Halloween is here and kids are preparing to head out and go trick or treating in their various costumes, but some kids in South Florida can't afford to get costumes for themselves. That's where the Miami Dolphins come in.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Miami Dolphins alumni and cheerleaders met up at Spirit of Halloween costume store in Davie to shop with students from Miami-Dade and Broward County Schools so they could enjoy their Halloween night.

“These students that are here today were all recipients of the September Star Award. Those are our students that have shown excellence in academics, effort and behavior for their home rooms. So they had an extra treat to be able to come here and pick out costumes with the Miami Dolphins,” Markham Elementary Principal Craig Saddler said.

Halloween is a very popular holiday among kids and their families, and for the alumni, shopping with the kids brought back a lot of memories.

"We couldn't wait for Halloween." said former Dolphins wide receiver Mark Duper. "We used to go trick or treating at night, and it was fun because the community where I grew up at was pretty much kidding each other and knowing each other."

Fifty students arrived through the doors of the costume store and got a chance to high five the mascot TD, the cheerleaders and all of the alumni - which included Elmer Bailey, Chris Conlin, Troy Drayton, Mark Duper, Lorenzo Hampton, Mark Higgs, Mack Moore, Lousaka Polite and Twan Russell.

Once they were split off into groups, the students and their chosen shopper went around the store looking for different things to try on, and it was clear right from the start that everyone was enjoying themselves, some even more than others.

"It's all about the kids, when we do these types of things it's all about the kids." said former wide receiver Elmer Bailey. "My kids are grown, my kids graduated from college so I get rejuvenated when I'm around these kids."

As costumes were picked out and tried on, the happiness in the building was infectious as each student that came out of the dressing room with a costume on went back in with a big smile on their face as they now had a brand new costume they could use to go trick or treating with their friends on Halloween night.

"Our big thing was, 'how do we connect with those kids who don't have an opportunity to have a costume for Halloween?'" said former linebacker and current Senior Director of Community Affairs Twan Russell. "The way we do that, we're able to connect with the school and the school finds those kids for us, and we can bring them out, they can have a costume, they can feel like everybody else and they don't feel different."

The kids left with brand new costumes and full hearts and stomachs as the Dolphins sent them home after eating some Papa John's pizza before heading back onto the bus to go home. Now tonight when they go trick or treating with their friends, they'll have the Dolphins to thank for blessing them with the opportunity to enjoy being with their friends as they go door-to-door with their candy baskets held high.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

The worst cast scenario has now become a reality. It's been confirmed per ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Miami Dolphins star pass-rusher and longtime fan favorite Cameron Wake has torn his achilles and will be out for the remainder of the season.

Wake, a seven-year veteran, had seemingly disappeared in the first four games of the season under Joe Philbin, presumably because of a hamstring injury. He only managed to get one tackle through the first four games and didn't record any sacks.

After the bye week, Wake returned with a vengeance and sacked the Titans QB Marcus Mariota four times and showed no signs of slowing down after that game, as he got two more sacks against the Texans and even sacked Tom Brady once before his season-ending injury.

Wake was clearly disappointed after the game and was sporting a heavy wrap around his left foot and was using crutches to get around.

"We'll get with the doctors and take it from there," Wake had said after the game during a very brief meeting with the media.

As a symbol of just how tough he was, Wake was rushing the passer when he found out that he could no longer put any weight on his foot, and yet he still tried to finish the play and get after Brady anyway. He didn't seem to be in a lot of pain until the trainers helped him off, a true testament to the defensive end's toughness.

But a body can only take so much before the toughness just wears off.

"I would feel horrible, and I know his teammates would, too, if that's the case," Dolphins coach Dan Campbell said after the game of the possibility of losing Wake for the rest of the season. " ... If you lost a guy like Cam, it would hurt. Not only is he a leader, but he's a very productive player."

The tone in the locker room was somber after the game as all the players were hoping and praying for the best for their teammate. Instead the worst has happened, and now the Dolphins will have to carry on without him. The likely candidates are Derrick Shelby and Terrence Fede, who have been getting significant playing time in order to spell Wake.

Chris McCain is also expected to get added to the rotation, as he has recently been moved to defensive end full time and will no longer be looked at as a linebacker by the Dolphins.

What truly makes this injury sad is that Wake's career with Miami has cemented his place in team history as one of the best pass-rusher they've ever had, and one day the NFL will likely recognize that as well. But now that we know that Wake is done for the year, it's more than likely that we've seen Wake's last snap as a Miami Dolphin, and possibly the last snap of his career. Only time will tell.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

After an exciting first two games against bad teams in the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, the Miami Dolphins were brought back down to earth - or rather shot down - by the best team in the NFL, the New England Patriots by a blowout score of 36-7.

The supposedly newly physical Miami Dolphins were pushed and shoved around at the line of scrimmage as their running game was completely negated as they ran for only 15 yards on 13 carries, and as a result, Ryan Tannehill also struggled as he went 28-44 for 255 yards and 2 interceptions.

As for the Patriots, they were the Patriots. They found the weaknesses on defense, exposed them, and was able to score at will by picking on CB Jamar Taylor, LBs Kelvin Sheppard and Koa Misi, and safety Walt Aikens.

But unfortunately that wasn't enough for the team to go through, as the Dolphins also suffered several big injuries that could potentially ruin a season that's already teetering on the edge of failure. The Dolphins lost right tackle Ja'Wuan James to a toe injury, and he was carted off to the locker room. James was seen in the locker room wearing a boot and refused to comment.

Then the big one: Cameron Wake, who had come back to life after the bye week and was looking stronger than ever, pulled up short during a play and had to be helped off the field and was eventually also carted off. The injury? An achilles. The severity is not yet known, but it is quite possible that Wake has played his last snap as a Miami Dolphin.

To add more injury to injury, Dolphins rookie DeVante Parker - who had barely played all game long, wound up getting hurt with an injury to his foot - the one he got the surgery on - and he too was carted off the field. Parker later assured that the injury was nothing serious and shrugged it off as a "tissue issue."

New England is now 7-0 on the season and this marks the fourth time the Dolphins have gone up to Foxborough and suffered a beatdown. Of course, every team seems to have that problem so let's not pretend it's exclusive to Miami. This does however create an interesting scenario.

​This marks the first time that Dan Campbell's Dolphins have faced adversity and were unable to ride the wave of their emotions to victory. Now is when we really see who these Dolphins are as they get ten days to recover before going up to Buffalo for their rematch against the Bills.

If this team really is about being physical and competing no matter what, then the outcome should end in a Dolphins victory if they're really different from Joe Philbin's Dolphins. The Patriots punched them in the mouth, now Miami has to punch back.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

In conjunction with the Dolphins 50th season celebration presented by Pepsi, voting took place to select the top 50 players in team history. Four different groups voted on the composition of the team, including fans, Dolphins alumni, South Florida media and a select blue ribbon panel. Each group’s selections counted for 25 percent of the overall vote.

Five players on the team will be announced each week leading up to home game vs. the New York Giants on Dec. 14 when the entire 50th team will be honored as part of a tribute to the 50 seasons of Dolphins football. The latest five members of the team introduced today are Brent Grimes, Jim Langer, Reggie Roby, Paul Warfield and Ricky Williams. Further information about each player as well as quotes are below:
​

Brent Grimes is in his third season (2013-15) as a cornerback with the Dolphins and started all 16 games each of his first two years in Miami. He is tied for the team lead in interceptions with four INTs in 2013 and led Miami with five picks in 2014. Grimes was named to the Pro Bowl following both of his seasons with the Dolphins, becoming only the third Miami cornerback to be selected to the Pro Bowl squad.

