 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
Not cutting bait Wannstedt to stick with Fiedler despite recent woesPosted: Friday August 16, 2002 4:33 PMDAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- No matter how much Miami quarterback Jay Fiedler gets booed, he will not get benched. At least not during the preseason. Fiedler threw three interceptions and fumbled once in his second preseason game, prompting strong, negative reactions from fans during Thursday night's 24-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints. "It's halfway crazy in my opinion," Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt said Friday. "You've got a guy that's won 22 games around here in two years, had hip surgery, is back one week and he doesn't play well in a quarter and a half of a preseason game. It is a little out of perspective at this point. "Do I agree that we've got work to do and he's not ready to start the season? Sure. But he told you that, too. There's nobody denying that. Nobody is trying to sugarcoat this thing. We know what we've got to get done. But it's also too premature to overreact." Wannstedt reaffirmed his commitment to Fiedler, who has practiced twice and played twice since having hip surgery July 13. Wannstedt said he had no doubt that Fiedler would start the season opener Sept. 8 against Detroit. Until then, Fiedler will see plenty of game-like practices. "I'm going to have a pass rush going on in every drill that he's involved in," Wannstedt said. "There will be someone rushing the passer, where he has to get his feet set, get rid of the ball and get that whole timing thing going." Timing was a problem against the Saints. Faced with constant pressure caused by breakdowns in the Dolphins' revamped offensive line, Fiedler was 8-of-19 passing for 83 yards and misfired on many of those attempts. He played nearly the entire first half, staying in the game to try to work through his mistakes. But he never got things turned around. Although his first interception came on a good defensive play, the next two were poorly thrown balls intended for Oronde Gadsden. The first one was behind the Gadsden, and the second one was low. The boos began after Fiedler's second INT, grew louder with his third one and peaked when he jogged onto the field for another possession. "You hear it, but it doesn't bother you," Fiedler said. Fiedler was knocked down hard four times during his final drive. His confidence took an even bigger hit. "I'm going to get it back," he said. "That's not a problem with me. I've just got to get out there and get the work done. Getting the work done out on the practice field will give me more confidence." Wannstedt is sure Fiedler -- with the addition of running back Ricky Williams and offensive coordinator Norv Turner's new offense -- can make the Dolphins a Super Bowl contender. Fewer mistakes will be key, though. Fiedler has thrown 40 interceptions over the last two years. "We know what Jay can do and what he's done," Wannstedt said. "I wish I could stand here and say it was the new offense. If Jay was confused back there, then you would say, 'It's taking time.' But that wasn't the case. He did a great job of knowing where to go. It was just the physical part."
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
