ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Dolphins vs. 49ers Friday, November 26, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Dolphins and 49ers. Now they're back with a
second look.
One of the first decisions Jim Bates made after Miami named him its
interim head coach was to move offensive coordinator Chris Foerster from
the coaches' box to the sidelines. Bates believes the plays get to the
huddle quicker with Foerster on the sidelines.
Getting the offense out of the huddle and up to the line of scrimmage
gives QB A.J. Feeley a little longer to read the defense and make any
necessary adjustments. That could make a significant difference with this
game in San Francisco, as the 49er fans could make it harder to
communicate.
Miami QB Jay Fiedler has been placed on injured reserve with a herniated
disc in his neck. Losing Fiedler for the remainder of the year effectively
eliminates the quarterback controversy and takes some pressure off Bates.
However, Fiedler will be missed. He has played better than Feeley and
Feeley, who left last week's game with a hip injury, has been banged up.
FeeleyFeeley is expected to play, but the Dolphins would be forced to
insert Sage Rosenfels should he go down with an injury or suffer a
setback. Rosenfels has appeared in just six games during his four-year
career and he'd understandably struggle if asked to play a substantial
role.
Injuries in the secondary have handcuffed San Francisco defensive
coordinator Willie Robinson, as he has had to play a lot of soft cover
schemes in an effort to prevent the big play. Expect Robinson to blitz far
more then he has in the past and that will put pressure on Miami to make
the necessary adjustments to its pass protection.
That's not good news for Dolphins fans, as the fact that both of their
quarterbacks had to leave last week's game with injuries is a clear
indication the protection has been leaky at best. Foerster will likely run
some max-protect schemes that keep a back or tight end in to help out as a
result.
While their playing styles are different, the 49ers' Eric Johnson and
Miami's Randy McMichael are two of the better receiving tight ends in the
league. Johnson, who is tied for third in the NFC with 59 receptions, is a
quality short-to-intermediate route runner who rarely drops passes that he
should catch. McMichael, who is Miami's leading receiver, has the speed to
stretch the seam and his burst makes him dangerous after the catch.
San Francisco QB Tim Rattay has lost four fumbles in seven starts
last week and there's an excellent chances that number will increase if he
doesn't start practicing better ball security this week. Dolphins RDE
Jason Taylor will frequently rush from Rattay's blind side and he does an
excellent job of looking to strip the ball whenever he gets to the
quarterback. Rattay needs to be decisive, as he must go through his reads
and then either get rid of ball or cover it up with both hands. He can not
afford to turn the ball over because he's trying to do too much in the
pocket.
The 49ers' offensive line isn't playing well, as it has struggled to open
up holes for RB Kevan Barlow and only three teams have allowed more sacks.
Miami's front seven has been decimated by injuries but its backups have
played well despite the circumstances and the schemes are still sound. San
Francisco won't be able to exploit the Dolphins' lack of depth unless it
can sustain some long drives, which means the offensive line must step up.
Cross-country flights can be extremely taxing on the body, so the
Dolphins, who played in Seattle last week, haven't left the West Coast.
The players should be well-rested both mentally and physically as a
result. Eliminating the travel time also gives Miami more time to prepare
for the 49ers. The hope is this approach will help the Dolphins get their
first win on the road this year.
Feeley was flagged for intentional grounding twice last week, but don't
expect him to make the same mistakes. Bates and his staff will make it a
priority to make sure Feeley knows when he can throw the ball away and
when he could get penalized.
Bates has also tweaked the offense to put Feeley in a better position to
succeed. Miami is using more rollouts to take advantage of Feeley's
mobility and three-step drops that allow him to get rid of the ball
quickly. The problem is Feeley is nursing a hip injury and he shouldn't be
as effective moving around outside the pocket. Look for the Dolphins
passing attack to consistent of plenty of quick-hitting plays
consequently.
Special Teams
Miami K Olindo Mare aggravated a right calf injury that forced him to miss
five games earlier this year during warm-ups last week and he missed one
of his two field goal attempts in that game. Mare is expected to play but
it will be interesting to see if the injury affects his range or accuracy.
As a result, the Dolphins would rather not have a late field goal attempt
decide the outcome.
Miami's punt cover unit has been among the best in the league and it needs
to have another strong game, especially since field position will be
critical with both offenses struggling. 49ers PR Arnaz Battle, who
returned a punt for a touchdown earlier this year, is a threat to make
something happen every time he touches the ball.
