Dolphins (4-5)
at Panthers (4-5)
8:20 p.m., NFL Network
Line: Panthers by 3
In the 1970s, teams ran the ball on roughly 55 percent of offensive snaps. It was an unenlightened era, a time when people used zodiac signs to determine romantic compatibility instead of modern, precise tools like Facebook quizzes. Coaches from that era had a saying: three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad. Amazingly, that wisdom predates Jake Delhomme's birth by several years.
The league's run-to-pass ratio dipped below 50 percent in the early 1980s, but some teams run throwback offenses: the Panthers run 54.5 percent of the time, the Dolphins (whose offense recalls zoot suits, not leisure suits) 52.7 percent of the time. Both teams run because they have stout offensive lines, excellent running back tandems and suspect quarterbacks, but neither team can rely completely on old-school tactics this week.
The Panthers' All-Pro left tackle Jordan Gross is out for the season, so Travelle Wharton slides over from guard, leaving the French film star Mackenzy Bernadeau to make his first start in Wharton's spot. All the shuffling will slow the DeAngelo Williams-Jonathan Stewart ground attack.
Ronnie Brown's injury could stymie the Wildcat; with Brown out, Dolphins center Jake Grove may snap the ball to absolutely no one, which would violate a copyright owned by the Bengals' field-goal unit. If they do run the Wildcat, the rookie Pat White will replace Brown, with Ricky Williams getting more traditional carries. The Dolphins may also allow Chad Henne to throw more, but they will try to avoid it. With all the handoffs and direct snaps, this game should be over before the 11 o'clock news.
MIKE TANIER
GRAPHIC
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