Broncos 18, Dolphins 15 (OT): Tim Tebow Leads Denver Broncos Over Miami Dolphins

The Broncos’ coaching staff, which had made him the starter just two weeks ago, had so little confidence in him that through three quarters, he attempted just eight passes.

But with five minutes left and the Miami Dolphins playing prevent defense, Tebow turned into the player who inspires fans to erect billboards and opposing teams to honor him when he visits, rallying the Broncos to two touchdowns.

And when Denver lined up for the 2-point attempt that would send the game to overtime, it seemed that only the Dolphins had never seen highlights from Tebow’s Heisman Trophy-winning career. They had their defense spread across the field, leaving gaping holes between each player. Tebow took the snap and ran off right tackle, untouched, for the conversion.

From there, the result seemed a fait accompli. The Broncos won, 18-15, on Matt Prater’s 52-yard field goal, giving them their second victory of the season and sinking the Dolphins to 0-6.

After the game, to the delight of a few hundred University of Florida fans left on the field, Tebow came out of the locker room to greet some of his former college teammates. He had led them to a national championship on the same field, when his legend took flight. The Broncos got no greater clarity Sunday about who their quarterback of the future is.

But they do understand now the ineffable quality Tebow seems to summon when things appear bleakest, and why so many people clamor for Tebow to have a chance.

“There’s competitive greatness,” Denver Coach John Fox said. “Not everybody that plays in this league has it. It’s a great quality to have. We have a guy — No. 7 that I work with every day — he had it. He definitely had it.”

Comparing Tebow to the former Broncos great John Elway, who is Denver’s executive vice president for football operations, should delight the Broncos fans who had implored Fox to start Tebow after Kyle Orton faltered in the first month of the season.

But even the way the Broncos played in overtime summed up the difficult and delicate decision that Fox and the Broncos face with Tebow. They have made him the starter now because they must find out if he can be their quarterback of the future.

The concerns that led them to make Orton the starter for opening day, however, seem to be lingering. In overtime, Tebow did not throw a pass, as the Broncos essentially reapplied the training wheels they had left on him for most of the game.

After the game, Fox said bluntly that if Tebow had completed more than three of his first eight passes, maybe Denver would have had him throw more, because the situation became dire.

On the game’s final drive, which started at the Dolphins’ 36 after Denver recovered a fumble, the Broncos had Tebow hand off three times, signaling that they would rather take their chances with a long field-goal attempt from a kicker who had missed two shorter tries earlier in the game.

Other than the victory, the game might have been the worst-case situation for the Broncos. They fear that the Tebow on display for most of the game is the real one, a better runner than passer, and that he may never be the accurate pocket passer they crave. Broncos coaches were clearly spooked when, on the Broncos’ first drive of the game, they used something resembling the spread option that Tebow ran to such great success in college.

But on his first pass, under pressure, he was nearly intercepted. After that, the Broncos (2-4) seemed to travel back to the 1970s, calling for handoff after handoff.

In the first three quarters, Tebow completed 3 of 8 passes for 24 yards and was sacked four times. He looked so bad that it was reasonable to wonder if the Broncos would give him another start.

“As a football player, as an athlete, you can’t lose confidence in yourself — or you’ve lost already,” Tebow said.

In the fourth quarter, he was 10 of 19 for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, and there is no way coaches can ignore his ability to steer a team to victory even if the road there is sometimes ugly. So the Tebow experiment will live on, charming fans, confusing coaches and making everyone else wonder if there might be a place for a very different kind of N.F.L. quarterback.

“I’ve just got to play better in the first three quarters,” Tebow said, “so we don’t have to make that comeback.”

The Broncos would love for it to be that easy.

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Can Matt Moore save the Dolphins?

Steve Mitchell/US PresswireThe Dolphins are hoping unheralded backup QB Matt Moore can spark a turnaround for the 0-4 team.DAVIE, Fla. -- Fifth-year quarterback Matt Moore was all smiles this week. He was relaxed, cracked several jokes with the media and didn't look like a player carrying the weight of the organization on his shoulders.

Moore appears unfazed by the fact that the winless Miami Dolphins (0-4) are turning to him at a crucial time. Head coach Tony Sparano is on the hot seat and needs to win immediately. General manager Jeff Ireland also is being criticized. And players are fighting for their jobs to prevent the team from cleaning house in 2012.

Moore's ability -- or inability -- to solidify Miami's quarterback position will go a long way toward determining the fates of Sparano and Ireland. Moore will make his first start with Miami in place of injured quarterback Chad Henne (shoulder) on "Monday Night Football" against the New York Jets (2-3).

