Live blog of Dolphins vs. Vikes right here

MINNEAPOLIS -- A victory today?

More than making the Dolphins 2-0 and keeping them in first place in the AFC East no matter what happens elsewhere in the NFL, it would catapult this team we know so much and yet so little about into a state of legitimacy.

Miami beats the team that went to the NFC title game a year ago and you have to believe that is a pretty good team.

Some keys to the game:

Inactives: Chad Pennington is the No. 3 QB. Why is that interesting? He was the No. 2 QB last week. All this means is the Dolphins are allowing themselves the option of using Tyler Thigpen as a spread option QB today. The other Miami inactives are Roberto Wallace, Nolan Carroll, Channing Crowder, Jared Odrick, Ikaika Alama-Francis, Lydon Murtha and Jermey Parnell.

Jake Long versus Jared Allen: I do not expect a shutout by Long. It's hard to expect that when the guy opposing him is a classic 4-3 DE of the highest order. Allen is stud. He's strong, he's quick, he's experienced and he's always seemingly motivated, meaning he doesn't take plays off. Long is similarly a stud. Today will measure exactly how healthy Long is following that knee injury in the preseason finale.

Brandon Marshall's day: I am sitting here two hours before the game and not many playes are on the field yet. Marshall is on the field. He's warming up his hips. He's practicing catching all sorts of passes -- over his head, too low, one-handed, Scene interesting perhaps only to me: Marshall is not catching those passes from Chad Henne. He's catching them from a trainer type. Henne is on the field about 20 yards away and he's throwing passes and working with Davone Bess. Fact is Henne has spoken more with former Dolphins WR Greg Camarillo on the field the past 30 minutes than he has with Marshall. Interesting.

[Update: Marshall eventually finished his regimen and came over to where Henne and Bess were working out routes and started working with them, too.]

Henne versus Brett Favre: It cannot be a blowout here, folks. We cannot have Favre throwing three TDs and 1 INT and have Henne deliver a stat line like he did last week -- zero TDs, zero INTs -- and expect the Dolphins to win. If you have not read it yet, I wrote my Sunday column on Henne and the message the Dolphins give him over, and over and over. It can be something of a confusing message, if you ask me because the Dolphins want Henne to do two things that aren't necessarily opposites -- throw TDs and not throw INTS. To throw TDs, you see, you almost always have to live with some interceptions. The Dolphins have drilled Hennes so much on not throwing INTs, it makes me wonder if he can be a big TD passer anytime in the future.

Alrightie, that's quite a bit to digest before the live blog begins at kickoff. Come back here for all the pregame updates. And let's meet in the comments section for the live blog. 

Comments

[SoiledBottom]

Dear Mr. Salguero

"So much for telling the truth."

I used to date this girl and I would always tell her....I promise I won't #%$ in your mouth.

The trueth...hahahahahaha

Soiled :)

[grfdolphin]

Marshall's stats: 7 rec, 108 yards, 1 TD

[DC Dolfan]

I want Clifton to run back a TD 1st PLAY!

[Armando Salguero]

Alama-Francis is inactive. Full list of inactives on the post.

[ttaylor344]

where can i get a live feed of the game?

[odinseye]

Hyperventilating, must counteract it with a Rum and Coke!

Lets Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

[JC]

Any links?

[dave]

ok D lets go

[Armando Salguero]

Minny in three-WR nickel

[grfdolphin]

s smith

[Marc]

VD!

[ALoco]

this is my last time to give the link;

1-GO TO www.P2P4U.NET
2-PRESS ON AM FOOTBALL
3-PRESS ON MIAMI VS MIN THEN THE LINK WILL COME UNDER THAT AND YOU PRESS ON LINK 1

HAPPY WATCHING
P.S MUST HAVE ...SAFARI OR GOOGLE CHROME OR FIRE FOX

[Marc]

STUFFED!

[Los Lobos]

Can the Herald invest in an auto refresh feature?

[Marc]

Missed tackle in the open field

[Armando Salguero]

Last week the Dolphins didn't miss many tackles. Today, already a missed tackle.

[bobbyd12]

Shoulda stopped em after catch, bad tackle

[FB]

Bell missed that tackle badly

[David]

Intercept +run it back

[Los Lobos]

@atlfinfan

https://audiopass.nfl.com/nflap/secure/registerform

[dave]

come on no more mistakes. cant give them anything

[Armando Salguero]

Cameron Wake getting abused on a running play. Yikes!

[Los Lobos]

uh oh

[Marc]

Dansby made the tackle while Smith took a bad angle

[grfdolphin]

ouch

[FB]

How the heck did we not read that run???

[dave]

well so far they look like bfc champs and we look like we didnt make the playoffs

[FB]

Soliai went for the strip instead of tackling Peterson. Not good.

[Armando Salguero]

And now the Vikes will likely go after Wake or at least his side on several more runs.

[Marc]

Nice breakup J Allen!

[FB]

What a break up by Allen. Now we know why he's starting.

[PriceMaster]

Henne's giving up some big plays out there.

[standley23]

here we go with dan deridorff, love fest with whomever the dolphins afs playing!

[Armando Salguero]

Sean Smith in as a third CB. Gets beat for a completion.

[acwalsh8]

nice tackle sean smith.

[Marc]

SEAN SMITH burned and then makes the tackle

[FB]

Sean Smith is in the game.

[finatic]

yeeessssss

[standley23]

yeesssss!

[Po White Trash]

GO D!

[FB]

Yessss!!!! Randy Starks!!!!!!!

[Sergio]

http://atdhe.net/24438/watch-miami-dolphins-vs-minnesota-vikings -----> Game link for my fellow Phin Fans who are far away from the 305.

[dave]

hell yeah D nice job

[FormFactor]

Good show by the defense although the line is getting pushed around.

[Marc]

Greed will get ya every time

[David]

Good block-now touchdown Marshall-go fins

[FIn Fans in So Cal]

Starks!!

[PriceMaster]

Henne's letting Vikes move the ball at will doesn't he know how important this game is.

[dolfanSF]

no respect for our D. IN YUR fACE!!!!

[Armando Salguero]

Getting LOUD in here.

[mr kahn]

go phins

[DC Dolfan]

GET EXCITED FOLKS! Dolphins are here to PLAY!

[standley23]

hahahaaa

[Los Lobos]

finally

[ALoco]

mama

[Marc]

Why's SEAN SMITH in at nickle?

THERE IT WAS!

[/Facepalm]

HELL YEAH!

[Po White Trash]

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!

[kris]

no touch

[nyfinfan]

BEAST!