The bleeding stopped thanks to a Harrington interception on an exceptional individual effort by Alex Brown (another great defensive lineman). Harrington, in fact, did everything he could to keep the Bears in the game. The one thing that can be said in his favor is that he avoids sacks. This is in large part because he seems to throw more passes behind the line of scrimmage than past the first-down marker. His first two touchdowns were nice throws, but his third one was nearly intercepted. The three drives covered a total of 42 yards.
The Joey Harrington era is only likely to last the season, as either Daunte Culpepper will get healthy or the Dolphins will start form scratch. The rebuilt offensive line has shown the ability to free Ronnie Brown. The defensive front seven, while aging, is still a venerable group that excels against the run. If the Dolphins get average play from Harrington, and the pass rush can protect the mediocre secondary then … well then the Dolphins may win six games.
More likely, the Dolphins will get inconsistent play from Harrington and watch their secondary get exposed by everyone from Damon Huard to Jon Kitna. This victory highlighted some of the pieces that made Miami a chic playoff pick. Unfortunately, the pieces that have them 2-6 are likely to be featured on a regular basis going forward.
