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Greg Camarillo finished the day with six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown
Nothing Fluky About This Win
It took one month of football for the Miami Dolphins to win twice as many games as they did a season ago, a remarkable achievement in itself. But what we saw Sunday in a 17-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers was far more significant than merely one more step in a long road.
We saw a team coming together. We saw a confidence that began in New England now become contagious. We saw a belief that these Dolphins are no longer doormats, that they now have the make-up to stay with one of the elite franchises in the league. We saw the value of a first-rate coaching staff.
It is amazing to think how far this football team has come in such a short time. And while it is far too premature to think about long-term goals, it is already evident that this is a football team that has undergone a complete facelift from what we were forced to endure a season ago.
There was nothing fluky about what the Dolphins did to the Chargers. They ran. They passed. They were relentless on defense. And when they had to finish the game, they reeled off four straight first downs to take the final 5:55 off the clock.
This team is taking on the mentality of its coach, hard-nosed, never-say-quit Tony Sparano.
"We're just learning how to win," said Sparano.
And they're having fun doing it.
In two straight games, the Dolphins beat the Patriots and Chargers. How much more impressive do you need to be? Talk about statements. This was undeniable.
Where do you start?
With Chad Pennington, who has now put together two stellar games in a row, clearly the best play this franchise has seen from a quarterback since the guy's name was Marino? Who could have ever imagined that the New York Jets, of all people, would have delivered a gift of this magnitude to one of their most hated rivals.
With Ronnie Brown, who remarkably has now completely recovered from a serious knee injury in less than a year, who has all the tools to remain among the top backs in the league and who clearly outperformed LaDainian Tomlinson? And who could have predicted that?
With Greg Camarillo, who is looking more and more like Wes Welker, and who has quickly become Pennington's go-to guy? Pennington to Camarillo, as unlikely a combination as a 2-2 start to this season.
With Matt Roth, who has become a force at linebacker, and with Joey Porter playing like he was in his mid-20s, and with Yeremiah Bell giving this franchise the best play at safety it has seen in years? This defense held as potent an offense as you'll find to one touchdown. That's no misprint. And that was Tomlinson, who was stuffed for no gain on a huge fourth-and-goal play from the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
The list of noteworthy accomplishments goes on and on. The Dolphins were penalized one time. When's the last time that happened? This young offensive line is playing like a bunch of veterans. The special teams held San Diego's potent kick returner, Darren Sproles, in check.
And even with all of that, nothing in my mind compares to those last six minutes of the game, when San Diego had to have the ball back, when San Diego knew the Dolphins were going to run the ball up the gut, when San Diego could do nothing to stop them. It was an impressive demonstration of physical football, an impressive demonstration of a team imposing its will.
I'd like to tell you I saw all of this coming, that the signs were clear in the summer that this team would rise to such an early-season level. But that is simply not the case. The success we saw in the preseason only offered us an indication that there was potential. We never expected results, not this kind of results.
Then the Dolphins go out and lose to the Jets and Cardinals - especially the way they lost to the Cardinals - and the fear of a repeat of a season ago was more than just a passing thought.
But now we know different. Now we know how well this team can play. Now we know about the "Wildcat" offense and the accuracy of Pennington and the tenacity of Brown and how they have a chance, a real chance, to be the surprise team of this league.
See, the seven-point victory over the Chargers was deceiving. The Dolphins outgained the Chargers 390-202, had more than twice as many first downs (23-10), held the ball for about 13 minutes more. This was as close to a seven-point rout as you'll find. The Dolphins had the best quarterback on the field, the best running back, the best receiver and the best defense.
Imagine that.
So what happens now?
"All this means," said Pennington, "is that we're 2-2. The first quarter of the season is over."
It is imperative that the Dolphins keep that in mind, imperative that they understand that anything less than their best will not suffice in this parity-laden league. They go to Houston next week. The Texans are winless. But they are dangerous and if they Dolphins exhale they will surely lose. They are still in a rebuilding mode and nobody should lose sight of that.
But, even with that being said, relish this moment. Before Tom Brady went down, you could have made the argument that this was the toughest two-game stretch of the season. Even for this early, the Dolphins have already surpassed so many expectations.
Yes, they matter once again. And that may just be their biggest achievement of all.
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