My Miami Dolphins

The Cheerleaders supported the US Marine Corps Reserves by collecting toys amongst their teammates for the “Touch Down for Tots,” a national toy drive benefiting the Toy for Tots Foundation.  Marines were stationed at the entrances of the Dolphins vs. Browns home game and were excited to see the parade of cheerleaders bringing toys, as well as the Dolphins fans who supported the drive.

For over 60 years, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has delivered a message of hope to less fortunate children through the gift of a new toy at Christmas. Last year, Marines distributed 16 million toys to more than 7.4 million children who without Toys for Tots’ help, might have faced Christmas morning without a toy under the tree.

Fans can support Touchdown for Tots in several ways throughout the holiday season:

Text TD to 50555 to Donate a Toy
Text TD to 50555 to make a $5 donation. Every $5 donated will put a new toy in the hands of deserving child.

Donate online
When you’re online reading the latest scores or selecting this week’s players for your fantasy football team, visit http://www.toysfortots.org/touchdown to make a donation.

"For years many NFL teams around the country have supported their local Toys for Tots campaign, delivering the magic of the holidays to children in their community,” said Lt. General Pete Osman, USMC (Ret), President and CEO, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. “With even more children living in poverty today, we are thrilled to have a national focus on our effort to help children across the country receive a gift to unwrap on Christmas morning. We hope the fans of these great teams will support Touchdown for Tots and help deliver more toys than ever before to those children who need it most."

About The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots Program
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 63rd year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to less fortunate children through the gift of a new toy or book during the Christmas holiday season. Our gifts offer these children hope, recognition and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the gifts we provide, such as books, games and sports equipment, make a significant contribution to the educational, social and recreational development of these children. In 2009, Marines distributed gifts to 7.4 million children in 691 communities nationwide. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation relies on individual donations from the American public as well as support from corporate sponsors. For more information, visit http://www.toysfortots.org.

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For the second consecutive week, I was forced to push back our look at Sunday's game due to some big midweek news. Last week it was the Dolphins' decision to not put in a waiver claim for Randy Moss. This week, ironically enough, it was the news that Randy's former college quarterback - Chad Pennington - would replace Chad Henne under center for the Dolphins.

And wouldn't you know it that both of these players make their 2010 season debut for their teams on Sunday against one another.

That, of course, is where we start as our look at Sunday's big game between the Dolphins and Titans.

KEY MATCHUPS

Randy Moss vs Vontae Davis

After Vontae shut down Moss back in week four on national television, we didn't think that the Dolphins would have to worry about him again until the final week of the season. Then Moss was traded to Minnesota and we all thought that the Dolphins wouldn't see him again for a few years. But as fate would have it, Randy will make his debut with the Titans on Sunday against the Dolphins.

In his four previous team debuts, Moss has been sensational. His NFL debut with the Vikings saw Randy catch four passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. His debut in Oakland resulted in a five catch, 130 yard, one touchdown performance. Moss made nine catches for 183 yards and a touchdown in his New England debut. And finally, his first game back with the Vikings earlier this year was a four catch, 81 yard performance that also included a touchdown.

For those scoring at home, that's 22 receptions for 489 yards and 5 touchdowns in four games. Clearly, Randy has a knack for putting on a show in his first game in a new uniform.

Moss has also been a Dolphins killer throughout his career. In nine career games against Miami, Randy averages 84 yards receiving per game and has scored ten touchdowns.

Of course, Vontae Davis did an excellent job shutting down Randy in their first meeting of 2010. Davis held Moss without a reception back in week four.

Vontae knows that Randy is going to be gunning for him on Sunday. On Thursday, Davis joked that Moss is "on his revenge tour. He found a team he knew Miami had to play, so he's looking for me. He's looking for me now."

I'm expecting Mike Nolan to again allow Vontae to shadow Moss all over the field just as he did back in week four. The question is if he will be able to keep Moss quiet for the second consecutive game.

