| Griese, Fiedler convene, agree team comes first Both Dolphins QBs rusty during practice BY JASON COLE [email protected] The most important pass Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler has made recently might have been when Brian Griese asked for the barbecue sauce last week at Fiedler's house. On Monday, Fiedler and Griese debuted in what figures to be an ongoing melodrama for media and fans regarding the Dolphins quarterback job. Miami opened its fourth and final quarterback school of the offseason to a healthy media contingent and a sprinkling of fans. Both quarterbacks left something to be desired as each threw two interceptions. Griese, whose first pass of the team drills was picked off by cornerback Jamar Fletcher, worked almost exclusively with and against backup players. At this point, the on-field performance is almost secondary to the relationship that must develop behind the scenes. Last week, after Griese officially signed with the Dolphins, the two broke bread at Fiedler's home. ''If there were personality differences or clashes, which there aren't, it would show,'' Fiedler said. ``We want what is best for the team. We're going to help each other out. He realizes I'm going to be out there doing what's best for the team, and I know he's going to be doing the same.'' ESPN commentator and former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, who watched practice Monday, understands that well. Theismann was teammates with quarterback Billy Kilmer for five years with the Redskins. At times, they didn't even speak. It created an atmosphere that split the team and inhibited success, Theismann said. The Redskins never had a losing record during the five seasons, but never won a playoff game. ''The players start to choose sides,'' Theismann said. 'It's human nature. It's part of a football team. A coach can stand up there and say, `This is my guy,' but there are 53 guys there making their decisions . . . He doesn't become my guy just because the coach says he's my guy.'' Theismann said the problem with Kilmer stemmed from basic competition for the starting job. ''It was miserable. I sat for eight weeks in a meeting room, everyday in practice, and he never said a word to me,'' Theismann said. ``I hated him for it. In my mind, I reconciled it, but it was tough at the time because I wanted something he had. I wanted his job.'' Avoiding that type of controversy is crucial for a Dolphins team that has championship aspirations. Fiedler said he and Griese have considered that from the moment Griese signed. Griese extended the olive branch last week when he said the team didn't need a controversy and that he expected Fiedler to be the starter and play well. edler returned in kind by saying Monday the move was ''excellent'' for the Dolphins. But public posturing means nothing if there isn't private d�tente. To that end, Fiedler and Griese hooked up with No. 3 quarterback Sage Rosenfels for the meal. ''We talked about going out to grab something to eat and it just ended up easier for him to come over because I had a couple of things going on,'' Fiedler said. As for their respective performances Monday, neither looked particularly sharp by normal standards. But Fiedler was working without Chris Chambers, whose flight to South Florida was cancelled, and Griese was showing the effects of learning a new offensive language. On his first pass, for instance, rookie receiver J.R. Tolver fell, and Griese didn't have much on the throw as Fletcher was able to snare it. The play had the look of too much thinking and not enough comfortable, well-practiced execution. ''[Griese was] breaking the huddle and walking to the line and thinking about what he just said in the huddle,'' said Dolphins offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who spent extra time getting Griese up to speed last week. ``You could see that a bunch of times. But it will come to him pretty soon.'' Turner said the language of the offense in Denver, where Griese played for five years, is about as different as can be from the one with the Dolphins. Griese admitted to having a lot of thoughts going through his head on his first day. ''I had to do a lot more thinking,'' he said. Fortunately, it appears he'll have at least one important teammate to discuss it with. |