They had better.
When it comes to the offensive scheme known as the "Wildcat", the Miami Dolphins are essentially the original animal. To be sure, Miami Head Coach Tony Sparano and offensive coordinator Dan Henning didn't invent the base formation at the root of the Wildcat offense, but the Dolphins are clearly the first NFL team to make the Wildcat an integral part of their offense. It is neither a gimmick nor a gadget. It is what they do, nearly as often as not.
What the Wildcat allows the Dolphins to do of course, is to have Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown on the field at the same time. While both are highly talented, neither running back is truly spectacular in his own right. They combined for 1769 rushing yards and 19 rushing TDs in 2009. When one considers his two receiving TDs last year, Williams is clearly the more dangerous of the two players. Each combines power and speed in such a way as to present a formidable challenge to linebackers and DBs, in the event they break defensive line containment. In theory at least, this forces the opposing safeties to "cheat up", forcing mostly single coverage by opposing corners. It should also be noted that both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown have historically been excellent in "blitz-control". Having both of them on the field gives Dan Henning's passing game enhanced flexibility. Which brings us to the issue of the Vikings' short-handed secondary, and how it absolutely must render Miami wide receiver Brandon Marshall a non-factor on Sunday. Marshall is an unqualified deep-strike upgrade for the Dolphins' receiving corps, hauling in 101 catches for 1120 yards and 10 TDs last season with the Denver Broncos. Whoever draws responsibility for covering Brandon Marshall will have to stay mistake-free, probably with minimal safety help, for reasons already explained above. Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier's situation could also be complicated by Miami's #2 (formerly #1) wide receiver Davone Bess and tight-end Anthony Fasano, both of whom will be looking to find vacant seams in the Vikings' down-field coverage. The Vikings have had a lot of time to make adjustments on both sides of the football, since their loss to New Orleans eight long days ago. One has to think that Brett Favre and his pared-down group of receivers will have used the extra practice time to uncross their wires by this Sunday. "Moving the chains", a consistent and escalating running attack, and creating some big plays, will go a long way in forcing the Dolphins to play from behind early, a situation that the Vikings should not allow themselves to experience for two weeks in succession.