This will be Moore's 14th career start, as he spent time in and out of the lineup with the Carolina Panthers. He is 7-6 as a starter and has thrown for 2,807 yards, 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

"I've been in pretty much every situation you can be in as a quarterback in this league, from the No. 3 to starting and playing when I'm not expected to play," Moore said. "The situation here, yeah, I've been here before. It's unfortunate that Chad (Henne) had to go down. But that's why they got guys that need to step up and fill the role. Like I said, it's not the first time I've done it. There's some familiarity."

The most games Moore started in a season was five in 2009 and 2010. If things go well, Moore will quarterback Miami's final 12 games this season.

Players and coaches have described Moore as a "gamer." He's not the most gifted quarterback, but finds ways to move the offense with his playmaking and mobility. Moore signed a two-year contract with the Dolphins this offseason and can prove he is not just a backup.

"He's somebody that I'm intrigued with," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "I don't think he will ever be a star. But he moves around a lot better than Henne, he's just not nearly as gifted a thrower. Moore is an average or slightly below average passer. He doesn't muscle the ball down the field, but he's not bad there, either. He's a bit of an unknown, because he's never really had a chance. But I'm certainly not ready to dismiss him."

Moore often is a risk-taker, which has helped and hurt him at times. Jets head head coach Rex Ryan recently described Moore as a "gunslinger."

"You can turn on the tape and people can make their assumptions, labels," Moore quipped. "Have I thrown the ball down field? Yeah. Gunslinger, or whatever you want to call it? I don't know. There's only one gunslinger if you ask me, and that's Brett Favre."

Here is the biggest irony of the situation: Moore was 1-4 as a starter last year in Carolina and it helped the Panthers secure rookie sensation Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick.

Could Moore struggle for a second straight year and help Miami land another highly touted quarterback: Stanford's Andrew Luck?

Many Dolphins fans are hoping that's the case. The "Suck for Luck" campaign is in full steam in Miami. The support is waning for this season's Dolphins, and many supporters already consider this a lost season.

Although it's too early to project next year's draft order, Miami is a prime candidate for a top-five pick based on its play in the first four games. Williamson believes Luck would fit in well with the Dolphins.

"By all accounts and from what I've seen of him, he's a very, very special player," Williamson said. "He's ahead of Sam Bradford, or Cam Newton, or any of these recent first-round quarterbacks. He can turn any franchise around, and I think a lot of things are in place with the Dolphins. They have a left tackle, they have a center, they have a No. 1 receiver, and they have a No. 1 running back now. They have a lot of pieces."

The thought of Luck being protected by Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long, throwing to receivers Brandon Marshall, Davon Bess and Brian Hartline, and handing off to up-and-coming running back Daniel Thomas certainly is tantalizing. But for now, Dolphins fans get to see how Moore works with these skill players.

Consider Monday's game the "Desperation Bowl" for both teams. The Dolphins and Jets have combined for seven straight losses.

While the Dolphins are fighting for their jobs, the underachieving Jets are on the brink of imploding. Ryan put a lot of pressure on his team by predicting a Super Bowl victory at the beginning of the season. Now, New York's three-game losing streak has led to finger pointing and bickering in the locker room.

"Everything stinks when you lose," said Ryan, who is still holding onto his Super Bowl guarantee. "The food tastes terrible, beer's warm, everything. It's rotten, when you lose it's absolutely rotten. But there's one way to fix it and that's to win, and when you win, everything is great. So that’s what we’re planning on doing."

The Dolphins enter Monday's game with plenty of confidence. Miami is 3-0 against the Jets at the Meadowlands the past three years. Ryan has never beaten the Dolphins at home and is just 1-3 overall against Miami.

Miami has become an NFL punchline this season and remains just one of three teams without a win. But Moore and the Dolphins can change some of their national perception with a good showing before a national audience.

"That's the best thing about this league: Every week you can wipe out the week before and move on, and kind of get a snowball effect going," Bess said. "We know how hard it is to win in this league. But if we start winning, it can become contagious."

The Dolphins still believe there is hope for them in 2011. But the worst-case scenario isn't bad, either.

If Moore doesn't pan out for the Dolphins, they might still be "in Luck."

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Keys To Dolphins Victory Over Rival Jets In Week 5 Showdown

The Dolphins are coming off of a BYE week that was filled with much drama and controversy over whether head coach Tony Sparano should be fired, or not.

Sparano is still in power in South Beach, and has had an extra week to prepare for the rival New York Jets this week. He has been given new life, another chance to prove himself to owner Stephen Ross. Yet, while it is unlikely that Sparano would get fired after a loss to the Jets, he will likely be on thin ice the rest of the season, and most likely looking for a new job come the off-season.

