(By Rich Rodriguez) There was a little bit more dazzle to this one. The Dolphins pulled out a few old tricks to help win against the Panthers. Literally. The Dolphins ran the same 4 Wildcat plays they ran all of last year, including the double reverse QB pass (I honestly don’t even know what to call it) from Pennington to Cobbs. Additionally, the tone was set by the Dolphins offensive line early. The Dolphins were able to gash the Panthers defensive front seven using Ronnie Brown, and later Ricky Williams, to run the rock against Carolina. A big part of that was Donald Thomas’s ability to pull. It now appears (though things can change quickly), that Thomas is winning the competition at right guard. Though it has been nice to see Murphy show considerable improvement, which may lead to quality depth, Thomas is taking the job by the horns.

Pennington was his usual accurate self. And the Dolphins, displaying their versatility in the passing game, used the running backs a whole lot more. In the first game, the Dolphins relied heavily on their receivers. In this game, the running backs did some damage. Will the tight ends be next? Are the Dolphins using each game to send a message that they can use any of their skill positions to pass the ball?

Pat White had a short stint in the 2nd quarter. Henne played the entire 2nd half and brought the team back to win it.

The offensive player that really impressed, however, was Lex Hilliard. Aside from a fumble, Hilliard was able to run the ball well and catch the ball well. He had a touchdown run of 39 yards and caught 2 passes for 11 yards. Will the Dolphins be able to keep him? He has been impressing throughout camp.

It was Patrick Cobbs, however, that led the offense in all-purpose yards with 80.

On the defensive side, the starters did not look as impressive against the Panthers, allowing a touchdown in the 1st quarter. The Dolphins struggle against both the run and the pass. One guy that did play well was Vontae Davis, who had three perimeter tackles around the line of scrimmage. Another defensive player who had a solid game later in the1st half, was Paul Soliai, who didn’t show up much on the stat sheet, but was disruptive in the backfield and seems to be improving his play, and perhaps his desire.

Chris Williams struggled, fumbling one punt that hit him in the face mask, and getting injured later. If Williams showed some consistency, he may have cemented his position on the roster. But now his future is uncertain after a rough outing. Will he be able to bounce back?

Panthers 17, Dolphins 27
Written by Rich Rodriguez
Sunday, 23 August 2009

Download the Free Phinfever Miami Dolphins Browser Toolbar

I really can’t get along without the browser toolbar. It has all the important links on it. I’m not selfish, I even have all the other Dolphins fan sites on it. There are a lot of draft links, rss feeds, and a cool email program that lets you know when you have mail. And NO spam or spyware. It works for Firefox and Internet Explorer. So, enjoy!