So Much for a QB Controversy

Moved | home

___________________________________________________________________

So Much for a QB Controversy

10/21/02

I usually do a post-game review, posting my thoughts on each position after the game. But today I thought I'd do it a little different. Miami lost the game because of the play of the QB, plain and simple. Anytime your QB throws 4 INTs and fumbles twice, you are not going to win, regardless of what the rest of the team does. So I decided to write about the QB situation. Ok.....I will give props to the defense and special teams. Both played well enough to win. While Travis Henry gained over 100 yards rushing, and Moulds torched the Dolphins on a 70 yard TD catch, the Dolphins held the Bills to only 16 points offensively. They also held Bledsoe to under two hundred yards passing. Mark Royals had an excellent day punting, and Travis Minor's returns gave us great field position all day. But it wasn't enough.

I don't want to sit here and bash Ray Lucas. No one feels worse about this than him. He is quoted in the Palm Beach Post as saying "I don't think there's ever been a case where one guy lost the game for his team, except here," Dolphins quarterback Ray Lucas said. "I was terrible." Yup, he was terrible. And because Dedric Ward and James McKnight were both coming off the bench, they have not been getting the reps that Chambers and Gadsden have. So they were probably a little rusty. But to be honest, I don't think a healthy Chris Chambers and Oronde Gadsden would have helped Lucas that much. Not only did he have 4 interceptions, he also had 2 more potential INTs dropped by Bill defenders. Yes, he was that bad.

As a former Jay detactor, I have to say that had Fiedler played today, I believe that Miami would have won the game. Jay played a perfect game against the Patriots, and brought his team from behind to beat Denver on the road with a broken thumb. The last few weeks Jay has really impressed me and started to make a believer out of me. Yesterday's game helped to cement that belief. Does that mean I am ready to give up on Lucas. Not at all. I don't think you can judge a QB on a single game. But a lot will be determined by his play in Green Bay in two weeks.

Fortunately, he and the rest of the team will have an extra week to prepare before traveling to Green Bay. Chambers should be healthy by then and that will help some. Mark Dixon should be back as well. The question is, will Lucas be back? Mentally, he has to get this game behind him. He has to settle down, and make the smart play as opposed to the big play. That is something that Fiedler has learned to do. Now it is something that Lucas must learn.

On a side note, I have some mixed feelings about newly signed Cris Carter. He was a great player. But I wonder how long it will take him to learn Norv's offensive schemes. And I wonder how long it will take him to get back into football shape. I think he will contribute, but it might not be right away. To be honest, I'd prefer to have Oronde Gadsden at this point. But I feel that the Dolphins did the right thing. Gadsden wanted a 5 year contract. But at age 31, with toe and now wrist injury problems, I wonder if Gadsden could make it 5 more years. The Dolphin coaching staff wondered the same thing, and it now appears that Gadsden has played his final game as a Dolphin. He will have season ending surgery, and will be a free agent this spring. I wish him the best of luck.

--James Lancaster


	Moved \| home ___________________________________________________________________ So Much for a QB Controversy 10/21/02 I usually do a post-game review, posting my thoughts on each position after the game. But today I thought I'd do it a little different. Miami lost the game because of the play of the QB, plain and simple. Anytime your QB throws 4 INTs and fumbles twice, you are not going to win, regardless of what the rest of the team does. So I decided to write about the QB situation. Ok.....I will give props to the defense and special teams. Both played well enough to win. While Travis Henry gained over 100 yards rushing, and Moulds torched the Dolphins on a 70 yard TD catch, the Dolphins held the Bills to only 16 points offensively. They also held Bledsoe to under two hundred yards passing. Mark Royals had an excellent day punting, and Travis Minor's returns gave us great field position all day. But it wasn't enough. I don't want to sit here and bash Ray Lucas. No one feels worse about this than him. He is quoted in the Palm Beach Post as saying "I don't think there's ever been a case where one guy lost the game for his team, except here," Dolphins quarterback Ray Lucas said. "I was terrible." Yup, he was terrible. And because Dedric Ward and James McKnight were both coming off the bench, they have not been getting the reps that Chambers and Gadsden have. So they were probably a little rusty. But to be honest, I don't think a healthy Chris Chambers and Oronde Gadsden would have helped Lucas that much. Not only did he have 4 interceptions, he also had 2 more potential INTs dropped by Bill defenders. Yes, he was that bad. As a former Jay detactor, I have to say that had Fiedler played today, I believe that Miami would have won the game. Jay played a perfect game against the Patriots, and brought his team from behind to beat Denver on the road with a broken thumb. The last few weeks Jay has really impressed me and started to make a believer out of me. Yesterday's game helped to cement that belief. Does that mean I am ready to give up on Lucas. Not at all. I don't think you can judge a QB on a single game. But a lot will be determined by his play in Green Bay in two weeks. Fortunately, he and the rest of the team will have an extra week to prepare before traveling to Green Bay. Chambers should be healthy by then and that will help some. Mark Dixon should be back as well. The question is, will Lucas be back? Mentally, he has to get this game behind him. He has to settle down, and make the smart play as opposed to the big play. That is something that Fiedler has learned to do. Now it is something that Lucas must learn. On a side note, I have some mixed feelings about newly signed Cris Carter. He was a great player. But I wonder how long it will take him to learn Norv's offensive schemes. And I wonder how long it will take him to get back into football shape. I think he will contribute, but it might not be right away. To be honest, I'd prefer to have Oronde Gadsden at this point. But I feel that the Dolphins did the right thing. Gadsden wanted a 5 year contract. But at age 31, with toe and now wrist injury problems, I wonder if Gadsden could make it 5 more years. The Dolphin coaching staff wondered the same thing, and it now appears that Gadsden has played his final game as a Dolphin. He will have season ending surgery, and will be a free agent this spring. I wish him the best of luck. --James Lancaster