Dolphins Players Critical of Tony Sparano

Added on Sep 28, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

Several Miami Dolphins players are offering explanations for the team’s disappointing 0-3 start. And the finger of blame is being squarely pointed at head coach Tony Sparano and his poorly run practices. With upcoming road games against the Chargers and Jets, the seat under Sparano is about to get a lot hotter.

The following comments won’t do much to strengthen Sparano’s job security. First up, wide receiver Davone Bess.

“And these are errors that we are causing on ourselves. It’s not even the defense. It starts with us… A lot of that stems from discipline, a lot of it stems from not putting probably as much time as we should in the meeting rooms …”

Or maybe the players aren’t paying close enough attention. Another receiver, Brian Hartline, chimed in with this:

“… I would say that the biggest thing is probably communication. We did have some situations where Chad [Henne] gave us some different signals, we didn’t get them or we’re hearing different things.”

Again, this could easily be the players’ fault. Obviously the coaches are sending in the plays, but if the quarterback isn’t relaying them correctly in the huddle, that’s on him.

Running back Reggie Bush thinks they aren’t practicing hard enough.

“The same things that happen during the games are the same things that are happening in practice,” Bush said, according to FoxSports. “It carries over. We have to practice better, and I think once we begin to do that you’ll start to see a better team.”

This is the same Reggie Bush who carried the ball ten times for 13 yards and fumbled twice last Sunday. However, cornerback Nolan Carroll echoed Bush’s sentiments.

“Sometimes we let things happen in practice, or we say, ‘Oh, we’ll correct it in the game,’ kind of waiting until Sunday as opposed to Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, correcting it then and there,” Carroll said. “I thought (Bush) hit it right on the head.”

Safety Yeremiah Bell said this after the Week 3 loss to the Texans:

“We have to start practicing like it’s the game,” defensive co-captain Bell told The Miami Herald. “We have to do that because, so far, we’ve been playing a lot like we practice.”

Rookie runner Daniel Thomas added this:

“We have a lot of mental mistakes in practice, and sometimes it carries on into the game so that’s something we have to work on.”

Ultimately, Sparano is responsible for running crisp practices and properly preparing his team for games. It’s apparent his message isn’t being read loud and clear. That being said, the players are responsible for doing their jobs. Whatever the case, barring a quick turnaround, Sparano’s days in South Florida appear to be numbered.

Source: NFL.com