AFC East Preview

Buffalo Bills

Last Season : 4 - 12



Players Drafted

1st Round - Marcell Dareus DT
2nd Round - Aaron Williams DB
3rd Round - Kelvin Sheppard LB
4th Round - Chris Hairston OL
5th Round - Johnny White RB
6th Round - Chris White LB
7th Round - Justin Rodgers DB
7th Round - Michael Jasper DT

Players in

Nick Barnett LB
Buster Davis WR
Lionel Dotson DT
Ruvell Martin WR
Kirk Morrison LB
Brad Smith WR
Tyler Thigpen QB

Players out

Brett Johnson DB
Aaron Myabin LB
Paul Posluszny LB
Jonathan Stuper TE
Lee Evans WR
Donte Whitner S
Aston Youboty CB

The Bills have a mountain to climb in this division.  They struggled last year, and have this year allowed some of their best players (LB Paul Posluszny, WR Lee Evans and S Donte Whitner) to leave the team.  Evans, now with the Ravens, was their only deep threat last year, and they don't seem to have replaced him with anybody at all.  This will allow defences to double cover their main WR Stevie Johnson.

The Bills do look better though on defence.  Their number 1 draft pick DT Marcell Dareus should help to clog up the holes, and hopefully provide a bit of interior pass rush.  In total 6 out of the Bills 8 drafted players were defensive players.  This may not be as useful as it sounds though, as LB Aaron Maybin, who was a 1st round draft choice of the Bills a couple of years back, has been released.  Lets hope their talent evaluation has improved.  I expect the LB's to be very good this year.  They have bought in Superbowl winner Nick Barnett from the Packers, and former Charger Shawn Merriman has shown flashes of past glories.  I think the defence is better, but they will still struggle to win many games.

Miami Dolphins

Last season : 7 - 9



Players drafted

1st Round - Mike Pouncey OL
2nd Round - Daniel Thomas RB
4th Round - Edmond Gates WR
6th Round - Charles Clay TE
7th Round - Frank Kearse DT
7th Round - Jimmy Wilson CB

Players in

Reggie Bush RB
Gerald Alexander S
Kevin Burnett LB
Marc Columbo OL
Ronald Fields DT
K.J Gerard DB
Marvin Mitchell LB
Matt Moore QB
David Nixon LB
Kevin O'Connell QB
Jason Taylor LB
Jason Trusnik LB
Ray Willis OT

Players out

Ronnie Brown RB
Patrick Cobbs RB
Tim Dobbins LB
Lionel Dotson DT
Al Harris CB
Terrail Lambert DB
Pat McQuiston OT
Tyler Thigpen QB
Ricky Williams RB

The Dolphins finished last year with a losing record, and will find it difficult to leap frog the Patriots and Jets in a very tough division.  On the offensive side of the ball, I am looking forward to seeing how the running game will work this year.  The Dolphins struggled slightly last year with ageing RB's Ronnie Brown (now with the Eagles) and Ricky Williams (now with the Ravens).  They have bought in the exciting Reggie Bush, and paired him with 2nd round pick Daniel Thomas.  Thomas will be the big heavy back, with Bush providing the quick, nippy option.  The Dolphins need these 2 to form a solid combo to help struggling QB Chad Henne.  Henne has received alot of stick over the off season, with many people saying he can never be a decent QB at this level.  I feel Chad is playing for his career as a starter this year, watch this space.

The Dolphins defence is a very talented, under rated group.  Last year was their first under DC Mike Nolan.  He had the Dolphins ranked 6th on that side of the ball, in the NFL.  With another year of teaching his system, and another years experience for all of the young players there, I believe they will e better again this year.  I think the Dolphins will be in many close games, can QB Chad Henne squeak out enough wins though, to challenge the Patriots and the Jets?

