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Posted on Tuesday, 08.18.09

Miami Dolphins' Chris Williams has special debut

Dolphins vs. Jaguars | Mon., Aug. 17, 2009
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WEB VOTE Which newcomer was most impressive for the Dolphins on Monday night?

BY DAVID QUINONES

dquinones@MiamiHerald.com

Chris Williams might have joined Wes Welker and Greg Camarillo as recent Dolphins to impress with stellar preseason play on special teams. Williams, an undrafted rookie receiver from New Mexico State, showed a burst of speed when he returned a Josh Scobee kickoff for 36 yards, eluding tacklers before being pushed out of bounds by Scobee.

In the third quarter, Williams improvised his way out of trouble when he looked to be tackled on a punt return. But he broke free after dropping to his off hand on first contact.

But if Williams hopes to make the team (he does not appear on the depth chart as a receiver), he must take better care of the ball.

His fumble on a second-quarter punt return drew icy silence from special teams coach John Bonamego.

In all, Williams returned four kickoffs for 126 yards.

DE QUESTION MARKS

While the defensive end position continued to vex Miami (Matt Roth was the only inactive Dolphin on Monday after playing in every game in 2008), the only edge rusher to get consistent penetration was Kendall Langford, who had success attacking the Jacksonville offensive line.

Langford put a hit on Todd Bouman in the third quarter that forced the Jaguars backup quarterback to throw an incompletion with a receiver open in the flat.

KICKING BATTLE

With second-year kicker Dan Carpenter being pushed by free agent Connor Barth, Carpenter helped and hurt his cause Monday night.

Carpenter's 48-yard field goal in the first quarter gave Miami a 3-0 lead, but he botched an extra-point attempt in the third quarter when he slipped on the dirt of the third-base line at Land Shark Stadium after an Ernest Wilford touchdown gave the Dolphins a 12-9 lead.

Barth kept the pressure on Carpenter, going 1 for 1 with a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter.

ATTENDANCE DOWN

Announced attendance at Land Shark Stadium was 60,637, down from last year's preseason home opener, a 17-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that drew 64,087. The crowd thinned out in the third quarter when heavy rain fell at Land Shark Stadium.

HURRICANE EFFECTS?

With Hurricane Bill in the Atlantic Ocean and not on a projected course to make landfall in Florida, the Dolphins have not addressed the possibility of canceling Saturday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Jaguars will play Tampa Bay at home on Saturday, and as Bill's projected path does not go over Jacksonville, the team had not released any contingency or addressed the possibility of cancellation as of Monday night.

FOURTH DOWNS

The Dolphins -- fifth in the NFL in fourth-down conversions with a 66.7 percent rate of success in 2008 -- were 0 for 1 on fourth-down attempts Monday.

The lone failed conversion came in the fourth quarter when Joe Kowalewski was stopped for no gain on the Jacksonville 25-yard line.

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