Brown and Chambers taking heat from fans

By Hugo Guzman  |   Thursday, September 22, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Miami Dolphins
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Miami Dolphins offensive centerpieces Ronnie Brown and Chris Chambers have been taking a lot of heat from fans and the local media this past week. If you listen to sports talk radio or read the local fish wrappers, you know what I'm talking about.

Today, I actually heard callers to a local talk show refer to Ronnie Brown as a "bust" despite the fact that he has only participated in two NFL games thus far. Chambers status as a #1 or "elite" receiver has been repeatedly questioned by fans and local sports talk and/or print personalities like Dan Le Batard.

In both cases, I think that these two players are being vilified based on unfair comparisons and I am convinced that judgment should be withheld until at least the end of the regular season. Chris Chambers has started off slow but has plenty of time to become a leader for the offense and compile the seemingly magic 1,000-yard plateau that has been deemed the benchmark, or better yet the starting point, for an "elite" NFL receiver. Ronnie Brown has plenty of time to bust out long runs and post 100-yard games, and he will benefit greatly from sharing the backfield with Ricky Williams starting in Week 5.

As for comparisons, Chris Chambers is being compared to NFL superstars like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and Torry Holt. This is not fair for several reasons. First of, not every team can have a top 5 wide receiver. Chambers might never become a top 5 receiver, but he's definitely in the top 15 or so and that ain't bad if consider just how putrid our overall passing attack has been over the past few seasons. He's also got plenty of time to develop even further. Chambers just turned 27 in August. He's still more of a spring chicken then an aging veteran.

Ronnie Brown is being compared to his college running mate Cadillac Williams who just happens to be leading the league in rushing at this point in the season with 277 yards in two games. So what! Just last year, Titans RB Chris Brown was one of the top rushers in the league after two games, compiling 252 yards in his first two NFL starts. Brown ended up getting worn down and injured as the season progressed (like most young NFL backs) before ending the season with 1,067 and six touchdowns. Not bad for a first year starter, but the point is that two games is a not a big enough sample size.

There's no denying that Ronnie Brown has plenty of room for improvement after tallying only 92 yards in his first two NFL games, but then again Corey Dillon has only three more yards (they both have a 2.7 yds per carry average). Does that mean that Dillon is all of a sudden a bust? I don't think so.

Take it easy on Chris Chambers and Ronnie Brown for at least a little while longer. It's just too damn early in the NFL season for complaining.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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