Dallas to challenge Dolphins offense
BY ARMANDO SALGUERO
MiamiHerald.com
The Dolphins' offense struggled in its opener against the Redskins, such as this overthrown pass to wide receiver Chris Chambers.The Dolphins have a new coach and a new offensive system and new ways of doing things so it has become something of an accepted truth when Cam Cameron says the offense is ''a work in progress'' and the unit ''has to grow'' before the team can actually average more than one touchdown a game.
I was kind of buying the idea for a while because it makes perfect sense that getting 11 individuals to read from the same page of the playbook in unison is practically impossible early in the season and we certainly shouldn't be asking the offense-challenged Dolphins to do the impossible.
Except playing well and scoring points with a new system isn't really impossible.
I present the Dallas Cowboys.
This week's opponent comes to Miami with new coach Wade Phillips still trying to feel comfortable rooting for a team with a Dallas star instead of a San Diego thunderbolt on the helmet. The Cowboys visit with young quarterback Tony Romo working under new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett for the first time.
And the Cowboys nonetheless come to town with the NFL's top-ranked offense in tow.
That's top-ranked as in No. 1, as in 45 points good against the Giants in the season-opener, as in having scored six touchdowns in one game.
How long will it take the Dolphins to score six touchdowns this season?
Anyway, the Cowboys aren't spending this week of preparation talking about growing and working toward progress. They're talking about being in midseason form.
They're talking about the playoffs, which isn't premature if the offense continues to steam roll opponents as it did the Giants.
''You want to be in midseason form any time you go out for the first game of the year,'' said Romo, who threw for a career-high 345 yards in that new Dallas offense.
``That's why you prepare for six months -- to get in that type of form. You want to be playing your best going into the playoffs, because that's when the games are most important. But in the National Football League, I can't imagine Week 1 being any less important than Week 12.''
The Dolphins might learn a valuable lesson here. Seems the team that once upon a time would start seasons without hesitation has sputtered like an old jalopy when the flag has dropped on the past few seasons.
Since 2004, the Dolphins are 5-17 in the months of September and October, no doubt evidence of multiple coaching and system changes and the transitions those require.
But the Cowboys this season were faced with similar challenges the Dolphins faced the past three seasons. And there are no excuses about it coming out of Valley Ranch where the team trains.
''Once you get into the eighth or ninth game everybody knows how good your team is,'' Phillips said. ``But you always want to start up good and keep going.''
The Cowboys, in all fairness, probably have more talent than the Dolphins on offense. But the talent level is not the point. It's the familiarity with the assignment, the ability to execute the playbook that is at issue.
The Dolphins' offense didn't have all those issues resolved in the regular-season opener against Washington.
It scored one touchdown. It had a first-and-goal opportunity at the Washington seven-yard line and didn't score a touchdown. It dropped passes and missed blocks. It provided an album full of plays that, in short, did not help Miami win.
So now Cameron is forced to look at individual snapshots of success instead of the entire ugly album.
''Our blocking unit, and I'm not just talking about the offensive line, there were things done really good inside,'' he said. ``Our running game was probably better than you would think.
``Coming out of the first game I thought we handled the ball pretty well -- [even though] one turnover is one too many.''
Those tiny nuggets of good news speak to tomorrow's possibilities. But if Miami faces playing a game this week, in the present, and in reality right now, the news is not so good.
The receivers that dropped at least three passes?
''Our receivers, if they can stay healthy, they can grow and be a group you have to deal with,'' Cameron said. ``There's some talent there at receiver we like.''
How about the running backs that gained 47 yards, the tight end that also dropped a pass and the offensive line that leaked quarterback pressures?
''Our backs have to grow, we need to get our tight ends more comfortable,'' Cameron said. ``There's room for growth in every area and ultimately these guys have to start playing together.
'The blocking that has to improve. Ultimately we tell them, `You played the preseason, you played a game, now you have to start growing together as a unit.' ''
Now would be a good time for that.
