Tony Sparano's take on game, practices

The Dolphins have two games in the next six practice days (not counting walk-thru and off days) so days such as today's double sessions are vital.

This is what the current schedule means:

Players have very little time to correct mistakes they make in preseason games. The preseason games become vital in the evaluation of players. And, conversely, players that have a certain status on the team now, are likely to keep that status barring significant change in the way they are peforming.

In other words, if a player is on first-team now, he's likely to stay there unless he totally melts down. If a player is not on first-team now, it's going to be increasingly difficult for him to make the climb unless he delivers an incredible performance in a preseason game.

"Time is not on our side," Sparano told the media and the players on separate occasions after practice. "You have to make the most of your opportunity."

Having said that, let me serve as your humble translator to what this all means. Donald Thomas, who seems to have a grasp on the starting right guard spot following a solid effort Monday night and today's practice, is not likely to lose that job. Barring injury or a total performance meltdown, he will be the starting right guard.

At the cornerback position, it is becoming clear that Eric Green not only will not win the starting job he had when training camp began, he's struggling to earn a roster spot. Sean Smith, meanwhile, working with the first team, would have to struggle mightily to squander his opportunity to start.

During his press conference moments ago, Sparano defended first-round draft pick Vontae Davis. The coach said Davis made "poor decisions in a few areas" and had "three minus plays on defense," with one of those being the pass interference penalty he drew.

But Sparano then added, "I don't, for one minute, want Vontae judged on those three plays," Sparano said, adding that the cornerback played a lot on defense.

Here's the problem: Sparano was unhappy that his team yielded between 125 and 130 yards of hidden yardage in the game. And Davis accounted for 55 yards of hidden yardage on his three penalties. Sooo, on the one hand Sparano is upset with his team about hidden yardage but doesn't want Davis judged on three minus plays plus the 55 yards of hidden yardage Davis accounted for?

Look, Davis will likely become a good player. But he did have a rough night against Jacksonville.

Just saying ...

On the positive side, the Dolphins have been emphasizing third down efficiency and in that department, the starting offense was at 50 percent while the starting defense held Jacksonville to only 29 percent.

The coach was not happy the Jags completed, according to him, 63 percent of their passes on the starting defense and the Dolphins yielded 123 passing yards in the first half.

On the other hand, the offense did put together drives of 10 and 14 plays so that speaks to ball control.

Comments

[cuban menace]

OK, NJ.. and yes iam protecting the mall so you and your family can enjoy shopping ...lol

[cuban menace]

Not to sound gay(not that theres anything wrong with that) but i love cheese steaks..

[homeless]

NJ, Next time please avoid the showing off , i know you can't help it since you are from nj .you didn't need to say my HOMES .

[mike]

Oh shite. Green Cut. Laters homey.

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Sorry homeless . My heart does go out to you.

[cuban menace]

WOW, cutting eric green already, Nice..hopefully the underachievers will take note...

[homeless]

NJ , i have a friend who has 4 homes .each one of them is a dump .so when people say homes, i wonder to myself.

[Gopats]

good timing for cutting GREEN after monday's game.they knew all a long they will cut him but waited after a bad showing to start doing scary tactics .i like it

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Homeless. my homes are real nice with a beautiful view of the city.. if you're ever in the weehawkeen, edgewater, cliffside park or fort lee area give me a holler. i'll take care of you.. but you have to root for the dolphins.

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Gopats/menace . Great F'n point. ! I wish i thought of that. Damn !

[Gopats]

the word homes means so many things. the park near you could be called home .so show us pictures w/ you sleeping at nite in the bedroom and another w/ you in day time drinking coffe in each of the houses .

[Gopats]

anderson next

[Bcphinsfan]

Sean smith = new pat surtain

[cuban menace]

Gopats, Whats the latest on the NFL's flagship team??

[odinseye]

Cuban Menace

Farve? The Vikings?

I have a one track mind as a Dolphin fan. So I would have to say I hope we get the chance to knock the snot out of him.
Seeing how their not on our schedule, it would have to happen at the Super Bowl.

Go Phins!

[odinseye]

NJ

What type of business are you in?

[coll]

Cuban menace has more homes than NJ PHIN .

[odinseye]

Tony

Cut Brandon Frye. I know you saw him whiff when Henne got sacked. I didn't see him make one play.

[Crabby Cakes]

the cuban menace lives in a few different trees. and one small hut down by the river. that iswhere he turns tricks for bananas.

[Roch Don]

jamar fletcher= drew breese who we should have drafted in the first place and lost a second time.

[Gopats]

Cakes, you remember saturday nite live chris farllow who played the motivation speaker WHO lives " DOWN BY THE RIVER " ?

[sammo]

eric green cut. what a waste of salary cap space. jason allen looked good and could take the nickel back job. davis will get better in time. in his defense he tripped and ran into the receiver on pass inteferance. who ever said henne's passes wobbled did you even see the laser he threw to hartline? sean smith can flat out run. i think he will have no prob running step for step with moss owens and such.

[Despacio]

What a ballsy move to cut Green so early in the preseason. This front office is not joking around. Either get on the horse now or get left behind, none of this "I feel I can progress" BS. Cameron would have made Green the starter just because he was one of their more major "gets" in the offseason.

[sammo]

favre might be ok the first 8-10 weeks. after that his body and arm will start breaking down like last year.

