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Grading the Miami Dolphins vs. the Patriots

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BY ARMANDO SALGUERO

asalguero@MiamiHerald.com

QUARTERBACK

C- | Chad Henne hovered around the 50 percent completion mark most of the afternoon, never really finding a rhythm. He didn't make any big mistakes, but neither did he make many plays that helped. Pat White has his best day, gaining 45 yards out of the spread formation, but he has yet to complete an NFL pass.

RUNNING BACK

C- | Ronnie Brown had a better day passing, completing 1-of-2 attempts for a touchdown, than he did running. Brown averaged only 3.2 yards per attempt, and Ricky Williams fared better but was still outgained by White. And having a QB out-rush a running back is also not a great sign.

RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

C- | Miami's perimeter game comes into clear focus when compared to New England's. It simply is not good enough. Randy Moss makes the amazing seem routine. Everyone catching passes for the Dolphins make the routine seem, well, routine. One cannot catch a Ferrari with a Buick.

OFFENSIVE LINE

C | The front that seemed so dominant weeks ago has seemingly taken a step backward. They aren't making any major mistakes up front or letting defenders run at the QB unblocked. But for a team that relies on the running game, 133 yards isn't enough to win.

DEFENSIVE LINE

C- | Paul Soliai couldn't fill Jason Ferguson's ample shoes as the Patriots exploited the middle of Miami's line time after time. Randy Starks did manage a sack, but Kendall Langford has failed to make significant improvement over last year, with Sunday being an example of that.

LINEBACKERS

D | Jason Taylor didn't have a sack. Joey Porter didn't have a sack or a tackle. Matt Roth played no more than a dozen snaps. The Dolphins miss Channing Crowder for his ability to both tackle and cover.

SECONDARY

D | Fair or not, the Dolphins asked their cornerbacks to cover man-to-man all over the field -- an assignment that stood up when Vontae Davis got a first-quarter interception, but failed miserably thereafter. Note to Dolphins: Don't cover Moss man-to-man anymore because he wins every time.

SPECIAL TEAMS

C | Well, Davone Bess fielded all three of his punts cleanly. But he also fair-caught every single one, not adding even 1 yard to Miami's hidden yardage. Ted Ginn Jr., the reason Miami won last week, was a non-factor even as he averaged 24.3 yards per return on four opportunities. Punter Brandon Fields continues to kick well.

COACHING

D | The Pats put Vince Wilfork out wide against a tackle rather than over the center and the Dolphins struggled to contain him. The Pats also helped their rookie LT by giving him blocking help from an eligible tackle posing as a tight end. The Pats disguised their shortcomings. In covering Moss man-to-man, the Dolphins seemed to highlight their shortcomings.

OVERALL

D | ``You are what your record says you are,'' Bill Parcells once famously said. The Dolphins are 3-5.

The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald

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