New England Patriots

Last season : 14 - 2



Players Drafted

1st Round - Nate Solder OT
2nd Round - Ras-I Dowling DB
2nd Round - Shane Vereen RB
3rd Round - Stevan Ridley RB
3rd Round - Ryan Mallett QB
5th Round - Marcus Cannon OL
5th Round - Lee Smith TE
6th Round - Markell Carter LB
7th Round - Malcolm Williams DB

Players in

Chad Ochocinco WR
Albert Haynesworth DT
Mark Anderson DE
Andre Carter LB
James Ihedigobo S
Niko Koutouvides LB
Chris Morris C

Players out

Tony Carter DB
Shayne Graham K
Quinn Ojinnaka G
Ty Warren DE

The Patriots have for many years been the class of this division.  They haven't loss any one of significance this off season, but they have bought in some very talented players.  WR Chad Ochocinco, and DT Albert Haynesworth were seen as risky pick ups by many, but I believe both wil work out well for the Pats. 
Chad Ochocinco knows that his career is coming towards its final years, and this will be his best opportunity to win a Superbowl.  Therefore look for alot less clowning around from Chad, (Belichick wouldn't stand for half of what hes done in the past) and look for him to become Tom Brady's favorite target.

Haynesworth talent is immense in the right system (3-4) which he showed to good effect in Tennessee.  The Redskins picked him up and gave him a MASSIVE contract, before deciding to go with the 4-3 defence.  Needless to say, 'Big Alb' wasn't happy, and the Redskins never saw the best of him.  Now back in a 3-4, with HC Bill Belichick devising ways to put him in the right positions, I think Haynesworth will be hungry for success, and dominant.  I also expect the young secondary to look better, with a further years experience under their belts.  I expect the Pats to win alot of games again this year, but just look out for teams that choose to blitz Brady alot.  The Jets proved in the playoffs last year that it can work, as did the Lions last week.

New York Jets

Last season : 11 - 5

Players Drafted

1st Round - Muhammed Wilkerson DT

3rd Round - Kendrick Ellis DL

4th Round - Bilal Powell RB

5th Round - Jeremy Kerley WR

7th Round - Greg McElroy QB
7th Round - Scotty McKnight WR

Players in

Derrick Mason WR
Plaxico Burress WR
Aaron Maybin LB
Donald Strickland DB

Players out

Braylon Edwards WR
Damien Woody T
Jason Taylor LB
Brad Smith WR
Steve Weatherford P
Vernon Gholdston LB
Drew Coleman S
Kris Jenkins DT

The Jets have reached the AFC championship game in the last 2 seasons, but still have yet to crack the Superbowl.  QB Mark Sanchez is improving year after year, and will need to, if the Jets are to overtake the Patriots in this tough division.  The Jets lost 2nd WR Braylon Edwards in free agency, but bought in veterans Derrick Mason (from Ravens) and Plaxico Burress (from prison).  I think these 2 will be adequate to replace Edwards.

The Jets have a very good defence on the whole.  CB Darrelle Revis is probably the best in the business, and his partner again this year will be Antonio Cromartie.  The Jets were going to allow Cromartie to leave, and bring in Nnamdi Asomugha from the Raiders.  But when Nnamdi joined the Eagles, the Jets asked Cromartie to come back, and he obliged.  The 2 CB's spent alot of last year in 1 on 1, man to man coverage, as the Jets blitzed alot.  A major reason for all this blitzing was their inability to get to the QB with their DL.  This is why their 1st and 2nd round draft picks were spent on DL (Wilkerson and Ellis).  If these players do manage to put alot of pressure onto the QB, allowing the Jets to only blitz as a surprise (and not every down) I believe this defence can challenge the Steelers, as the best defence in the NFL.  The Jets should win alot of games again this year, but I'm not convinced they will win the division over the Patriots.

