Here Are The Dolphins . . .
Josh Ellis - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
September 11, 2007 7:10 PM
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron may need to bring some new wrinkles into Sunday's 3:05 p.m. (CDT) kickoff at Dolphin Stadium since they worked together the last three years as coordinators for San Diego. The pair should know each others' coaching tendencies real well, having called plays against one another in Chargers' practices since 2004.
What's Up?
One game in the books and do we know anything about the Cowboys and Dolphins? Not really.
We know the Cowboys can score points. We also know Miami had some trouble doing so in their 16-13 overtime loss at Washington Sunday. That all sounds good for the Cowboys. But while the Cowboys may be the early favorite Sunday, know that Trent Green has been around the league a while, and if anybody can exploit the Cowboys' secondary for a second week, a veteran like Green can. The Cowboys will try to patch up the holes that exposed themselves against the Giants, but a heady player like Green can probably find some new ones.
And Green has some weapons too. Chris Chambers has proven himself to be a good No. 1 receiver, and everyone knows how rookie receiver Ted Ginn Jr. can stretch the field, something the Cowboys, with all their secondary concerns, don't need.
Statistical View
Miami was gashed by Washington on the ground Sunday, giving up 191 yards, Clinton Portis going for 98 and backup Ladell Betts 59. If the Cowboys' two-pronged running game fairs as well, the team will be tough to beat.
Dolphins backup running back Jesse Chatman can be an effective receiver out of the backfield. Chatman tied for the team-high with six catches for 48 yards Sunday.
Chambers has torched the Cowboys before. When the Dolphins pummeled the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in 2003, Chambers caught three touchdowns. Chambers caught five balls altogether that day for 96 yards.
Maybe the defensive letdown against Washington was a fluke. In that game, the Dolphins surrendered 400 total yards. Not once last season did a team reach the 400-yard-plateau against Miami.
Perhaps LaDainian Tomlinson had something to do with it, but Cameron's San Diego offenses were prolific, something the Dolphins haven't been since the Marino-era. From 2004-06, the Chargers did not finish out of the NFL's top five in scoring.
Chalk Talk
Cameron's familiarity with Phillips' version of the 3-4 may be a difficult obstacle. Having practiced against a Phillips unit the previous three years, Cameron should know all the weak spots up front, having run Tomlinson through the one-gap style line a time or two. And with the recent loss of starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson (torn biceps) for the season, the Cowboys line could be extra vulnerable to runs up the middle. Expect a heavy dose of Ronnie Brown, who is best between the tackles.
The Dolphins' defense may have had its worst day since Dec. 12, 2005 on Sunday, but they still only gave up 13 points in regulation time. The Cowboys' offense will be hard-pressed to light up the scoreboard like they did against the Giants. The NFL's reigning defensive player of the year, Jason Taylor, can get to the quarterback a lot better than a hurt Osi Umenyiora and a rusty Michael Strahan. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had pretty good protection against the Giants, and offensive line play will be every bit as crucial Sunday.
Connections
Dolphins offensive line coach Hudson Houck held the same position in Dallas from 1993-2001 . . . Dolphins linebackers coach George Edwards coached the position in Dallas from 1998-2001 . . . Dolphins assistant special teams coach Steve Hoffman was the Cowboys' kicking coach from 1989-2004 . . . Cowboys guard Joe Berger was with the Dolphins in 2005 and 2006 . . . Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was hired from Miami, where he was quarterbacks coach in 2005 and 2006.
Miscellaneous
The Cowboys have played at Dolphin Stadium just once, in 1996, with Dallas winning 29-10 against former head coach Jimmy Johnson . . . The last three games in the series have all been decided by 19 points or more . . . The last two Cowboys/Dolphins games were scheduled for Thanksgiving, and the teams played on Thanksgiving Day in 1993 in the infamous Sleet Bowl when Leon Lett mistakenly slid into what was going to be the Cowboys' ball after blocking a Miami field-goal attempt in the final seconds. The Dolphins recovered and went on to kick the winning field goal for a 16-14 victory as time expired . . . Since inter-conference play began in 1970, the Cowboys own an NFC-best 75-57 record against the AFC.
