Dolphins’ youngsters shine in 28-7 debacle

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, December 24, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins expectedly fell back down to Earth on Sunday, losing 28-7 in New England, one week after their uplifting overtime victory against the equally inept Baltimore Ravens.

The Patriots jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first half and cruised the rest of the way through. They failed to score any points in the second half, thanks to three Tom Brady turnovers and a fairly half-hearted effort, but the 15-0 team was never in any real danger of giving the game away to the upstart Dolphins.

It had to be frustrating for Miami fans to watch, especially when you consider the Dolphins got inside the New England 5-yard line twice but were unable to come away with any points. On the second of these doomed undertakings, quarterback Cleo Lemon inexplicably failed to touch the pylon despite having what appeared to be a fairly unimpeded path toward the corner of the end zone.

The Dolphins were also victimized by a phantom touchdown reception on which veteran safety Lance Schulters somehow allowed the football to slip right through his outstretched hands and into the waiting arms of receiver Jabar Gaffney, who then proceeded to prance in untouched for a 48-yard score.

Some would say that had those three plays gone differently, the Dolphins would have been in position to possibly steal a road victory from the undefeated Patriots. The reality is, however, that those three plays personify the difference between an elite franchise like New England and a bumbling one like Miami. That is why Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga chose to bring in Bill Parcells last week.

Still, as has been the case in virtually all of Miami's 14 losses, there were plenty of positives to take away from the ballgame.

For starters, a handful of Miami's defensive veterans played well. Veteran linebacker Joey Porter led the charge, coming away with two sacks and a forced fumble. Porter now has 5.5 sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble despite coming off knee surgery just three weeks prior to the start of the regular season and being forced to adjust to a new role under defensive coordinator Dom Capers. If he can stay healthy and continue to produce at this level beyond this season, Porter may end up justifying his hefty free-agent price tag.

Jason Taylor and Vonnie Holliday also earned their keep Sunday. Taylor led the team in tackles with six and notched his 11th sack of the season. Holliday didn't make much impact on the box score, but he was around the ball all game and helped pressure Brady throughout. Nobody knows for sure if either Taylor or Holliday will be around in 2008, but both are proving they still have plenty left in the tank.

Still, Sunday was not really about veterans proving they still belong. It was about youngsters showing that they may have very bright NFL careers on the horizon.

Defensively, second-year safety Jason Allen continued to silence his critics by turning in yet another stellar performance. Though he was beaten by Randy Moss early in the game, Allen was solid throughout, helping to keep Moss in check on deep balls and pulling off an impressive Ronnie Lott impersonation; on that particular play, Allen avoided biting on a Brady pump fake and came away with an athletic interception in the end zone on a deep pass attempt that was intended for Moss.

Offensively, it was once again the Lorenzo Booker show. The rookie running back -- who has been shelved for most of the season -- led the team in rushing with 56 yards on just eight carries and also snagged three receptions for 26 yards. Additionally, he made several defenders look silly with his uncanny, Barry Sanders-like elusiveness.

Further, wide receiver Greg Camarillo managed to find his way into the end zone again. Miami's new slot receiving threat has already doubled Wes Welker's career touchdown total as a Dolphin in just two games.

Now, it's easy to realize Allen has a long way to go before he can reach Lott. And though he is extremely hard to catch, Booker will likely never reach the level of success that Sanders enjoyed. Lastly, Camarillo's exploits have been a surprise in recent weeks, but he is still not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Welker.

Still, it must be reassuring for fans to know that there is a new wave of youthful talent that should help transition this team from the 1-14 debacle that it is today to the championship-contending unit that Parcells is envisioning for the future.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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