The Miami Dolphins edge the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-26 to win their 9th straight pre-season game

The Miami Dolphins’ match-up against the Jacksonville Jaguars started much like last week’s game against Tampa-rain, rain, and a lot more rain. The game was postponed well over an hour-and-a-half from the starting time which was supposed to begin at 7:30pm. Lightning was more of an impeding factor, nevertheless there was still football; and what a game it was.

The Jaguars scored first, on a safety, after the Dolphins were pinned back on the five yard line and Jacksonville took advantage blocking a failed punt attempt by Brandon Fields.

Miami’s offense then came alive, taking the ball down the field on a few clever wildcat plays which ended in a field goal to give the Dolphins a 3-2 advantage. Jacksonville would then head down the field with two big plays, including a 34 yard pass to wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker and another on some nifty footwork by David Garrard, which eventually led the Jags to a 9-3 lead.

The Miami Dolphins would strike back immediately minutes into the second quarter. Dolphins QB Chad Henne threw a 55 yard strike to Anthony Fasano as he took it down the sidelines to give the Dolphins a one-point lead. Early on, it seemed both teams’ defenses couldn’t stop their respective offenses.

Later in the second quarter, Jaguars quarterback David Garrard was shaken up after being tackled on a failed pass attempt. Back-up Luke McCown, who only accumulated two yards last season, filled-in for Garrard who didn’t return to the game.

Miami’s offensive line did a great job in the second quarter, providing Henne with a lot of time to help set up a clean 9-yard reception by Brandon Marshall. Centers Jake Grove and Joe Berger alternated series through the first half for additional evaluation on who would be the starter.

With 6:40 left in the 1st half, Chad Henne completed yet another touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano to spread Miami’s lead to 17-9. Following the score, Jacksonville gained good field position on a 36 yard kick-off return by RB Deji Karim. Miami’s defense would step up, most notably on a quarterback sack by nose tackle Randy Starks. The Jags would eventually score on a field goal by Josh Scobee to bring the Jags within five.

Dolphins back-up QB, Chad Pennington came into the game, late in the second quarter, and threw a 37-yard pass to Brandon Marshall. Pennington hasn’t had a big play like that since going down last season with a shoulder injury after starting just three games. Pennington would finish the drive with a 10-yard TD pass to Ronnie Brown to stretch the lead to 24-12.

Starting the third quarter for the Dolphins was third year QB Tyler Thigpen. He’s expected to be the third QB behind Chad Henne and Chad Pennington which means Pat White would be the odd man out.

The Jaguars first drive of the third quarter ended with a punt after a three and out by Miami. The only highlight for the Jags during the first five minutes of the third was a 19 yard rush up the middle by Rashad Jennings.

A pass interference penalty on Nolan Carroll gave the Jags good field position which led to a Luke McCown 3-yard TD pass to Brock Bolen.

Dolphins’ receiver Marlon Moore shined in the 3rd quarter similar the way he did in last week’s match-up against Tampa. He caught a 17 and 16 yard pass late in the 3rd quarter.

Miami’s defense stepped up early in the fourth quarter with a pass break up by Kevin Hobbs, whom is competing for a spot at cornerback and an interception by strong safety Jonathan Amaya. The Dolphins would stretch their lead to 27-19 on a field goal by Dan Carpenter.

Miami’s defense would falter nearing the end of the game with a strong drive by Luke McCown which led to a rushing TD by FB Brock Bolen to bring the score to 27 to 26. Dolphins outside linebackers Ikaika Alama-Francis and Charlie Anderson heard shouting from Tony Sparano after a few missed tackles and allowed excessive room for McCown to connect on easy passes.

The Dolphins won their 9th straight preseason game by the final of 27-26. Next week they’ll take on Atlanta at home. The game can be seen live on Friday at 7:00pm on CBS affiliate WFOR.

Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars preview

The Miami Dolphins better beware of the Jaguars defense tonight at EverBank field. Miami takes to the field on the road at 7:30p.m. to face Jacksonville in their second pre-season game. The Jaguars have a lot to prove on the defensive side and there are a lot of battles happening including between third year defensive end Derek Harvey and rookie Austen Lane.

Lane has looked good in practice and has the intangibles to be an amazing player for the Jags. His speed, youth, and the ability he has to maneuver on the field with ease to reach the quarterback are just a few of the qualities which have gotten him the attention of Jags coach, Jack Del Rio.

However, Harvey has done an acceptable job his first two seasons, leading his team in quarterback pressures with 49 total. The former Gator defensive end also racked up 104 career tackles and played in all 32 games with the Jags; so he's still young and with a good amount of experience under his belt, is expected to start all year.