But that should give him all the more motivation to beat the Jets this week, even though there shouldn’t be a reason to summon up any more motivation than should already be there, seeing the bad blood between these two teams.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall has said that he is looking to start a fight with Jets linebacker Bart Scott, and that Marshall may be kicked out before the end of the second quarter. While the newly dubbed “Monster” is likely all talk, he does need to play with more emotion and make more big plays as well. Without Marshall, this offense simply is not the same.

Believe it or not, Marshall will not be one of the top three factors in the game on Monday night though. Here is why:

3. Give Daniel Thomas The Ball Early And Often:

The Dolphins do not have a problem moving the ball into the redzone, the problem is just scoring. The answer to that problem may just be rookie running back Daniel Thomas, who has not had a chance on a consistent basis to prove that he can be a red-zone threat for the Miami offense. Enough with the corner fades and pound the ball into the endzone, something this team is looking to do.

2. You Can Bend, But Not Break:

Over the years the Dolphins defense has been famous for this, bending but not breaking when the going got tough. This year has been a much different story, with the Dolphins giving up touchdowns on almost every curcial drive they meet. They do not rush the passer on a consistent enough basis, which then allows the quarterback more time to dissect our secondary. Blown coverages and miscommunications only add to the defense woes. For the Dolphins to compete with the Jets this week, they will need to stop the Jets when it counts, and put the pressure on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez is one of the more erratic QB’s in the league, and when pressure is applied, he only becomes more rattled and inconsistent.

1. Can Matt Moore Step Up?

With the season ending injury to starting quarterback Chad Henne, 2nd stringer Matt Moore will likely be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. With this also being his first week as the starter in the Miami offense, it very well could be a shaky game for the new QB1. Moore needs to show why the Dolphins picked him up to compete with Henne. Moore was a gamer in Carolina, and has a history of being a gambler when it came to making plays. With the combination of Moore’s aggressive approach, and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s aggressive offense, all Moore needs to do to keep the job is come out and produce for us, but as well all know, that is easier said than done. The game this week will all depend on whether Moore can direct this team to the victory. If Moore doesn’t show up on Monday night, the Jets “Ground and Pound” offense and defense will eventually overcome Miami.

Final Result: The Dolphins are desperate, looking for their first win of the season still, but the Jets may be even more desperate, clinging to their playoff hopes this early in the season. The Dolphins are a mess right now, and while so are the Jets, New York is still executing better than Miami is, and has better coaching. So I give this one to the Jets, in a heartbreaker, 17-13.

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Get Dolphins RB Thomas in your lineup

NFL.com Staff | Tags: Daniel Thomas, Alfonso Smith, Beanie Wells, Ben Tate, Chris Johnson, Fred Jackson, Jahvid Best, Ken Whisenhunt, Knowshon Moreno, LeGarrette Blount, LeSean McCoy, Maurice Jones-Drew, Michael Turner, Mike Tolbert, Reggie Bush, Ryan Mathews, Willis McGahee

Yesterday we took a look at the surprising WRs who were targeted most in Week 3, and also a glance at some surprising trends that brought us names like Andre Caldwell, Davone Bess and Dane Sanzenbacher (Jim Tressel is smiling somewhere). Today, it’s time to spotlight the RBs and take a look at the “touch leaders” for Week 3.

Most touches (rush + reception) by RBs in Week 3

1. Maurice Jones-Drew – 27.
2. LeSean McCoy – 27.
3. Daniel Thomas – 26.
4. LeGarrette Blount/Ryan Mathews/Willis McGahee – 25.

Yes, the first thing this means is put Thomas in your starting lineup or acquire him in a trade. Reggie Bush is back to the decoy role he had in New Orleans, and Thomas has been given/earned not only the number one job in Miami but also garnered a bigger role in the passing game. Mathews is winning the full-time job in San Diego over Mike Tolbert, which we talked about last week. McGahee? Is this 2008? This job-share in Denver might be more one-sided than it’s let on to be. Knowshon Moreno can’t stay on the field, and McGahee has some fresh legs after a lack of usage the last couple of years. McGahee is a good flex play the next couple of weeks while this trend continues.

OTHER THOUGHTS: Who had more total touches in Week 3 than Ben Tate, Jahvid Best, Fred Jackson, and Chris Johnson? Yup, Alfonso Smith of the Cardinals with 20. Ken Whisenhunt was really impressed by him, and it seems he’s leapfrogged Chester Taylor who was benched after a slow start against Seattle. Grab Smith because you know how Beanie Wells’ health has been throughout his career … Darren Sproles is worth a flex play every week — nine targets Sunday from Drew Brees in the passing game and a TD running. If you’re in a PPR league he’s a must-start … beware Michael Turner. As you get older, you get beat up. When your team isn’t as good as you thought, you’re throwing the football more. Add these up and Turner’s total touches for the season are at 46. Twelve touches a week? Considering MJD leads the way so far in 2011 with 72 through three weeks Turner isn’t what he was. I’d look to deal him and get an upgrade if you could.

