Just Beat The Bills

Ricky The Ruler has returned.

Last year the mantra for the season (at least for me) was "relevant football." The Dolphins, for the first time in over three years the Miami Dolphins were playing relevant football. In late November we were watching a team make a claim at being ready for the playoffs.

In late Novemeber I not only donned the jersey of my relevant Phins but also the reinstated Ricky Williams, my favorite current Phin.

So this season finds me in the same situation. The Dolphins have clawed out of the basement finally and at 5-5 are now firmly in second place in the AFC East. The lowly Bills loom as the only thing between .500 and a winning record.

But a win on paper is not one on the scoreboard. One thing this Miami Dolphins team is not is one that will underestimate opponents. They play hard against everyone because they can't afford to do otherwise. This is grind'em down and beat'em up football.

This is also a banged up team. The Phins are more or less limping into this Sunday. They've lost their starting nosetackle and the starting center will not be in this game.

Even our hero Ricky Williams has a slight pectoral injury. Don't think that'll stop him from posting another hundred yards though. Cause it won't.

Here's my three keys for Dolphins success against a dangerously desperate Bills team.

First Key - Chad Henne

Chad Henne is 5-2 as a starter. He has proven both a capable game manager and a clutch passer in tight situations. He has led two come-back victories in the final two minutes of a game. He has started to develop some chemistry with this lackluster corps of receivers and more importantly, some of them are starting to catch him.

So why is he a key, other than the normal reason that a QB is important to victory. The Bills defense is a tale of two sides. They are second in the league in takeaways against the pass and 31st in the league against the run. So while Ricky and Lex should run hog wild today it will be up to Chad Henne to protect the ball and keep the Phins defense off the field.

Second Key - Paul Soliai

Jason Ferguson is out. The loss is major. A 3-4 defense is completely dependent on the play of the nose. When the QB has all day and throws the ball a mile down field for a TD you will point at JT and Peezy as the culprits but it could have much to do with the nose getting handled. No, he doesn't get sacks, but yes he must eat at least two blockers.

I like Soliai. He was up and down his first two years but in limited action this year he has shown not only that he has become a stout nose tackle but also a guy capable of making big plays. Without Soliai's brilliant strip in the jets game (which set up JT's rambling TD return) the Phins probably lose that game.

Soliai has been nursing an ankle injury however, and I am very hopeful he can stay healthy and in the game. Rotating with him will be Randy Starks and Tony McDaniel, two guys who can play the position but barely. In any case, Starks is simply balling at the DE position and it would be bad to lose that play outside.

Like I said though, the nose comes first. Let's hope big Paul's ankle holds up. He is strong enough and now with the technical skills to be a good player in this league.

Third Key - Joe Berger

Jake Grove has happily proven me wrong. Or rather I am happily wrong. His play has been key to this team's success running the ball and in the pass game he's been lights out. He is out this week, I think to give him a more complete heal, but out nonetheless.

The backup, Joe Berger, is being touted highly by teammates and coaches. Berger has decent size and above all is being celebrated for his intelligence. Coaches even ask his opinion on how to protect certain fronts. Well, he does have an engineering degree.

The deal here is that we need him to physically be able to move guys from the middle so the Phins can maintain a inside rush. Additionally we don't need a bonehead snap mistake that puts the Phins defense in a bad spot or keeps points off the board.

So, Go Joe!

Other than that let's enjoy watching Ricky Williams. At 32 he is without a doubt in the last couple years of his career. We are watching a legend play.

Let Us Give Thanks

He won't need his name on his helmet to be recognized for much longer .

As I think about the upcoming game against the Bills, I stop to give thanks for several things:

(1) The Owens/Smith Matchup. Since the Bills brass decided that the season is a loss and canned that previous guy who was the head coach, interim head guy Perry Fewell seems to have remembered that they have one of the best receivers in the history of the game wearing their colors. Owens had a mammoth game last week, and there's no reason to think the Bills offense won't try to get the ball into his hands even more. Which brings up Sean Smith. The kid is a beast and he's getting better week after week. Getting the chance to see these two guys square off should be great. I think Smith can actually handle the task. He's strong enough to counter Owens' power and definitely fast enough to keep up with him. It just remains to be seen if Smith can avoid getting turned around or caught out of position.

