2011 Miami Dolphins Predictions
Written by Steve Janus
The Miami Dolphins finished 7-9 for a second consecutive season, despite going just 1-7 at home. While Bill Parcells has left the team, head coach Steve Sparano is back for another season. While Sparano signed a two-year extension, if Miami finishes with another losing record he probably won’t be back in 2012. The Dolphins have made a few interesting moves this offseason,but didn’t address the quarterback position. Whether or not they can improve off last year will depend on the shoulder of fourth-year quarterback Chad Henne. Here is quick look at what the Dolphins will send to the field on both sides of the ball this season, plus my prediction on where they finish they year in the AFC East.
Offense:
Henne finished 2010 with 19 interceptions to just 15 touchdowns. He was benched twice and continues to struggle to complete the deep ball. I really thought the Dolphins would pull the trigger on one of the available quarterbacks this offseason, but the only addition they made was Matt Moore. Henne will have his chance to prove he belongs in the league as a starter, but another poor performance and his days in Miami are likely over.
The running game will have a completely new look to it in 2011. Both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have signed with other teams. Neither really was all that impressive last season, as the Dolphins averaged just 102.7 yards (21st) a game. To sure up the problem, Miami drafted Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas in the second round and signed Reggie Bush in free agency. Look for Thomas and Bush to split the carries, unless one of the two emerges early in the season.
The Dolphins went out and traded for Pro Bowl wide out Brandon Marshall last offseason, hoping he would be able to turn the offense into a powerhouse. Marshall didn’t live up to expectation. He caught 86 passes for 1,1014 yards but scored just three touchdowns all season. One player that did step up his game in 2010, is slot receiver Davone Bess, who caught 79 passes for 820 yards and five scores. Brian Hartline, rookie Clyde Gates , and tight end Anthony Fasano round out the receiving corps.
To help beef up the offensive line Miami went out and added veteran Marc Colombo to come in and start at right tackle and drafted Mike Pouncey to start right away at center. The addition of Colombo will allow Vernon Carey to move to right guard, where he is better suited at 340 lbs. Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long and guard Richie Incognito form a powerful duo on the left side.
Defense:
If it wasn’t for the defense in 2010, the Dolphins would have been a lot worse than their 7-9 record. Miami ranked 6th in total defense, finishing 8th against the pass and 7th against the run. The defensive line is a big reason why the defense played at such a high level in 2010. Randy Starks and Kendall Langford have really developed into very good 3-4 defensive ends, while Paul Soliai really impressed at the nose tackle position. Miami drafted Jared Odrick in the first-round of last year’s draft, but his rookie season was ended in week 1 with a fractured fibula. Odrick figures to be the primary backup at right end.
The Dolphins free agent signing of inside linebacker Kevin Burnett turned out to be a big one, as Channing Crowder retired out of no where this offseason. Burnett will start along side Karlos Dansby in the middle, while Cameron Wake and Koa Misi hold down the outside. Wake is coming off a breakout season, where he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl with 14.5 sacks. Miami also brought back veteran Jason Taylor.
Third-year corner Vontae Davis appears to be on the verge of becoming one of the top shutdown corners in the league. While Davis continues to get better, fellow starting corner Sean Smith dropped a number of interceptions last year and needs to become more consistent. With the safety duo of Chris Clemons and Yeremiah Bell this unit is pretty solid overall, but needs to make more plays for the Dolphins to really take that next step up on defense.
Prediction: 3rd AFC East, 6-10 Overall – I just can’t see the Dolphins finishing with a better record in 2011 with Chad Henne at quarterback. He hasn’t shown anything to make me believe he is going to all the sudden figure things out. I really like what the Dolphins have put together on the defensive side of the ball, but I still have some big concerns on offense. The Dolphins just aren’t on the same level as the Patriots and Jets in the East, and the schedule just doesn’t set up well against the rest of the league for a big turnaround.
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