Can Chambers finally break through?

Don’t start throwing out the fact that 2 years ago Chris Chambers was in the Pro-Bowl. That was a very good year for him, but consistency is the key to anyones success, and Chambers has not shown that.

Excuses are out the window now. He is moving from Z receiver to X receiver in an attempt to be freed up in more mismatched coverage. It is designed to enable Chambers to use his speed more, to become explosive. To catch more balls. OR, drop more if 2 years ago was only a fluke.

Chris Chambers finished a weekend of OTA’s the Miami Dolphins held, and spoke about last year. He said there was a lack of chemistry as a possible reason for his downfall.

"”There were so many things — you just can’t pinpoint one or two, But there was no chemistry. Nothing really ever connected. I’ve had a pretty good career until this point. I know I’m not coming off my best season. But with some of these changes, I’m going to be able to get back to doing what I normally do.”"

Those are interesting comments. Lack of chemistry for one. With the QB situation so far from being settled, how is Chris going to have any chemistry with whoever starts? Unless Trent Green is brought in for the start of camp or Daunte Culpepper sprints to the field from the stationary bike, the QB situation will be similar to last years.

Chambers also spoke of Trust as a reason for his lack of production. Was it trust in his qb’s or trust in his coaches? Mularkey was not exactly a poor OC, he was worse.

For me, Chambers can say anything he wants. He can blame it on trust, cohesion, timing, chemistry, whatever. It matters not to me. I just hope that at some point he realizes that whoever is throwing him the balls or whoever is calling the plays, it is in the end his responsibility to catch them, and hold on to them.

In what amounts to a rather long article in the Miami Herald, we learn that coach Cam Cameron is seeing improvement in Chambers. That is good considering it was Cameron who benched Chambers in an earlier camp for dropping passes.

Coach Cameron said:

"”He’s progressing, It sounds crazy — a Pro Bowl player, a veteran guy, progressing. But that’s what it’s all about. The minute you quit getting better in this business, you’re on the way out. He’s still getting better.”"

That is good to hear, and I hope as does all Dolphins fans, that this move makes Chambers into the type of player we all know he is capable of becoming.

Chambers himself had this to say about Cameron’s offensive system:

"“It gives me an opportunity to play fast and be explosive, and that’s what I’ve always wanted,””I’m working for a guy who’s used to his offense scoring, who’s used to having the most productive system in the league. In the past, you got away with doing some things wrong and no one says anything, oftentimes. Now, you have guys nitpicking everything. You get knowledge every day. If you get just this much better, you can be great.”"

Chambers has had to date a roller coaster type career, its been up and down. Chris says now that the “trust” issue is resolved, I hope so or we are liable to be listening to this again next year.

In the end though, and in my opinion, it wasn’t any of the reasons that Chris stated, his drop off last year was due to frustration. Frustration with the coaches, with the QB situation, the play calling, all of it. What changed from his pro-bowl season to last year?

Comparing the two, he had one change and one change only. The Offensive Coordinator. In the PB year he dealt with the same questions at QB that he did last year, only the names changed, but, when Linehan left for STL, Chambers was handed Mularkey. Linehan brought out the best in Chambers, Mularkey brought out the best in no one.

For all the reasons Chambers gave, Frustration was the one thing he failed to mention. His play alone was indicative of that frustration, and once he became frustrated, he lost his concentration. He lost his will. When Chambers has his game on, the guy is a human high-light real. If the “trust” issue is resolved, and Chambers buys into the Cameron system 110%, then maybe he finally becomes the receiver he is supposed to be. Maybe he becomes better, maybe great, maybe he finally breaks through. The question is, was last year the exception? Or was the year before?