Live blog here to celebrate season ticket milestone

The Dolphins tonight celebrate their most important preseason game of 2010 and already they have good news on the horizon: The team will soon announce that it has surpassed the 50,000 season-ticket mark for the first time in the Bill Parcells era and the first time since 2007.

Although the club has not yet made it official, I'm told by several sources there is a sense of pride at the fact the local fans have seen fit to invest in season-tickets at a rate not seen in several years despite the tough economic times that plagues the nation and South Florida.

There is much work to do, however, for the Dolphins business side. While there has been a steady increase in the sale of tickets since they fell off the table following Nick Saban's departure, 50,000 to ,51,000 is not the goal. The club would like to be closer to 2006 levels and be in the 60,000s season tickets sold.

One supposes the success the team will have this year will go far toward determining that.

To that end, I present to you tonight's game.

Things to look for:

The secondary: Um, they've been pretty bad this preseason and now they're facing the best quarterback (Matt Ryan) they've seen so far and for a much longer period of time. The expectation is the Ryan will go at least one half tonight as will Miami's starting DBs.

[Update: Jason Allen is slated to start ahead of Sean Smith at RCB. Smith has been on notice all preseason that his job is at stake. Count this another strongly worded message that he needs to pull up and play better or he'll find himself coming off the bench when the season begins.]

To blitz or not to blitz: I've shared with you what the Dolphins' defense is going to be this year in previous posts. Attacking is the operative word. But this preseason the Dolphins have shown no blitzes with their first-team defense. Do they unwrap some of that package tonight? I do not know. But I'll be watching with interest to see how effetive Koa Misi and Jared Odrick can be when three or four of their teammates are also trying to bust down the offensive line wall along with them.

No injuries, please: That is a key goal. The coaching staff hasn't babied this team, but it has been cautious to avoid the physical, emotional, and psychological distress that a season-ending or other signifcant injury can have upon a team. Today the St. Louis Rams are sick at the loss of receiver Donnie Avery for the season. Teams that come out the third preseason game relatively healthy usually go into the regular season that way because the final preseason game is usually a passing excersize on the field. If Miami can escape this contest unscathed, that will bode wll for the opener.

Last minute news: Will Allen and Nate Garner are the only scratches for the Dolphins. That is interesting because it suggests Channing Crowder is dressed ... but he will not start. Tim Dobbins is starting for Crowder tonight. Jake Grove is starting at center.

So meet me at kickoff in the comments section for the live blog. It should be a hoot. 

Comments

[Finwatcher]

Y-Bell baby!!!!!

[superPHIN]

Yay Bell

[d-dense]

I'll Tell You Mando, Henne Hasnt Shown Us Anything. He Has 1:06 To Do SOMETHING

[Bleu BlaZe]

About time some one showed up.

[DyingBreed]

Guys Henne isnt stinking it up he's just looking like a 2nd yr starting qb right now. That's neither good nor bad.

[Matt in NC]

No wonder Jets fans hate Dolphin fans.

Hell, after 90 minutes on this blog, I hate most of you too.

Grow up people- its just a dress rehearsal to see how groupings of people react in certain situations.

Why the EFF would Nolan show his defense??

Why would we unleash plays that feature Marshall now??

Why?

Or are most of you too damn stupid to understand??

[Po White Trash]

Booooooooooom!

[come on mando!!!]

damn bout time we go deep

[test]

total gimme int, you suck ass bell.
I'm suprised you didn't swallow the ball

[Finwatcher]

Marshall is the answer !!!

[LipsinToronto]

finally.

[jj]

yeremiah!

[bobbyd12]

Henne on the money!!!

[Yazzi]

Ya think that they can AT LEAST get a FIELD GOAL out of this?!?
.
.

[tony]

our secondary has played great this half... all you haters can suck it!!!

[test]

total gimme int for bell.
I'm suprised you didn't swallow the ball, you suck bell

[test]

dan henning sucks

wow

these play calls are horrendous

[Po White Trash]

O Line not solid at all.

[acwalsh8]

people went from haters to ball washers in 2 seconds.

[Armando Salguero]

Did I miss something? Why that call to Brown?

[superPHIN]

Running it still, hows that working for us!!!

