Dolphins win, but Wallace upset

Although the Dolphins won the regular-season opener, 23-10 over the Cleveland Browns, Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace was clearly angry coming off the field and was still steaming after he dressed and left the Dolphins locker room.

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland escorted a visibly angry Wallace off the field, putting his arm around the players waist and walking him as if leading him away from other people. Ireland was talking to Wallace the entire time the two walked back to the locker room.

Minutes later, Wallace, who caught only one pass for 15 yards, was one of the first players who left the locker room.

Can I walk with you, I asked?

"I don't feel like talking," Wallace grumbled.

Can you talk about the game?

"I don't want to talk," he answered.

Another reporter joined us and asked, "Can you talk about the game plan?"

"I don't feel like talking about it. Ask coach."

Wallace didn't have a catch at halftime. Indeed, the Dolphins hadn't even targeted him in the first half. They did immediately target him in the first series of the first half and he eventually finished the game with four targets. Brian Hartline had the ball thrown him 12 times and Brandon Gibson had the ball thrown to him seven times. Tight end Charles Clay had the ball thrown to him six times.

As he was walking away, Wallace was asked about the lack of targets in the first half.

"Ask coach," he said. "It's not my game plan."

Another question: In the second half they threw to you right away. Was something said at halftime?

"Ask coach."

This is not going to make Wallace, Miami's highest paid free agent, popular. It obviously doesn't look good that he was clearly thinking about his personal performance and situation ahead of the fact the Dolphins won the game.

Not a good look.

On the other hand, the kid has a point. Mike Wallace signed a $60 million contract. Not throwing him the football in the first half of a game he's single covered throughout is not good planning by coaches.