Dolphins playoff hopes evaporate during 31-14 collapse at Buffalo

(Please join me at 1 p.m. Monday for a live chat to discuss where the Dolphins go from here. Click here to ask a question.) ( Updated with some comments from Tony Sparano on the playcalling and fourth-quarter flop.) ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The Dolphins’ last visit to Ralph Wilson Stadium was a disaster, possibly the low point of the 1-15 season. Quarterback John Beck’s pass-fumble-George Wilson TD might have defined Cam Cameron’s 2007 campaign. Two years later, the Dolphins are going places under Tony Sparano and the Bills are one of the NFL’s moribund franchises with interim coach Perry Fewell at the helm. That’s what makes Sunday’s 31-14 loss hurt a lot worse. The 2007 Dolphins were going nowhere. Now the 2009 Dolphins are going to fall short of the playoffs, courtesy of Chad Henne’s three fourth-quarter interceptions and another fourth-quarter defensive collapse. The Dolphins entered today’s matchup with the Bills just 3-point favorites, so maybe the Las Vegas oddsmakers knew something we don’t. Because it seemed like Buffalo was in shambles, especially on the offensive line where the Bills are switching three positions, moving Kirk Chambers from right guard to right tackle to replace Jonathan Scott, who’s moving to left tackle. The Bills had the same tackles on Oct. 4 when the Dolphins had six sacks, including 2 1/2 each from Jason Taylor and Cam Wake. Injuries also are catching up with the Dolphins. Back-up center Joe Berger will step in for Jake Grove and make his first NFL start in five seasons. It’s Week 12 and three Dolphins are active for their first NFL game: defensive end Ryan Baker, offensive linemen Andrew Hartline and offensive linemen Andrew Gardner. First quarter – Paul Soliai lines up as starting nose tackle, makes first tackle. – On 3rd-and-7, Jason Taylor leaves field in favor of Cam Wake, while Joey Porter stays on the field. Back-up DE Phillip Merling tips the pass, a week after he had sack. – Anthony Fasano-Joey Haynos in two-TE set, fifth time in sixth games Dolphins open in set. – Ricky Williams first carry 11 yards on a sweep. When he gets a head of steam, he’s good for a nice gain. Williams had 32 yards on five carries, so what do the coaches do on 1st-and-goal on the 3 … call a pass play out of the Wildcat that is intercepted. Inexcusable call. It was the NFL third pass attempt for Williams, who had not thrown a pass since 2000 with the Saints. “We’ve been working on it for a couple weeks now,” Sparano said. “We just didn’t execute it properly and he made a nice play. Monday morning quarterback will second-guess that one. “It was a play that I approved and we didn’t execute it.” – LB Charlie Anderson replaces Joey Porter on the second defensive series, Quentin Moses getting some work, too, w/ Matt Roth gone. – Back-up DE Tony McDaniel’s first sack for the Dolphins and first since 2006, when he was a rookie with Jacksonville. – It’s 2nd-and-22 following sack, Dolphins drop seven into coverage, Bills pick up 32 yards on completion to Lee Evans. Why not come after Ryan Fitzpatrick? No harm, a rare miss by Rian Lindell from 44 yards. Dude is 71 percent from beyond 40 yards. Second quarter – Anthony Fasano opens with his second catch of the game, good for 16 yards. He has two catches for 31 yards after sitting out two weeks with hip injury. Fasano’s season-high is 38 yards Oct. 12 against the Jets. – Chad Henne’s pass to Brian Hartline was a big-time play. Henne throws to open spot, Hartline adjusts to ball and makes leaping grab. Hartline now tied for team lead 2 TD catches, twice as many of Ted Ginn Jr. (one), and two times more than Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo, who each has none. – DE Randy Starks now leads the team with 6 1/2 sacks, fourth-most among AFC defensive ends. – Is Dolphins’ offensive coordinator Dan Henning bored or something? Getting nearly 6 yard a pop (13 carries, 79 yards), run an end-around to Ted Ginn Jr. for minus-4. – What was Jason Taylor thinking, blatantly chucking Ryan Fitzpatrick in the head. Turns 21-yard screen pass into 36-yard gain. – How old and slow did Joey Porter look on Fitzpatrick’s 31-yard TD run? Too old and slow to be back for another season. Dolphins’ having containment issues. “They got outside of us, and obviously felt they could get the ball outside of us in some of those situations,” Sparano said. “That’s something that in our defense can’t happen. We’ve gotta set the edge. On a few occasions they outflanked us.” – RB Lex Hilliard just

