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Miami Dolphins’ Comeback Attempt Falls Short Against Texans
Published: December 27, 2009
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The Miami Dolphins aren’t officially eliminated from playoff contention with one week remaining, but at 7-8 need a lot of help to get there, and don’t look like a team that would go very far if they did get in.
The Dolphins nearly erased an early Houston lead from the first half, but came up just short with a 27-20 loss.
The Dolphins will close out the regular season (and likely their 2009 season) at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are still fighting to a playoff spot of their own.
Until then, here are my observations from the Dolphins-Texans game:
Offense
- Chad Henne had his ups and downs again, though I liked his play overall. He had a lot on his shoulders with such a huge deficit in the first half and really led the offense well. He didn’t get a lot of help from his defense or offensive line, so despite some poor throws, I give him a solid grade. The guy is a good passer and if he ever gets some legit weapons at receiver, he could be elite.
- After a handful of fumbles in recent weeks, Ricky Williams made yet another poor play by letting a short Chad Henne pass over the middle bounce off his hands/facemask and get intercepted by Brian Cushing. Williams is certainly a capable No. 1 back, but his pass-catching is really leaving something to be desired and he seriously needs to cut down on the big negative plays.
- Lex Hilliard didn’t get to run much after Williams’ injury due to the score, but he did a good job as a safety outlet for Henne with nine receptions for 74 yards. I don’t really like his potential as a long-term starter, but he could develop into a solid backup.
- Davone Bess had another drop, but for the most part played well and made a great adjustment on a big reception late in the game. The thing I like about guys like Bess and Greg Camarillo is that, unlike someone like Wes Welker, these guys do a lot of their work out wide.
- Ted Ginn, Jr. had a big day and made some good grabs, including one that should have gone for a long touchdown. Lousaka Polite was called for tripping and nullified the touchdown, but it was clearly a legitimate block. Polite did not use his legs to trip the rusher, but simply went low (legal) on a player that was not engaged with another blocker. The referees simply blew it, and it significantly cost the Dolphins.
- Anthony Fasano took a bit of a backseat to Joey Haynos today in terms of production and also had a pretty bad drop late. His sup-par sophomore season with the Dolphins continues, and I don’t know how much I’d pay him to return in 2010.
- The Dolphins’ offensive line had what I’d consider one of its worst games of the season, allowing three sacks and failing to be the dominant power run-blocking team we’ve seen most of the year. Vernon Carey is over-matched too often at tackle, and Nate Garner leaves something to be desired as a run blocker.
Defense & Special Teams
- Kendall Langford had a good game, tipping a couple passes and forcing a Matt Schaub turnover. He was just about the only defensive end that stood out in a rare day where the defensive line go dominated.
- Channing Crowder isn’t a stud by any means, but it was clear the Dolphins missed his presence after an early injury. Reggie Torbor looked lost in replacement and was always a step or two behind the ball-carrier or his assigned receiver. Crowder’s absence couldn’t be the only reason for the Dolphins’ lacking run defense, but it was more of a factor than I would have expected.
- Akin Ayodele also contributed to the Dolphins’ poor-tackling exhibition in the first half, though almost all of the Dolphins’ defenders were guilty at one point or another.
- Joey Porter, Jason Taylor and Cameron Wake did almost nothing rushing the passer, and it was actually Quentin Moses who got the team’s only sack of the day. It was a rare sighting for “Q-Mo” and it probably won’t be enough to keep him on the roster in 2010.
- Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, like the rest of the team, had a pretty poor first half, but a so-so day. Davis made a great play nearly intercepting a deep pass for Jacoby Jones, and was robbed on a fumble he forced on Chris Brown. Ruled an incompletion from the start an thus unreviewable, Brown took at least three full steps after the catch and clearly fumbled the ball that was recovered by defensive end Tony McDaniel. Along with the Ginn touchdown called back, it was another big whiff by the officials that severely cost Miami.
- Smith took a poor angle and made a weak attempt on the Jacoby Jones touchdown play, but I loved his effort against Andre Johnson on a deep pass that should have been intercepted. Smith is young and he’s going to make his share of mistakes at one of the game’s toughest positions, but his talent is undeniable.
- Nathan Jones was matched up on Johnson early on in the game, and it was clearly a mistake. Jones was simply out-matched against arguably the NFL’s best receiver, and it was obvious from the start. Sean Smith covered Johnson a lot more in the second half and held him without a catch.
