Sit Down Session with Sports Editor Steve Sheiner

Steve Sheiner who is Fanball.com’s Miami Dolphin correspondent andruns Blogwithaporpoise.com answered a few questions about the team.

1. How costly to the Wildcat is the loss of Ronnie Brown?

- Very. In fact, in the last three games, the Dolphins have run plays out of the Wildcat formation just nine times. Without Ronnie Brown, the Wildcat is barely even a consideration now in the Dolphins’ offensive game plan. And despite drafting Pat White, a player that was highly thought of as the future spearhead of the Wildcat, clearly that’s not the case. And unfortunately, without it, the Dolphins are just another vanilla offense . . . but without the weapons.
 
2. How good can Henne be in this offense?

- By ‘this offense’ I assume you’re referring to the Wildcat-less, vanilla offense that most of the other teams in the league run. Henne has started 10 games since Chad Pennington suffered a season ending injury, and he’s averaging just 185 passing yards per game. He’s thrown just 9 touchdowns to 8 interceptions on the year and, as I alluded to earlier, lacks true weapons in the passing game. Davone Bess is one legitimate weapon who can catch and run. But he’s being hurt by the lack of weapons around him to soften up opposing defenses. Henne will continue to be a mediocre quarterback until his arsenal receives an influx of talent. As for Ted Ginn, we’ll get to him in a minute.

3. Can Ted Ginn Jr be an impact WR or does he only perform on Special Teams?

- In a word: NO. The disaster that is Ted Ginn is nothing more than a special teamer. The fact that Cam Cameron and Rick Spielman (both gone, mind you) used the team’s first round pick, #9 overall, on a kick returner who clearly has all-world speed, yet stone hands, is one of the biggest gaffes in Dolphins history. Ginn regularly drops balls, often in the biggest spots, and hamstrings his team and the offensive game plan. I mean, how can you call passing plays when you’re “#1 receiver” *scoff scoff* can’t catch? Ginnwould make an excellent slot receiver on a team withtwo solid starting receivers, but he really needs to sleep with a Juggs machine under his pillow if he’s ever to make an impact as a receiver in this league.   

4. What has Jason Taylor brought back to the Dolphins defense?

Sadly, not much. At 35-years of age, Taylor returned to the Dolphins after a disastrous and injury plagued season in Washington. But the move to outside linebacker for the long time defensive end isn’t doing him many favors. Yes, he has 5 ½ sacks on the year, but just 22 tackles through 12 games, and he’s just the 83rd ranked linebacker in balanced scoring systems. What’s he’s brought to the team is veteran leadership and a presence in the locker room. But on the field, he’s a little older, a little slower, and out of his natural position; the one that made him a perennial Pro-Bowler.

5. Biggest key to the game and Score/Prediction?

To me, the biggest key to this game is Maurice Jones-Drew. The Dolphins need to contain him and keep him from running amok all over the field. If they can do that, if they can force David Garrard to beat them through the air, they have a fighting chance. And with receiver Mike Sims-Walker doubtful for this one, their young secondary gets a break. The Dolphins are 14th in the NFL against the run, allowing 107 yards per game on the ground and 4.1 yards per carry. The Jags, on the other hand, rank 7thin rushing offense, with over 130 yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry. The Dolphins need to shadow MJD all over the field. If they can take their biggest playmaker out of the game, they have a shot to take control of the wild-card chase in the AFC.

Thank you Steve for joining me for this session and good luck with the rest of the Dolphins season. You can check Steve’s blog at Blogwithaporpoise.com.

Tags: Dolphins, fanball, Football, Ginn, interview, Jaguars, NFL, sports, team