SB Nation - Miami Dolphins

The Case for Brett Favre as 2009 NFL MVP

Gonzo — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:10:33 -0000

by Jerry Holt - AP

Will this man be tipping his hat to the folks that vote for the MVP award after this season is over? (AP Photo/Star Tribune,Jerry Holt)

View full size photo »

Yes, I know that we've only played ten games this season, and I know that this might come off as being a bit premature. And I know that this is going to be met with cries of my bias towards players on my favorite team and all that other fun stuff.

But if the 2009 NFL season were to end today, I find it hard to believe that anybody but Brett Favre would be named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. (I'll take "Things that I never thought would cross my keyboard" for $400, Alex.) After all the drama, the hand-wringing and the whole "will he or won't he" saga that played out over the weeks leading up to the season, it's possible that Favre is having the best season of his career in a season where he reached 40 years of age.

Thus far, all discussions of the MVP award have focused on three main names. . .Favre, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Yes, Brees and Manning have been having great seasons thus far, obviously, and as of now both of their teams are still undefeated in 2009. But look at the numbers. There's no way that you can definitively say that either of those guys has been better than #4 through the first ten games of the year.

	ATT	COMP	PCT	YDS	TD	INT	QBR	Sacks	Fumbles (Lost)
Drew Brees	320	218	68.1	2,746	22	9	105.8	13	8 (4)
Brett Favre	310	216	69.7	2,482	21	3	112.1	21	1 (1)
Peyton Manning	388	271	69.8	3,171	21	9	102.7	8	2 (0)

Despite the slow start that Favre got off to, he has significantly picked up his game as the season has progressed. He has as many touchdown passes as Manning in 78 fewer attempts, and only one less than Brees in ten fewer attempts. His interception percentage thus far (less than 1%) is significantly better than that of Brees (2.8%) or Manning (2.3%). In addition, Favre has played ten games this season, and has played turnover-free ball in seven of those ten contests. Conversely, Brees has turned the ball over at least once in seven of the ten games New Orleans has played so far, as has Manning for Indianapolis. Obviously, since their teams are undefeated, they were able to overcome those turnovers and lead their teams to victory, but Favre's turnover total has been absolutely ridiculous thus far.

Even in the three years he was named NFL Most Valuable Player, Favre threw 13, 13, and 16 interceptions. This year, he's on pace to throw. . .five. The record for the fewest interceptions thrown by a QB that started all 16 games in a season is four by Steve DeBerg of the 1990 Kansas City Chiefs. I'm not sure if Favre can maintain the level he's currently at. . .after all, it could easily be argued that two of his three interceptions thus far came on passes that should have been caught (by Bernard Berrian against the 49ers and by Chester Taylor against Pittsburgh). . .but it's something to keep an eye on the rest of the way.

"But Favre has Adrian Peterson," the naysayers will tell you. My response to that objection is simply "so what?" Six other teams had the chance to draft Adrian Peterson. . .it's not Minnesota's fault that they figured out that, sometimes, the obvious decision really IS the best one. Besides, judging by the way teams have been defending the Vikings thus far in 2009, it appears as though they're still under the impression that the Vikings are starting Gus Frerotte at quarterback. Despite the fact that Favre has been tearing apart defenses this year, Viking opponents have still insisted on stacking the line of scrimmage instead of devoting men to coverage, because they're scared to death of the best running back in the NFL (as well they should be). The difference is that this year, Favre is taking advantage of those coverages and finding open targets all over the field. After the first eleven weeks of the season, the Vikings are the only team in the NFL with six different players with more than 25 receptions. . .Sidney Rice (50), Percy Harvin (36), Visanthe Shiancoe (33), Bernard Berrian (32), Chester Taylor (27), and Peterson (25).

(By the way, off the subject of Favre. . .how great is it that Peterson is averaging 100 yards rushing and more than one TD per game, and everyone seems to be asking "What's wrong with Peterson?" The kid has set the bar so high, it's damn near ridiculous.)

"Oh, but Favre has been so lucky this year," the naysayers will tell you. Sure, the pass to Greg Lewis against the Niners was something that Favre pulled completely out of his posterior, we know that. The only problem with this argument is that, over the course of a season, lots of teams get lucky along the way. . .look no further to a little more than a week ago, when Manning's Colts were the beneficiaries of one of the dumbest coaching decisions I've ever seen. That dumb decision gave them a chance to win. Back in Week 7, the Saints found themselves trailing the Dolphins by 21 points down in Miami. But Brees rallied his team in the second half and, even though his stats that game were pretty bad (three interceptions and a lost fumble), he led a bunch of scoring drives and led his team to victory. Heck, you could make the case that the Vikings' lone loss this year came as the result of bad luck (garbage tripping penalty on Jeff Dugan, screen pass bouncing off of Taylor's hands, and so forth).

