CHRIS CHAMBERS
Pressure thrown at Chambers
With the offseason acquisition of Daunte Culpepper, receiver Chris Chambers will have greater expectations placed on him for the 2006 season.
BY DAVID J. NEAL
dneal@MiamiHerald.com
Dolphins wide receiver Chris Chambers knows what is expected of him after a career season: more.
More catches, more yards, more spectacular plays, more big plays that aren't so spectacular but lead to more victories. More leadership, especially with rookie Derek Hagan.
Like the Dolphins, Chambers' 2005 success earned him the right to be judged against a higher standard. That would be the case even if the Dolphins had not traded for quarterback Daunte Culpepper in the offseason.
''I don't really feel the pressure,'' Chambers said. ``I know it's my responsibility to be more of a leader and step my game up even more to help the team win. I know I have guys around me that can make plays as well. So it's really not a pressure-type deal for me.''
Or maybe it's that Chambers has dealt with expectations since the start of his career. Last season wasn't much different.
Everything seemed set for a big season from Chambers. The Dolphins brought in Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator from the Minnesota Vikings, where Linehan choreographed a dazzling offense starring Culpepper and Randy Moss. Quarterback Jay Fiedler was replaced by Gus Frerotte.
The Dolphins voted Chambers an offensive captain, acknowledging him as a team leader but also making an unspoken request for greater production.
Few who have spent time around the reserved Chambers would expect him to transform into an emotional, vocal leader. His brand of leadership would have to come through performance.
And it did, after eight games in which he sometimes struggled. In the second half of the season, Chambers had 52 catches for 701 yards and eight touchdowns. Subtract the 15-catch, 238-yard game against Buffalo that made him the first Dolphins wide receiver since 1994 to be named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, and still there is a respectable 37 catches for 463 yards and seven TDs in seven games.
''Reading defenses is one of the things I got better at,'' Chambers said. ``As I get better at that, it makes it a lot easier for me to go out there and run routes. Different ball drills that I wasn't doing early in the year, I'm starting to do them now early in training camp so that I can continue doing that throughout the whole year.''
Dolphins coach Nick Saban said he believed Chambers' confidence grew during last season.
''[He] made more big plays with fewer drops,'' Saban said. ``Played faster with a better understanding and knowledge of what he needed to do to get open or execute that particular play. That's no disrespect to what he did in the beginning of the year, but I just think he got better and better as the year went on.''
And his expectations for this season?
''I think, if he plays with the consistency that he finished the year with last year for an entire season . . .'' Saban said, his voice trailing off before finishing, `` he had a fantastic year last year, but he would have an absolutely fantastic year.''
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