Pennington has been pleased with Henne's intuitive understanding of both football and the finer points of string theory.

(2) That Guy Taking the Snaps in Miami. Chad Henne still hasn't really been receiving any national notice, but that's fine. As a starter, he's 5-2 with 6 TDs, 4 INTs and a completion percentage in the mid-50% range. Not world-beating, but very good for a 24-year old in his first year as a starter. He keeps getting better and, as the Dolphins continue to cement their identity with him as their QB (notice the overall lack of Wildcat formations in Carolina?), I have no reason to think his improvement is going to stop, despite the fact that Buffalo's pass defense is actually quite respectable: 200.8 yards per game, only 8 TDs surrendered, and 17 picks. The reason I think Henne will be fine brings me to my final thing to be thankful for...



(3) Number 34. I won't get into this too much. Why? Because if Ricky has another game like he did against the Panthers, I plan on writing quite a missive about the man after the weekend. I began to get a warm feeling when I checked on the Bills' rushing defensive numbers: ranked 31st in the league, giving up 166 yards per game and 15 TDs in their ten games. While he may not have to carry the full load due to contributions by the bruising Lex Hilliard, my favorite yoga practitioner could very well log his third consecutive 100-yard game (the first time since 2003). I have no doubt that Ricky will summon past auras from his incarnation as an Argonaut in the geographically proximate Toronto to continue his rebirth.

Enjoy the football and the family, everyone. Love to all except the city of Buffalo.

Sunday Roundup?

Ricky Williams plows through a hole for a touchdown.

Well, it's Sunday and we're rounding things up.

First let me say something on a few of today's games. I don't fucking care about who wins in the jets vs Pats game. I know a jets win does wonders for Miami over the next two weeks. I just hate them that much. I wish them nothing but ill tidings and worse happenings.

Go Ravens. Go Tampa Bay. Big Josh Freeman fan after watching him last week at Dolphins Stadium. Land Shark? I don't know what the hell you're talking about.

Now to the roundup.

Ricky Williams

So anyway, this last Wednesday I was talking about Ricky Williams (you know: The Dolphins greatest running back of all time). Well, turns out he's even freaking better than that.

Here's a charming story about how Ricky, despite a brilliant game and a Dolphins victory still feels that the week was lost because of the injury to his best friend and fellow running back, Ronnie Brown.

Then there's this about how Ricky Williams channels his chakras to heal himself and hurl ice storms at his enemies. And that he uses the force to heal himself. Deadspin's take here.

Ricky, I am so glad that the Dolphins have the ancient power of Hindu mysticism on our side.


I honestly believe that Ricky's (Rudra) healer is none other than Dhalsim.

Jason Ferguson

I don't even want to talk about this yet. Let's just say that I hope the improvement I've seen in Soliai is for real and that the big Somoan can get his ankle healthy.

A 3-4 defense does not work without a nose.

Jake Grove

The porn stache should be fine. Grove is rumored to have a high ankle sprain, which not only is quick to recover but can also be toughed out and played through. And given Grove is a tough ass, I think he'll be lining up next Sunday.

The guy has outplayed my expectations and been a dominant fixture on this very good line. The Phins offense needs to carry the load from here on out and a playing Grove will be a big part of that.

Playoffs?!? Playoffs!?!

Yes, Jeff Darlington is talking playoffs.

Hat tip to Randy Starks, Joey Porter and Yeremiah Bell. Bell's tackle of Williams down-field is just one of the many awesome plays YB made on Thursday night. He and Wilson are finally playing like they can, which means bad, bad things for opposing offenses.

Also, how excited are you to see Ricky's next 100 yard game? Just seven days away.

juck the Fets. Burn in Hell, Belichick.

Miami Truly is the Los Angeles of the East

So I went to my first live Dolphins game this past Sunday. Heading down to south Florida with the phinisher, don'tcallmedolfan, and an Eagles fan who hooked us up with the tickets, we hit the keys and took in the Phins/Bucs tilt. I come away with three impressions: (1) The Dolphins, while not bad, have plenty of room to improve. (2) The weather in Miami is fucking awesome. (3) The fans in Miami are as tepid as hour-old bisque.

