Midseason Report

Halfway through the year, and you gotta know where you're from to understand where you're at, so here's a look back and a look forward. A position by position rundown will follow, but before we get into the specifics of what has made the Dolphins who they are, complete with FootballOutsiders.com statistics, let's reflect on the overall picture.

The Dolphins are 4-4. I think it's very hard to look at the beginning of any NFL season and predict a win total because, after all, this is the NFL, but I think it's safe to say that most Dol-Fans would have been very happy to be at .500 and in the race halfway through the year. Nevertheless, no matter how good anybody's predictions might have been, I don't think anybody would've circled the Patriots, Chargers, Bills, and Broncos as the four wins. It has certainly been the case that Miami has very much controlled their destiny this year: when they have shown up and come to play, they have proven that they can beat anybody.

Looking ahead, the Dolphins couldn't ask for a better schedule over the second half. They play five of the worst teams in the league, host New England, travel to New York to face the Jets, and have a "road" game against the Bills in Toronto. Just one game out of the division lead, if the Dolphins can play to their capability over the second half and continue to improve, the playoffs and even the division are distinct possibilities.

Meanwhile, a gander atop the Football Outsiders total DVOA leaders (essentially their power rankings) places Miami 12th in the NFL and 1st in the AFC East. With their remaining schedule combining to be 23.3% worse than the average team in the league, by far the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL (Buffalo is a distant 2nd at -12.8% DVOA), there is reason for optimism in Miami. Nevertheless, if there is one thing we have learned this year, it is that anything can happen and the Dolphins success will be measured much more based on how they play rather than who they play. That said, with the winning attitude already in place, facing some sub par teams can't hurt.

Further, in breaking down the Dolphins' units, Football Outsiders' statistics indicate that Miami's offense has been its huge strength. Aaron Schatz wrote some terrific commentary on it (http://footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/week-9-dvoa-ratings-3), but I will sum up some of his key points and add some analysis of my own here.

The Dolphins offense ranks 8th in terms of DVOA, but as Schatz points out, the top of the leader board is packed and the Dolphins were as high as 2nd last week. More impressively, if you drop the first two awful games out of the equation, where I would contest that Miami wasn't even the same team that they are now, Miami jumps to the top offensive DVOA in the league since Week 3. Limiting turnovers, the strength of our backs and tight ends, and the highest percentage of offensive plays which went for gains of 11-20 yards have been the key factors in our offensive success.

The backing of DVOA statistics, which consider how much better (or worse) your team performs than the average NFL team, really highlight just how good the Miami offense has been this year. With consistently terrible starting field position, the Dolphins have been able to sustain long drives without turning the ball over, keeping our defense off the field and scoring points (we have been one of the most efficient red zone teams) in the process. Tony Sparano and Dan Henning have done a phenomenal job (good coaching will become a theme in this analysis), but delving into the positional analysis will always come back to two things: "winning changes everything" and the great Shula-ism, "Show me an offensive line, and I'll show you an offense" (I think I got the quote right...).

Quarterbacks: A-

Chad Pennington has been everything the Dolphins could have hoped for. As many Dolphins writers have pointed out, Brett Favre going to the Jets was one of the best things that happened to the Miami Dolphins. Pennington has been efficient, accurate, and most importantly the strong leader that this team sorely needed.

As the offense was molding early in the year, Pennington was the guy holding everything together. As the Wildcat has become a staple of the offense, Chad has kept everyone on the same page. With all the different things Miami's young offense has been doing, you couldn't ask for a better guy to be the glue. Additionally, as the team has grown, Pennington has shown that he and this offense are capable of a lot more than the Wildcat, and he has spread the ball around, including putting it down the field to Ted Ginn.

The statistics say enough alone. The most accurate passer in NFL history has a quarterback rating of 95.2, if my calculations are correct, and despite what many think about him, is on pace for almost 4,000 yards this year. Even more than that though, is how clutch Chad has been in the fourth quarter. It seems like every time the Dolphins have needed a drive in recent weeks, Pennington and this offense have stepped up and given it to them. Without question, since Dan Marino the Dolphins haven't had a quarterback that comes near Chad Pennington.