Chad Pennington vs Father Time

Maybe this isn't a real matchup. But for better or for worse, all eyes are going to be on CP10. His performance is going to be scrutinized all week next week - good or bad. It was major news this week when Tony Sparano declared Pennington the starter, sending Chad Henne to the bench. And that puts a lot of pressure on Pennington and his 34 year old arm.

Keep in mind that the Dolphins are 0-4 in Pennington's last four starts. Pennington didn't look good in those four games, either. Though he completed 67.8% of his passes in those four - dating back to Miami's playoff loss to the Ravens - Pennington averaged only 5.9 yards per attempt and had a 2:6 touchdown to interception ratio.

While Pennington will now have the luxury of throwing to Brandon Marshall this time around, he's also a year older and coming off of another shoulder surgery. He's also being asked to shake off some rust considering he's only attempted 28 passes in live game action (all in the preseason) since September of 2009.

This coaching staff is asking a lot out of their veteran quarterback. Does he have any magic left in his 34 year old arm?

KEYS TO VICTORY

1. Protect the football. Allow me to share with you some interesting statistics about the Titans. Tennessee is 24th in the league in total offense, averaging only 310 yards per game. They are 22nd in the league in average yards gained per drive - only 27.49. And they are 17th in third down conversions, converting only 39% of them.

However, the Titans are also 2nd in the league in points scored per drive (2.22) and 1st in the league in points scored per game (28). That's right - the Titans are the NFL's highest scoring team...and that was without a guy named Randy Moss.

How can an offense be among the lowest ranked total offenses in terms of yards gained but at the very top in scoring? They take advantage of turnovers. And Tennessee's defense gets a bunch of them. The Titans have forced 19 turnovers this year - tied for the third most in the league and trailing the league leader by only two. Most of those are courtesy of interceptions. Only the Bucs and Packers have more interceptions than the Titans.

Chad Pennington has to be 2008-esque in his ability to protect the football.

2. Make the Titans one-dimensional. This is really a goal every week for every NFL defense. But against a team with a weapon like Chris Johnson at running back and Randy Moss at receiver, forcing the opponent to become one-dimensional is even more important.

It won't be an easy task, of course. Last week this defense displayed some truly terrible tackling, letting ball carriers to juke and power their way through would-be tacklers. And if bottling up Ray Rice and Willis McGahee was difficult, then how will this team bottle up the fastest and most elusive running back in the league?

Actually, it might not be as difficult as it seems. Last year during Johnson's 2,000 yard season, the Dolphins actually did better than any team he faced in containing the speedy back. Though he still topped 100 yards, Miami's defense held CJ to a season low 3.6 yards per attempt.

Johnson isn't having the kind of season he had last year, either. While he's still on pace for over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns, he's also averaging a career low 4.1 yards per carry and is coming off of two games that saw run for just 125 yards combined, averaging only 3.2 yards per carry.

If the Dolphins can contain Johnson on early downs, that will put the Titans in more third and longs than they would like to be. And with either a dinged up and possibly gimpy Vince Young or the immobile Kerry Collins under center, putting Tennessee in as many passing situations as possible will allow Cameron Wake and company to pin their ears back and attack the quarterback.

That's the recipe to defeating these Titans.

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by Matty I on Dec 3, 2010 5:00 AM EST in Miami Dolphins News

I always feel uneasy when the Dolphins are the consensus pick in any game. Here's a completely useless stat to chew on: the Dolphins are just 3-3 dating back to the 2009 season when they are favored to win at home. And in their last 20 games as favorites, the Dolphins are just 12-8.

The Browns come in as five point underdogs on Sunday - which likely means we should expect another classic gut-wrenching game that comes down to the fourth quarter.

With that thought in mind, allow me to share with you what I see as the three main ingredients to a Dolphins win this week:

1. Make the Browns one-dimensional. This is really the most obvious key for the Dolphins. As I mentioned yesterday, the Browns are 3-1 this year when Peyton Hillis runs for over 100 yards. Hillis is really what makes this Cleveland offense go. If you can keep his impact on the ground somewhat limited, you then force the Browns to turn to the air - and Jake Delhomme.