Pre Season Week 2 : Friday Nights Games

Here are the highlights from all the games on Friday night:

Redskins 16 Colts 3



Chiefs 13 Ravens 31



Lions 30 Browns 28



Panthers 10 Dolphins 20



Cardinals 20 Packers 28




Falcons 13 Jaguars 15

Fridays Pre Season Storylines

It was great to see live football again last night, after the doom and gloom of the lockout.  All matches from Thursday, Friday and Saturday, will be reviewed here on Sunday.  But for now, what games are happening tonight, and what should you be looking out for?

Dolphins @ Falcons

The visiting Dolphins have a lot of questions to answer on the offensive side of the ball.  Alot of the talk in the off season has been about QB Chad Henne.  Henne's performances last season were not great, and the fans wanted him replaced.  It will be a huge year for Henne this year.  Can he prove that the organisation were right to keep him??  Also keep an eye on the RB situation.  Newcomer Reggie Bush and rookie Daniel Thomas, are looking to replace veterans Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

All the talk in the off season in Atlanta has also been about the offence.  During the draft, the Falcons traded multiple draft picks, to trade up and take WR Julio Jones.  Jones is a very talented WR, and the Falcons clearly believe that he is the missing piece that they need to get them to the Superbowl.  Are they correct to think this way?

Bengals @ Lions

The Bengals are almost certain to be starting a rookie QB (Andy Dalton) come the opening day of the season.  To make things worse, their best WR for years (Chad Ochocinco) has left town, and is now catching passes from Tom Brady in New England.  They did take WR A.J Green in the first round of the draft, but with this broken off season, will he be anywhere near as effective as Ochocinco could have been?  It will be very interesting to see the Dalton - Green combination.

The Lions have a very young, exciting team, and were really looking forward to the new season.  Since training camp opened though, they have received injuries to 2 rookies, DT Nick Fairley and RB Mikel Leshore.  Leshore is actually out for the whole season, because of his torn achilles.  The Lions bought in veteran RB's Mike Bell and Jerome Harrison to help Javid Best run the ball.  Tonight it will be intersting to see who catches the eye.

Steelers @ Redskins

The Steelers starters almost pick themselves, and the main objective for them tonight, is to make sure none of the pick up an injury.  I expect that the Steelers starters will only play one series, then take the rest of the night off.  Will be interesting to see what they have lower down the depth chart, but not much to keep an eye on here.

If the Steelers are set up and ready to go, the Redskins could not be further behind.  With last years QB Donovan McNaab now in Minnesota, the Redskins are searching for this years starter.  Up step John Beck and Rex Grossman, o dear!  These 2 are the reason that the Redskins will finish bottom of the NFC East standings this year, no matter who starts.  I'm looking forward to seeing their defence though, I think that they could be very good - they are going to need to be.

Buccaneers @ Chiefs

The Wembley bound Buccaneers, start their 2011 campaign in Kansas City.  To be completely honest I'm struggling quite a lot to pick out an individual thing to look out for, for either team.  The Chiefs and Buccs rosters are loaded up with young players, so expect to see a lot of mistakes in this game.  This off season has been a nightmare for young teams, as they have been unable to practice together.  I expect to see some exciting plays, and some stupid mistakes in this very unpredictable matchup.  One player I am looking forward to seeing is Buccs QB Josh Freeman.  I want to see how he has developed as a leader over the off season.

49'ers @ Saints

The 49'ers decided to stick with what they know with QB Alex Smith, and bought in WR Braylon Edwards to give him a solid option in the pass game.  With Michael Crabtree looking likely to miss most of the preseason, the Smith - Edwards combo is likely to be developed by coaching staff intensely.  Another position to keep an eye on here is the secondary spots.  The 49'ers have bought in S's Dashon Goldston and Donte Whitner, as well as CB's Carlos Rodgers and Madieu Williams.  Improving the secondary was obviously a priority, so has it worked?

The Saints (like the Steelers) are pretty much set at all positions, and their primary goal will be to finish this game injury free.  A couple of new faces though that will be looking to make an impact were 1st round picks RB Mark Ingram, and DE Cam Jordan.  The Saints were praised by everyone following the addition of these 2 players in April.  Tonight is their first opportunity to prove the organisation made the right choices.