Dolphins' lineman John Jerry and Vernon Carey are going to have their hands full with Harvey, who despite all he's accomplished, is still considered to be somewhat of a bust for the Jags because his play didn't elevate the defense as a whole.

Dolphins’ receiver Brandon Marshall may be under a little bit of pressure, considering he dropped some passes in Miami's pre-season opener last weekend and also in this past week's practices.

He showed some frustration on the field during practice this week. For instance, after he dropped a pass, he angrily punted a ball up in the air which led some to speculate that he was having some troubles.

But as some seem to forget, this is just the pre-season and Marshall has to get accustomed to the offense and comfortable with Dolphins QB Chad Henne, who has some development issues of his own. Henne, who had problems with ball control and accuracy last season, has got to get in the mindset that everyone is depending on him and he's the future.

The pressure seemed to be an issue for Henne last year after he went 7-6 when Chad Pennington went down; and although he played better than was expected, he threw some costly interceptions in close games and had 14 picks in total. Winning 7 games though is very good considering he didn't expect to start last season. But with a league which seems to have more quarterbacks who are coming out of the gate winning like Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez did, much more seems to expected out of second year quarterbacks.

Chad Henne, Brandon Marshall, and the Dolphins offensive line will get a chance to work on their craft against a stingy defense tonight versus the Jags. The game can be seen on CBS affiliate WFOR-TV at 7:30p.m. eastern.

Miami's new rockstar Nate Ness has traveled the NFL

Everyone is talking about the new shining stars of the NFL. Several young players put in incredible performances last weekend during most of the league's first pre-season games. Most notably, New York Giants rookie receiver Victor Cruz, scored three touchdowns in the 31 to 16 win over the New York Jets on Monday night football, including a one-handed well-defended catch which had the league buzzing.

The Miami Dolphins though, have a new superstar of their own in defensive back Nate Ness, who in the Dolphins' 10-7 win against Tampa, accumulated four tackles, successfully defended three passes, and forced two fumbles at critical times, including one in the red zone in the last three minutes of regulation.

However, the phenomenon who attended Arizona isn't a rookie; it's actually his second year in the league. He went undrafted in 2009 and was signed by the Browns as a free agent; and believe it or not, Miami is Ness' fourth stop in the NFL.

According to his biography on the Miami Dolphins' team website, after Ness was signed by Cleveland last year, he was released just two months later. Then a month later he was picked up by the New York Jets but then waived a mere 12 days later. Two days after that, he was signed by Seattle but, as luck would have it, he was released by the Seahawks just three days later.

Eventually Ness was signed by the Dolphins and here he is today, a player whom the Dolphins have needed who can cover the field well, tackle with amazing form, and can force turnovers.

Considering the moving Ness has done around the league in the past year, it's obvious why he is pushing so hard to make the squad this season. He'll have another chance to show off his skills Saturday night at 7:30p.m. eastern when the Dolphins visit the Jaguars. The game can be seen on CBS affiliate WFOR-TV.

Miami Dolphins Stay Positive Despite Injuries to Nate Garner and John Jerry

The bigger they are the harder they seem to fall, or in the case of Dolphins' guards Nate Garner and John Jerry, seem to get injured. Nate Garner, who is expected to back up Vernon Carey at the right offensive tackle spot, re-injured his left foot which is unfortunately the same foot he had surgery on during the off-season. According to a report by the Miami Herald, Garner may be out up to eight weeks after another medical procedure on that foot.

The rookie phenomenon John Jerry was also attacked by the injury bug. His right knee became extremely sore during Monday's practice. Jerry being the fighter he is tried to overcome the pain on Tuesday but his knee simply felt worse. He eventually felt better later on Tuesday and participated in drills but his injury is day to day.

Although the decision isn't final, Jerry is expected to start at the right offensive guard spot ahead of Corey Proctor. His enthusiasm and work ethic are just a few of the reasons why he's already gained a lot of respect in the locker room. The third round pick out of Ole Miss is expected to be back at full strength by the time the Dolphins play the Jacksonville Jaguars in a road game Saturday night. The game will be aired live on CBS affiliate WFOR-TV at 7:30p.m. eastern.

Elsewhere in the Miami Dolphins preseason storyline, the team has just signed guard Randy Thomas formerly of the Washington Redskins to compete for time at guard.

Unfortunately, in order to make room for Thomas, wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen was waived. He was signed as a free agent in early January.

