Dolphins need to hit the ground running

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Monday, September 08, 2008  |  Comments( 6 )

Miami Dolphins
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Losing is never good, but there are definitely some defeats that are more positive than negative. Last season, the Miami Dolphins suffered a lot of bad losses in which they never had a chance to win.

In Sunday’s season opener against Brett Favre and the AFC East rival Jets, the Dolphins -- for the 16th time in 17 games -- once again came out on the short end of the scoreboard, 20-14. Miami was in the game the entire time, however, having an opportunity to win inside the New York red zone in the closing seconds.

There was a lot the Dolphins can take from the game on which to build for the rest of the season. There was also, though, one glaring problem that was the main reason the Dolphins lost – the lack of a running game.

Sometimes a team will try to run the ball, to no avail. Against the Jets, the Dolphins abandoned the run and put the game squarely on the fragile shoulder of new quarterback Chad Pennington, who completed 26-of-43 passes.

Because Miami has a solid one-two RB tandem constructed of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, it was assumed entering Week 1 that the Dolphins were going to attempt to pound the ball on the ground.

Someone forgot to tell offensive coordinator Dan Henning, though, as the Dolphins tried just 17 rushes against the Jets. Many successful NFL teams run the ball more than 17 times in a half, let alone the entire 60 minutes.

In the end, Williams led the Dolphins with a pathetic 24 yards on 10 carries; meanwhile, Brown amassed 23 yards on six runs. In total, the Dolphins added 49 ground yards on 2.9 yards per try; what's more, they accrued just two first downs on rushes.

It was proven Sunday that attempting fewer than 20 team handoffs in a game is a recipe for disaster. The Rams ran the ball 15 times against the Eagles and lost a 38-3 decision, while Cleveland accumulated 18 rushes against Dallas and got crushed, 28-10. Finally, the 15-run Colts took a 29-13 beating from Chicago.

The moral of the story? If you don’t run the ball, you probably aren’t going to win.

The question is: Why did the Dolphins go away from the rushing game and rely solely on Pennington’s right arm? One reason is the Jets' run-stuffing defense. Another is Miami’s porous offensive line, which added to the rushing futility.

For the Dolphins to build on this game and have a chance at a successful season, they are going to have to make huge strides on the ground. Williams and Brown are backs who can pick up big yards; therefore, it's up to Henning to lean on them more and the O-line to clear paths to success.

Miami's next opponent, Arizona, allowed Frank Gore over 90 yards rushing in a Week 1 victory over the 49ers, so the Dolphins have a chance to become a multidimensional offense and have their RBs lead them to a win Sunday.
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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
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CommentsComments: 6  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Joe		01:21 PM
09/09/2008
Even when the run is not going great it is still important to pound the rock. It wears down the opposing linemen and gets the ...
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No.2
RedskinFan21ST		06:52 PM
09/09/2008
Very accurate article. If the Dolphins continue to run the ball as poorly as they did on Sunday, this season is going to look a ...
No.3
JimmyD		07:28 PM
09/09/2008
Joe you hit it right on...Cam lost his job because he abandoned the run when it was working and lost many close games. He also ...
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