Since Mysticsoto said in a previous thread that it's up to Phin fans to report the good news since he may be more inclined to post the negative :) here's some recent articles from the past exhibition game:
Dolphins ride quick start, stout defense
During Saturday night's 19-14 exhibition win over Jacksonville, it was Jaguars fans that watched their team get slaughtered in the first half as the starters from North Florida's playoff team got manhandled by the rebuilding Dolphins at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.GAME CAPThe Dolphins scored on three of their five first-half possessions. The Dolphins doubled Jacksonville's first-half yardage total (179-87) and dominated time of possession. And the Dolphins stifled the Jaguars normally dominant running game, holding Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to 29 first-half yards and Jacksonville to 42 total rushing yards.
That's right, a week after putting together a lackadaisical showing in a 17-6 exhibition loss to Tampa Bay, the Dolphins easily handled their other Florida foe, showing off a ball-control offense.
Pennington, cut by the New York Jets to make room for Brett Favre, was 5-for-6 passing for 55 yards.
"We're starting to gain a little confidence now," Pennington said. "We just need to keep working on that and realize that we've won a preseason game. It's good in some ways but in others it doesn't mean anything."
Pennington added two nifty scrambles totaling 18 yards, putting Miami ahead 10-0 after his only three drives. Pennington may not be known for his running ability, but first-year coach Tony Sparano liked what he saw out of his new quarterback.Dolphin's Ginn lives up to billingPennington, still learning much of the Dolphins' offense, seemed more comfortable.
After Miami scored only 6 points in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay without him, the new quarterback injected some life into what's been a bland Dolphins offense. Pennington connected on passes of 22 and 17 yards to second-year receiver Ted Ginn Jr.
The 32-year-old Pennington, expected to be the starting quarterback, agreed to a deal last week worth $11.5 million over two years. The Dolphins are hoping Pennington can serve as a bridge to rookie Chad Henne and be a mentor.
"He's a leader," said Dolphins left tackle Jake Long, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft. "He came in last week and picked up the playbook in two days maybe. He became a leader on offense in the first day."
JACKSONVILLE - Maybe speedy receiver Ted Ginn Jr., didn't live up to his draft status last year because he didn't have a quarterback named Chad throwing him the ball.
Ginn, who was drafted ninth overall by the previous regime last year, displayed the go-to-skills of a true number one receiver as he hauled in four catches for 58 yards in the first half.
The 5-foot-11, slightly built Ginn fearlessly darted across the middle where headhunting defensive backs prowl, and made lunging grabs of 22 and 17 yards to help make quarterback Chad Pennington's Dolphins' debut a rousing hit. In the second quarter, Ginn grabbed a pass in the flat from rookie Chad Henne and darted for 12 yards.
"How about them Chads?'' Ginn joked. "We had a game plan and we executed it. It was a great atmosphere. I'll just continue to play hard, play fast and just have fun.''
Ginn, who has been criticized for his inability to create separation, was toasting Jags cornerback Rashean Mathis on a regular basis. He nearly had a 43-yarder down the sideline on a perfect back-shoulder lob from Henne, but he juggled it and was ruled out of bounds. Coach Tony Sparano tossed his first challenge flag, but the call was upheld.
After the game, Ginn was adamant that he had possession of the ball before going out of bounds.
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Originally Posted by hoofhearted