– Jason Smith

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Dolphins players call for better practices

Published: September 20th, 2011 | Tags: Jason Taylor, Bill Belichick, Daniel Thomas, Miami Dolphins, Tony Sparano, Yeremiah Bell

After spending last season with the Jets, Jason Taylor‘s seen how a division power prepares for games and believes the Dolphins aren’t doing enough to change the scenery of the AFC East.

Despite a coaching staff perched on a white-hot seat, it took prodding from the 37-year-old defensive end to initiate a change in the winless team’s intensity level during practice. Now in his third stint with Miami, Taylor gathered teammates around him after Sunday’s 23-13 loss to the Texans and vowed to set a new tone before their meeting with the Browns.

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Taylor’s teammates believe the call to arms was long overdue.

“We have to start practicing like it’s the game,” defensive co-captain Yeremiah Bell told The Miami Herald. “We have to do that because, so far, we’ve been playing a lot like we practice.”

Even rookie running back Daniel Thomas has seen issues with how the team’s prepared this season: “We have a lot of mental mistakes in practice, and sometimes it carries on into the game so that’s something we have to work on.”

“It’s going to be a lot more intense this week,” Bell said. “Everybody realizes our game needs to go up a level. Everybody understands that because what we’re doing is not getting it done so far.”

If you’re a fan of the Miami Dolphins, at the very least you’d relish some assurance that your team — if not as talented as the Jets and Pats (and perhaps the upstart Bills) — is not being outworked. The Patriot Way is not a complete mystery to Tony Sparano, considering he and Bill Belichick are both apples off the Bill Parcells tree. When players go public with their displeasure around game preparation, it’s a sign they’ve taken matters — and their careers — into their own hands.

Dolphins coaches are on the spot to re-organize and right a ship that looks ready to crumble in coastal waters if change does not come quick.

– Marc Sessler

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ESPN’s Schlereth right on in his criticism of Dolphins

After Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Bears on national television, ESPN analyst and former Pro-Bowl guard Mark Schlereth had some choice criticism for the Dolphins coaches. Not only are the fans getting more and more impatient with the Dolphins offensive play-calls, but it seems that more and more people are starting to pay attention to Miami’s flaws now.

“I just think it’s inexcusable. That is an awful job by that coaching staff.”

That’s an an awful job by that coaching staff regardless. Their best 11 guys are when they get into their Wildcat formation, no disrespect to Tyler Thigpen. They got into the Wildcat exactly zero times [on Thursday night], they did not run the ball at all [on Thursday night]. … I’ve heard excuses coming out of Miami, I’ve heard people talking about, ‘You know, We have a beat-up offensive line.’ All the more reason that you run the football. Let me tell you something, pass protection in this league is 10 times harder than run blocking: assignment-wise, picking up blitz, all those different things.

“With young guys and guys who don’t have a lot of experience, much harder than it is to run the football. So don’t give me this baloney about Oh, we had guys injured, so we’re gonna drop back and throw it. That’s garbage. Absolute garbage. The coaching staff for the Miami Dolphins ought to be embarrassed. As a former offensive lineman, when I watch that, what they put on the field, it makes me angry, because I know how hard it is to go out there and pass protect when you’ve got guys like the Chicago Bears defense breathing down your neck.

“Your job as a defense is to make that offense one-dimensional. Miami walked out of the locker room one-dimensional, they did that for the Bears. Now, the Bears, on the flip side, made them zero-dimensional, because once [the Dolphins] became one dimensional, they were just rushing the passer. And then I would see things like ‘We’re running play-action.’ Hey, yeah, that will getcha. Right? That will get the Bears. Run some play-action. You ran it four times in the first half. Run a couple play-actions, that’ll fool them.”

Finally someone else has decided to take notice to the awful play-calling that Dan Henning likes to call a gameplan. This kind of stuff has been going on all season, and I believe of which was the chief reason why young quarterback Chad Henne had such an average performance all throughout the season, because of Henning’s gameplan.

Schlereth’s comments focus on the downfall of the Dolphins high-octane rushing attack, which only had seven carries on Thursday night, but it is so much more than that, and more coaches than just Henning are responsible for the mediocre play of the offense. Quarterbacks coach David Lee. Head coach Tony Sparano. Henning. General manager Jeff Ireland. Those are just some of the people that should be splitting the blame for the offenses play this year.

