Handful of starters likely to miss Carolina game

The Dolphins want the third preseason game to be their dress rehearsal for the 2012 regular season. They'll treat the week like a regular game week. Starters will probably play into the second half. By the time the game is over, the club wants direction on its starting quarterback for the start of the season.

So what does that make the second preseason game?

The game Friday night against Carolina?

An off day for a handful of veterans.

This week has seen more players miss practice due to some sort of bump, bruise, tweak or twitch than at any time during the preseason. And most are likely to miss the Carolina game as the team focuses in on the greater importance of the Atlanta Falcons in the third preseason game.

That means as many as five starters will sit out Friday night.

Don't expect two-thirds of the starting linebackers to play as neither Karlos Dansby nor Kevin Burnett have practiced this week. Don't expect Cameron Wake to play as he continues to recover from an undisclosed injury after being involved in an auto accident. Don't expect to see backup defensive tackle Tony McDaniel. That's three starters on the front seven and a key backup likely out.

On offense, don't expect to see starting right guard Artis Hicks. Obviously wide receiver Brian Hartline will not play. Neither will quarterback David Garrard, who was supposed to start last week before suffering a left knee injury and is not yet one week into a three-to-four week rehabilitation period after urgery.

You would think the Hicks injury opens the door for Eric Steinbach to make the much-expected charge to the starting unit. But no. He's got an undisclosed injury as well and hasn't practiced the past couple of days and is questionable to play.

So what does this all mean?

Well, John Jerry probably starts at right guard.

Gary Guyton and Jason Trusnick will fill in for the injured starting linebackers. Rookies Derrick Shelby or Olivier Vernon will likely start at defensive end.  

Comments

[miamiman]

Ryan Tannehill to start against Panthers to night check out Jimmy Bourbons take on it
http://phinsnews.com/ryan-tannehill-to-start/

[ncfinsfan33]

I wish someone would update the blog, ahem armando, to show that RT is starting tonight in Charlotte. I will be attending the game tonight.

[NHFINSFAN]

miamiman...great link and article, except for the last sentence:

"And if RT happens to play and totally suck it up, then the Dolphins will in all likelihood have a bad record this season, and this may set them up with the chance to draft USC’s Matt Barkley".

Come on Man...were already talking about drafting Barkley if T-Hill stinks in year one.
Mark my words:
Miami will NOT draft Barkley no matter how poorly he plays this season...NEVER!
So stop with all the hype please.

[bill connors]

miami will have a really high pick but we wont need a qb, take best wr

[oscar canosa]

Why you sound angry yesterday and today, Dashi?

[oscar canosa]

Armando doesn't need any more $, he's got plenty invested in Commodities.

[odinseye]

According to Adam Beasly, Dick Stockton is reporting

**Tannehill The Starter Tonight**

[HEAT WORLD CHAMPS]

Is it basketball season yet?

[odinseye]

BY ADAM H. BEASLEY
abeasley@miamiherald.com
Ryan Tannehill will start Friday night’s preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, broadcaster Dick Stockton has told 790 The Ticket.
Stockton is calling Friday night’s game for CBS4 and was told of the decision by Dolphins coaches.

[Yesterday's Here]

The Dullfins will have a very high draft pick next year. Can u say Matt Barkley?

[odinseye]

NFL Network re-broadcasting the game at Midnight tonight.

[miami man]

Where's Home on the Herald?

[SEANSMITH]

No,No,Not Home!Not Home calling me outs again!

[oscar canosa]

Do you know LV has NE to win the SB this year and at relatively low odds?

[J Taylor]

my prediction for tonight is tanne 3 TD

[oscar canosa]

Strange...

[Preseason Is For The Mentally Challenged]

If you care about the score in tonight's game (or the score in ANY preseason game) then you are both clinically insane AND a complete moron.

It is that simple.

[J Taylor]

the kid want the job, just saying

[oscar canosa]

Some guy predicting Week 12 of the 2012-2013 Season. HoHo. I tell you...

[J Taylor]

i dont care its just a pre game, but remember that there is competition

[oscar canosa]

Hey, Jason, yous smart. You believe that crap of NE winning the SB?

[oscar canosa]

Everybody knows how to attack Brady and there is not one thing that Belichick can do about it.

[oscar canosa]

Of course, you got to have the Tools to do it.

[J Taylor]

I think they are getting old, and no way, just my.

[oscar canosa]

Seems Belichick upgraded his D substantially.

[oscar canosa]

One thing about Tannehill, seems that he can throw accurately on the move.

[J Taylor]

only on d, and he is to confident on o, thats way.

[J Taylor]

putting pressure on brady and the team is not the same.

[oscar canosa]

If I were Belichick(who I'm not), I wouldn't be so confident on Brady remaining upright all Season. Unless that 2nd yr. QB they got is very good.

[oscar canosa]

That Team is mostly Brady and Belichick, man.

[TheSMF]

oscar canosa we know you are not Belichick because you are Mando.

[odinseye]

Tonight will be a glimpse into the future. Albeit a small peek, but the future nonetheless.

So much rides on how well Tannehill does tonight, unbelieveable. The Butterfly Affect, The Chain Of Events, etc, etc.

I'm Hyperventilating ALREADY. Dammit!

I betcha Ireland is hyperventilating too.

I betcha I have the better "Remedy!

[bill connors]

thill better play least deep into 2nd quarter

[oscar canosa]

The team that scores more wins.

[Perspective]

Very little of Tannehill's future prospects "rides" on the game tonight.

90% of the assessment process takes place in camp, anyway, completely out of sight of the fans.

Is it better if he looks good? Sure. But it's also just a VERY small part of the overall process. Overanalyzing and/or attaching too much importance to these practice games is always silly.