“It is a great honor to be included in such a prestigious group. I’m proud of the work I put in and extremely humbled to be voted into the top 50,” Grimes said.

Jim Langer played ten years with the Dolphins (1970-79) as the center of Miami’s offensive line during the team’s championship years in the 1970s. He is a six-time Pro Bowl selection, including five times as a starter (only Dan Marino was named to more Pro Bowl starts in Dolphins history). Langer was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and was selected to the Dolphins Honor Roll in 1990.
 
“It’s a great honor to be selected to the 50 player roster for the all-time Miami Dolphins team. Playing for the Dolphins was a great part of my life. I had some of the greatest coaches of all-time -- Don Shula, Monte Clark, and that bunch -- and the great players I played with, especially on the offensive line -- Bob Kuechenberg, Larry Little and everyone else,” Langer said. “It is indeed an honor to be considered with this group of great athletes and great men. They are very dear to me and I sincerely appreciate the honor.”

Reggie Roby played ten seasons (1983-92) as punter with the Dolphins. His 555 punts are the third highest total in Miami history and his 43.3 yards per kick average ranks third. In 1991, he led the NFL in punting with an average of 45.7 yards per kick. Roby is the only punter in Dolphins history to be named to multiple Pro Bowls.


​He was one of the first to use just two steps to get his kicks off more quickly, a technique that is now used by every punter in the NFL. Roby passed away in February 2005.
 
“Not much else could give me more pride than to be able to, on behalf of Reggie, myself and the whole family, to say thank you,” Reggie Roby’s wife Melissa Roby said. “Thank you for acknowledging Reggie for his incredible talent as an athlete and his dedication to the sport. It’s an amazing honor to be a part of such an elite Dolphins team, and I know Reggie is smiling with pride as we reflect upon all 50 men and their accomplishments that add to their journey as NFL football players.”

​Paul Warfield played five seasons with the Dolphins (1970-74) as an explosive threat from his wideout position on Miami’s great Super Bowl teams in the 1970s. When he left the Dolphins, he ranked first on Miami’s all-time list in receiving yards and touchdowns. Warfield’s 21.5 yards per reception is still the highest average in Dolphins history and his overall average of 20.5 yards per reception ranks as the fifth-highest in NFL history.

He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and inducted into the Dolphins Honor Roll in 1990.
 
“I’m very elated to be named to the Dolphins’ all-time team. As I reflect back to those years in the 1970s with the Miami Dolphins, I feel so gratified personally about being a part of the organization and that team during a time that was one of the great eras in professional football. To be a part of an undefeated, untied championship team is what team sport is all about. My life-long participation has been in team sport and to reach a paramount level such as that in one season (1972) certainly stands out,” Warfield said.
 
“As I reflect back to the Miami Dolphins organization when I arrived in 1970, it was, for the most part, a team that was searching for an identity, a team that had not accomplished very much in its initial years and started that 1970 season with a confluence of factors coming together. That team completely turned its fortunes around to become the finest team in all of professional football -- the flagship of the fleet.”

“We did it with great players, we did it with a great coach and coaching staff. That is the essence of team sport which I love so much. And so I am immensely honored, in reflecting back at the great history of this organization, that they have elected me to one of those prestigious spots as one of the outstanding players who have been privileged to wear the aqua and orange.”

Ricky Williams played seven seasons (2002-03, 05, 07-10) with the Dolphins at running back. With 6,436 yards and 48 touchdowns rushing as a Dolphins player, he ranks second in team history in rushing yards and touchdowns. Williams set a Dolphins record in 2002 when he led the NFL in rushing with 1,853 yards. He followed that in 2003 with 1,372 yards and no one in Dolphins history has ever come within 100 yards of either of those totals.

Here is the list of players so far.

• Dick Anderson
• Doug Betters
• Tim Bowens
• Nick Buoniconti
• Mark Clayton
• Bryan Cox
• Larry Csonka
• Mark Duper
• Bob Griese
• Brent Grimes
• Manny Fernandez
• Bob Kuechenberg
• Jim Langer
• Larry Little
• Jim Mandich
• Dan Marino
• O.J. McDuffie
• Mercury Morris
• Tony Nathan
• Reggie Roby
• Jake Scott
• Bill Stanfill
• Paul Warfield
• Richmond Webb
• Ricky Williams

Stay tuned here to find out who makes the list next week.

Dan Campbell is loved.

That’s what a 2-0 start to a coaching career will do. Add in 82 points scored in those two games and dominating performances on both sides of the ball, and the Miami Dolphins interim coach may be the most loved in Dolphins history, if only for the moment, and only because the internet and Twitter didn’t exist back in Don Shula’s coaching days.

One big difference between the start of the season and the past two games has been the explosion in the team’s number of big plays. Last Sunday, the Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to score four touchdowns on plays of more than 50 yards in one quarter, all on passes from quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

“We definitely have the talent to be a big play team,” said Tannehill. “I think we want to be a consistent team, a team that can move the ball consistently, and march the ball down the field. But also we want to have the ability to make big plays and score from a distance.”

When Dan Campbell was asked if those big plays can and should be a part of the team’s identity, he replied, “I think it should be a big part of this offense's identity. There again, you don't expect to be up 41 to zero at halftime of a game.”

“We've got an offense that we can make plays,” Campbell continued. “And we got people who can create explosive plays. We've got a quarterback playing at a high level. We've got a running back that's running with his hair on fire and an O-line that just won't quit, perimeter players that are running and blocking for each other. You're catching a slant and running for 60 or whatever it was. Those are good things. Jarvis (Landry) catches that ball and makes a heck of a move to stay in bounds, cut across the field. And you've got linemen running down field, and receivers and tight ends, and it's just - that stuff is invaluable."

Campbell won’t get any arguments from fans on those points, as most spent Sunday afternoon jumping out of their recliners and cheering like crazy for this very welcome change. And the improvements aren’t limited to the offense, as the defense has stepped up as well. After only tallying just one sack in the first four games, the team has taken down the opposing quarterback ten times in the two games since Campbell took over coaching duties. Is Campbell surprised?

“I really believe this is who we are,” he said. “I believe the way that defense plays, that's who we are defensively. We got after them up front. We played pretty tight coverage for the most part. We got our linebackers running: Jelani (Jenkins) and (Kelvin) Shep (Sheppard) and Koa (Misi). To me, that's who we are, (an) aggressive-style defense. They set the tone. They set the tempo.”

But the most important thing the team did in Campbell’s view?

“Those guys played for one another.”

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball.

The Miami Dolphins have been participating in grueling, physical practices over the past three weeks, but in the few days leading up to their matchup against the New England Patriots they plan on switching gears and approaching their practice differently. Instead of full padded practices involving tug of war and Oklahoma drills, the team will be spending extra time in the film and meeting rooms getting mentally prepared for last year’s NFL champions.
 
Since the Miami Dolphins only have four days to prepare before their Thursday night game, they will be putting a priority on rest and recovery.

