Five things to watch for in Miami Dolphins third pre-season game

The Miami Dolphins will play their third pre-season game tonight against the Ravens in Miami. They are winless so far this exhibition season.

EDITORS NOTE: After spending all day thinking that today was actually Saturday, a tip from one of my staff memberts alerted me to the fact that it is actually Friday. So while I get an extra day back in my life, unless of course I die tonight, the Dolphins will play on Saturday or tomorrow.

The Miami Dolphins are indeed 0-2 this pre-season but that translates to a regular season record of 0-0. In other words it is rather meaningless. Tonight would be the lone exception and that really has more to do with what we actually see during the game rather than whan the outcome is.

Tonight’s game is as close to the regular season as the Dolphins will get in pre-season. Most starters will sit out next weeks finale ahead of the regular season start. Tonight we should see the starters through the first half and potentially into the early portions of the third period.

This is the game the Dolphins coaches game-plan for. Not a complete game plan but more than what they have done to this point. It’s more focused but doesn’t come complete with all the “bells and whistles” that go into game planning a regular season opener.

There are five areas in question heading into tonight. How the Dolphins approach the game and improve in these areas will be telling vs. what they have done through the previous two games.

Linebackers – Miami has struggled against the run in the first two games and that really shouldn’t be an issue but tonight the Dolphins linebackers will be more focused on scheme rather than read and react. Raekwon McMillan hasn’t shown much other than being rusty. He needs to shake that rust off and lead the defensive front seven.

The Dolphins need this linebacker unit to come together quickly. There is a lot of youth with McMillan and Jerome Baker, and with that youth comes inexperience. It will be interesting to see how McMillan has prepped for this game and how the scheme fits McMillan’s talent.

If it’s not against the run then it’s against the pass. Last week the Dolphins looked miserable trying to stop the crossing routes and tight-end receptions. The linebackers have to do a much better job against the pass.

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Mike Gesicki – Ryan Tannehill and Mike Gesicki have spent a lot of time working on red-zone plays this week. In fact, some of that time has been spent after practice working together. Through two pre-season games Gesicki has gone unnoticed in the offense. Some of that may have to do with Adam Gase working on Gesicki’s blocking assignments and some could be Gase’s reluctance to show any of his playbook with Gesicki in it. He told the media this week that he wants opponents to wonder about his talent. At some point Tannehill and Gesicki need to get real game work in but it may be the regular season before that happens.

For now, tonight, seeing Gesicki more involved with non-red-zone offensive routes would be a nice surprise.

Red-Zone – The Dolphins have not been good in the red-zone and there is a lot of reasons for that including play calling, schemes, Gase trying things out in pre-season, pre-snap penalties, and poor execution.

The Dolphins do not seem to have a problem moving the ball down the field but once the field gets shorter, the Dolphins appear to disappear. Miami can’t afford field goals every trip into opposing territory. Will the Dolphins find some success tonight against the Ravens? It would be a good step in the right direction if they can.

Pre-snap penalties – Penalties are killing this team. The lack of discipline is amazing and not from the coaching staff but the personal discipline of the players themselves. False starts, delay of game issues, off-sides are drive killers. Add to that list pass interference, holding, and other unnecessary flags and the Dolphins go as fast backwards as they do forwards.

The Dolphins need to make a big jump tonight and show accountability for these mistakes. One call can ruin a drive, take points off the board, and more importantly completely ruin the teams momentum on both sides of the ball.

Defensive line – Can the Dolphins stop the run? Linebackers are part of that problem but so are the defensive lineman. There is a couple of players battling for a roster spot and tonight could give them something to hang hope on.

Miami’s defensive line will play well into the third quarter considering they rotate so much. Each one of them must make a statement. Last week they played o.k. but tonight needs to set up for the regular season and could give them the boost in confidence that they need.

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