Winning a championship in the NFL is like winning a big poker tournament. . .as anyone that's ever won a big poker tournament will tell you, you don't win without coming back from the dead a few times. The Vikings have done that this season, sure, but so have the Saints and the Colts, and they did it on the strength of the guys behind center.

"But Favre has all that talent around him," the naysayers will tell you. Seriously, are you going to tell me that the Saints and/or Colts are that devoid of talent compared to Minnesota? Of course not, because such an assertion would be ridiculous. Yes, the Vikings are a highly talented team, but this brings me to one of the things that Brees, Manning, and Favre all have in common. . .they make the people around them better. Before this year, nobody outside of Viking fans and South Carolina alumni knew who Sidney Rice was. Now, under Brett Favre, he's a household name. And remember all the junk about Percy Harvin when the Vikings drafted him, about how his hands weren't that great and that he couldn't run routes? Yeah. . .don't hear a whole lot of that any more, do you? Brees has played portions of his time in New Orleans without Marques Colston, without Reggie Bush, without Deuce McAlister, and with a spate of other injuries. For crying out loud, Manning is putting together the season he's currently having with two of his main targets being a couple of guys named Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. Did YOU know who either of those guys were six or eight weeks ago? I won't lie to you. . .I didn't.

There are quarterbacks that elevate the game of those around them, and those that need to have their game elevated BY those around them. Favre, Brees, and Manning are examples of the former. . .we'll see a shining example of the latter when we the Vikings host the Bears on Sunday afternoon.

Obviously, Brees, Manning, and Favre are all having outstanding seasons this year. They quarterback three of the top teams in the league, and are all definitely going to be factors in the post-season. While the numbers are the same, there's one thing that, in my opinion, separates Favre from the other two quarterbacks in this debate.

Manning and Brees were supposed to be this good. Favre, on the other hand, was supposed to be done for. After all, even the most twitterpated of Favre lovers couldn't possibly have imagined him putting together a season like this, especially after missing all of camp and all the other things that the media massively overhyped going into the season. The reports of a "schism" in the locker room because of the Favre signing turned out to be a bunch of garbage, as #4 has been roundly embraced by his teammates and, by and large, by the Minnesota community. Sure, most people thought he was an improvement over Tarvaris Jackson. . .and I say that as a guy that still thinks Jackson has a future in this league. . .but there was nobody out there that could have predicted the heights that he could potentially take the Vikings to on the NFL stage.

Again, there are still six games left to be played in the 2009 NFL regular season, and this talk might be premature. But if you weigh everything and look at the league MVP race, I honestly thing Brett Favre is in line to win an unprecedented fourth trophy. Whether it's because of overall performance or the impact that they've had on their team, Favre is the MVP in either sense.

Whether you agree or disagree, it's certainly something that makes for a good debate at this point.

Browns Claim Roth; Chiefs Still Have Open Roster Spot

Joel Thorman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:39:17 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

Chiefs WR Maurice Leggett was placed on IR. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs currently have one open roster spot with S Maurice Leggett being shipped off to injured reserve.

We now know that position will not be filled by recently waived Miami Dolphins LB Matt Roth. The Cleveland Browns claimed him today according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

The Browns have a higher priority than the Chiefs so we're not sure if Scott Pioli and Co. put in a claim on the former Dolphins draft pick. There was plenty of speculation stirring on Roth's availability.

Leggett missed practice yesterday so it was likely the Chiefs had a pretty good idea of his fate at that point meaning a roster spot would be open. Yesterday, Roth was waived. The fact that the Chiefs didn't quickly sign a player, like they normally do, caused a lot of us to think that the club put a claim in on Roth, and were waiting to hear of the results.

If that were the case, it ain't happenin' now.

So what position will be used on the open roster spot?

Running Back

The Chiefs signed Tim Castille last week but with Dantrell Savage's injury keeping him out of practice once again this is a position that the front office might look to

Safety

Strong and free safety is a weakness with Leggett's injury. This is the position I think the Chiefs will look to help the most.