As far as the other quarterbacks, I don't have the pleasure of seeing Henne and Beck practice every week, but the future at quarterback also looks as good as it has in a while. Henne got some spot duty early in the year and showed off his rocket arm, but as this team is in contention and a lot of close games, look for him to learn from the bench unless the Dolphins are in a blowout or a meaningless game late in the year (hopefully resting up in Week 17). He has phenomenal physical tools, so if he can learn the craft from Pennington (could you ask for a better mentor?), he will be as successful and more than the other young quarterbacks making headlines around the league. Also, don't forget about Beck, who we've only seen in the worst of circumstances. He is young(ish), cheap, and has upside, so he certainly has some value to this team.

Running Backs: B+

Surprisingly, the running game has not carried this offense as everybody had expected coming into the year. Why the high grade, then? This rating is based on their play, not their production, as there are many other factors that go into that. Also, I'm not grading them against how well I expected them to play; these ratings are based on the level of play on the field, and the fact of the matter is that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are two of the most talented guys on the Miami Dolphins.

As far as the production goes, it's difficult to say that Ricky and Ronnie haven't done well because every team the Dolphins face game plan around stopping these two guys. Chad and the other guys stepping up and getting it done has been nice, but that doesn't take away the fact that eight guys are constantly in the box keying on the tailback.

Moreover, when the running game has been successful (and the talk of the league), it has been because of the talent of these two guys. Credit Sparano, Henning, and Lee for finding a way to get these guys on the field together because the Wildcat has given teams headaches as a result of the the players involved in it. Don't be fooled; a high school team could defend the Wildcat. The players make the play, and R&R have made the Wildcat.

All of that said, the Dolphins would like to see more from Ronnie and Ricky in the second half of the season. Ronnie has been playing terrific football, running really well, but is still not on pace to gain 1,000 yards. His DYAR and DVOA ranks (measures of RB value according to Football Outsiders) are very high, so hopefully the Dolphins can see this and really focus on getting him going early in games. As far as Ricky, his value statistics have been much lower, and he has definitely looked a step off of the level he was playing at in the preseason. He is still an excellent running back, but I would prefer, based on performance, if he was used in only in the Wildcat, to spell Ronnie here or there, and to get fresh, bruising legs in to put teams away late. This way we could hopefully get Ronnie going more and really maximize Ricky's value.

Also to note, the fullback position has been a revolving door so far (an unimportant revolving door located in the back of an abandoned building somewhere), but I at least credit the coaching staff for continuing to search for the right guy. Also credit them because somebody who definitely is the right guy, who they have now locked down for a two year extension, is Patrick Cobbs. He has been just outstanding this year, with his coming out party being his two touchdown showing against the Texans. Cobbs' success also underlines my philosophy that when building an NFL team, there are enough talented running backs that you can find somebody to carry the football if you build a line first.

Wide Receivers: B-

This was supposed to be the weakness of the offense, the position that would have to wait until next offseason, and you got that right: B-minus. Plainly, in the beginning of the season, the wide receivers sucked. They were everything that we expected: nothing. However, they have emerged into a real unit lately, with Ginn and Camarillo proving that they are starting wide receivers in the NFL.

Despite low DYAR and DVOA value rankings for wide receivers on Football Outsiders, statistics which are skewed by the slow start at the beginning of the season, both these guys have caught over 60% of the passes attempted to them, very solid numbers. Ginn took a little while to come alive, but as his role has grown in the offense, as has he. His huge game against the Bills showed how he can be the type of guy to put a good offense over the top, and everybody in Miami is excited about his future. As for Camarillo, he has done nothing but make plays since day one, and though his 43 catches for 483 yards speak for itself, he has meant so much more than that.

It took a while to find the right mix, but now that we are over the horror movie that was "finding receivers for different roles," we have ourselves a bit of a unit. Hagan and Wilford have given way to Brandon London, who is a good blocker and hard worker with good hands, learning to use his body to become a real threat. Bess is a quick guy who will run all over the field with reckless abandon looking to make things happen. But Ginn and Camarillo are real receivers, complimentary in the mold of a Moss and Welker duo, who need to be on the field, stretching the defense and moving the chains, respectively, until we can add another guy in the offseason and make this unit something special.

Tight Ends: A-

Anthony Fasano and David Martin have given the Dolphins much more than they could have ever expected. Considering that we got these guys from half of a fourth round pick and the Cameron mess pile, that they have been on the field almost all the time and the guys who make our offense go has been a blessing.

