It was Dolphins Coach Dave Wannstedt and offensive coordinator Norv Turner who took the ball out of Ricky Williams' hands in the fourth quarter and allowed the Patriots to come back and upset the Dolphins in the regular-season finale, denying Miami a postseason berth. But quarterback Jay Fiedler, whose five-week midseason absence (broken thumb) kept the Dolphins from running away with the AFC East in the first place, is under the most pressure now that Brian Griese is here.
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Brian Griese might be a popular choice among some Dolfans, but several network television analysts say the Dolphins should stick with Jay Fiedler, whom coach Dave Wannstedt has anointed the starter.
ABC's John Madden, CBS' Phil Simms, Fox's Cris Collinsworth and ESPN's Ron Jaworski say Fiedler should remain the starter. But ESPN's Paul Maguire says Griese should be given an equal chance. And CBS' Boomer Esiason insists the Dolphins are setting themselves up for failure.
Here's what the commentators told me in phone interviews:
Esiason: "This is a potential recipe for disaster. I understand the need for two guys, but there is not a clear distinction between the two. This could be real volatile. Something like this never ends on a positive note. The locker room gets split. One quarterback stands on the sidelines, privately rooting for the other guy to screw up. I've always been a big fan of Griese."
Madden: "I would start Fiedler. He fits in with Ricky Williams and he's the type of quarterback that goes well with a good defense. But you never get the feeling he will make it through a season healthy. There has to be something wrong with Griese the last two years, and I don't believe it's his personality."
Simms: "The best thing that can happen is Jay has a good training camp and there not be a question. People say competition is great, but if you say that, you know nothing about the quarterback position. To give orders, you have to be the undisputed leader. Brian throws about as good a football as there is in the league."
Maguire: "There's no harm in letting them fight over the job. Fiedler doesn't light up the world, and neither does Griese. Neither one has done anything to be great quarterbacks."
Collinsworth: "It's a toss of a coin who's better, but Jay has earned the right to be the guy, and the Dolphins are the team to beat in the AFC."
Jaworski: "I think Fiedler will end up starting. Jay has been uneven throughout his career but he has earned the right to start. Brian wasn't as productive as I thought he could be with his supporting cast in Denver. I don't think either guy will put a team on his back and carry them to victory."
CBS' Brent Jones, who played on 49ers teams with Joe Montana and Steve Young battling: "Quarterback controversies can divide a team and be a big distraction. Jay has performed a little better than Brian, but Brian has more untapped talent."
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6193920.htm
ABC's John Madden, CBS' Phil Simms, Fox's Cris Collinsworth and ESPN's Ron Jaworski say Fiedler should remain the starter. But ESPN's Paul Maguire says Griese should be given an equal chance. And CBS' Boomer Esiason insists the Dolphins are setting themselves up for failure.
Here's what the commentators told me in phone interviews:
Esiason: "This is a potential recipe for disaster. I understand the need for two guys, but there is not a clear distinction between the two. This could be real volatile. Something like this never ends on a positive note. The locker room gets split. One quarterback stands on the sidelines, privately rooting for the other guy to screw up. I've always been a big fan of Griese."
Madden: "I would start Fiedler. He fits in with Ricky Williams and he's the type of quarterback that goes well with a good defense. But you never get the feeling he will make it through a season healthy. There has to be something wrong with Griese the last two years, and I don't believe it's his personality."
Simms: "The best thing that can happen is Jay has a good training camp and there not be a question. People say competition is great, but if you say that, you know nothing about the quarterback position. To give orders, you have to be the undisputed leader. Brian throws about as good a football as there is in the league."
Maguire: "There's no harm in letting them fight over the job. Fiedler doesn't light up the world, and neither does Griese. Neither one has done anything to be great quarterbacks."
Collinsworth: "It's a toss of a coin who's better, but Jay has earned the right to be the guy, and the Dolphins are the team to beat in the AFC."
Jaworski: "I think Fiedler will end up starting. Jay has been uneven throughout his career but he has earned the right to start. Brian wasn't as productive as I thought he could be with his supporting cast in Denver. I don't think either guy will put a team on his back and carry them to victory."
CBS' Brent Jones, who played on 49ers teams with Joe Montana and Steve Young battling: "Quarterback controversies can divide a team and be a big distraction. Jay has performed a little better than Brian, but Brian has more untapped talent."
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6193920.htm
