Dolphins offer mixed results in victory over Bucs

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, August 29, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Miami Dolphins
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In the 17-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Miami Dolphins' first-string offense once again provided mixed results. On the Dolphins opening drive, the offense marched 77 yards down the field with four first downs, and capped off the drive with a Ricky Williams' touchdown run of four yards. On the next seven possessions, the first-string offense gained 109 yards with no points.

Quarterback Gus Frerotte, who started the game, had another lackluster performance finishing 9-of-25 for 103 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. AJ Feeley, on the other hand, is making his case to be the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback. Feeley finished the game 8-of-14 for 90 yards and threw the game winning touchdown, a 36-yard pass to Danny Farmer in the fourth quarter.

Ricky Williams, who was the started the game at running back, had another outstanding performance, rushing for 59 yards on 10 carries and had the game's first touchdown. Rookie running back Ronnie Brown made his long-anticipated NFL debut. On his second carry, Brown had an 11 yard run that got the crowd going. He finished the game rushing for 20 yards on five carries, but also had a fumble on his third carry of the game. Head coach Nick Saban put Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in the backfield at the same time on several occasions. On the first play with that lineup, both players were in a split formation and Williams caught a quick dump pass for eight yards. On another play, with both players in the I-formation, Brown took a hand-off from the fullback position for a four-yard gain.

The Miami Dolphins' starting defense, which played midway through the third quarter, controlled the line of scrimmage for the third game in a row. Pro Bowl defensive end, Jason Taylor, dominated the Bucs' offensive line, exploding into the backfield for two sacks and a forced fumble. Tampa Bay managed only 92 yards and a field goal to end the first half. Rookie linebacker, Channing Crowder, started the game in place of an injured Zach Thomas and had a strong performance. Although Crowder only had two tackles, he was all over the field causing pressure on whoever had the ball. Rookie defensive end, Matt Roth, had an interception on a deflected pass that setup Feeley's game winning touchdown pass.

Overall the Miami Dolphins looked a lot better than their poor outing last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Head coach Nick Saban has a decision to make about the quarterback situation. Gus Frerotte, who has been given the opportunity to be the starter, has not proven that he can lead this team because of several sub-par performances. Whether Feeley is the answer is still a question mark. Although he has had solid outings the last two games, he has also struggled with the first-team. It will be interesting to see who Saban makes the starter for the Dolphins' preseason finale this Thursday versus the Atlanta Falcons. With the regular season just two weeks away, Miami seems to be in a similar position as they were at the beginning of last season, facing a quarterback controversy.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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