Despite all of the doom and gloom being spouted by Miami Dolphins fans, there is a reason for cautious optimism coming out the 19-7 loss against Atlanta. In a nutshell, Miami's defense is looking much stouter than it did a year ago. Youngsters like defensive end Phillip Merling and Sean Smith made significant contribution (Merling was the best Dolphin on the field on Sunday) and veteran acquisition Jason Taylor also made his presence felt both against the pass and the run.
