Beck Plays as Expected…Ginn 'the Gazelle' Impresses.

John Beck played his first NFL game on Sunday, a 17-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Miami Dolphins offense failed to reach the end zone in 4 quarters of play.  The lone Phins score coming on an impressive 78 yard punt return by Ted “The Gazelle” Ginn…with no penalties.  The story in this game was not going to be a win/loss number.  The story was John Beck, and Beck, played as expected.

Beck took the field yesterday in a cold windy drizzle of rain that felt colder than the low end 40’s that were announced.  He strutted onto the field with confidence and handed off on his first snap.  His first throw was rushed and his feet danced a little too much in the pocket.  The Dolphins went 3 and out.  They would do the same the next possession.

Beck would never truly find a rhythm.  His passes were often a little too high or a little too behind the intended target.  He either threw too hard when the receiver was short or through it into the dirt.  Each of those are more than fixable, and quite easily.  Those are not mechanic issues, those are timing issues.  Those are a feel for the game.

The throws that Beck did make, were very good throws.  A few early wobbling passes against the wind still were led with perfection and completed.  A touch pass in the end zone to TE Aaron Halterman in the 4th was dropped.  It was a perfect pass.  Beck had Ted Ginn in double coverage and managed to put the ball just behind the shoulder of Ginn where no one else could get it, it was incomplete but the coverage was good and the ball on slightly off.

Where Beck really showed what he has though was in the pocket.  The Dolphins went into the game only giving up 17 sacks all season, they left with the same number.  Beck was able to step into the pocket well, he was able to move out of the pocket when needed, he did what Cleo Lemon could not, what Joey Harrington did not, and what Daunte Culpepper could not get back to, he checked off all his receivers.

At times, Beck took what was likely a simplified offensive game plan and went with the dump off receiver, often throwing a bad throw.   Most of the time he looked upfield and it is apparent that his favorite target is Ted Ginn.  Ginn caught 4 passes for 52 yards, but was thrown to often.  John Beck statistically had a poor day completing only 9 passes for 109 yards.  He was also intercepted….not once.  No sacks, no interceptions, no fumbles.  That says something about how he sees the field.  How he reads a defenses alignment.

Whether John Beck will be a very good quarterback, a hall of fame quarterback, or end up being a future backup on some other team will not likely be known until last year.  Yet, his quick release, and he does have a quick release, the velocity of his throws…a flip of his wrist and the ball goes 20 yards, those are good signs.  In fact, since Dan Marino took his last snap in Miami, it was the first time that I saw all of those attributes in a Miami Quarterback.  Some had arm strength but lacked accuracy….Harrington and Culpepper, some had the mental toughness but lacked the arm strength…Jay Fiedler.  The rest?  They are not here are they.

It is a long way to go before John Beck is anointed anything other than a rookie QB who played his first game and looked like a rookie.  He just didn’t look like a bad rookie…completely.

OTHER IMPRESSIONS:

John Beck wasn’t the only one that surprised a few people yesterday.  Ted Ginn had his first return for a touchdown, a punt return of 78 yards that gave the Dolphins the early lead.  The Gazelle (my nickname for the way he runs) raced through the first line of defense men and then his long stride took over.  Ginn had two previous TD’s called back on penalties.

Last year, the Miami Dolphins selected S/CB Jason Allen number 16 overall.  Allen has been labeled a bust by just about everyone.  Yesterday, Allen had 5 tackles and 2 interceptions in the first half.  Hardly enough to take the “bust” tag off just yet, but maybe a little more time?  He still has 6 more games to prove he belongs…but it was a nice surprise.