David Lee:

With Lee being the one who oversees all that goes on with the production of the quarterbacks, it is his responsibility alone to develop Chad Henne into the quarterback that we all know he can be. So in turn it is Lee alone who is at fault for Henne’s lack of performance this year. We have all unfortunately witnessed the clutch performances (and sometimes very lucky performances) by New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, and most of that production and development can not only be attributed to their offensive coordinator, but to their quarterbacks coach as well. While Henne can still become a solid, if not elite quarterback for the Dolphins, if he does not, with all of the physical skills that he possesses, it will be partial fault of Lee’s if Henne if Miami has to go in a different direction in the next two seasons.

Dan Henning:

We all know the problems with the Dolphins offense. Whether it is the lack of a  ground game, only a year after finishing fourth in the league in rushing, or the questionable offensive calls on third down, we all know Henning should be gone after this season. The team has also witnessed the steady decline in the Wildcat formation, which features the Dolphins best 11 men on the field all at once. But now because of the lack of an offensive line, the team has all but abandoned that formation. So Henning has chose to put the game in the hands of his quarterback, with letting him pass the ball between 30-40 times per game, while only calling dink and dunk plays most of the time. Sure, there is the occasional deep ball, but the fact of the matter is that the Dolphins offense is built to be the kind that can make big plays, but with all of the poor offensive play-calling, the offense is instead focusing on running slants and screens that get stuffed almost everytime. While Lee could be one of the main reason for the lack of production from Henne, it is Henning that is the main reason for the lack of production from the whole offense.

Tony Sparano:

While I love Sparano’s motivational tactics, and his emotion and love for the game, he just is not a good X’s and O’s type of guy. He has shown that over the years he does not know how to manage the clock, and some of the roster moves do not make sense at all either. This is a guy that is a guru for the offensive line. That was is MO. He came in as an offensive line specialist, and over the three years of his tenure in Miami, the offensive line is no longer a strength of the Dolphins. While Miami is particularly strong in the pass blocking area, the Dolphins offensive line is very poor when it comes to run blocking, and this is the chief reason why the Dolphins only ran the ball 7 times on Thursday. Now that Miami’s line is pretty much devastated with injuries, the blocking has gotten worse and worse, as can be expected. But with a guy like Sparano, you would think that he would know what he is doing when he blows up the whole interior of your line like he did with Miami’s this past off-season. Gone are Justin Smiley, Donald Thomas, and Jake Grove, and in are Richie Incognito, John Jerry, and Joe Berger. This year’s line has nothing on last years offensive line. Plain and simple. The running game has deteriorated because of this factor, and causally the Dolphins offense has declined as well. While it may not be Sparano’s fault completely, he has a say in who comes onto the roster and who stays, and in the offensive line’s terms, the responsibility lies in his hands.

Jeff Ireland:

While Sparano is not completely responsible for who goes on and off the roster, Ireland is. Ireland is the guy who brought in all of the off-season acquisitions, and Ireland is the one responsible for helping destroy the offensive line, and repeatedly destroying the bottom end of the Dolphins roster. The failures of the Dolphins special teams comes from the lack of chemistry of the special teams unit, which was mostly composed of the bottom end of the 53 man roster, can be attributed to this. The continued high round draft failures such as Pat White, Patrick Turner, Chad Henne possibly, the whiffs in free agency of Jake Grove, the failure to lure in players such as Ryan Clark, Calvin Pace and Antrel Rolle really makes me wonder about this regime, and coaching staff. Ireland has a direct role in every roster move that is made, so one has to wonder now that since he is in his third year running the team, why it is still such a disappointment? The team came into the season with such high aspirations, only to crap the bed with mediocre play by multiple units of their roster, all guys that Ireland brought in. So if the team fails to make the playoffs this year and next year, would Ireland ’s tenure be labeled as a failure or not?

The bottomline is that the Dolphins have plenty more problems to worry about right now besides all of the injuries that are taking place. Until the Dolphins get some change in their coaching staff, I won’t expect anything out of this team. After all, how can you expect your team to be one of the best when your coaches aren’t some of the best?

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Dolphins’ Procter helped off after knee injury

Published: November 18th, 2010 | | Tags: Miami Dolphins, Richie Incognito, Cory Procter, Week 11 injuries 2010, Pat McQuistan

Dolphins center Cory Procter was helped off the field during the first quarter of Thursday night’s game against the Bears, a tough blow for a team already battling injuries along the offensive line.

Procter injured his left leg while running downfield on a screen pass, although he wasn’t touched on the play. His left leg simply gave out, and he was in immediate pain as he was down on the turf. Procter wasn’t able to put much weight on the leg as he was helped off.

Procter was soon carted off the sideline with his left knee in a brace. He is questionable to return with a knee injury.

