Miami Dolphins talking points: Ricky Williams running like Riggo

By at 27 November, 2009, 6:00 am

Running back Ricky Williams has discovered the fountain of youth with back-to-back 100-yard games. It’s not the first time Dolphins’ offensive coordinator Dan Henning has seen a 30-something running back turn back the clock. After all, Henning coached John Riggins, when he led the Redskins to a Super Bowl win at age 33 and set an NFL record with 24 TDs at age 34. The similarities between Ricky and Riggo kick off today’s talking points. 1. Bigger things could lie ahead for Ricky Williams. Williams, 32, isn’t the first eccentric running back who took time off from football and came back re-energized and running like a 20-something. The mohawk-wearing Riggins held out in 1980 and two years later carried the Redskins to a Super Bowl win, rushing for 166 yards during an MVP performance to beat the Dolphins. Riggins not only held out a season, but he played just eight games during the nine-game, strike-shortened ‘82 season. At 33, he was much fresher than his age would indicate, just like Williams, who retired in 2004 and played only 13 NFL games in the three seasons prior to 2008. Riggins ran for more than 2,500 yards and scored 38 touchdowns the next two seasons at ages 34 and 35. “Don’t underestimate these great athletes, competitors, because they have age on them,” Henning said. “They tend to rise to the occasion.” 2. Cam Wake developing into a more complete linebacker. The Dolphins signed Wake out of the CFL because of his pass-rushing skills. Wake hasn’t disappointed there, showing explosiveness and relentlessness every time he gets on the field. But

for Wake to play more snaps, he’ll need to develop against the run and in coverage. Coach Tony Sparano said Wake, 26, showed signs of improvement during the two games last week. “He did some better things there,” Sparano said. “Took on a couple blocks, set the edge a few times, and had a couple of good pass drops. “That is a sign of progress with him, so he is getting better and better.” 3. Rookie wall a challenge for cornerbacks Sean Smith and Vontae Davis. Smith and Davis’ incredible energy level continues to surprise Sparano. Their occasional mental lapses do not. “It is the concentration, the mental part of this thing, the mental grind that wears you down more than the physical,” Sparano said. “Every week it is another major challenge out there.” In November, Smith, 22, and Davis, 21, have crossed paths with Braylon Edwards, Wes Welker, Randy Moss and Steve Smith, who have combined for 12 Pro Bowl selections. Six-time Pro Bowlers Terrell Owens is next, coming off a 196-yard game. Sparano said recently many rookies were turning their attention toward bowl games a season earlier in college. In the NFL, the next six weeks will determine who goes to the post-season. “Every once in a while one of the veteran players have to remind them, I have to remind them, that their job is not an easy job and it requires total concentration the whole time,” Sparano said. “They are getting better and better each week at it.”

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Miami Dolphins talking points: Ricky Williams running like Riggo

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