One. I don't know if my heart can take another game in which the Dolphins snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, which in turn was plucked from the maw of victory. The game was fun, but far more of a nail biter than it probably should have been. Sure, the Bucs are not quite as bad as their 1-8 record indicates, but they made so many miscues that the Dolphins should have buried them. The blame probably falls most to the same culprits as the other losses this year: dropped passes and play calling. At least my man, Ricky, got to shine right at the end and had a season-high in carries. More of that, please.

Two. The weather was so nice that I almost didn't feel like I was at a football game. Having lived in the Philadelphia area for over five years now, I'm used to sporting events from September through April being cold and/or rainy and generally a trial. I guess I'll take a bit of a sunburn over pneumonia any day.


A group of Dolphans heading to their seats.
Three. The fans. Jesus, it was a bit sad. I have to agree with the phinisher on this one. The turnout was solid, with at least 75-80% of the stadium seats filled, but I think many of them were driven in from the local morgues. In our section, 102, the vast majority of fans spent most of their time sitting on their hands. They got a little more excited when Jimmy Buffett would get played after a Phins score (I still can't get that stupid "Fins to left! Fins to the right!" song out of my head), but most of the time they seemed to stare around waiting for who-knows what. The most enthusiastic fan was a young meathead in front of us who was mostly pumped up
because his equally knuckle-headed friend was a Bucs fan. Admittedly, it was funny when, after the first touchdown catch by Sperry, he took his buddy's Bucs hat off, held it up to everyone behind him and gave it a joyous "thumbs down". However, as this guy got drunker, he basically got dumber and meaner. Mid-way through the third quarter, this guy was screaming for Sparano to put in Pat White for the rest of the game. And he wasn't the only one who seemed to already be set to completely give up on Chad Henne, despite the kid's obvious potential. And that was what composed the rows around us: apathy and impatience. Maybe it was just that section on that particular day. I hope so. I usually only see such weak sports fandom in the infamously lackadaisical southern California.

Big game tomorrow. None but a fool would try to convince you that the Dolphins are ready to go toe-to-toe with the elite teams in the league, but I think there's potential for them to improve enough to nab a wildcard spot and make a few of the top-flight teams sweat a bit. If they can win against a Panthers team that seems to be righting their ship a bit, then take the Bills, things get really interesting. Possibly hosting the Pats at 6-5, with the division possibly up for grabs? Very intriguing.

It's a real shame to hear about Ronnie Brown's injury. That certainly makes things more challenging. Still, anyone who's watched Ricky closely realizes just how much fuel he still has in the tank. Now we get to see him get the wheel and stomp on the gas again for the first time in over four years.

Sexy Lexy and Kool Kory

Figured I'd pop up a couple of highlights for the guys you may know nothing about.

I see a lot of potential in both, and even had Kory Sheets in my mock draft this Spring. But it is Hilliard's ability to run and hit that has me thinking he could be a diamond in the rough. Plus I coined the name "Sexy Lexy" (in a totally hetero sort of way) and really want it to catch on.

Lex Hilliard Ballin: 5'11" 240 lbs.


Kory Sheets: 5'11" 208 lbs.

Ronnie Brown Placed On Injured Reserve

We will miss Ronnie, if this rumor is true, but right now we need to get excited to see the greatest Dolphins running back of all time take center stage once again. That's right. I said it.

That is what ESPN is reporting via NFL insider, Adam Schefter.

This is still only at the rumor stage, but with the injury moving from ankle to foot the likelihood of the injury being serious increased enough to warrant taking this rumor seriously.

Ricky Williams will now become the feature back and carry a workload that he hasn't seen the likes of in six years. Williams leads the Dolphins backfield with yards from scrimmage and has been averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season, which is the highest rating of that metric for his career.

Backing up Williams will be the 5'11" and 240 lbs Lex Hilliard, who was impressive in preseason action and on special teams this year. Hilliard, a second-year player taken by Miami in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft, has shown impressive speed and agility despite his punishing downhill style. He also catches the ball very well out of the backfield, and could provide decent blocking for Chad Henne as well.

Also in the mix will be rookie running back Kory Sheets. A undrafted free agent signed by the San Francisco 49rs, Sheets was impressive in his four years at Purdue and had a solid combine where he recorded a 4.47 average on his 40-yard-dash.

