Ginn strikes back, leads Fins over Jets

Dolphins wide receiver Ted Ginn responded to his benching with a historic performance, tying an NFL record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a single quarter to lead Miami to a 30-25 win over the rival New York Jets.

Ginn said all the right things after his history-equaling performance, stressing that he "just wanted to make plays" for a team that has had few big ones this season.

Against the Jets, with the momentum seemingly on New York's side after a pair of scoring drives engineered by Mark Sanchez, Ginn made a spectacular rebuttal.

The first TD return was vintage Ginn, as he veered to the sideline and outran every Jet with a chance to bring him down.

But it was the second return that was special, as Ginn made two quick cuts in the hole when it seemed like he was in danger, found the outside again and was off to the races.

Two returns for a total of 201 yards, and those runbacks, coupled with Jason Taylor's 48-yard fumble return for a TD, helped the Dolphins stave of Sanchez and a furious Jets rally.

Miami won despite being outgained 378 yards to 104, their fewest yards ever in a win.

The Dolphins won despite Chad Henne completing 12-of-21 yards for a piddling 112 yards and one TD. The Wildcat was also held in check by the Jets, as the running game was held to a season-low 51 yards.

Henne was even sacked six times, as New York blitzes came at him from seemingly every angle.

But the young quarterback showed his cool, leading his team on the game-clinching TD march after a Sanchez 19-yard scoring toss to Braylon Edwards had cut the lead to 24-19.

Henne connected with tight end Joey Haynos on a key third-down conversion for 15 yards, then hit Haynos with the winning TD pass a few plays later.

It's the second time in three weeks the Dolphins have beaten the Jets, who have lost four of their last five after a 3-0 start.

Miami is now 3-4, with all three wins coming in the AFC East, which bodes well for the next game against the New England Patriots.

The victory overshadowed the continuing defensive breakdowns for the Dolphins, who again weren't able to consistenly pressure the passer in the second half.

Sanchez also riddled the suspect pass defense for 265 yards and two TDs, and Thomas Jones gained 102 yards on the ground.

Ginn was the story, but don't forget, he didn't make a single catch Sunday, as none of the Dolphins wide receivers were particularly effective.

Only two wideouts caught a pass from Henne, with Davone Bess leading the team with four catches -- for a paltry 18 yards.

The Dolphins know they were lucky to get out of the Meadowlands with a win, and there is still a lot to work on as Tom Brady & company loom.

Dolphins Watch has moved to a new home, which you can find by clicking on the following link: http://www.realclearsports.com/blognetwork/dolphins_watch/.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

Is Ted Ginn a bust?

Over the past few days, there has been a firestorm of criticism in Miami surrounding wide receiver Ted Ginn after another lackluster performance agaisnt the New Orleans Saints.

The numbers tell a grim story: Four receptions for 77 yards the past four games, with 53 of them coming on a TD catch against the New York Jets.

He has also dropped several passes, and seemingly shied away from contact.

Against the Saints, Ginn dropped two passes, with one of them a bobble that ended up in the hands of safety Darren Sharper for a 42-yard TD that aided the New Orleans comeback.

It's been that type of effort -- or lack thereof -- that's marked Ginn's career.

And now, with the heat being turned up by the local media, Coach Tony Sparano finally admitted after Wednesday's practice that Ginn has competition for a starting job that once seemed to be his for the next few years.

For the first time all year, Ginn actually shared first-team reps with another receiver.

After two seasons, it's become evident that Ginn is simply a speed receiver, a straight-line runner who does not like to go across the middle or take punishment. Add to that his propensity for drops, and you have the makings of a bust.

Against the Colts in Week 2, Ginn had his finest day of the year, catching 11 passes for 108 yards. But he also showed why the Dolphins have not been able to rely on him in the clutch, as he let a Chad Pennington potential TD pass bounce off his hands in the end zone late in the game.

If Ginn catches that pass, the Dolphins go ahead 30-27, and force Peyton Manning to rally his Colts with less than a minute to play.

The scrutiny is nothing new to Ginn, who has been under a microscope since he was drafted in 2007.

