Miami Dolphins notes: Tony Sparano says team ’stunk’ against Atlanta (with video of Kendall Langford looking for his diamond earring)

For the third day in a row, Tony Sparano was asked for his thoughts on the Dolphins’ performance in Friday’s preseason game against Atlanta, and whether the team’s performance will affect how much he plays his starters in the final game this Thursday at Dallas. Sparano had been diplomatic on Sunday and Monday, but finally tired of answering the same question six different ways. “I’ve already told you this – we didn’t play well. We stunk the other night. Can I be any clearer with that?” Sparano said. “We were not good the other night against Atlanta. I didn’t like any of it. I liked individual performances.” Sparano did say that Friday’s performance will have no baring on how much he uses his starters Thursday. But it won’t necessarily be one series and done. “I have no idea how much the starters will play. That’s not up to me – that’s up to them,” Sparano said. “We’re going to go out there and play until either I’m satisfied with what I’ve seen, or I feel like we’ve gotten the amount of work that I have scheduled for them right now in my head.” Sparano said Chad Henne obviously will start, and Chad Pennington will enter the game second. “Then we’ll see where we go,” he said. Other news from Tuesday’s practice, the last one before Thursday’s game: – Sparano said the chemistry between Henne and Brandon Marshall are “about where I thought they’d be. I don’t think them clicking has been the issue. I think that when Brandon’s been open, and he was in the progression, he’s gotten the ball.” – Sparano confirmed that Channing Crowder , who has missed the last three weeks of practice and two preseason games, won’t play against Dallas. Sparano said Monday he doesn’t know the timetable for Crowder’s return. – Rookie Koa Misi called his performance in training camp just “average. I think I can do a lot better, I’m still learning a lot, so once I get everything down and I know it off the top of my head without thinking about it, then I think I’ll be good.” But Misi said that he graded out higher in the Atlanta game than his previous two games. – Sparano said the Dolphins haven’t gone out of their way to get any specific player the ball. “To worry about drawing up plays

to get the ball to somebody particularly in the preseason, not worth the time it takes up,” he said. – Sparano’s assessment of undrafted rookie Marlon Moore , set to make the team as the fourth receiver: “I think he’s got good stamina. He catches it pretty well. He’s showed me a little quickness, suddenness with the football. Pretty brave guy for not being a big guy.” – Sparano confirmed that new cornerback Benny Sapp will start off as the nickel corner and will take “a bunch” of snaps against Dallas. “The good news is with Benny, from a coverage standpoint, there aren’t a lot of things that you’re going to be able to throw at him that he hasn’t heard before. … I’ve noticed him communicating more and more out there every day, and starts to feel a little bit more comfortable.” – Sparano said David Martin is “one of the better backup long snappers I’ve ever been around,” and that the team also makes Brandon Fields practice extra points, just in case. – Finally, you can bet that defensive end Kendall Langford will never accidentally leave his diamond earrings in his ears again during practice. Langford plus several groundskeepers and team officials spent an hour searching for Langford’’s 2.5-karat earring on the field following the Dolphins’ practice, combing through the grass with their hands and with gardening rakes. “I forgot I had it on,” Langford said. The entire defensive line helped out for about 10 minutes, while Montavious Stanley searched for about a half hour and Ryan Baker helped for 45 minutes. Even the team’s public relations interns got into the act. But no one found the big shiny rock. “I’m going to go to meetings and then come back out here,” Langford said after about an hour of searching. Langford said he first noticed the earring missing about halfway through practice. He declined to say how much the earring cost, though it was likely several thousand dollars, and said he didn’t have insurance for it. “I remember seeing it before practice, saying, ‘Wow, that’s a nice diamond,’” Baker said. “Lots of guys come out here with them on. I guess it builds their swag or whatever.”

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Miami Dolphins notes: Tony Sparano says team ’stunk’ against Atlanta (with video of Kendall Langford looking for his diamond earring)

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