The locker room reaction following a win

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Six days ago, before they faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coach Tony Sparano told his team to strive for one mark by the time they took the coming weekend off: 5-5.

Sure Sparano was talking about multiple games and he usually preaches one at a time, but, "I looked a game ahead, I guess is what I'm saying. We knew we had two games in a short period of time and we knew it was going to be critical for us to take care of two football games to get ourselves back in position to make a charge."

Well, get the credit cards out because the Dolphins believe they are charging.

But first the bad news: Defensive tackle Jason Ferguson suffered a knee injury Thursday and did not return to the game. The Dolphins believe the injury is" serious," according to a source, and have scheduled an MRI for Friday.

The source declined to be specific about his definition for "serious." It is likely Ferguson will miss playing time but unclear if he is done for the remainder of the season.

The Dolphins find themselves in the playoff hunt today.

"We're back at eye-level now," said Nate Jones, who had an interception Friday. "We're back at ground zero. We're 5-5. We're have two huge division games coming up. We've put ourselves in a position to make a huge dent in this division and the league.

"We don't control our own destiny but we put ourselves in a position to make a run."

This game had many heroes.

Ricky Williams rushed for 119 yards on 22 carries. It was his second consecutive 100-yard game.

"I don't want to talk about myself," Williams said. "I want to talk about the team. We struggled a bit during the game, but the defense kept it close to give us an opportunity and give us time to get it together."

Yeremiah Bell made a tackle on DeAngelo Williams after a 50-yard gain. That came just before Jones got his interception.

"Without the tackle they score a touchdown," Bell said accurately. "It saved some points for the defense. I can run a little bit. I'm not going to downplay myself. I can run. And that's my job. It's to save touchdowns. I'm the last guy on the back end and I expect to make those plays."

Nate Garner was a hero. He played left guard, right tackle and center during the game as Jake Grove, Joe Berger and Vernon Carey went out with injuries. Carey and Berger returned. Grove did not return after his ankle injury.

"I'll play wherever they want me to play," Garner said.

Sparano said he never coached a game where so many players, particularly offensive linemen, went down.

"One time when I was an offensive line coach in Cleveland I was down to my last offensive lineman and he got poked in the eye and came out of the game, and I was coaching a defensive tackle right there in the middle and he finished the game," Sparano said. "But this thing today, they were going down left and right. I'm kind of happy we played on a Thursday and we got a couple of extra days.

"If another guy went down, I don't know where we would have gone. I don't know if they would have liked it but we would have been poking on one of those defensive line guys, maybe Merling."

As I wrote in my column, Chad Henne outplayed Jake Delhomme. After three quarters, Delhomme had completed only 9 of 21 passes. He was terrible. Henne was not spectacular -- completing 17 of 21 passes for 172 yards. But he avoided the big mistake and completed three big third-down passes.

"Ricky Williams stepped up today, and Lex Hilliard got in there," Henne said. "The wide receivers stepped up and the offensive line is playing great. Pass protection is great, I had a lot of time back there. All together we're forming a team and we're not putting it on anyone's shoulders."

Comments

[Cuban Menace]

Mr nathaniel , your posts are a real gem and i'm a F'n loser with no life.

[Ken]

Sorry NJ, no time for that at the office. Just time to check the internet.

[NJ fan phin]

time for me to go open the gym

[Nathaniel Dodsworth]

That's not the Cuban Menace I know. The Cuban Menace I know has too much class to make a post like that.

[Cuban Menace]

Time for me to post under some more Different names.

[Tadpole]

Ronnie Brown is an above average rb but all world trigger man for the wildcat. Been preaching long and hard Ricky Williams is our hands down best "pure" running back.

His bursts through the holes are truly "kodak moments."

