Battle lines being drawn around Ronnie Brown

By Hugo Guzman  |   Wednesday, September 24, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Miami Dolphins
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Fresh off a five-touchdown performance in a 38-13 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday, Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown is enjoying a stint in the NFL limelight. Back in South Florida, however, the Dolphins' fan base seems to be as divided as ever regarding Brown’s true status and potential for the future. And nowhere was this more evident than in popular fan forums such as finheaven.com and thephins.com.

Initially, the discussion gravitated toward a comparison of Brown and teammate Ricky Williams, and the latter seemed to justify that viewpoint with an impressive preseason campaign. Heading into the regular season, most fans appeared to lean toward Williams as the better option and the superior overall talent.

However, the tide seemed to turn a bit after Williams' lackluster performances in Miami’s Week 1 loss to the New York Jets, with even more fans siding with Brown after the Dolphins' Week 2 debacle in Arizona. Brown was equally as inept as Williams, though his yards per carry were slightly better; for some reason, though, the fan base began shifting its allegiance in the direction of the former Auburn standout.

Up until last Sunday, fans were still pretty much split between Brown and Williams.

And then the “Wildcat” formation made its appearance.

In the aftermath of Brown’s performance, there are still a lot of questions. Not just about whether Brown is equal to or greater than Williams, but more importantly, about Brown’s true NFL stature. Can the No. 2 overall pick from 2005 be considered an elite back, or is he just a flash in the pan who's proved next to nothing in his relatively short pro tenure?

Though some will try, it’s virtually impossible to downplay Brown’s production in his last 10 games. From Week 3 of the 2007 season through Week 3 of the current campaign – including a nine-game recess for ACL reconstructive surgery – Brown has topped the 100-yard rushing mark six times and has scored nine ground touchdowns. He has also found the end zone once as a receiver and even thrown for a score. The icing on the cake was definitely Sunday’s 62-yard touchdown scamper, a play which put to bed any lingering doubts about Brown’s breakaway ability.

Still, as media and fans are quick to point out, Brown has never been able to put in a full 16-game season. He came close in 2005 and '06, appearing in 15 and 13 games, respectively, but coming off an ACL tear, Brown must prove that he has the durability required of truly top-notch NFL backs.

Despite an all-world performance on Sunday, Brown has a long way to go to show that he can be a Pro Bowl-level runner. Moreover, there are still some who believe that Brown isn’t even the best back on his own team, despite Sunday's effort.

In the final analysis, perhaps the best sentiment is one which is shared by most level-headed fans: Arguing about which one of your two solid RBs is better and about whether your 26-year-old starter deserves to be called elite is one of the best problems a 1-2 team can have.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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