Offensive Line

Not likely. The Chiefs have known about their offensive line for a while and have exhausted a lot of options. If there were a lineman worthy of a look, they would have already done it.

Receiver

The Chiefs seem okay at receiver but they've shuffled lots of them in and out over the past few months so I wouldn't count it out.

Browns Claim Former Second Round LB Matt Roth

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:15:05 -0000

According to agent Drew Rosenhaus, the Cleveland Browns have claimed LB Matt Roth on waivers from the Miami Dolphins. Roth was originally drafted by the Dolphins back in 2005 with the team's second-round draft choice (46th overall).

Roth progressively saw his playing time and production level go up from 2005-2008. He started 14 of the team's 16 games at outside linebacker, recording 53 tackles and 5 sacks. An unusual circumstance led to Roth's departure from the Dolphins. He was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football-Injury list prior to the start of the season; his agent called it a groin injury, while the team called it an unknown illness. Roth was released November 24th and promptly scooped up by the Browns.

It'll be interesting to see if Roth, a veteran, is immediately worked into the linebacker rotation.

Dolphins vs Bills: Game Capsule

Matty I — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:10:12 -0000

MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-5) AT BUFFALO BILLS (3-7)

SERIES

	DOLPHINS	BILLS
SERIES LEADER	52-34-1
STREAKS	Past 3	7 of past 11
COACHES VS. OPP.	Sparano: 3-0	Fewell: 0-0
LAST WEEK	W 24-17 at Panthers	L 18-15 at Jaguars
LAST GAME	10/4/09: Bills 10 at Dolphins 38. Miami RBs Ronnie Brown (115 yards, 2 TDs) & Ricky Williams (85 yards, TD) combine for 200 rush yards & 3 TDs as QB Chad Henne wins 1st NFL start.
LAST GAME AT SITE	12/9/07: Bills 38, Dolphins 17. Buffalo QB Trent Edwards throws 4 TD passes - 2 to TE Robert Royal & 2 to WR Lee Evans - in Bills' victory. (12/7/08: Dolphins 16 at Bills 3 in Toronto.)
BROADCAST	CBS (1:00 PM ET): Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker. SIRIUS: 121 (Mia.), 130 (Buf.). XM: 107 (Mia.).

STATS

PASSING	Henne: 127-218-1,337-6-4-77.7	Fitzpatrick: 56-108-659-3-6-56.8
RUSHING	R. Williams: 127-677-5.3-8 (T2C)	Jackson: 129-528-4.1-0
RECEIVING	Bess: 46-397-8.6-0	Owens: 35-563-16.1-2
OFFENSE	317.2	275.7
TAKE/GIVE	0	+1
DEFENSE	341.5	366.7
SACKS	Starks, Taylor: 5.5	Schobel: 6
INTs	V. Davis (R), N. Jones: 2	Byrd (R): 8 (1L)
PUNTING	Fields: 46.3 (3C)	Moorman: 46.6 (2C)
KICKING	Carpenter: 74 (3C) (26/27 PAT; 16/17 FG)	Lindell: 65 (14/14 PAT; 17/19 FG)

NOTES

DOLPHINS: Club is 4-1 on road against AFC East under head coach TONY SPARANO...QB CHAD HENNE is 5-2 as starter & has completed 117 of 199 passes (58.8 pct.) for 1,245 yards with 6 TDs vs. 3 INTs. Posted 92.0 passer rating on 10/4/09 in only start vs. Bills (also 1st career NFL start)...RB RICKY WILLIAMS posted 22nd 100-yard rush game w/Miami last week (most by any Dolphin) & aims for 3rd consecutive game w/100+ rush yards. Williams (8) needs 2 rush TD to reach double-digit rush TDs for 2nd time in career (16 in '02)...WR TED GINN, JR. averages 19.7 yards per catch vs. Bills (14 rec., 276)...WR DAVONE BESS (46) needs 9 receptions to surpass career-high of 54 in '08 rookie season...LB JASON TAYLOR (126) needs 1 sack to surpass DERRICK THOMAS (126.5) for 11th-most sacks all-time. Taylor has 19.5 sacks vs. Bills, most vs. any opponent...DE RANDY STARKS has career-best 5.5 sacks in '09...Rookie CB VONTAE DAVIS (Round 1, Illinois) posted 23-yard INT-TD return in only game vs. Buf...LB JOEY PORTER (4.5) needs 0.5 sack to extend streak of consecutive seasons with 5+ sacks to 10 years (longest active streak in NFL)...
BILLS: Dating back to 11/29/87, Bills have won 4 of past 5 at home in Nov. against Miami...Interim head coach PERRY FEWELL will make home debut...QB RYAN FITZPATRICK's 297 passing yards last week were 2nd most of career (310 w/StL. on 11/27/05)...RB MARSHAWN LYNCH (2,423) needs 77 rush yards to reach 2,500 career. RB FRED JACKSON averages 5.8 yards per carry vs. Mia. (34 att., 198 rush yards)...WR TERRELL OWENS (986) needs 14 catches to become 6th player in NFL history w/1,000 career rec. WR LEE EVANS is only Bill w/rec. in all 10 games this season... Bills rank 2nd in NFL w/17 INTs...Rookie S JAIRUS BYRD (2nd round, Oregon) leads NFL with 8 INTs & needs 2 to tie BILLY ATKINS (1961) & TOM JANIK (1967) for most INTs in season in franchise history (10). S GEORGE WILSON has career-high 3 INTs in '09...DE AARON SCHOBEL leads team w/6 sacks in '09 & ranks 2nd in Bills history with 74.

