Reminiscent of 2010, the Panther’s almost looked like they took a few steps back from the way they were against the Giants. Miami put up an astounding 307 yards in the first half that was more productive than the entire game for the Panthers at 199 yards. The run game was ineffective to say the least and neither Cam nor Jimmy could get it done at QB. There was not a lot to be proud of and overall performance in last night’s game could cast a shadow of doubt over a season of promise for the young team.
Thomas Davis saw his first action from nearly 2 years of absence and it was great to see him out there. Or was it? Davis has told reporters that he often felt “out of breath” trying to keep up with the pace of the game and it definitely showed. It was apparent that his play wasn’t sharp when most of the first half he was lagging behind and missing tackles. The middle of the field was exposed nearly the entire game and Miami definitely took advantage. Especially with Jon Beason still out. As a result, Reggie Bush made several impressive plays where he should have been stopped earlier. I don’t believe that this will be a big issue further down the road, but Davis needs to put in a lot of work if he wants to get back up to speed for the regular season.
Penalties were probably the biggest play killer throughout the whole game. The Panthers continually shot themselves in the foot with penalties when they could have converted for a first down. Miami got their first seven points from a penalty against the Panthers for having 12 men on the field near the goal. It was especially hard to swallow because it gave Miami a free shot at the endzone and negated a possible fumble on the 3 yard line. As hard as it is to play without crucial players like Smith, Otah, Stewart and Gamble, penalties will guarantee a frustrating game and in this case, significantly reduce chances for getting the big plays.
Although neither QB got it done in Friday’s game, the results were not all bad. Cam did make some good passes to the TE’s and Jimmy led a recovered fumble to the endzone for a TD late in the game. Plus, there were no interceptions or fumbles to help the Dolphins increase their lead. That may have been the best thing to come of the passing game though. Both quarterbacks made questionable passes that should have and would have been picked off by stronger defenses. This needs to be sorted out very quickly.
If Cam wants to be the guy against Arizona, he needs to learn how to make something happen when it looks like the play is faltering. There was more than one occasion where it looked like he could have made a pass instead of running out of the pocket. That kind of intuitive playing will take time and may convince fans that a start in Arizona for Cam might be a little too presumptuous right now.
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