Sheets is a versatile back, who can catch and run with equal authority and may provide some depth in the wildcat formation. At 5'11" and 208 lbs he will most likely be asked to fill a role similar to that of the injured Patrick Cobbs (ACL).

It will be exciting to see if Williams can do with twenty carries what he does with eight carries, meaning dominate. Additionally it will be interesting to see if Hilliard can emerge as a viable second punch in the Phins dual backfield. Ball control has been an issue for Hilliard in the past, fumbling twice in 42 carries during the preseason.

What A Game?

I'm pretty much whupped after a marathon weekend of boozing in south Florida. Landed in Ft. Lauderdale and made a night of it in the finest chain restaurant in the continental U.S., The Alehouse chain of southern Florida. Man their wings are awesome.

With a pair of sleep hours in my back pocket I then set off for the keys, where after some heavy boozing I collected a sleep hour and set to preparing for the game at around four in the morning. The drive was gorgeous. The sun rising in the east while on a highway in the middle of the sea is something you must make time to behold.

Add a few jumping tarpons and you got yourself something very picturesque.

But I don't want to talk about that stuff. I want to talk Dolphins football.

I'm Pissed At The Fans

And disappointed. For one the game wasn't sold out and yet the lively tailgate outside was packed to the brim. Pounding down a miller lite after devouring an egg salad sandwich from Publix, I looked around and felt pride in my fellow Phins fans. After a handful more beers I was ready to weep with joy. By the end of the third quarter something close to derision was creeping into my heart. A lot of people at the game Sunday can be summed up in a single two-word expression: You suck.

Cheering, assholes, isn't all that hard to do. Watching Jason Taylor look to the stands and raise his arms, trying to get some noise to support his defense broke my heart. The four of us, three Dolphins fans who live in PA and an Eagles fan made the most noise in our entire section. An Eagles fan had to pitch in, Phins fans, and for those of you that sat quietly in your seats, not even fucking clapping, you ought to feel like my liver did this morning, which is to say worthless.

It isn't a symphony you're watching. It isn't a new age concert with a contortionist ballet you're their to look upon. Yet still I saw hundreds of Phins fans sitting in their seats, quietly waiting for Yanni to take the stage.

When the Pats come wandering into south Florida in a few weeks I fully expect you turds to have your game faces on. Cause there won't be an Eagles fan there to help show you what making noise looks like. Turds.

Chad Henne

After that interception the stadium was crushed. Henne sat alone on the bench, shunned like a pariah. Spartacus Cannonarm, however, was not to be flagged by a lone mistake.

That final drive was Chad Henne's second come-from behind this season. In six games Chad Henne is 4-2 as a starter and has come from behind twice to win. For those of you that are cautious sorts, you can go ahead and get the chrism ready.

This guy is the real deal. No question about it.

Ricky Williams

Ronnie and Ricky dominated this game, and though the official line on the injury to Brown's ankle has not emerged as of yet, the reality is that Ricky Williams can carry a full load on his shoulders. And then some.

The Bucs defense had been wearing those red shirts all day and having to tackle the load that is old Engine #34 twenty times was apparently too much. Run, Ricky run!!!

Ted Ginn, Jr.

Seriously. Sign that cat I showed you on last Friday. That's all I'll say about it. Actually I think he officially is in a funk of some sorts. He has always been inconsistent, but this is ridiculous. The guy is talented. Here's to hoping he's just been in a funk and will emerge sometime soon.

The other conclusion is that he just sucks.

Josh Freeman and the Bucs

The Bucs lost the game, perhaps because of a weird interception call that went the Phins way, but as my old man always says: Excuses are for those who need them.

Many fans and commentators are screaming that the sky is falling because the Phins pulled a close one out against the Bucs. The conventional wisdom is the Bucs are a one-win team and that the Phins should take them apart if they want to be a playoff caliber team.

These guys weren't at the game though. Josh Freeman can ball. The guy is a playmaker. The Phins pressured him all day, and got to him a lot in the first half, but the kid was not phased. Two forced fumbles, a bad call turns into an interception, and being sacked and knocked around all day... None of these things got to him.