- After all the horrendous plays Gibril Wilson has made (or not made, rather) this season, it’d be nice to get a positive play once in a while. Wilson’s drop on a potential interception off a Sean Smith deflection was inexcusable, though it’s comforting to know his days as a Dolphin will likely come to an end sometime in the next three months.
- Dan Carpenter barely missed a 54-yard field goal attempt wide right, but he made two others cleanly and is still having a great year. Sparano’s decision to attempt the field goal down 27-0 at the time was the right one, as there was still over a half to play and a three-touchdown/one field goal game is better than a four-touchdown game.
- Brandon Fields had an excellent game punting the ball, downing two of his five punts inside the 20 and booting one punt 60 yards. Fields has established himself in the top third of punters in the NFL.
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Chris J. Nelson’s Week 16 NFL Game Predictions
Published: December 27, 2009
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I’m already 1-0 and looking to go a perfect 16-0 this week. It’s actually a life goal of mine, right up there with finding a career, getting married, and having kids. Might even trade one kid for such a week of NFL prognostication perfection.
Season record: 149-75 (66.5%)
Falcons over Bills — Matt Ryan is finally healthy again, and you think I’m gonna go with Brian Brohm in his first career start on the road? Not a chance.
Bengals over Chiefs — Cincy lost a tough one last week out in San Diego, but they’ll win their first home game since Chris Henry’s death against a lowly Chiefs team.
Raiders over Browns — In the epic, “Ali-Frazier”-style battle that will be Derek Anderson vs. ex-Browns starter Charlie Frye, I like the guy coming back to his old team. One of the few strong points between either team is Oakland’s secondary, which isn’t going to let Anderson complete a pass.
Packers over Seahawks — I like the Packers in just about every way here, including the final score.
Texans over Dolphins — I’ll probably be wrong on the Dolphins as usual, but I can’t go with them against a great-passing offense with their secondary struggling the way it is right now.
Patriots over Jaguars — New England isn’t destroying anyone, but I like them in the cold at home against the Jags.
Giants over Panthers — DeAngelo Williams isn’t playing, and I’m not sure even he could help Carolina match the Giants’ much more potent offense.
Saints over Buccaneers — New Orleans hit its first stumbling block last week against Dallas, but they should have no problem getting back on track with the Buccaneers in town.
Steelers over Ravens — It’s a bit of an upset with Baltimore playing so much better lately, but I’m waiting for Pittsburgh to turn it around and I think they’ll step to the challenge in a big divisional game at home this week.
Cardinals over Rams — St. Louis has a mess on their hands at quarterback and on the offensive line, which will easily prevent Kyle Boller from keeping up with the Cardinals’ offense against a horrendous secondary.
49ers over Lions — It’s hard to gauge just how good the Niners are right now with so many new faces emerging as contributors, but they’re clearly playing better football than the Lions.
Colts over Jets — Darrelle Revis and the Jets’ defense present a great challenge for Indy, and you just can’t pick against Peyton Manning if he’s going to play even half of the game.
Eagles over Broncos — A great matchup between two talented teams, I’m going with the home team by default.
Cowboys over Redskins — Washington is a mess right now with the coaching-change rumors and a pissed off Albert Haynesworth, so I’m going with a more talented Cowboys squad on the road.
Vikings over Bears — Minnesota is leaving the comfort of their dome to play in the cold against a division rival, but they are still too good to not pick against a pretty bad Bears team.
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Chris J. Nelson’s 2010 Pro Bowl Ballot
Published: December 24, 2009
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Fan voting for the 2010 Pro Bowl has closed, and the NFL will announced the selections for the AFC and NFC squads on Dec. 29 on the NFL Network.
I actually forgot to actually cast a ballot (doh!) but I’ve decided to still write what my ballot would have looked like.
Here are my choices for the 2010 Pro Bowl…
Chris J. Nelson’s 2010 Pro Bowl Ballot
Published: December 24, 2009
No Comments
Fan voting for the 2010 Pro Bowl has closed, and the NFL will announced the selections for the AFC and NFC squads on Dec. 29 on the NFL Network.
I actually forgot to actually cast a ballot (doh!) but I’ve decided to still write what my ballot would have looked like.
