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SI's Postcard from camp: Dolphins

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BAMAPHIN 22

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1. It's too early to close the book on Chad Henne. Dolphins fans welcomed the 26-year-old incumbent quarterback to training camp with boos and chants expressing their desire for the team to trade for the Broncos' Kyle Orton -- interesting in that Henne's first three seasons don't look so very different from Orton's. Orton, as a Bear, threw 30 touchdowns to Henne's 27, had 27 interceptions to Henne's 33, and completed 55 percent of his passes to Henne's 61 percent. More than that, says Sparano, "I see progress in this guy. I see it right now, in training camp. I'm seeing another jump." Henne has been throwing the ball downfield, particularly to Brandon Marshall, with more confidence and accuracy than in any previous camp. Even as some clamor for his backup, Matt Moore -- he of the 55.6 quarterback rating last year with the Panthers -- to start Week 1, Henne deserves one more opportunity before being deemed a failure.

2. The defense could be one of the NFL's best. It should, at the least, be stable: It returns 10 of 11 starters from a unit that ranked sixth overall last season (the only new face is inside linebacker Kevin Burnett, formerly of the Chargers). Included among the returnees is former CFLer Cameron Wake, who last year, in his second NFL season at the age of 28, came out of nowhere to rank third in the NFL with 14 sacks. Wake, who knows now not to take his success for granted, spent the offseason watching a tape not of his sacks, but of plays on which he faltered. "I looked at stuff I should have done better: I should have gotten here quicker, my steps were wrong," he says. "There were sacks I left on the field."

3. Mike Pouncey might be the league's most polished rookie. Pouncey, the Dolphins' first round pick, played only one year of center at Florida, but that was because his twin brother, Maurkice, held down that job until he was drafted by the Steelers before last season. Maurkice started 16 games and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, and now Mike seems set to do the same. "I think an awful lot of his brother," says Sparano of Maurkice. "We've played against him. When you play against somebody and he makes that kind of impression on you -- I was pleased there was another one. I think he's the real deal out there." Mike, now in his second season as a center, says, "Now I feel comfortable at it, and I wouldn't want to play another position. I like being the guy making all the calls."
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A 5-11 record is a definite possibility. But there are certainly other possibilities. Miami's schedule presents seven games that will be very difficult to win (at home against the Patriots and Eagles and on the road against the Jets, Giants, Chiefs, Cowboys and Pats), and four games that should be very difficult to lose (at home against the Broncos, Redskins, Bills and Raiders). That leaves five "swing" games -- at home against the Texans and Jets, and away against the Browns, Chargers and Bills. In other words, this most-difficult-to-project team could just as easily go 9-7, and challenge for a wild-card berth, as 4-12. The truth, like most truths, likely lies somewhere in the middle.
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The first 3 points expound on why Miami is going to be good this year. Then we get hit with a "5-11?" I hope we make a lot of people look back at their ridiculous predictions and cringe.
 
I was never on the Orton bandwagon anyway, although he would have upgraded the QB position. Not as much as I want it upgraded.
 
9-7 is not competing for a Wild Card and certainly not this year where even 10-6 might not be enough. On the first 2 points, if the Phins have one of the best defenses in the league and finish 5-11, the book on Henne was definitely closed.

Anyway, I hate articles that leave a wide range in their predictions. If you're going to go out and predict something, then do it right and say the exact record. Saying you think the Phins will finish somewhere between 4-12 and 9-7 isn't saying much.

Hurp durp I believe the Phins will finish somewhere between 0-16 and 16-0! So then I can point back to my article and say how right I was :rolleyes2:
 
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