The old regime of former coach Cam Cameron and general manager Randy Mueller passed on Brady Quinn with the ninth pick (in retrospect probably a good decision) to take the speedy Ginn. In the second round, Cameron gambled on BYU's John Beck, who the Dolphins released this preseason and who is now the third-string quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, making Ginn and Beck possibly the worst first two picks in the last 20 years for Miami.

And that's saying something, considering the Dave Wannstedt-Rick Spielman draft-busting efforts that resulted in the franchise's freefall from perennnial playoff contender to 1-15 in 2007.

But back to Ginn.

His arrival on the Miami sports scene was hardly auspicious, as for the first time I can remember since following the team in 1986, he was actually booed during the introductory press conference in Miami.

That sort of thing just doesn't happen here, where the only person worthy of that kind of sentiment is current Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Usually, a player or coach is given the leeway to fail before the fans respond so lustily.

That moment said two things: One, that the fans were tired of the constant draft fiascos that resulted in the Dolphins missing out on players like Randy Moss and Drew Brees over the last 11 years, and instead getting players like Jamar Fletcher and John Avery.

Also, it didn't say much for what they thought of Ginn, another in a line of Ohio State wide receivers who were long on speed (Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn), but short on toughness.

And Ginn has never been a good fit for the current Sparano-Bill Parcells regime.

Parcells once famously said, "They let you cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries," in response to management selecting Glenn high in the draft over his objections.

Parcells does not believe in drafting skill players high. In fact, in another interview, he was quoted as saying you should never draft a running back with one of your top picks, because history has shown you can find just as good a back later in the draft.

Parcells and Sparano are meat-and-potatoes guys, while Ginn is clearly garnish: Pretty to look at and having lots of style, but ultimately, little substance.

So, with the emergence of fellow Buckeyes receiver and rookie Brian Hartline, who has caught six passes for 121 yards and a TD in the last three games (and was drafted in the fourth round, a spot Parcells would prefer to take a receiver), you could see the writing on the wall.

Now the question is, how does Ginn handle a possible demotion? Does he sulk, or does he work his hardest to regain his former position?

This may be a good thing to have happen to him, to re-ignite his competitive fires and make him into the player Dolphins fans and management hope he can be.

Or, this may prove to be the death-knell to his career here.

Either way, the answer won't be revealed for a few weeks, when we find out just what type of character and resolve Ginn has.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

Dolphins climb back into AFC East race

The Jets-Dolphins rivalry is back, and the nation got a chance to see two up-and-coming football teams play a classic game Monday night.

Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat got the better of the Jets, with Brown scoring a 2-yard touchdown run with six seconds left to give the Fins a 31-27 win that puts them back in the AFC East race.

There were several positives in the performance, and many of them were on offense.

We learned that the Wildcat is not just a "fad," as Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan called it prior to the start of the season.

In recent weeks, the Dolphins have run the Wildcat more and more often, culminating Monday night with 16 snaps out of the formation.

Miami gianed 110 yards in the Wildcat, the most since they unveiled the formation last season at New England, and they averaged 6.9 yards per play.

On the last madcap drive, in which Miami went 70 yards in 13 plays and ate up four minutes and 59 seconds of clock, the Wildcat accounted for 25 yards on four plays.

It has become apparent that the Dolphins, who ran for 158 yards and are the top-rushing team in the NFL, can run on any defense.

Brown gained 74 yards on 21 carries and scored twice, and Ricky Williams added 68 yards on 11 carries.

However, the team suffered a big loss when it was announced that backup running back Patrick Cobbs will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Cobbs is a key contributor to the Wildcat, though he doesn't often run the ball.

His biggest asset is as a blocker. If you watched the highlights, there was Cobbs, clearing space downfield for Williams on a big first down run out of the Wildcat in the first quarter.

He also added a big-play element to the formation. Remember Cobbs' 80-yard TD catch out of the formation last year against the Houston Texans?

Now, preseason star Lex Hilliard be called on to replace Cobbs as the third running back. Ted Ginn will again handle the kickoff return duties, a job Cobbs had taken over this season.

The other revelation was the Dolphins' passing game, which was finally able to stretch the field and make the big plays that had largely been missing this season.

Chad Henne had his best game as a pro, completing 20-of-26 passes for 262 yards and two TDs.