[Despacio]

Wow, only a moron would call a 1st round pick a bust after the first preseason game, that's a fact, not opinion.

[Crabby Cakes]

yea gopats didnt they show you and cuban menace snugglin in his small hut wearing diapers???

[Ace]

So long Eric Green, I guess we kinda knew this was coming.

[odinseye]

Sean Smith has the potential to be better than Surtain. He's way farther ahead of where Pat was at this point.

Anyone have an opinion on who was the best CB to ever play for the Dolphins?

[Aqua1]

Vontae Davis must have the skills to be picked in the first round by Parcels ...I hope! Another Jason Allen fiasco would be too hard to imagine...and recover from! I was actually pleading for another pick, like Mauluga, at the time. I just hope he gets his head on straight and out of his ass, which is where it was a few times Monday night! Personally I was pretty shocked to see "basic focus problems" and lacksidasical effort at times. Thats discipline 101. It should not of happened, especially when he has been coached by Bowles since camp. I hope and believe he will crank it up and redeem himself Saturday.

[manaceee]

it would great to see the faces of some bloggers here like CAKES and see at close range his secret . i picture him as 5'2" tall and 245 lb with green eyes and shoes size 13 .his hair long and curly dirty.

[Gopats]

sam madison

[odinseye]

Ace

I was hoping Green would at least be a solid back up. A rare bad move(signing him in the first place) by the FO.
Oh well, it's Camp Sporano, grind them in, grind them out. I love it!

[Gopats]

i think the coach should take some hits for the way Vonte PICNIC Davis showed up on monday in the desert field .

[sammo]

Odinseye frye did totally whiff. i don't think he even got a hand on that guy that sacked henne. best corner huh? i've always thought troy vincent was the best miami ever had. he was tall fast and physical. plus he hand good hands. madison was good too.

[odinseye]

Gopats

You really think Madison was better than Surtain?
That was a good secondary back in those days. Terrell Buckley in the nickel wasn't a slouch either.

[odinseye]

Sammo

The onlt thing I didn't like about Troy Vincent was that he didn't stay longer. I think Surtain was very similar to him.

[sammo]

madison was tougher than surtain and better against the run but surtain was faster and had better coverage skills. t buck was a ball hawk .

[Account Deleted]

Armando I wasn't able to post yesterday but read your story, "Tale of trenches", and wanted to say that it was a great read. Definitely my favorite so far this year. I also think coach T. was just trying to point out that we don't need to see stories about Davis being a bust because of one poor game. The kid is aggressive as hell and always has been, so until he learns how to direct that aggresion in the right way he's probably going to take some stupid penalties. But what's this " Davis likely will become a GOOD player" crap? This kid has size, strength, willingness to learn everything he can from whomever he can learn it from, great instincts, and natural ability. IMO he's going to be better than just good someday, (we'll see) but he's going to take a couple of years to come around.

[Gopats]

sam madison got a ring as you know w/gaints and makes him more great

[odinseye]

Sammo

Frye totally pissed me off. I don't know if he was confused about the play call or what. Either way it was his mistake and he just stood there like a dummy.

[sammo]

agreed but philly paid him big bucks to leave miami.

[sammo]

madison got a ring as a backup, he didn't even do much for the giants. giants pass rush and eli's heroics won that ring Gopats. madison was fun to watch in his prime.

[sammo]

Odinseye frye looked like a deer frozen in the headlights. at least henne didn't get popped hard.

[Gopats]

i believe madison made very little money 1999 and played like hell not like green or mr VONTE picnic DAVIS

[odinseye]

Gopats

A lot of Dolphin players made it to the Super Bowl after being waived and cut by Saban and Ca-Moron. They destroyed this team.
Once again, let me take this oopurtunity to say: Thank God for Parcell"s and Co.

[sammo]

madison was a second round pic. he was making decent money. he also was perfect for miami's aggressive system.

[odinseye]

Sammo

I agree. Henne was smart. In that situation he didn't panic or try to be heroic. Live to fight another day.

[Gopats]

AGREE, odinseye , to get players to do their best as a team you need a coach who they can love and trust .

SABAN, was in it for himself not the team.now you every one on the same page

[sammo]

hw saw the hit coming and squared up for it. folsom made a nice pic. hillard looked almost like a young ricky. a 240 bulldozer with speed.

[Gopats]

i am out due to school shopping .

[sammo]

Saban came in thinking he could plug and play like in college. and he only scouted SEC guys because he said “ that's were real college football is played”

[odinseye]

Gopats

Your so right about Saban. If it was up to me I would change the name of our practice bubble. The only thing I would like to see Saban's name on is a mug shot, for robbing us Dolfans!

[sammo]

robbed at gunpoint with a contract signed in blood we were.

[odinseye]

Sammo

Your the only other guy I've noticed besides myself to mention Hilliard. I hope he gets a lot of reps this saturday.
He looks like the real deal, a good change of pace guy. I picture Ricky and Ronnie wearing down opposing defenses and then Hilliard comes in like a road grader.

[cv]

nj never said what busines he runs

[cv]

?

[sammo]

fourth quarter defense destroyer he will be. i remember when miami signed him someone who went to school with him said he was a bum. wonder if he watched the game monday night?

[sammo]

i believe nj runs a gym.

[odinseye]

Sammo

You know how old he is? Or how long he's been in the NFL?

[sammo]

i think 24 years old and 2 years in the nfl . i think parcells drafted him with a 6th round pick his first season with us.