Official Fire Can't Cameron / Release Trinterception Green / Kill Hizinger Thread

[Rizon]

lol

[Rizon]

hxxp://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/303381.html

Cameron's credibility becoming an issue
Posted on Sat, Nov. 10, 2007
BY ARMANDO SALGUERO

Cam Cameron has a credibility problem.

The man at the helm of the Dolphins teetering, floundering, 0-8 ship is working with a handicap in his first season that most coaches don't encounter until success eludes them for a good two or three years.

Many fans don't trust him. Many fans just don't believe in him.

Cameron milked Pro Bowl hopes and more production out of Ronnie Brown in six games than anyone had since high school. He believed in a seemingly motley group of offensive linemen and they now are the most effective, most cohesive unit the Dolphins put on the field every Sunday.

But all that is washed away in the violent wave of 0-8. Right or not, fair or not, Cameron's decisions are scrutinized more closely and second-guessed longer than those of his predecessors.

Just about every day the Dolphins are open for business, calls come to the team's facility from angry fans demanding to be connected to Cameron. They all want to give the coach a piece of their mind.

At first some the calls would actually get through to the coach's office, but as Miami's record got worse and the number of calls grew beyond reasonable capacity, the Dolphins began to screen the connections away from the coach.

''It hasn't been good,'' Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga said when the Dolphins were in London for the Giants game. ``But do you blame all that on Cam?''

Some Miami fans, desperate to find a reason their team has sunk to seemingly bottomless depths, do exactly that.

And the problem is Cameron has made enough mistakes to add some truth to the perception that he gets a lot of things wrong.

It was, after all, Cameron who insisted on getting Trent Green even when there were questions about the quarterback's age and recent concussion history. Even defensive end Jason Taylor publicly questioned the acquisition saying, ``He'd better not get hit. One big hit, and he could be scrambled eggs.''

Well, Green was leading the NFL in interceptions before he got hurt and then was lost for the remainder of the season, predictably, because of another concussion.

So Cameron, the expert on quarterbacks, blew it in his first major quarterback decision.

It doesn't end there. Cameron has been questioned about his play-calling, his use of time outs and his clock management. He has admitted to making mistakes in those areas on at least two occasions.

He was also slow to engage with defensive coordinator Dom Capers early in the season when the Miami defense showed its first signs of trouble. While the defense was leaking the first two weeks of the season, the head coach was concentrating on plugging holes for the offense.

Although that has been addressed and Cameron now regularly is involved with his defense, he has nonetheless treated the special teams like a stranger this season.

Miami typically has 30-minute special teams meetings in the morning. But when the offense and defense meet, those units are often together for an hour or more.

The team typically goes through a 10-minute special teams walk-thru in the afternoon. But compared to the 30-minute walk-thru for both offense and defense, it seems as if special teams is an afterthought rather than one-third of the game for Miami.

The marginalizing of special teams has been one reason the Dolphins are last in the NFL in kick return yards allowed, yielding 30 yards every time they kick off.

All that brings us to the subject of most scrutiny the past two weeks: The decision on rookie quarterback John Beck.

Everyone seemed to have an opinion whether Beck should finally start or not Sunday against Buffalo. Dan Marino wanted to see Beck, the media has pushed for Beck, fans are clamoring for Beck, with one sending an e-mail referencing Bill Walsh's book Building a Champion.

''We made the decision to make Joe [Montana] our starting quarterback, knowing that we might be limiting our chance of winning immediately,'' the Hall of Fame coach wrote.

But Cameron has ignored the fans, the media, and the Hall of Fame ghosts, saying he will play the quarterback who ``gives us the best chance to win.''

And so Cleo Lemon remains the starter.

Usually that would be that. Cameron has the one and only vote that matters in this election. Except that it's irresistible to wonder why the man who was so wrong on Trent Green can be so sure he's right this time?

The subject, like most others, raises questions for and about Cameron. It begs probing. It demands explanation. It feeds the second-guessers.

And if Cameron didn't have enough problems already, it will not go away. It will remain until the answers about Beck are finally in.

Or until Miami's coach overcomes his public credibility problem.

[Izulde]

The Dolphins not only lose AGAIN, but Jesse scores 14 points for my FF opponent, which could be the differencemaker

[miami_fan]

http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/307398.html

The future has arrived.

Rookie quarterback John Beck will start Sunday's game against the Eagles, making his debut as the Dolphins quarterback in Philadelphia, two sources said Wednesday morning.

Coach Cam Cameron advised both Cleo Lemon and Beck of the move during meetings with each. The team believes Beck, a second-round draft pick in this year's draft, is now prepared for the promotion.