punishes people at the end of runs. You know Tony Sparano loves it every time. Next, Hilliard just stands up 310-pound DT Marcus Stroud, who was rushing Henne. – Dolphins end up facing 3rd-and-24 following back-to-back 7-yard losses off bad decisions by Chad Henne. Henne threw a screen to blanketed FB Lousaka Polite on first down and then ignored a wide-open Hilliard out of the backfield and suffered a sack. – SS Yeremiah Bell with his first pick since 2005. Gives Dolphins a chance to take the halftime lead with 39 seconds to go. Unfortunately, the first down pass goes right through Ted Ginn’s hands, for drop No. 8 this season. On 4th-and-1, back-up G Nate Garner whistled for hold to cost team chance for FG. This game should not be 7-7. Henne has a 109.8 passer rating, while Fitzpatrick’s is 48.8. Dolphins have 105 rushing yards, 60 more than Bills. Miami’s average drive start is the 35, Buffalo’s is 18. The Wildcat INT is the difference. But Dolphins have a bad habit of letting teams hang around. It’s going to bite them one day. Third quarter – More Bill Parcells rumors are percolating, this one from NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora via ESPN.com’s Tim Graham . Makes sense. It’s evident from today’s performance that Parcells’ $4-million-a-year work is done here. – The Dolphins have a workman-like 11-play drive going and feel compelled to bring in Pat White to hand the ball off to Ricky Williams two times. Brilliant. – Hartline is the best WR on the field so far today, including Lee Evans and T.O. – Correction: Starks shared his sack with Tony McDaniel, who has 1 1/2 sacks today, equaling his career total. – Bills’ makeshift O-line is controlling the line of scrimmage during Buffalo’s first drive of the second half. Bills are answering the Dolphins’ 16-play, 83-yard drive with a 10-play drive of their own …. and it’s no finished yet. Fourth quarter – Bills complete 13-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game. Dolphins answer with five-play drive with one first down. Good time for Brandon Fields to finally hit a good punt, a 52-yarder that ended with Nate Jones flattening Roscoe Parrish, who dropped the ball and got it back immediately. – LB Channing Crowder is having a bad day. A couple of tackles and completely lost in coverage on the 22-yard hookup from Fitzpatrick to TE Shawn Nelson, who was behind Crowder by several yards. – He benefited from good coverage, but Joey Porter now has 3 1/2 sacks in the past two games, 2 1/2 sacks in the first seven games. – Henne had a chance to do something special, but underthrows Ginn and overthrows Hartline. Bills ball following another mediocre punt by Fields. – It’s nice to see Joey Porter celebrate a big play with his teammates. Porter now has 2 1/2 sacks, that’s 2 1/2 chances for him to pat himself on the back. – Lindell makes up for 44-yard miss with career-long 56-yarder. He’s one of the NFL’s best beyond 50 yards (9 for 12 in career). – Nice to see Pat White in the game to run the option with the entire season on the line. – Not sure who Chris Kelsay beat, but he hit Henne as he was throwing, leading to the season-ending INT. – Gotta love T.O., following 51-yard TD, he kicks the ground mocking Porter. – Henne’s day comes to a miserable end, with a second pick, to Donte Whitner, who won a few games against Henne at Ohio State. Henne finishes 17 of 31 for 175 yards, a TD and three picks. Toss in another pick by Ricky Williams and it’s the first 4-INT day of the season for Dolphins. – What isn’t new is the late-game breakdowns by the Dolphins’ defense, which has allowed an NFL-high 134 fourth-quarter points. – The Dolphins were facing a reshuffled O-line, a no-name QB and a team playing out the string with a new coaching hire on the horizon. For the first time under Tony Sparano, the Dolphins lose a game they were supposed to win. The game turned on one play, the Wildcat INT. It will go down as the worst play call and performance under the new regime. Makes you wonder if the Dolphins (5-6) overlooked the Bills (4-7) a bit. “A 5-5 team that’s battling its tail off to become 5-5 prior to that game, you can’t overlook anybody,” Sparano said. “I guess I should have done a better job reminding them what was at stake. We knew everything was at stake when we came in and played this ballgame.”

See more here:
Dolphins playoff hopes evaporate during 31-14 collapse at Buffalo

Leave a comment

Name (required)

E-mail (required)

URI

Your Message