Porter Barking With No Bite
Joey Porter might have another week on the bench to re-evaluate his play
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MIAMI - NOVEMBER 16: Linebacker Joey Porter #55 of the Miami Dolphins prepares for a game against the Oakland Raiders at Dolphin Stadium November 16, 2008 in Miami, Florida. Miami defeated Oakland 17-15. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joey Porter
When it comes to selling wolf tickets, Joey Porter is the CEO of Ticketmaster.
Finally, the Dolphins coaches have decided to take those tickets and rip them into tiny little pieces. Porter's mysterious "inactivity" before Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a sign of things to come.
The play of Cameron Wake and Charlie Anderson all but solidified it. ESPN's Chris Mortensen has reported that Porter, who was in the running for Defensive Player of the Year last season, won't be playing "anytime soon," which should bring cheers from Dol'Fans because he hasn't done much when he is on the field.
Porter was supposed to have an even bigger season with Jason Taylor paired on the other side. But it's been Taylor who has held up to his end of the bargain.
Porter has 2.5 sacks this season and has been far more effective at generating sound bites than a pass rush. Anderson nearly eclipsed that production in one game.
That's why Porter was banished from the team last week and why he probably won't see the field against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. And while Porter has tried to blame the media for making a stink about his lack of production and being declared inactive, his play has really done all the talking.
If you believe Tom Brady, Porter's mouth made the task of beating the New England Patriots even tougher by calling out the Pats and saying Brady has a special set of rules. When it came to game time, Porter's mouth was shut, mainly because a rookie was handing him his lunch for four quarters.
Porter put up the equivalent of the Golden Sombrero in baseball. Zero tackles. Zero sacks. Zero credibility.
Meanwhile, Anderson and Wake in their short time on the field have made significant impacts on the games they've played in. Many had been clamoring for more PT from the young guys, including Matt Roth, but the coach Tony Sparano tried to stay loyal to his aging Pro Bowl linebacker.
And just like any star past his prime, Porter barked at the idea of sharing time on the field instead of biting his tongue and taking one for the team.
Now that bark has bought him a ticket on the bench.
Posted Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009 - 3:20 PM EST
