As the Dolphins turn the offense over to Chad Henne on Sunday, it would help if the struggling secondary can contain Buffalo's Terrell Owens and Dolphins nemesis Lee Evans. The two combined interceptions by Denver's Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill -- whom Miami didn't re-sign -- are two more than Miami has.

Ups and downs are expected from rookies Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, but the veterans awarded big offseason contracts -- cornerback Will Allen and safeties Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell -- must play better and acknowledged that last week:

• The Dolphins gave Allen a two-year extension and a raise -- from $4 million in 2009 to $5.2 million in 2010 and $5.5 million in 2011. But Allen hasn't even been their best cornerback. ``I have to step my game up,'' he said.

Smith has had a positive result on six of the nine passes when he was in coverage (six incompletions); Allen, conversely, is 8 for 16, ESPN's K.C. Joyner said. Against San Diego, Allen was beaten on five passes (four completions and a pass-interference penalty), called for another penalty and allowed 127 yards.

Last year, Allen had a 51.3 percent success rate, 19th in the league but trailing Goodman (52.4/16th). ``Allen is an average NFL cornerback,'' former Raiders personnel executive Mike Lombardi said. In a year or two, Allen could be the third corner, behind Smith and Davis. For now, his starting job is safe.

• The Dolphins believe it's premature to bench Wilson after giving him a five-year, $27.5 million deal. One reason is his track record: 13 interceptions, 7.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles in five seasons, and a career-high 129 tackles with Oakland in 2008. But here, there have been coverage breakdowns and the missed tackle on Indianapolis' opening-play touchdown.

Wilson's self-assessment? ``Not good, not good. I've been a high-tackle, high-turnover guy, but I haven't been able to get anything going.''

With Wilson and free agent bust Eric Green, the Dolphins regrettably overlooked the players' coverage problems last year and focused on prior career success. But Wilson, 27, will need to play much better to stay long-term -- his nonguaranteed salary (in millions) from 2010-13 is $3.85, $4.5, $5.0 and $5.3.

• Five of the six passes with Bell in one-on-one coverage have been completed. But Bell gets some slack because of his track record, the elite tight ends he has faced and his team-high 20 tackles. ``He has always been a good player and plays the run well,'' Lombardi said.

Bell said he is not at his 2008 level and hasn't clicked as well with Wilson as he did with Hill: ``It will take games for me and Gibril to really be comfortable the way'' he was with Hill.

Wilson said Bell has been in pass coverage more than he has, but Bell said they plan to ``switch off more.'' NBC's Tony Dungy said Miami's safeties are being fooled on play-action and blamed Bell's hesitation on a play-action Sunday for a long completion against Bell and Allen. Bell called Dungy's remark unfair.

CHATTER

• Former Dolphins receiver O.J. McDuffie talks about Ted Ginn Jr. ``having his dive game on,'' and Ginn -- who has frustrated team brass by having only 1 yard after the catch this season -- insisted last week, ``I'm trying to get more, but you've got certain routes you can and some you can't.''

Although his first instinct seems to be to run out of bounds on sideline routes, Ginn claimed, ``My first instinct is to run upfield, but it depends on how the ball is thrown.'' Mark Duper -- who helped UM's Leonard Hankerson -- called WQAM's Joe Rose last week to offer Ginn tutoring and said Ginn hasn't been taught properly how to run routes.

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