[TheSMF]

Odin,
Please take T'hill's bone out of your mouth long enough to answer this question:
Who will T'hill be throwing to tonight?

[Yesterday's Gone]

Tannehill starting tonight still has a story flying under the radar. Yes the fact he gets his first start is huge. But the greater under current of this event is who he starts against. Cam Newton.

Face it, the kid is giving evidence that he can play, but will he have "deer in the headlight" syndrom when going against other potential great or great qb's?

When Tannehill is billed against upperechelon qb's(not saying Newton is upper-echelon yet, but fast rising) will Tannehill shrink, share, or take the stage away in proving he's king. The true measure of a great qb is how he fares when going up against other great qb's, not middle of the pack disposables.

Because his first start is against Cam Newton, we get a small sample size of what Tannehill is really made of. That's why in my opinion, even though he's been declared starter, it maybe a slightly bigger story of who he starts against(Cam Newton).

If he can steal the sports and espn thunder away from Cam Newton tonight. Folks, then we know our qb future is in great hands. There could not have been a better place for Tannehill to start than against clearly 2011's best rookie qb.

[oscar canosa]

Ha! Seems like I'm bothering you when you are impersonating me. I told you before, The Truth admits no arguments.

[Yesterday's Gone]

Tonight, we get a small glimpse as to whether we just have a qb, or the makings of a true field general.

Yes Tannehills seems to have all of the physical tools to master the game. But to truly master the game and the qb position, he has to also become a "FIELD GENERAL". This is the small signs I'll be looking for most tonight.

[Perspective]

It's not a real game. Gameplanning is at a minimum and neither coaching staff gives a whit about winning the contest, nor should they.

Again, better if Tannehill looks good (obviously) but his career arc will not be decided in a couple of hours of practice, 'pretend' football in Charlotte.

[First]

YG, when Tannehill has the ball, Newton will be on the sideline (he plays offense). The other side's QB will have no affect on how our offense performs when we have the ball, and vice versa.

Tanne has shown and will show again he's got poise. He's not a wimp like Beck.

[TheSMF]

Seriously this game will be a good way to guage how far the team has come in 1 year.
Preseason game 2 last year was also against Carolina.

Henne was 15/24 for 194 yards in first half.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2011081952/2011/PRE2/panthers@dolphins#menu=highlights&tab=recap

[Yesterday's Gone]

Another maybe important thing swirling around in my mind right now is, of the top 3 qb's drafted this year, Tannehill by far had the least to offensively work with. Make of that what you want dolfans.

[Reality Squad]

As I suggested on page 1, Tanny will start this game. It's a no brainer. Moore will start #3, the prep game for the season. Tanny starts meaningless game 4.

Tanny will hold the clip board for a few weeks. Philbin & Sherman aren't dumb enough to throw Tanny out with a shaky right side of the oline & no WR's.

[oscar canosa]

Like Kris said, I want to see the Team hit somebody, make some Plays. The rest, is incidental.

[oscar canosa]

We play Carolina tonight.

[Yesterday's Gone]

First,

Exactly! I dont want5 to see Tannehill become a shrinking violet on the stage. But I also dont want to see Tannehill psychologically turn it into a me vs Newton affair neither.

The temptation is there for the young qb to fixate in this mind"Im going against Cam Newton tonight". That's not what I want to see. A true "field general" will see it as Miami Dolphins vs Carolina and the best strtegy and execution wins.

We play Brady twice a year, hopefully this game prepares Tannehill to take a fiel general-manship approach to the game no matter who the qb on the other side is. Because like you said, Tannehill will be on the bench when the other qb takes the field and vice versa. These type games the best field general that day wins.

[bill connors]

go finssssssss. it will be hard not to look at updates of game but im waiting till 11 tonight to watch it on nfl network

[bill connors]

yg while true i remember many games where marino turned it into that. big time ones vs bledsoe and manning, obrien,kelly,etc. those were fun to watch. opening day vs pats when he hit that 4th down pass to fryar. wow i miss that stuff

[Yesterday's Gone]

Truth,

Basically, this is also a test to see that Tannehill takes the field generalship approach when going against other highly billed qb's.

It's all about becoming the best field general that day. Not proving youre better than the qb accross the field from you. The better field general battle will do that on its own.

[First]

Garrard will not make the team. If you think he will, you are wrong.

[Truth]

Signing Garrard was as moronic as signing Ocho Stinko. Ireland's an IDIOT!

[bill connors]

garrard could if they have him on injured list to start year

[oscar canosa]

Ha!

[TheSMF]

Tanne takes his first really beating tonight because ankle weights Wallace can't get seperation.

Garrard is the starter and Moore is his backup.
Garrard is the starter and Moore is his backup.
Garrard is the starter and Moore is his backup.
Garrard is the starter and Moore is his backup.

[Yesterday's Gone]

bill connors,

Dan Marino was a field general that tried to do the best with what he had. He had to have many shoot out games when the defense played soft. He had no run game to slow things down a bit and keep opposing great qb's on thier sidelines longer and helplessly watch.

As a field general, Marino pretty played the only hand he had to play.

[bill connors]

ireland is dumb as a retarded rock, i agree. is he afraid to show his hair, he makes sure he always has that goofy looking fins hat on when they tape him

[oscar canosa]

I have always been very high on Devlin but after last week, not so much. After a whole year here + and still locking on his receivers? Must be as dumb as a rock.

[The Signal]

Gosh,

I wonder if T-hill will cave under the pressure Newton brings up the middle, or will that wiley Cam read his eyes and jump a route or two?

[Yesterday's Gone]

1984 proved, in order for Miami to get to sb's under Marino. Dan Marino would have needed to throw for over 5,000yds and 48 tds every single year. That's super human even for Dan Marino.