Bills/Dolphins: Five questions with The Phinsider

Brian Galliford — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:30:17 -0000

by Rick Havner - AP

View full size photo »

You know what time it is. The Miami Dolphins will be gracing Ralph Wilson Stadium with their presence this Sunday for the first time since December 9, 2007, when the Trent Edwards-led Buffalo Bills put a 38-17 beat down on a Dolphins team that finished 1-15 that year. Now Buffalo is attempting to avoid losing their fourth straight game to their biggest rival.

Joining us, as always, for Bills/Dolphins week is Matty I from The Phinsider. His interview with me is after the jump, and his interview of me is over at his site, so make sure you check both out. Away we go.

Chad Henne. He's the present and future of the Dolphins, and Miami is now 5-2 in games he's started. He's been a pretty solid game manager, only throwing 4 INT - but it's also pretty clear that he's not doing some of the things he was supposed to do, like improve Miami's deep game (he's averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt). Have you in any way been disappointed by this guy?

Disappointed? Not at all. Henne is a guy who has stepped in when he wasn't even expected to (at least not that early in the season) and has played relatively well. He's still inconsistent with his accuracy. But his strong arm has come as advertised, and he's made some throws that Chad Pennington's arm just wouldn't allow him to make. He looks very poised in big spots and has been exceptional on third down.

As far as the deep passing game goes, you can't say that Henne isn't doing something he is supposed to do. Those long passes will come in time. The fact of the matter is that the Dolphins don't have any receivers to throw to down the field. Ted Ginn is the only receiver the Dolphins have who can actually stretch a defense - and he has suddenly forgotten how to catch the football. The rest of this team's receivers look like they're running in quicksand. But once the Dolphins actually get some speed at the receiver position, I'm pretty confident that we'll see an improved deep game.

Here's how desperate Bills fans are about our current quarterback position: any chance Miami re-signs Chad Pennington as a backup for the 2010 season?

Ugh.

I say that because I think it makes a lot of sense for Chad Pennington to consider going to Buffalo. And that's the last thing I want to see. Having had the pleasure of seeing how valuable a guy like Pennington is to a franchise in the year and a half he's been in Miami, I would really hate to see him go to a division rival. He's exactly what a team like Buffalo needs.

As far as Pennington's future in Miami goes, I don't think anyone can say with any certainty that they know what will happen. With that said, I don't find it likely that Pennington - if he decides to play next season - is a Dolphin in 2010. I think that both the front office and the coaching staff have decided that Henne is their guy. They also seem determined to develop Pat White as both a backup and a "spread option" quarterback. And I'm not sure Pennington would want to come back to Miami knowing that he was, at best, only going to be the No. 2 guy - especially if a team like Buffalo comes calling offering their starting job to him.

Like I said, it's the last thing I want to see. But if he was to end up in Buffalo, I'd wish him all the luck in the world, because he's among the classiest athletes I've ever seen.

Obviously the Ronnie Brown injury hurts - less so for the Dolphins than for the championship run I was plotting in my fantasy football league. I've spoken with you before about my immense respect for Ricky Williams, but at 32 years old, is he capable of being the workhorse back for a physical team trying to make a playoff run?

