, Brown had 27 and 19 yards rushing, and as a team the Dolphins gained just 153 yards total on the ground.

Ryan likes to blitz with different personnel, and he'll do it from any side of the field.

Also, with Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, he had the personnel to stop the Wildcat.

Scott is now a Jet, and he has teammates like David Harris and Brian Thomas who can fly to the football and help stop the run.

Even more remarkable is the fact the Jets are sixth against the pass, despite having the fewest sacks in the league with four.

That's testament to Darrelle Revis, one of the top corners in the game, as well as safeties Jim Leonhard and Kerry Rhodes.

Scheme is what makes the Jets' D so effective, as the sum is truly greater than the individual parts.

Henne will have to take his deep shots when he gets a chance, but Ted Ginn may not have many opportunities with Revis on him.

The flip side of this battle is, the Jets are almost a mirror image of what the Dolphins try to do offensively.

New York ranks eighth in the league in rushing at over 130 yards per game, partly because they have a good trio of running backs in Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and Shonn Greene.

But the Jets also run out of necessity, as quarterback Mark Sanchez is only a rookie and not yet ready to assume the full burden offensively.

The Saints proved that last week, when they bottled up the New York ground attack, and forced Sanchez into 27 pass attempts and three crucial interceptions.

I don't see the Jets being able to run the ball on Miami, since the Dolphins have the No. 1 rushing defense in the league.

Washington will be a handful in the backfield and catching passes, as will tight end Dustin Keller, who will try to exploit what has been a soft spot in the Dolphins defense all year.

Joey Porter returns to help the pass rush, and Cameron Wake should see more playing time after his three-sack effort last week.

New Jets receiver Braylon Edwards gives "The Sanchise" the deep element the offense has been missing.

And that may be what this game comes down to: Which team can make plays in the passing game?

This should be a defensive struggle, but the Dolphins troubles against the pass -- and the unknown quantity in Henne -- tip the scales slightly in New York's favor.

Jets 17, Dolphins 13.

Dolphins finally get in win column

It was the template you thought the Miami Dolphins would follow for success against the Buffalo Bills: Establish the run, and put Chad Henne in good situations when throwing the football.

Well, the Dolphins held the ball for more than 37 minutes, and piled up 250 rushing yards for their first victory of the 2009 season, 38-10 over the fading Buffalo Bills.

Henne was efficient, completing 14-of-22 passes for 115 yards and his first NFL touchdown pass, a 5-yard toss to rookie Brian Hartline.

But the story of this game was the Miami offensive line, which cleared the way for Ronnie Brown's 20-carry, 115-yard, 2 TD effort.

Ricky Williams also got in on the act with 16 carries for 85 yards and another score.

The defense played its best game of the young season, limiting Trent Edwards to 192 passing yards, and recording the first three interceptions of the season.

Will Allen had two, and Vontae Davis got the first big play when he stepped in front of an Edwards pass and returned it 23 yards to give the Fins a 10-0 lead.

The pass rush was also impressive.

Cameron Wake made his first big impact as a Dolphin, recording three sacks, and Jason Taylor finally made his presence felt with two more.

All told, the Dolphins had a season-high six sacks, all the more impressive since sack leader Joey Porter missed the game with a shoulder injury.

The run defense, ranked third in the league entering the game, continued to shine, holding Buffalo to 46 yards on the day.

With a big division game against the New York Jets coming up next Monday night, Sunday should be a harbinger of what the Dolphins want to do the rest of the season.

A dominant running attack and solid defense can lead to victories, and can limit the pressure put on Henne to win games by himself.

If the Dolphins can do the same things they did against Buffalo, they may find themselves back in the division race come next Tuesday.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

Dolphins look to avoid 0-3 vs. Chargers

After all but beating the Indianapolis Colts last Monday night, the Miami Dolphins travel to the West Coast to face the high powered San Diego Chargers at 4:15 p.m.

The challenge is a daunting one: Try to avoid going 0-3 against one of the most talented teams in the NFL.

Last week, Miami dominated the Colts statistically, except for the big statistic on the scoreboard, which read Indianapolis 27, Miami 23.

Miami rolled up 239 rushing yards, with Ronnie Brown being the primary weapon with 136 of them, to go with touchdowns.

Look for more of the same conservative game plan the Dolphins ran against the Colts, as they face an even more potent offense in the Chargers.