“We’re not going to do anything physical this week.” Said head coach Dan Campbell. “When you’re on a short week like this it’s hard and what’s most important is rest, recovery and then the mental work. That to me is what it’s about and that’s where [the New England Patriots are] so good. They try to find a weakness. They exploit it and then they will repeat it over and over and over.”
 
Considering the recent success of the Patriots (9-0 in their last nine games including playoffs,) Campbell must get creative, and it will take more than just physically overpowering them to win.

“I’m sure they are going to try to take some of our players out and we’ve got to have other answers.” Said Campbell. “At the same token though, we have to find ways to get our playmakers the ball. So to me that’s what it is. It’s more of an emphasis mentally because you aren’t going to be able to get the physical work that you want to get. It’s just too short of a week.”
 
Although wide receivers Kendall Wright of the Tennessee Titans and DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans are highly skilled NFL pass catchers, Dan Campbell has not had to worry about a playmaker like Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

“I mean the guy is an animal and he can do everything.” Said Campbell referring to Gronkowski. “You put him out there and he’s a mismatch one-on-one, route running, big body, excellent hands. You put him in, he can block the point of attack. He can pass protect. I guess you could hand him the ball if you wanted to and have him run it as running back. But there again, kind of like what we did with J.J. Watt last week – we put all five linemen on him. (Joking) We’ll probably put the whole secondary on him and go from there.”
 
Campbell may have been joking when he said he would put the whole secondary on Gronkowski, but a plan must be in place, or else the Patriots can score quickly and often by showcasing their All-Pro tight end.

​“Yeah, you have to mix some things up with him.” Said Campbell, continuing to talk about Gronkowski. “You can’t just – and that goes for that offense and Tom Brady – you can’t just give them the same look the whole time. Now, you got to do what you do best. But you can’t just sit there where he knows every time exactly what you’re in. But we have some guys on this team that can plan man to man pretty good. We’ll have other answers schematically as well.”
 
After only two games, interim head coach Dan Campbell has the task of facing one of the strongest teams in the entire NFL, and he has a lot of work to do with his players, especially when it comes to game planning and mental preparation. If the team continues to do what they have been doing under Campbell, I believe that they have the chance to do what no other NFL team has done this season—beat the New England Patriots.
 
This story was written by Efrain Ramos. Follow him on Twitter @EfrainRamos

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick isn’t known for being a chatty guy by any stretch, but during Monday’s conference calls with the New England and Miami media, he did offer a few informative nuggets. Most notable were his comments regarding the new attitude and intensity of the Miami Dolphins under interim coach Dan Campbell.

When Belichick was asked what he thought about Miami defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, he almost gushed (by Belichick standards) about the way the Dolphins defense played against Houston on Sunday.

“(Suh’s) played well, said Belichick. “(Houston) had a hard time blocking him. They had a hard time blocking all those guys. (Cameron) Wake had a big day. Suh had a big day. Reshad Jones had a big day. They’re a very talented defense, really good up front, (Earl) Mitchell is a good player, both ends, both tackles, linebackers, but yeah, they are all a problem. Suh, he’s near the top of the list, that’s for sure.”

As the Patriots prepare for the Dolphins this Thursday night (8:30 EST), Belichick has noticed the more aggressive play of the Dolphins as a whole, especially on defense where the Dolphins have tallied six sacks in the two games since Dan Campbell took over, after only managing to get to the quarterback once in the first four games of the season. Belichick sees a simplified, but more intense scheme.

“I’d say they’ve simplified it,” Belichick said. “The number of the things they’re running, like the number of calls that they have, it appears to be definitely a lot less than what it was before. I’d say it looks like they’re doing fewer things than they’ve done. They’re doing them better. They’re playing faster. They’re more aggressive. It looks like they’ve cut back the scheme a little bit defensively for higher execution.”

Has Dan Campbell been the catharsis for the turnaround in Miami? Belichick acknowledges as much, but is quick to point out that the Dolphins have a very talented roster as well.

“Well, obviously the Dolphins have played great the last two weeks in all areas of the game,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to Coach Campbell, but a lot of credit goes to the entire Dolphins team and organization. They have a lot of great players. They’re obviously well coached. I have a lot of respect for the Dolphins. We’ve had trouble with them pretty much every time we’ve played them, so we know how good they are. But the success that they’ve had I think is team-oriented. Everybody is contributing. They’ve got plays coming from everywhere.

“Coach Campbell has done a good job in the short time that he’s been in charge, but I’d say what we’ve seen the last two weeks from Miami has been a really solid team effort, and a lot of credit to go around to everybody. I don’t think it’s just one person.”

As for what the Patriots are focusing on as they approach Thursday’s game, Belichick notes, “We’re really mainly just focused on what we’re seeing now. I’d say the things that we’ve seen particularly … the Dolphins have clearly made some changes. The running game, obviously they get a lot of negative runs with their defensive front. They don’t have very many negative runs on offense. The running game in general has been a huge advantage for Miami. I think they’ve outrushed their opponents by almost 300 yards in the last couple weeks.

“Defensively, Miami is turning the ball over, they’re hitting the quarterback, strip sacking him. Three interceptions last week and multiple strip sacks, and so a lot of disruptive plays. And they’re making great plays in the kicking game. (Jarvis) Landry is the best player we’ve faced at that. Really everything is a problem.”

Belichick continued, “Their offense has done a great job of taking care of the ball, having positive plays. (Dolphins quarterback Ryan) Tannehill had all those completions, a perfect passer rating. You can’t do any better than that.”

As for Tannehill’s play in the last two games, Belichick is impressed. “I mean, when you score 44 points in the National Football League, you’re doing something right. You’re doing a lot of things right. It looked pretty good to me. I think that’s the quarterback’s job - get the ball to his playmakers, let them make plays. Ryan has done a really good job of that. We’ve seen him do it plenty of times before, too.”

And in typical cryptic Belichick fashion, when asked if either team had any advantage heading into Thursday night’s game, he said, “Both teams are basically on the same schedule, so it’s basically the same amount of preparation time, same amount of recovery time from last game. I think that the winner of the game will probably favor the team that makes the fewest mistakes and executes the best on Thursday night. I think that’s what it will come down to. I think the rest of it is just a bunch of hot air really.

“Miami is a very talented team. They play hard. They’re tough. They do a lot of things well, that’s why they’re winning and winning big.”
​
This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

We return to our 50th Anniversary coverage of the Miami Dolphins by bringing you an exclusive interview with former Dolphins running back Tony Nathan. Nathan was a nine-year veteran who spent his entire career in a Miami Dolphins uniform. He was drafted by the Dolphins in 1979 in the third round and was a one-time All-Pro. Nathan retired after 1987.

Known for his elusiveness, Nathan was able to accumulate 3,543 yards and 16 touchdowns on 732 attempts in 123 games, 63 of which were starts. He averaged 4.8 yards a carry.

On top of that, Nathan was also a potent weapon in the passing game, as he made 383 receptions for 3,592 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 9.4 yards a catch. Nathan is currently the only player in Dolphins history to rank in the top ten in both rushing and receiving.

Nathan was recently named one of the top-50 Dolphins of all time, and he currently has a movie in theaters titled "Woodlawn" showcasing his struggles as a black football player in a time where blacks were very much frowned upon, and his rise to glory after overcoming the discrimination. We spoke to Nathan and asked him about his time as a Dolphin.