Here are my choices for the 2010 Pro Bowl…
A Look at the Miami Dolphins’ 2010 Opponents
Published: December 24, 2009
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David J. Neal of the Miami Herald wrote an interesting article today about the Dolphins’ 2010 opponents. Most of the slate is known, with only two opponents out of the 16 games for next season undetermined.
For those of you that don’t know, the NFL has a formula for determining each team’s opponents every season. Essentially, it is as follows:
- Six games against the team’s three division opponents
- Four games against a single AFC conference
- Four games against a single NFC conference
- Two games against teams from the conference’s other two divisions that finished in the same position in the standings in their conference
Based on that formula, here are the Dolphins’ opponents as is known today:
As you can see, the Dolphins play their three divisional opponents (Bills, Jets, Patriots) home and away, as is the case every year.
Beyond that, the Dolphins have games against the AFC North (two home and two away) and the NFC North (two home and two away).
The unknown opponents come from the Dolphins’ scheduled games against two teams from the AFC South and AFC West that finish in the same division spot as the Dolphins do in 2009. Because the Dolphins’ final spot in the AFC East is undetermined, so are these opponents.
Quite simply, if Miami wins the AFC East, they’ll face the division winners from those two conferences—the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers.
If the Dolphins finish in second place, they will play whoever finishes in second in the AFC South between the Jaguars, Texans and Titans, as well as the second-place AFC West team in the Denver Broncos.
Should Miami lose their next game or two and fall to third place in the AFC East behind he Patriots and Jets, the Dolphins will face the third-place AFC South team and the third-place AFC West team, already established as the Oakland Raiders.
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Miami Dolphins Release Guard Mark Lewis from Practice Squad
Published: December 23, 2009
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The Miami Dolphins officially cleared a spot for punter Britton Colquitt today, releasing rookie guard Mark Lewis from the practice squad.
An undrafted free agent out of Oregon in 2009, Lewis spent the entire offseason and preseason with the Dolphins, but was waived prior to the regular season.
Lewis also spent a week on the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks in October, but was otherwise a free agent during the first two and a half months of the 2009 regular season.
Lewis was chopping down Christmas trees for work in late November when the Dolphins came calling with an open practice squad spot.
It’s no surprise to see Lewis get the axe (pun intended), as there were two guards on the practice squad; Justin Smiley is healthier now, and Lewis is barely a pro prospect to begin with.
With the recent moves, here is how the Dolphins’ current practice squad looks (rookies in italics):
- CB Will Billingsley (injured)
- P Britton Colquitt
- RB Tristan Davis
- G Ray Feinga
- LB J. D. Folsom
- WR Taurus Johnson
- TE John Nalbone
- FS Nate Ness
- WR Julius Pruitt
Most players that finish the year on the practice squad, if not all of them, should be re-signed to the offseason roster in 2010.
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Miami Dolphins Sign Punter Britton Colquitt to Practice Squad
Published: December 22, 2009
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The Miami Dolphins added their second punter to the organization today, signing rookie Britton Colquitt to the practice squad.
No corresponding move has been announced to make room for Colquitt.
Background
It certainly isn’t a stretch to say punting is in Colquitt’s blood. His father, Craig Colquitt, punted for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts in the 1970s and 1980s, winning two Super Bowls.
Meanwhile, older brother, Jimmy, punted for the Seattle Seahawks in 1985, while other brother, Dustin, currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and is one of the league’s top punters.
As with all of his pro football-playing relatives, Britton Colquitt was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee.
After red-shirting his first season, Colquitt appeared in 11 games for the Volunteers in 2005 and recorded a 41.2-yard average with 19 of his 59 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Colquitt was a consensus first-team All-SEC selection after posting a 44.9 average and downing nearly 40 percent of his punts inside the 20 as a red-shirt sophomore in 2006.
As a junior in 2007, Colquitt averaged 41.6 yards per punt and set a new career high with 23 punts downed inside the 20 on his way to second-team All-SEC honors.
Colquitt averaged 43.6 yards per punt as a senior in 2008, forcing 15 fair catches and downing 13 punts inside the 20-yard line out of 42 punts. He also went 0-for-1 on a field goal attempt over 50 yards.
Colquitt encountered a string of alcohol-related incidents during his time in college, including a five-game suspension and loss of scholarship in February 2008 prior to his senior season.
Rated one of the better punters in the 2009 NFL Draft, Colquitt went undrafted and signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent on April 28. He posted a 41-yard punting average in three preseason games with the Broncos, but lost the competition to Brett Kern and was waived on Sept. 1.
