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

[Po White Trash]

The Gators really miss Percy Harvin this year.

No one has stepped up to take his place.

[jettie wetties on squishy fishies]

little fishies rooting for the jetties do do a wettie all over them. Hahahahahahahaha........

[carlito from golfito]

I am not rooting for the Jets

I am not rooting for the Pats

[carlito from golfito]

Sanchez right on cue

[KillerDolphin]

Tebow would be a good fit for the Dolphins

[Litos]

IF you factor both teams in, Snatchez has a great completion %

[carlito from golfito]

Tebow would be a TE for Dolphins, I hope he go somewhere for use him at qb

[carlito from golfito]

Some team desperate to sell tickets like Jaguars will grab Tebow way before he should be pick

[Po White Trash]

Sorry,

Can't root for the Jests.

Can root for massive and career ending injuries for both teams though!

[cuban menace]

I know that this guy Sanchez is a rookie and all but he's just awful. i wonder what the brain trust of the jets where thinking drafting this guy, i mean he was only a starter at USC for only 1 year, this guy could be another Ryan Leaf...

[carlito from golfito]

Cuban,

Do you realize how many draft pick they trade to get Sanchez, Shonn Greene, and Braylon Edwards?

I don't now exactly what picks or how many, but it is alot.

Somebody should look this up, How much draft picks did Jets trade for Sanchez, Green, and Edwards?

[mike d]

Sanchez to me looks like a rookie. he has some good throws then throws a bunch of picks and looks confused. All I want is the fins to get a free agent receiver this off season. A rookie receiver is just more waiting around for them to develop. I want a receiver that is aggressive and smart and can show these kids how to play the position. Oh and a free agent Free Safety that can replace Wilson.

[Chewyphins]

The jets suck out loud

[carlito from golfito]

4 picks again?

Will the great turnover kid go for 5 again?

[Po White Trash]

Love Tebow but he has one of the worst releases I have ever seen.

[cuban menace]

Phins sweep the jets Rex (crying)Ryan crying villages and hamlets safe where Odineye lives fins 2 games out of first NJ phin fan unclogging my toilet.....PRICELESS this commentary is courtesy of Master card/Visa

[smirish]

were going to need a new nose tackle too.

[bobbyd12]

Carlito, for Sanchez/Edwards I know the Jests gave up a combination of 9 draft picks/players...but they believed that's all they needed for a Superbowl Trip...what a joke

[carlito from golfito]

Bobbyd12,

I think they give up 2 picks at least for Shonn Greene too...

[H8dpats]

Every time Welker makes a catch I cringe and hope Cam Cameron chokes on a tuna bone!

[Po White Trash]

Right on the Nose Tackle.

Want a WR worse though.

[bobbyd12]

Tebow is the perfect COLLEGE quarterback and the perfect QB for the Florida Gators...that doesn't mean he will do a thing in the NFL...

[Dishpan]

BREAKING NEWS: Armando refuses to leave a Miami Burger King. Local authorities say Mr. Sagulero was found lying on the bathroom floor unwrapping sandwich after sandwich, while humming the opening song to the popular Fox show, Family Guy.

[Akarojo]

We have enough QBs and tebow has already said that he wants to compete as a QB in the NFL, I look for a team such as the Rams,49ers,Browns,maybe even Arizona, Warner isn't getting any younger, he might make a great mentor for tim

[carlito from golfito]

There's that 5th turnover we all knew was coming...

[Po White Trash]

Originally Posted by WeeZiTe
I think this is how it goes:

We keep our 1st.

We most likely keep our 2nd. Our 2nd goes to Philly only if Lito plays 85% of defensive downs and we pick up his $10 mill. option. I think with Lito's injury, it'll be hard for him to hit that 85%, so we'll probably keep our second. This pick can also go to the Browns if Edwards hits some high goals, but from what I heard, these are pretty unrealistic, so we'll most likely have our second.

Our 3rd went to Cleveland in the Edwards deal.

Our 4th could potentially go to Philly if Lito doesn't hit that 85% goal but we still pick up his $10 million option. I think Tanny would restructure that deal if he really wants to keep Lito so we can keep our 4th.

5th goes to Cleveland in the Edwards deal.

We keep our 6th.

We lost our 7th to the Lions in the Kevin O'Connell trade.

So to recap, we should have picks in rounds 1, 2, and 6. But we'll probably have our 4th pick, too, so it'll most likely be 1, 2, 4, and 6.

[carlito from golfito]

Earlier Phil Simms said that Mark Sanchez was an "all-weather qb"

hahaha, yeah right!!!

[cuban menace]

Sad.....

[bobbyd12]

I love Phil Simms BUT saying Sanchez is an all weather QB, like Carlito just said and just saying the Jests are still in the playoff hunt makes me think a drug or alcohol test maybe an appropriate thing for Phil to take before broadcasting in the future

[Litos]

J E T S. SUCK SUCK SUCK!!!