[FlogTheDolphin]

How sad is it that people feel the need to post under several names-even mimicking others-to validate themselves?
(to the repeat offenders-We're all sorry someone touched your "peepee" when you were little-Move on)

[FlogTheDolphin]

Well said. Tadpole

[Beerndrums]

I don't care what you guys say about Coach Sporanos decision to not kick the FG at the end,it was the right decision.Our O Line was playing on a prayer and the odds were not good that we would have executed the play.Regardless ..... we won and that's all that matters.Take the 10 days off and get ready to end the Bills season.

[Beerndrums]

Well said Flog!

[x]

Well said Beerndrums

[NJ PIN FHAN]

Stop trading off my valuable & well-established blog name, you rats!

[FlogTheDolphin]

Valuable?
(you NJ guys are hysterical!)

[carlito from golfito]

Nj Phin Fan predicted and was hoping for a loss for our beloved Dolphins.

He is not one of us.

Bewares of Wolf in Sheep Clothes

[carlito from golfito]

Any news of Ferguson?

That injury looked pretty serious....

[carlito from golfito]

Nate Garner is real football player.

Davone Bess is look like himself again, catching everything

[Jim E]

The phins have already played the best two teams ( Indianapolis & New Orleans ) and the games were very close. If they can scratch it out the rest of the season, they should be Super Bowl bound at home. Go Phins

[Hennegivensunda]

If the fans have not caught on that big picturewise, Sporano is an elite coach in the making, jump on the wagon now so you can say I told you so.

[Marc]

Quote from a Panthers blog
"?Anonymous said...
No one has brought up peppers! The million dollar man got his butt handed to him by Long last night. He should have to pay a million dollars back for every game he doesn't get a sack or make a tackle! Its time to start the losing process so we can clean house next year!

November 20, 2009 7:04 AM"

I forgot about Peppers, but, apparently Jake held his own

[NJ PHIN FAN]

Anonymous failed to mention that Peppers was playing with a Broken Arm .

[cuban menace]

Just sad that someone post as me.... truly sad..

[Marc]

Jersey, I remember Surtain catchin INT's with a broken arm ;)...

[cuban menace]

hopefully Ted(oops i fall down)Ginn will get a tape of the game and see how a wide out catches(Devone Bess) but chances are good he'd drop the tape on the way to the V.C.R... also joey Haynos could also learn something too...hes starting to remind me of a white version of teddy..

[Downer12]

WUNCHIE...your an idiot!!I didn't say great catches...I said some tough catches.It was a step up from how he has played all year.Ginn hasn't made those catches all year, but last night he did.We all know he needs to make them every game...trust me we don't have to play football to understand that ha I'm looking at the positive things for Ginn and the Miami Dolphins.Your an idiot that argues with someone and doesn't understand what the hell they are saying...read things before you argue dumb ass.By the way I have played some football even though I'm a girl.

WUNCHIE...I never said Henne wasn't a good QB, but I did say he's not playing very well rite now.He needs to be more on target to help give our WRs a chance for YAC(yards after the catch in case you didn't know).Henne isn't playing with the best WRs, but I see some things he can do better also...like accuracy,staring down just one WR,Look at other options before the check down.So I think he can step it up a little more to help Ricky out now...Ricky can't carry a whole load for the rest of the year.

[cuban menace]

Who's WUNCHIE???

[carlito from golfito]

Lets address real issue that NJ is no Dolphins fan.

It is true he was cheer for Miami to lose this week and last and has no faith to team.

Bewares of wolf in sheep suit

[NJ Fin Fan]

nj phin fan,

if you want me to change my name i understand. let me know

[NJ Fin Fan]

I hope u weren't calling me a rat

[Quietstorms3x]

Any word on Grove and Ferguson ?

[Quietstorms3x]

I'm glad there is fans in the dreaded state of dirty jerze. Have you seen fatty rexy cry in person?

[ALoco]

carlito is becoming the soul of the dolphin nation on this blog as a result of his loyality and love for them. there for ,if nj phin wants to be approved as a fin fan he has to get CARLITO'S APPROVAL .

