Green’s Week 2 flop overshadows Dolphins’ lone bright spot

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, September 18, 2007  |  Comments( 3 )

Miami Dolphins
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Some would say that trying to find reasons for optimism in Miami's most recent debacle against the Dallas Cowboys is little more than an exercise in futility. After all, a team that turns the ball over five times, gets gashed both through the ground and air, and bumbles multiple special teams plays seems like the most unlikely of candidates for silver linings.

Some people have pointed to the relatively consistent play of wide receiver Chris Chambers, who has snagged 15 receptions for 201 yards in two contests. But you can't point to a guy who has zero touchdowns as a true standout.

Kicker Jay Feely has also been steady through two contests, converting all four of his field goal attempts and providing that cushion of comfort in the kicking game that had eluded the Dolphins over the past few seasons.

(Dolphin fans must be saying good riddance to Olindo Mare, who has now missed two of three field goal attempts as a member of the New Orleans Saints.)

However, neither Chambers nor Feeley -- both steady but unspectacular performers -- are true reasons for optimism. Upon further analysis, a surprising strong suit for Miami this year has been its pass blocking.

Don't laugh. It's true.

Consider that Trent Green has dropped back to pass 78 times in two games, yet he has only been sacked four times. One of those was on the final play of Sunday's contest when Green was holding the ball and looking for a downfield threat. Also consider that Miami managed to keep Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware in check all afternoon long, keeping him out of the Dolphins' backfield on virtually every offensive play.

Not only did Green stay upright, but he also had plenty of time to scan the field and step into his throws.

Clearly, it didn't do him any good, because he still managed to toss four interceptions on the day. But those errant throws were more a product of Green's inability to keep his passes from sailing and the coaching staff's clear sense of desperation. Why else would a team that is only down by one score throw the ball 22 straight times to end a game?

As was mentioned yesterday, head coach Cam Cameron chose to abandon the running game early in the second half. That came despite the fact that Ronnie Brown was able to pound out 22 yards on four carries and help drive the Dolphins downfield for a quick touchdown that gave them a 13-10 lead with 9:48 left in the third quarter.

And when I say abandon, I mean abandon. Brown's fourth carry of the second half occurred during the second drive of the third quarter, with roughly eight minutes left to play in that period. Miami remained within a score of the Cowboys until roughly the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter, yet Cameron chose to rely on the arm of Green instead of the legs of Brown on every single play from scrimmage. The result was a three-and-out, an interception, and a fumbled snap.

Local radio personalities in Miami (Sid Rosenberg, for instance) will tell you that Cameron avoided Brown because he's not good enough to be utilized. However, that is why he is considered more of a radio personality than an actual sports analyst by most media members.

Perhaps if Miami's rookie head coach would have elected to hand the ball off to Brown -- especially considering he was averaging 5.5 yards per carry early in the second half -- the Dolphins might have been able to grind down a Cowboys defense that has demonstrated an inability to stop the run.

Perhaps if he had chosen to balance the run with the pass, Miami's offensive line would have gotten a chance to prove that it is just as capable of run blocking as it is pass blocking.

In all likelihood, though, there are going to be a lot of "perhaps" scenarios for the 2007 Miami Dolphins.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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