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers leads the NFL with 688 passing yards, including a mind-boggling 436 against the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense in a 31-26 loss last week.

Rivers has a variety of weapons in Norv Turner's attack.

Vincent Jackson presents a large target at 6-foor-3, and he toyed with the Ravens secondary with six catches for a game-high 141 yards and a TD.

Cornerback Will Allen is a full five inches shorter than Jackson, which makes this a troublesome matchup.

Rookie corner Sean Smith is Jackson's height, though he is not the equal in experience, which could be a drawback for Miami.

Malcolm Floyd -- all 6-foot-5 inches of him -- is another formidable red zone target.

The Chargers also have former Dolphin Chris Chambers as a solid third option, and we haven't even gotten to the man who will be Miami's biggest nemesis Sunday: Former all-pro tight end Antonio Gates.

Gates has been good in each of San Diego's first two games, catching five passes in each for a total of 161 yards. And he has to be excited about this matchup, considering the Dolphins have struggled to cover big-time tight ends in each of their first two games.

Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez repeatedly beat Dolphins linebackers and safeties for big plays in Week 1, and he finished with five catches for 73 yards and a score.

But that's nothing compared to what Colts tight end Dallas Clark did last week.

Clark scored on the opening play of the game, an 80-yard TD -- beating a befuddled Akin Ayodele and Gibril Wilson -- on his way to a career high 183 yards on seven catches.

Gates is a physical and fast tight end, a combination of Clark and Gonzalez, and the Chargers have to know that is a weak spot they can probe all day.

The other most dangerous weapon for San Diego is in the backfield, but it's not LaDainian Tomlinson.

The once-great running back has only played in the Chargers season opener, and he gained just 55 yards on 13 carries before injuring an ankle. He missed last week's game, and won't suit up Sunday.

That's unfortunate for Miami, because LT's backup is now a better player.

Five-foot-six Darren Sproles scored the winning TD in San Diego's 24-20 win over Oakland, and last week he provided offense as a receiver, catching seven passes for 124 yards, including an 81-yard score.

If Dolphins linebackers have had problems covering tight ends like Gonzalez and Clark, what will happen when Rivers finds Sproles one-on-one with them?

Also, the Dolphins have to find what has been a nonexistent pass rush.

It was supposed to be bolstered by the return of Jason Taylor and the addition of Cameron Wake, but the Dolphins only recorded one sack last week, by Joey Porter, and the team has only three for the season.

The Chargers line isn't especially great, allowing five sacks in two games and missing center Nick Hardwick for the rest of the season.

Miami can also attack a San Diego defense that ranks 20th in the league and has surrendered an average of 25.5 points in its first two games.

The Chargers only have two sacks and rank 13th in pass defense, but remember, they played the Raiders' awful JaMarcus Russell in Week 1, so those numbers are skewed.

Also, they rank 24th against the run, so teams have been choosing that area to exploit all year.

Baltimore's Joe Flacco had an efficient day against San Diego last week, completing 17-of-26 passes for 190 yards and two TDs.

The Chargers defense also gave up 130 yards rushing againt Baltimore and 148 against the Raiders, meaning the Dolphins running game should continue its resurgence.

This should be a game reminiscent of last week's: Miami trying to bleed the clock, with San Diego having to make the most of its opportunities when it gets the ball in Rivers' hands.

Last year, Miami climbed out of an 0-2 hole, partly with a home win against the Chargers.

It's time for a new wrinkle from Sparano and company, who famously came up with the "Wildcat" last season after losing the first two games. And with their backs against the proverbial wall, the Dolphins will do just enough to pull out a 24-20 victory.

(Photo: Yahoo images)

Conservative Dolphins done in by Colts

As we've often heard, statistics don't always tell the story, and Monday night was proof of that.

The Miami Dolphins dominated time of possession, holding the ball for more than three full quarters.

They had 27 first downs to the Indianapolis Colts' 14, ran for 239 yards to Indy's 61.

Yet, by game's end, the scoreboard read, Indianapolis 27, Miami 23.

A must win for the Dolphins became a blown opportunity.

Yes, they had the ball for the majority of the game and kept the Peyton Manning-led offense off the field.

But the defense couldn't stop the Colts when it counted.

Manning read a blitz and hit second-year receiver Pierre Garcon, who wove his way to the 48-yard TD that won the game.

