Fins/Jets: Keys to Victory - The Kitchen Sink

As I've taken the week to just sit back and appreciate the Dolphins, I've neglected to write much of a game breakdown. The following posts will be a few quick notes on the keys to the Dolphins beating the Jets to win the AFC East.

The Kitchen Sink...despite miscues:

The Dolphins made headlines all year with their Wildcat formation and imaginative play calling. On Sunday, they left no stone unturned in trying to find an advantage to win the AFC East. It was a masterpiece of a game by Henning to close one of the most wonderfully creative seasons I have ever seen.

In fact, the Dolphins had so much creativity on display that they managed to create matchups despite the fact that their three biggest gadgets didn't even work. Ricky Williams dropped a wide open long pass on the beautiful variation of the Wildcat pass where Pennington hit Cobbs for a touchdown earlier in the year. Williams tossed the ball to Chad and then came up the sideline on a wheel route, but it was too easy. On another terrific design, Ronnie Brown came up the middle, stopped, and threw to the wide open tight end Haynos, but this sure touchdown innocently hit the ground as Brown misfired. Finally, on the flea flicker which Pennington actually completed to Ted Ginn, the Jets were all over it with double coverage. Ginn simply came back to and elevated to bring in the underthrown pass.

Other mistakes included countless motion penalties early in the game, dropped passes, missed assignments, and a Chad Pennington fumble. Still, on a day where the Dolphins made all kinds of uncharacteristic errors, they managed to come out victorious thanks to the fact that Henning had them do a bit of everything that gave them success throughout the year.

The Dolphins made use of the full house formation, eliminating the Jets ability to key on any running back. They pulled and crossed their blocking schemes, using Andy Alleman to do what he does best at the point of attack. They used their bread and butter running series out of the offset I, pitching the ball wide, but also coming back with the inside handoff. Ted Ginn was the deep threat, the tight ends were fantastic, and the ball was put in Chad Pennington's hands.

Of course, this game also included the renewed success of the Wildcat. The Jets hadn't seen it in Week 1, and the early feelers that Henning put out encouraged him to return to it more and more. Thanks to the trickery keeping the Jets off balance, an example being when Chad touched the ball in the formation, Ronnie Brown had room to roam all day. I'll take his vision in a big game any time.

It was a masterpiece of a game, designed using the ultimate version of the "what you're good at and what is working" philosophy. Credit Sparano, Henning, Lee and the rest for putting together such a plan and being so wise in such a big spot. Despite that the Dolphins just weren't themselves early, there was enough creativity to overcome it, and the Miami Dolphins are now the Champions of the AFC East.