During Sunday's home loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Miami crowd chanted, ''We want Beck'' during the game. Cameron has until now resisted putting Beck in his first regular-season action, saying instead he would play the quarterback ``who gives us the best chance to win.''

But Lemon is winless in four starts at quarterback. He has three touchdown passes but four interceptions so far this season.

The highly anticipated move at quarterback was made in time to give seven more opportunities for Beck to land the Dolphins' first win of the season. Beck will now have two opportunities to gain experience before facing the 1-8 New York Jets at home.

The Dec. 2 game against the AFC rivals should become the most anticipated of the Dolphins' season, as Beck will be making his debut at Dolphin Stadium between two teams with one combined win.

The Jets' only win this season was against the Dolphins on Sept. 23.

Cameron will announce his decision to start Beck after Wednesday's practice during his regular news conference with local media.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I think the writer of that last story (about John Beck starting) should get a bonus for being forced to talk up the upcoming game between the Dolphins and Jets.

[larrymcg421]

So Cam holds off on Beck for so long because he doesn't want to put pressure on him, going as far as keeping him out during one of our more winnable remaining games. Then he starts him at the beginning of a tough two game road stretch so he can get knocked around a bit before our next winnable game.

[rkmsuf]

why wouldn't they have started him last week after the bye?

@ philly and then @ pit

lol

[Big Fo]

I just saw on the ESPN ticker that Ricky Williams has been reinstated, no idea if or when he'll be playing for the Dolphins again.

[Kodos]

Yes. This should be the shot in the arm that the team needs!

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

I just saw on the ESPN ticker that Ricky Williams has been reinstated, no idea if or when he'll be playing for the Dolphins again.

Originally Posted by Kodos

Yes. This should be the shot in the arm that the team needs!

What? Ricky's on heroin, too?

[Izulde]

I'm just hoping for one win this season.

Get the win, avoid 0-16, get the top draft pick and hope Cam Cameron falls into a pool and gets eaten by a gator.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Izulde

I'm just hoping for one win this season.

Get the win, avoid 0-16, get the top draft pick and hope Cam Cameron falls into a pool and gets eaten by a gator.

More likely scenario: Dolphins go 0-16. Huizenga keeps Cameron on, saying he deserves another year to rebuild the team. Dolphins go 4-12 next year and Huizenga keeps Cameron on, citing progress. Dolphins go 2-14 the next year and a new owner fires Cameron. Meanwhile, FOFC takes up a collection for Rizon's defense fund in his murder trial.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Izulde

I'm just hoping for one win this season.

Get the win, avoid 0-16, get the top draft pick and hope Cam Cameron falls into a pool and gets eaten by a gator.

Please, please let Cameron get eaten by a gator.

[Icy]

Finally, at least a reason to watch the next games.

[Passacaglia]

This isn't exactly Dolphins-related, but the funny thing is that Norv Turner has showed that you can get chance after chance at being a head coach, based on your OC skillz. Cam Cameron just might be Norv Turner version 2. Although, this season might be so embarrassingly bad that he won't get another chance. Maybe he and Marty Mornhinweg can fight for one.

[PilotMan]

Maybe the Phins could get an entire draft for Williams?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Maybe the Phins could get an entire draft for Williams?

So, Mike Ditka's back in the NFL, huh?

[Rizon]

Beck in = good, although it's a bad time during the season. We need to see if he is the future, or if we're fucked at QB still.

Williams back = bad, if he's back with the Dolphins. We're trying to see what Chapman can do, which is not shabby at all, and we already know what Williams can do, which is smoke. He brings no value to the team at all right now.

Rizon murder trial = bad. That means someone caught me.

[bulletsponge]

Originally Posted by Rizon

Rizon murder trial = bad. That means someone caught me.

you can base your defense on "if the gator jaw dont fit, you must acquit"

[hoopsguy]

Let's make the defense more personal for Rizon:

"If Lance Bass is gay, you cannot put this man away"

[Rizon]

Dear Santa,

Please give us a head coach who knows what they are doing.

-Rizon

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Maybe the Phins could get an entire draft for Williams?

they'd just squander it anyways, just look at the stats of any of their draft classes since like what...the milennium?

[Johnny93g]

At least Beck can complete passes to Ted Ginn. :/

Edit: I wish it was Quinn completing passes to Wes Welker

[Kodos]

It pisses me off every time I see Welker in a freaking Patriots uniform.

[larrymcg421]

Yeah, isn't it a brilliant idea to trade a guy to a division rival, helping them fix their weakest position?

[larrymcg421]

BTW, when this thread was bumped, I thought maybe someone was linking to an article announcing that Cameron was fired. I hate you.

[Kodos]

DOLPHINS FIRE CAMERON

Is what the headline would read if our dreams came true...

