Five reasons for optimism after Dolphins’ demoralizing Week 1 loss

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, September 08, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Miami Dolphins
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Sunday was textbook Miami Dolphins; against the New York Jets, they suffered through a demoralizing series of missteps, bad breaks and questionable calls. Still, in the waning moments of the game, Miami found itself within striking distance of the winning touchdown. Sure enough, though, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis’s one-handed interception of a desperation throw by quarterback Chad Pennington ended the Dolphins’ hopes prematurely on third down with five seconds to play.

Any self-respecting fan was forced to trudge away with nauseating taste in his or her mouth and a piercing pain in his or heart heart.

However, there were various reasons for optimism after this Week 1 debacle against the AFC East rival Jets:

1) Ronnie Brown – Less than a year removed from ACL reconstruction, Brown appeared to be in midseason form. The fourth-year pro rushed for 23 yards on six carries to go along three receptions for 28 yards despite seeing limited action. Hopefully for the Dolphins, as his workload increases, so will his level of production.

2) The front seven – Though Miami's run defense was spotty at best, allowing Thomas Jones to rush for 101 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, it was solid in three key third-down situations in the second half. The unit also came up with three sacks, including one by Matt Roth that resulted in a turnover when it appeared that the Jets were on their way in for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter. For Miami fans, it must have been good to see youngsters Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling contribute; after all, they will likely form the nucleus of the team's front seven for years to come.

3) The tight ends – Both Anthony Fasano and David Martin were outstanding; both came away with a touchdown on Sunday. Fasano was clearly Pennington’s favorite target, notching eight receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown (talk about a key offseason acquisition). Martin was equally impressive, securing four catches – several of them in traffic and under duress – for 53 yards and a score. Their importance to the offense was heightened because of the lack of overall production at both the wide receiver and running back positions.

4) Will Allen – Despite an overall lackluster performance by the defensive secondary, Allen continues to be a pillar of consistency. Brett Favre seemed to stay away from Allen’s side after enduring several pass breakups and a near-interception early in the game. Hopefully for the Dolphins, Andre Goodman can approach Allen’s level of play at some point. Also, Michael Lehan’s eventual return should help shore up the position after a rough Week 1 start.

5) No injuries – After enduring an injury-riddled 2007 campaign, the Dolphins came out of Week 1 unscathed. South Florida held its collective breath when it saw Vernon Carey crumple into a heap early in the third quarter. Fortunately, the injury was not severe and Carey missed just one play.

Week 1 Notes
• Time of Possession: New York 31:01 – Miami 28:59
• Turnovers: New York 1 (fumble) – Miami 1 (interception)
• Sacks: New York 4 - Miami 3
• Third-down Conversions: New York 5 for 13 (38%) – Miami 3 for 13 (23%)
• Penalties: New York 7 for 40 yards – Miami 4 for 59 yards
• Run/Pass Ratio: 43 pass attempts – 17 rush attempts
• Free agent acquisition Ernest Wilford was inactive for the game. The 6-foot-4 receiver might have come in handy on two key red-zone possession that resulted in zero points for the Dolphins.
• First overall draft pick Jake Long committed two penalties – one for tripping and one for holding – in his first NFL start. Both penalties negated first-down scampers by Pennington.
• Ted Ginn Jr. finished the game with just two receptions for 17 yards. That’s not good enough for a No. 1 receiver.
• Ricky Williams finished with only 24 yards on 10 carries to go along with four receptions for 15 yards. That’s not good enough for a starting running back.
• Despite a shaky start, Pennington finished with a respectable stat line. The veteran quarterback completed 26-of-43 pass attempts for 251 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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