Fins Try To Tame Bears At Sun Life Thursday Night
MIAMI (CBS4) - When the Miami Dolphins take the field against the Chicago Bears Thursday night, they will be debuting a new quarterback who they hope will finally get the offense into the end zone on a consistent basis.
But the Fins' issues are much deeper than the quarterback position. The Fins have been outrushed for the season, which just last year would have been unthinkable. Much was made about Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams rushing for a thousand yards each.
Instead, through 9 games, Ronnie and Ricky have 444 yards and 400 yards respectively. The one time dynamic duo has only gotten into the end zone 4 times on the season. And Ricky Williams is almost an afterthought with only 89 carries for the season.
The wide receiver position that was once a point of great consternation amongst Fins fans has now turned into a strength. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been as good as advertised, and Davone Bess has continued to be a stellar slot receiver. Even wideout Brian Hartline has started to assert himself as the season has worn on.
But combined, the receiving corps has only 10 touchdowns. Remove Bess and tight end Anthony Fasano and the remaining wideouts have a total of three touchdowns.
That's the setup former third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen walks into Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. Thigpen is the most athletic quarterback the Dolphins have had in a long time. He has the ability to extend plays and escape pressure like Chad Henne and Chad Pennington have never displayed.
That said, there's a reason why he's been the third string quarterback. He's been inconsistent at times and didn't play lights out when he started in Kansas City. Plus, he could be with a weaker than normal Jake Long, who separated his shoulder and damaged the labrum in Sunday's game against the Titans.
The Bears defense will try to wreak havoc on the Fins offensive line and Thigpen. The Bears will send former All-Pro Julius Peppers from one side and Israel Idonije from the other after Thigpen. Idonije paces the Bears with 4.5 sacks, while Peppers has another 2.
That's all before you even mention All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher. He's having another stellar season with 46 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumbles recovered. The Bears defense, led by Urlacher, is only giving up 16 points per game, which is not good news for a team breaking in a backup quarterback.
The Dolphins defense hasn't been playing at the level former Dolphins executive Bill Parcells hoped. The Fins have been outscored 192-172 this season and give up more points as the game wears on. This happens as the offense bogs down going into the fourth quarter. For the season, the Fins have scored 34 points in the fourth quarter, or roughly 4 points per game.
The Bears offense will be headed by Jay Cutler, who has the arm strength to win every game, but doesn't always make great decisions. Plus, he's been either running for his life, or getting crushed by opposing defensive lines all season.
The Bears offensive line woes are well-documented, with only center Olin Kreutz being a reliable starter, and he's beginning to get near the end of the line. Perhaps the Bears' offensive line's worst performance was against the New York Giants when they gave up a total of 10 quarterback sacks and Cutler was knocked out of the game with a concussion.
The Fins have racked up 23 quarterback sacks on the season, with outside linebacking sensation Cameron Wake leading the way. He's made 8.5 sacks on the season and fellow outside linebacker Koa Misi has chipped in with 3.5 for the year. The Fins have to have pressure on Cutler if they are to win.
Given the Bears' problem protecting the quarterback, the Fins should have a field day. But Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz will likely counter the Fins pass rush with screens and draws to Matt Forte and quick passes to tight end Greg Olsen.
The Fins need Thigpen to simply manage the game and not rely on him to win it for them. If he limits his mistakes against a stingy Bears defense, the Fins have a great chance of winning two-in-a-row at home.
