Week Two: Early Thoughts

The next game on the slate for Miami is a road affair with the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona has seemed to be a trendy pick the last several years to make the next step and advance to the playoffs. That hasn't happened yet but last year they did go 8-8 and played well at home. This game will be no easy task.

Keys to the Game

• Eliminate Silly Errors: I talked about it in the week one recap, Miami must eliminate self inflicted wounds such as, bad kicks, penalties, wasted timeouts. In week one it is almost to be expected that there would be some "first game jitters" but now they must be eliminated. When they occurred at home, we still had a chance to win the ballgame. On the road, committing those mistakes is the easiest way to ensure you lose the game.
• Commitment to the Running Game: Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams need more touches. Both of those guys need to be force-fed the ball to get in the flow of the game. Even if we only use one of them primarily, we must run the ball more than 16 times. I would suggest removing Patrick Cobbs as the 3rd down back and having whoever isn't the 1st-2nd down back, will be the 3rd down back.
• Secondary Must Make Plays: The pass rush will not always get to the quarterback. The guys in coverage must find a way to keep receivers covered and more importantly, when the ball is in the air, make sure that the pass is incomplete or intercepted. It is fundamental, simply covering a man is not good enough in this league. Receivers (and Arizona has great ones) will fight for the ball and you must ensure they don't get it.
• Start Well: The Dolphins were always tied or trailing in week one. I'm not saying the team can't come back in a game (it's actually obvious they can, based on the Jets game) but for a young team that is learning how to win, it is much easier when you get ahead and start feeling the confidence. This is especially true on the road, where a good start can quite the crowd and make the home team feel the pressure.