Luis Sung: What is your greatest memory from your career as a Miami Dolphin?

Tony Nathan: First of all it was getting drafted by the Dolphins, second one - well I could say the next couple of them was going to the Super Bowls we went to, and unfortunately we didn't win them. And then I guess the hook-and-lateral.

LS: What's an off-the-field story that you have that really touched you during your time as a Dolphin?

TN: You know, over the years you get to meet people and know people, when we drafted David Overstreet I got to know him pretty well. And then that was one of the worst things that could ever happen to a family and he was a part of our family, for him to pass the way he did, that's sad in itself.

(Overstreet was killed at the age of 25 in a car crash)

LS: The first fifty years have been great for the organization. What are you hoping fans will see about the organization going forward into the next fifty years?

TN: To continue the tradition that's here. Maybe one day they can repeat what happened in 1972, who knows?

Everybody's talking about Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, they're talking about his four touchdown passes and his perfect passer rating of 158.3, they're talking about his record-breaking 25 consecutive completions dating back to last week. But what is Tannehill talking about? His team.

“No. They told me on the field." Tannehill said when asked if he knew about the record he'd broken. "It’s pretty cool but the credit goes to the guys on the field. We got the running game going and that opened up the passing game. Just taking what they were giving us … the short passes and guys just making plays.”

Obviously passer rating - for better or worse - is a big part of evaluating quarterbacks, and Tannehill's perfect score, along with his 18-19, 282 yards and 4 touchdowns - has caused a lot of media outlets to take notice. However, what's being glossed over is that Tannehill himself wasn't overly impressive, and even Tannehill willingly admitted that.

"Yeah, we threw a short pass to Rishard (Matthews) and he made a couple of guys miss and then found his way into the end zone. Shortly after that I threw it to Jarvis (Landry) on a medium throw to the outside and he somehow cuts back and makes 46 guys miss on his way to the end zone.

"And then a screen pass to Lamar (Miller) and then also a third down play in the red zone that caught Jarvis coming across. So, you look at our work in the first half and it was really a team effort. And the way we were able to move the ball and run it; we got Lamar going. Obviously he ran hard and got some big runs for us. The guys were making the play.”

The run game has been the biggest change for the Dolphins offense since Dan Campbell became the head coach, and the balance that it's brought has clearly made a very visible improvement to the whole offense.

“That’s huge." Tannehill said. "I said it a lot. It seems like the two games before the bye you know we got behind early, really three games and we got behind early and were playing catch up and we weren’t able to really use our full menu of our offense, and when you do that you limit yourself; you’re putting the game in the defense’s hands and they’re able to tee off on the pass rush and everything like that so, really to come out and establish the run early, to get first downs, to move the chains, you know we really keep our full play sheet available to us and you see what happens.”

This is the offense that the Dolphins were capable of all along, this is the offense the Dolphins wanted to run all along, and now with a coaching staff who is keeping the focus on balance and keeping opposing defenses off balance, it's functioning the way we all envisioned it.

Now with a short week coming up and a very difficult challenge ahead against New England on the road, we'll get to see if this intensity can continue against a team that is currently undefeated. If the Dolphins can win this, there will be no question that this team has completely bought in.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

As I push the acceleration pedal of my DeLorean time machine and hit 88MPH the flux capacitor activates. I punch in "05-26-2015" into the dashboard and I travel back to the offseason, just as OTA's are beginning. After blasting through the time warp I find myself at the practice facilities where the Miami Dolphins are preparing for the upcoming season.

As I notice the differences between that team and the one we have seen through five games one thing that really sticks out is linebacker Chris McCain. 

You're probably saying "while you're there tell Ross to save his time and fire Joe Philbin right now!" And to that I say you obviously know nothing of time travel, because anyone worth their weight in plutonium knows not to alter events in the past. But I can observe. 

Chris McCain is lined up as the starting linebacker next to Koa Misi and Jelani Jenkins. Excitement is high and McCain is showing promise. "During individual [drills], he went with the linebackers," Said ex-head coach Joe Philbin after OTA's. "And that's where he's been starting so far... He has a lot of different skills that we'd like to take advantage of."

Now, back in October, through five games Chris McCain is nowhere to be seen. Kelvin Sheppard is starting at linebacker and McCain has yet to register a defensive stat. This begs the question: What happened to that talented linebacker who was penciled in as a starter only three months ago? Well new head coach Dan Campbell has an answer. 

"It’s been two weeks in a row, since I’ve been interim head coach that he’s had really two good weeks." Said Campbell when speaking about Chris McCain. "I'd love to get him up, but it’s been, it’s just hard right now, we’re trying to carry more tight ends than we previously had; it’s got to come from somewhere, we’ve had eight D-linemen up, the argument goes back and forth is McCain a linebacker? Is he a defensive end?"

It appears as though the coaching staff wants to play McCain, but seem concerned about how to use him effectively. Both coaches praise him for his ability and what he can do on the field, but it all means nothing unless he goes out there and plays. 

"I would say it’s nothing that he’s done," concluded Campbell. "He’s really come out to work and he’s done a good job but, it’s just the way it is right now.”

A new set of young legs in the linebacking core could really help the Dolphins tackling and coverage issues, and in the case of McCain, the team would get a high-upside linebacker with an uncanny ability to rush the passer. 

I for one am hoping for McCain to get more work, as the Dolphins could find themselves with a lack of pass rushers going into next season, and the linebacking core thus far has underwhelmed to say the least. 

So I'm gonna hop in the DeLorean once again to checkout January 2015. There I will see if our Dolphins, with the help of linebacker Chris McCain have made it to the playoffs, or if we are doomed to another 7-9 year. Wish me luck!

This story was written by Efrain Ramos. Follow him on Twitter @EfrainRamos

It was a move that at the beginning of the season had fans scratching their heads in confusion: former head coach Joe Philbin decided to only carry two tight ends on the active roster and leave the position in an extremely vulnerable position should something go wrong.

And of course, it did.

Dion Sims laid out for an errant deep ball in the endzone thrown by Ryan Tannehill, and the next thing you know, the Dolphins were down a very valuable player, and an entire package that is largely responsible for making the offense function normally.

But why were the Dolphins only carrying two tight ends in the first place when they often use both tight ends at the same time? Today, interim head coach Dan Campbell shed some light on that particular decision.

"We got into the position in the first game of the year where we only carried two tight ends and that was more for special teams," Campbell said. "And we had an extensive two-tight end package in because we knew we could hurt Washington's defense. Well then earlier in the game we lost Dion (Sims) to a concussion and it hurt us, it limited us."

Campbell has been watching and learning from just about every situation he's found himself in ever since entering the NFL, and even that game against the Redskins became a learning experience for him and the Dolphins.

"So a couple things we learned from there, if you're gonna carry two tight ends, you can't use as much as two-tight end because if you lose one, you have this big package and you're gonna have problems."

The loss of Sims was a huge wake up call, and luckily Jake Stoneburner was able to come in and admirably fill the role Sims held until his return. But even now that Sims is back, Campbell said that he intends to always make sure the team is carrying at least three tight ends from now on, and the reasoning is quite significant.

