Dolphins’ gut-wrenching loss a case of the good, the bad and the ugly

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, September 22, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins have always had a knack for delivering heart-wrenching losses, so Monday Night's loss to the Indianapolis Colts was nothing new. However, the rather lopsided stats - particularly rushing yards and time of possession - made this an especially perplexing defeat. Let's go ahead and walk through some of the goodness, badness, and ugliness that transpired:

The Good:
-The offensive line bounced back nicely, paving large running lanes and protecting Pennington fairly well throughout the night
-Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown 195 yards and 2 touchdowns on 43 carries. Most weeks, that will be a recipe for a win
-Ted Ginn put up No. 1 receiver numbers, catching 11 balls for 108 yards including a half-dozen or so first-down grabs (more on him later...)
-Chad Pennington got back to his efficient ways, making key third-down throws and putting his receivers in a position to make plays downfield (more on that later)
-Sean Smith shut down Pro Bowler wideout Reggie Wayne, holding him to just 3 catches for 37 yards
-Special teams play was surprisingly solid in all phases
-The home crowd at Landshark (aka "Joe Robbie") stadium was extremely loud throughout the game

The Bad:
-For the second straight week, Miami's defense failed to force a turnover (more on that later...)
-Sparano and company made a very Wannstedt-esque decision late in the forth quarter. Facing third-and-6 from deep inside Colts territory, Miami elected to go conservative, having Ronnie Brown dive up the middle to setup an easier field goal. Miami made the field goal to take a 23-20 lead, but fans and media pundits are criticizing the decision, and rightfully so. Pennington was in a groove and should have been given an opportunity to extend the drive and possibly put the game on ice.
-Channing Crowder and Yeremiah Bell were once again exposed in tight end; coverage; this time against Colts tight end Dallas Clark. Miami will have to get creative in order to guard against this weakness as they get set to face their third straight Pro Bowl tight end.

The Ugly:
-Despite putting up solid numbers, Ted Ginn had a very disappointing performance. On two separate occasions, he failed to come up with catchable balls that would have been touchdowns and also had a number of questionable decisions including a play in which he ran out of bounds short of the first down, forcing Miami to run a short-yardage play to gain the extra yard and convert the first down late in the ball game. No. 1 receivers can't do that.

-Free safety Gibril Wilson was abused throughout the night and had several key mistakes that cost the Dolphins points. His missed tackle allowed Dallas Clark to turn a medium gain into an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of the game, and his dropped interception gave the Colts an opportunity to add three points at the end of the half. Miami will very likely need a significant update at this key position.

-Tackling in general was a sore spot for Miami's defense. There were way too many yards gained after initial contact.

-Clock management at the end of the ballgame likely cost Miami a chance at winning the game in the waning seconds. Not sure whose fault it is, but it needs to get corrected.

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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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