Miami Dolphins 2009 Season Outlook

The Dolphins were one of the National Football League’s most compelling stories a season ago – a sports gambling Cinderella, if you will. Rookie head coach Tony Sparano took over a 1-15 team and got them to 11-5, winning the AFC East divisional crown in the process. Miami also unleashed the Wildcat offense on the National Football League – a dynamic hybrid scheme where QB Chad Pennington and RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams were all threats to run and pass after the ball was snapped. In the process, Miami became one of the most enjoyable teams to watch week-to-week. Now, as the 2009 season draws closer, there’s one big question left for the Fish – was last season a fluke, or will they do it again?

Key Departures: CB André Goodman, S Renaldo Hill, DE Vonnie Holliday, C Samson Satele.

Key Acquisitions: Free Agents – CB Eric Green, C Jake Grove, LB Jason Taylor, LB Cameron Wake, S Gibril Wilson. Draft – Vontae Davis, Pat White.

As you can see from the above, not much changed in Miami this offseason. A few veteran defensive pieces were removed, most notably Andrew Goodman, who led the team with five interceptions a year ago. The strength of the Dolphins’ defense still remains with the front seven, where sack-machine Joey Porter (17.5 QB drops last year, second in the NFL) runs the linebackers and monster defensive tackle Jason Ferguson stuffs the run up front. Some intriguing additions – most notably LB Cameron Wake, Canadian Football League’s 2007 and 2008 Most Outstanding defensive player – should make the Dolphins an even more impressive defensive team. Most NFL betting seems to indicate that the Fish will be a solid team in 2009 – currently, Miami is listed at 20/1 to win the AFC Championship outright.

Offensively, Miami is almost a carbon-copy to the unit that impressed in 2008. Pennington will once again be under center, although Pat White – the ultra-athletic West Virginia QB and 2009 Senior Bowl MVP – could be a dangerous toy for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to play with in the Wildcat. The running back situation is set in stone with Brown and Williams sharing the load, while the receiving corps is weak on name recognition – Ted Ginn Jr., Greg Camarillo, Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano – but strong in terms of depth. Seven players had at least 20 receptions a year ago, a testament to the spread-it-out philosophy Miami employs on offense.

Notable 2009 Games: This season, the state of Florida football bragging rights are up for grabs. On November 15, the Dolphins host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and on December 13, the Fish travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. Also – thanks to its impressive 2008 campaign – Miami got itself two great Monday Night Football contests. There’s a September 21 game at home against the Indianapolis Colts and an October 12 game (also at home) against the New York Jets.

2009 Outlook: While the 2008 team remains largely intact, it’s tough to figure Miami will rip off another 11-win season in 2009. For one, the AFC East is vastly improved – the Patriots welcome back Tom Brady, the Bills have Terrell Owens and the Jets…well, the jury’s still out on the Jets. Miami also has a remarkably tougher schedule than a season ago – accentuated by road games against Atlanta, San Diego, Carolina and Tennessee. If they Fish can hover around nine or 10 wins and fight for a wildcard berth, the season should be deemed a success.