DOLPHINS TOP PANTHERS TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED IN NFL PRESEASON ACTION

The Miami Dolphins unveiled their version of the ‘wildcat’ single wing offense for the first time in the NFL preseason and it worked like a charm.  Starting QB Chad Pennington went 8 of 11 for 105 yards and a touchdown pass as the Dolphins’ first team offense played well in a 27-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers.  The Dolphins improved to 2-0 in the NFL preseason while the Panthers dropped to 0-2.

Miami easily covered the -2 price as a home favorite, rewarding NFL bettors with their first ATS victory of the year.  The Dolphins had pushed as -3 favorites in an opening game victory over Jacksonville.  Carolina has also posted a 0-2 record against the number in the early part of the NFL preseason.  The 44 combined points went OVER the posted total of 33’.  The Dolphins have split their O/U verdicts in the NFL preseason, while the Panthers have gone OVER in both games.

Dolphins’ coach Tony Sparano said that there weren’t any big secrets with his team’s unique offensive set:

"There are really no secrets there, but it's good homework for us -- a chance to see what people have been studying during their offseason, and how they want to defend this.”

Pennington was also pleased with the productivity of the offense:

"The wildcat went well. Anything we can do to get an edge, I'm all for it."

Ronnie Brown caught Pennington’s TD pass and joined in the chorus with his positive assessment:

"We made some strides. We're going in the right direction.
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Carolina coach John Fox sounded nonplussed, a surprising tone with a 0-2 team.  His comments further suggested that the Panthers might be keeping a lot of their schemes under wraps in the preseason:

"Our first unit looked a little sharper. We're not there yet, but I thought it was an improvement."

Defensive end Julius Peppers was also notably absent of any concrete criticism of his team’s play:

"We've got to work on everything. That's what the preseason is for."

After a rough opening week, Panthers’ starting QB Jake Delhomme was also upbeat after the game:

"We did better things tonight. It's a process, but we're doing all right."

Miami will head to the northwest coast of Florida for their next preseason contest, taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Thursday night.  Carolina will host the Baltimore Ravens in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday.  The Panthers will begin the NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13th at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Dolphins will face the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome to get their regular season slate underway.