Tell me about it, Brian. Ronnie was also on one of my fantasy teams - in the league that has "a lot" on the line (if you catch my drift). So his injury was a double whammy for me.

As for Ricky, that's the million dollar question. I don't doubt his ability and I wasn't very surprised at how effective he was last week against the Panthers. But he did carry the ball 22 times just four days after carrying it 20 times against Tampa Bay. His season high in carries last year was just 16 - back in Week 3. And he hasn't carried the football 20+ times in back to back weeks since the end of the 2005 season. So I'm not as confident as some are that Ricky can handle a much increased workload for six more weeks.

But I also think we're going to see Lex Hilliard get more chances as the year goes on. The Dolphins kept Hilliard on the 53-man roster out of training camp as the fourth running back because they did like what they saw from him. Now he's the primary backup and I think we'll start to see 10-12 touches per game for Lex as we move forward. Rookie Kory Sheets might also get a few looks - particularly in the "Wildcat" taking Ricky's spot as the "sweeper" while Ricky mans Ronnie's old spot as the triggerman.

It's hardly surprising that Cameron Wake had his coming out party against Buffalo, but he's been much more than a flash-in-the-pan of late. How has his role changed, and will it continue to do so in the future?

Cameron Wake has proven to be a real pass-rushing monster, to be honest. Despite playing just 100 defensive snaps this year, Wake is tied for second on the Dolphins with 4.5 sacks and leads the team in quarterback pressures with 15. But the coaching staff still isn't comfortable with Wake's ability to set the edge on rushing plays and to drop into coverage when it's necessary to do so. And that's why his snap count has been so low.

But his game reps are increasing. Back in Week 8, Wake saw just one defensive snap. The following week, he saw 12. But then in Week 10 - with Joey Porter sitting out due to a "coach's decision" - Wake saw 33 reps. Then last week, with Porter returning, Wake only saw 10. But I get the feeling that his role is going to slowly increase as the weeks go by - especially to keep the team's two starting OLB, Porter and Jason Taylor, fresh.

Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have been your full-time starting corners for about a month now. How well have they progressed this season?

I think I echo most Dolphin fans when I say that I'm very excited about both Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. Smith has been starting since day one and he's played quite well. In fact, it seemed like teams were picking on Will Allen to avoid throwing in Smith's direction. But over the past few weeks, Smith has been a little more inconsistent. I don't know if it's the "rookie wall" - though that would make a lot of sense considering he's been a starter all season - or if it's just a situation where he's making some mental mistakes. Either way, though, I'm not too worried about it because I think he's going to be a very good player.

Meanwhile, Davis just stepped into the starter's role once Allen went down for the season. And he's progressed very nicely since his increase in snaps. He's making fewer mental mistakes and, right now, might be out-playing Smith. But even still, he does get beat at times. But I've also noticed that when he gives up a big play, it's not because he's beat or out of position. He just needs to get his head around quicker on deep balls.

All in all, though, it's hard for any Dolphin fan to sit here and not be pleased with how these two are coming along. Quite honestly, I think the Dolphins are going to be strong at cornerback for years to come.

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins

sireric — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

Buffalo Bills (3-7) vs Miami Dolphins (5-5)
Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

The Buffalo Bills have begun to play division opponents for the second time. The first meeting this year had the Bills heading into Miami with high hopes for the season, while the Miami Dolphins had just lost Chad Pennington for the year and were still without a win. We all know how that match-up ended.

Chad Henne, he of the too-small helmet and scrunched up forehead, leads the Dolphins into Buffalo this week. The last five meetings at the Ralph after the jump.

Sunday, October 17, 2004: Bills 20, Dolphins 13
Drew Bledsoe. Jay Fiedler. Need I say more about the suck involved in this game? Both sides got a touchdown and two field goals out of their offenses, but the difference was a Takeo Spikes pick-six. The Bills' D came to play in this game, recording five sacks along the way. Aaron Schobel (2.5), Ron Edwards (2.0) and Pat Williams (0.5) did the honors. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to tell.

Sunday, October 9, 2005: Bills 20, Dolphins 14
The score and date looks eerily similar to the year before. This time, the Bills jumped out to a 17-0 lead on the strength of a Willis McGahee one-yard touchdown run, an Eric Moulds touchdown from Kelly Holcomb, and a Rian Lindell 24-yard field goal. Gus Frerotte led the Dolphins back by hitting Will Heller and Randy McMicheal for scores to bring the Fish back to within three points. Lindell would hit his second field goal of the day to cap the scoring and help preserve the win for Buffalo. Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney each had a sack in this game.