Percy Harvin Passes Out During Practice: Something's Got to Give

Percy Harvin passed out at a Minnesota practice today after feeling dizzy and meeting with a team doctor. He was loaded into an ambulance without blaring sirens and the situation according to a report by the Associated Press appeared somber. The wide receiver out of Florida who had an amazing rookie season has dealt with migraines all his life; a situation which cost him to miss an incredible amount of practice recently.

It is without a doubt that football fans all across the NFL want to see Percy Harvin play. He's an explosive monster and when he gets loose in the open field, he's truly special to watch. But this recent bout with the migraines he has suffered with all his life really seems like it's taking a toll on the young player.

The truth of the matter is doctors have been unable to identify a solution to these migraines and for the long term safety of Harvin, he should perhaps take some time off and meet with multiple-and I mean multiple specialists from across the country to figure out what the issue is with his health.

According the the report by the Associated Press, after Harvin met with the team doctor he returned to practice but could be seen trembling and then began to be moving back and forth as if he was about to fall over. His teammates surrounded him and emergency medical specialists were called immediately. The Vikings called practice early and there's no word yet on his condition.

The offensive rookie of the year caught 60 passes and eight touchdowns last season. He became the first Minnesota player ever to catch touchdown passes in each of his first three games.

Brandon Marshall: NBA Aspirations

The Chinese philosopher Confucius once wrote, "A man who does not think and plan ahead will find trouble right at his door." Well Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall is sure following that train of thought as he's already considered a plan B just in case the NFL is forced into a lockout in 2011. Marshall who lettered three years as a high school basketball shooting guard, told the media last Thursday if the NFL is unable to reach a new collective bargaining agreement with the players association by next year, he'll try to get a workout with the Denver Nuggets or the Miami Heat.

Marshall is perhaps Miami's most prized acquisition this off-season. The club gave up two second round picks and signed him to a hefty 47.5 million dollar extension. So the Dolphins' front office was probably unhappy upon hearing of Marshall's comments considering the rough time he gave the Broncos last summer admist concerns over his contract and Denver's medical staff's misdiagnosis of his hip injury which eventually required surgery.

Marshall smiled Thursday as he told the media of his hoop dreams. He talked about how great of a shooter he is and how he has a 37-inch vertical leap. The Dolphins however are only concerned about how he'll perform on the gridiron this season. He's the highest paid receiver in NFL history and is expected to be a deep threat-adding depth to a receiving core which ranked 29th in the league for total yards per catch last season. There's much to be admired of his desire to ensure job security considering if there is a lockout, more than 1500 NFL players will be out of work. Whether or not he actually makes it on an NBA team is an entirely different story.

The New Big Three to Face the Old Big Three: Miami Unveils Season Schedule

The 2010-11 season schedule was released this week and first off to face the new big three of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are the defending eastern conference champion Boston Celtics.

The Heat will face the Celtics on the road on Tuesday October 26th. It'll be a match-up of the new big three versus the old big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, a squad which brought Boston the NBA title in 2008 and nearly brought the squad the title last season.


The "decision" by Lebron James to join the Miami Heat this off-season has brewed a firestorm from those overjoyed he chose to come to South Beach and critics who believe his career would have fared better in Cleveland instead of playing on what many call a super team. Nevertheless the Heat do in fact have one of the best if not the best team in the NBA and in two months Boston may have some trouble trying to trump a team which includes three of the top leaders in player efficiency.

NBA analyst and former coach Jeff Van Gundy was recently quoted as saying that Miami has the potential to surpass Chicago's 73 win season.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade even had to apologize about a month ago for suggesting that if Miami were to even lose 2 games back-to-back it would be equivalent to the shock of the 9/11 world trade center disaster. However it is fitting that Boston, the team that inspired the phrase big three will face off against the new super big three which is a team in Miami that could potentially dominate the league for years to come. To view the full schedule click on the following link http://www.nba.com/heat/schedule/.

Tiger Woods: Finally Faces the Public

Tiger Woods walked up to a podium early Friday and addressed a national audience to once again apologize for his infidelities. He apologized to fans, his business partners, and his sponsors. The richest golfer in the world talked about continuing his charitable efforts and also talked about his stay in sex therapy for cheating on his wife. He spoke about understanding why the press wants to know details of his life but made it clear those issues would be solely between he and his wife.

He spoke at great length about wanting to protect his family and criticized the paparazzi for following his family including his children and mother everywhere they went. He made a plea to the media to leave his family alone.

Woods defended his wife, Elin Nordegren, saying she never attacked him or touched him during the Thanksgiving incident when he ran into the tree with his SUV.