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
September 11, 2007 7:10 PM
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron may need to bring some new wrinkles into Sunday's 3:05 p.m. (CDT) kickoff at Dolphin Stadium since they worked together the last three years as coordinators for San Diego. The pair should know each others' coaching tendencies real well, having called plays against one another in Chargers' practices since 2004.
What's Up?
One game in the books and do we know anything about the Cowboys and Dolphins? Not really.
We know the Cowboys can score points. We also know Miami had some trouble doing so in their 16-13 overtime loss at Washington Sunday. That all sounds good for the Cowboys. But while the Cowboys may be the early favorite Sunday, know that Trent Green has been around the league a while, and if anybody can exploit the Cowboys' secondary for a second week, a veteran like Green can. The Cowboys will try to patch up the holes that exposed themselves against the Giants, but a heady player like Green can probably find some new ones.
And Green has some weapons too. Chris Chambers has proven himself to be a good No. 1 receiver, and everyone knows how rookie receiver Ted Ginn Jr. can stretch the field, something the Cowboys, with all their secondary concerns, don't need.
Statistical View
Miami was gashed by Washington on the ground Sunday, giving up 191 yards, Clinton Portis going for 98 and backup Ladell Betts 59. If the Cowboys' two-pronged running game fairs as well, the team will be tough to beat.
Dolphins backup running back Jesse Chatman can be an effective receiver out of the backfield. Chatman tied for the team-high with six catches for 48 yards Sunday.
Chambers has torched the Cowboys before. When the Dolphins pummeled the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in 2003, Chambers caught three touchdowns. Chambers caught five balls altogether that day for 96 yards.
Maybe the defensive letdown against Washington was a fluke. In that game, the Dolphins surrendered 400 total yards. Not once last season did a team reach the 400-yard-plateau against Miami.
Perhaps LaDainian Tomlinson had something to do with it, but Cameron's San Diego offenses were prolific, something the Dolphins haven't been since the Marino-era. From 2004-06, the Chargers did not finish out of the NFL's top five in scoring.
Chalk Talk
Cameron's familiarity with Phillips' version of the 3-4 may be a difficult obstacle. Having practiced against a Phillips unit the previous three years, Cameron should know all the weak spots up front, having run Tomlinson through the one-gap style line a time or two. And with the recent loss of starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson (torn biceps) for the season, the Cowboys line could be extra vulnerable to runs up the middle. Expect a heavy dose of Ronnie Brown, who is best between the tackles.
The Dolphins' defense may have had its worst day since Dec. 12, 2005 on Sunday, but they still only gave up 13 points in regulation time. The Cowboys' offense will be hard-pressed to light up the scoreboard like they did against the Giants. The NFL's reigning defensive player of the year, Jason Taylor, can get to the quarterback a lot better than a hurt Osi Umenyiora and a rusty Michael Strahan. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had pretty good protection against the Giants, and offensive line play will be every bit as crucial Sunday.
Connections
Dolphins offensive line coach Hudson Houck held the same position in Dallas from 1993-2001 . . . Dolphins linebackers coach George Edwards coached the position in Dallas from 1998-2001 . . . Dolphins assistant special teams coach Steve Hoffman was the Cowboys' kicking coach from 1989-2004 . . . Cowboys guard Joe Berger was with the Dolphins in 2005 and 2006 . . . Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was hired from Miami, where he was quarterbacks coach in 2005 and 2006.
Miscellaneous
The Cowboys have played at Dolphin Stadium just once, in 1996, with Dallas winning 29-10 against former head coach Jimmy Johnson . . . The last three games in the series have all been decided by 19 points or more . . . The last two Cowboys/Dolphins games were scheduled for Thanksgiving, and the teams played on Thanksgiving Day in 1993 in the infamous Sleet Bowl when Leon Lett mistakenly slid into what was going to be the Cowboys' ball after blocking a Miami field-goal attempt in the final seconds. The Dolphins recovered and went on to kick the winning field goal for a 16-14 victory as time expired . . . Since inter-conference play began in 1970, the Cowboys own an NFC-best 75-57 record against the AFC.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:04 PM
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