With rookie quarterback Colt McCoy likely out on Sunday (he hasn't practiced this week), Delhomme will start his third game of the season. Though he is 1-1 in his two previous starts this year, Jake has thrown six interceptions in three games - including two last week against the Panthers.

The Dolphins should be able to drop an eighth man in the box to contain Hillis when you consider that the Browns don't exactly have a threat on the outside at receiver. Their leading receivers are Hillis and Ben Watson. No receiver has over 300 yards receiving. And outside of Josh Cribbs, who is still slowed a little by a foot injury, the Browns have no speed threat. If I'm Mike Nolan, I'm going to use a ton of run blitzes to fill any running lanes and force Jake Delhomme to beat me with his group of receivers.

2. Protect the football. I said yesterday that the easiest way for an inferior team to steal a win was by making big plays on special teams. But I should have said that great special teams play was the second easiest way. The reality is that bad teams can steal wins when they create turnovers. That's the easiest way - and that's what the Browns have done this year.

The Browns have forced 23 turnovers through 11 games this year - the third most in the league. And ten of those turnovers were forced in their four wins - including wins over the Saints and Patriots. If Cleveland can force Drew Brees to throw four interceptions, then Chad Henne needs to be careful.

I love his new mentality as much as anyone. Henne is being aggressive and trusting his arm. He's not over-thinking things out there - he's just throwing the football. But ball security will be important on Sunday.

3. Turn red zone opportunities into touchdowns. This has been a season-long problem for this Miami offense. They have settled for field goals far too often. I'm as big a fan of Dan Carpenter as anyone else. But it's getting old seeing him trot onto the field after drives stall inside the opposition's 20 yard line. And recently, the problem has only gotten worse.

Over their last three games, the Dolphins are converting just 37.5% of their red zone opportunities into six points. Last season, the Dolphins were second in the NFL in red zone efficiency, with a 64% success rate. So what gives?

The offense's struggles to run the football is probably the biggest culprit. The play along the interior line has been far worse than last year, giving Miami's backs nowhere to run. But you also have to be surprised with how ineffective Brandon Marshall has been in the red zone.

The Browns have a top ten red zone defense. So things aren't going to be any easier this week for the Dolphins as they look to find ways to get into the endzone.

Read More: Jake Delhomme (QB - CLE), Chad Henne (QB - MIA), Peyton Hillis (RB - CLE), Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins, Dec 5, 2010 1:00 PM EST

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Another week, another How'd They Do post. While we are slowly recovering from the mental heart attack I believe we all suffered this past Monday, Week 10 is almost around the corner. But it's never too late for a final look back at our past and next opponents!

Especially not in a week like this. How about that Cleveland game, huh? Pretty exciting stuff, until you think about it - the last team Cleveland beat came back angry at us, much to our dismay. Let's hope history does not repeat itself for a change. At the same time, the Ravens are legit, Miami has a QB controversy, and Oakland has won three straight. Enough for an exciting post? You bet! One minor housekeeping note: Life's catching up with me, so I will only analyze our last and next two opponents this time. Let me know in the comments if you would like to keep it that way, or rather go back to the three team format!

The Name: New England Patriots

When we meet: This Week (Week 10)

The Game: 14-34 away against the Cleveland Browns

The Standout: Tom Brady (by default): 19/36, 52.8% completions, 224 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 90.5 QB rating

Promising: Penalties - just 3 for 20 yards

Look the other Way: Rush Defense - allowed 230 yards for 5.2 yards/carry, a major reason why Cleveland held the ball for over 38 minutes.

What happened: Many had been saying that New England, despite an impressive 6-1, would eventually lose games because of its inexperienced defense. Well, it happened. The Browns ran all over the Patriots, and specifically Peyton Hillis carved up the defense for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns. Impressive for a running back that was supposed to back up Jerome Harrison. Really, New England did not play like one of the AFC's favorite teams. When they got close to the goal line, a fumble put the game right out of reach again. Kudos though to Cleveland for winning its second game in a row with surprisingly little trickery. Colt McCoy, starting his third consecutive game, is proving to be a nice game manager, especially this early in his rookie development. And when you have the ball for only 21 minutes (and you are not Peyton Manning), you cannot expect to win a game against any team in this league.

