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Mid-Season Report Card |  | ||||||||
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by
Chris Shashaty, Phins.com Columnist Before
I hand out my mid-term grades, I’d be remiss if I didn’t comment briefly on
last weekend’s huge 31-13 win over the previously undefeated Chicago Bears at
Soldier Field. Without
a doubt, this was the biggest win of the Nick Saban era and arguably the
biggest Dolphin win since the 2004 Monday Night victory over the New England
Patriots. I
just have to ask, “Was that really
the Miami Dolphins out there?” Forgive
the question, as it has been so very long since we’ve seen a Dolphin team get
after it the way this bunch did against the Bears. On the road, against what is
arguably the best team in the NFL, when few gave them a prayer of a chance, the
Dolphins came out and dominated in all phases. And,
really, the margin of victory could have easily been 45-13. It was the kind of
performance we had been hoping to see on a regular basis from the start of the
season. It was the type of win that can change the course of a franchise.
Now
it is up to the Dolphins to follow it up. As Saban said in his day after press
conference, “It’s one game”. This
brings us to my 2006 mid-season grades. If I was grading the Dolphins solely on
what we saw last weekend, on one game, I would just write down a big fat “A+”
and end the report right there. Of
course it doesn’t work that way. The previous seven games count, as miserable to
experience as all but one were. There’s
still a half a season to play. If this Dolphin team can build on the big win
over the Bears, 2006 may yet turn out palatably. Here
are my mid-season grades for the 2006 Miami Dolphins. Offensive Line
= C+ A
month ago this grade would have been a flat “F”. Pass pro was a joke and there
was no appreciable running room to be found. Then someone (Hudson Houck? Tim
Davis?) had the brilliant idea to move starting left tackle L.J. Shelton to
right guard and shift Damion McIntosh back to his old spot at left tackle. The
results have been nothing short of an epiphany. Together with the change at
quarterback from Daunte Culpepper to Joey Harrington, the sacks suddenly
stopped coming in torrents and Ronnie Brown has started braking loose. With Halfbacks and
Fullbacks = B+ Most
people don’t realize that Brown is on pace to gain 1,200+ yards this season, this
despite the earlier instability across the offensive line. It will be
interesting to see how Brown fares now that the line is coming together. There’s
no question that Saban made a wise decision in taking him second overall in
last year’s draft. A superior combination of speed and power, he’s the best
offensive player on the team. Brown’s back-up, Sammy Morris, has seen spot duty
since returning from a four game suspension (substance violation). He is a
special teams stand out, as is Travis Minor. Fullback Darian Barnes is a nasty
lead blocker with untapped ability as a receiver. Lee Suggs filled in well for
Morris during his suspension, before being waived. Wide Receivers
= C+ Perhaps
no other Dolphin is a bigger paradox than Chris Chambers. It is maddening to
watch him drop a catchable ball on one play and then beat double coverage for a
touchdown on the next. It is frustrating to see him running wide open on one
play, only to have a pass sail over his head, and then watch him fail to beat
simple one-on-one coverage on the next play. There are many who rail for Chambers
to get more opportunities, while others fail to see the point in continuing to
trust him. As such, I suppose the one word to sum up Chris Chambers as a player
is “inconsistent”. One gets the sense that if Chambers wishes to finish his
career as a Dolphin, to be regarded among the league elite (Terrell Owens,
Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison, et. al.), that he will have to find a way to
consistently play to his ability. Marty Booker is not the dominator he once
was, probably no better than a #3 wide receiver on other teams. Yet he
continues to have a penchant for making long receptions and once again leads
the team in average yards per catch. Did you know that Wes Welker is the
Dolphin leader in receptions and yards, is 6th in the AFC in
receptions, and is 7th in the AFC in punt return average? Is there
anything this amazing player cannot do? Rookie Derek Hagan has been a
contributor on offense and appears to have a bright future. Perhaps no rookie
has improved more since the start of training camp than Marcus Vick. Vick was
promoted to the 53 man roster in mid-October. Cliff Russell was waived. Tight Ends = C Together
with Chambers, Randy McMichael is a poster boy for the team’s inconsistent play
through the first half of the season. To be fair, McMichael has made huge
strides the past two years in improving his blocking. It is his effectiveness
in the passing game as a primary weapon that can no longer be trusted. Drops
and mistakes have been evident in his game now for three years running,
suggesting that this is not something that will go away. He hit rock bottom
against the Green Bay Packers, whiffing two catches that were intercepted, one of
which was returned for a touchdown. It continues to be a mystery as to why
McMichael deserves his $18 million contract. If Nick Saban had it to do all
over again, knowing what he knows now, would he have made the same decision? Justin
Peelle is primarily used as a blocker while Tim Massaquoi has seen very little
action. Jason Rader was recently waived. Quarterbacks =
C- The
ill-fated decision to start the season with Daunte Culpepper may have been the
single biggest factor in derailing the team’s playoff hopes. The preseason was