[acwalsh8]

ohhhhh now back to haters.

[Eric]

Henne made a great throw...and then missed a touchdown to Fasano.

[DyingBreed]

See I told you guys Henne isnt stinking it up. He's playing about what you would expect from a 2nd year starter. Anyone thinking he would be Manning or Breeze this season is fooling himself.

[come on mando!!!]

some dumb ass play calling as usual!! why not get turner in the game?

[Blazzin Ace]

PLEASE FIRE DAN HENNING!!! WHY THE HELL ARE WE RUNNING WITH 30 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK!!

[test]

fire henning

[come on mando!!!]

the beast

[Po White Trash]

Booooom!

[LipsinToronto]

Matt in NC, agree with you on Defense. Am not impressed - but I think Nolan pulling out the blitzes, etc. will improve things... but, the offensive plays look bad. out of synch. bad penalties. too much pressure on QB. bad decisions by Henne.

even in base offense, they should do more...

like they are doing right now.

[Jim in NYC]

Dan Henning needs to GET HIS QUIRKY NONSENSE UNDER CONTROL

[test]

henning calls so many bad plays

we need a real journalist to ask him why he calls suck bad plays at the wrong time

[Po White Trash]

I'll wash that ball!

[Finwatcher]

Bran Getter Don Marshall !!!!!!!!!!!

[superPHIN]

Is that not why he's here???

[come on mando!!!]

wow

[bobbyd12]

That's what u pay Marshall for

[Armando Salguero]

Henne does not look off any receivers. Just doesn't do it.

[Po White Trash]

Ouch.

[Yazzi]

I DON'T UNDERSTAND...

30 SECONDS LEFT...

ITS A PRESEASON GAME....WHY CAN'T THEY JUST TAKE THREE SHOTS IN THE END ZONE??!??
.
.

[Eric]

Henne kinda sucks.

[Po White Trash]

No touch on that ball.

[Friend]

sad sad sad... missed oppurtunity... pennington wouldnt have done that..

[superPHIN]

If that doesn't sum up this first half for miamis offense, i dont know what does!!!I need some liqour***

[DyingBreed]

Thats why I say Henne is playing like a 2nd yr starter. He didnt see the lb in between him and his TE.

[cocoajoe]

Henne has not learned to take a little off the ball. Everyone is 300 MPH

[Andy NJ]

Well now we can lay off this pipe dream that Miami has this great offense. I don't blame Henne too much although that pass before the half he stared at bum aZZZ Fasano the whole time. I blame Dan Henning he is only still employed because he is Parcells long time buddy. Miami 8-8 fellas.

[Zach]

why dont you go right back to marshall? just throw it up to him and see what happens

[Po White Trash]

Right Joe, that should of had some arc over the LB.

[Friend]

cocoajoe, exactly... you dont use rocket fuel in a mazda... you'll just blow up the engine.

[LipsinToronto]

Matt in NC - does Sparano sound happy with offense? By saying he will bring the starters back out he is saying they need work.

Am not licking Dolphin balls just because they are my favorite team. I want them to be as good on the field as I think they can be.

[texasphinatic]

Mondo looks like ted ginn got in the weight room this year he looks like maybe even grew a couple inches....
Wait

[come on mando!!!]

if he takes some off the ball on that throw to fasano, the LB would've have the pick instead!! just a bad decision

[Friend]

ed hulkochoni lost some of his bulk..

[bobbyd12]

Uninspiring first half. Kudos to Vonte Davis, Charles Grant and Marshall. Special teams looks better then last week, a little

[tony]

damn.... give our offense a D for the first half and the defense a B....our secondary had been great our our run defense... not very stout!

[come on mando!!!]

how can you throw foorball with arc and there were 4 defenders near fasano

[DyingBreed]

You guys blaming that on play calling are nuts. The same play went for td to Fasano last week. At times Henne just not seeing the field mentally. This is not a 2nd yr Dan Marino even though we all would like for it to be.

[Yann]

ATL is dominating both lines, just like when we played them last year. We have no running game.

It's obvious those permanent shifts on the OL are detrimental to the unit's work.

[MiamiCarp]

Another $300 flusheded down the crapper on NFL ticket so I can watch the blowfish