Inept offense gave way to defensive fatigue for Miami

By Marc Hudgens  |   Wednesday, September 19, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins ended their game this past Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys on a bad note, losing 37-20 at home, but there were some bright spots in the stats category. For instance, Miami bested Dallas in first downs (21 to 19), passing yards (273 to 186), penalties taken (seven for 57 yards against 11 for 101), and third-down conversion percentage (50 to 36).

On the flip side, Dallas defeated Miami in total yards (352 to 334), rushing yards (166 to 61), turnovers forced (five to zero), and time of possession (35 minutes to 25).

Looking at the numbers, most of them are relatively close. The reason Miami lost goes back to its five turnovers. With four of those in the second half alone, giveaways are clearly what drove the final nail into the Dolphins' coffin.

After reviewing the first half of play, it seemed Miami's problems were two-fold.

First, the offense wasn't producing touchdowns. That was clearly attributed to not letting running backs Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman, particularly the latter, get more touches during that time. First-half stats reflect Brown getting 9 yards off six carries and Chatman accruing 27 yards on three attempts. Put the backs' stats together and you have 36 yards on nine carries, good for an average of 4.0 yards a touch. And, as most know by now, Brown was one of the key cogs in Miami's touchdown drive to open the second half, rushing for 22 yards on four carries.

The Dolphins' second problem was their pass rush, which wasn't nearly as strong as needed. It appeared average early in the game but started to show signs of weakness by the first half's end. Miami's struggles defensively were largely thanks to inept offensive production, which is evidenced by the team's zero touchdowns in the first half. Some more running from the Dolphins would have helped that situation and also staved off defensive fatigue. And a refreshed defense would have possibly stopped the Cowboys' Marion Barber from scoring Dallas' lone touchdown late in the first half.

In the second half, the Dolphins' offense went haywire. As stated above, four of Miami's five turnovers occurred in the final 30 minutes, with two turnovers in the third quarter and two in the fourth. Three of the giveaways were interceptions by quarterback Trent Green, who was terrible. Once again, Miami's defense showed signs of wear in the second half, and the unit can thank its counterpart for that. With Green & Co. unable to stay on the field for long periods of time, the Cowboys shredded the Dolphins in the second half en route to a 30-13 victory.

The more things change with regards to Miami's offense, the more they stay the same. The Dolphins still can't move the ball effectively or hold onto it, and it's clearly hurting the defense.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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