The team the Dolphins played on Sunday is not the team that lost to the Patriots in London or lost every game up until two weeks ago. This was Freeman's second start and he almost got a win. Bucs fans, you ought to be pretty excited about this kind of thing. I think Chad Henne vs. Josh Freeman will be a match-up that ESPN will talk about or NBC will flex in the future.

Good game, fellas.

Friday Roundup - The Hands Edition

Nice extension. Takes the hit after catch. Retains possession. Looks confidently into the camera. I don't care about the rules. Sign him.

This will be a hybrid Friday Roundup and Three Keys edition of The Phinisher. Why so much crammed into one day? Well, I'm headed to South Florida to hit the Keys and go to this weekend's game against the Buccaneers.

Actually, driftinscotty and don'tcallmedolfan are also on hand for this little trip South. I will be tweeting from the game, and maybe at other high points over the weekend, if I'm sober enough, so sign up to follow the hijinks on Twitter.

Let's get to the roundup.

Bill Parcells Is A Swell Guy

This is a really heartwarming story about Bill Parcells and a homeless man in South Florida. Parcells usually keeps both football and private life on a tight leash and it was only via a slip-up that this story came to light. Old fashioned class, I tell you. Check it out at the Palm Beach Post.

Ricky Williams Is A Swell Guy

Ricky is somewhat of a military brat, having a sister in the Navy and having lived on a Naval base growing up because of his mothers job on it. Pretty heartfelt stuff from Williams giving thanks for what our service people do for us. Nice story. Oh, and RUN, RICKY RUN!!!

Don't know how that fits, but it just had to be said. Oh, actually...

Ricky Williams Is Still A Baller

This is a must read. It basically breaks down how Ricky Williams has equal production to Ronnie on 46 less touches than Brown. The stat lines? Ricky Williams has 7 TDs and 644 yards from scrimmage. Ronnie Brown has 7 TDs and 648 yards, except Brown has got the ball 46 more times.

Let's get the man the ball. Ronnie is a special back. Ricky is a once in a generation talent.

Here's the link.

The Three Keys - Hands Edition

I am excited to watch this game. Ricky Williams is my favorite current Dolphin, closely followed by Jason Taylor and well, Chad Henne. So it is with great joy that I get don my #34 jersey, bought four years ago amidst his suspension, and watch the man play on a South Florida afternoon.

It is also with much reservation that I get to see Chad Henne fire the rock from his cannonarm. Not that I doubt his abilities. I've seen enough to know that we have our QB of the future.

The reservation comes because when the game is on the line Henne delivers strike after strike into hands that can't hold onto the ball. I'm tired, like you all, of the drops.

So for the first of the Three Keys this week I am calling out the receivers.

The First Key - Catch The Damn Ball



A dropped pass is a lost down, lost yards and infuriating to watch. Right now the only sure-handed guy on the team is Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess a close second (though Bess has certainly dropped his share of passes).

Ironically I believe it is Henne's powerful arm that is part of the problem. These receivers are used to catching timing routes and lobs from Chad Pennington. So now they have a guy squeezing lazerbeams between defenders and they can't hang on.

Excuses, as my father always says, are for those who need them.

Catch the ball and we may have beaten New England. Catch the ball and we probably beat New Orleans even with the bad calls.

So Teddy Ginn, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess? Catch the ball.

Second Key - Don't Give Up On The Running Game

For the last three weeks the Phins have seemingly abandoned the running game when resistance has been met. The fact is Ronnie Brown is getting shut down and Ricky Williams is making some plays.

So I have two things to say about this. One: Ronnie Brown needs to get up field quicker. North south baby. You're a big back with a lot of speed. Use it. Two: If Ricky Williams is averaging 5 yards a pop and Ronnie is sitting around 2 yards a carry, well, don't give Ronnie another five carries and abandon the ground game. Feed Ricky the ball. He's running like a 27 year-old Pro Bowler. Let him earn it.

Third Key - Hammer That Curly Haired Punk

I love Peezy, but it seems that injuries have left our big dog with bark alone this season. So it is with some excitement that this weekend I will be looking for JT to move to the weakside and do what he has done better than anyone over the last decade. Sack the quarterback.