"The other thing is this - and maybe this helps because I'm the tight end coach," Campbell joked before continuing quite definitively. "We're gonna carry three tight ends, because I wanna make sure Bill Lazor has everything that he needs to call the offense he wants to."

So it would seem that in one form or another, Joe Philbin really was handcuffing the Dolphins offensive coordinator and putting him in positions to fail. Well after just one game under Dan Campbell, it seems that the handcuffs are gone, and Lazor is getting to run the offense his way, with balance.

“I think most games we’ve had success here we’ve been closer to balanced," said Bill Lazor regarding the game against the Titans. "I think we just went into the plan with what did we think we needed to do to be successful ... the way we played first and second downs in the game lent itself to having success and moving the ball. If you make first downs, you get more chances to run it; that’s just how it goes and it played out that way."

Balance is key in any offense. Under Joe Philbin in the first four games of the year, the Dolphins threw the ball approximately 75 percent of the time, a staggering number that hasn't even been close to being reached in fifty years. Luckily, Campbell seems to realize the folly of this and has made it a point to ensure that balance will be maintained.

"To be able to have a good balance, a good mix," Campbell said. "You need to have two really good tight ends, which we do, Jordan (Cameron) and Dion (Sims) both."

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

We continue the series for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleader Swimsuit Calendar by introducing to you all, Miss May of 2016, Jodi. Jodi is a third-year veteran and team captain.

She is originally from Miami but currently resides in Pembroke Pines. Jodi also is of Caribbean descent. Jodi is currently studying broadcast media, and last year was Miss March 2015. She has had the privilege of going on military tours to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Djibouti, UAE, Ethiopia and Bahrain.

For those interested, she's being featured in DESPI swimwear in this photo. Also included below is a short 15-second video.

In this series, we learn more about what makes these cheerleaders special. We already know what they can do on the field, but here at PhinManiacs we strive to go more in-depth. So I got into contact with Jodi and asked her some questions, and here's what she told me.

Luis Sung: When did you decide that you wanted to be a cheerleader and what made you feel that way?

Jodi: I decided around my last dance competition that I wanted to try out for the team. I had the feeling of "what's next?" I've always been a Dolphins fan so I looked into it and I would spend all my time watching videos of the cheerleaders performing and got so inspired. 

LS: What has being a Dolphins Cheerleader meant to you?

Jodi: Being a Miami Dolphins Cheerleader has given me the opportunity to live out my dreams by doing something I'm passionate about. It's been a life changing experience and best opportunity of my life.  

LS:Has being a Dolphins Cheerleader influenced your life, and if so, how?

Jodi: Cheering for the Dolphins is such an amazing job and one that many will not experience. It's an honor to be a cheerleader and every time I walk into practice or step foot on the field I'm reminded how lucky I am to get to do what I love with such great friends. 

LS: What does being chosen as one of the girls for the Swimsuit Calendar mean to you?

Jodi: I never thought in a million years I would be one to accompany such gorgeous girls in a calendar. I love dancing on the team, but getting chosen to be in our calendar and representing the month of May is so cool and something I will cherish for a lifetime. 

LS: What is your favorite part of being a Dolphins cheerleader? (What do you look forward to the most?)

Jodi: My favorite part of being a cheerleader is game day. Nothing beats the rush of adrenaline I get when we take the field and hear the roaring crowd in Sun Life Stadium. 

LS: Besides being a cheerleader, do you happen to have any other hobbies or occupations?

Jodi: Besides being a cheerleader I'm a full-time student studying Mass Communications, but in my spare time I love to go fishing with my dad and boating with friends. 

LS: What do you envision yourself doing when your cheerleading career ends?

Jodi: When my cheerleading career ends I envision myself being an entertainment broadcaster on TV. Over the course of my journalism class in high school I realized it’s what I enjoy and want to pursue.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Follow Jodi at @MDC_Jodi

The most dominant player on the Houston Texans - and possibly the entire NFL - is defensive end J.J. Watt, who has turned himself into not only the top defensive player in football, but even a real redzone threat on offense.

So the biggest question for the Dolphins obviously is how they plan on containing J.J. Watt and minimizing the damage he does to the Dolphins offense.

"J.J. Watt is, I mean he is an issue as we all know. He’s a long guy; he’s very athletic; he’ll just because he has one gap, he’ll play into the other gap." said interim head coach Dan Campbell. "He’ll jump around things and make plays that most guys can’t do, so you know that’s a matchup issue for us and we know that."

If there's anyone who's aware of what J.J. Watt can do on defense, it's quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who had the distinct pleasure of going up against him in his rookie year in the first game he ever played in the NFL.

“I remember that we got off to a bad start there. That was a while ago now but I thought we did some good things in that game and we were able to fight through a couple of J.J. Watt plays." Tannehill said. "That’s what he’s known for and that was my first experience with it but he’s a great player. (He’s) a great competitor and obviously we’re going to have a plan for him.”

But how do you plan for a man who is seemingly everywhere on the football field at once? He's lined up on both sides of the defensive line and sometimes he even lines up inside to take advantage of a weakness on the interior (watch out Dallas Thomas). Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell knows full well what Watt is capable of.

"He's a dynamic player," said Mitchell, who was a former teammate of Watt during his time in Houston. "He brings so many special things to the field and I think that the coaches and coaching staff do a great job utilizing his ability and talents to make plays."

​So how does a team slow down a player who has quite honestly become the NFL's biggest defensive name in the span of only a few years? Dan Campbell says that the tight ends will be a big factor.

“Well certainly when you talk about getting the ball on the edge, you’d like try to get it to your tight ends because they’re the ones who need to be able to set the edge. It’s a longer edge, so if you can get that done it helps your run game." he said. "You know that being said we have some pretty good tight ends too and they’ve kind of held their own here; not kind of, they’ve held their own and made plays in the run game as well, so and we got big Dion (Sims) back which helps us and helped last week."

Campbell even went as far as to joke about the idea of putting five blockers on Watt to try and negate his impact, and when the Houston Texans star was told that, he just smiled.

“That doesn’t seem to leave a lot for everybody else,” he said. “That would be perfectly fine for me. I look forward to the challenge."

Clearly Watt isn't worried, but the Dolphins should be. Watt can change the game in a matter of seconds if they aren't careful, so it's imperative that they keep focused and try to replicate the success they had against the Titans. Only this time, they'll need to get past a much more powerful obstacle.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Dolphins fans are starting to fear that their first-round draft pick DeVante Parker may in fact be another bust pick since the coaching staff - even with Joe Philbin now gone - are still refusing to insert the rookie and make him a regular starter in the offense.

They want to see what Parker can do and they're tired of waiting around and watching the former Louisville standout sit on the sidelines for the majority of the game while the likes of Rishard Matthews - who will most likely depart in free agency after this season - continues to get a large amount of snaps.

Despite this outcry however, Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell says that he is feeling no pressure to play Parker even though he's a first-round draft pick.

“No, not for me. We all know what kind of player he is capable of being just by the talent level that he has and we’re just trying to get him to become the football player that we believe he can be." Campbell said. "I mentioned this last week - he’s a flash player right now. As soon as those flashes start showing up a lot more often that’s when you feel good about getting him on the field."

It seems that sometimes people forget that Parker missed all of training camp due to the surgery he had on his foot, which means he missed out on approximately a month's worth of intense practice that he could've used to polish his game and prepare him for the speed of the NFL. Now the rookie is having to catch up on what he missed in much shorter intervals.