Next Week's opponent: away against The Pittsburgh Steelers

What to look for: Alright, so we know that teams don't run against the Steelers, and we also know that Tom Brady is going to get his against a mediocre pass defense. It's the other side of the ball that makes this game particularly interesting. If New England's young defense performs like they did against the Browns, the loss of Max Starks shouldn't matter and we should be able to run and pass all over the Pats. But how often do quality teams repeat bad performances? I predict Mendenhall getting just about 100 yards, with a win depending on whether Ben has one of his good games or one of his headscratchers.

Last Game against the Steelers: November 30, 2008 - New England 10, Pittsburgh 33, in New England

The Standout last time: James Harrison - how about 9 tackles (7 solo), two sacks, and two forced fumbles (both recovered by the Steelers)? That sounds like an impact player to me.

Prediction: New England 20 - Pittsburgh 28

The Name: Oakland Raiders

When we meet: In Two Weeks (Week 11)

The Game: 23-20 at home in OT against the Kansas City Chiefs

The Standout: Jacoby Ford (rookie WR) - 6 rec., 148 yards, 24/7 avg. Also 4 kick off returns, 39 avg., 1 TD

Promising: Darren McFadden - 17 rushes, 89 yards, 5.2 y/c. Also 4 receptions for 25 yards

Look the other Way: three way tie: fumbles (4, 2 lost), 3rd down completions (3/12, 25%), and penalties (15 for 140 yards)

What happened: Well, Kansas City's 7 game winning streak in Oakland didn't last. Although, for the longest time, it sure looked like it would. Up 10-0 at half time, Kansas City could do nothing but watch in the third quarter as rookie free agent Jacoby Ford heated up and torched the Chiefs on the opening kick off for a TD. And that was only the beginning; Ford had all of his 148 receiving yards in the second half, playing a major role in Oakland's come-from-behind win in overtime. Another reason was the defense, which held Kansas City's vaunted rushing attack (no. 1 in the league coming into the game) to just 104 yards - about half their season average. Curiously enough, Oakland has not lost since Jason Campbell returned from an injury three games ago. The lowly Raiders? All of a sudden, they don't seem quite so lowly anymore.

Next Week's opponent: Bye Week

What to look for: Playing a team after having the luxury of preparing for an extra week is always a treat - as we found out against the Browns a few weeks back. Oakland should use this week to prepare specifically for the Steelers' defense, developing a quick-striking passing attack and getting Jacoby Ford more consistently involved. Of course, much like you, I hope that they do it Al Davis style and just don't prepare.

The Name: New Orleans Saints

When we last met: Two Weeks ago (Week 8); lost 10-20

The Game: 34-3 away against the Carolina Panthers

The Standout:  Pass Defense - allowed just 68 pass yards with 4 sacks and 1 INT to 3 different QBs

Promising: Rushing Offense - 165 yards in 32 rushes (5.2 y/c), 1 TD

Look the other Way:  Darren Sharper - just 1 tackle

What happened: Looks like the Saints are starting to roll again - but don't forget, this was against what I would now consider the worst team in football. Carolina looked terrible throughout, and got so desperate after starter Matt Moore was injured and backup Jimmy Clausen got overwhelmed they subbed in their third QB, rookie Tony Pike. Jonathan Stewart didn't help Carolina's cause by also getting injured, leaving little in the way of a dominant performance for the defending Super Bowl Champions. New Orleans allowed just 195 yards on defense, while more than doubling that total on their own with 408 yards. Carolina actually drew first blood, but after that it was all New Orleans with star QB Drew Brees at the helm and a surprising corps of back up running backs able to control the clock.

Next Week's opponent: Bye Week

What to look for: New Orleans is on a hot streak with two straight convincing wins. So is this bye week much needed rest or a momentum breaker? I think it's clearly the former. The Saints have overcome injuries and early struggles to only be a half game out of the best record in the league, and they have an elite quarterback directing the offense. For an experienced bunch like that, an extra week to prepare can be deadly. Add to that the injury list that might be significantly smaller in two weeks, and you have two compelling reasons why the Saints potentially losing their momentum should not be an issue.