He looked poised in the pocket, and he was accurate and showcased a strong arm.

Henne's most impressive throw was a 53-yard rainbow to Ginn for a TD that gave the Dolphins a 24-20 lead.

Ginn beat triple coverage on that play, and maybe now he will be more of an offensive factor since it's clear Henne has the arm to get him the ball.

But Henne's most important throws came on the game-winning drive.

On 3rd-and-5 from the New York 30-yardline, Henne slid to his left to avoid a seven-man blitz, and delivered a perfect pass to Greg Camarillo for 14 yards and a crucial first down.

Two plays later, facing 3rd-and-10 from the 16, Henne showed good mobility, rolling right and drilling another accurate throw to Camarillo on a comeback route for 12 yards and another first down.

Two not-so-routine passes, both well-executed, and both for big plays that kept the winning drive alive.

The flip side of the offensive fireworks was another poor performance by the defense.

For the first time this season, a team was able to consitently run the ball against Miami, as the Jets pounded the Fins for a season-high 138 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

Thomas Jones scored two TDs, one on a 7-yard run where New York's offensive line completely blew out the Dolphins front.

The pass defense was a little better, holding Mark Sanchez to 12-of-24 passing for 172 yards, but whenever he seemed to need a big play, Sanchez got it.

The Dolphins had practically no pass rush, allowing Sanchez to step up in the pocket for big plays like a 34-yard pass to Braylon Edwards.

Cornerback Will Allen had one of his worst days as a Dolphin, allowing the newly acquired Edwards to pick up 64 yards on five catches and score a TD.

Allen also drew a phantom pass interference call on another play when Edwards had clearly beaten him, but he dropped the potential TD pass.

David Clowney even found a way to get behind the Dolphins defense, as he beat Vontae Davis and Yeremiah Bell for a 53-yard reception that led to Edwards' big catch a few plays later.

The offense is still a work in progress, but the Dolphins have to feel good about it heading into the bye week. The pass defense however, has only slightly improved, ranking 19th in the league.

The Dolphins had just one sack Monday night, and no turnovers forced.

As a team, Miami has only three interceptions, and though the Dolphins rank 10th in the NFL with 12 sacks, half of that total came against woeful Buffalo last week. Miami has only forced six turnovers in five games this season.

That's not enough, and if they can't force offenses into more mistakes, there will be many more high-scoring games like Monday night's affair.

But at 2-3, the Dolphins are alive in the AFC East. And after the bye, they go right back into the fire at home against New Orleans, on the road against these same Jets, then host division-leading New England.

After that stretch, we'll know much more about this team.

(Photo: Yahoo Images)

Dolphins cut Green

Well, this is the initial post on the Dolphins Watch blog, and I hope to provide you with analysis, commentary and observations from this Miami Dolphins season. This is a new and exciting venture, and I hope to make the most of it.

Just by way of introduction, my name is Mario Sarmento and I have been a sports writer for the past nine years, in both print and the Internet. I've covered high school, college and pro sports, with the highlight of my career undoubtedly being when I covered Super Bowl XLI two years ago in Miami between the Colts and the Bears.

As far as this blog goes, I will offer commentary of Dolphins' moves and games during the season, with the occasional interview mixed in. If needed, I'll also comment on some of the larger issues in the NFL, and I'll add notes about fantasy football and anything else I think you might find interesting.

Since there are so many other outlets covering the Dolphins and the NFL, I will try to provide a different spin on the team's coverage, while keeping up with and commenting on any team news.

But, enough about what I plan to do, and let's get down to the big news of the day.

As you've probably read elsewhere, the Dolphins made a surprising move today by releasing cornerback Eric Green, who the team signed as a free agent from Arizona.

According to published reports, Green was likely a victim of being too comfortable on a Tony Sparano-coached team.

Like his mentor, Bill Parcells, Sparano believes being comfortable leads to complacency, and complacency leads to losing football games.

Thus, an early message was sent to any malingerers that anyone is expendable on this team (are you listening, Matt Roth)?

The other message this sends is the Dolphins must be very high on rookie cornerbacks Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, both drafted this year, to have made the move at all.

