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At a gathering of former Heisman Trophy winners in June, Ricky Williams declared he and Ronnie Brown intended to rush for 1,000 yards apiece, a feat backfield mates have accomplished only three times in NFL history.
The statement sounded bold at the time. Now it seems ludicrous.
The 2008 Miami Dolphins geared their roster toward a smashmouth philosophy but haven't evoked memories of Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris.
They've failed to establish any semblance of a running game through their first two games. Williams has rushed 21 times for 52 yards. He has three fumbles. Brown has 17 carries for 48 yards. They each have five receptions.Williams and Brown can't shoulder all of the blame. Miami's 41 rush attempts are fifth-fewest in the league. But they haven't exactly demanded more action, averaging only 2.6 yards per carry.
Nineteen players have more rushing yards than Williams and Brown put together. Four of those players are rookies. Two Oakland Raiders have more rushing yards than the Dolphins.
The Colts actually have the NFL's worst rushing offense with 78 yards and a 2.3-yard average per carry.
But Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes didn't make any audacious preseason proclamations.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Tim Graham
Graham joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Miami Dolphins for the Palm Beach Post. He previously spent eight years at the Buffalo News, where he was an award-winning NHL and boxing writer. The Baldwin-Wallace College grad also has worked for the Las Vegas Sun and Boston Herald.