The Cowboys got their 2007 season off to the perfect start with a 45-35 win over NFC East rival New York.
It wasn’t all perfect, as starting defensive tackle Jason Ferguson suffered a torn right biceps injury in the first quarter, and is out for the rest of the season.
But, the Cowboys have gotten some positive injury news this week, as starting CB Terence Newman (out since before the Denver game) and outside linebacker Greg Ellis (out since the second day of camp) both returned to practice, and may be able to play as soon as Sunday.
Speaking of Sunday, Dallas will make their first road trip of the season, as they face the Miami Dolphins, who play their second straight NFC East opponent. The Dolphins started their season with a 16-13 overtime loss at Washington.
Last Time They Played…
The Dolphins spoiled Thanksgiving for the Cowboys in 2003, winning the Turkey Day contest in a 40-21 rout.
Jay Fiedler was 16 of 20 for 239 yards, and hooked up with Chris Chambers for three scores. Ricky Williams (who?) led the Dolphins on the ground with 104 yards.
For the Cowboys, it wasn’t that great of a day, even though it was only 17-14 until the Dolphins scored on the second Fiedler to Chambers hookup with sixteen seconds left in the first half. Quincy Carter threw for 288 yards and two scores, but was picked off three times, and a third quarter fumble was returned by Jason Taylor for a 34-yard touchdown that made it 30-14 in favor of Miami at halftime.
The Cowboys rushed the ball only 16 times that day, as opposed to the Dolphins going to the ground game over 40 times, which helped chew up the clock in the second half when the game was well in hand.
The Cowboys would follow up that loss with a 36-10 loss at Philadelphia the following week, but won two of their last three games to finish 10-6 and make the playoffs in Bill Parcells’ first season.
The Dolphins, who were also 8-4 after the game, would lose their next two games, but won their last two to finish 10-6. However, they would miss the playoffs, as the Broncos, who also finished at 10-6, edged them out for the final AFC postseason slot, in what would be the next-to-last season in the Dave Wannstedt era.
Looking at the Dolphins
OFFENSE
The Dolphins are led at quarterback by veteran Trent Green, who is in his first season in South Florida, after spending the last several as the starter in Kansas City. Green was 24 of 38 for 219 yards in the loss at Washington, and threw a touchdown.
Ronnie Brown is the workhorse in the backfield. Brown, the former Auburn star and #2 pick in 2005, ran for 1,008 yards in his sophomore professional season. Against the Redskins, he wasn’t much of a presence, rushing for 32 yards on 11 carries.
Green’s go-to guys are veterans Chambers and Marty Booker. Chambers caught six passes for 92 yards in the opener, and has 380 career catches for 5,365 yards and 43 scores in six-plus seasons. Booker caught three passes for 20 yards against the Redskins, and has 462 catches for 5,775 yards and 33 scores in eight-plus seasons, five of which were spent in Chicago, where he was a Pro Bowler in 2003.
David Martin is the starting tight end. He caught one pass for seven yards on Sunday, but was covered tightly most of the game, and also made a big drop on a third-down play in the fourth quarter. That might open the way for Justin Peelle to see more time, after he caught two passes for 12 yards, and the lone touchdown against Washington.
DEFENSE
The man on defense for the Dolphins is likely Future Hall of Famer Taylor, who has been one of the NFL’s best defensive players since early in his career. Taylor, now in his 11th season, has 107.5 sacks, after recording one on Sunday.
The other longtime presence in the Miami defense is linebacker Zach Thomas, now in his 12th season. Thomas still has plenty left in him, as shown by his 13-tackle performance against the Redskins, in which he also recorded a sack. Thomas has been a tackling machine his entire career, recording at least 99 tackles in all 11 prior seasons.
The Dolphins have a solid mix of young talent, with second-year starting LB Channing Crowder and DE Matt Roth complementing Taylor, Thomas, new LB Joey Porter, and veteran DT Keith Traylor in the front seven.
The secondary has starters all with extensive NFL experience, in starting safety Renaldo Hill and CB Will Allen. The secondary took a huge blow on Sunday, when starting strong safety Yeremiah Bell tore his Achilles’ in the third quarter on Sunday, and will miss the rest of the season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jay Feely is the starting placekicker for the Dolphins, having replaced longtime Miami kicker Olindo Mare prior to this season. Feely made both of his field goals against the Redskins.
Rookie Brandon Fields is the Dolphins’ punter. Fields averaged 42.7 yards on his seven punts on Sunday.
The lead return man is rookie speedster Ted Ginn, Jr., who the Dolphins drafted ninth overall in April. Ginn returned three kickoffs for 70 yards on Sunday, including a 34-yard return. The former Ohio State star also returned four punts for 20 yards.
I’ll be back soon with part two of my preview, which includes the keys to success, the key matchups, my predictions, and a couple more notes on Sunday‘s matchup.
2 comments ↓
Another big day for the Cowboys offense. Tony Romo is looking like a leader out there, and it seems like his confidence is restored after the way last season ended. I’m glad to see Henry step up on defense w/ 2 interceptions. With all the injuries on defense it’s a boost to have the defensive backs play so well.
If Henry can get his hands on the ball pretty regularly, that will make the secondary a million times better. He had 10 picks as a rookie, and hasn’t had many more than that total in the seasons since, so maybe he’s returning to his old form.
And Romo showed on Sunday that it’s not about throwing for big yards each time out as it is leading the team and doing the things that a winning quarterback should - playing efficiently, not making any mistakes, and making the most of your opportunities.
Leave a Comment