Both are, without a doubt, starters in this league, as evidenced by their Football Outsiders statistics. Both are among the top ten tight ends in the league in terms of value statistics, which measure their performance on passing plays, and when you think about it they have been the go to guys for our offense. In addition, both have been key players in the Wildcat, with Fasano serving as our eligible left tackle, and though their blocking pales in comparison to their receiving, they have been more than serviceable there as well. Great work.

Offensive Line: B-

Combine a B-minus offensive line with an A-minus quarterback and you get a B offense, which is exactly what the Dolphins have had this year on a B team, B being the average 4-4 that they are. I am obviously a big believer in the importance of an offensive line to your offense and to your football team, and I think this unit gives clear evidence of just how important that unit is. Their B-minus football has proved a clear upgrade over the F that this unit registered last year en route to a 1-15 season, but at the same time, they have gone through some growing pains and struggled at times as the necessarily slow jelling process has advanced.

First things first, this unit gives the offense an opportunity to move the ball. Last year, no matter the quarterback, he was doomed, and no matter the runner, he was swarmed. We couldn't even get a five step drop pass off, making a deep seven step drop where we could use Ginn a laughable proposition. This year, however, there is protection. Miami ranks twelfth in the league in terms of adjusted sack rank, so Pennington has had time to drop deep, use play action, and even sit in the pocket. I hesitate to write John Beck off just because he never had that. Every quarterback performs better when he is comfortable and perfected.

Additionally, the Dolphins line has occasionally generated something unheard of in Miami since maybe the early '70s: push! The Dolphins have had some long run plays, especially out of the Wildcat formation, where the running backs went untouched. There have been Lombardi-style alleys where guys like Jake Long have turned and pushed the Richard Seymours and Vince Wilforks of the NFL out of the way. It hasn't always been there, as the run blocking ranks only 17th in terms of adjusted line yards and there have been struggles to run the football, but sparks of brilliance here and there have made defenses respect this front and fear for the future.

In terms of individuals, all eyes have been on Jake Long. His pass blocking has been solid but not great, and Sparano says he needs work on using his hands. However, in terms of run blocking, he is already among the NFL's elite. The focal point in the overloaded front employed by the Wildcat, he has been responsible for big blocks on many of the big runs the Dolphins have had this year. At left guard, the news just keeps getting better. Smiley has had a Pro Bowl year so far, and is a leader on the young line. Responsible for pulling on many of the Wildcat plays as well as the toss that has become a staple, he has excelled in all facets. The joy tempers a bit at center, where Samson Satele has failed to take the next step in his 2nd year. He is still a solid, dependable player, who everybody expects to be around for a long time and is excellent in space, but due to some strength limitations, he has failed to establish himself as a great player. Donald Thomas was the surprise of the summer, a sixth round pick who was an absolute mammoth, but a season ending injury suffered early in the first game of the season derailed him. The good news is that he managed to play through the injury and actually play very well during that game, so his future is still bright. The same can't be said for Ike Ndukwe, who the coaches have demoted to a rotational player, but whose effort has been admirable filling in at right guard. He might not be a starter after this season, but you would like to think that the Dolphins have room for a guy with his kind of heart on the team next year. Finally, Vernon Carey has returned to his better position, right tackle, where he was stellar in 2006. Unfortunately, he hasn't returned to that level and is stuck at level he played on the left side last year, but like the other members of the line, the hope is that as the unit jells, which won't fully happen until next year, something special could be brewing.

Overall Offense: B+ ("But I thought you said...")

I know I said this offense deserved a B so far, being the average unit that they are on an average team deserving an average grade, but they deserve a high B, one that gets bumped up because of the masterful coaching that has gone on. If you think that this is too high, that my ranking is skewed by my reliance on Football Outsiders' statistics, look no further than that the Dolphins have the 3rd best offense in the AFC by traditional yardage measures. They have faced long fields thanks to our awful special teams (we'll get to that), and have done nothing but move the ball and score points in clutch situations when the team has needed it most.