Check back here tomorrow for Saturdays story lines.

The keys to Training Camp - AFC East

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have lots and lots of problems and decisions to make during their Training camp - starting on the 29th July.  The Bills finished last season with a 6 - 10 record, which left them at the bottom of this division.  Their star acquisition from last year WR Terrell Owens, has left, after not impressing much, and now looking at this roster, you start to wonder where, and how points are going to come about.  The Bills decided to take Clemson RB C.J Spiller as their 1st round draft pick.  This seemed a very strange decision to me at the time as they have no QB, no star WR, are completely changing their defence (from a 4 - 3 to a 3 - 4) and they decided to take a RB, a position of strength - probably their only position of strength.

Who will be the starting RB?

The Bills have 3 fantastic players that are able to take the RB role at the moment.  1st round draft pick C.J Spiller, Marshawn Lynch (pictured) and Fred Jackson will undoubtedly all see action, but what I want to know is who the Bills consider their best option.  It is now widespread around the NFL, that teams reqiure more than 1 capable RB, so that the one on the field is always fresh.  The Bills will use these players, probably as their whole offence (as they don't have much else).  I believe C.J Spiller will return kicks and punts, and get into the games in certain situations where his speed can produce game changing moments.  I believe that if Lynch stays around, he will be the main option, with Fred Jackson maybe as the goal line back.  Jackson had a great year last season, but I believe Lynch has more talent, and the Bills will want to get Spiller on the field.

Who is the QB?

 Before the Bills begin to worry to much about their RB, they need to sort out a more pressing problem - Just who is their QB?  QB now is the most important position in the league.  The best teams in the league, i.e teams making playoff and Superbowl apperences, always have a solid, if not elite, QB.  Looking at the Bills QB options - they have niether.  This point was proved when last year, even with the superstar WR that is T.O, the Bills still only came in 30th in passing yards per game.  Trent Edwards (pictured) seems to have the job at the moment.  But when this team starts to struggle, the only options they have are Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm.  Good luck Buffalo!!!  Just a quick question - Why didn't you take Jimmy Clausen again?


How does the '4 - 3' to '3 - 4' transition go?

One thing that did run quite well for the Bills last year was their defence.  Infact their pass defence actually came in 2nd in the whole NFL.  The only problem was, their run defence - ranked 30th.  This year the new head coach Chan Gailey has decided to move the Bills to a more athletic 3 - 4 defence.  This is the trend in the league now, as lots of teams move to this scheme.  The only problem is, as we saw with the Packers last year, it takes time.  This is not something the Bills have.  They now have a struggling offence, with a pretty good defence struggling to adapt to the new system.  I don't think this was a good call by the Bills, and I think they are in for a long season.



Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins took a step backwards last year, making the playoffs in 2008, to a 7 - 9 record in 2009.  They have lost a few key players on defence - Joey Porter, Jason Taylor, Jason Ferguson, so it will be interesting to see how new Defensive co-ordinator Mike Nolan decides to play.  The offence has all its big players back, and one big name new addition - WR Brandon Marshall.

What will the new defence look like?

The Dolphins have taken on former 49'er head coach Mike Nolan as their Defensive co-ordinator and he is determind to improve the 22nd rank defence form last year.  The quotes coming out of Miami are all along the track of 'We are going to get more offensive - defensivly!'  What this means is the Dolphins are going to get after teams more, and try and create turnovers.  A major part of this new defence will be new recruit, LB Karlos Dansby (pictured).  You may remember Karlos running back the pick 6 for the Cardinals to beat the Packers in the playoffs last year.  The major worry about this though is that the Dolphins no longer have the fantastic pass rushing abilities of either Jason Taylor, or Joey Porter.  This could be a major problem for a team that is looking to pressure oppenents into mistakes.  It will be interesting to see how players like Cameron Wake and Charlie Anderson can step into this vital role.