Procter was in the lineup at center replacing Joe Berger, who is out with a knee injury. Pat McQuistan came in to play left guard, with guard Richie Incognito sliding over to center. With Tyler Thigpen making his first start of the season, the combination of a new quarterback and the third-string center could be an issue for the Dolphins.

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Dolphins WR Marshall injures hamstring

Published: November 18th, 2010 | | Tags: Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins, Week 11 injuries

Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall injured his hamstring on the Dolphins’ final drive of the first half against the Bears. He is questionable to return.

With time winding down in the second quarter, Marshall caught a pass from Tyler Thigpen, ran across the middle and tried a spin move, at which point he fell to the ground and grabbed the back of his leg.

Marshall had three catches for 41 yards before leaving the game.

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Simply Miserable; Dolphins do nothing right in 16-0 loss to Da-Bears

Wow. Just wow. The Dolphins did just about everything wrong Thursday night vs the Bears. I guess you could chalk this loss up to three things; too many injuries, too little rest, and just poor play.

The game started off with the Dolphins just not getting the breaks that they needed to get some points on the board, or gain any momentum at all during the first half. Then, slowly but surely the wheels started falling off the bus.

Tyler Thigpen couldn’t get a drive going. Cory Procter got hurt, and Miami was forced to move their starting left guard, Richie Incognito, to center. Pat McQuistan came in in the place of Incognito at left guard.

The defense couldn’t get off the field. Benny Sapp and Al Harris were getting burnt in coverage all night long. Yes, Sapp had an interception, but he also got torched mutliple times.

Just when the situation seemed that it could not get any worse, Brandon Marshall self-distructs. First he drops a pass, then commits a taunting penalty for tossing a ball to Jay Cutler, then drops another ball. Marshall’s night culminates in him leaving the game late in the first half, and not returning due to a hamstring injury.

It was just one of those nights for the Dolphins. The lone bright spot was the performance of Cameron Wake, who finished with a sack, a forced fumble and five tackles. His trip to the Pro-Bowl should be sealed after he dominated the Bears offensive line. Wake single-handidly forced the Bears offensive line into a couple holding penalties, and what should have been many more also.

What seemed to be the theme of the night for me was really the lack of play makers that we had tonight. Our hired guns, Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby, had little to not impact tonight. The usual suspects, Davone Bess, Jake Long, Vontae Davis, and Sean Smith all had little to no impact on the game. While Jake Long was injured, he allowed three sacks by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers.

Thigpen was just completely ineffective as well. Whether it was errant passes, miscommunications, or just plain bad decisions, “Thiggy” showed that he clearly is not ready to be this teams quarterback. He has a couple more games to prove himself to this regime, but right now, based on what he has shown me tonight, he is not anywhere close to getting a new contract with this team after this year. If anything his performance is pushing Jeff Ireland to examine the first round quarterbacks a little more closely now.

While on the topic of offense, well, they did very little to help out their defense, who put in a rather proud effort for what their offense gave them. The offense failed to put any points on the board at home for only the second time in 40 seasons. When your running backs only combine for 7 carries for 12 yards, it is hard to place the outcome on the game on your 3rd-string quarterback.

The offense did not look prepared to go out for this game. They looked more worried dealing with their injuries than they did with their gameplan, which sums up the story of our season. The Dolphins time and time again cannot get their running attack going, and have to rely on their quarterback, and in this situation, putting the game in Thigpen’s hands was simply setting themselves up for failure.

I have to admit that I was excited about this game, and the opportunity it presented. Thigpen was getting a shot, and we all were getting a glimpse at what he brought to this team. The Bears have been somewhat inconsistent all season long, and I for one thought the Dolphins would be able to come in and at least contend with the Bears.

This was not the case though. While the defense gave it there all, the offense let their other unit down. The defense was on the field for 37:51, while the Miami offense only held the ball for 22:09. Ball control will now be the main problem for the Dolphins for the rest of the year, and simply, it has been for us all season. Last year we could turn to our running game to eat away at the clock, and this year our rushing attack never got going, and we do not have that go to ground game to keep the opposing team off of the field.

Going into the season I thought the Dolphins only had a few spots that needed filling after this year, but this season has only raised more questions than answering questions.

Miami now has a 10 day layoff before they travel to Oakland to face off against the Raiders. At this point the Dolphins would need to win out, and get some help to make the playoffs. Hey, I’ve seen crazier things happen, but after the 16-0 shutout the Bears handed us tonight, it’s hard to believe in the guys that we have playing right now.

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Bears Blank Battered Dolphins, 16-0

Forte Registered 97 Yards Rushing, 1 TD

“The way the defense is playing, we didn’t have to do much.”

