A six-pack of Dolphins buzz:

• When a team commits more than $155 million to its offensive line, you don't expect a pretty good unit, but a great one. So far, coach Tony Sparano said his line has not played up to his standards, and new center Jake Grove said ``we need to be better.''

Though they were inconsistent in creating holes in the preseason, lines need time to develop continuity, and the Dolphins aren't worried. ``To me, they've gotten better each week,'' Sparano said. ``Some people might say they didn't get better against Tampa. I would argue there were some individual performances that were pretty good. I've got really high standards for where I think those guys should be, and I think they'll get there.''

In KC Joyner's ESPN metrics, Grove, Jake Long and Justin Smiley ranked in the top 10 at their positions in success rate on run blocks last season, led by Grove (fifth with Oakland). Vernon Carey was 14th. But Grove said, ``I don't think I'm where I want to be with anything right now. There are a lot of things we need to work on.''

In the preseason, Long allowed a sack, two quarterback hurries, a tackle for loss and drew two penalties. ``I got beat a couple times from bad body position, but I'll learn from that. I know I've got pressure on me.'' On Sunday, he must slow Atlanta's John Abraham (16.5 sacks in 2008). For those questioning his aptitude against speed rushers, ``I have to prove them wrong,'' he said.

But Sparano said he is ``playing pretty well'' and Smiley said Long graded out the best of the linemen in the preseason, with ``the rest of us pretty even.'' Coaches like how right guard Donald Thomas has developed - ``a grinder,'' Sparano calls him.

In pass protection, Grove (1.5), Smiley (2.0), Long (2.5) finished in the top third for sacks allowed at their positions last season. Carey gave up 4.5. ``We want to prove we are the best offensive line in the league,'' Carey said Monday.

• Dolphins officials believe Ted Ginn Jr. is ready to break out and didn't feel a need to get him a lot of offensive touches in the preseason (five catches). ``Most of the great receivers really come on in the third year,'' he said.

What changed from last year? ``He's doing an excellent job of route-running,'' Chad Pennington said. ``It's one thing to be fast. It's another thing to create separation. Those are two totally different things. In this league, you don't create separation just by speed. He's learning that. When he's coming out of breaks, he's got that separation now. I'm really happy where he is.''

• Encouraging: Dolphins defensive linemen (just 9.5 sacks in 16 games in 2008) had eight this preseason, albeit some against reserves. Besides good coaching, players have applied lessons from martial-arts experts brought in by the team this offseason.

Those experts ``told us different ways to defeat offensive linemen with your hands,'' Kendall Langford said. And also where to hit offensive linemen in the arm to make them less effective, linebacker Channing Crowder said.

• Linebacker Cameron Wake said he doesn't know whether he will be active Sunday, and one Dolphins person cautioned that he fails to set the edge sometimes on runs because he's so determined to get to the quarterback. He also must improve on special teams. Wake spent so much time preparing for his transition from the Canadian Football League that he said he hasn't watched TV since the Super Bowl.

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