DOLPHIN WATCH

Packers Head into the Heat against Fins

 

Fresh off a two game interdivisional winning streak and a few extra days off the Green bay Packers are headed south to sunny Miami Beach to face the Dolphins. The Pack has looked uber-impressive in the past 6 quarters on both sides of the ball. First came a second half swarm to stifle a capable Chicago Bears team and last week it was a thrashing administered to Minnesota.

The Packers offense is hitting on all cylinders and now the challenge will be to sustain that momentum. Eddie Lacy found his ‘A’ game and put up 105 yards splitting time with James Starks last week. The now relaxed Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers. As long as that is a fact the Packers have a solid chance in any contest. In Miami the Packers have a unique challenge this week in that not only are they battling the Dolphins they will also have to contend with the 85+ degree temperatures expected at kickoff.

Green Bay is a notoriously cold climate. Players speak of blocking the cold out in your mind and staying focused. It can be done in the cold. The heat is another matter altogether. As anyone who ever existed in, around, or near the frozen tundra (or anywhere else in the Great White North) can attest when you’re cold you can pull on a few more blankets, another shirt and keep moving. The heat is far less forgiving. A body can only take off so much until the cold, hard realization sets in that is a damn hot.

Hydration will be pounded into the players’ heads this week. If Miami has any advantage it will be in their familiarity with that humidity and temperatures for which South Florida is known. Former Packer Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin has had a trying time in Miami. Last year was a disaster all around and anything positive on the field was trumped by the now infamous locker hazing of Jonathon Martin by Richie Incognito. The infighting and vulgar locker room talk crossed a line with Martin and hit the front pages as a bullying scandal. Given the very nature of the sport and the men that play in the NFL it suspends belief that something like this would occur in an NFL locker room. It is almost beyond imaginable that bullying and taunting and crudity would become so large an issue in a place such as a locker room.

But it did. Philbin, the Miami brass and frankly the NFL were caught off-guard on the magnitude of the bullying scandal. In the middle of a season not only did the headlines scream about the incidents, the text messages, and the crude commentary the Dolphins lost 40% of their starting offensive line when Incognito was suspended and Martin headed to San Francisco. The NFL is a heartless, cold machine that moves on in spite of itself. Philbin had been doing a fairly good job is restoring Miami to a factor in the AFC east when this suddenly blew up. The Dolphins have not been the same since.

If any team embodies the parity of the league it is Miami. QB Ryan Tannehill has become the starter and as he goes so go the Dolphins. When Tannehill is on Miami has the capacity to win any week. But when he is off turn out the lights and send the kids to bed. The Dolphins are an eclectic mix of no-names, castoffs and long shots that have made it to the roster. Former Packers G Darryn Colledge and C Samson Satele joined the Dolphins in the off season to bolster the depleted Offensive Line. The RB’s are Lamar Miller and ex-Bronco Knowshon Moreno. Former Steeler WR Mike Wallace may be the only name on offense other than Tannehill’s fans will recognize without a program.

On defense former Lion S Louis Delmas packed his bags and his thump and headed south. Cameron Wake is still a force to be reckoned with as is OLB Koa Misi but there is little to fear about the Dolphins on paper. Miami will most assuredly finish between 7 – 9 and 9 – 7 and miss the playoffs. They always do. Philbin was on a very hot seat last year and the bullying scandal only postponed the scrutiny he is currently under. Miami has had a hard time filling their stadium as the warmer areas offer a bit more to do than watch their team win one, lone, win one, lose one. Now they square off with a Packers team that has all of a sudden found itself and is forging a new identity.

With every passing week the acquisition of Julius Peppers looks better and better. As he and Clay Matthews play together the chemistry between them is exactly what the doctor ordered and Matthews can no longer be double teamed. Peppers is looking mighty spry on his 34 year old legs. For the Packers to continue their current run they will have to stop the run. Minnesota was held to a collective 111 yards rushing and the Dolphs have little more on the ground. Josh Boyd is nursing a sore leg while no word on DE Datone Jones’ availability has been made yet. Most likely Jones will be a game time decision. FA Luther Robinson was signed last week from the practice squad and immediately found himself in the middle of the game on the field. Robinson made the most of his chance as he tipped a pass that Peppers grabbed for a 49 yard TD run that collapsed Minnesota and Christian Ponder last week. The Packers have done some bottom of the roster juggling this week as well dropping TE Ryan Taylor and signing WR Kevin Dorsey from the practice squad. Robinson is still there – for now. The Packers are now carrying only 3 TE’s after keeping as many as 5 in the past few years.

The TE positon that has been featured so much in Mike McCarthy’s offense has been reduced to an

afterthought with the loss of Jermichael Finley. Andrew Quarless is the best option at this point but has barely been noticeable. With Taylor gone now if the Pack plans on adding the TE to the attack it will be through rookie Richard Rodgers and Brandon Bostick who may finally get on the field after a foot injury shelved him after the pre-season. Bostick has a huge upside with his catching ability and in Miami he may well get his opportunity.

DE Mike Daniels may have had his best game of the season last week and it went mostly unnoticed. The sacks and picks get the headlines but the guy that collapses the pocket while occupying a double team that frees his mates to get the attention toils in anonymity. Daniels is becoming a true beast and has a very nasty streak. Keep an eye on Daniels. The Packers pass rush and pressure applied has been an enormous improvement form last season and is beginning to draw notice. Daniels has an unstoppable motor and is the embodiment of the word relentless. Dom Capers will be able to send a multiple of looks and blitz packages against Tannehill and he will use his own version of heat on Miami’s QB.

OLB Brad Jones is healthy again but won’t be getting onto the field anytime soon. Jamari Lattimore filled in and has played lights out with an impressive Tasmanian Devil approach that warms the heart of Daniels as he sees a kindred spirit in his ferocious play. Morgan Burnett has added thump to the back side of the D and Micah Hyde and Ha Ha Clinton – Dix are becoming more and more solid each week. CB Casey Hayward is back but has yet to make an impact as he did as a rookie with 6 picks. He missed all last year with a hamstring injury and McCarthy and Capers would love to see him get back into form.

McCarthy admitted he made a mistake in not playing James Starks against the Bears. The Pack’s two headed attack was on display last week and Starks has looked terrific thus far. Lacy will need to carry some momentum from last week into Miami as the Pack’s up tempo offense will be tested in the sun. Jordy Nelson is having an outstanding year is his quiet, aw, shucks manner. No chest thumping or wild end zone dances or self-congratulatory moves are in his bag; he does not need them. Nelson simply grabs the ball and either runs away from potential tacklers or toe taps another sideline, gets the score and then causally flips the ball to the nearest ref. Oh, he may do the obligatory Lambeau Leap at home but that’s about it.

 
 

Randall Cobb is finally back in the groove and as #3 WR Jarrett Boykin continues to struggle with a hamstring rookie Davante Adams is showing improvement. Adams had his 2st TD catch as a pro last week on Aaron Rodgers 200^th TD toss of his career. Dorsey would make an interesting spread attack with his hands and speed. Will MM trust two rookies on the field art the same time on Sunday?

This game looks to be another W. The Dolphins are capable but the Packers are loaded. If the Pack can survive the heat it should be a very sunny trip back to beautiful, balmy Green Bay with their 40something degree weather forecast Sunday night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 GREEN BAY 30  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Miami   13