-Matt Forte

The Bears took advantage of an injury-plagued Dolphin offense to record their first shutout since their Super Bowl season of 2006. The Bears 16-0 pounding of the Dolphins was a thing of beauty for folks in Chicago. The Bears…

Allowed only 187 total yards, including 39 rushing yards.Recorded 6 sacks, including 3 alone by Julius Peppers, and one each by Urlacher, Melton and Idonije.Held the Dolphins to only 1 of 11 on 3rd down conversions.  Converted 10 of 18 opportunities.Shut out the Dolphins at home for only the 2nd time in 40 years.Time of Possession advantage: 37:51 to 22:09

But the excitement over the victory must be tempered slightly knowing the Dolphins were playing with their 3rd string QB, Tyler Thigpen. Miami’s margin for error grew even smaller when their backup center and #1 wide receiver left the game with injuries in the first half.

But with today’s NFL rules slanted so heavily in favor of the league’s offenses, a shutout of any team is a significant accomplishment.

The defensive performance by Urlacher and Co. told only half the story. The Bears grind-it-out offense held a 38- to 22-minute advantage in time of possession. Matt Forte rushed for 97 yards on 25 carries. And Jay Cutler did his best Kyle Orton impression (circa 2005), going 16 of 25 for 156 yards and one INT.

Robbie Gould kicked 2 first half field goals, then added a 50-yarder in the 3rd period. Later that period, the Bears closed the book on the Dolphins with a 13-play, 7.5-minute, 60-yard drive that ended in a 2-yard Forte TD run.

Before he left the game with an injury, Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall, a former teammate of Jay Cutler in Denver, had some fun with his former QB in the heat of the battle.

After hauling in a first-half catch for a first down on the Chicago sideline, he tossed the ball to a smack-talking Cutler, who just happened to be in the area. The friendly toss resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Marshall.

The 7-3 Bears can now enjoy a few days off. They’ll no doubt sit back and watch the Vikings and Packers battle it out in Minnesota on Sunday to determine whether they’ll have company atop the North Division.

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Dolphins have an ‘in’ with governor’s office

“Hey, Nolan, can your mother reduce our taxes?”

That was one of many requests Miami Dolphins rookie CB Nolan Carroll heard from his teammates last Wednesday, after his mother, Jennifer Carroll, was declared Florida’s new lieutenant governor that morning along with the state’s new governor, Rick Scott.

Carroll was at his mother’s headquarters in Fort Lauderdale the night before until the wee hours of the morning as election results poured in. He then went home to catch up on his sleep before reporting to Dolphins practice.

“It was one of those things that you’ll remember for the rest of your life,” says Nolan of his mother’s election night. Things weren’t actually decided until Wednesday morning when the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Alex Sink, conceded.

“We congratulate Jennifer tremendously,” said Dolphins coach Tony Sparano of her election. “Our players’ families are part of our family here, so we’re really proud of her.”

In light of the fact that Veterans Day is this Thursday, it’s worth noting that Jennifer Carroll spent 21 years in the Navy and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

“She’ll listen to everybody,” says Nolan. “And she‘ll work her hardest to make sure that she satisfies the people.”

One thing she won’t have to work hard on was the request of Nolan’s teammates to reduce taxes — Florida does not have a state income tax.

– Vince Casey

Posted in: Sidelines  

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Here is the Dolphins reaction to their win over the Bengals today courtesy of Jeff Darlington's Miami Minute! It wasn't pretty but I think every Dolfan will take it!! read more

October 31st, 2010 at 08:02 pm

The Miami Dolphins pulled out a close one today! beating the Cincinnati Bengals, 22-14. As a Dolphin fan I cannot remember watching a more frustrating game! The Fins should have had this game won many times. The coaching staff and offensive play calling continues to be a huge concern. This coaching staff seems to be ok with mediocrity "field goals". It got to a point today where I wasn't sure if the Dolphins knew they didn't have to settle for field goals but could actually score touchdowns! That being said the play calling has alot of work to do to get this team to be where it should be. On a positive note the Dolphins Defense played outstanding in crucial times today! They shut down the duo of Ochocinco and Owens in the second half when they needed too read more

October 31st, 2010 at 04:26 pm

Hey Everyone, here is a quick report on the Dolphins and Bengals for this coming Sunday courtesy of The Palm Beach Post. Miami Dolphins Injury Report Out: S Reshad Jones (knee) Questionable: CB Nolan Carroll (ankle), FB Deon Anderson (tricep) Cincinnati Bengals Injury Report Out: DE Jonathan Fanene (hamstring) Doubtful: S Roy Williams (knee) Questionable: HB Brian Leonard (thigh), LB Brandon Johnson (knee), CB Johnathan Joseph (ankle), S Chinedum Ndukwe (knee), CB Morgan Trent (knee) Probable: CB Leon Hall (hamstring), WR Terrell Owens (h read more

