Dolphins continue to display historic ineptitude

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, December 10, 2007  |  Comments( 12 )

Miami Dolphins
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The game was over five minutes into the second quarter.

The Miami Dolphins had just given up their third passing touchdown of the day to Buffalo Bills rookie Trent Edwards -- a third-round quarterback whom the Dolphins' brass passed on during last April's draft in favor of recently benched second-rounder John Beck -- and fell behind 31-7

Considering the Dolphins have yet to score 30 points in any game this season, it was safe to say their chances of winning were nonexistent.

Although Edwards' third scoring strike sealed Miami's fate, it was Ted Ginn Jr.'s muffed fumble that set the tone for the outright buffoonery that ensued. Ginn's error gave Buffalo the ball at Miami's 30 after the defense had just forced the Bills into a three-and-out on the game's opening series. Three plays later, Edwards delivered a 13-yard TD pass to tight end Robert Royal, giving the Bills a 7-0 advantage.

From coach to quarterback to offensive line to defensive secondary and everywhere in between, Miami stumbled, fumbled and bumbled its way to yet another demoralizing defeat, falling 38-17 in Buffalo. The game would have been much uglier were it not for an ill-fated comeback in the third quarter that came to an end on a sequence of plays that personified the Dolphins' season up to this point.

Early in the fourth quarter, with Miami down by just 14 points, Edwards threw into the teeth of the secondary, but Lance Schulters was unable to secure the interception and instead tipped the ball up toward Travis Daniels, who also couldn't come down with the ball. On the very next play, Lee Evans beat Daniels for a 70-yard score to put the game out of reach. Daniels was put on an island against the speedier Evans, and he'll be remembered for giving up that touchdown as opposed to all the other solid plays he made on the day.

In the process of losing their 13th straight game, the Dolphins extinguished several key sparks of fan interest by benching rookie quarterback John Beck and taking another step backward in pass protection.

The offensive line, which had been the team's lone source of consistency in execution, faltered for a second straight game, giving up instantaneous pass pressure and allowing four sacks. Beck, who had given the South Florida faithful something to look forward to on Sundays and is the franchise's first rookie signal-caller since Dan Marino, was pulled late in the first quarter after coughing up a defensive touchdown on one of the most embarrassing plays in recent memory. He essentially had the ball slip out of his hand while during a hurried pass attempt, and it was promptly scooped out of the air and run in for a touchdown by Buffalo's George Wilson.

Head coach Cam Cameron made the questionable decision to pull Beck, and it appeared to pay off when Cleo Lemon completed a 54-yard bomb to Ginn, setting up an impressive 14-yard touchdown run by journeyman Samkon Gado. Unfortunately for Miami, Lemon quickly fell back to earth and threw two ugly interceptions.

Therefore, what the Dolphins have now is a rookie quarterback with an injured ego, a backup passer who has once again proven he is nothing more than that, and a team that is now terribly devoid of bright spots or reasons for optimism. Of course, not to mention a head coach who's decision-making regarding Beck will be questioned ad nauseam.

At this point, based on the recent collapse of the line, Miami has just two true bright spots on offense. Both are rookies. Ginn finally hauled in a deep ball and is beginning to show that he is capable of being a big-play receiver at the NFL level. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Booker is proving to be a prototypical third-down back and a potential game-breaker on an otherwise pedestrian offense. So if Cameron is wise, he will find ways to get Booker more involved, potentially using him as a slot receiver at some point. He should also continue to stretch the field with Ginn as often as possible.

(To be fair, while Miami's offensive line has regressed mightily in terms of pass protection, the unit continues to pave running lanes for any and every back who lines up behind it. Sunday was Gado's turn to benefit from the line's run-blocking prowess; he broke tackles and scored on two eyebrow-raising touchdown runs after being given a clear path to the secondary. Gado also had a nice catch and run early in the third quarter, and he runs the football in a manner that is eerily similar to that of Ronnie Brown.)

Defensively, there are a handful of youngsters who are quietly forming a nucleus for the future. Safety Jason Allen, who led the team in tackles Sunday and continues to resurrect his young career, has been impressive, but tackle Rodrique Wright and cornerbacks Travis Daniels and Michael Lehan are also in the mix.

Even though Miami is 0-13, there are still a few legitimate reasons to believe it can win at least one of its last three games. Additionally, it should be mentioned that Cameron's troops did not quit on him after falling behind by 24 early in the second quarter. Still, the sad fact is that the Dolphins are a terrible football team that is filled with a multitude of question marks on both sides of the ball.

Now, they have just three games left to abort their voyage into NFL infamy.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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CommentsComments: 12  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Johnny		09:00 AM
12/10/2007
OK...I give up!! I am a die hard Phins fan and have been for 15 years but I am over this!! WE SUCK!! I am officially done...
No.2
Eric		09:03 AM
12/10/2007
WOW!! We are terrible and I for one am done with this season. WE STINK like the floundering fish we have become. I have been a...
No.3
Sean		10:49 AM
12/10/2007
Okay, the Dolphins suck this year, we all know that. I have been a fan since Dan Marino was drafted in 83 and am still a fan. By...
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