Last meeting
Atlanta went on the road in Week 9 of 2005 and dominated Miami, 17-10. The win gave the Falcons a 6-2 mark at the season's midpoint, but they wound up faltering down the stretch and missing the playoffs with an 8-8 record.
Streaks
The teams have split their last six meetings, but the Dolphins hold an edge in the overall series, 7-3.
Keep your eye on ...
Matt Ryan's encore season-opener: As a rookie, Ryan wasted no time showing he was ready for the NFL, throwing a 62-yard touchdown to Michael Jenkins on his first pass. He never looked back after that, winning Rookie of the Year honors. Against Miami, Ryan will look to get off to a similar start.
The second year of the Wildcat formation: The Dolphins went back in time with great effectiveness last season. They confounded opponents with their version of the old single-wing offense, which they termed the Wildcat, and it caught on around the league. After drafting rookie dual-threat QB Pat White in the second round, Miami showed it has no plans to abandon the formation.
Atlanta's young secondary: Three of the Falcons starters in the defensive backfield (cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Chris Houston along with safety Thomas DeCoud) have three years of experience or less. They will face a stiff test against Dolphins veteran QB Chad Pennington, a master of picking apart defenses with precision passing and guile.
Did you know?
The Dolphins had the greatest turnaround in NFL history last season, winning 10 more games in 2008 (11) than they did in 2007 (1). ... Falcons RB Michael Turner was second in the NFL last year with 17 touchdowns. ... All four AFC teams that finished first in their divisions in the preseason last year, won their divisions in the regular season. Miami finished atop the AFC East again this preseason at 4-0.
