This is what's going on at Dolphins camp today:
I spent some time talking with Karlos Dansby today. I can report that the brace he was using on his left upper arm during the time he's been playing with a torn left biceps came off today. Dansby says he will not be using it anymore in practice or games because he feels well enough to go without it.
This is a big deal to him because the brace restricts his arm mobility and, he said, was one reason he missed an interception at Buffalo a few weeks ago. He wanted to reach with his left arm but couldn't so instead had to try and snatch the football with only one arm.
Dansby said playing without the brace will be better for him and as evidence he said he had an interception in practice today.
As you know, Dansby had questions about whether Cameron Wake and Jared Odrick should have been in against the New England Patriots late in the game Sunday. I know that Philbin doesn't like being second-guessed publicly. Who does?
But despite being uncomfortable with the topic, Philbin said he did not cover the issue with Dansby today -- the first day the Dolphins reconvened since Dansby's comments.
"I've made my comments in regards to my feelings about the play-time earlier," Philbin said. "There's always decisions that have to be made in a game with regard to who's playing, who's not playing. Those sometimes change in the midst of a game based on a variety of factors. That's done and that's been over with and now it's on to San Francisco."
So, I pressed, did Philbin talk to Dansby about it?
"No," he said under his breath. "Again, I'm going to tell you the focus on mine and our football team is on playing San Francisco."
Fair.
Two things: Philbin did speak with the entire team when Chad Johnson was cut and several players, including Dansby, disagreed with that call. Also, it is possible Philbin will speak with Dansby either later today or later in the week about the topic. It's also possible it doesn't get addressed at all.
The coach clearly wasn't eager to discuss this anymore.
Dansby and Kevin Burnett this week believe there's an opportunity for them to make a lasting impression on the league because they expect comparisons between themselves and San Francisco linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman.
"Those guys are great, they really are, they do a great job," Dansby said. "So KB and I know this is a chance for us to play our game and show what we can do so people will see how we compare."
If Dansby and Burnett, who have been good contributors, decide a little rivalry with Bowman and Willis is good motivation, then have at it, gentlemen.
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Reggie Bush is expecting a hard-nosed game against San Francisco.
"It's going to be a tough game," he said today. "Make no mistake about it, this is probably going to be the most physical game we've played all year to date ... It's going to be a grind-it-out football game. It's going to be one by three points, seven points.
"We're going to have opportunities to make plays this game but it's going to come down to our effort, our ability to execute and how bad we want to win."
Bush went on to say the Dolphins will "have to play an almost near-perfect game to win."
As has been discussed countless times in this cyberspace, Bush is a mismatch against linebackers in the passing game. And yet, the Dolphins don't use him a lot in that role. Bush has only 28 catches on the season -- mostly on check-down passes.
You ever wonder why the Dolphins don't use him more in the passing game? Bush has.
"Yeah, I wonder about it," he said. "But it's not really my decision to make. The tape is there. The proof is there. If they need me to go run routes, I think they know I can do it. I've done it in practice. It's a matter of scheme and how they feel."