Colquitt initially worked out for the Dolphins in early October, according to his agent. He also tried out for the Cleveland Browns in November when Dave Zastudil was injured.
As a practice squad player, Colquitt will earn $5,200 per week and participate in all team practices, but will not be allowed to participate in games unless signed to the active roster. He is eligible to signed by any team at any point, and his contract will expire at season’s end.
Analysis
It’s a little unusual to see a punter signed to the practice squad, and there could be a couple reasons for the move.
Despite his troubled past, Colquitt is certainly a solid punting prospect with a great pedigree. He clearly had some maturity issues in college, but was one of the SEC’s better punters and definitely has a pro leg.
The Dolphins’ current punter—2007 seventh-round pick Brandon Fields—has a great leg and is having his best season to date, averaging 46.2 yards per punt with a 39.7 net average and 21 of 66 boots downed inside the 20.
That being the case, it’s extremely unlikely Colquitt has been brought in to push Fields for his job in any way. Fields has certainly established himself as a pro whereas Colqutit has not, and Fields ranks seventh in the NFL in punting average this season.
More likely, Colquitt has been signed to give Fields a breather and keep him fresh for games at this late point in the season, or he’ll fill in for Fields in practice if he has some minor injury.
Colquitt may be a solid prospect, but he won’t be punting for the Dolphins any time soon. There’s always a chance he could be brought back as a camp leg in 2010 if they like what they see, though he’d certainly be the underdog in any battle with Fields and that’s still a long way away and a big uncertainty.
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Miami Dolphins Work Out CFL Lineman; Chris Clemons Joins Rosenhaus
Published: December 22, 2009
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According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the Miami Dolphins worked out CFL offensive lineman Dimitri Tsoumpas on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
An Alberta native, Tsoumpas was a second-team All-Big Sky selection at Weber State as a senior in 2007, where he was also a teammate of Dolphins 2009 seventh-round pick J. D. Folsom.
Tsoumpas was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders second overall in the 2008 CFL Draft and started all 20 games for the team as a rookie, including the Stamps’ 96th Grey Cup victory over the Montreal Alouettes.
Tsoumpas remained the starter in 2009, helping running back Joffrey Reynolds lead the league in rushing for the second straight season.
Although the CFL has a significant drop-off in talent from the NFL, Tsoumpas is clearly a talented blocker and may be worth a look-see for the Dolphins in the 2010 offseason. If signed, he could compete with Nate Garner and Donald Thomas at the right guard position.
Miami Dolphins rookie safety Chris Clemons has signed on to be represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus, according to a tweet from the management agency.
A fifth-round pick out of Clemson in 2009, Clemons has spent his rookie season as a reserve safety and special teams player, recording nine tackles in nine games (one start).
Clemons has some upside and may get a chance to start at free safety if Gibril Wilson is cut loose. With this new representation, it is quite possible re-signing him will be much more difficult down the line if he develops into a starter.
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Miami Dolphins Lose OT Nail-Biter to Titans as Playoff Hopes Diminish
Published: December 21, 2009
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The Miami Dolphins saw their playoff hopes greatly diminish this week, losing to the Tennessee Titans 27-24 in overtime after a roaring comeback in regulation.
- It sounds like I’m excusing him, but the reality is that Chad Henne played pretty well outside of his three interceptions. He has to make better decisions at times and can’t force throws that cost the team the game, but he’s still young and looks like he’s going to be a quality NFL passer.
- I was about to flip when Pat White came in for the two-point conversion to tie the game late. It ended up working out with Ricky Williams taking the hand-off and scoring from two yards out, but I still completely disagree with White’s presence. There is simply no reason to take your true quarterback who got you in that position out with the game on the line.
- Ricky Williams ran hard and ran well once again, but fumbled for the fourth time in two games and lost his second one in that span. Williams is known for having small hands and that kind of thing happens sometimes, but he has to do a better job at protecting the ball.
- Lousaka Polite continued to shine, blocking well in the running game and once again coming through as a ball carrier in short-yardage situations. You’d be hard-pressed to find an AFC fullback more deserving of a Pro Bowl nod than Polite.
- None of the Dolphins’ receivers separated themselves from the rest, though all had their moments. Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess each had some big catches, while Brian Hartline made a tremendous play on a 57-yard pass during Miami’s game-tying drive that should have been intercepted by Titans safety Michael Griffin . Hartline is limited physically and his ceiling is probably that of a No. 3 receiver, but he has good hands and is very certainly refined for a rookie.