Then, the Dolphins went into the worst two-minute offense since Donovan McNabb gagged his way through the end of Super Bowl XXXIX against the Patriots.

With 3:18 to play, and needing 82 yards to score the game-winner, the Dolphins ran on first down, let the clock wind down to 2:26, then called time out.

They then inexplicably ran the ball again to get down to the two-minute warning.

Quarterback Chad Pennington resorted to play action fakes against a defense that was expecting nothing but pass, fooling no one and wasting precious seconds in the process.

Then came the coup de gras, as Ted Ginn, who had a good game with 11 catches for 108 yards, had the potential winning TD pass bounce off his hands in the end zone.

A pass to Ginn on fourth-and-10 gained 12 to the Colts' 30, but with no timeouts left, Pennington had to spike the ball with 12 seconds left.

A desperation heave followed, which was intercepted by Antoine Bethea, and the Dolphins' chances for victory vanished.

Just as damning was the previous possession, when the Dolphins and Colts were tied 20-20 and Miami was driving.

On third-and-6 from the Colts 30, the Dolphins called another run. Ronnie Brown got just two yards, and Dan Carpenter booted a 45-yard field goal to give them a three-point lead.

That is not exaclty going for the jugular against the Colts, and Manning made the Dolphins pay.

Brown ran for 136 yards on 24 carries, scored two TDs and ran the "Wildcat" flawlessly.

But in the end, the Dolphins' inability to get to Manning -- and to tackle in critical situations -- cost them as much as the conservative playcalling did.

On the first play of the game, as expected, Manning went to tight end Dallas Clark, who beat a befuddled Akin Ayodele, and safety Gibril Wilson could not wrap him up.

Clark's marathon 80-yard TD was a sign of things to come.

The Colts did not have the ball often, but Manning made the most of it every time they did.

Wilson and Yeremiah Bell continued to struggle, missing tackles and coverages, and Clark had a second straight huge day for a tight end against Miami: seven catches for a career-high 183 yards.

The defense got no pressure on Manning. Joey Porter had the team's only sack, and Jason Taylor was missing in action.

Now, at 0-2, the Fins go to San Diego to play the high-powered Chargers, and you can bet Antonio Gates has to be licking his lips right now after the way tight ends have feasted on the defense.

There are also rumblings that if things continue to head south, Pennington -- who had a solid game with with 22 completions in 33 attempts for 183 yards -- will be benched in favor of second-year pro Chad Henne.

If that happens, it might already be time to start thinking about 2010.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

Dolphins D faces stiff test

They've been bend-but-don't break the entire preseason, but Thursday night the Dolphins defense must play at a high level to contain the red-hot Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints offense.

Brees is coming off a season in which he passed for the second-most yards in history, joining Dolphins Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino as the only qwuarterbacks to top 5,000 yards in a season.

And last week against the hapless Oakland Raiders, Brees put on a passing clinic, hitting on 14-of-17 throws for 179 yards and two TDs in one half of action.

In three games, Brees has tossed four TDs, no interceptions, and has an astounding QB rating of 132.7.

The Saints rang up a 38-0 halftime lead on the way to a 45-7 blowout.

The overall numbers from the game are staggering, even for preseason.

The Saints tallied an incredible 31 first downs and 536 yards of total offense -- without starting running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.

According to the Saints Web site, Thomas will not play due to a sprained MCL, while Bush is questionable with a calf injury.

Still, as the Saints proved last week, they have plenty of weapons in their offensive repertoire.

Third receiver Robert Meachem caught a 71-yard pass, and Devery Henderson added three catches for 69 yards, including a 40-yard TD. There was also a Jeremy Shockey sighting, as the tight end caught four passes for 48 yards on the day.

New Orleans is 3-0 and ranks first in the league in preseason in points per game (33), total yards (424) and most surprisingly, the Saints are second in rushing, averaging 163.7 yards per game.

Defensively, the Saints have been shockingly stingy, ranking third in the NFL allowing an average of only 9.3 points per game. The Dolphins are right behind the Saints with a 10.7 average.

With Will Smith and new addition Paul Spicer beefing up the defensive line, the Saints have ranked first in rush defense, holding opponents to 70.7 yards per game.

That will make it tough on a Dolphins running game that has yet to heat up this preseason. Miami ranks 14th in the league with an average of 112.7 yards per game.

