Lessons learned from Miami’s preseason opener

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Monday, August 11, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

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“In Chad we trust!” has become the new slogan in Miami. Ever since the Dolphins signed Chad Pennington to a two-year, $11.5 million contract last week, there hasn't been any doubt about who will start at quarterback in 2008.

Josh McCown and John Beck are now playing for a roster spot, while rookie Chad Henne is being groomed for the future. At least Miami fans will be able to keep their “In Chad we trust!” signs for a little while before Pennington hands the reins to Henne, the Dolphins' second-round pick from Michigan.

Now that there isn’t anything to talk about regarding the quarterbacks, what will Dolphins fans do to pass the time? How about discuss some of the elements that were learned from their team's 18-6 loss to Tampa Bay in Saturday's preseason opener?

Following are some of the things that will need to change for the Dolphins if they are going to significantly improve on their 1-15 record from last season:

1. The ground game is going to have to progress.

The Dolphins aren’t going to win many games this season if they only rush for 64 total yards -- which they did against the Buccaneers. Ricky Williams did have a nice 12-yard run in the game, but that was about the only rushing highlight for Miami, which only attempted 16 runs in the game. Ronnie Brown carried the ball just three times for 4 yards, but just having him in the game at this point of the preseason is a victory in itself when you consider he's coming off a torn ACL.

2. Mistakes must be reduced.

Miami didn’t turn the ball over against Tampa Bay, which is a great thing. But the Dolphins still had plenty of mistakes, as evidenced by their nine penalties for 60 yards. In contrast, the Buccaneers didn’t commit a single penalty in the game.

3. Pennington or not, they are going to have to improve offensively.

Whether it is one of the Chads or another quarterback leading the team, the Dolphins are going to have to do better than 10 first downs and 198 yards of total offense. There wasn’t much offensive continuity in the opener against Tampa Bay.

With Pennington, it’s not necessarily a question of whether he can be somewhat of an effective quarterback for the Dolphins. After all, he has the highest completion percentage (65.6) in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts, so accuracy isn’t a question. Rather, the concern with Pennington centers on his health. During his eight NFL seasons, Pennington has missed significant time in four of them. If the Dolphins can provide some protection for Pennington, he'll definitely be an upgrade over what the team previously had at quarterback.

Miami fans won’t have to wait long to see how the team is going to look under Pennington’s leadership. He will get his first live action when Miami plays at Jacksonville this weekend.

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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
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CommentsComments: 4  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
JimmyD		10:26 AM
08/12/2008
Pennington hasn't always had a weak arm, but it has been severely hindered due to his frequent shoulder injuries. Having had ...
No.2
jacotaco3		07:56 PM
08/12/2008
The dolphins have def made some improvements this yr and i like adding pennington. They should pick up terry glenn as another WR ...
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No.3
RedskinFan21ST		10:04 AM
08/13/2008
I think having Pennington as the starting QB is the best option the Dolphins have. The two young QB's will get their chance and ...
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