Will Chad Henne continue to improve?

At the begining of last season Chad Pennington was the QB in Miami, and was seen as a very capable stop gap, until Chad Henne (pictured) was ready.  Unfortunatly, due to a week 3 shoulder injury in San Diego, Pennington was out, and Henne was in.  Although Henne would probably have chosen to sit out the year and learn, the learning he did on the field should stand him in good stead.  He had an average first year as a starting QB, throwing for 2,878 yards and 12 TD's, but he was helped tremendasly by the fantastic Miami running attack.  Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams really helped take the pressure off the young QB, and have allowed him to grow into the game slowly.  This will also be the case this year, the question is - Will Henne be able to take the next step?

How will Brandon Marshall change the offence?

For many years now, the Miami Dolphins have not had a star WR.  They took Ted Ginn with a 1st round pick, and that didn't work out.  Now though, the Dolphins have finally got themselves a big time play maker at WR.  The addition of Marshall means that teams can no longer go out against the Dolphins, and be determind to stop the run game because they now have a genuine pass option.  This should open up the game for Ronnie and Ricky, and will undoubtedly help improve young QB Chad Henne.   If all goes as expected, this move should dramatically improve the Dolphins offence - watch this space!

New England Patriots

The Patriots (participators in last years NFL London game) finished last year with a 10 - 6, division winning, record.  The Patriots have dominated this division over recent years, but will they continue to do so??  As the Jets and Dophins have improved, training camp will help us see wether the Patriots have or not.


How healthy is Tom Brady?

T

Tom Brady is without doubt one of the elite QB's in the NFL.  His ability to make plays over the years has been a major factor in the Patriots dynasty.  After his horrific leg injury on opening day 2008, which kept him out for the rest of the season, he is yet to convince everyone that he is playing at full tilt.  The most obvious signs of this were in the playoff game last year against the Ravens.  We all know how good the Ravens defence is, and how much they love getting after the QB.  They did this all day and Brady was not at all comfortable.  If he is jittery like that this year, I belive the Pats will struggle to make a deep playoff push.


How much will Wes Welkers injury affect the offence?

 Wes Welker is a huge part of the potent pats offence.  With Brady throwing the football, and Randy Moss demanding double coverage, Welker is the beneficery, and he certainly doesnt disappoint.  Last year Welker had 15 TD's and when he got injured in the final regular season game last year there was panic in New England.  How would the Pats replace him?  Well the answer is that they can't replace Welker.  Julian Edleman will probably start in place of Wes, but to be honest, he is no Wes Welker.  The Patriots are hopeful that he may be ready for the opening game of the year against the Bengals.  That though seems like a prayer to me, by a team that is afraid of losing its grip on what is becoming a very competitive divison.


Who will pressure the QB?

A major defensive problem for the Pats last year was their inability to pressure the opponents QB.  This lead to the secondary giving up big plays quite regulary.  The problems arose when they traded Richard Seymour to the Raiders, and have also allowed Jarvis Green to leave.  Alot of the responsibility will now fall on Tully Banta Cain (pictured) who had 10 sacks last year.  That is a OLB on one side, but who is on the other?  It will be a battle in training camp between Derrick Burgess, Pierre Woods, Jermaine Cunningham and Gary Guyton.  One of these players has to step up to help the Pats this year, if they are to win the division.

New York Jets

 The Jets finished 2009 with a 9 - 7 record, which gave them second place in the division, but also gave the a playoff berth.  The Jets made the most of this oppotunity, making a run all the way to the Conference championship game, before falling short against the Colts.  During the offseason they have added plenty of elite talent, that they hope will push them over the top.  So what are the key points to watch for at Jets camp?

Can the run game be as effective?

