5 Things I Will Be Watching For Against Tampa Bay
By Brian Miller
For the first time in my life I will be attending a pre-season football game. I will be in the lower end-zone section but should have a good view of the field. While I test out the Dolphins new product, “FanVision” which allows real time scoring updates, personal choice exclusive camera angles, and controlled instant replay, I will be also checking out what the Dolphins are doing on the field. With the help of his product, I should be able to focus my attention on 5 things that I want to see from this first game.
1: Nolan Carroll. Everyone is talking about this kid and I want to see how he plays in a real speed game against someone other than the Dolphins. If Carroll has a shot at being the Phins nickel back this year, he will need to get up to speed in real conditions.
2: Patrick Turner. Turner should see plenty of reps tomorrow night and his play may go a long way at securing him a gameday roster spot instead of simply being on the inactive list. That could be interesting however because it’s unlikely the Phins will keep 5 active WR’s on gameday. So who would be out if Turner can elevate his play?
3: The KR/PR teams. The Dolphins were not that good overall last season in KR and PR duties. Sure Ted Ginn had two nice runs against the Jets but he is long gone and never really solved the issue on the special teams. Will anyone step up?
4: Tyler Thigpen. Chad Henne will play a couple of series but then will turn the team over to Thigpen. Thigpen needs to get more continuity in his game but the guy can run and that is a dimension that only Pat White has on this unit…of course Pat White can’t pass. Can Thigpen? We will see.
5: The defensive LB’s. This is a group of guys that need as many reps as they can get. Particularly Koa Misi and Cameron Wake. Both need to work hard to overcome their short falls. Wake against the run and in coverage and Misi getting to the QB. As a whole, the entire unit needs to show what they can do under Mike Nolan’s defensive watch.
Bonus: Chris Clemons has been extremely quiet in camp. Very little mention of him in the papers. Is it because he is doing well? As the starting safety opposite Yeremiah Bell, Clemons is trying to make Dolphins fans forget about the Gibril Wilson debacle of a year ago.