Gimpy players showing progress for Dolphins

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/miami-dolphins/story/655454.html

Gimpy players showing progress for Dolphins

BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD AND MIKE PHILLIPS
Miami Herald

Veteran defensive end Vonnie Holliday, cornerback Michael Lehan and linebacker Joey Porter have been hobbled by injuries this preseason, but none showed signs of being slowed in Saturday's exhibition victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Holliday and Porter broke out, each getting sacks in the first half as the defense held the Chiefs scoreless. Lehan snared an interception in the third quarter.

Holliday and Lehan made their exhibition debuts, and Porter made his second consecutive start.

Holliday had been idled by a hamstring injury he sustained in training camp and Porter missed several practices and has been nagged by back and knee injuries.

Lehan missed about 2 ½ months because of a high ankle sprain sustained during the team's offseason training activity. He returned to practice Monday.

Holliday and Porter were key to the Dolphins halting the Chief's opening drive. Holliday sacked Brodie Croyle on the Kansas City 7-yard line on the Chiefs' second play, and Porter sacked Croyle for a loss of 7 yards on the final play of the first quarter.

Lehan ended the Chiefs' late-third-quarter drive by intercepting Kansas City backup Damon Huard, a former Dolphin.

MORE BIG STOPS

The Dolphins' defense looked pretty stingy, especially in the first half, when they recovered their first fumble and intercepted their second pass of the preseason. Linebacker Channing Crowder forced the fumble, knocking the ball from Croyle, and linebacker Matt Roth made the recovery at the Kansas City 22-yard line, setting up Miami's second touchdown of the first half.

Safety Renaldo Hill intercepted Croyle's pass to end the first half for his first interception of the preseason, and Miami's defense had the moment of the night when end Phillip Merling stopped running back Larry Johnson on a fourth-and-goal run on Kansas City's first drive of the second half.

LOOKING GOOD

This was the Dolphins' final tuneup at home, and even though these are exhibition games, there are two bright notes for the starters: They have given up a total of seven points during the first half in three games, and they now have outscored opponents 33-7 in the first half, when most of the regulars are playing.

WALKING WOUNDED

Linebacker Charlie Anderson and running back Ronnie Brown were not in uniform. . . .

Wide Receiver Anthony Armstrong was shaken up and left the game during kickoff coverage with 9:31 left in the second quarter, but he returned in the third. . . .

Linebacker Edmond Miles, a special teams starter during kickoff coverage, injured a knee in the fourth quarter and did not return. . . .

Despite being an announced sellout, about two-thirds of the stadium was empty at kickoff. Paid attendance was announced at 60,189.