I’m not going to write an article to beat up on Miami Dolphins OLB Joey Porter.  In fact, after Porter posted donuts in every defensive statistic during the New England Patriots 27-17 defeat of the Dolphins, I have a new found understanding of Porter.  No, Porter doesn’t hate New England.  On the contrary, Joey Porter LOVES the Patriots!  Why else would he make it a point to discuss the *championship* background of the Patriots at every opportunity?  Because he loves to remind people of the impact the New England Patriots have had on his career (and life in general).  Why would he comment so much on QB Tom Brady having his own set of rules?  Because if he would have gotten to Brady even once, all of the highlight shows would have shown it, and it would have made Porter warm inside.  Porter says that the deep hatred of the Patriots goes back to when he was a Pittsburgh Steelers; however, he loves the New England Patriots so much that he chose to sign with the Miami Dolphins in order to play them twice a season!

No, I can’t come at Joey Porter for talking big and making most of his impact before the opening kickoff.  Porter talks a lot, but it is important to recognize that it’s a game and that players have multiple approaches to playing it.  Porter’s is that he talks a big game in order to play a big game so that in turn, he can continue to talk on the field and intimidate the opposition.  You know Porter for the times it works for him.  And when he plays like he did at New England Sunday (RE: Invisible Man), he earns the other side of his reputation.  Despite all of this, it is clear that this game had very little to do with a starting outside linebacker with 2.5 sacks through eight games this season.  Instead, there were more notable things to consider:

*Nothing against Dolphins QB Chad Henne, but he’s not ready to match Brady through the air at this point.  There just isn’t any weapon Henne has right now that scares anyone, and until that changes, the Dolphins will struggle to truly open up their offense on a consistent basis.

*That being said, the Patriots might really want to find out how to stop a Wildcat-like offense.  It is a real concern, with both of Miami’s touchdowns coming off of Wildcat (or WildPat [QB White]) usage.  The Patriots did a good job stopping the run all game, except on the Dolphins’ scoring drive that was highlighted by White’s option run that went deep into the Patriots’ secondary for 33 yards, and was capped by White’s option pitch right to RB Ricky Williams for 15 yards and a touchdown.  It was only the second rushing touchdown allowed by the Patriots this season.  Both runs saw Patriots defenders deep in Miami’s backfield, but also way out of position to make a play.  The Dolphins’ second half touchdown came off of  southpaw RB Ronnie Brown’s third and goal TD pass to second TE Joey Haynos after safety Brandon McGowan got sucked in to defending the run.  Remember, the Patriots were caught so far off guard by the Denver Broncos’ Wild Horses formation that they had to burn an early timeout.

*For a moment, it looked like Patriots OLB Adalius Thomas was going to have a notable big-play game with a fumble return for a touchdown.  But it turned out Tully Banta-Cain only forced Henne into an incomplete pass, so Thomas had to settle for having one of the Patriots’ two sacks on the day.  The Patriots also failed to force a turnover for the first time in 15 games.

*Count this as an “upswing” game for Patriots RB Laurence Maroney, as he carried the ball 20 times for 82 yards and a touchdown.  It was his first 20 carry game since the 2007 postseason.  Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis combined for only three carries, though Faulk added 35 yards on four receptions.

*I mentioned in the 1SKILLZ Gameplan (http://www.nfltouchdown.com/nfl-week-9-2009-dolphins-at-patriots-the-1skillz-gameplan/) that if the Dolphins don’t get to Brady, things won’t turn out well for them.  I also mentioned that single coverage on Randy Moss didn’t work out too well last season.  Well, the Dolphins came up with only two sacks.  And though 1st round rookie CB Vontae Davis came up with an impressive interception in single coverage of a deep pass intended for Moss in the fourth quarter, Moss would subsequently treat the rookie to a vintage Moss game.  Moss hauled in a one-handed deep pass along the sideline in single coverage to set up Maroney’s TD in the first half.  And the backbreaker of the game was when Moss got free on a cross with Davis covering.  Moss stunned Davis with a stiff arm and outraced the defense for a touchdown.  For good measure, Moss also converted on a two-point conversion right afterwards - with Davis covering.

I won’t say that Porter’s zeroes means he should shut up.  Porter still has another chance at redemption, so maybe his no tackles/assists/sacks/passes defensed/interceptions was meant to motivate him in four weeks when the Dolphins and Patriots rematch in Miami.  Football is a team game, and it is important to note that his numbers mean nothing if his team wins at least.  Because the Patriots won, Porter looks bad.  But the Patriots couldn’t have minded the kind words of inspiration from a not-so-secret admirer.

-1SKILLZ