His playing time has dwindled a bit in the past few weeks as well, as according to Evan Silva of Rotoworld, he's gone from playing 54 percent of the snaps in Week 3, to 35 percent in Week 4, and down to seven percent last week against the Tennessee Titans. The man taking the majority of the snaps? Rishard Matthews, who played 60 out of 67 snaps.

"Rishard Matthews has stepped up his game." Campbell said. "He’s a beast right now so he (Parker) is going to have to really, really push himself to try to pass Rishard Matthews up."

The former seventh-round draft pick has finally gotten a chance to play after former head coach Joe Philbin kept him down on the depth chart, presumably because of attitude problems. Matthews has shown that he can play in the past and it left many people scratching their heads as to why a player so talented couldn't get playing time ahead of the likes of Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson, who have since moved on.

This year however, the cage was finally opened, and Matthews is going on a tear as he's quickly become a favorite target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. His tough and physical style of play has earned him trust and he's already accumulated 23 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns. He's averaging 12.6 yards per reception.

There is no bias happening, and there is no rush to insert Parker as long as Matthews and Landry and Stills are doing excellent jobs. The simple logic is that if the current WRs are producing, why change things just for the sake of an experiment?

Dan Campbell has made it a point to say over and over that this is a new season, and Sunday will be the first home game of a twelve game season. So with that in mind, Campbell is going with the players who have been producing, and he isn't giving anyone a free pass.

But fear not fans of Parker, the rookie will soon become a greater part of the offense as time goes on. The improvement is steadily progressing, and Campbell has plans to make sure the first-rounder out of Louisville gets some playing time, even if it isn't as a starter due to the depth at the position.

"It doesn’t mean he won’t be getting plays." Campbell explained. "We’re going to try to work him in because he has a unique skillset himself. It’s a good problem to have. We’ve got some receivers that are playing good football right now.”

Rishard Matthews may not be back next year, but he's playing like a star right now and these Dolphins seem to believe there's still time to turn this season around. And Campbell seems determined to make sure that he truly sends out the best 46 players, something Joe Philbin only claimed to do. If that means Parker has to sit back and wait his turn, then so be it.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

During Thursday's practice, the players on offense were given the privilege of wearing black practice jerseys, which caught even the players themselves off-guard as many players had no idea what was going on or why they were allowed to wear them.

“I honestly don’t know why we got the black jerseys,” Running back Damien Williams told the Sun Sentinel. “But I’m guessing it’s because we won the competition yesterday."

He may not have realized it at the time, but the Dolphins' backup running back had hit the nail right on the head. The black jerseys were a reward for the unit who happened to win the competition in the previous practice; another little gimmick by Dan Campbell to keep the players interested. There's also speculation that Campbell did that to prepare the team for the heat of a football Sunday in South Florida, which is usually very hot and humid at 1 o' clock.

"The winner gets to wear black for the day and if you ask those guys, 95 percent of them love it," Campbell said. "Just the fact to be able to wear black and it doesn’t necessarily match, but we are men so I don’t think that’s that big of a deal."

But what most fans don't realize is that the black jerseys weren't necessarily an original idea thought up by Campbell. In fact, a former Dolphins head coach was the first one to come up with them, and Campbell decided to go back and revisit that idea.

“Again, it was another change up for those guys." Campbell said. "We have actually done it here when I was with (former head coach) Tony (Sparano) during training camp for a few days."

In a lot of ways, Campbell is very similar to Sparano. He isn't the best X's and O's guy - and Campbell would tell you as such - but he has this uncanny ability to make sure his players are focused and enjoying themselves during work hours so that they don't fall into the rut of just going through the motions and not caring what they do in practice, instead they're competing harder than ever.

“They’re cool,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said of the jerseys. “I think it’s a good changeup. It’s adding to the competition. Offense won yesterday, so we get to wear the black jerseys today. It just kind of adds another piece to the puzzle when you’re competing for something. We have [competed] for pride and bragging rights, but it adds another something to it.”

That's been one of the key words of Campbell's short stint as the head coach for the Dolphins: competition. Campbell wants his players to go hard against each other, he wants them to hold nothing back, and after the decisive victory against the Titans, it seems his methods are working.

But Campbell doesn't want his players to get bored, he wants to make sure he keeps changing things up every once in a while, and with the addition of the black jerseys to the equation, there's more of a reason for the players to want to give it their all.

"Now some of the guys that I talked to, specifically defense, they were the ones who were really, really excited and since they didn’t win and the offense came out in black today, they were talking about how they were like ‘The Replacements’ the offense because they were jealous." Campbell said. "It was good.”

It's clear at this point that Campbell has taken the time to look over everything he's learned from all the coaches he's been under, whether it be Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano, or even Joe Philbin (even if it's meant to be an indicator of what not to do). He's gone back and looked at what these coaches have done, and is implementing ideas that worked and bred competition, just like he wants.

And when asked if the black jerseys were merely a no-brainer since he just so happens to be a fan of the band Metallica, Campbell just smiled.

“Metallica had nothing to do with it.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

The Miami Dolphins are excited to unveil the highlight of the Phase Two renovations has commenced with the building of an open-air canopy that will provide shade for 92 percent of the seats while allowing for a natural grass playing field. The steel trussing that supports the canopy is being assembled in the West parking lot at Sun Life Stadium.

​Due to the construction, there is a loss of parking in the West parking lot. As a result, the Dolphins are offering fans five FREE designated offsite parking lots close to Sun Life Stadium with approximately 2,200 parking spots for the remainder of the season. These nearby locations are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will assist in improving ingress and egress around the stadium.

Open four hours prior to kickoff, the offsite designated lots are accessible from most routes to the stadium. Tailgating will not be allowed in these offsite lots. Limited parking is available in stadium lots for $25 in advance and $40 on the day of the game. Routes to the free offsite parking lots are as follows:
 
From Downtown Miami

​Turnpike NB to EXIT 4X.  Follow signs to Exit 47 to NW 27th Avenue south. Calder Race Track will be on the left and Lots 19 and 20 on the right. A free shuttle is available from Calder.
 
From Broward and Palm Beach
Turnpike SB to Exit 47.  Follow signs to Exit 47 to NW 27th Avenue south. Calder Race Track will be on the left and Lots 19 and 20 on right. A free shuttle is available from Calder.
 
From Homestead & Florida Keys
Turnpike NB to Exit 43.  Take NW 57th Ave. south to NW 202nd St.  Left on NW 202nd St. Turn right on to NW 32nd Ave.  Entrance to Betty T. Ferguson will be on left.
 
From I-95
I-95 to Exit 16.  Take Ives Dairy Rd. West to NW 14th Ct.  Turn left into Norwood Elementary School on right.
 
From University Drive
University Drive SB to Calder on left and Lots 19 and 20 on right. A free shuttle is available from Calder.
 
From 826/Palmetto Expressway
826 to NW 27th Ave Exit NB.  Left on NW 191st St. and turn right on to NW 32nd Ave. Betty T. Ferguson on right.
 
The Dolphins additionally have created a parking hotline at (305) 943-PARK (7275) and email parking@dolphins.com.