Add in a heavier dose of Cameron Wake, who has simply been lights out (4.5 sacks in a handful of snaps). Let Roth and Quentin Moses work the strong-side on running downs and on passing downs put Taylor and Wake in. Josh Freeman is a Brooklyn hipster girl's dream man.

Cameron Wake is Bill Parcells dream man. Let's prove why those things are different.


Remember to follow the adventures this weekend on Twitter.

What Worries Me and What Makes Me Grin

The shit eating grin that Dolphins fans could potentially be wearing by 4:30 today is something special. A win today and the Dolphins should realistically be the team to talk about in the AFC East. Yes, I know they will still be down in the total wins column, but goign 4-0 in the division and taking out the Pats AFTER sweeping the jets, well, that should make even Stewart Scott pull his head out of his ass and take notice.

What I Worries Me

Is the fact that Dolphins and Patriots always play one-sided affairs. Either the Phins smack the shit out of the Patriots and sack Tom Brady all day long or they give up big play after big play until it looks like Brady and Moss are playing five-hundred in the end zone.

Last year it was the tale of the Wildcat's unveiling and the spread shotgun offense. One the Dolphins used to demoralize the Patriots in their own house and the other the Patsies used to do the same in the Phins house.

The year before, well, let's not talk about the year before.

But the year before that the Phins lost handily to the Patriots in the first match and then Nick Satan used game film to unleash Jason Taylor with snap counts in his head, forcing Brady to play his worst game as a professional quarterback.

So which will it be today?

What Makes Me Grin Like I Just Ate A Canary?

The Patriots have the fifteenth ranked rush defense in the NFL and have not yet faced the likes of Miami's powerful duo of the R & R express. Add to this the fact that they're playing a 40 year old Samoan who likes to wear sailor hats at middle linebacker and I like the odds of Ricky and Ronnie running all over them. This line is a lot better than last year's model and the Phins should be able to run the ball down their throat whether in the wildcat or not.

I think a big game from the front seven pressuring Tom Brady and continued improvement from the secondary could add up to a Dolphins win, even a big win, but it won't happen if they can't stop the big play.

Well, here's to hoping they do that and more.

Go Phins! Fuck the Patsies!

Friday Roundup - Patriots Week

Oh, boy. Jason Taylor is a Dolphin and looking to do what he does best: fluster Tom Brady. The early look at this game looks like a classic grudge match. The Dolphins will pound an old but efficient defense with the ground game. The Patriots will not be able to run the ball and really, they probably won't care either.

Brady to Moss should have Pasqualoni up late. Late late. Like don't think about fucking sleep, Paul.

Here are the stories from the week.

Ricky Williams = Charles Darwin?

Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald takes time to quote a very witty #34, who states some matter-of-fact truths about the wildcat.

"Save the wildcat." You'll love that part.

Porter's House

Pretty damn good session between Rich Eisen and our man Peezy. Lot's of Pats hate going around here. Separate rules for Brady. Spygate. Natural hate. Peezy's pretty upset.

NFL Network

Two vids here. One where the NFL jerks off the Patriots slim member.

And the other where the video reminds Patriots fans what thick, robust fuckrods football looks like.

Firing Up

Here's a link to the NFL's "Anatomy Of A Play" feature, which just so happens to be two plays this week. I think you know which ones they are.

The REVISED Chris Chambers Thing

One thing for sure is that Chambers can have his old #84 back. It hasn't exactly been retired as of yet. The guy could ball though. Mayhaps again?

As many of you may already know, Chris Chambers was cut from the Chargers late today after having a very unproductive year for them. 9 catches for 125 yards (I think) is the actual stat line.

That said there is obvious discussion of whether the Phins should take a look at bringing back Chambers, who incidentally is Ted Ginn's cousin.

...

...

...

I honestly don't know about this. Chambers can play, of that I'm sure. But he is that sort of player that needs too many things to go his way in order to rise to the occasion. His best year, which earned him a Pro Bowl trip, was with Gus Ferrote slinging the ball. Chambers is a speedster with decent size who can catch and run out a nicely thrown slant, which is also something that is bread & butter to young Chad Henne.

Chambers is also drop-prone on comeback or stop routes, something that Henne already has enough troubles with.

The one thing I will say here is that Chambers can make the circus catch. He has always excelled at catching the big play long-ball type stuff so long as it involved his hands being away from his body.