[hoopsguy]

Six lurkers in the thread right now, with me as the only Dolphins fan of the group (as far as I know). This thread is like a four-month car crash. It is the 2007 version of "Raiders Looking Great in Preseason", minus the grossly misplaced optimism early on.

[Izulde]

To be honest, I never thought Wes Welker was that good.

Then I awoke to the 2007 season.

[MikeVic]

Well, they're not losing by 50 points to every team. There's some optimism.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Well, they're not losing by 50 points to every team. There's some optimism.

There is no optimism until Cameron is fired. He will find a way to lose every close game.

[Toddzilla]

Originally Posted by Izulde

To be honest, I never thought Wes Welker was that good.

Then I awoke to the 2007 season.

+1

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Izulde

To be honest, I never thought Wes Welker was that good.

Then I awoke to the 2007 season.

I actually thought his biggest impact would be on punt returns. I guess I didn't realize how god-awful the Pats receivers actually had been.

[st.cronin]

dola, I guess corollary to that is that I didn't realize how good Tom Brady actually was.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

dola, I guess corollary to that is that I didn't realize how good Tom Brady actually was.

If you had 20+ minutes to complete each pass you'd look as good as Brady too, well maybe not LOOK.....


The O-line is freaking stunning for NE.

[Rizon]

Originally Posted by Kodos

DOLPHINS FIRE CAMERON

Is what the headline would read if our dreams came true...

Wow, I just read through the new posts and saw this. It was like the time when you're 15, you have that hot chick on your parents sofa, getting ready to lay some wood, and she tells you that she's on her period.

[DeToxRox]

What has to hurt most is hearing "And the Dolphins make (Insert name here) the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft! .. The New England Patriots are now on the clock"

[Rizon]

rofl

[Rizon]

dola,

Sad thing is, Zach's dancing is 100 times better than the Dolphins playing.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Yeah, isn't it a brilliant idea to trade a guy to a division rival, helping them fix their weakest position?

They didn't really have a choice. He was signed to an offer sheet by the Pats as a restricted free agent. Their only choice was whether to match (or have made him a higher qualifying offer to begin with to scare other teams off). The trade involved an extra 7th (in addition to the 2nd under the RFA compensation rules) thrown in to get Miami not to match. I don't think they there ever were going to match, so getting the extra 7th wasn't a bad little bonus to get.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Vinatieri for Prez

They didn't really have a choice. He was signed to an offer sheet by the Pats as a restricted free agent. Their only choice was whether to match (or have made him a higher qualifying offer to begin with to scare other teams off). The trade involved an extra 7th (in addition to the 2nd under the RFA compensation rules) thrown in to get Miami not to match. I don't think they there ever were going to match, so getting the extra 7th wasn't a bad little bonus to get.

Actually they did have a choice. They could have offered him a high tender offer of $2.35 million at the beginning of free agency. That would have gotten them a 1st and 3rd round pick if someone signed to that offer sheet. Hell if they offered him $1.85 million, they would have gotten a 1st rounder. But of course they offered him the minimum $1.35 million which would have only gotten them a 2nd rounder. Would offering him the max have prevented the Pats from signing him? Maybe, maybe not. But at least they would have had to think about giving a division rival a first and a third round pick. Does anybody think Wes Welker would not have been worth $2.35 mil to the Dolphins? Does anybody think that it was better for the Dolphins to get a 2nd and a 7th as opposed to getting a 1st and 3rd?

[Noop]

Zach Thomas didn't superman that hoe.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Actually they did have a choice. They could have offered him a high tender offer of $2.35 million at the beginning of free agency. That would have gotten them a 1st and 3rd round pick if someone signed to that offer sheet. Hell if they offered him $1.85 million, they would have gotten a 1st rounder. But of course they offered him the minimum $1.35 million which would have only gotten them a 2nd rounder. Would offering him the max have prevented the Pats from signing him? Maybe, maybe not. But at least they would have had to think about giving a division rival a first and a third round pick. Does anybody think Wes Welker would not have been worth $2.35 mil to the Dolphins? Does anybody think that it was better for the Dolphins to get a 2nd and a 7th as opposed to getting a 1st and 3rd?

Yeah, I did mention that they could have tendered him more. But my point is no matter what they tendered, they had no ability to "pick and choose" who could make an offer. A division rival was in fact free to make any offer they saw fit. So, when they tendered him only second rounder compensation money, arguably, it was only a 3 in 31 chance that a division rival would go after him.

[Icy]

I found this pretty fun about last game 4th down decission.

A conversation leading up to a bad decision

by Armando Salguero in Miami herald blog

It is fourth down and the Dolphins are on the Eagles 1 yard line. So the Dolphins coaching staff, with nothing to lose in this winless season, decides to go for the TD in a 17-7 game. Sure there is 6:45 yet to play and the game is far from over, but we're going to gamble on getting a TD because we may never, ever get on another team's 1 yard line again.

