Frustration was mounting once again. The first-team offense continued to look as lackluster as it's been all preseason, and those struggles were even more magnified tonight considering they came against mostly a second-team defense. Once again, the defense wasn't giving us much of a reason to feel better about things. 

We all got a little bit of an unexpected reality check, though. Seeing Jake Long go down and lay on the trainers table having his knee evaluated, was about as scary of a scene as you can have in the preseason and kind of put the whole night into perspective. It also reminded us of how much worse things can get, then just mediocre play in a meaningless game.

News on Long's injury since has been overwhelmingly positive. All reports and indications are pointing to the big fella being just fine. Judging by how shaky the pass protection looked with Long in the game, there's no denying the whole offense could have fell apart with him knocked out with a serious injury. The exhibition season is now over. The slate is once again clean. Yes, both sides of the ball looked shaky again tonight, but just be thankful things didn't completely escalate out of control.

It's time to take a deep breath and turn our attention to the Buffalo Bills. Full evaluation of tonight's game to come tommorow. Expect the final addition of the preseason report card, as well as my prediction on the 53-man roster, if I can sneak it in before the cuts begin that is.

Statline

Passing
C. Henne: 6-11, 53 yards, lost fumble
C. Pennington: 7-10, 40 yards, 1 touchdown
T. Thigpen: 10-18, 160 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception

Top 3 Rushing
R. Williams: 2 carries, 45 yards
T. Thigpen: 3 carries, 20 yards
P. Cobbs: 3 carries, 12 yards

Top 5 Receiving
R. Wallace: 3 receptions, 59 yards, 1 touchdown
D. Bess: 5 receptions, 42 yards
M. Moore: 4 receptions, 31 yards, 1 touchdown
J. Nalbone: 1 reception, 30 yards
P. Turner: 1 reception, 29 yards

Top 5 Tackles
R. Jones: 7
N. Ness: 4
C. Anderson: 3
J. Odrick: 2
N. Carroll: 2
T. Dobbins: 2

Special-Teams
B. Fields: 4 punts, 40 yard average
D. Carpenter: 1/1 field goals, long: 28, 2/2 extra points
N. Carroll: 2 kick returns, 20 yard average
D. Bess: 1 punt return, 0 yards
M. Moore: 1 punt return, 6 yards

When: Tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST
Where: Cowboys Stadium- Arlington, Texas
TV: Local only, NFL Network replay Friday night at 7
Weather: 89 degrees and clear

From the team's prospective, this is it. One last chance to to build a little momentum for the starters heading into the regular season. One last chance to get what has been a dismal running game going. One last chance for Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall to establish a little chemistry before it becomes crucial.

At the end of the day, though, the outcome of this game isn't going to be held against them. It's just another meaningless preseason game that is really only relevant, in the starter's case anyway, in the present. Next week, when the Dolphins are preparing for for their yearly trip up to Buffalo, is anybody really going to be thinking about what happened in Dallas last week? Unless there is a serious injury that actually impacts Week 1, I say they shouldn't.

However, for those roster fringe players, this game means everything. And even though those players that we expect to be in the thick of things are probably good enough to warrant another chance down the road somewhere, nothing is a given in this league, and the fact of the matter is their best opportunity awaits them tonight. Who will rise to the occasion and achieve their childhood dream of becoming an NFL player?

3 Questions

Will the first-team offense satisfy Sparano?
Sparano mentioned earlier in the week that he's going to play his starting offense until he's satisfied at what he sees. Considering, the Cowboys probably won't play many starters tonight, that better come sooner rather than later. I think the Dolphins make it a point to try and get the ground game going a little bit after last week's miserable performance. If they succeed in doing so, that should take loads of pressure off Henne and the passing attack. Still though, even if they don't get much help, Henne and company should be able feast on a second and third string defense. Even though I love watching the starters play, we have plenty of time for that in real games. Let's hope they march right down the field on their first drive and get out of there to avoid any injuries.

How long will first-team defense play?
Sparano was obviously not too happy with how the defense played last week, either. But will they also see extended time tonight? I expect maybe a couple series tonight out of that first-team defense. Stephen McGee is scheduled to start at quarterback for the Cowboys, so the pressure will be on for the Dolphins' starters to come away with a couple three and outs. If the Cowboys backups come out and throw all over a struggling secondary, fans will have plenty to worry about heading into the regular season, regardless of Nolan's aggressive scheme coming into play. We need to see Sean Smith come out with something to prove, Chris Clemons be in good position in coverage and come up and make tackles if he has to, a pass rush show some life against a struggling Cowboy's offensive line- yes, even with only a three and four man rush, and the outside linebackers (mainly Koa Misi) set the edge against the run.

Will coverage units finally get it together?
We saw a little bit of improvement last week, but if it wasn't for Dan Carpenter shaking the "kicker's aren't football players" label by coming up and making a touchdown saving tackle, it may have been time to start considering squib kicks. Some of the guys on the coverage units won't be on the team this time next week, but seeing players in the right position would give fans a little peace of mind heading into the regular season. Considering, this is those roster fringe players' last chance to make the team and that special-teams typically serves as the best avenue to find a home, you would think we would see some deseperate guys flying down field looking to light someone up.