MiamiHerald.com
The Dolphins' offense struggled in its opener against the Redskins, such as this overthrown pass to wide receiver Chris Chambers.The Dolphins have a new coach and a new offensive system and new ways of doing things so it has become something of an accepted truth when Cam Cameron says the offense is ''a work in progress'' and the unit ''has to grow'' before the team can actually average more than one touchdown a game.
I was kind of buying the idea for a while because it makes perfect sense that getting 11 individuals to read from the same page of the playbook in unison is practically impossible early in the season and we certainly shouldn't be asking the offense-challenged Dolphins to do the impossible.
Except playing well and scoring points with a new system isn't really impossible.
I present the Dallas Cowboys.
This week's opponent comes to Miami with new coach Wade Phillips still trying to feel comfortable rooting for a team with a Dallas star instead of a San Diego thunderbolt on the helmet. The Cowboys visit with young quarterback Tony Romo working under new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett for the first time.
And the Cowboys nonetheless come to town with the NFL's top-ranked offense in tow.
That's top-ranked as in No. 1, as in 45 points good against the Giants in the season-opener, as in having scored six touchdowns in one game.
How long will it take the Dolphins to score six touchdowns this season?
Anyway, the Cowboys aren't spending this week of preparation talking about growing and working toward progress. They're talking about being in midseason form.
They're talking about the playoffs, which isn't premature if the offense continues to steam roll opponents as it did the Giants.
''You want to be in midseason form any time you go out for the first game of the year,'' said Romo, who threw for a career-high 345 yards in that new Dallas offense.
``That's why you prepare for six months -- to get in that type of form. You want to be playing your best going into the playoffs, because that's when the games are most important. But in the National Football League, I can't imagine Week 1 being any less important than Week 12.''
The Dolphins might learn a valuable lesson here. Seems the team that once upon a time would start seasons without hesitation has sputtered like an old jalopy when the flag has dropped on the past few seasons.
Since 2004, the Dolphins are 5-17 in the months of September and October, no doubt evidence of multiple coaching and system changes and the transitions those require.
But the Cowboys this season were faced with similar challenges the Dolphins faced the past three seasons. And there are no excuses about it coming out of Valley Ranch where the team trains.
''Once you get into the eighth or ninth game everybody knows how good your team is,'' Phillips said. ``But you always want to start up good and keep going.''
The Cowboys, in all fairness, probably have more talent than the Dolphins on offense. But the talent level is not the point. It's the familiarity with the assignment, the ability to execute the playbook that is at issue.
The Dolphins' offense didn't have all those issues resolved in the regular-season opener against Washington.
It scored one touchdown. It had a first-and-goal opportunity at the Washington seven-yard line and didn't score a touchdown. It dropped passes and missed blocks. It provided an album full of plays that, in short, did not help Miami win.
So now Cameron is forced to look at individual snapshots of success instead of the entire ugly album.
''Our blocking unit, and I'm not just talking about the offensive line, there were things done really good inside,'' he said. ``Our running game was probably better than you would think.
``Coming out of the first game I thought we handled the ball pretty well -- [even though] one turnover is one too many.''
Those tiny nuggets of good news speak to tomorrow's possibilities. But if Miami faces playing a game this week, in the present, and in reality right now, the news is not so good.
The receivers that dropped at least three passes?
''Our receivers, if they can stay healthy, they can grow and be a group you have to deal with,'' Cameron said. ``There's some talent there at receiver we like.''
How about the running backs that gained 47 yards, the tight end that also dropped a pass and the offensive line that leaked quarterback pressures?
''Our backs have to grow, we need to get our tight ends more comfortable,'' Cameron said. ``There's room for growth in every area and ultimately these guys have to start playing together.
'The blocking that has to improve. Ultimately we tell them, `You played the preseason, you played a game, now you have to start growing together as a unit.' ''
Now would be a good time for that.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:42 AM
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