Dolphins’ Peelle turning heads one gutsy play at a time

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, October 30, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Miami Dolphins
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Reserve running back Jesse Chatman and rookie Ted Ginn Jr. absorbed most of the limited praise that was offered up to Miami's sputtering offense on Sunday. Chatman earned it by filling in admirably for an injured Ronnie Brown, while Ginn garnered his accolades by making a nifty grab and notching his first career receiving touchdown.

Meanwhile, perhaps the most impressive outing of the day was offered up by little-known, underappreciated tight end Justin Peelle.

Peelle was clearly quarterback Cleo Lemon's security blanket against the Giants, catching six of Lemon's 17 completions. He finished the day with just 42 yards and failed to find the end zone, but it was the consistency of pass catching coupled with his tenacity after the reception that makes him worthy of notice.

Time and again, Peelle was able to secure the football, make people miss, and break tackles to gain extra yardage. All right, maybe the phrase "make people miss" is a bit much considering that Peelle is not the shiftiest of runners, but the bottom line is that Miami's backup tight end is turning into one of its steadiest offensive contributors.

Interestingly enough, though Peelle is primarily used as a blocker, the six-year pro has managed to snag 17 passes on the season and is tied with counterpart David Martin for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with two.

(At this rate, it will only take four touchdowns to lead the 0-8 Dolphins in receiving scores in 2007. How sad is that?)

Peelle has long been known for his abilities as a capable run and pass blocker. As a matter of fact, it was his skill in the trenches that motivated ex-Dolphins head coach Nick Saban to sign Peelle so that he could counteract the lackluster blocking offered up by former starter Randy McMichael.

Miami's current head coach, Cam Cameron, also saw Peelle as little more than a blocker, which is why he chose to bring the more athletic Martin to start. And who can blame Cameron? After all, Peelle spent his first four NFL seasons in San Diego, so if anyone would know Peelle's capabilities, it would the offensive coordinator (Cameron) who helped mold him into the player he is today.

Cameron's decision to develop former basketball players like All-Pro Antonio Gates and Martin would seem to indicate that the not-so-athletically gifted Peelle might never get a shot to start during this regime. Still, one gets the feeling that if the gritty veteran continues to make plays the way he has through eight games, Cameron could be forced to rethink his theory on what it takes to be a legitimate starting tight end.

Because at that point, fundamentals and competitive fire will often trump finesse.

Keep tabs on underdogs like Justin Peelle and the Miami Dolphins at RealFootball365.com
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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