Monday, October 23, 2006
MIAMI GARDENS — You don't want to open that door, Nick Saban.
Don't try to tell us everything would be OK with the Miami Dolphins if only injured quarterback Daunte Culpepper and substance-abusing running back Ricky Williams were on the field.
As excuses go, this is the last one Saban should dare to use. His judgment missed the mark on two critical players. He thought Williams (now playing in Canada) could be trusted, and he couldn't. He thought Culpepper's knee would be ready less than a year after surgery, and it wasn't.
So it was hard to say which was more disturbing Sunday: the Dolphins' 34-24 loss at home to the previously 1-4 Packers, or Saban's unexpected excursion into a fantasy league of Dolphins playmakers.
Asked if he believes he has any prime-time players, Saban said, "If they play like they're capable of, I do. Some of them are not playing. There's one playing in Canada and one that's hurt right now. We have enough guys here, where if they play the kind of football they're capable of, we'll have success."
This is the true low point of a 1-6 season, worse than what happened on the field against Green Bay.
Until now, Saban has resolutely resisted the alibi that he does not have the playmakers. The facade shattered when the team's faint playoff hopes did.
Sorry, but it was Saban and the Dolphins who chose to bet on two horses that are out of the race.
This editorial in the Palm Beach Post tells you what Saban thinks of HIS draft pick Ronnie Brown. Of course, he won't come out and admit it.