3 Players to Watch

Roberto Wallace: If the season began today, it's hard to argue that Marlon Moore and Patrick Turner wouldn't be the last two receivers on the roster. Each week that passes, though, I'm more impressed with Roberto Wallace. He's been more productive than Turner through three games, and because Turner is a non-factor on special-teams, he's vulnerable if Wallace were to put together a huge game tonight. What could end up hurting Wallace's bid to make the 53, though, is that he's practice squad eligible and Turner is not. Nevertheless, multiple catches for big yardage and a touchdown, would make Wallace hard to cut.

Micah Johnson: So far, the undrafted free agent is second on the team for the preseason with 10 tackles, and has out-shined Austin Spitler and J.D. Folsom pretty handily. His below average speed projects him as mediocre special-teams player, but because Channing Crowder may miss the first few games of the season, I think the Dolphins face no choice but to keep the most productive linebacker, not the best special-teams contributor. Another four or five tackle game from Johnson tonight, and I would be shocked if Miami let him go.

Cory Procter: Nate Garner going on the IR did wonders for Procter's roster chances. Now that it looks like the Dolphins will probably only keep three tackles, keeping four guards is more realistic. Will Procter help his cause tonight by providing good push for Patrick Cobbs and Lex Hilliard to work with, and help finally get some sort of running game going?

The numbers haven't been pretty. A year after posting a top five rushing attack, the Dolphins' dynamic duo is struggling to muster up any sort of momentum heading into the regular season. Ronnie Brown, who has shown no repercussions from the Lisfranc fracture he suffered last year otherwise, is averaging a measly 2.0 yards per carry.

Ricky Williams has been a little better, but 3.2 yards per carry is certainly nothing to be proud of. Is this a sign of things to come, or will the R&R Express be as good as ever once the games start meaning something? The struggling interior offensive line has to be the center of attention if we want to play the blame game. It looks like the Dolphins will enter the season with at least two new starters at the guard spots, with Richie Incognito currently holding it down on the left side and John Jerry likely a lock on the right.

Both struggled to produce any push against the Falcons defensive line last Friday night, and consequently Ronnie and Ricky really had nothing to work with. Heading into the season, most projected run blocking to be the strength of both Incognito and Jerry's game, so what exactly is the problem? There has been a lot of shuffling this preseason, though, so you have to think the line as a whole will steadily improve when the unit begins to gel.

But how long will that take? Opening day is only 11 days away after all, and the Dolphins can't afford to lose to a team like Buffalo when arguably one of the toughest stretches in the entire league awaits in Weeks 2-9. Could it be that lackluster pulling has caused the downgrade? Incognito has always been a below average puller, the front office new that when they acquired him, and Jerry doesn't exactly shine in the category.

That still doesn't explain the lack of push last Friday night, though, so while this O-line isn't going to pull as well as last year's unit with Justin Smiley, that's no excuse for the lack of execution from the ground game.

To be fair to the interior offensive line, in my opinion anyway, Ronnie and Ricky haven't hit the hole (when there is one that is) with as much burst as I have seen in the past. Is that only because motivation is considerably lower in a meaningless game, or have they both possibly hit the running back wall that can make even the most elite of backs average at best?

That theory is a little extreme for my liking. Ricky hitting the wall at 33 years old is believable, but considering he spent nearly three whole years out of football, that he's split the workload with Ronnie in last three season's that he's played, and that the yoga junkie takes very good care of his body, I'm still holding on to hope that he's got one or two productive years left in the tank.

I'm not buying Ronnie hitting the wall one bit. Yes, he's beginning to creep up near that 30 year plateau, but he's only got one full-16 game season under his belt, and Ricky's presence has limited his carries to still under 1,000 for his career.

Let me just say, I know I'm getting a little worked up over just preseason games, and I know Ronnie and Ricky have only carried the ball a combined 28 times, but it's just a tad bit alarming when the first thought of losing something you thought was a done deal enters your mind.

So will this running game bounce back and return to it's elite form in time for the regular season? I would be willing to bet that it will, and I think worse case scenario now is they struggle a bit out of the gates, but eventually right the ship by the third or fourth game.

And I think it's something Sparano wants to nip in the butt as soon as possible. I think we see a concentrated effort to get the running game going in Dallas tomorrow night. Dallas supposedly won't play their starters much, if at all, so hopefully we see a dominating ground attack get a little momentum rolling as the preseason comes to a conclusion.

The Dolphins were forced to make a difficult decision today, ending Nate Garner's season by placing him on injured reserve. Arguably the most versatile player on the entire team, Garner can play just about every position along the offensive line, but because he was out until sometime midseason with a broken foot, the Dolphins didn't think it was worth it to waste a roster space for nearly half of the season by keeping Garner on the 53.