 A big question that needs to be answered is, are L.T (pictured) and Joe McKnight as effective as Thomas Jones and Leon Washington?  Last year Jones, Washington and Greene were the best running attack in the league, can Greene, McKnight, and L.T replicate this?  The mix that the Jets managed to acheive last year, tough defence, good run game, and decent young QB, all need to be at the same level, if not better, if the Jets want to acheive their goal of the Superbowl this year.  My major question about the RB position is why allow Thomas Jones to leave for L.T?  L.T has been a fantastic player in the league, and will be in the H.O.F one day, but has he got the legs to push the Jets to a Championship?  I am a HUGE Thomas Jones fan, and I just hope the Jets have made the right decision.

How good can this defence be?

The Jets defence is one of the things I am most looking forwrd to seeing in 2010.  The pressure that the unit creates is amazing.  The reason that the Jets can blitz as often as they do (highest count of blitz plays in the league) is the play of CB Darrelle Revis (pictured).  Revis is the best CB in the world.  'Revis-island' can match up against any WR one on one and take them completley out of the game.  This frees up other players in the defence to pile on the pressure.  Now Rex Ryan has bought in CB Antonio Cromartie, to play opposite Revis.  Cromartie is also very talented as a CB, and is going to be asked to match up one on one.  If he is capable of this, the Jets have another 'spare man'.  One of these man can also be considered as being Jason Taylor.  Taylor has made a career off pressuring the QB.  This defence is going to be soooooo good.

Will they live up to the hype?

 This Jets team has the look of a Superbowl winning team.  Fantastic defence, great run game and a very talented, young up and coming QB.  Add to that the super confident head coach Rex Ryan (pictured), and the beast that is the New York media, and they will have you handing out the Lombardi Trophy right now.  But the Jets have not won it all since Superbowl 3 in 1969.  How will they handle the pressure of being favorites?  Last season they were runners up to the Patriots in their division and went to the playoffs as a wildcard.  This underdog mentality will have taken all the pressure off them, and allowed them to play well.  This time they are top dog - there to be shot at, how will they cope?  I personally believe that the confidence of coach Ryan and the pure ability of the team will overcome this pressure.  Look forward to a very good year 'Gang Green'.

Check back tomorrow for a look at the AFC North.

Draft Previews

Denver Broncos


Last season - 8 - 8 2nd in AFC West


Team needs - Both lines, WR, TE, ILB and S.


Players in - Jarvis Green DE, Justin Bannan DE, Nate Jones S, Jamal Williams NT.


Players out - Chad Jackson WR, Andra Davis LB.


Draft positions :


1st Round : 11th pick
2nd Round : 13th pick
3rd Round : 16th pick
4th Round : 16th pick
6th Round : 14th pick
7th Round : 13th pick

Total - 6 picks

There are options available to the Broncos with this pick.  They seem to have addressed the need on the DL in free agency with the additions of Green, Bannon and Williams.  The addition of Nate Jones seems to take out any possibility of them taking a S.  Therefore they can either go OL, which would probably be Rutgers Anthony Davis, WR Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant or LB Alabama's Rolando McClain.  This will be a tough decision for the Broncos and they will end up with a good player whatever happens, but if I was them I hink I would take Rolando McClain.  This is a very special player on the defensive side of the ball who can call plays at the line and read the game very well.  He can be a very dominant player for years to come in the NFL, a real leader.   

Miami Dolphins


Last season - 7 - 9 3rd in AFC East


 Team needs - WR, TE, LB, S and maybe CB


Players in - Karlos Dansby LB, Richie Incognito G.


Players out - Joey Porter LB, Nate Jones S.


Draft Positions :


1st Round : 12th pick
2nd Round : 11th pick
3rd Round : 9th pick
4th Round : 12th pick
6th Round : 4th pick, 5th pick, 10th pick.
7th Round : 5th pick, 12th pick, 45th pick.

Total : 10 picks.