The first unit has especially struggled, as Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown have combined for 33 carries for 123 yards and no TDs, as the offensive line has not been able to open any holes inside.

The problems haven't been confined running the ball, as Miami ranks 24th in points (16.3), and 29th in total yards (276.7) and passing (164).

Thursday, the Dolphins will have to step up the tempo to keep pace with the Saints' high octane attack.

The Dolphins defense has been solid overall, though Byron Leftwich had a good day throwing the football last week, and it would have been better had he not missed three open receivers.

Rookie corners Sean Smith and Vontae Davis should again be on the hot seat Thursday, and fans will get a better idea of how ready they are for the regular season in this final tune-up.

The starters don't figure to play much for either team, but the Dolphins' first unit defense will still have its hands full.

Also, the Miami special teams must improve against the Saints, particularly on punt returns, where the Fins are giving up an average of 12.3 yards per runback.

These are just some of the things to watch Thursday.

(Photo: Yahoo images)

Two Chads to see time in Tampa

The Dolphins' third preseason game is tomorrow night, and as most NFL fans know, this is the game in which the starters get major minutes as they work on their timing. The fourth preseason game is little more than a dress rehearsal for backups and third-stringers, making tomorrow's game the last time you'll see Chad Pennington and Ronnie Brown get major playing time until the season opener in Atlanta.

And that's just how Tony Sparano plans to do it, announcing that Pennington will play the entire first half, with Chad Henne playing the second half.

Second round pick Pat White was not mentioned, but he will probably see some action anyway.

The offensive line will go for three quarters, with Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown running the ball most of the time. That means we won't see much of preseason star Lex Hilliard until the fourth quarter.

Hilliard has been a big surprise, leading the Fins in rushing with 94 yards and a TD through the first two games.

Tomorrow's game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Williams injured
There was speculation that kick returner/receiver Chris Williams had been injured in the Dolphins' last preseason game, and that has been confirmed. Williams apparently broke his left hand in the Carolina game, though it was before he fumbled a punt return late in the first half that turned out to be his last play as a Dolphin. Williams was waived injured Monday.

Turner dies
T.J. Turner, a mainstay of the Dolphins' defensive line from 1986-1992, died after complications of a stroke Tuesday. He was only 46.

I have a fond memory of Turner, as I still own his player card from a set during the 1987 season, the year Joe Robbie (now Land Shark Stadium) opened.

His early death seems to be a recurring theme in pro football, where the life expectancy for ex-NFLers is much lower than the national average, and is even lower than their counterparts in pro baseball, basketball and hockey. Too many collisions between large men causing untold trauma to the body.

We don't know if that had anything to do with what happened to Turner, but it's still sad that another former pro has died too soon.

Dolphins sharp in win over Panthers

After the offense struggled Monday in a 12-9 win over Jacksonville, the Dolphins regrouped in a 27-17 win over the Carolina Panthers Saturday night at Land Shark Stadium.

Chad Pennington and Chad Henne were both razor sharp; Pennington especially so in limited action.

The former New York Jet completed 8-of-11 passes for 105 yards and a 28-yard touchdown pass to Ronnie Brown.

Henne played most of the second half, hitting on 10-of-16 passes for 75 yards, including a 2-yard scoring toss to running back Joe Kowalewski that clinched the game with 3:03 to play.

The offense, which was held to 257 yards against the Jags, gained 312 yards of total offense against Carolina.

Brown looked fully recovered from his ACL tear two years ago, running seven times for 31 yards, and he displayed some nifty moves, spinning off defenders and showing more elusiveness than he did last season.

Ricky Williams added 21 yards on just three carries and Patrick Cobbs gained 24 yards on five carries as the offensive line, which did not block well against the Jags, pounded the Panthers for 141 yards rushing.

"I was happy," Coach Tony Sparano said in his postgame press conference. "I was pleased with what Ronnie and Ricky were able to do."

The running star of the second half was Miami's fourth-string running back, Lex Hilliard, who had a second straight good game with nine carries for a game-high 52 yards, including a 39-yard TD run that was the finest of the game.

The rookie from Montana hit the hole hard and showed a surprising burst.

"Lex has done a nice job," Sparano said. "He's a big back who runs like a big back."