[H8dpats]

Did anyone read Rex Ryans lips when he called that timeout with six seconds left? I think he said F them A holes. He really is a sore loser.

[Po White Trash]

Where are all the bigmouth Jet trolls?

Sucking on Pats pole I guess.

[Po White Trash]

H8dpats?

I thought Rex said “where is the cheapest all you can eat buffet in this town, losing makes me hungry, why do think I’m so FAT!”

[carlito from golfito]

Dolphins have great chance to take this division back

[carlito from golfito]

Maybe someone should, you know, write a blog about it or something...

just sayin

[Po White Trash]

Mando,

Hint Hint...

[H8dpats]

You know today was kind of backwards day in the NFL for a few good teams were crushed. Do you think Rex Ryan went to the game hungry? I am pretty sure he had BBQ sauce on his chin, pieces of meat were flying out of his mouth all over Sanchezs face.

[H8dpats]

I am surprised GOPats isn't on here stroking Brady!

[Calphin]

Jets=overhyped.

[Calphin]

Miami needs to be ready to see how to include Ginn in the game plan.

[carlito from golfito]

Do the Dolphins go back to practice tomorrow?

Do they know anything about all the d-line and o-line injuries?

If only there was someone who's job it was to keep track of this sort of thing.

[GOpats]

in few years from now when BRADY becomes a major owner of nfl team AND MEET HENNE AND SANCHEZ AND GOES LIKE THAT ;

HENNE, HI DADDY BRADY ,I ALWAYS ADMIRED YOU BUT I COULDN'T SAY SO B/C OUR FAMERS DONT LIKE BUT DEEP INSIDE I KNOW YOU THE GREATEST WHO EVER PLAYED THE GAME .

BRADY, THANK YOU HENNE ,I ADIMRE YOU TOO .( MODESTY ).

SANCHEZ, HT DADDY BRADY I SECOND WHAT HENNE SAID PLUS I WOULD LOVE FOR TO HIRE MY COMPANY TO CLEAN THE STANDS NEXT YEAR .

HENNE, CAN I HAVE YOUR SIGHNED PICTURE PLEASE TOM?

SANCHEZ, ME TOO PLEASE ..

TOM, NOT NOW GUYS ,I HAVE TO GO ,MY WIFE AND KIDS ARE WATING TO GO TO PARIS .

SANCHEZ, ME TOO HAVE TO GO TO NJ TO GET MY GURR 30 MILLIONS .

HENNE,DADDY BRADY,YOU R THE MAN .

[carlito from golfito]

Gopats,

Brady not even best qb to play at michigan

[GOpats]

CARLITO,
YOU PLANT SOME CORN MAN .

[GOpats]

YOU SHOULD PLANT

[carlito from golfito]

Gopats,

Pats are going to lose next monday in New Orleans and here in Miami the week after that.

After this happen Dolphins will be in 1st in AFC East and back to how things belong

[H8dpats]

GoPats ahhhhahaha do you have these dilusions often? Before or after you smoked that rock?

[Dishpan]

He smokes man-pole

[GOpats]

GUYS,

I FORGOT TO ADD GRAND DAD GASON TAYLOR IN THAT MEETING .
PS....3 RINGS TOM HAS .WHAT DOES YOUR TEAM HAS SINCE WWI ?

[GOpats]

I MUST SAY THE DOLPHINS LAST GAME WAS A CLASSIC WIN W/ALL PLAYERS PLAYING GREAT FOOTBALL AND HENNE COMING SLOWLY BUT SURLY A GREAT QB ALLA TUNA STYLE NOT ALLA REX SANCHZ THE BUST STYLE UP FAST FOR SHORT TIME AND CRASHING FAST FOR EVER AND EVER .

[Dishpan]

Two Super Bowls and an undefeated season

[Chewyphins]

Amen dishpan the lowly pats couldn't close out a perfect season
BUt we could!!!! F the fagriots

[Dishpan]

Yep. Can't argue with perfection

[GOpats]

ONCE UPON A TIME 1N 1943 THE FINS WON A LONLY RING .

[Chewyphins]

Doesn't matter when it happened what matters Is the dolphins finished their perfect season and the cheatriots did not!! The end!!!

[Dishpan]

Also might matter that you can't count

[Litos]

The patsies have 3 rings which ironically matches the number of good looking women in the stands at their games.

[GOpats]

IT'S A VALID POINT CHEWYPHINS,YOU ENDED YOUR SEASON PERFECET ANS WE DIDN'T .

[Dishpan]

Also might matter that you can't spell

[GOpats]

THAT'S A VALID POINT DISPHIN ABOUT MY SPELLING .