I believe that the Dolphins would have been seriously considering LB Rolando McClain, along with WR Dez Bryant.  Other positions of need include DT, which would probably be Tennessee's Dan Williams, S, Texas's Earl Thomas and if the Jason Taylor move to the Jets goes though, an OLB, maybe Texas's Sergio Kindle.  With the track record of Bill Parcells taken into account, I cannot see the Phins taking WR Dez Bryant when they have so may defensive needs.  Also Parcells believes physically big players win games, which should rule out the S position.  This leaves DT and OLB.  I think the Dolphins will feel that their roster can cope without Joey Porter and Jason Taylor (who may end up staying) better than without a NT.  Again as I always say NT is the most important position in the 3 - 4 system which they play, and their only option is Jason Ferguson who is getting old, and is also suspended for the start of the year.  With all this taken into account, I think the Phins will take Tennessee's DT Dan Williams, who has all the ability to be a very good NT in the NFL.


Get in touch - Email- nflgbview@gogglemail.com, twitter - www.twitter.com/nflgbview, Facebook - http://tinyurl.com/yaxmcsq or just leave a comment.


There are only 9 days left on the vote to find the UK's team, so please vote at www.nflgbview.blogspot.com Thank you.

Dolphins 24 Panthers 17

The Thursday night matchup between 2 teams fighting for their playoff lives. Both teams had injuries, but both teams came out, played hard and produced a good game. All the talk before the game was about Ronnie Browns injury, and how the Dolphins would run the wildcat. The answer was they wouldn’t run it much (just 3 times), but Ricky Williams did score a TD from the formation. Williams stepped up big in Browns absence, he ran for 119 yards and 2 TD’s behind the huge blocking from FB Lousaka Polite. QB Chad Henne had a decent game throwing for 172 yards and a TD. He also came up big with many conversions on 3rd down. The Panthers played well in this game also, and kept it close until the end. Delhomme threw for 227 yards and a TD (also 1 INT), and the RB’s had a combined 165 yards. Steve Smith also had a big game, and looks to be getting back to his best, which is a big plus for the Panthers. Smith had 7 catches for 87 yards and a TD. The difference on the night was the performance of the Dolphins defence. They got to Delhomme with 4 sacks, (to Carolina’s 0) and forced the INT by Nate Jones. These misfires by the Panthers cost them in a very even game. The Dolphins now will believe they can make a push towards the playoffs. They have the Bills this week, followed by the Patriots. After these 2 games, we should know where they stand. The Panthers aren’t completely out of the playoff picture in the weaker NFC. But they now cannot afford another slip up. Their next game is in New York, against the Jets, a game the Phins will want them to win no doubt.

Thursday Night Football

Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers

The 4 – 5 Dolphins travel to Carolina to take on the 4 – 5 Panthers. The big news surrounding this game is that the Dolphins star RB Ronnie Brown is out for the season. This is a massive blow for the Phins as not only is Brown their best offensive option at running back, he is also the player that takes the direct snaps out of the ‘Wildcat’ formation. The Panthers aren’t without their injury worries, after left tackle broke his ankle at the weekend, leaving him out for the rest of the year. The majority of the offensive plays in this game should be run plays. The Panthers are 3rd and the Dolphins are 4th ranked in rush offence (although the Phins numbers may be affected by the loss of Brown). So you would think that the performance of the defences against the rush would be the key to the game. The Dolphins are 7th, and the Panthers are 25th in this category. Carolina QB Jake Delhomme has improved significantly over the past few weeks, and after throwing 13 INT’s in his first 6 games, he hasn’t thrown any in his last 3. He will need to take care of the ball in this game, against the ball hawking Dolphins defence. The Dolphins QB is first year starting Chad Henne. Although Henne has done ok since taking over from Chad Pennington in week 3, he is still learning. He may well struggle in this game against the Panthers impressive secondary (ranked 4th against the pass). I believe the performance of Ricky Williams (Dolphins number 2 RB) will be the key to this game. If he can gain a good amount of yards the Dolphins will have a chance. If he struggles, the Panthers rush attack will overwhelm them, and probably finish the Dolphins playoff hopes.