Sunday, December 17, 2006: Bills 21, Dolphins 0
J.P. Losman tossed three touchdown passes, one each to Robert Royal, Josh Reed, and Lee Evans. That was more then enough scoring, as the Bills' defense shout out the Cleo Lemon/Joey Harrington lead Dolphins offense. Schobel and Kelsay proved yet again that they are only effective against the Dolphins by getting another half-sack each.

Sunday, December 9, 2007: Bills 38, Dolphins 17
The Bills jumped out to a 21-0 lead thanks to a George Wilson fumble return for a touchdown and not one but two Trent Edwards-to-Robert Royal touchdown passes. Samkon Gado put the ball in the endzone for the Dolphins twice, but those scores sandwiched a Lindell field goal and an Evans touchdown catch. Evans would catch one more to continue his dominance over the Dolphins. Both Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch rushed for over 100 yards in this game. Being that Cleo Lemon was at QB for the Dolphins, this was of course a good day for the Bills' D numbers-wise. Four sacks and two interceptions (one each by Donte Whitner and Terrence McGee) added to the eight fumbles by the Dolphins. Of course, the Bills were only able to recover 3 of those 8.

Notice a pattern? The first two games had the Bills playing the Dolphins almost a year apart to the day and winning by almost identical scores. The second two have the Bills winning by identical margins (21) almost a year to the day apart. The dates are also the same - 17 and 9. Weird.

Sunday, December 7, 2008: Dolphins 16, Bills 3
The Bills' first-ever regular season game played in Toronto gave the Canadian fans quite the show. The Bills had almost nothing on offense that day, gaining only 163 total yards. J.P. Losman was the Bills leading rusher with 53 yards. Of course Losman offset his rushing prowess by getting sacked 4 times...

11/25/1993 - Leon Lett does it again

ZombieMonta — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:00:15 -0000

(Lett kicks snow as the Dolphins celebrate the win)

Leon Lett was already known for a rather embarrassing miscue. In an otherwise-unwatchable Super Bowl XXVII, Lett recovered a fumble and streaked 64 yards down field. However, he slowed down right before he reached the end zone and began to celebrate prematurely. Seconds later, the Bills' Don Beebe slapped the ball out of Lett's hands before he could score the touchdown. Lett's Cowboys' still won easily, 52-17, but his mistake was the game's lone notable highlight.

The following year, Lett was still carrying the burden of that mistake when Dallas played the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving day. The Dallas fans were treated to one of the team's only home snow games in history. They went home weeping though, thanks to another blunder by Mr. Lett.

With only 15 seconds remaining in the game, and the Cowboys leading 14-13, Miami's Pete Stoyanovich was looking at a 41-yard field goal to seal the win. But Stoyanovich's kick was blocked by Jimmie Jones, and the ball sputtered to about the 5-yard line. The ball should've died after the first few bounces, but because of the snow, it continued to oscillate as it hit the ground.

Three Dolphins linemen surrounded the gyrating football. If a Miami player touched the ball, it would result in a loss of downs and they'd surely lose the game. But of course they'd have to pick it up eventually, otherwise the clock would run out. All the Cowboys had to do was sit back and watch.

(Lett dives for the ball as the Miami linebackers stand by)

That was when Leon Lett, a defensive end who had been put on the field goal unit because of the weather, ran in and tried to fall on the spinning pigskin. Lett slid though, and accidently kicked the ball further into the red zone. The nearby Dolphins seized on the opportunity and grounded it at the 1-yard line.

"I was just trying to cover up the ball, but I slipped and it hit my foot," Lett explained months later. "I felt terrible about it because I didn't know what would happen. It was a big game, and I didn't know if we'd win it or not."

The Dallas crowd was petrified. Now with less than a handful of seconds left, Stoyanovich again lined up for the game-winner, this time from only 19 yards away. This time his kick was uninhibited and sailed through the uprights as time expired. Miami had won 16-14; with the loss, Dallas dropped to second place in the NFC.

Cowboys coach Jimmie Johnson tried to take the blame for placing Lett on the field goal squad. "It's a mistake. We all make them," he said. "It's part of the game. There were hundreds of mistakes made in that game. It just so happens that particular one cost us the ball."