​Photo Credit: Miami Dolphins

Tuesday morning saw the Miami Dolphins and members of the Special Olympics and United Way organizations teaming up to host over 100 students from Miami Dade and Broward County schools inside the Dolphins practice bubble in Davie for what the team decided to call the Hometown Huddle, as they taught the importance of being "Dol-fit."

​The kids were taught the importance of staying hydrated, remaining active in their daily lives (no couch potatoes), staying in school (and taking it seriously), and making positive life choices. All of these things are values that the Dolphins organization has worked hard to implant into the community over the past several years, and general manager Dennis Hickey had high praise for these organizations they're partnered with and the event they helped put together.

“We’re blessed with the Miami Dolphins and our partnership with United Way and Special Olympics to be able to bring all the kids out here." Hickey said. "We had them in our facility, got them running through the bags, catching footballs, diving onto bags. It’s a great time for them. It also encourages fitness. Play 60 is such a great concept and we’re just glad to be part of it,”

The 1st-8th grade students were able to join mascot TD and the Dolphins cheerleaders, as well as GM Dennis Hickey and several players such as LB Zach Vigil, RB Jay Ajayi, and CBs Bobby McCain and Tony Lippett in doing football drills like running through the tackling bags (held by Bobby McCain) and diving onto mats (watched closely by Jay Ajayi).

Acting as the MC was former Dolphins LB Twan Russell, and of course no event like this would've been complete without former Dolphins TE Troy Drayton hanging out and getting the kids excited.

“United Way has a special partnership with the Dolphins to invite these children out today to show them a little bit of fun and excitement about the game of football and really get to meet the players and practice on the field where the Dolphins that they see every weekend are playing on and having fun, it's a thrill.” United Way of Broward County Vice President of Marketing & Communications Hattie Hess said.

"We're going on the second year where the Miami Dolphins are the official sponsor for our flag football program of Southeast Florida," Special Olympics Florida Regional Director Linsey Smith said. “Flag football is one our sports that is our unified sport – which means that all of the teams are comprised of athletes with or without intellectual disabilities. Today we have had our elementary school students here, to be able to give them an opportunity like this where they can come out and get excited about the sport in general is great exposure.”

It seems that every day the Dolphins are working somewhere in South Florida to make things better for kids who have a tough life, and according to GM Dennis Hickey, their work with the community all starts at the top, just as it should.

“With the Dolphins – leading all the way up to our owner Stephen Ross – it’s part of our DNA." Hickey said. "We always want to be part of the community and give back to the community. We’ve been blessed with where we’re at in professional football and we choose to use that platform to help, give back and to impact others.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Miami Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry will auction off an autographed pink blazer that he wore to the Dolphins vs. Titans game on Oct. 18 to benefit breast cancer awareness. He hopes to use his platform to bring awareness as well as encourage education and early detection.

​Those interested can visit bidpal.net/dolphins. Proceeds will benefit the Miami Dolphins Foundation.

​Bid ends on October 26th.

Photo Credit: Miami Dolphins

Billy Turner was finally given a start in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans. During the Joe Philbin era, Turner spent his time on the bench and even inactive for several games. Turner is known as a talented run blocker with a mean streak. The big question was if he would make too many technical errors during the game. In this film review I break down Billy Turner's performance against the Titans.

On review it appears to me Billy Turner played at a very high level and Miami ran behind him frequently. He is well suited for formations where Miami power-runs the football, in fact I think he may be Miami's best run blocker.

With that being said, Miami was never in a position where they had to pass block with the defense knowing it was a pass situation. It will be interesting to see if Turner picks up stunts and blitzes in those situations. With Dan Campbell wanting to run the football on a more consistent basis, look for Miami to continue to keep Turner in the lineup to make use of impressive run blocking capability.

This Film Analysis was completed by Chad Ronnebaum. Follow him on Twitter: @Gofins4SB

On this episode of the PhinManiacs Podcast, the crew discusses the Dolphins' huge victory over the Tennessee Titans and the impact that interim head coach Dan Campbell has already made.

We also discuss Campbell's role with the team, and just how much of the changes are Campbell making decisions, and how much are merely results of the absence of Joe Philbin.

Then we go into the upcoming game against the Houston Texans, and discuss what the biggest threat is (not counting J.J. Watt).

All this and more on this week's episode. You can watch the show via YouTube below, or you can DOWNLOAD the show and listen on the go.

Analysts for this show:

Luis D. Sung - @FLSportDebater
Chad Ronnebaum - @Gofins4SB
Efrain Ramos - @EfrainRamos

Well, it is now far enough into the season that we can start to classify players as huge disappointments if not outright busts. We probably all have players (or did before we dropped them in a fit of rage) that have not lived up to expectations this year.

The problem for many of us is that we have used a high draft pick on some of these players, and we are hesitant to let them go. For these players, we all seem to hang on and hang on, just waiting for that one week where they get going again.

Herein lies the problem - we hold on to them or keep starting them waiting for that game, and while we do, we hurt our team and our chances to win. But along those same lines, we are afraid to let them go or trade them because our biggest fear is to see them pick it up and play to potential on someone else’s roster!

Following are some players that fit this mold, and what I would do (or have already done) with them.

Quarterback:

Peyton Manning:  If you are still starting Manning hoping that breakout game, I would recommend that it is time to bench or even drop him.  There are better options, and he does not need to be started on name recognition anymore.

Andrew Luck:  I am still a believer in Luck, and even though he has not lived up to his first or second round price tag, he needs to be started again. Injuries and a bad offensive line have killed his value to this point but he still has potential for fantasy relevance.

Running Back:

C.J. Anderson:  A first or second round pick in most drafts, Anderson has let down his fair share of fantasy owners as he has little-to-no production.  To make things worse for him right now, Ronnie Hillman seems to have the inside track to this job. If you can trade Anderson, I say go for it, and I am not against dropping him for someone that will produce each week. Otherwise, he is no longer worth starting until he can prove that he can take this job back and produce.

Eddie Lacy:  After a good first week, Lacy has just been bad. He seems out of shape, and I have to wonder if his lingering injury has been holding him back. James Starks has been getting more and more carries, making Lacy irrelevant the last couple of weeks. Lacy though, is one that I would not drop, and one that I have actually tried to trade FOR in several leagues. I think potential is still there and would hold on to Lacy in all formats.

LeSean McCoy:  This is a case of a new guy acclimating to a new team, and in McCoy’s case, he also had an injury to deal with. But hang onto McCoy. He’s getting healthy and he’s still the bell cow in Rex Ryan’s offense.

Wide Receiver:

Mike Evans: Drafted in the top three rounds in most drafts, Evans has been a huge disappointment, sending owners scrambling to pick up the likes of Willie Snead or Allen Hurns (not bad pickups, by the way). Sitting 94th in most formats, and unable to find chemistry with his rookie QB, Evans continues to be ranked in the top-20 each week, but has only had one week (Week 2) where his stats justified his status. While he’s worth hanging onto for the moment, I would keep him firmly planted on your bench until he shows some spark.

TY Hilton:  Injured and without his fantasy best friend in Luck, Hilton has been a disappointment as well.  But Hilton is someone that I can see bouncing back. As Luck gets healthy, Hiltons big play potential goes back up. 