October 30th, 2010 at 11:09 am

Now that I have finally put the past in the past, regarding last weeks debacle we can finally focus on this weeks matchup between the Miami Dolphins & the Cincinnati Bengals. Key MatchupsMiami Secondary V.S. Batman & RobinAt 2-4 there hasn't been much the Bengals have done well this year. One thing they have done well is throw the ball. The Bengals possess 2 elite wide receivers in Terrel Owens and Chad Ochocinco. This may turn into a problem for Miami considering their pass defense and secondary continue to be an issue for them. They are doing things to fix this. Sean Smith will most likely start his first game of this season. Smith was the starter opposite Vontae Davis last year, but lost hi read more

October 29th, 2010 at 06:08 pm

Thanks to Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald here is an interview with the Ref after the game as well as some reactions from some of the Miami Dolphins themselves. Watching this video just seals the deal for me! The Dolphins were robbed!!! What do you think? read more

October 24th, 2010 at 07:34 pm

Very Rarely will I blame the officiating for a loss, but this game came down to the officials and they blew it! In the fourth quarter the Steelers ran a play on 3rd and goal, where Rothlisberger kept it for a quarterback sneak and scored a touchdown, or so he thought. Miami challenged the play because they felt that a hit from Chris Clemons forced Rothlisberger to fumble the ball before he scored the touchdown. Miami also felt that they had recovered the ball in the end zone, which would mean the Dolphins would get the ball at their own 20 yard line. This is when things went wrong. The Officials reversed the call saying that Rothlisberger did fumble the ball before he scored, but they said they could not tell who recovered the ball. This meant that they gave the ball back to Pittsburgh on the 1/2 yard line, which led to the eventual read more

October 24th, 2010 at 04:14 pm

Well Phins fans, this was expected, the Miami Dolphins placed Jared Odrick on Injured Reserve today, the weird part is it wasn't because of his previous injury that he suffered week one against the Buffalo Bills. Apparently Odrick broke his foot earlier this week in practice. This is very dissapointing news for any Dolphins fan, Odrick was the first round pick of the Dolphins 28th overall in this years draft. Odrick was expected to be a large part of the Dolphins D-Line this year especially after Philip Merling went down with a season ending injury during training camp this year. The group of D-Linemen that the Dolphins will go with for the rest of the year will be Randy Starks at D-End, Paul Solia at Nose Tackle and Kendall Langford at D-End, with Tony McDaniel and Ryan Baker spelling all three. Lets hope read more

October 22nd, 2010 at 06:45 pm

Recently, The Commissioner of the NFL, Rodger Goodell, sent out a memo to all teams stating that there will now be tougher penalties to players who commit vicious hits. Many players have been outraged about this, mostly defensive players understandably! Here is a recent article featuring the Miami Dolphins very own Channing Crowder from the Huffington Post, Channing Crowder:"They give me a helmet, I'm going to use it." . I totally agree with Crowder and Brian Urlacher in this article, these men chose to play the game of football, they knew there were potential dangers when they started why is it different now. Let me know what you think Phinatic read more

October 21st, 2010 at 10:40 am

Last night Jason La Canfora,of NFL Network reported that Jared Odrick's season may be over. Odrick only played one game this season, that was the season opener agains't Buffalo. Even though it was only one game any Miami Dolphin fan watching the game had to be very impressed and excited about the potential that Jared Odrick showed. Origionally his injury, which was a hairline fracture in his leg was expected to keep him out 2-3 weeks. Odrick returned to practice this week and apparently injured the leg again, which means he is likely done for the year. We are not just waiting on the Dolphins to place him on IR. Here is La Canfora's origional report( Jason La Canfora Blog). One thing this does is give Tony McDaniel a shot at having some more playing time. It also will force the Dolphins to move Randy Starks back to Defensive End and leave the big man Paul Solia starting at nose. Stay tu read more

October 21st, 2010 at 08:38 am

Hello Everyone, this is not strictly Miami Dolphin related news but I thought this news was very important to know. As all football fans know the collective bargaining agreemnet between the NFL and NFLPA is up after this year. This could mean a lockout for the 2011 season if the two sides can't come to an agreement. The NFL Players Association, has launched a website that has become live today! The Website is NFLLOCKOUT.COM, on this website there is a petition to stop a potential NFL Lockout as soon as you go to the site. I realize that this site is very one sided on behalf of the NFLPA, but as a huge fan of the league I would sign any petition to stop a lockout. I am not saying to go to the site nor am I endorsing the site, I just wanted all NFL fans to be aware that it is there. Once again that website is nfllockout.com, check read more

October 20th, 2010 at 11:15 am

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