Lett hid himself from the media and refused to talk about it until the Super Bowl, which the Cowboys advanced to for the second straight year. It was all's well that ends well for Lett, as the Cowboys won their second consecutive NFL championship. In that game, Lett forced a fumble on Thurman Thomas that was recovered by James Washington, who returned it 46 yards for the touchdown.

"In my mind, he should be remembered more for causing Thurman Thomas to fumble in the Super Bowl than for those two plays," said Cowboys safety Bill Bates. "When you look at a player like Leon Lett, I truly believe that as time goes on, he's going to be as good as anybody."

Lett would finish his career with three Super Bowl rings and a pair of Pro Bowl selections.

Dolphins vs Bills: Five Good Questions

Matty I — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Browse more photos »

With the holiday just a day away, we decided it would be wise to do our five question exchange in preparation of Sunday's game between the Dolphins and Bills today as opposed to Thursday - which is when we did it back in week four. After all, I don't think too many people will be running to their computer with a gut full of turkey to see what Brian and I are talking about.

So let's welcome in Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings - SBN's fine Bills blog, and the best Bills site you'll find on the internet, if you ask me. I asked him five questions about his Bills and his responses are below. You can head over to his blog at some point on Wednesday to see how I responded to his Dolphin questions.

Matty I: Way back in June, during one of our "Around The AFC East" posts, you said that this would probably be the make-or-break season for Trent Edwards. But you also called Edwards a "good young football player." I'll bet you probably still don't feel that way about Edwards. So what do you think the future holds for Edwards and for the quarterback position in general in Buffalo?

Brian G: Yeah - I wouldn't turn that exact phrase to describe Edwards at this point. I wouldn't go too far the other way, either - he's still got the talent to stick around in this league for a long time, even if it's just as a backup. But Buffalo really, royally screwed the pooch with his development. He's never spent more than one season with an offensive coordinator, and to say that their plans for a re-structured offensive line have backfired would be the understatement of the century.

Unless Buffalo's next head coach is enamored with Edwards' raw skills and thinks they can still mold him into a starter, I'd guess that Edwards' career in Buffalo is essentially over. He's under contract at a cheap rate for 2010, so he may stick around as a backup next season. Either way, he's clearly not the franchise quarterback he appeared to be in the first six games of the '08 season. He needs to be in an environment where he can mature emotionally, because his confidence is completely shot right now.

Matty I: Speaking as an outsider, I'd say the firing of Dick Jauron was about 11 months too late. With that said, I don't understand why the Bills had to fire him in the middle of the season. What was your take on the firing? And where do you see the Bills turning for a new head coach?

Brian G: About 95 out of 100 Bills fans agree with your sentiment that Jauron should have been fired at the end of last season. He's a hell of a guy and is far more well-respected than most realize, but the results speak for themselves. He needed to go.

WIVB-TV in Buffalo reported that Ralph Wilson gave Jauron the opportunity to finish this season as the lamest of lame duck coaches, and not surprisingly, Jauron declined - what was to be gained for either side? I was floored that Wilson pulled the plug in the middle of the season; he hasn't done that since 1986, when the Bills brought in Marv Levy. But it is what it is, and it may have even been a savvy move on Wilson's part, since it'll take a significant head start in the search process to talk a guy like Mike Shanahan into coming to Buffalo. It probably won't happen even with said head start.

Bottom line - the firing was inevitable after the Bills' ridiculously awful Week 5 loss to Cleveland. I mean, seriously - Cleveland is 2-17 in their last 19 games, and both wins have come against Buffalo. It's sickening, considering we're on the verge of a full decade without playoff football, but we're looking at yet another complete re-build, and this will be our most desperate attempt at it yet. Ralph isn't exactly a spring chicken, after all.

Matty I: This is about the time of the year when I like to ask fans of other teams their impressions on their rookies. The Bills have a number of them. From browsing the stats and watching highlights, Jairus Byrd seems to have had the biggest impact of all of Buffalo's rookies. So what are your early impressions of Buffalo's key rookies (Aaron Maybin, Eric Wood, Byrd, and Andy Levitre)?

Brian G: Byrd hasn't just been our biggest-impact rookie, he's been one of the best rookies in the entire league, and probably the most valuable rookie to his team. That's not to say he'll win Rookie of the Year, because Percy Harvin and Brian Cushing are having outstanding seasons as well. But they're playing on much more talented teams, whereas Byrd has been pretty much the lone bright spot on an awful football team. Seriously - he's directly responsible for two of Buffalo's three wins. Can any other NFL rookie legitimately claim that they're responsible for 67% of their team's wins? Byrd is also the NFL's current interception leader (8).

