Miami Dolphins – Ronnie Brown injury
The Dolphins season nearly came to an end earlier today.
With a visit to rapidly-improving Carolina up next, the Dolphins have some major problems, beginning with key injuries and a penchant for fourth-quarter collapses.
Rookie Kory Sperry, who was promoted Saturday from the practice squad, was one of the surprises of the day (three catches, 31 yards, 1 TD).
The Dolphins didn’t seem to miss LB Joey Porter much, either.
On the second one, Henne threw Bess open while the defender’s back was turned, a quality coach Tony Sparano praised in Drew Brees a few weeks back.
Henne also threw a bad interception to set up the Bucs’ go-ahead score with 1:14 to go, putting a wilting defense back on the field.
But Ricky and Ronnie had established a nice balance. After all, this was Williams’ first 20-carry day since the final game of the 2005 season.Can he keep it up the pace without Brown in the mix and Pat Cobbs out for the season with a knee injury?
1. Running back Lex Hilliard is likely to get his chance this week. But with no carries this season, will Hilliard be ready?
The Carolina defense should remember Hilliard. During the preseason he had a game-high 52 yards rushing against the Panthers, including a 39-yard burst down the sidelines.
Miami will need a strong running game against Carolina, whose own running game entered this week’s games leading the NFC in rushing. Just as Brown and Ricky Williams were a great 1-2 punch, Hilliard and Williams make for a tandem that could pound away at a Carolina run defense, which was ranked 23rd entering the weekend.
2. Linebacker Charlie Anderson made a bigger impact than Joey Porter has all season. But Anderson’s inconsistency, not his talent, has held him back.
{Anderson stepped in for Porter and had one of his best games in two seasons as a Dolphin, with five solo tackles, including a sack, and two forced fumbles.
Anderson, a sixth-year pro, showed big-time flashes a few times a season ago, highlighted by his performance in Toronto against Buffalo (four solos, a sack, two FFs). He followed it with nice outing against San Francisco, including a key sack late in the game.
Anderson has the size (6-4, 250) and speed few, if any, Dolphins can match off the edge. But he disappears too often and makes mental errors.
3. Kicker Dan Carpenter answered the challenge of training camp nemesis Connor Barth.
Barth did his job, and the team released him.
But the move made sense, given Carpenter had proven himself to be a consistent and clutch kicker for Miami as a rookie in 2008.
george said,
November 30, 2009 @ 8:37 pm
i really want to be part of t in the park festival next year, but the t in the park tickets 2010 are pretty expensive.. so i don’t know if i could allow to buy them