For Dolphins, preseason opener does count

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/story/634709.html

For Dolphins, preseason opener does count

BY DAVID J. NEAL
Miami Herald

Preseason NFL games, particularly the first one and the first quarter of that one, usually feel like a series of pigskin shrugs.

Veteran players move up a gear from practice, but often their goals don't go past getting in some good snaps, getting a good sweat going, and, most importantly, getting out healthy.

Saturday night's Dolphins preseason opener could be different on the aqua-colored sideline.

For all but a few Dolphins, the rent is on the line each preseason play.

That's part of the reason you'll likely see the Dolphins play healthy veterans deeper into the game than usual.

Most preseason openers, you see most of the first team for a possession, maybe two and a team's elite players for as little as a few plays.

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano dismissed that idea earlier in the week.

''Honestly, I believe we were 1-15 and we're trying to change the culture,'' Sparano said. ``With that being said, as a team we need to be in the game environment, get as many guys in uniform as we can get in uniform. Be in that locker room together. Come out of that tunnel together. Be on the sideline together. Go through whatever it is that we're going to go through in the game together. We need to see all of the reactions that way and get these guys involved as much as we can.

''I've been with [Dolphins vice president of football operations] Bill [Parcells] for a long enough time; I'm not really much on saving guys or doing any of those things,'' he said.

``We'll be smart if we need to be smart with some players, but our players know that they need to play. We need to get better.''

LEARNING PROCESS

And the coaching staff needs to know more about what they have.

Not just at the quarterback position, where they now have to make a decision on who to keep and who to dish.

Among the known quantities, Chad Pennington had the better track record and past association (Parcells) than Josh McCown.

Among the unknown quantities, 2008's second-round pick Chad Henne has clearly had a better training camp than 2007's second-round pick, John Beck.

This is a Dolphins roster with more choices than the Sushi Samba menu and much less certainty about what each option brings.

Pick an area and you'll find questions, save perhaps starting cornerback, where Will Allen and Andre Goodman are known quantities, as is Vernon Carey at right tackle. Where there is uncertainty, there is opportunity for someone to move up, which means someone else moves down -- or out.

Two rookies, No. 1 pick left tackle Jake Long and right guard Donald Thomas, could start on the offensive line.

SOME PLAYING TIME

On the defensive line, depending on how much time defensive end Vonnie Holliday plays after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring strain, second-round pick Phillip Merling and fourth-round pick Kendall Langford could see significant time.

While complimenting many of the defensive rookies, inside linebacker Channing Crowder said, ``There's a lot of pitty-patting going on out here [at practice]. They look great slapping each other's hands down and tagging out the running backs.

``When [thickly built Tampa Bay running back] Earnest Graham comes down and busts one of them in the head, I want to see how they react after that.''

Even Crowder will be examined more than he has at any time since his rookie season.

Not only is he taking over the defensive quarterback role Zach Thomas handled for a decade plus, but he's learning how to share workspace with Dallas import Akin Ayodele.

''We're communicating out here [at practice] but I want to just play with Akin and let that bond come together early so when the season starts, we're rolling,'' Crowder said.

Just saying that shows more enthusiasm for the project than most veterans have for a preseason game. And Crowder knows he'll have a job and the rent paid.

[fyo]

This hasn't been mentioned, but the signing of Pennington could seriously affect who gets playing time against the Bucs today.

Do you just "give up" on the guy you're about to cut? Or do you use the game to pit the two likely candidates against each other?

[YoFuggedaboutit]

This hasn't been mentioned, but the signing of Pennington could seriously affect who gets playing time against the Bucs today.

Do you just "give up" on the guy you're about to cut? Or do you use the game to pit the two likely candidates against each other?

I would do the latter.  Beck and McCown should get the lion's share of the snaps with Chad Henne mopping up.  Pennington won't be playing tonight as he hasn't had time to learn the plays. 

Even if Pennington hadn't signed, this game is still very important.  When you're coming off a 1-15 season and completely rebuilding, even exhibition games count. 

A new beginning gets underway tonight!!!!!!!