[cuban menace]

Amen.....Like The Pharaoh of Egypt Ramses once said" Let it be written, let it be done"...

[ALoco]

NJ FIN FAN ,

IT'S NOT A CLASS ACT WHEN YOU TRYING TO ANNOY OTHER POSTER BY COPYING HIS NAME .HE HAS BEEN A GREAT POSTER TO THIS BLOG AND WE SHOULD PROTECT ARMANDO'S FOURM BY NOT PUSHING POSTERS AWAY .

[ALoco]

CUBAN,

I AM WHO I AM.NO DONKEYS ALLOWED .

TED GINN IS THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.

[cuban menace]

Aloco, PLEASE CHILD, Ted (Sideline)Ginn is the worse wide out in the NFL........

[carlito from golfito]

I like how the coach gameplan around what your boy Ginn is comfortable with.

I can hear it now,

"Ok Chad, we're only going to throw it to Tedd when he's on the sideline and can fall out of bounds to avoid getting hit. That way he stay fresh for kickoff because he doesn't have to run straight to the sideline all those time."

Well, he did good yesterday. Way to catch yesterday Ginn... Guess every body just need to find they niche.

[ALoco]

CUBAN,
DID YOU GET YOUR FROZEN TURKEY FROM WALMART YET ?

[tim stim]

The tent in my pants finally went down

[cuban menace]

Carlito, I was just thinking the same thing, Aloco, Heading down to Miami for turkey day wed. nite, hopefully mom already bought the bird, if not Iam sure she will....

[tim stim]

I have big bird, wink wink

[tim stim]

I hate hippies

[A Brito]

Last year they did Yoga. This year they didn't. We start to show cohesiveness and now tons of injuries!
TEAM EFFORT! HAVING EACH OTHERS BACK! BEING ACCOUNTABLE! Good job fins.

[tim stim]

My meds give me the runs

[tim stim]

This year they ate Yoda

[tim stim]

This year they ate Yoda

[cuban menace]

Does that mean they have the force "in them"???

[tampafin]

Ricky Williams

for "Offensive Player of the Week"

[carlito from golfito]

Any news on Ferguson

[tim stim]

Yeah, the Jets just have the Swartz (the retarded force)

[cuban menace]

"MAY THE SWARTZ BE WITH YOU"...Great Mel Brooks movie...

[tim stim]

I just drew Rex Ryan, notice the manboobs with the T-Rex arms

0
-(./\.)-
( | )
/\

[tampafin]

With 10 days to rest and prepare for the next game, expect to see the offense explode with 30+ points.

Yesterday BOTH offense and defense made plays when they had to. Something that had been missing in previous games.

[tim stim]

I can't believe I am the only one here that picked the Dolphins without second guessing myself.

[cuban menace]

Timmy, Iam afraid that you may be taking Illegal drugs my friend, do as Nancy Reagan says"JUST SAY NO!!!!!!"

[marc]

Yeah, I picked the Panthers

[tim stim]

Thats not what my dealer tells me he said they are legit

[carlito from golfito]

I picked the Dolphins and was confident for win

[tim stim]

I gotta pee badly, but I really need to post this first.

Go Dolphins!!!

Ok now I am going to pee

[KAISER WILHELM]

GET ME A BEER DAMN IT!

Henne - runs the plays
Henning - calls the plays
Henninger- DRINK IT

see link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henninger_Breweryi

Henninger Brewery was a notable brewery in Frankfurt, Germany. Henninger traces its roots to 1655 in Eberhard Stein's brew house. It is now owned by the Radeberger Group and still exists as a brand. The beer is now filled at the Binding Brauerei also in Frankfurt.

The Henninger brands includes the following beers:

Kaiser Pilsner
Export - Spicy, premium beer.
Radler - Beer and lemonade mix.
Diät-Pils - Low-carbohydrate beer.
Highlander - Brewed with whisky malt

[Gian]

See what happens when you play a normal game with very little wildcat and trust your young QB? You win, and on the road, no less.