simply a mirage as he clearly was incapable of protecting himself and, as such,
was hesitant in the pocket. The results were disastrous. By the time Saban
pulled Culpepper from the starting line-up, the Dolphins were already 1-3 and
spiraling out of the playoff picture. Not that the Dolphins have been any
better with Joey Harrington at quarterback from a winning perspective (1-3),
but his quick release and decisiveness have been a key in the improvement of
the offense over the past two games. Against the Bears he played his best game
as a Dolphin. Cleo Lemon looked most impressive in preseason and is currently
second on the depth chart while Culpepper continues to rehab his knee. Defensive Line
= A- The
Dolphins are #4 in the NFL in Total Defense and the defensive line is the
primary reason for that accomplishment. A mostly veteran group led by likely future
Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, they have been the brightest lights in an otherwise
dim season. Linebackers = B+ It
has been another typically awesome year for the great Zach Thomas. He is tied
for 2nd in the NFL with 75 tackles and 5 passes defended, just 2
takedowns short of league leader Cato June. Off the field, you will not find a
player who works are harder and prepares himself better than Zach. Anyone who
does not see Zach as a legitimate future Hall of Fame inductee has been sleepwalking
the past 10 seasons. The Dolphins would be perennial Super Bowl champs if every
player approached the game the way Zach does. Second year man Channing Crowder
is really blossoming into a fine player (63 tackles). He’s still learning and
will only get better as he gains experience. Donnie Spragan has been steady
though unspectacular. Reserves Keith Newman, Keith Adams, and Jim Maxwell are
mostly special teams contributors. The grade for this group would be higher if
they had more than one sack amongst them. Defensive
Backs = C+ Together
with the offensive line, no other group of players has been more maligned than
the defensive backs. Part of the problem has been injury (Travis Daniels), part
of the problem has been the learning curve required of four new starters, and
part of it is simply a lack of talent. Yet I must point out that the Dolphins
have the #4 pass defense in the NFL, to which the DBs deserve partial credit. They
have improved as a group since the start of the season. Will Allen’s speed and
tackling skills have proven him to be a better fit for Saban’s scheme than Sam
Madison was. Andre Goodman has been a good contributor, a clear upgrade over
the departed Reggie Howard. When Daniels has played, he has shown marked
improvement over his rookie campaign. His interception against the Titans
preserved a Dolphin win. Michael Lehan has had some good moments but still
needs to work on his consistency and technique. Eddie Jackson has been a key
contributor on special teams. At safety, Travares Tillman, solid against the
run, has been a bust versus the pass. He was finally benched last week in favor
of Yeremiah Bell. Specialists = B- Donnie
Jones has had a severe fall off from his fine 2005 effort. Whereas he led the
NFL in net punting average this time last season, today he is ranked 27th.
Jones is in the Top 10 in touchbacks (14), which has helped the defense with
better field position. Olindo Mare’s season is one of mixed results. On
kickoffs, he is 2nd in the NFL with 11 touchbacks, an impressive
accomplishment using the K-ball. However, Mare is just is 12 of 19 on FG tries (63%)
and is only 1 for 5 on attempts from 50+ yards. Both numbers are below his
standards. Two of his kicks have been blocked (he has never had more than one
blocked in any given season) and his miss from 51 yards kept the Dolphins from
tying the Jets in the final seconds. Mare did nail a clutch 39 yarder with 3:39
to play to help the Dolphins defeat the Titans. Long snapper John Denney has
been solid in his delivery of the ball and in his blocking. Coaching = C While
much of the heavy lifting required to transform the Dolphins into champions is
done behind the scenes, this grade is based solely
on “on-the-field” performance. Getting the team to play with confidence continues
to be Job #1 for Saban and his staff. The win over the Bears should help
considerably in this regard. Saban has made a number of mistakes in his second
season as head coach, from naming his starting quarterback to casually tossing
a red challenge flag. To his credit, his continued positive attitude towards the
task at hand has kept the team together and focused on giving good effort each
and every week. In fact, the Dolphins have been in every game this year. On
offense, Mike Mularkey’s playcalling has been mostly confusing and ineffective;
he would do well to focus his future game planning around Ronnie Brown as he
did against the Bears. Line boss Hudson Houck struggled with a revolving door
of right guards to build continuity on the line before getting to a combination
the Dolphins could win with. The defensive staff, led by Dom Capers, deserves
credit for building on last season’s progress while covering up talent
shortcomings. However, the decision to bench Tillman should have been made much
earlier and the flip-flopping of Jason Allen from safety to corner and back to
safety again was not well thought out. Special teams coach Keith Armstrong is
having a challenging year, especially with his coverage teams. If not for a
clipping penalty away from the play, Pacman Jones’s return for a touchdown
might very well have cost the Dolphins a win over the Titans. The blocked field
goal at the end of the first half versus Advertisement 
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