So here is the conversation the Dolphins might have had in the next two minutes after the team breaks the huddle.

Cam Cameron (over the team's headsets): What are we doing? I'm not sure about this. Call timeout!!!

John Beck at the line of scrimmage: What are we doing? I'm not sure about this. Oh, coach called time out. Time out!!!

(On the sideline now)

Cameron: I think we should go for touchdown. Let's put some pressure on those guys.

Beck: So what play do we call?

Cameron: Well, we're only one yard from the goal line. So let me see here ... What play on my sheet do I have that will pitch the ball six yards back to move one yard forward? HMMM. Got it. Let's call $%^& @#$ %$+_!&. Let me talk to Jesse Chatman about this.

Chatman, over at the sideline now: Yeah, coach?

Cameron: Jesse, we're going to give you the ball on this one because we have confidence in you now that you don't overeat anymore.

Chatman: I'm ready. Up the gut, straight at them, right coach?

Cameron: Not quite. We believe they're going to blitz so we're going to pitch it to you wide.

Chatman: OK, quick pitch, right coach?

Cameron: Not quite. We've got this special unorthodox pitch that makes Beck look like he's physically challenged and pitches like a girl. We'll try that pitch. Now, the ball's on the 1 but you'll be at the 7 yard line when you get the ball on this ridiculous-looking pitch.

Chatman: Really?

Cameron: Yeah, trust me LaDainian Tomlinson used to love this play and you're as good as he is.

Chatman: I am?

Cameron: I say you are and I'm an offensive genius so believe in me because everything else I've said this year has been correct and has come to pass -- like when I told Wayne Huizenga we'd be a good team, and when I had Randy Mueller trade for my son Trent Green, and when I ordered that squib kick against the Jets and when I signed off on playing Joey Porter at defensive end.

Chatman and Beck: OOOOKAAAAAY.

Cameron: One thing, Jesse, when you get the ball on the 7 to gain 1 yard, you'll have to beat one defender.

Chatman: I can do that coach. Who's blocking that guy for me?

Cameron: Stupid question, Jesse. You're freakin' Jesse Chatman. You don't need a lead blocker. You're a career backup who was out of the league last year. You can make any man miss. You're on your own, son. Make that defensive end who is bigger and stronger and quicker than you miss. Beat him!

Chatman: But ...

Cameron: No buts. Have faith that even if you beat him, that quick reacting Philadelphia defense won't recover in time to run to the football and tackle you before you get in the end zone. Tomlinson used to do it. You can do it!

Official: We're coming back coach, get your guys on the field.

Cameron: Thank you Mr Zebra. Now remember men, you must succeed. I admit to you this is a grand risk of a call and I will admit that to the media in my press conference tomorrow. But we have just burned a timeout and discussed this long and hard and this was the best play I could come up with in this situation. Boy I wish I hadn't shown the Statue of Liberty in the preseason. Anyway, get out there and remember I have confidence you will fail forward fast.

Announcer: Chatman on the pitch. Thomas is unblocked. Has Chatman in his sights. Chatman is tackled for a 13-yard loss. Philadelphia ball.

[Rizon]

Weekly bump.

[Raiders Army]

LOL. They were in it to win it tonight though.

[larrymcg421]

I've never before seen a coach singlehandedly destroy a team with such horrible late game decisions.

[Rizon]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

LOL. They were in it to win it tonight though.

In it to win what? The first pick of the draft?

[Rizon]

Looking at the rest of the Lolphins schedule, it looks like next weeks game is our only chance for a win. If they lose against the Jets, which we always seem to do, then it's a lock for 0-16.

Dec 2 N.Y. Jets
Dec 9 @Buffalo (We can't win in Buffalo)
Dec 16 Baltimore (Very bad team, but we won't score against them)
Dec 23 @New England (Probably end up losing by triple digits)
Dec 30 Cincinnati (Another really bad team, but they'll put up 30+, and we can't score more points than 0. With some luck, we might be able to put up 3 against their trash defense)

[bulletsponge]

Originally Posted by Rizon

Looking at the rest of the Lolphins schedule, it looks like next weeks game is our only chance for a win. If they lose against the Jets, which we always seem to do, then it's a lock for 0-16.

Dec 2 N.Y. Jets
Dec 9 @Buffalo (We can't win in Buffalo)
Dec 16 Baltimore (Very bad team, but we won't score against them)
Dec 23 @New England (Probably end up losing by triple digits)
Dec 30 Cincinnati (Another really bad team, but they'll put up 30+, and we can't score more points than 0. With some luck, we might be able to put up 3 against their trash defense)

one can only hope for 0-16