The Dolphins worked on Labor Day. The players are off today.
When the team reconvenes on Wednesday, it will begin in earnest the final preparations for the Sept. 12 regular-season opener against the New England Patriots. (Yeah, get your tickets now because they are going fast.)
I do not believe, as some pundits insist, that this game will be a blowout. Yes, the Patriots were seven games better than Miami a season ago. Yes, the Patriots swept the Dolphins in their two games and won by a combined score of 79-21.
But this is a new season. These are new teams. New results?
Perhaps. The Dolphins are hopeful. I am hopeful for them.
Obviously, the Patriots will get the first fully unvarnished view of what the new Dolphins offense looks like with new star running back Reggie Bush. They will also get the first look at Miami's upgraded and deeper defense.
Bush brings a speed factor the Patriots haven't seen from a Miami team recently. Hey, now Miami is going to have more than one playmaker on the field at the same time versus New England.
But the Patriots will present a problem. You know what has Bush's attention?
Think beef -- as in enormous New England defensive linemen Vince Wilfork and Albert Haynesworth. Check out what Bush says about them and then check in with the other side of the ball below that.
Bush:
On defense, the elder statesman is Yeremiah Bell. He's been around since 2003 and he's seen a lot of players come and go.
He believes this year's crop of players is different than last year's because the swag quotient on this team is much higher. He sees a different attitude on this team he didn't see last year.
Bell explains:
Nobody seems to spell Belichick right.
Posted by: oscar canosa | September 06, 2011 at 06:33 PM
You know waht i enjoy saying crazy thing and watch it come true( fortune telling) so this is my crazy statement for this game. New england lose by 13 pts and brady throws a pick six in the first quarter. Go phins!!!!!! I tired of hearing about those cheats and i know they have at least one spy on this blog. So to the belispycheat patsie go tell your boss we are getting ready to kill brady on monday.
Posted by: true believer | September 06, 2011 at 06:46 PM
After the game I don't want to hear yes we have some problems with off sides and flags every where, however we can correct them, no you can't, if they haven't learn not to line up off side or the wide receiver jumps off then there is no hope for this team. Bill
Posted by: Bill | September 06, 2011 at 06:47 PM
Oscar, really, who cares! We all know it's Belicheat!
Posted by: redsky | September 06, 2011 at 06:48 PM
@ storm shadow your point is universal you can remove the names and say the same thing about every team and every player.
Posted by: true believer | September 06, 2011 at 07:02 PM
The first game could make or break Henne as a QB. I will said this about Henne is looking different this time around.
Posted by: Mr.Smith | September 06, 2011 at 10:35 PM
Phins should let it ALL hang out this game.
I hope Brady still gets a little nervous twitch seeing the guy that has sacked him the most in JT prowling around. Maybe JT can reintroduce himself a couple of times in that game for old times sake, or is it old timers sake?
Anyway...the recipe for beating Brady and Pats was revealed by the Giants in their SB win (Get to Brady early and often). The Detroit Lions put on a clinic in how to sock the bully in the mouth in the most important of the no count pre-season game #3.
Whatever schemes or pressure Nolan dials up, be it blitz or not, they need to harrass Brady to stay in it. I use to believe clock control would always kill an offense like that until the Monday night game where the Fins dominated the T.O.P. and still lost to Peyton.
Dan Marino, Elway, Montana, S Young, Vick... ALL QBs melt with enough heat!
Good luck Fins... tall order but the Pats do still put on their pants one leg at a time! Get after 'em like they took you Grandma's favorite blanket!
Cheers,
PS I was ALL over the TE Julius Thomas call. I had him going in the 4rth and that's were he went. Talented guy and he should develop nicely over time. Wish the Fins would have snagged him somehow.
Like Yeatman and Rosario is better than anything we have had recently as an athletic TE.
Posted by: Rob in OC | September 07, 2011 at 01:31 AM
I feel sorry for Dolphins fans. You have my sympathy and my admiration for standing behind a lousy team and what's turned into a lousy franchise. My heart breaks when I think of how the fins were champs just.... 40 years ago. Back when, just after the leather helmet era, the fins were a force, but now with a joke owner, well, you have my symapthy.
Posted by: phil natale | September 07, 2011 at 03:53 AM
Thanks for posting these vids, i've benn looking for these
Posted by: Philadelphia House | January 24, 2012 at 01:32 AM