Miami Dolphins Tickets

After an atrocious 2007 season the Miami Dolphins surprised just about everyone with their 2008 season that landed them the AFC East Title after going 1-15 the year before. Their 11-5 record was enough to hand them the AFC East, however the Dolphins lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the wildcard round of the postseason.

The Dolphins had quite a turn-around after the '07 season, and it all started with Bill Parcells. The Big Tuna was brought in as Executive Vice President of Football Operations by owner H. Wayne Huizenga to turn his franchise around. And turn it around he has! Parcells brought in Head Coach Tony Sparano, who is back for his second season, and General Manager Jeff Ireland, both from Parcell's days with the Cowboys. They had an immediate impact and Dolphins ticket holder are encouraged they will keep it up.

The Dolphins ended last season on a roll, winning the last five games of the regular season. Entering the 2009 NFL season the Miami front office concentrated on improving the defense, which had trouble stopping teams from advancing down the field last year. Key Dolphin additions include linebacker Jason Taylor (Redskins [tickets]), safety Gibril Wilson (Raiders [tickets]) and center Jake Grove (Oakland [tickets]). Add to these veterans some solid rookies and the Dolphins should be in good shape. The Dolphins have a number of rookies hoping to see some action. They used their 1st Round Draft pick on defensive back Vontae Davis (Illinois [tickets]) and the 2nd round draft picks on quarterback/running back Pat White (West Virginia [tickets]) and cornerback Sean Smith (Utah [tickets]).

The complete 2009 Dolphins schedule

• September 13 - at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.
• September 21 - vs. Indianapolis Colts, 8:30 p.m.
• September 27 - at San Diego Chargers, 4:15 p.m.
• October 4 - vs. Buffalo Bills, 4:05 p.m.
• October 12 - vs. NY Jets, 8:20 p.m.
• October 18 - Baltimore Ravens
• October 25 - vs. New Orleans Saints, 4:15 p.m.
• November 1 - at NY Jets, 1 p.m.
• November 8 - at New England Patriots, 1 p.m.
• November 15 - vs. Tampa Bay Bucs, 1 p.m.
• November 19 - at Carolina Panthers, 8:20 p.m.
• November 29 - at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.
• December 6 - vs. New England Patriots, 8:20 p.m.
• December 13 - at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
• December 20 - at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.
• December 27 - vs. Houston Texans, 1 p.m.
• January 3 - vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.

Dolphins Offense:

With two very good running backs in Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams the Dolphins have a running game that is the envy of the league. They surprised teams all over the NFL with their Wildcat Offense against the New England Patriots in week three and continued to use it throughout the season. After an 0-2 start, quarterbacks coach David Lee introduced the Wildcat formation and the Dolphins never looked back. Look for the effective offensive formation to return this year.

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams aka the "R&R Express" is back for more and are going to be a handful for opposing defenses. Last year they were a devastating combo with 1,575 yards all year and an average of 4.2 yards. Ronnie Brown will likely get more of the workload and with Patrick Cobbs in there the running game of the Dolphins could be among the best out there.

Anyone paying attention recalls that Parcells drafter Chad Pennington to the Jets back in 2000. In Pennington the Dolphins have a talented leader on the field who can use smarts and experience to compensate from a below-average throwing arm strength. He managed to throw for 3,600 yards with 19 touchdowns and was picked off just seven times, completing an incredible 67 percent of his throws. So impressive was Pennington's achievements last year that he finished behind only Peyton Manning in MVP voting. Chad Pennington has Chad Henne and Pat White also looking for the backup, even starting QB spot. Henne threw just 12 passes last year in his rookie season, but has proved to be a strong leader on the field and has a very good throwing arm. Pat White had a great season with West Virginia football and his incredible speed makes him an ideal candidate for the wildcat offense. He might also end up being a receiver, helping the 'Fins shore up their deficiencies in the receiver corps.

Speaking of the Dolphins receiver corps... While Miami Dolphins ticket holders know that the running game will be in good shape, the Miami receiver corps needs to get better if Miami wants to get back to the playoffs. Ted Ginn had a decent year, but needs to use his explosive speed to improve his routes and stand up to/avoid abuse. Last year saw Greg Camarillo shoulder much of the receiving duties before blowing out his knee. Dolphins ticket holder will be keeping a close eye on how he comes back from the injury. Davone Bess picked up the slack when Camarillo went down and likely will see plenty of action as the season progresses. If you had Miami Dolphins tickets at the end of last season there is an excellent change you saw him more more than one catch as he had thirty catches in the last five games of the season. Rounding out the Dolphins receivers are Ernest Wilford, Brandon London and Patrick Turner along with tight ends Anthony Fasano and David Martin.

Dolphins Defense:

While there are some very good players on the Dolphins defense, they likely need to play better if they are going to get back to the playoffs. Joey Porter had a huge year last year, amassing 17.5 sacks, and Dolphins fans are hoping he can keep it up. Second year ends Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling are expected to cut down on the mistakes of last year and improve on the three sacks total they had last year. Nosetackle Jason Feguson is an important part of the Dolphins defense, although his age (35) could become a factor. Defensive end Jason Taylor has been brought back for what looks to be his final season, and it looks like the Dolphins had an eye on their defensive future during the draft. The first pick by Miami was for cornerback Vontae Davis with the 25th overall pick. Davis is a speedy played with great play-making abilities and should provide plenty of reasons for Dolphins ticket holder to cheer him on. One player to keep an eye on is Cameron Wake, a former Penn State football player who played last year in the Canadian Football League. He became one of the best pass rushers in the game up north and the Dolphins were very keen on adding him to their defense. Will Allen will once again be in the corner position, where he performed well last year. Safeties Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson are both expected to play well. Bell got a big contract at the end of last 2008 after having a very good season, while Wilson was acquired from the Raiders after playing a key role for the Giants 2007 Super Bowl Championship team.

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