- Tight ends Anthony Fasano and Joey Haynos both showed up today, as Fasano made a few athletic grabs in the clutch and Haynos converted a big fourth down.
- The Dolphins’ pass protection was pretty sound for the most part, keeping Henne upright and free to read the field most of the game. I was also impressed with the blocking on the final drive, especially on Williams’ two-point attempt run.
- Randy Starks and Tony McDaniel led the charge at defensive end, forcing Titans running back Chris Johnson to run laterally until the rest of the Dolphins’ defense could make the play. Kendall Langford also contributed a nice sack, though he hasn’t been as visible as I’d have preferred this season.
- Nose tackle Paul Soliai also played well in what I would consider a pretty solid performance against Johnson (3.6 yards per carry). However, he also made a few tough penalties and has to avoid those.
- Jason Taylor and Joey Porter both played a solid all-around game. Taylor had a nice sack on a very elusive Vince Young and stuffed Chris Johnson a couple times in the running game, while Porter forced a fumble on the Titans’ monster running back.
- Akin Ayodele and Channing Crowder played the run well, though a lot of that credit goes to the defensive line for closing any potential holes for Johnson to run through. However, you have to give the inside linebackers credit as well for moving around and making the tackles.
- It was a familiar story in the Dolphins’ secondary, as the team’s rookie corners had their ups and downs throughout the game. Sean Smith, who had a heads-up fumble recovery, is the better cover man, which results in Vontae Davis being targeted more often by opposing quarterbacks. Davis held his own at times, especially late, and had a good interception on Young’s first attempt. Both players have to get more consistent.
- Gibril Wilson‘s name was called by the commentators a few times for being out of position, but both times I saw the replays, it was actually Tyrone Culver. Neither player is an ideal starting safety, and it’s certainly a position that needs to be addressed in the offseason.
- After his second miss of the season last week, placekicker Dan Carpenter got back on track with a 3-for-3 day. He’s easily been one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL this season.
- The Dolphins’ kickoff blocking has to get better, as Ted Ginn, Jr. is too often met by uncovered defenders before he even gets to the 20-yard line.
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Miami Dolphins Sign Guard Ray Feinga to Practice Squad
Published: December 17, 2009
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The Miami Dolphins continued to shuffle their practice squad this week, signing rookie guard Ray Feinga while waiving guard Nevin McCaskill.
McCaskill departs the Dolphins less than a week after signing with the team. He originally joined the practice squad on Dec. 11, replacing cornerback Will Billingsley.
An undrafted rookie from BYU, Feinga spent time with the St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers prior to the regular season.
Background
Utah’s Mr. Football in 2003, Feinga attended Brigham Young University and red-shirted as a true freshman in 2004.
Feinga appeared in eight games for the Cougars in 2005, starting one game against the New Mexico Lobos. He played in 13 games as a sophomore in 2006, starting 10 at left guard.
Feinga started 10 of 13 games for the Cougars in 2007 and all 13 games as a senior in 2008, earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors both seasons.
After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, Feinga signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent on April 27. His contract was disallowed by the league on May 7, though he was officially on May 19. He was waived by the team on July 1.
Feinga was then signed by the San Diego Chargers on Aug. 13. After appearing in the team’s final two preseason games, Feinga was waived during final cuts on Sept. 5.
As a practice squad player, Feinga will earn $5,200 per week on a one-year contract. He is eligible to be signed to another team’s active roster at any time and will become a free agent in the 2010 offseason if he finishes the year on the team’s practice squad.
Analysis
Feinga has the size you look for in a mauling interior offensive lineman, but he doesn’t really play like it all the time. He has solid quickness and technique, but struggled against top competition at the collegiate level and isn’t a force in the running game.
Like McCaskill before him, Feinga will work at the guard spot during practice. Most of his experience comes on the left side, so he seems like a good candidate to help spell Justin Smiley, who has been banged up all season.
Feinga is a project who really only has a ceiling as a reserve NFL lineman, and he may never reach that point. He’s on a day-to-day basis with the team and is trying to make enough of an impression to earn a spot on the 80-man offseason roster in 2010.
Chris J. Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins web site, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight , and can be followed on Twitter here .
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