Live blog of Dolphins-Bucs starts at 7 p.m.

The live blog of tonight's Dolphins game versus Tampa Bay starts in the comments section of this post at 7 p.m.

I watched Chad Henne roll up in his Beemer and enter the stadium earlier this afternoon and I suddenly realized I am watching the start of what could be his entrance into NFL stardom. Let's hope.

You know that dawns on me how hopeful and yet uncertain things are for the Dolphins.

Take the defense: Mike Nolan's crew tonight starts two rookies (Jared Odrick and Koa Misi), two first-time starters (Cameron Wake and Chris Clemons),two second-year starters (Sean Smith and Vontae Davis),  a player in a new position (Randy Starks), and a player on a new team (Karlos Dansby).

The Dolphins defense is the definition of brand new, untested and a package full of surprises.

On offense tonight I will be keeping my eye on the offensive line. I want to see this group start to come together. Amazingly, this is the third year of the Bill Parcells-Jeff Ireland-Tony Sparano plan in which they began to build from the interior out.

And they're still building.

Anyway, tonight's game is on NFL Network for satellite subscribers. It is on CBS-4 if you are in South Florida. You can otherwise catch it here online. And of course, I would appreciate if you join me during the live blog. 

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Comments

[DYINGBREED]

TommyA, preseason is for getting a W, looking at a few bubble players, while escaping without injury to key players.

[Mark in Toronto]

yes Carlito. I agree. misi and odrick were strong. marshall has to get his hands back from denver. the young corners need to step up. BOTH OF THEM, not just SEAN SMITH. What about Soliai the Sumo and Marques Douglas? Very strong. marques needs a nickname. Nice to see a fire hydrant wearing #95. I miss Tim Bowens.

[Home Fan]

Too bad sean smith cost us the only touchdown

tradeseansmith.com

home was right

love that home

[mntmanfinfan]

Nate Ness a keeper??? Or is it just playing against players who won't even make a roster in the NFL?

[jared]

"Lot of football knowledge tonight"

Haha...yep, definately lots of football insight...

[Chris]

"If Henne blows out a knee in the mud then he doesn't deserve to be a football player"

- Just might be the most idiotic, brain dead, crybaby thing i've heard so far in this particular blogs comments.

Yer winning out as head moron when there were a buttload of doozies too, congrats, put your helmet on.

[Shepherd Book]

He has to run the play that is called, idiot.

[Sean R.]

OH MY GOD TOMMYA give it a rest. Checkdowns, check downs check downs blah blah blah,,,,IT'S F***ING PRESEASON. Henne finished the season last year with 3 games of over 300 yards passing and our #1 receiver was Tedd Ginn! Are you serious with this crap? He didn't even get a full qtr of work and the receivers couldn't get down the field or make any quick cuts because of the slick conditions. The o-line is still mixing and matching and not pass blocking as well as they should be. IS THIS ALL HENNES FAULT TOO? Look at the big picture would ya?

[Vinny T]

Pat White is all-world taking a knee

[Po White Trash]

How did we win this one?

[DYINGBREED]

TommyA, preseason is for getting a W, looking at a few bubble players, while escaping without injury to key players.

Looks like we accomplished all 3, considering the weather conditions. Plus we had 3-4 takeaways!

[Sean R.]

Great practice for White. hahahaha

[Vinny T]

Hungry like the wolf...

[Mark in Toronto]

All right peeps. We won the belt tonight. 1-0 I'm out!!!

Later Carlito, Po White and Cocoajoe. And all you newbies too!!!

[test]

lol at this coach and putting in pat white

practice that kneel you useless piece of crap

[mntmanfinfan]

Pre-season win...it is what it is...won a practice game with mostly backups playing...yawn. Onward and upward.

[cocoajoe]

Yeaaa, we win

[Home]

Sean Smith #1

[Sean R.]

test,,,,,roflmao!

[DYINGBREED]

Best of all no new injuries!

[Home]

I was wrong as usual

Sean Smith is the guy

Patrick Turner b l o w s

Can't always be right

Home

[swamysez]

Before the game all the blogs said Thigpen and White would get to play a quarter.

NFL Network said White will get the majority of the reps and not Thigpen against the Jags (a better team in my opinion than the Bucs).

Is this true?

[DYINGBREED]

Lets hope no one got injured on the wat to the locker room, lol!

[Lord Brandon-Karlos Dansby-Marshal]

Well, it was what it was - an undistinguished pre-season game that didn't do much to strike fear into the hearts of the AFC East. Some good moments, but a lot of rust remaining. One good piece of work by the defense, stopping Tampa's last drive in the fourth quarter. Too many times though we let Tampa run on us, and a better team would have punished our sloppiness.

[DYINGBREED]

Just in: "Henne blows out knee in shower."

Update: Actually blwing on knee before shower!

