Dolphins' Culpepper making strides
Despite a five-sack game against the Texans, Daunte Culpepper showed more mobility and completed 11 of 16 passes in the fourth quarter.
BY ARMANDO SALGUERO
There is a shining ray of the old Daunte Culpepper now starting to peek through the storm of sacks and misreads and footballs held too long.
The Dolphins' embattled, often-criticized quarterback is actually playing pretty well lately. The last quarter against the Houston Texans saw Culpepper complete 11 of 16 passes as the Dolphins attempted to salvage the game.
''His decision-making has improved, his accuracy has improved,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said Wednesday. ``His knowledge and experience in the offense and playing with the players we have is not where we'd like it to be, but it has improved dramatically.
``He's played better in each game as we move from the Pittsburgh game. He didn't play well at Buffalo, but he played a little better at Tennessee, and I thought he played better last week.''
Culpepper's interceptions are down, his mobility has been better and he was Miami's offensive player of the week as chosen by Saban and his staff.
So might that improvement in the Houston game signal something lasting? Has Culpepper turned the corner on his early-season struggles?
IMPROVEMENTS
''Well, I hope so,'' Culpepper said. ``I think the one thing I'm thinking about and concentrating on is getting better every day, every game. I don't know if I'd say it's a turnaround, but obviously I hope I continue to get better.
``That's my goal from Day One.''
Culpepper has, at times, been a shadow of the player he was his first six seasons in Minnesota, and the Dolphins think his rehabilitation from last season's knee injury is the reason. That injury left Culpepper less mobile than he was before and his adjustment to his new limitations has been slow.
But even on that front, Culpepper is showing glances of his old self.
Twice against Houston, defenders had the quarterback in their grasps.
Single-handedly, Culpepper salvaged a five-sack day out of what might have been a seven-sack day.
''He moved around better in the game,'' Saban said. ``I think some of that's coming back for him and hopefully it will continue to improve each week.''
The Dolphins believe Culpepper will continue his progress, continue improving, continue his return to form, because repetitions, more rehabilitation and time are his friends.
''The more plays I get, I think the better I'm going to get and the better this offense is going to get,'' Culpepper said. ``We just have to continue to work and continue to play through it and just get better as a group.
``I'm getting stronger and stronger every day. Every day I continue to work on the strength of my leg, and it's just me getting more comfortable. The more times I do it the better it's going to get.''
GETTING ON SAME PAGE
The Dolphins believe Culpepper's physical improvement will pay dividends. But they also need him to find a comfort level with his receivers -- something that simply isn't good enough at present, particularly with No. 1 receiver Chris Chambers.
Chambers has been open on a number of occasions in recent games, yet the Dolphins haven't converted those into long-pass plays. Miami's inability to connect on longer plays is the reason the team is 27th in net yards per pass play.
The most obvious example of the problem came last week when Chambers beat a defender for what could have been a 60-yard play, but the ball from Culpepper was thrown outside instead of inside, over Chambers' head instead of within reach.
''It's definitely important because he's a great player and he's a weapon,'' Culpepper said of finding a comfort level with Chambers. ``Not only that, but I have to get in sync with everybody. This whole offense has to get in sync.''
Of course, for Culpepper to improve, the receiving corps needs to adjust to him as well. And it also needs to improve.
''I probably had my worst game the last game,'' Chambers said. ``I had mental errors that I don't usually make that cost us yards and maybe a couple of points. But I'm not going to let that stuff happen.''
One thing the Dolphins might allow to happen is a greater use of the no-huddle package that worked well against the Texans. Culpepper is clearly comfortable in the formation.
But it probably won't be replacing Miami's base offense anytime soon.
''There are certain things you have to take into consideration,'' Culpepper said. ``We don't want to wear ourselves down trying to wear other teams down. That's one thing. We just have to be smart about it.
``Like I said, we're going to do whatever it takes to be successful. We just have to put it in our minds as a group, offensively, that we have to have that sense of urgency not just in those situations but every snap and every play.''
Because Joey Harrington will perform behind that absolute disaster of a line? Um... yeah.
PS. In watching the game last week, I thought Duante was brutal.