Brandin Cooks: Cooks was everyone’s favorite ‘sleeper’ at WR in most drafts (which really kind of ruins the definition of sleeper, doesn’t it?), but outside of one Week 5 game, has failed to produce numbers expected of him, and has possibly been surpassed on the depth chart in favor of Willie Snead. Cooks is still a decent WR2 or high-upside WR3, but he’s not the WR1 that everyone was hoping for.

Others that are worthy of the chopping block:
Vincent Jackson
Mike Wallace
Roddy White
Andre Johnson

Players trending up or with potential going forward:
Lamar Miller
LeGarrette Blount
Christine Michael
Brandon Lafell
Stefon Diggs

This story written by Ryan Thyer, with contributions from Eldon Jenson. Follow them on Twitter @bignoahd05 and @EJFootball

After a three game losing streak, a pummeling like the one that happened on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans is always a breath of fresh air and a cause for celebration.  It looked like the team was firing on all cylinders for the first time since the preseason, but unfortunately for the Miami Dolphins, their time to savor the victory is over, and they are now completely focused on their next matchup with the Houston Texans. And the focus must be high as the Dolphins do not have a great track record when it comes to following up big wins.
 
Last season under Joe Philbin truly shows how unsuccessful the Dolphins are after important wins. The season started out with a win against the heavily favored New England Patriots, and they followed up that victory with a loss to the divisional rival Buffalo Bills. Their next win came two weeks later against the Oakland Raiders in which the Dolphins overcame many internal issues and got the win, only to follow it up with a gut-wrenching loss to the Green Bay Packers the following week.
 
The only instance last year in which the Dolphins strung together a streak of wins was against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Chicago Bears, not exactly teams which strike fear in anyone’s heart (although the Jaguars have been trending upwards since then.)

After those two wins they hosted the San Diego Chargers and played their best game of the season in scoring 37 points and allowing none. The Dolphins were trending in the right direction and were poised to make their playoff push until they lost to the Detroit Lions in what was an extremely close game.  
 
After huge division wins against the Bills and the Jets the Dolphins faced the Baltimore Ravens in what would be an important AFC matchup with huge playoff implications. The hangover from the previous wins showed up again and the Dolphins fell flat. An encouraging win against the Minnesota Vikings kept their playoff hopes dimly lit, but they were once again crushed by the Jets in the last game of the season.
 
New interim coach Dan Campbell is well aware of the mistakes the Dolphins have found themselves in before, and he aims to correct them moving forward.

“The challenge now for these guys is to not start patting themselves on the back.” Said Campbell, “Like ok, because we’ve been notorious for that around here. Man we get a big win and all of a sudden it’s a lull the next week. ‘Hey feel good about what transpired yesterday and clean it up today, but when we come back in Wednesday it is 100 percent all about Miami versus Miami slash Houston.”
 
Campbell wants the team to forget about the past and move forward to the next hurdle.

“There cannot be any, ‘uh yeah man remember Tennessee last week,’ that’s done when we walk in Wednesday.” Said Campbell, “It’s one hundred percent about us and about the Houston Texans.”
 
As long as the focus is there, the Dolphins have a great chance at repeating what they did last Sunday, and if they bring that same energy, we can expect another exciting game.

​“They know they’ve got to put more work into it and we’ve got to get better." Said Campbell, "We all know that we didn’t play a perfect game whatsoever, but it’s a good starting point.”
 
This story was written by Efrain Ramos. Follow him on Twitter @EfrainRamos

Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon has been fined a yet to be disclosed amount of money for his low hit to the knees of Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota on Sunday. Vernon has stated that he will be appealing the fine, and he's bothered that his reputation has now come into question as a result of the play.

“What stood out to me is they kept playing the same angle of it, which wasn’t really a good angle,” Vernon told the Palm Beach Post. “I saw it myself. Everybody in this building saw it and everybody knows what type of player that I am, so I know I’m not a dirty player and everybody else knows I’m not a dirty player. So that’s all that matters to me.”

The head coach of the Titans, Ken Whisenhunt, was infuriated over the play and expressed as such in his post-game press conference.

"I think it was B.S., that's not the way you play football." he said. "I think it was done with the idea of trying to hurt our quarterback, and that's bulls--- football."

The Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan was a bit more explicit in the way he worded his rage over Vernon's controversial hit on his quarterback.

"I think it is bulls--- football, I'm so tired of people being politically correct. That's bulls---, that's f---ing bulls--- to do that to a player -- to do that to a guy's career. That was my guy and I blocked him, and Marcus threw the ball and I saw Marcus threw the ball, and that guy jumped in his legs." he said. "Do I wish anything upon him? No. I should have blocked him longer. That's the end of the story."

Naturally the emotions were running high in the Titans locker room, their starting quarterback was essentially immobile for the rest of the game, which took away a huge part of the way he plays football. But Mariota himself decided to take the high road.

"He came up to me after the game and apologized, so I don't think it was malicious at all." he said.

Regardless of the intent however, the NFL deemed the hit worthy of fining the veteran defensive end, and teammate Cameron Wake spoke up on his behalf during an appearance on the Rich Eisen show.

Wake said Vernon isn’t a dirty player or out to inflict “intentional harm” on quarterbacks, despite Whisenhunt’s claim that the hit was “a BS play.”

“I think it’s something that’s overblown,"

Wake went on to ask why other players aren't getting the same kind of consideration from the NFL rulemakers to protect their bodies. As a defensive lineman, he would know what he's talking about.

“We get cut-blocked, all those kind of things that happen to us, I mean, our knees are just as important as any quarterback’s knees,” Wake said. “Our families are supported by us and the things that we do. We care about our well-being and our health just as much as a quarterback. I don’t feel like obviously those same considerations are being made to defenders around the league. … I don’t care if you play cornerback, kicker, wide receiver, we’re all in this game trying to stay healthy and play the next week.”

The NFL is a quarterback driven league, and it isn't just because teams rely on their quarterbacks to run the offense. The position is also the most marketable. So for Mariota to get hurt the way he did likely warrants a fine in the eyes of the league.

Vernon will appeal, and he will make a case that his hit wasn't on purpose and he doesn't deserve to be financially penalized the way he was. But even in the midst of all this, Vernon is making sure to keep his focus on winning, as he should.

“I just want to get the playoffs, man,” Vernon said. “That’s my main thing. That’s been on my mind since I got in the league - what do the playoffs feel like? And I feel like everybody on this team has that same mindset.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

On Wednesday morning, it was announced that the Miami Dolphins star pass-rusher Cameron Wake was named the AFC Defensive player of the week after his elite four sack performance against the Tennessee Titans.

This is Wake's third time receiving the award in his career, as he was also given the honor on Week 1 of the 2014 season against the New England Patriots, and in Week 9 of the 2013 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, which was the game on Halloween night where he sacked quarterback Andy Dalton in the endzone for a game-winning safety.

The last Dolphins defender to win the award was cornerback Brent Grimes, who received the award in Week 9 of the 2014 season against the San Diego Chargers when he made 3 tackles and intercepted quarterback Philip Rivers twice in a 37-0 blowout win.

This marks the third year in a row that Wake has received this award, which is the second-longest streak in franchise history. Jason Taylor currently has the longest streak with five straight years, 2002-06.

Other multiple-time recipients of the award include CB Sam Madison, LB Zach Thomas, LB John Offerdahl, S Louis Oliver, and CB Terrell Buckley. Below are all the recipients of the award for the Dolphins over the years.