Tony Sparano, Dan Henning, and the rest of the coaching crew really have elevated a group of guys with mediocre talent to the next level through what they've accomplished. They put everybody in the best position to succeed, use everybody's talents to the maximum, and prepare their team to play flawless football. A famine of turnovers, penalties, and dropped passes has descended over South Florida, and it is certainly not a coincidence. Combine the Wildcat, the genius overload with Jake Long at the point of attack, getting Ricky and Ronnie on the field together, the accomplishments of Ted Ginn, Greg Camarillo, and Partick Cobbs, the innovation, the use of the double tight, and you have something really special. The state of the Dolphins offense is strong and improving, and in the future it has a chance at being elite, with a jelling offensive line, a talented young quarterback, and the addition of another playmaker at wide receiver.
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Moving onto the defense, and again we have a unit that has had a lot of ups and downs this year. With the exception of some struggles earlier in the year in dealing with big receivers (which we'll get into), it hasn't really mattered who the Dolphins have been playing; how they've played has depended on how they've played, and that's about it.

It's been a roller coaster ride, with lots of struggles and changes in the secondary. Whether it was communication issues against Arizona or a simple lack of an answer for Andre Johnson in Houston, the secondary was clearly the week point in the early part of the season. However, the hope is that with the changes that have been made, this unit can continue to play like it did against Denver as we move into the future, and the Dolphins could have themselves a legitimate defense.

With Joey Porter leading the way, Jason Ferguson clogging the middle, and a youth movement at defensive end, the key for this defense has been simply coming to hit and tackle. Their strength is their strength, and when they are successful, it has been because they are flexing their muscles and physically beating up the offense.

The transition to a true 3-4 has been seamless, and at the halfway point, the Dolphins rank a respectable eleventh in defensive DVOA, 3% stingier than the average NFL defense.

Defensive Line: B

It all starts at the nose, and Jason Ferguson has been great. No teams have even really tried to run up the middle on Miami, with the obvious exception being the Ravens when Ferguson got injured. He has plugged up the A gaps and done an excellent job. Also, limiting his play count, as Sparano so carefully does, has kept him fresh and productive. The only real concern at nose is that there's not much depth. Paul Soliai has played a bit, but he doesn't appear to be the nose of the future, so expect the Dolphins to search in the draft for a big stuffer there.

On the ends, the results have been a bit more mixed. Holliday and Langford start, but Starks and Merling also see extensive time in the rotation every game. As far as run stopping goes, their primary responsibility, it has been up and down. Starks has been pretty consistently excellent, but both rookies have been through some growing pains and struggled a bit at times. Langford, specifically, was picked on in a few games, but all of the ends had strong outings against the Broncos and the rookies appear to be getting up to speed.

In the negative column, there has been very little pass rush generated by the ends. Langford had sacks in each of the first two games, if my memory serves me, and Starks has made a few plays batting balls and even getting himself an interception, but that has been about it. Holliday has been very quiet, and the rookies, who see a lot of action on 3rd downs, have done very little of late. Joey Porter can't do it all, so hopefully we'll see a little more from this group in the second half.

Outside Linebackers: A

Joey Porter has been fantastic. The AFC Defensive Player of the Month from October is a legitimate candidate for defensive player of the year and also has a shot at Michael Strahan's sack record. He has singlehandedly given the Miami Dolphins a formidable pass rush and opposing quarterbacks nightmares. What a difference a year makes.

The difference is, as has been well publicized by now, that Joey is back in a true 3-4 playing the weakside outside linebacker position. This means he does not have to play over a tight end, a very different responsibility, and he is back to the position that he specialized in for so many years. In addition to that, he is generally happy right now, his fiery side being nurtured by a fiery coach, and he is playing like an animal as a result.

On the other side, Math Roth has also been excellent. Obviously he's not at the level of Porter, but especially early in the year Roth was terrific. He made the change from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 linebacker seamlessly, and for a guy who I wasn't sure if he was going to make the team at one point, he looked really good. Instead of being an undersized defensive end, all of the sudden he became a huge Sam backer, perfect for the Parcells system.

The only struggles for this unit came when opposing offenses started moving the tight end around. Since Porter and Roth are such different players, they are far from interchangeable, so this created some match up problems. The day this was most disruptive was against Baltimore when Cam Cameron, with an apparent flair for irony, exploited Porter by forcing him to the position he played last year, when Cameron was the coach. Regardless, this situation has since been rectified, part of the solution being Charlie Anderson playing a bit more, spelling Roth and seeing a lot of action on third down. His play has been uninspiring, but the Dolphins have regained control of the edge.

