The Dolphins had to prepare to play Carolina on Thursday night without one of their biggest threats–Ronnie Brown needed surgery! When I found out about losing Ronnie, my game outlook was nothing but black clouds on the horizon.  I was sure someone else was going to get hurt, and worried it would be Ricky.  Thankfully, Ricky left the game in one piece and his performance could not have been better!  And how did Thursday night end for me after the big win? I was dancing in my bedroom shouting “Go Ricky! Three touchdowns!… Go Ricky! Three touchdowns!” and singing “Hey, Ricky, you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Ricky!”  A short night’s rest didn’t derail my high.  The next morning, I was still so hyped that a co-worker asked if I had eaten too much sugar.  Fast forward to Monday night and I’m still seeing nothing but blue skies!

Hit It: The defense. An interception. Big tackles.  Four sacks – three in the first half and all four on third down.  Shout outs go to:  Randy Starks (5 tackles, 1 sack), Phillip Merling (1 sack), and Joey Porter (7 tackles, 2 sacks).  Back from a benching, Porter was a monster!! He had five tackles and two sacks in the first half alone.  His 1st quarter sack forced Carolina to settle for a FG.  (Whatever you did to get benched, Joey, maybe you should do it again?)
Quit It: The defense. The 4th quarter collapse has GOT to stop! (In 10 games, Miami has given up 110 points in the fourth.) With seven and a half minutes to go, we had an eleven point lead and suddenly the boys on the “D” ran out of steam.  Carolina made it a game and had a shot to win at the end.

Hit It: The kids. Rookies Brian Hartline and Lex Hilliard looked like seasoned veterans when called upon.  Hartline’s 36-yard catch in the 2nd quarter was the catalyst that kick-started the sputtering offense.  And Hilliard? Given the ball on 3rd and 16, he plowed up the middle and picked up the 1st down and two more yards to boot!
Quit It: TE Joey Haynos. You’ve gotta stop dropping the ball, buddy.  Your name didn’t appear in the box score.  Oh, and watch your back! Kory Sperry may take place on the depth chart.

Hit It: Davone Bess. Give the guy a game ball.  He caught 6 of Henne’s 17 completions.  Many of the grabs were key to helping us sustain drives.
Quit It: Crazy play calls. On our first drive, when faced with 3rd and short, we choose to pass?  And in the 3rd quarter, starting from our own 4 yard line,  they called for a pitch-out into the end zone?

Hit It: The offensive line. Just one area where we’ve seen good depth this year.  All seven guys on the active roster played on the front five.  Injuries meant that we needed three guys at center to get through this game: Grove, Berger, and Garner.  Thanks to those fellas, the running game didn’t come to a screeching halt!
Quit It: The injuries. When is it going to end?  NT Jason Ferguson went out in the final minutes of the 3rd quarter.  Another season-ending injury.

Photo Credit: Newscom

Hit It, Hit It, Hit It: Ricky Williams! The comeback kid, hands down our MVP of the game.  Give the guy three game balls and a great big hug!  Each touchdown was more exciting than the one before, and he capped it all off with a beautiful 46-yard run. So proud of you!  Keep singing your “Redemption Song,” Ricky!