Then he began talking about Buddhism which was the religion he was taught as a child. He talked about drifting away from his religion and wanting to go back to his early teachings. Then he went into detail about what he learned in sex therapy which included relying on his religion and friends.

Woods answered what his golf fans wanted to hear which is that he plans to return to golf but he didn't give a exact time but said it may be in 2010. He apologized to his fellow golfers for holding the press conference during the same weeked the Accenture tournament will take place. He then asked the audience and viewers if they could one day believe in him again. After he finished speaking he hugged his mother.

Obviously what he said was well scripted and was devised to suit his wide purpose which was a plea for forgiveness from everyone. Clearly he wants to restore his image and I think he's well on his way. He appeared to come across as genuine despite the fact he was obviously rehearsed. But he was subdued and humble even when he was asking the media to leave his family alone. I believe the plea for his family resonated with a lot of people because he was very sincere. He was smart in that he didn't attack the media but rather respectfully revealed how his actions allowed his family to be negatively impacted by the mainstream press.

I think he did a great job although it was obviously staged and orchestrated. But I'm positive he didn't garner too much sympathy because at the end of the day, Tiger Woods has earned 100 million dollars from golf earning plus more from endorsements. I'm sure some of the companies may return to backing him; that's obvious. He has some work to do with rebuilding his family but I'm sure he won't have a problem with that. People won't forget about his infidelities but I don't think it'll matter. A year from now I suspect this will be a non-story and Woods will categorically return to form on and off the course and will always be considered the best golfer that has ever lived.

Darrell Green: The Fastest Baby Boomer Alive and Still Healthy

On February 15th of this year NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green turned 50. Shortly after, according to his twitter account, he became the fastest baby boomer alive. Green claimed to have run the 40 yard dash in 4.43 seconds on his birthday. Who should doubt him? The answer is no one. He won all of the NFL fastest man competitions he entered; and ten years ago at age 40 he made headlines for running a tad bit faster forty time of 4.2.

Green is a two time Super Bowl champ and 7 time pro bowler whose storied career reads like 50 pages from the Guiness Book of World Records. Most of his records made prominent because of the 20 years he spent in the league. He holds the record for most career interceptions and most interceptions returned by a Redskins player in history. He holds the record for most games played by a defensive player in league history and at age 40, he signed a five year contract with Washington, a team he played with his entire NFL career.

But the story here is much bigger than the fact that Green can run a faster time than almost everyone half his age. The story here is a more positive story than the ones NFL fans have heard in the past few years. Green like Brett Favre, Warren Moon and Deion Sanders who've played long and illustrious career in the league and are in top physical condition for their age, are simply a rarity and should be celebrated.

In 2011, the NFL is expected to have a lockout as they try to figure out a new plan to split the revenue between owners and players. Other issues being discussed include how much dough to fork over to retired players especially the ones with health issues related or unrelated to football. For years now it's become widely accepted that players in the league are susceptible to health problems later on in life as a result of the physical nature of the sport. This problem became more of a serious issue when Hall of Famer Reggie White passed away at age 43 in 2004 of a cardiac arrhythmia. Many players have also suffered from heart problems and concussions. The most unexpected case occurred this year when All American defensive end Gaines Adams died of a heart attack at age 26.

So while NFL owners bicker back and forth with the players' union about shrinking profits, I hope providing substantive health benefits to retired players isn't pushed aside. In the meantime when you hear a story about a 50 year old beast running a 4.43 40 yard dash, all you can do is chuckle or think what the.......???

Another One Bites The Dust: Jim Leavitt Fired

On my previous blog, I talked about how several coaches are taking inadvertent leave of absences by making reckless decisions and now you can add USF Coach Jim Leavitt to the growing list. Leavitt was fired Friday for reportedly asking and or forcing players and assistant coaches to lie about an incident where he allegedly grabbed one of his players by the throat and slapped him. The University investigation into the incident concluded Leavitt did in fact choke and slap the player this past season. Unbelievable! Leavitt built the program at USF; how could he risk 14 years of hardwork by making an incredibly stupid decision? I cannot believe this abuse is going on in college football and my thought now is college athletes should be paid because I think it's a result of the mistreatment of college players at a much higher level.

There's so much money being handed around in college football and college sports in general and while I can appreciate the fact that the players are receiving an education it's appears more that these players' values to the coaches are underappreciated considering the way they are being treated. You never hear stories like this in the NFL. Yes, college is platform for growth but these coaches need to realize that these are young men and women not children to be pushed around and beaten. If USF determined Coach Leavitt was in the wrong in the incident then it is true because he was such a value to the program. There's no way they would have fired someone who contributed so much.