It will be interesting to see how this position unfolds over the rest of the year and into the offseason. My imagination soars when I think of Jason Taylor opposite Joey Porter, both being used correctly in this defense, but it clearly wasn't meant to be. Nevertheless, an A for this position overall simply because of the utter dominance by #55.

Inside Linebackers: B

Channing Crowder came into this season knowing he would need to have a heck of a year to cement his status as the leader of the defense and get a long term contract extension. Has he done it so far? Maybe.

Crowder's obvious strength is that he is an explosive hitter. He sets the tone for this tenacious defense with ferocious hitting. Running backs don't like being anywhere near him, which in itself is a great quality in a linebacker. Nevertheless, sometimes Crowder still gets himself into trouble, ducking into the wrong gaps, and in those cases running backs are nowhere near him. They are down the field.

Another weakness of Crowder's is his pass defense. It doesn't get a lot of press, but Crowder struggles finding receivers in his zone, and opposing offensive coordinators constantly pick on him. Nobody in their right mind wants to catch a pass in front of him, but if you can sneak by him, there is a bit of room.

Regardless, a huge part of our stout goal line defense, if Channing can improve his gap accountability and learn to play laterally before exploding downhill, he has the opportunity to be something special and a Miami Dolphin for a long time.

As far as Akin Ayodele goes, he started the season very hot. He made a lot of plays all over the field, but like many of the rest of the primary run defenders, he had a few cold games in the middle there. Nevertheless, he has improved his play a bit of late, and like Charlie Anderson on the outside, Reggie Torbor has begun to see more time spelling Ayodele. This linebacker spot is solid but certainly not spectacular at the halfway point.

Secondary: B-

The most shaken up unit on the Miami Dolphins has certainly had their struggles this year, but as a pointed out extensively in my post-Denver commentary, they are finally starting to come together, earning themselves a tentative B-minus.

They have been led all year by two guys having marvelous seasons, Yeremiah Bell and Will Allen. YB, now that he's finally healthy, is a top tier safety in the AFC. Polamalu, Reed, Sanders, Bell: put him right in there. He has led the Dolphins in tackles and has literally just been everywhere on the field. Fast, strong, and explosive, I hope to see him return next year. As far as Will Allen, last year's Sports Illustrated All-Pro has picked up right where he left off, and he even has a couple of interceptions, including a very impressive pick six on a dart thrown by Cutler. As the rest of the corners improve, look for him to have even more opportunities to make plays. Contrary to popular (and my) belief, coaches say that Will actually has good hands, so we'll see.

As far as the rest of the secondary goes, there have been tons of struggles, but it looks like they are starting to turn the corner. The first two games were brutal with Crocker starting at free safety. Unable to quarterback the secondary, he was removed in favor of the great communicator Renaldo Hill, and the breakdowns have since stopped. Hill's play has also been solid, although he appears to be afflicted with stonehands himself.

Beyond that, Goodman and the nickel and dime backs were also troublesome, a particular low-light coming when nobody could cover Andre Johnson en route to giving the Texans their first win, but with some reshuffling, there suddenly appears to be some talent back there. As it turns out, Goodman, who by all measures had been absolutely terrible, is actually an excellent corner in man to man, and now that Jason Allen has moved to nickelback, the Dolphins actually have the talent to play man for the first time since Pat Surtain was here.

Jason Allen has the body and athleticism to match up with the likes of the bigger receivers in the league, so now he, Goodman, and Will Allen have begun successfully mixing in man to man with their typical zone, and the likes of Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall have been very frustrated by the result.

To top it off, Tyrone Culver has emerged as a solid dime back, so despite the blemish that was the Miami Dolphins secondary to start the year, despite most Dol-fans being resigned until next year to get a shut down corner, the Miami Dolphins secondary has the opportunity to actually become a strength down the home stretch.

