Two Out of Three Ain't Bad! Or is it?

Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Fish Face
MDBW Staff Writer

Sure, I hear all the talk.

Like how this defense has gone from respectable in 2002 to downright menacing in 2003 with the off season action.

It's hard to argue that one. Last year's weaknesses have been tackled head on, like Zach at his violent best. And now on paper the Dolphins have one of the strongest if not the strongest defenses in the NFL. Barring the usual bunch of season ending injuries.

Seau for Rodgers, Buckley for Fletcher and Knight for Freeman. All significant upgrades any way you want to look at it.

And defense wins, right?

And how about that running game? If Ricky runs like he did last year, who cares who's on the O-line? Maybe this year he can break the 2,000 yards barrier with Dixon and the big boys running behind him giving each other high fives.

That's two pieces of the puzzle firmly in place.

Defense and a running game. That's what wins games. Well, that's the old school talking, but wouldn't you know just as we say goodbye to Air Marino, things change on us. And while a grinding, smack 'em in the face running game was the formula for success since time began, now all of a sudden the air game rules. And all we can see is Marino hobbling off into the Florida sunset.

Why couldn't Miami win with Ricky scampering for 200 yards? True the defense imploded a few times, but the real problem was that when we needed to throw the ball to win games we couldn't do it with any level of consistency. After the Denver game it didn't much matter if it was Lucas or Fiedler, the passing game just wasn't there.

So how have we addressed that problem in the off season?

We have replaced Lucas with another quarter back with a penchant for throwing the ball to the other team. Griese has a good name but apart from his second year starting he has yet to live up to it. Probably an upgrade on Lucas but not a significant one. And Fiedler, although possessing a heart the size of Zach's, has yet to show he can threaten good defenses with the deep ball. You almost cringe when he lets the long ball go, and it's a surprise and cause for huge celebration when a Dolphin actually catches it!

The receiving corps? Last year when healthy they were average. They didn't create any great concern for most defenses, certainly not the good ones. And what have we done to add someone else to double team other than Chambers? Derius Thompson, not even a consistent starter for Washington last year, and/or 5th round rookie J.R. Tolver.

Sorry, but that doesn't do it. To win the big one we have to have two legitimate deep threats, and we have to have a quarterback who can get them the ball. Otherwise we have the same old one-dimensional and predictable offence which will get shut down in the big games just like before.

We always seem to be missing a piece or two, but two out of three ain't bad. Or is it? We are so close. Maybe Tolver will be the Chris Chambers of 2003. Maybe Fiedler will finally click with the long one after three years of trying. Maybe the defense won't allow a point all year and Ricky and Olindo will carry the offence on their back and boot respectively.

Maybe, but I'm not lining up in Vegas just yet. Not without three of a kind at least.

Fish Face can be reached by e-mailing fishface@miamidolphinsbahamas.com.