September 14
Miami Herald
columnist Linda Robertson
"
Jake Long was flattened into a 317-pound pancake by defensive end and human spatula John Abraham. It was a rare moment of vulnerability for the Dolphins' star left tackle, already one of the NFL's premier bodyguards at age 24. But Long's utter helplessness on the play typified that of his team in a 19-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Sunday's season opener. It was a debut that induced cringes instead of confidence. The Dolphins were picked to lose inside the echo chamber known as the Georgia Dome, but not in such an incompetent way, not after the heartening turnaround of last season, not with the reliable Chad Pennington at quarterback. The problem was, Pennington got harassed all ..."
February 10
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
Dolphins tackle Jake Long doesn't think a right ankle injury he suffered in Sunday's Pro Bowl is serious. "I got my ankle rolled up, but it is nothing. I feel fine," Long wrote on his Dolphins postcard from Hawaii, which is published on the team's Web site. Long, who was added to the Pro Bowl squad as a replacement for injured Bills tackle Jason Peters, hurt the same ankle during a November loss to the Patriots but didn't miss a start the rest of the season. Replays showed the NFC's DeMarcus Ware rolling over Long's ankle during pass protection late in the second half. At the time, Long was playing right tackle for the AFC, which lost 30-21. He did not return to the game."
November 28
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
After taking Wednesday's practice off to rehabilitate a sprained right ankle, Dolphins rookie left tackle Jake Long was back on the field today working in team drills. Long, who sprained the ankle during the third quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Patriots, seems on track to play Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. "It says an awful lot about his toughness,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Wednesday about Long returning in the fourth quarter Sunday. "What's nice to see is things weren't going our way and you had a young player you think an awful lot about trying to find a way to get back into that game instead of trying to find ways to get out of the game.'' Curiously, backup tackle ..."
October 12
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
The praise is glowing. Jake Long says Texans defensive end Mario Williams is strong and fast, and stops just short of admitting Williams is the best thing since sliced bread. Williams loves Long's big frame and his footwork and predicts the Dolphins' rookie left tackle will be an elite offensive lineman in the NFL. And on and on. Come 1 p.m. today, Long and Williams will put the sweet talk aside and spend four hours shoving, pushing and punching one another in a rare battle of NFL No. 1 picks going head-to-head on just about every snap. Going back three decades, this type of matchup has only occurred three times. Those games featured 1997 No. 1 pick Orlando Pace twice taking on Bruce ..."
September 8
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Ethan J. Skolnick
"
The Dolphins' prized investment shook his head in dismay. GM Jeff Ireland cupped the back of that head and offered encouraging words. Words spoken in the other locker room should encourage Dolphins fans. "Man, he's going to be a hell of a player," Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said of Jake Long. No, Long didn't excel in his debut. The No. 1 overall pick committed two penalties, one for tripping and one for holding. He was beaten a handful of times, leading to pressure on Chad Pennington. It was unclear how much responsibility he bore for Pace's sack; Pace went unblocked after Long slid inside. Long called the penalties "uncharacteristic," and felt the line picked up blitzes better as the ..."