Prediction: Dolphins 17, 49ers 7
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Dolphins and 49ers. Now they're back with a
second look.
One of the first decisions Jim Bates made after Miami named him its
interim head coach was to move offensive coordinator Chris Foerster from
the coaches' box to the sidelines. Bates believes the plays get to the
huddle quicker with Foerster on the sidelines.
Getting the offense out of the huddle and up to the line of scrimmage
gives QB A.J. Feeley a little longer to read the defense and make any
necessary adjustments. That could make a significant difference with this
game in San Francisco, as the 49er fans could make it harder to
communicate.
Miami QB Jay Fiedler has been placed on injured reserve with a herniated
disc in his neck. Losing Fiedler for the remainder of the year effectively
eliminates the quarterback controversy and takes some pressure off Bates.
However, Fiedler will be missed. He has played better than Feeley and
Feeley, who left last week's game with a hip injury, has been banged up.
FeeleyFeeley is expected to play, but the Dolphins would be forced to
insert Sage Rosenfels should he go down with an injury or suffer a
setback. Rosenfels has appeared in just six games during his four-year
career and he'd understandably struggle if asked to play a substantial
role.
Injuries in the secondary have handcuffed San Francisco defensive
coordinator Willie Robinson, as he has had to play a lot of soft cover
schemes in an effort to prevent the big play. Expect Robinson to blitz far
more then he has in the past and that will put pressure on Miami to make
the necessary adjustments to its pass protection.
That's not good news for Dolphins fans, as the fact that both of their
quarterbacks had to leave last week's game with injuries is a clear
indication the protection has been leaky at best. Foerster will likely run
some max-protect schemes that keep a back or tight end in to help out as a
result.
While their playing styles are different, the 49ers' Eric Johnson and
Miami's Randy McMichael are two of the better receiving tight ends in the
league. Johnson, who is tied for third in the NFC with 59 receptions, is a
quality short-to-intermediate route runner who rarely drops passes that he
should catch. McMichael, who is Miami's leading receiver, has the speed to
stretch the seam and his burst makes him dangerous after the catch.
San Francisco QB Tim Rattay has lost four fumbles in seven starts
last week and there's an excellent chances that number will increase if he
doesn't start practicing better ball security this week. Dolphins RDE
Jason Taylor will frequently rush from Rattay's blind side and he does an
excellent job of looking to strip the ball whenever he gets to the
quarterback. Rattay needs to be decisive, as he must go through his reads
and then either get rid of ball or cover it up with both hands. He can not
afford to turn the ball over because he's trying to do too much in the
pocket.
The 49ers' offensive line isn't playing well, as it has struggled to open
up holes for RB Kevan Barlow and only three teams have allowed more sacks.
Miami's front seven has been decimated by injuries but its backups have
played well despite the circumstances and the schemes are still sound. San
Francisco won't be able to exploit the Dolphins' lack of depth unless it
can sustain some long drives, which means the offensive line must step up.
Cross-country flights can be extremely taxing on the body, so the
Dolphins, who played in Seattle last week, haven't left the West Coast.
The players should be well-rested both mentally and physically as a
result. Eliminating the travel time also gives Miami more time to prepare
for the 49ers. The hope is this approach will help the Dolphins get their
first win on the road this year.
Feeley was flagged for intentional grounding twice last week, but don't
expect him to make the same mistakes. Bates and his staff will make it a
priority to make sure Feeley knows when he can throw the ball away and
when he could get penalized.
Bates has also tweaked the offense to put Feeley in a better position to
succeed. Miami is using more rollouts to take advantage of Feeley's
mobility and three-step drops that allow him to get rid of the ball
quickly. The problem is Feeley is nursing a hip injury and he shouldn't be
as effective moving around outside the pocket. Look for the Dolphins
passing attack to consistent of plenty of quick-hitting plays
consequently.
Special Teams
Miami K Olindo Mare aggravated a right calf injury that forced him to miss
five games earlier this year during warm-ups last week and he missed one
of his two field goal attempts in that game. Mare is expected to play but
it will be interesting to see if the injury affects his range or accuracy.
As a result, the Dolphins would rather not have a late field goal attempt
decide the outcome.
Miami's punt cover unit has been among the best in the league and it needs
to have another strong game, especially since field position will be
critical with both offenses struggling. 49ers PR Arnaz Battle, who
returned a punt for a touchdown earlier this year, is a threat to make
something happen every time he touches the ball.
Prediction: Dolphins 17, 49ers 7
