The humidity wafts up from the sun-cooked earth as he walks into his backyard. The audience is a few scattered potted pepper plants and the cacophonous din of the cicadas. Nothing at all like the Roman Colosseum.
But there is a battle about to happen. An old rusted lawnmower and a semi-retired blogger. He knows what he has to do. Grab hold of the handle, pull the throttle open and bring the beast to his will with a sure-handed pull of the cord. Easier said than done.
So anyway, got a new lawnmower.
The parallel is of course this blog. I was all set to hang it up and enjoy the season as spectator alone. I tried to. But I can't. Just have to talk Dolphins somewhere, you know?
But I'm not getting a new blog. Just pulling harder on that cord. Can you hear it chopping? Can you smell the mowed grass?
I won't insult anyone's Dolphins acumen by recapping training camp. Instead I want to jump straight in and get to what's happening now.
I am very much looking forward to sharing hangovers, victories and another AFC East title with you all again. Hey, why not the whole thing? Why not us?
Let's get it started.
My Top 5 Observations Of The Carolina Game5) There is no longer a battle at kicker.
Dan Carpenter had a wonderful rookie season last year and many found it somewhat odd that the Dolphins brought in undrafted free agent Connor Barth to compete with him. The reason is simple: Bill Parcells hates kickers. He hates trusting a game to a field goal. And so when Carpenter missed a couple in training camp, well, he had to bring someone in to push or surpass Carpenter.
Though Barth has been involved in the kicking game all preseason, and he seems to be as reliable as Carpenter in the field goal game. Carpenter had one blocked against the Jaguars because of bad line play and a low kick.
It is however, Carpenter that will stay. Mark my words.
His kickoffs were Olindo Mare-like including a very impressive opening kickoff touchback. If Carpenter can keep hitting his FGs and boom those openers then he will have it on lock.
4) The Dolphins have depth on the offensive & defensive lines.
Does anyone my age, roughly 30, have dreams of telling later generations about Donald Thomas like old heads talk about Larry Little? It gives me chills. The guy is a fucking rhinoceros swathed in aqua and orange. I'm not even sure it's legal. He and a handful of other stories coming out of camp and showing up in preseason games the Dolphins have something they have not had in a long time: A lot of depth on the line.
At guard Shawn Murphy is a starting caliber (not quite sold on his push yet, though he certainly is capable and showing something) guard who should provide important competent depth behind the somewhat injury prone (but powerful duo) of Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas. Rookie OT Andrew Gardner is practicing and playing like a poor man's version of Jake Long. That of course means that he could start on 50% of the teams in the league.
The Panthers do not have a dominant defensive line, though they have a solid one. All three strings of Dolphins offensive lineman controlled the line of scrimmage. From Jake Long and Vernon Carey to Joe Berger (a competent backup center too!) and Brandon Frye, the Phins are not going to have to watch shaky backups get molested on the field by the Kansas City defensive line.
On the defensive front Tony McDaniel continues to be a freakish feature in the depth. The man runs down plays like a weakside linebacker. Paul Soliai has become a first class backup for Jason Ferguson. Add in Randy Starks ascent to starter, Langford's continued dominance and Merling's play-making potential and you have a serious front. The whole front seven looks amazing.
3) Pat White is not going to be a bust. Henne is the future.
John Beck taught me something. He taught me what a bad quarterback with absolutely no cajones looks like. After watching Beck look like a deer in headlights every single play under center, I learned what to look for in rookie QBs. When Kevin Kolb stepped in for the Eagles in last year's drubbing they received at the hands of the Ravens he had the same Beckian look. The results? Disaster.
Pat White took snaps with confidence, looked poised (if unpolished) and has shown fearlessness when it came time to tucking it in and running. He is a young talent and will get better with reps and experience.
He is not Chad Henne however. Henne looks like an NFL QB and has done so from his first preseason snap. He still makes the mistakes that a young QB makes but he shakes them off and never looks rattled. The poise he shows in the pocket, standing tall and taking the hit, is something only the good ones do from the start. If Ernest Wilford could run faster than me pushing my old lawnmower then there would be a quarterback controversy this Monday morning.
Don't get it wrong: Chad Pennington is better than both White and Henne. For now... And maybe not for long.
2) The Dolphins have depth in the secondary.
Rookie standout and clear draft success Sean Smith and the ever-improving draft near bust (but he is improving - for real) Jason Allen were both out with the flu against Carolina. So Joey Thomas and 1st round selection Vontae Davis had to step in.
People were down on Davis after some boneheaded plays against the Jaguars. I saw a guy who did decently in coverage and who needed more reps to get his motor running. The guys was lights out against Carolina, making big open field tackles and blanketing a solid receiving corps for 3/4 of the game.
Tyrone Culver, Joey Thomas, Nate Jones and especially rookie safety Chris Clemons (I really like this kid) all played heads-up and physical. A longtime weakness no longer exists. This is a squad that will become memorable, if they aren't already.
1) Lex Hilliard is good. Very good.
It might not be the actual #1 thing to note from this last (and the first too) game but it is the most intriguing in my mind. Lex Hilliard (from now on to be known as "Sexy Lexy" is the most recent late round gem that the Dolphins have coached into a starting caliber pro athlete.
He has to make the squad. A 240 pound halfback who can turn the corner and run with that kind of speed, power and vision (the guy has wonderful field awareness) is not one you offer up to the waiver wire. Hilliard can catch, run and has flashed more than once now a elite brand of stiff arm that should place him as a priority.
Carry two tight ends, or just five receivers. Hilliard is powerful runner who could step up into the #2 role (Cobbs is an awesome special teamer and a versatile offensive weapon but he has never been able to take the feature back mantle, even in preseason games).
Hilliard won't last to stash away on the practice squad. He has shown too much power and speed in the preseason. It is a dilemma, no doubt, but a good one to have.
Well, the motor's running. The grass is getting cut. The Phinisher is back.
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