Lemon to start Thursday

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald is reporting that back-up QB Cleo Lemon will start on Thursday against the Chiefs.  Lemon who has started one regular season game will get his chance against a first team unit with the Miami Dolphins while Trent Green will see action in the 3rd quarter against the scrubs.

Head coach Cam Cameron has said that he wants to name a starter prior to the 3rd pre-season game.  Lemon starting this week will give Cameron something to look at.  Make no mistake, Lemon will have to play lights out to take the job away from Green.

Now, my take on this is that this is unhealthy for the offensive unit.  Everyone knows that Trent Green will be the opening day starter barring injury.  Everyone knows that Lemon will be the back-up and that Hamdan will be cut at some point.  With Hamdan getting the majority of the 4th quarter touches this week, and Beck likely to sit out, the continuity of this struggling offense is once again at a disadvantage.

Last year the Dolphins played QB circus with Joey, Daunte, and Lemon.  None of whom stood out from the others.  Their play in pre-season showed on the field in the regular games.

Trent Green should start this game.  He needs to work in game situations with his teammates.  His timing needs to be better with Chambers, Hagan, Ronnie Brown.  The offensive line need to learn the tendencies of Green and how best to protect him in the pocket.  Lemon is a fast kid, and his play style differs from that of Green.  The offensive line will block differently for Lemon as Cleo will get to the outside more often, he will tuck and go more than what Green will.  All this adds up to is 1 less game for the “real” offense to work together.

I like Cleo.  As a back-up.  He is a guy that can come in mid game and not hurt you.  He is a guy that should he have to play a game or two, should be able to hold down the fort so to speak.  He can get that practice in practice.

Game tones are different, and after the lackluster performance of Green on Saturday night, it is obvious that Green needs the work, and he needs it with the unit he will be playing with.

Don’t buy into this starting of Lemon as a QB competition, it is not.  Trent Green is the opening day starter whether he is the best QB or not.  Cameron will see to that.  The only thing that starting Lemon does, is take away an opportunity for the offense to get better.

I said prior to training camp that this offense needs time.  They need to be able to work together.  I said that this unit could be good given the fact that they would have all of training camp to work together.  The process would be long, it would be tough and it would not look that good.  My predictions on the season were predicated on the cohesiveness of this unit.  What they have is an opportunity to get more work done, and they are blowing that by starting Lemon.

At least there will be some fans out there who will enjoy seeing this change.  Unfortunately, it is only hurting the progress of this team