Monday, October 14, 2013

Dolphins' O-line emerges from bye unchanged

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Miami Dolphins boast one of the NFL's most leaky offensive lines, and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman vowed to do some plumbing work over the bye week.

That work apparently didn't involve personnel.

According to multiple reports from the Miami media, the Dolphins' starting offensive line remains unchanged as of Tuesday's practice, which was consistent with coach Joe Philbin's statement last week that the Dolphins "believe in the guys that we have."

The sub-par play of tackles Jonathan Martin and Tyson Clabo has accounted for the majority of opponents' sacks on quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but Martin and Clabo seemingly aren't being challenged to maintain their jobs via internal competition.

And as The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero notes, the team hasn't been on the practice field since last Tuesday, so just how Miami got better in pass protection over the break remains a mystery.

We'll find out Sunday when the Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills, who have amassed 21 quarterback takedowns through six weeks.

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