Otherworldly offensive play-calling highlights Dolphins win

By Hugo Guzman  |   Sunday, September 21, 2008  |  Comments( 15 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins were calling plays that seemed more suited for college football than the NFL on Sunday. Nevertheless, offensive coordinator Dan Henning apparently knew what he was doing when he decided to introduce his unorthodox play-calling against the New England Patriots.

Henning’s use of the direct snap to Ronnie Brown worked wonders for what had been an extremely ineffective Dolphins offense. Brown, who somehow outshone signal-caller Chad Pennington despite his sterling 17-of-20 passing performance, brutalized the Patriots' defense for five touchdowns and was literally unstoppable when lining up as quarterback.

Brown scored twice in goal-line situations, once on a 62-yard jaunt and on a terrific 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano. Brown also handed off to Ricky Williams on two occasions, one of which led to Williams' biggest ground gain of the day, a 28-yard sweep to the left side. Williams finished with an impressive stat line, totaling 119 yards (98 rushing, 21 receiving) on 18 touches against the Pats.

Still, Sunday belonged to Brown. The fourth-year pro had a career day while offering up his best LaDainian Tomlinson impersonation, rushing for 113 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries, catching one pass for 9 yards and throwing the aforementioned 19-yard scoring strike. And perhaps most amazing is the fact that Brown is still less than a year removed from ACL reconstructive surgery. It seems that Brown’s coming-out party reaffirmed the Pro Bowl potential that the former Auburn standout flashed in 2007. That said, Brown must continue to produce on a consistent basis in order to remove any lingering doubts about his status as a franchise-caliber back.

In any case, the Dolphins came away from their Week 3 win with literally dozens of reasons for optimism, from the defensive front seven’s relentless pressure to the impressive play of the wide receivers and tight ends. Moreover, they snapped AFC East rival New England's 21-game regular-season winning streak and handed the Matt Cassel-led Pats their worst loss in Gillette Stadium's short history.

But perhaps the most promising prospect for the future is Henning’s incredibly creative offensive game plan that included a healthy dose of the no-huddle to go along with oodles of interesting formations. The veteran offensive coordinator did the right thing by crediting quarterbacks coach David Lee with introducing the "Wildcat" formation, but it was Henning's ability to adjust his traditionally conservative game plan that led to this unorthodox and unexpected victory.

At 1-2, with a stunning blowout win under their belts, the Dolphins are all of a sudden looking at what appears to be a near-limitless offensive horizon. That only serves to further reinforce an old adage: "That's why they play the game.”
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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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