Let's not deify Dolphins' Ted Ginn after one game

Ted Ginn Jr. was a hot topic around the Dolphins last week because he had one great game, and that apparently returned him to everyone's good graces.

Suddenly the maligned Ginn who emerged from a terrible loss to New Orleans was a big deal again after being primarily responsible for the victory against the New York Jets.

The outbreak of adoration caused by Ginn's two kickoff-return touchdowns seemed to numb the frustration caused by years of unrealized potential. It was something to witness because it rose to ridiculous heights.

The same media that roasted Ginn after he dropped three passes against the Saints flocked to his locker stall to ask about his great kick-return prowess against the Jets.

That meeting, by the way, led to this exchange:

Reporter: "Which runback was better, Ted?"

Ginn: "Both of them."

Reporter: "Both of them were better?"

Dan Henning, the offensive coordinator on the coaching staff that a week ago demoted Ginn, tried to explain Ginn's revival by making a preposterous comparison to Jesus Christ's final week.

"You know, in the Bible, on Palm Sunday they threw flowers and garlands at the Good Lord, and then on Friday, they picked Him up, beat the sheesh out of Him, and in this league they give us seven days - only gave Him five.

"So we go back three or four weeks ago, Teddy was a hero after the first Jets game, he was a goat after New Orleans and now he's a hero again."

HE REALLY SAID THAT?

And Henning was just warming up.

"To me, there can be no better human story than what happened last week around here and what Teddy was able to come up with," Henning said. "You can take anything that happened in that game - that was the best feeling for me to see him come out of that.

"He had to be lower than whale defecation, and that's at the bottom of the ocean, you know what I mean? For him to be able to come out and do that, it's a great story."

Want a greater story?

Do it again, Ted!

Follow excellence with more excellence. Show all the doubters they're wrong. Play up to your potential and stop being both the hero and the goat, as Henning pointed out.

The two kickoff touchdowns against the Jets were great. The hope is Ginn continues to use his warp speed and other gifts to help the Dolphins.

But can we stop swooning over one week's accomplishments when a season is played over 17 body-bruising, emotion-sapping weeks?

And can we see Ginn make the plays he obviously is capable of delivering in more than one game before announcing he has redeemed himself?

SPARANO: GINN 'STREAKY'

Coach Tony Sparano had the correct take on Ginn's outstanding week and what it means. Sparano complimented Ginn for the fine game, handed Ginn the game ball, and later used words such as "streaky," in referring to Ginn.

The coach talked about the need to see "consistency" out of Ginn.

And that, rather than borderline hero worship, is the right approach because throughout his career, Ginn has been consistent only by raising and dashing hopes in roller-coaster fashion.

Recall that in October 2008, Ginn had a career day against Buffalo. He caught seven passes for 175 yards - a total that included a 64-yard reception.

Ginn, we wanted to believe, had finally arrived.

But Ginn caught three passes for 38 yards the next week and didn't approach a 100-yard game the rest of the regular season.

Ginn also had a fine game against Indianapolis this season. He had 11 catches - more than half his current total - for 108 yards. It was September and everyone hoped an offseason of hard work was paying dividends.

Everyone hoped it could be Ginn's breakout moment.

Then Ginn followed that with zero catches for zero yards against San Diego a week later.

The point is Ginn has used his elite speed to race to this same hurdle before. He has had jaw-dropping games in the past.

But he never has taken the next step. He never has produced with consistency.

So how about waiting for that consistency to manifest before we compare him with the son of God?