Fins' turnovers, short fields translate to Texan points

BY SEAN DONOVAN

The Miami Dolphins lost by 20 points to the heavily-favored Houston Texans Sunday, which didn't surprise many. Most knew Houston's offense was no match for the Dolphins' rebuilt defense.

But Miami's defensive unit played pretty well. The Texans scored plenty of points, but mostly because they were able to take advantage of short fields that were the result of four Miami turnovers.

Houston had a much tougher time sustaining long scoring drives against the Dolphins, as Miami didn't allow a touchdown drive longer than 54 yards.

A major concern going into the season was the ability of the Dolphins' front-four to create pressure. Though it only managed two sacks on the day, Miami's defensive line often forced quarterback Matt Schaub into quick decisions that resulted in short checkdown passes or incompletions.

They also allowed 83 yards to Houston's 35 rushing attempts, which works out to just 2.4 yards per carry.

Houston dominated overall, but Miami didn't exactly lay down. The Texans were continually forced into third down situations, and Miami was often able to hold its ground, with Houston converting on 7 of 17 third downs.

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