[Shepherd Book]

swamysez, they are probably right

[Sean R.]

TommyA,
I called Sparano and asked for an explanation as to why Henne threw a few checkdowns. He told me, and these are his words, "why do you think dumb ass, the kid has trouble throwing the short ball and we wanted to get him some work doing it in an exhibition game"! I told him sorry for the stupid question as he hung up on me. I hope this helps you sleep a bit better. :)

[DYINGBREED]

A new unsubstantiated report now states: "Henne was blowing on his knees in the shower." Oh boy!

[jaison biagini]

well, our draft picks looked good!! jerry, misi, odrick, carroll and jones all made plays. bg thumbs up to jerry and carroll! the WR's need to practice catching! henne looked good, if guys caught passes!! to marshall drops one hartline drop or he would have been 8-11. thigpen right near his normal 54%. ronnie looks ready to go . defense did good considering they showed very little. woul]d have liked to see a blitz or two. freeman had forever on the TD play.

[jared]

Maybe Sparano wanted to see what pat looked like on his knees....it would give him an idea of what Pat White would look like slobbin his knob to stay on the team.

[carlito from golfito]

Could be the Dolphins were showcasing Thigpen for a trade

[DYINGBREED]

Looks like we didnt get rid of Ted Ginn during the offseason. #19 is still alive and well(Marshall 0-2 with 2 drops).

[DYINGBREED]

Just hope we didnt pay $50 million for a bigger stronger slower version of Ginn(Marshall). I couldnt tell by tonights performance, lol!

[DYINGBREED]

If Brandon Marshall doesnt pick it up in a hurry his NBA career will start sooner than he thinks!

[Andy NJ]

The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

The Good - I liked what Odrick and Misi did against the run. Nolan Carroll had a great pass defensed and went for the strip that made Derrick Ward fumble. John Jerry pankcaked Gerald McCoy but it looked like McCoy slipped before he got flattened.

The Bad - Marshall's second drop. That killed all the momentum. Henne needs guys to build his confidence and make plays in the preseason. I know Marshall will be fine and dropped a pass he catches 10 out of 10 times.

The Ugly - the entire game. The penalties and turnovers were largely due to the rain but Josh Freeman dealt with it just fine. Henne gets an incomplete.

[bill_cnnrs]

team looked awful tonight

[JorgeBanks]

this blog totally rocks-especially when I don't get the fins game here. thanks mando

[swamysez]

Carlito,

I was thinking the same thing (that it was for showcasing Thigpen).

But then it could be:

(1) That the NFL Network is right, that White will play most of the next game (which I'd expect Sparano will clarify) or
(2) Sparano will announce that White has been cut or traded (they'd probably get a better trade for Thigpen)

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[bill_cnnrs]

thigpen played cause they only had 2 qbs to play. pennington wasnt going to play.

[bill_cnnrs]

bills will give a 4th or 5th rd pick right now for thigpen

[morphin]

Tampa has practiced on wet turf and Fins have not,it showed. They used the bubble which hurt the Fins in two ways. Two injuries and not being prepared for wet conditions. The two drops by BM would have both been big plays and the Hartline drop would have kept the drive alive. Odrick , Misi , Carrol and Jerry looked very good. When the D gets more comfortable with the new system I think they will be very good.

[bill_cnnrs]

nothing good came out of this game except turner actually caught a pass

[carlito from golfito]

Its the first preseason game, you can't draw too many conclusions... some of the young guys on defense looked good... Soliai was a force... Patrick Turner looks to be leading the race for #5 WR... thats about it... no big deal, but I'm glad Dolphins football is back

[Shepherd Book]

Pat Turner, 2 catches 44 yards, yep not bad.

[Andy NJ]

yeah all you guys pissed off, doubting or hating need to relax. It is the first preseason game. The team played bad in bad weather, end of story.

Miami is going to have a good season. If Henne develops into a 20 plus td pass QB and limits turnovers Miami will be a contender all year.

I predict Miami goes 11-5 and fighting with New England in the last week for the division. The paper champ jets 8-8 and the Bills 3-13.

[odinseye]

I should have drank a lot more before the game.

That number 19 jersy has got to go. I think it's a curse.

Damn!

[odinseye]

Micah Johnson(?) had a good game against 2nd teamers.

Travis Ivey looked horrid against 3rd teamers.

Smith, Davis and Clemons all had temporary lapses, but looked solid overall.

Odrick looks like he has alot of potential and Misi looks like a straight up Baller.

John Jerry looks like a more athletic Keith Simms, and Nolan Carroll might turn out to be the steal of the draft.

Even Soliai looked like something lit a fire under his a&s. The might turn out to be a solid backup/rotation guy yet.

[focused1]

brandin marshall needs to focus on catching the football instead of talking about playing in the nba