Smith has played well in training camp, and he had an interception in the Fins' 12-9 win over Jacksonville in the opening preseason game Monday night.

Right now, he is the starter opposite veteran Will Allen. But this is the NFL, where change happens quickly.

Davis struggled against the Jags, picking up three penalties -- two on special teams. But, he is a first round pick who will be given every benefit of the doubt in this battle. Expect it to last right up until the end of preseason.

Also, Green was victimized by Jacksonville backups for three straight completions Monday, which apparently was the continuation of a trend started in training camp.

Still, will the Dolphins only rely on the rookies when they have to face Terrell Owens and Randy Moss in division play? Or will the loss of Green hurt when the Dolphins need veteran savvy in the secondary? The answers to those questions will come starting Sept. 10.

As for Roth, the fifth-year player who was supposed to start at oustide linebacker, there are conflicting reports as to his absence in training camp.

Sparano said he failed the team's first conditioning test due to illness, while his agent Drew Rosenhaus said Roth failed because of a groin injury.

Whatever the reason, Sparano has made it clear the team is moving on without him, and Jason Taylor is now starting at linebacker until further notice.

As for the rest of the team, it looks much improved from the 2008 team that shocked observers by going 11-5 and winning the AFC East for the first time since 2000.

The Dolphins overhauled the secondary in an effort to improve a pass defense that only ranked 25th last year, adding the rookies as well as former Oakland safety Gibril Wilson.

Offensively, Miami acquired new weapons in the form of second round pick Pat White, recruited to run the "WildPat," and rookie receivers Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline.

Add those players to reigning Comeback Player of the Year Chad Pennington, third-year receiver Ted Ginn and fellow wideouts Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess, and the offense should improve on last season's pedestrian average of 21.6 points per game.

The problem is, the team may in fact be better than last year, but the Dolphins could end up with a worse record.

Part of that is due to the strengthened AFC East, with Tom Brady back in New England and T.O. taking his show to Buffalo, as well as the new look New York Jets.

The other part is a brutal schedule that sees the Dolphins face six playoff teams, including three straight to open the season.

But, as we all know, preseason expectations are usually hyperbole. After all, no one expected a playoff year in 2008 after the Dolphins won just one game the previous year.

And, if there's anything we've learned in the NFL, it's that each year there seem to be new teams rising to the top. Look at how Atlanta turned its fortunes around last season, and of course, the Cardinals surprised everyone by making the playoffs and advancing to their first Super Bowl.

So, that means we don't know anything at this point, try as we might to prognosticate. And that's the beauty of sports.

Fantasy angle: The Dolphins have the potential to improve this year, but not from a fantasy football perspective. The Dolphins defense may just be the best bet this season, as Taylor and Cameron Wake should complement Joey Porter nicely in the pass rush, and we've already mentioned the secondary upgrades. Offensively, there are a lot of pedestrian fantasy players, with running back Ronnie Brown being the best of the bunch. He's two years removed from ACL surgery, which means he should be back to his pre-2008 self. But I wouldn't spend higher than a fourth round choice on him, unless you are desperate for running backs. Ginn is another possibility, since he is entering his third season and that's when wideouts typically start to flourish. But if you take him, buy low, as I've already mentioned the other receiving options he must compete with. And remember, Pennington likes to spread the ball around, and he prefers to throw short passes. As a deep target, this is not a good fit for Ginn. Pennington and Camarillo also merit consideration as backups.

Misc: Dan Marino is back, but no, it's not what you think. This is not a Brett Favre unretirement. Marino is being featured in this month's McFarlane SportsPicks NFL Legends collection, a group that includes Barry Sanders, Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Archie Manning, Bart Starr and Joe Montana. McFarlane has been making NFL figures for the last eight years, and they are incredibly realistic. Marino was already featured in the Legends 3 lineup, wearing his home white uniform and looking like he did as a rookie. This version is the older, bulkier Marino from around 1994 or '95, I'd say. He's wearing his road green jersey, and you can see the bulge in his leg from the knee brace. It's a highly accurate figure, and a good buy at $11.99 for the Dolphins fan in your life. You can pick him up at any retail store that sells toys.

Well, that's it for the initial Dolphins Watch. I'll return with more news and notes later.