Mar 30, 2009 2:14 pm US/Eastern
Dolphins 2009 Preseason Schedule Released
Face the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers at Dolphin Stadium
Take on New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road.
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
The Miami Dolphins, who recaptured the hearts of fans with an AFC East championship in 2008, will play its first two preseason games in the friendly confines of Dolphin Stadium. The Fins will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the opening preseason game and then play the Carolina Panthers in week two, before hitting the road for two road games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. The Panthers, Jaguars, and Saints game will be televised by
CBS4.
The Dolphins quickly erased the sour taste of a miserable 2007 campaign by winning 11 games and the AFC East title. The Fins re-signed most of its star free agents including right tackle Vernon Carey and middle linebacker Channing Crowder, but the team lost one starting cornerback and in the AFC East, no team can be without a shutdown corner.
One of the more interesting storylines to follow with the Dolphins will be the development of quarterback Chad Henne. He enters his second season with the Dolphins and will see extensive playing time during the preseason. Henne is widely expected to be the starting quarterback either during the 2009 season or at the beginning of the 2010 season, if he develops as expected.
The Jaguars are coming off a disappointing 2008 campaign in which they finished 5 -11 for the season. The team tried to load up on pass rushers in the 2008 NFL Draft, selecting defensive end Derrick Harvey and defensive end Quentin Groves. But it was still the Jaguars offense that couldn't carry the weight. Quarterback David Garrard seemed to regress last year and the team still had no playmaker at receiver. The Jags jettisoned one of its top receivers, Matt Jones, after he was repeatedly arrested.
The Panthers played exceptionally well during the regular season. The team went back to a smash mouth running game behind backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Both backs helped open up the passing game because defenses would load up eight men along the line of scrimmage to stop Willams and Stewart. But, the Panthers were dominated in the playoffs by the eventual NFC champion, the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals went right through the Panthers defense, which had no answer to Larry Fitzgerald.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be the biggest question mark in the NFL in 2009. The franchise fired long-time coach Jon Gruden and also lost its famed defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin. The Bucs are in rebuilding mode and released fan favorite linebacker Derrick Brooks shortly after the 2008 campaign ended. The team still boasts a defensive stud in end Gaines Adams and a young, solid offensive line. But, with the quarterback position still in flux, the Bucs may be in the market to draft a franchise quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft.
When the Dolphins head to New Orleans, some fans may ask, "What if?" The question surrounds New Orleans Saints pro-bowl quarterback Drew Brees. The Dolphins had a chance to sign Brees when he went to the Saints. The Fins chose to sign Daunte Culpepper, who could never regain his form after a catastrophic knee injury. Brees has since lit up the league under tutelage of Saints coach Sean Payton, who interestingly enough is a Bill Parcells disciple.
Miami went 3-1 during the 2008 preseason.
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