Betfair.net

The Miami Dolphins shocked the world last year by winning the AFC East, going 11-5 on the season. Bill Parcells and head coach Tony Sparano take most of the credit in this turnaround as they instilled a philosophy that the entire team bought into and while a lot of their wins weren't pretty, the end results were all that mattered.

They were also fortunate that Tom Brady went down early for the Patriots last year which changed the dynamic of the New England team significantly. Let's not forget that they had a fairly soft schedule, facing sub-500 teams for most of the second half. Regardless, the team made incredible strides in 2008 and will look to continue building momentum heading into this season.

Leading the charge is Chad Pennington at quarterback, with future starter Chad Henne waiting in the wings. Pennington isn't flashy and he's not risky. But he's very effective, especially on the short passes and that's what the Dolphins want, especially with no true number one wide receiver. It's a middle of the road receiving core at best, but Pennington has a way of utilizing almost all of them.

Pennington also loves his Tight Ends, with Anthony Fasano and David Martin being his primary targets. Third year Ted Ginn Jr is developing nicely at receiver and is likely the go-to guy at receiving, but as mentioned, Pennington does a great job of hitting all his targets. They may not go deep very often, they may not get fans to stand on their feet, but Miami's throwing game is safe, short and productive. They are very good at marching down the field.

Of course, the talk of the football world last year was the introduction of a system simply called the Wildcat (in which the ball is snapped to the running back). The Dolphins' ability to fool the New England Patriots in New England September 21st with this 'play' last year was startling and the signal that the Dolphins were back.

Teams scrambled to adapt the same play, but nobody did it better than the Dolphins. And while it didn't always work (Ravens shut them down twice) Miami drafted Pat White this year who should come in and make a great addition to the Wildcat offense. Rest assured, the Dolphins will utilize the Wildcat as long as it continues to baffle opposing defences.

It'll be very interesting to see how opponents adjust when facing it, and even more interesting to see if the Dolphins have any more tricks up their sleeves. Ronnie Brown was consistent at the run last year while backup Ricky Williams will want to prove that he still has a lot left in the tank. Again, it's not pretty, but those guys are effective.

Over on the defensive side, Miami brought back Jason Taylor who'll compliment Joey Porter if used properly. Porter is coming off a Pro Bowl season, though he did slow down as the season progressed. The team also brought in Cameron Wake who spent 2 years in the CFL and amassed an amazing 39 sacks. The game is different north of the border, but those numbers are undeniable.

Bottom line is that Miami has terrific Linebackers. The Defensive Backs are a nice blend of rookies with potential and solid veterans. The defence will be punishing and an INT threat every time the ball is in the air. They may be the most exciting part of this Dolphins team.

However, the success they experienced last year will be difficult to repeat this season. With a healthy Tom Brady in New England, the Patriots are the favourite to win the AFC East. With Terrell Owens in Buffalo, the Bills will be a bigger challenge. Their Schedule is also much more difficult this year with perhaps only two games (against Jacksonville and Houston) against sub-500 teams. Not to mention that the Wildcat offense will come as no surprise to anyone anymore and teams will be ready for it.

The bottom line is in 2008 the Dolphins used a combination of skill and luck to finish 11-5. This year, they'll have to do it all on skill, which they could, if they want a similar season. Expect them to finish 9-7.