Overall Defense: B

Whether it was a breakdown in the pass defense or run defense, the fact is that the Dolphins defense was responsible for some of the losses so far. That said, they have really molded into a group that will come out and beat the snot out of you at their best. They have fixed some of their weaknesses and the secondary is poised to come alive. Behind Jason Ferguson, Randy Starks, Channing Crowder, Will Allen, and most importantly, Joey Porter and Yeremiah Bell, there is a talented group of athletes here, and if the win against Denver is any indication, the Dolphin D will be a force to be reckoned with as the weather gets colder.
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Special Teams: C-

After having what I considered the worst special teams in NFL history last year, the new regime came in and put an emphasis on improving the third phase in the offseason. Unfortunately, though it has improved, they have been a C-minus unit at best. Like it's taken time to rebuild the secondary that Saban so craftfully destroyed, it apparently will take even longer to reverse one of Dave Wannstedt's first and most glaring mistakes: firing Mike Westhoff.

As far as the kicking game goes, Brandon Fields has been good most of the time, certainly improved. Unfortunately, he still has that shanking habit which appears from time to time. He is by far the least of our issues. Dan Carpenter has also been good, at least as a placekicker, proving to have an accurate leg. However, his kickoffs have been terrible. He has very few touchbacks and has consistently been outkicked by the opposition. Kickoff distance was supposed to be a strength of his, so this is very disconcerting. I still hold to my belief that it is worth a roster spot to keep a kickoff specialist, if necessary.

The coverage teams have all been terrible. If you want to know why the Dolphins rank 31st in the league in special teams DVOA, look no further than here. Teams consistently have great starting field position against the Dolphins, unless they haven't already scored on the return, that is. There have been bright spots. Patrick Cobbs stands out, along with Brandon London and Jason Allen, but there have been far too many breakdowns and big returns.

One thing that you can bet on is that Tony Sparano is not happy with the unit, and there will be changes. Whether the changes come in personnel - Jeff Ireland is always looking to improve the bottom third of the roster - or in adjustments, this will surely be a focal point if the Dolphins are serious about a playoff run.

Finally, the return game has also suffered from a lot of the same weaknesses as the coverage team. The return team doesn't block anybody, and the coverage team doesn't tackle. Expect similar changes on both sides of the kicking game.

As far as the returners go, Bess started the season handling all kicking duties, for the most part, but Ted Ginn has dethroned him in the kickoff game and excelled. If the Dolphins can ever block anybody in front of him, they are going to see that they have a really special player on their hands. Already, Ginn has consistently improved Miami's starting field position and opposing coaches fear when he has the ball in his hands.

On punt returns, Bess is still the primary guy, but Ginn has gotten a few looks also. Though Bess does make the first guy miss some of the time, it seems like Ginn should be in there if only for the fear factor that he instills. Opposing punters kick away from him, which means shorter kicks and better starting field position for the Dolphins. This will be another case that develops in the second half, but one sure thing is that the special teams, not just the returners and kickers, need to improve.
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Coaching: A+

I don't know where to start with the job that Tony Sparano and his staff has done. They have put the players in position to win games, the team is improving every week, and they are maximizing every bit of talent that they can find. Not one unit on offense or defense received a C grade or lower and that is simply because this coaching staff would not allow it. I have no doubt that by the end of the season the special teams will have elevated itself as well because Sparano simply won't have it any other way. This staff has consistently found a way to get it done with the players they have, and if they can't do it, then they find somebody else who can. Just about every adjustment that has had to be made, they've made, and this team continues to get better and better.

They say that every organization takes the personality of it's leader, and we couldn't have a better one. Tony Sparano is tough, disciplined, and passionate, all attributes that he has passed on to the Miami Dolphins. After losing the first two games of the year, Sparano didn't sleep. He say the necessity to do something different, to change the attitude around here before it became too late, and with an innovation that ranks as one of the best coaching moves in the NFL this year, the Dolphins beat the mighty Patriots in Foxboro. From that point on, everything changed about the Miami Dolphins, and the team has only grown from there.

Just look at what has been accomplished: the quarterback situation if finally rectified, the Wildcat has allowed Ronnie and Ricky on the field together, we have a pair of quality tight ends and an offensive line that promises to develop into one of the league's best, Ted Ginn has finally developed, Greg Camarillo has shined as a diamond in the rough, our defensive ends are set for years to come, Joey Porter is having the best season of his career, Matt Roth has found a home at Sam, and most amazingly, the secondary has developed into a strength. Thanks to Sparano's tireless work ethic, memorizing play counts and meticulously grading every player on every play, the Miami Dolphins are a force to be reckoned with heading into the second half of 2008.