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Six Keys to Success for 2011 |  | ||||||||
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by
Chris Shashaty, Phins.com Columnist It’s at the start
of the season when hope blossoms at its fullest. That blossom of hope either
glistens into the New Year or wilts away before the holidays arrive. There have been
far too many wilted holidays for Dolfans over the past 10 years. I could write
volumes as to why, but this annual column is really about hope. It’s about why
you should (or shouldn’t) have faith in the upcoming season. After one of the
most disruptive and unsettled offseasons in team history, GM Jeff Ireland and
coach Tony Sparano set out to re-tool the offense (players and philosophy)
while dealing with a crippling labor crisis and the major fallout from
consecutive losing seasons. So, understandably and deservedly, criticism and
skepticism were the themes du jour. As the regulars here
know, my own view of the Dolphins has been quite guarded since this past
January. It had to be after back to back 7-9 seasons, with Bill Parcells skulking
off and the owner looking like the second coming of Dan Snyder. And so the days
of taking the word of team leadership at face value are past. Actions and
results are all that matter now. This is how the 2011
Dolphins must ultimately be judged. But more to the point, it is how the
current regime will be judged. That being said, I
am encouraged by what I have seen during the abbreviated offseason and
preseason. QB Chad Henne looks to have grown, both mentally and physically. The
offensive skill positions are improved. Special teams, that ongoing burden,
look as solid as I’ve seen them. And the defense, under the steady hand of Mike
Nolan, has a chance to be elite. The sum of all
this should be a playoff berth, provided that the following “keys to success”
are realized. 1) QB Chad Henne plays to his
ability Even the most arduous doubters must admit that Henne
has had an excellent summer. He led team workouts during the lockout and moved
the offense consistently during the preseason. On this alone he deserves to
have that Captain’s patch sewed on his jersey. But for people to really believe in him, he must take the
good work he did in the preseason and carry it forward to the 2) The Cohesion of the Offensive
Line Sparano mishandled and misjudged his offensive line last season and got LT
Jake Long hurt in the process, his worst collective mistake as Dolphins head
coach. This year Sparano was much smarter about things, saving Long and the
other starters from unnecessary wear and tear. He upgraded the center and right
guard positions and solidified the interior by retaining G Richie Incognito. So
there should be plenty of talent up front to generate an excellent offensive
game. But the line has been slow to come together this preseason, raising
questions as to whether or not Sparano is as good in handling hogs as he thinks
he is. The opener versus the Patriot defense will tell us a lot about this
group. 3) Good production from the RBs Ronnie Brown (Eagles) and Ricky Williams (Ravens) are gone, the latter
coming up about 300 yards short of Larry Csonka’s team rushing record. Both men
were between the tackles runners and had lost a step. They were replaced by a
rookie with a similar style (Daniel Thomas) and one of the most versatile backs
in the NFL (Reggie Bush). Bush is an important piece of this new offense, and coordinator
Brian Daboll will use a myriad of ways to get him
15-20 touches a game. But he must stay healthy, and Thomas must learn quickly
for this new approach to work. 4) Generate more turnovers Winning is a lot easier when you have a short field and more chances to
score than the other team. That’s why turnovers are recognized as a top gameplay liability. The defense had their fair shot at
turnovers last season but repeatedly failed to capitalize. That must change if
this group is to be truly elite, and the Dolphins need
that level of play from their defense in order to make the playoffs. 5) Solid special teams Solid special teams play does two important jobs. The first is to create
field position for the offense and defense. The second is to score points. The coverage
work we’ve seen during the preseason has been very encouraging when compared to
the past three seasons. Now it must carry forward. I just wish the Dolphins
could have found a way to keep rookie Phillip Livas, an electric and aggressive
returner who took a punt 75 yards for a TD versus the Falcons in the preseason
opener. Who will provide that explosiveness and aggressiveness to the return game? Fellow rookie Clyde Gates could
be called on to try and match it. 6) Generate renewed fan excitement Only a clueless moron would attribute the empty seats and lackluster
ticket sales at SunLife Stadium to anything other than two years of losing
football, a 1-7 home record last year, and continued front office incompetence.
Gimmicks, such as the ill-conceived “Gator Day” aren’t the answer. I’ve watched
Dolphins football for almost 40 seasons, so trust me when I say the best tonic
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