Basically I could go either way on this one. If they sign him after he makes his way through waivers I won't hate the decision. If they don't I really won't care either.

Take CC or leave CC, we need to get the offense firing for the Patriots this weekend.

REVISION

I wanted to add the fact that the Chargers are a one-dimensional team. A pass only team that can't run the ball. The Phins of course are the opposite and perhaps play action could provide winnable match-ups for Chambers. Worth thinking about.
Your thoughts?

The Other Guys Who Balled On Sunday

Without a doubt Ted Ginn is the talk of the town. Well, at least on Miami Dolphins blogs and in the South Florida papers.

ESPN and the NFL can't really be too bothered to make a big deal of Ted Ginn's double waltz into the record book. Oh well, they won't notice us until we upset the Patriots this weekend. It's the way it works.

There is a trio of other players however, that Dolphins fans need to tip their hats to. Not JT. Our hats should always be tipped for that guy. I'm talking about two big men and a guy who'd been in the doghouse next to Ginn's.


Gibril Wilson

A pair of bonecrushing hits on Mark Sanchez, one for a sack. Seven tackles and a pass defense. But more than anything, we watched Wilson fly around the field and make tackles, plays and in general play like the guy we all hoped we got this off-season.

So hat tip to you, Gibril Wilson.


Randy Starks

That sack at the end actually left Mark Sanchez as Starks' forgotten baby mama. Randy racked up seven tackles and is really holding together a very substantial front three. The rotation of Starks, Ferguson, Langford, Merling, McDaniels and Soliai is truly turning out to be one of the better groups playing.

Starks is already having a career year with 3.5 sacks and 26 tackles. His play has been nothing less than dominant and without that 4th quarter sack we all might be holding our heads pretty low.


Paul Soliai

This is exciting stuff. A 3-4 is defined by the play of the nose tackle. No player is as important in the defense. Any success the Phins have had with stopping the run in the Sparano era has come because of the play of the nose. Jason Ferguson is one of the best in the business. He is getting old however, and many feared the Phins failed to address this position in the off season.

Soliai has been "popping" a lot as Coach S. likes to say. He's been in on some pressures and making some big tackles. He even has a pass defense on the season. All this in limited action. Then on Sunday he got to play more snaps than he has since late in 2007, the year he was drafted.

Five tackles, one assist and a humdinger of a forced fumble, which Jason Taylor picked up for a six point ramble. JT's 9th TD, incidentally.

After watching Soliai on Sunday I am confident that he can keep improving and shake the "undisciplined" knock he got last year. With Paul Fuapapa Soliai stepping up the Phins have a solid anchor in the middle.

Hat tips all around, fellas. Keep it up.

BTW: Fuapapa? Best middle name ever.

A Recipe For Crow

Here's to you, Teddy Ginn.

We're eating a lot of crow on The Phinisher this evening. Ted Ginn, Jr. is a Miami Dolphin and our thumbs, to quote Cammy Cameron, are going the right way.

Not the way you'd like to win, but hey, winning is great. Especially when you get to shove the mutants back down into the New Jersey cesspool where they belong.

So, in honor of Ted Ginn's amazing performance I offer up this recipe.

"Mathews Magic Stew"
Ingredients

20-24 crow breast pieces (10-12 crows)
1 bag of celery
2 onions
2 pounds of baby carrots
2 cans of beef consume
1 cup flour

Preparation

Chop up celery and onions. In a crock pot, place two alternating layers of meat -onions -celery -and carrots. Pour both cans of consume into pot. Let cook for 6-10 hours. A half hour before you are ready to serve, remove about 5-6 cups of liquid and mix with 1 cup of flour for a thickener. Mix all contents (stew & thickener) well. Let stand for half an hour, season with salt & pepper to taste, and enjoy. This recipe works well with almost all game (and non-game) animals. Some that I have tried are Deer, Squirrel, Rabbit, Pigeon, Duck, Goose, Bear, and Beaver.

Thanks to Crow Busters for the recipe.

Have to say that I'm generally a fan of the the crow, but when Ted Ginn force fed Dolphins' fans two beautiful kick returns all I can do is pick up a fork and dig in.

Go Phins!!!