DAVIE, Fla. -- Ted Ginn Jr. twice left the New York Jets stumbling and lunging, grasping at and gasping for air.
With moves like that, maybe he can shake his reputation yet.
Ginn scored on consecutive kickoff returns of 100 and 101 yards, an unprecedented feat that took a total of 31 seconds. He's that fast. His many detractors might call him the fastest draft bust in Miami Dolphins history.
Anatomy of a Play: Ginn's kickoff returns
"He takes a lot of flak," teammate Justin Smiley said. "He deserves more respect than he gets."
Ginn became the first player to have two scores of 100 yards or more in the same game, and the first in 42 years to have two touchdown returns in the same quarter. He had 299 yards on kickoff returns, the second-highest total in NFL history.
"Wasn't that marvelous?" Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning said. "There can be no better human story than what happened last week around here and what Teddy was able to come up with. For him to do that is a great story."
Give Ginn credit for resisting any temptation to tell his critics, "Nyah, nyah, nyah."
"I still got to prove myself," he said. "It's better not to just talk. It's better to show action. Talking is cheap. The only thing I can do is go out and continue to make plays and put the naysayers away."
While Ginn resuscitated his career against the Jets, the performance reinforced the impression that he has underachieved since being taken with the ninth overall choice in the 2007 draft. He wasn't a popular pick -- jeering fans at the Dolphins' draft party wanted Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn -- and Ginn has struggled in the role of a No. 1 receiver.
Last week, Ginn lost his starting wide receiver job. Then came his dramatic response against the Jets.
"This kid is a resilient guy," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "Some people rise up, some people don't. Teddy rose up."
When asked which TD return was better, Ginn said: "Both." On the first, he cut back to find an opening. On the second, he describes himself as a trapped mouse, braking before breaking to the outside. Both times, he outran the coverage when in the clear.
"He's so doggone fast," Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff said. "Once he got to the edge, we can't get him then."
While Ginn's play on special teams was a game-changer, he didn't have a reception. The Dolphins (3-4) head into Sunday's game at New England ranked fourth worst in the NFL in passing, and they're last in yards per reception.
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As a result, Ginn catches grief. The biggest raps are that he runs poor routes and shies away from contact.
"He has been taking a lot of scrutiny and has been the target of a lot of talk," teammate Ronnie Brown said. "We all know his athletic ability and what he's capable of doing. We saw it last week."
Yes, the potential's there. At Ohio State, Ginn tied an NCAA record with eight touchdown returns, but as an NFL receiver, he has just five career TDs and two 100-yard games. This season, he's averaging only 11.7 yards on his 18 catches.
Midway through his third pro season, Ginn isn't even the Dolphins' best receiver from Ohio State. Sparano replaced Ginn in the lineup with another former Buckeye, rookie Brian Hartline.
"You have to understand what the player can do, and let him only do what he can do well," Sparano said.
"Some of these other guys played 60, 70 plays out there and didn't have that kind of impact," Sparano said.
As the Dolphins seek to repeat last year's run to the AFC East title, a receiver to stretch the field is their biggest need. Wideouts have seven touchdown receptions in the past two seasons, and the lack of a downfield passing threat allows opponents to crowd the line of scrimmage against Miami's potent ground attack.
Ginn appeared on the verge of a breakthrough in the third game this season, when he had a career-high 11 catches for 108 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. Three weeks later, he made a fine catch on a long pass for a 53-yard touchdown.
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But Ginn has just five receptions in the past five games.
"Ted has been a little streaky," Sparano said.
"It's hard to miss," he said. "The only thing you can do is don't get satisfied with it, but enjoy it while you can."
Hey, it beats being booed.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
