“He’s explosive,” “He’s a cutie!” Dolphins fans talk Miami’s newest acquisition, Reggie Bush. Game footage courtesy NFL.
Cam Newton threw a Hail Mary pass that fell incomplete on the final play of the first half Friday night, and that's the closest he came to reaching the end zone.
The top pick of the NFL draft was shut out in his first exhibition-game start, and the Miami Dolphins beat Newton's Carolina Panthers, 20-10.
Reggie Bush, another former Heisman Trophy winner, played for the first time since joining the Dolphins and totaled 81 yards from scrimmage in three series. He ran eight times for 48 yards, including a 17-yard burst up the middle, and caught two passes for 33 yards.
Miami's Chad Henne played the entire first half and led the Dolphins to 17 points in five possessions, including 10 points in two series against Panthers reserves. Henne went 15 for 24 for 194 yards, and he had a 17-yard scramble.
The Dolphins went 1-7 at home last season, and Henne was booed during a recent scrimmage on the same field. Spectators had little to complain about in the opening half, however, as they watched Miami outgain the Panthers 301-90.
Charlotte did sit out six starters, including four on offense. But a sputtering offense was nothing new for the Panthers, who ranked last in the NFL in points and yards in 2010, when a 2-14 record gave them the chance to take Newton in the draft.
The crowd was likely the smallest Newton has played before since his days at Blinn College. Announced attendance was 54,157, but the actual turnout was about 30,000.
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Miami rookie Daniel Thomas carried 12 times for 52 yards. Brandon Marshall played three series and caught five passes for 46 yards.
The second possession by the Dolphins first-teamers resulted in a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter.
The final yard proved the toughest — Miami ran up the middle three times for no gain before Lex Hilliard scored on a fourth-down leap.
In the second quarter, Henne led another 12-play scoring drive against Panthers reserves. It ended with a 39-yard field goal by Dan Carpenter.
The Dolphins got the ball back with 2:03 left in the half, and Henne moved them 63 yards for a score in four plays, the last a 4-yard run by Thomas.
