Dolphins Reggie Bush Benched : Smart Decision Or Bad Coaching?

Nov 11, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush (22) on the bench in the fourth quarter in a game against the Tennessee Titans at Sun Life Stadium. The Titans defeated the Dolphins 37-3.Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

Early in the first quarter of this past Sunday’s loss against the Tennessee Titans, the Miami Dolphins Reggie Bush fumbled the football leading to a Titans recovery and touchdown. Bush was benched by Head Coach, Joe Philbin for the rest of the game, forced to watch his team get pummeled in all three phases from the sidelines.

Did Bush deserve to be benched for fumbling the ball?

In my opinion, there is no way Philbin should have taken Bush out of the game! There are three guys on this team that without a doubt you cannot bench, Cameron Wake, Jake Long, and Reggie Bush!

Bush is without a doubt one of the leaders in the locker room as well as a face of this franchise. He works harder than anyone on the team day in and day out practicing long after the whistle blows. This guy lets his work ethic and play on the field represent him; he is the consummate professional. For him to have one mistake and get benched in what I would call a must win game, is nothing short of an outrageous coaching move.

I’m not saying that if Bush was playing in the game the ‘Phins would have won, because lets be honest this game was over after the coin toss, but maybe we would have gotten to see one positive play on offense with him out there.

Of course, Bush agreed with his benching saying to a Miami Herald reporter, “I didn’t deserve to be out there” showing that even in personal defeat his character shines through.

Quick side note, Bush’s character and persona is the reason that if he didn’t run for another first down the rest of the year, I would still want him resigned and back in a Miami uniform. You can’t put a price on knowledge and leadershi He has fully adopted his veteran status and tries to shed wisdom on every player of the team. What Bush does for the locker room and some of the younger players cannot be measured in statistics.

Alright, back to my rant!

Philbin was just dead wrong in his decision to take Bush out. I’m all for making an example out of players, but when you pick the guy who is harder on himself than anybody you are the “biggest idiot in the country” as Rodney Harrison so kindly put it.

We’ll see how Bush responds on the football field Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, but I personally hope that his seat on the pine stays real cold in New York.