Here is a shocker. The Miami Dolphins finally scored more than 30 points this season. It was an offensive explosion for 471 yards that featured two big play touchdowns by running back Ricky Williams and undrafted rookie wide receiver Marlon Moore. Watching Williams gallop 45 yards for a touchdown that sealed the
Miami Dolphins win versus the Oakland Raiders yesterday reminded Banana Republican of a forgotten era of the city's storied football franchise, a time when Ricky ran, ran, ran over opponents with regularity. And still the Dolphins couldn't get past the first round of the playoffs. I'm talking about the Dave
Wannstedt era.
Don't be fooled Dolfans. This team is not getting to the
Super Bowl this year or as long as Tony Sparano is the man in charge.
First, the offense gave up easy scoring opportunities that really would have turned the game into a rout. Like the match against the Steelers earlier this season, the Dolphins got two turnovers against the Raiders early in the first half and came away with three points. The team got lucky by coming alive in the second half and quarterback Chad Henne made his head coach look like an idiot.
Sparano hit the panic button when he benched Henne for Chad Pennington in the Tennessee Titans game a couple of weeks ago. In that game, Sparano likely ended Pennington's career. He is lucky Henne, who also injured in the Titans contest, was able to play this week and prove his coach wrong.
Henne completed 17 of 30 passes for 307 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. The robot QB, as our regular Phins columnist lovingly refers to Henne, is turning into quite the Terminator. He locked in with Davone Bess, who had a sick 111 yards in his return to his hometown.
So savor the win Dolfans because the chances of the Dolphins beating Cleveland at home are about as good as beating Arnold Rothstein at a game of billiards. And there is no way this team is going to beat division rivals New England Patriots and the New York Jets, who face off tonight for AFC East supremacy and the league's best record, in in bitter cold December games, when the Dolphins historically crap out.