Pat White completed 2-of-3 passes for just four yards in limited action in the second quarter, and he ran twice for 11 yards. But the big surprise was that White wasn't involved in the Dolphins' five "Wildcat" plays.

Midway through the first quarter, the Dolphins unveiled the offensive formation that swept the league last year, as Brown lined up in the shotgun and ran for two yards on the first play.

The second time the Dolphins ran the "Wildcat," Brown faked to Williams up the middle, turned and faked to Cobbs coming around the end, then kept it for no gain.

But in the second quarter, the Dolphins ran the "Wildcat" three times in four plays to much greater success.

Williams took the handoff from Brown on a sweep and gained 11 yards and a first down.

Two plays later, Brown kept the ball and ran up the middle for five and another first down.

But the Dolphins saved the biggest play for last, as Brown handed to Williams coming around the end, and he tossed the ball back to Pennington, who lofted a 38-yard pass to Cobbs to the Carolina 10-yardline.

"We ran the same four plays that every team in the league knows we have," Sparano said. "It's good homework for us to see how they defend us."

Connor Barth ended the drive with a 22-yard field goal that put Miami ahead 10-7.

The running backs also dominated on the receiving end, as Cobbs led Miami with four catches for 56 yards, and Brown added 43 yards on three receptions. Rookie Patrick Turner was Miami's leading receiver with three catches for 25 yards.

Defense shines
But while the offense rang up yards and points, the Dolphins defense held the Panthers to 244 yards of total offense.

Last year, Carolina was third in the NFL with an average of 152 rushing yards per game, but Saturday, the Dolphins front line stymied the Panthers, holding their talented backs to 98 yards rushing.

DeAngelo Williams, who rushed for 1,515 yards, gained 40 on eight carries. But that was a misleading stat, as Miami held Williams to 14 yards on seven carries. The big one came in the first quarter, when Williams was seemingly stopped behind the line of scrimmage, broke a tackle, broke another in the secondary, and scored on a 26-yard run to tie the game at 7-7.

Cornerback Vontae Davis, whistled for three penalties last week, rebounded with three tackles and an assist, and several passes defended.

"I liked what Vontae did," Sparano said. "We shouldn't have judged him on a couple of plays. He was active and made some nice tackles."

Davis played most of the game, since rookie Sean Smith and veteran Jason Allen were out with flu-like symptoms. Test results are pending, but Sparano said Smith should be back in practice Monday.

Defensive end Cameron Wake also made his presence felt with a big hit on Panthers quarterback Jake McCown on third-and-3 on a pass that was ruled incomplete.

Special teams struggle
While the offense and defense played well, the special teams were not very good, particularly in the first half.

Returner Chris Williams, who was a bright spot in the Jacksonville game, had just two yards on three returns, and he made the biggest mistake of the game when a ball bounced off his facemask at the Miami 10, and Carolina recovered at the 14.

That led to a Decori Birmingham 2-yard TD run that gave the Panthers a 14-10 halftime lead.

Williams got an earful from Sparano on the sidelines, and was replaced in the second half by Davone Bess and rookie Brian Hartline, who managed to hold onto the ball for the remainder of the game.

Williams wasn't the only special teams performer to struggle, as the Panthers took advantage of poor kick coverage to post a 14-yard average on punt returns, as well as an average of 20 yards a kick return, including two the Panthers nearly broke for scores.

Punter Brandon Fields was the best special teams player for the Dolphins, averaging 45.4 yards a kick, including a boomer that Carolina fumbled and Miami recovered at the Panthers 14-yardline.

That led to Henne's clinching TD pass to Kowalewski.

Overall, the Dolphins could have gotten an A, but the spotty special teams bring them down to a B.

Again, Miami only has a five-day layoff before taking the field, this time Thursday at 8 p.m. at Tampa Bay.

The cornerback position should be one to watch, with Davis and Smith each having one good game so far. If Smith is fully recovered, Thursday could go a long way towards deciding who will start next to Will Allen on opening day.

Also, no player has emerged from the logjam at wide receiver, with eight different wideouts getting playing time Saturday. That group will be pared to five, though Anthony Armstrong did himself no favors Saturday when he dropped a perfect third down pass from Henne that would have given the Dolphins a first down across midfield.

Right now, he's probably the wideout most likely to go, but really, no receiver has been very impressive this preseason, so Sparano has some difficult decisions ahead.

I'll check back later with any new developments.