The Name: Miami Dolphins

When we last met: Three Weeks ago (Week 7); won 23-22

The Game: 10-26 away against the Baltimore Ravens

The Standout:  Red Zone Defense - held the Ravens to just 1/7 (14%)

Promising: Third Down Completions - 6/12 (50%)

Look the other Way:  Chad Henne - 22/34 (64.7% completions), 231 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT, 2 Fumbles

What happened: It was bound to end sooner or later. The Dolphins came into the game with an impressive 4-0 road record, facing the 3-0 home team of the Ravens. But this challenge proved too big; although the Dolphins stayed in the game for the first two quarters, Baltimore shut out Henne and his whales to pull away for the win. Ray Rice had a huge game, with 83 yards on the ground and 97 in the air. On the other side of the ball, I was surprised that Ronnie Brown, averaging a respectable 6 yards a carry, only got the rock 9 times. Either way, the real news came after the game when Linebacker Channing Crowder told the media that during a confrontation in the game, Ravens fullback Le'Ron McClain spit in his face. The NFL has reviewed the allegation by now, and decided that no conclusive evidence of this event exists.

Next Week's opponent: At home against the Tennessee Titans

What to look for: Dolphins coach Tony Sparano just announced the other day that Chad Henne will feel the consequences of his dreadful performance against the Ravens. In his place, the QB will be Chad Hennington, the comeback player of the year 2008 who hasn't played since getting an injury early in the 2009 season. Personally, I think that Sparano is overreacting - Pennington is not getting any younger and Henne has had quite some good games in his stint as the starter. Either way, it will be interesting to see how much rust "the other Chad" shows after such a long time on the bench, especially against a Titans pass defense that ranks a disappointing 26th so far.

Last Game against the Titans: December 20, 2009 - Dolphins 24, Titans 27, in Tennessee

The Standout last time: Vince Young - 14/27 (51.9% completions), 3 TD, 1 INT. Also 2 rushes, 24 yards, 12 y/c

Prediction: Titans 21 - Miami 10

The Name: Had to Pick them: The Cleveland Browns

The Game: 34-14 at home against the New England Patriots

The Standout: Peyton Hillis - 29 rushes, 184 yards, 6.4 y/c, 2 TD. Also 3 receptions for 36 yards

Promising: Colt McCoy - 14/19 (73.7% completions), 174 yards, 0 TD but especially 0 turnovers

Look the other Way:  TE Ben Watson - targeted 4 times but just 1 reception (for 24 yards)

What happened: see above. Cleveland pulled this off with dominant running and a rookie QB that made very smart decisions throughout the game. Who would have thought? Peyton Hillis, although running against a weak rushing defense, seems like a legitimate pro-bowler to me. Pretty impressive win by the Browns!

Next Week's opponent: At home against the New York Jets

What to look for: The Ryan twins have seemingly had a blast going at each other in press conferences leading up to the game. But who cares? Much more important to me was the way Braylon Edwards, traded by the Browns last season, denounced his former team. Add to that equation a Cleveland rookie safety that has quickly made a name for himself with hard hits... You know where I am getting at. On paper, Cleveland once again faces incredibly bad odds. But have they cared the last two times? New York barely won last week against the Detroit Lyons (thanks in large part to our old friend Santonio Holmes), and have generally looked shaky lately. Can Cleveland pull off a third straight win against a preseason favorite to win it all? We'll see!

Last Game against the Jets: December 9, 2007 - Cleveland 24, New York 18, in New York

The Standout last time: Jamaal Lewis - 21 rushes, 118 yards, 5.6 y/c, 1 TD

Prediction: Cleveland 20 - New York Jets 21

And how could I Forget? your German word of the week: Die ueblichen Verdaechtigen (say: Dee uh-blicken Fer-dec-ticken) - The usual Suspects

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