Lee’s Prediction: Dolphins 10 Panthers 17

Dolphins 30 Jets 25

Well the ‘Game of the week’ that you all voted for looked to be a really poor choice at half time as the score stood at 3 – 3. These two rush first, defensive minded teams were completely cancelling each other out, and I personally could not believe I was watching the same teams that just 3 weeks earlier had provided the 31 – 27 thriller at Land Shark Stadium.

The second half though was a completely different story. The game became littered with huge plays, and the excitement went right down to the last minute or so. The big news coming out of Miami before the game was that Ted Ginn Jr, the Dolphins former first round pick, and supposed game changing WR, was dropped in favour of Brian Hartline (a rookie, picked up in the 4th round of last years draft). Also my thought that the game was going to be a bad tempered affair was proven, as players were getting in each others faces, in the warm up. All set for the game of the week then.

As I said the first half was slightly dull and the 3 – 3 score summed that up. The Jets came out running hard in the second half. So much so they were lining up for virtually every play in a goal line set. The drive eventually stalled, but Jets kicker Jeff Feeley drilled a 55 yard FG, to give the Jets the 6 – 3 lead. Feely, who had made the tackle on Ginn on his previous 2 kicks in the game, kicked deep to Ginn who collected the ball on the goal line. Ginn bought the ball out, bounced outside, and outran the Jets coverage to score. This was a really explosive play, and lit the touch paper under the game. On the Jets next possession, they continued to pound the ball, to the annoyance of the home crowd. Shonn Green then took the ball, went between the tackles, but was hit hard by Phins D-lineman Paul Soliai. Soliai stripped the ball from Green which Jason Taylor collected, and took the ball back 48 yards to put the Phins in control, up 17 – 6.

Their dominance looked to get stronger as the defence forced a 3 and out, and the Jets had to punt away. Davone Bess was under the punt; his hands let him down though as he put the ball on the ground, and the Jets recovered at the 29 yard line. The Jets finally started to air the ball out and got the ball down to threw 1 yard line. Everyone was expecting the Jets to try and run this in, put Sanchez kept the ball on a bootleg, and ran the ball in completely unopposed. In fact some of the Dolphins players were fighting for the ball on the ground, as they thought it had been fumbled. With the score at 17 – 12, the Jets wanted to go for 2, to bring them within a FG. But a false start penalty meant they decided to just kick the extra point. Feely, for some unknown reason, kicked the ball deep to Ginn again, and he took the ball from 1 yard inside the end zone, sidestepped 2 tackles, and went the distance to tie the NFL record of 2 kick returns in 1 game.

The Jets, now realising they needed points fast, continued to throw the ball against the very young Dolphins secondary. A 53 yard Sanchez pass took them to the 20 yard line, and on the next play, Sanchez threw to Braylon Edwards, who fighting against 2 Dolphins defenders, fell backwards into the end zone (24 – 19). The Jets decided to go for 2 again, but Sanchez’s fade pass was intercepted by Vonte Davis.

The Dolphins knew they had to take control of this game the best way they know how to, they ran the ball, and ran down the clock. With just 8.48 on the clock, Joey Haynos caught a Henne pass, to give the Phins a 30 -19 lead. Sanchez hit Keller for a 16 yard TD, and with the score 30 – 25, they failed again at the 2 point conversion. The Jets got the ball back and drove to the 12 yard line with 2 minutes left. So here we are, the Jets need to get in from 12 yards, or they lose to the Dolphins (again!). First down - Thomas Jones runs for 4 yards. Second down – Sanchez keeps the ball, dropped by Randy Starks. Third down – Starks sacks Sanchez back at the 16 yard line. So its 4th and 14, from the 16 yard line. Sanchez, obviously worried about the pass rush, drops to the 30 yard line, throws to the endzone, but it goes out the back, and the Dolphins are able to run out the remaining 1:06, to get a big divisional win.

A great game people, good choice.

Lee’s prediction: Dolphins 24 Jets 20, correct winner and pretty close with the score.