MIAMI (AP) -By going 3-5 the first half of the season, reigning AFC East champion Miami actually beat the odds.
At least one bookmaker listed the Dolphins as underdogs in each of their first eight games, which would suggest they’ve overachieved.
The Dolphins don’t feel that way, though. They’re tied with Buffalo for last in the division and might need a sweep of their final eight games to make the playoffs.
The good news: The schedule eases beginning Sunday, when the Dolphins will take the field as favorites against Tampa Bay (1-7).
Miami’s first eight opponents are a combined 39-17, which is why the Dolphins have repeatedly been underdogs. Their remaining eight opponents are 30-35, and the next three have losing records.
“It’s a stretch of games where we should come out on top,” safety Yeremiah Bell said. “But if we don’t take care of business, we could be on the losing end.”
coming off their first win, a 38-28 victory over Green Bay, which made 21-year-old Josh Freeman the second-youngest quarterback to win his first NFL start since 1970.
“It was a blast,” Freeman said. “It’s always a great time when you come away with a win.”
The third quarterback selected in this year’s draft, Freeman threw three touchdown passes and rallied the Bucs from a 28-17 deficit in the fourth quarter.
First-year coach Raheem Morris defended his decision to wait until Tampa Bay was 0-7 before giving Freeman a start, saying he doesn’t want to rush the youngster’s development. Still, the Bucs hope for speedy progress.
“Now Josh Freeman’s in our offense, so hopefully you can see steady improvement in our offense every game,” Morris said. “I don’t know if he’s going to go out and throw three touchdowns again, but you just want to see steady improvement.
Despite the win, the young Bucs still rank 28th in offense and 29th in defense. But the switch at quarterback has rejuvenated them, and Morris is pleased with the positive mood at the team complex.
“We all know where we’re going,” Morris said. “We all can see glimpses of it. And the closer you get to the building, the more light that comes from it.”
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are annoyed to find themselves three games behind New England in the AFC East race.
Davone Bess said.
Miami’s losses have all been to playoff contenders. Especially galling were defeats against Indianapolis and New Orleans, the NFL’s only unbeaten teams. The Dolphins held fourth-quarter leads in both games.
“We’ve played some good teams,” safety Gibril Wilson said. “But we’re a good team.”
Bearing the brunt of the blame for Miami’s cellar-dwelling status have been the wideouts. They have totaled two touchdowns, and the Dolphins’ average of 9.8 yards per completion ranks second worst in the league.
“Any time you’re in the bottom tier in the NFL, you take it to heart and want to fix it,” Bess said.
The Dolphins have dropped to 29th in the league in yards passing after ranking 10th last year. The biggest change from 2008 has been at quarterback, where Chad Pennington was sidelined in September by a season-ending shoulder injury.
Second-year pro Chad Henne is 3-2 as a starter, but ranks 41st in league passer ratings. He has thrown just four touchdown passes, and only one covering more than 5 yards.
Is chemistry between the receivers and the new QB a problem?
“We’re getting to the point where that’s not really an excuse,” wideout Brian Hartline said. “We’ve got to start producing some yards.”
Given the underwhelming air attack, count on the Buccaneers to stack eight defenders close to the line. That’s what Miami’s recent opponents have done, sometimes blitzing even their cornerbacks.
As a result, Ronnie Brown has been held under 50 yards rushing in each of the past three games.
“Everyone is trying to put eight guys in the box to stop the running game and making me throw the ball,” Henne said. “They think they can beat us if they stop the run and make us throw the ball and make our wide receivers make plays.”
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