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Too close for comfort
By ALAIN POUPART
Dolphin Digest Associate Editor
Some random thoughts and observations on a day that included some surprises and almost ended with the most unpleasant surprise of all:
The Dolphins sure made this one a lot more exciting that it should have been, didn't they? This game for the longest time looked like an easy, comfortable victory. Yet it came down to Dan Carpenter having to kick a game-winning field goal. This would have been one ridiculously tough loss to swallow.
Make it impossible. As in, season-ender.
The big news before the game was Joey Porter being inactive because of a "coach's decision." Charlie Anderson made sure Porter wouldn't be missed with two sacks and two forced fumbles. Actually, Anderson was so impressive he showed he deserves more playing time regardless of who else is active.
Then there was Cameron Wake, who got another sack. That's 4.5 sacks in nine games for a guy who's had very little playing time. He's another guy who should be on the field more often. Then again, that's not anything we haven't said many times this year.
The Dolphins made Carpenter's kick-winning field goal a chip shot after Ricky Williams ran for 27 yards to the Tampa Bay 7-yard line, but you get the feeling he would have been good from just about anywhere. The guy has been practically automatic this year.
Then again, the guy on the other team wasn't too bad, either. Connor Barth got all the Tampa Bay points in the first three quarters with three field goals of 50 yards or more. We mention this because Barth spent a two-plus weeks in training camp with the Dolphins this summer. He couldn't beat out Carpenter, but it's now apparent that wasn't because he's not a good kicker.
The game started with one notable change in the starting lineup for the Dolphins offense, besides Nate Garner stepping in for the injured Justin Smiley at left guard. After coming off the bench the last two games, Ted Ginn Jr. once again started opposite Greg Camarillo. Maybe that was a sign Ginn has been doing a better job in practice. Or maybe it just had something to do with what the Dolphins were going to run on their first play.
That first play was a bomb to Ginn, but he couldn't make the catch despite getting both hands on the ball. Then came the boos at Land Shark Stadium. The guy clearly has it tough at home.
Then again, he could turn that around by simply making a tough catch on a deep pass. He had another chance against the Bucs, but couldn't keep both feet in bounds after hanging on to a long pass.
The Dolphins wanted to go to Ginn deep on another throw, this one off a flea-flicker, but pressure got to Chad Henne before he could make the attempt. And let's not forget another deep throw where Ginn was well covered by veteran cornerback Ronde Barber and the pass fell incomplete. It's almost like the Dolphins aren't using Ginn for anything these days other than long pass attempts or end-arounds.
The Dolphins' first drive ended in a touchdown, thanks in large part to a 45-yard run by Ronnie Brown out of the Wildcat formation. In the first half, the Dolphins gained 56 yards on four Wildcat plays, so why wasn't it used once in the second half?
From this vantage point, we'll take the Wildcat over Pat White running the spread option anytime.
There's something to be said about an offense being in rhythm, and the Wildcat already disrupts that to some degree. The option brings even more disruption and probably not enough rewards at this point to keep using it.
Davone Bess dropped the Bucs' first punt before recovering the loose ball, continuing a recent slump. That was troubling. But then he came back with a really strong game, including two big catches on the game-winning field goal drive.
That was one strange play late in the first half that ended with Jason Taylor being awarded an interception, but it sure looked like the Dolphins got a gift on that one because Bucs wideout Michael Clayton clearly appeared down with possession before Yeremiah Bell stripped the ball away from hom. Then again, the Dolphins were the victims of a bad call late in the first half at New England (the quick-stopping clock), so guess those even out.
Guess the answer to the Dolphins' lack of production at tight end this season was Kory Sperry all along. Talk about an impressive debut. Touchdown catch, another nice catch on a pass thrown behind him. Where has he been all season?
It was most troubling to see Donald Thomas lying on the ground after a running play in the second quarter. The Dolphins don't have a lot of proven depth behind their very good starting offensive line and really can't afford injuries there.
Rookie third-round pick Patrick Turner finally was active for a game, but it's not good news when the only time you hear his name is after he's called for holding on the second-half kickoff return.
It seemed the game started getting a little sticky in the third quarter after Tampa Bay's Kellen Winslow took a short pass and turned upfield for 37 yards. He finished with over 100 yards in receptions. Yet another tight end giving the Dolphins problems.
Then again, the controversial Winslow also dropped a third-down pass and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after Tampa Bay's last touchdown, so he gave as much as he took.
Since Gibril Wilson has taken so much grief over his tackling, it's only fair to give him kudos for breaking up a long pass down the middle with a big hit on Winslow right after he got his hands on the ball.
That was a costly play late in the third quarter when Ronnie Brown fumbled at the end of a 9-yard run. Not only did the Bucs score six plays after that, Brown sustained an ankle injury on the play and did not return. Why does it always seem Dolphins players get hurt on turnovers?
The Dolphins have to hope the injury won't keep Brown out for long, but if it does, they have the comfort of knowing that Ricky Williams is more than capable of handling a large load. Williams had 102 yards against the Bucs, and either he or Brown would reach triple digits on a regular basis if the Dolphins didn't split carries the way they do.
And that's not even mentioning fullback Lousaka Polite, who's not only a short-yardage specialist but showed a nice burst on a 12-yard gain on a first-and-10 run early in the fourth quarter.
After stopping the Bucs on downs and getting the ball back at their own 22 with 2:04 left, the Dolphins had the chance to clinch the victory on offense. What ensued was one really bad-looking drive.
A false-start penalty on Garner helped put the Dolphins in a third-and-7 from their 25 and they called for Henne to roll out to pass. Let's hope the pass Henne threw was just a matter of inexperience and he'll grow out of those because it was some kind of ugly. It was intercepted by linebacker Quincy Black and might have been picked by cornerback Aqib Talib if it had gotten past Black.
At least Henne redemeed himself after Tampa Bay converted the interception into a touchdown to take a 23-22 lead with 1:14 left. His completions of 25 and 16 yards to Bess were clutch throws and put the Dolphins in field goal range.
Williams' subsequent run just made it easier for the Dolphins to secure a victory they absolutely, positively needed to have. It clearly was no work of art, but at this point nobody is going to worry about style points.
One thing for sure, though, the Dolphins are going to have to play much better Thursday night if they hope to beat Carolina and get back to .500.
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