A big blow, of course, but if Vernon Carey and Jake Long can stay healthy, the Dolphins could avoid the possible ramifications of Garner's loss. This comes a day after Miami waived Joey Haynos, who many expected to be the team's third tight end. The Dolphins will now have to choose between keeping John Nalbone or only two tight ends, which would likely free up a roster spot for a defensive player or even, dare I say it, four quarterbacks.

Offense

Quarterback
Projected Possible Cuts: Pat White
Okay, so I don't actually see Pat White making the team. But despite all of the negative reports about his play, and despite the fact that he's done nothing to prove that he's capable of playing quarterback in the NFL, I just can't commit to guarantee his release. Should he be cut? Absolutely. But for some reason, I just have a strange feeling about the whole situation, like the Dolphins aren't willing to give up on a second-round pick after one season. Common logic tells me otherwise, though, so I'm sticking to my guns on this one.
Out: Pat White

Running Back
Projected Possible Cuts: Lex Hilliard
Before Garner went on the IR, you could have possibly made a case for the Dolphins to forgo keeping four running backs, and instead use the roster space for a tenth offensive lineman. There's really no chance of that happening anymore, though, so Hilliard is becoming a borderline lock.
In: Lex Hilliard

Fullback
Projected Possible Cuts: Rolly Lumbala
Lousaka Polite may be a little more vulnerable after turning in a poor performance as a lead blocker against the Falcons, but not enough to warrant him not making the team after a Pro Bowl caliber 2009 season.
Out: Rolly Lumbala

Tight End
Projected Possible Cuts: John Nalbone
Many fans and media members are starting to jump on the "keep two tight ends bandwagon" with Haynos gone, but I'm not quite ready to go that far. I have a feeling the Dolphins will stick to tradition and keep 25 offensive players. And now that it looks like ten offensive lineman is out of the question, it would likely take four quarterbacks or six receivers to get rid of Nalbone. With the Dolphins using so many two tight end sets, I just think it's a little too risky to only keep two on the roster.
In: John Nalbone

Wide Receiver
Projected Possible Cuts: Marlon Moore, Patrick Turner, Roberto Wallace, Julius Pruitt
Although Marlon Moore really didn't do anything to guarantee his roster spot against the Falcons, the fact that he was playing ahead of Patrick Turner as the Dolphins' fourth receiver tells me he's not going anywhere. Turner, meanwhile, has had a mildy impressive training camp and preseason, but because he's not a special-teams contributor, Roberto Wallace could come in and steal the final receiver opening with one more solid performance on Thursday night.
In: Marlon Moore, Patrick Turner
Out: Roberto Wallace, Julius Pruitt

Offensive Tackle
Projected Possible Cuts: Lydon Murtha, Andrew Gardner
This is where Garner will truly be missed. I personally wouldn't trust either Murtha or Gardner if Carey or Long were to go down. But the Dolphins have to keep at least one of them, and all indications still point to Murtha being the lucky man.
In: Lydon Murtha
Out: Andrew Gardner

Offensive Guard
Projected Possible Cuts: Cory Procter, Ray Feinga
We probably would have to go all the way back to beginning of training camp to find the last time we seriously thought Cory Procter was going to make the team. That's likely about to become a reality, though, with only three tackles expected to make the cut. That, of course, is assuming the Dolphins don't hand Garner's roster spot to a roster fringe defensive player.
In: Cory Procter
Out: Ray Feinga

Center
Projected Possible Cuts: Andrew Hartline
The only debate at center is who is going to start: Grove or Berger. Hartline has no chance of making the team.
Out: Andrew Hartline

It was quite the eventful Monday in Dolphin country. As widely speculated, the Dolphins waived tight end Joey Haynos because of the foot injury he sustained against the Falcons. With Haynos out of the picture, John Nalbone would win the third tight end job by default.

His only competition now is likely a tenth offensive lineman candidate, which could steal Nalbone's roster spot if the Dolphins decided to only carry two tight ends on the 53-man roster. Also making headlines, despite the suddenly blown up competition between Ikaika Alama-Francis and Koa Misi, was the Dolphins sending Channing Crowder, who has missed the past 13 days of practice, to get a second opinion on a leg injury Tony Sparano declined to specify.

I'm no medical expert, but usually when I hear that someone is seeking a second opinion, they didn't like what the first doctor had to say. Sparano did say in a round about way that he isn't "too concerned" about Crowder's status, and reportedly remained hopeful he will still be available for the Bills in Week 1. Still though, from the sound of things, this could be more serious then we initially thought.

That means Tim Dobbins needs to step his game up if he indeed does enter the season as the starter. He hasn't really stood out in the first three preseason games, but most of the concern about the Dolphins' front seven centers around the lack of a pass rush and the ability to contain the edge, two things you can't blame the inside linebackers for.

Depth-wise, the Dolphins have been cross-training Charlie Anderson a little bit, and you have to think Micah Johnon's roster chances have improved, with Miami likely having to consider defense over special teams due to concerns behind Dansby and Dobbins.