Maybin has struggled to earn playing time, and when he's gotten time on the field, he's only flashed potential, and his tangible impact has been very minimal. But he's only 21 years old and he's playing one of the toughest college-to-pro transition positions, so I've been preaching patience with him, largely to no avail. Levitre has been important for the offense simply because he's capable of playing left tackle and left guard, but flip-flopping his position isn't exactly helping his development. Wood was probably our best lineman this season, but you may or may not have witnessed his gruesome, season-ending leg injury, in which he suffered compound fractures to both his tibia and his fibula. (If you haven't seen it, I wouldn't suggest actively seeking out the footage.) He'll be lucky to play football in 2010.

Matty I: Marshawn Lynch has been far from impressive since returning from his suspension. I know the offensive line isn't very good. But it seems like Fred Jackson has outplayed him (averaging a yard more per carry, for example) for the most part. What's been Lynch's biggest problem and what does the future hold for Lynch? Is he still considered Buffalo's long-term starting running back?

Brian G: Jackson has most definitely been the better back of the two this season, and playing from the start of the season helped him get a rhythm that Lynch just hasn't been able to find this season. In fact, Lynch's presence in the lineup has taken Jackson out of rhythm, and our run game has suffered as a result.

I'm not sure I'd call more than one or two running backs in the NFL a "long-term starting running back," because as dynamite as players like Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson are, running back is easily the most replaceable position on a football field. Quarterbacks, defenses and good trench play win championships. A good running back can be a tremendous asset to a team, obviously, but most teams who build around a running back, rather than a quarterback or a line, are going to struggle. Lynch is a good football player. He needs to clean up his act in the off-season and commit himself totally to football; if he does that, I have little doubt that he'll return to near-Pro Bowl form in 2010.

Matty I: It seems as though Buffalo's defense has regressed. They're allowing 40 yards and one point more per game than they did last year. What's this unit's biggest problem right now and what can the Bills do this offseason to improve?

Brian G: They haven't regressed - not in my opinion, anyway. The pass rush is markedly better than it has been in years past, though it's still not great (they've picked up 19 sacks in 10 games, as opposed to 23 all last season), they're No. 2 in the league with 17 interceptions, and they've made many more game-changing plays than they ever have under Perry Fewell. The statistical drops you mention are directly attributed, again in my opinion, to a ridiculous injury situation and the fact that the Bills can't get off the field on third downs (42% third down rate, good for No. 25 in the league).

Only two opening-day starters - ends Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay - have played in all 10 of Buffalo's games to this point. Three more opening-day starters (Kawika Mitchell, Keith Ellison, Leodis McKelvin) are on IR. A further four (Kyle Williams, Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner, Bryan Scott) have missed three games or more. Considering the fact that they're a M.A.S.H unit, and the fact that they get zero help from the offense most weeks in terms of being able to stay off the field, the defense has actually been borderline phenomenal this season. It's tough to blame them totally for fourth-quarter meltdowns when they're on the field 35+ minutes per game, and aside from our Week 4 loss to your Dolphins, the Bills have had chances to win every game this season.

As for improving next off-season, they need Aaron Maybin to develop into a much bigger factor as a pass rusher, and they really need to bolster their depth at defensive tackle and linebacker. If they get that accomplished and can finally stay healthy, they have the makings of a really good unit - unless a new coach tries to fit them into a 3-4 defense, of course.

Vikings/Cardinals Moved to Sunday Night for Week 13

Gonzo — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:21:21 -0000

Well, the Vikings have officially had their schedule changed. Pro Football Talk first broke the story that has since been repeated in several FanPosts here on the site, and that's the story that the Week 13 matchup that will see the Beloved Purple travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals will be broadcast on Sunday night on NBC.

The original game that was scheduled was between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins.

When I did my post a couple of weeks ago about which Minnesota games could potentially be flexed, I cited this one as a game that definitely had some flex potential. And, apparently, the folks at NBC agreed. I'm guessing that that's largely because they couldn't a) find a compelling game involving an NFC East team (although Michael Vick's return to Atlanta is on the Week 13 docket as well) or b) find an excuse to give the Chicago Bears another well-deserved prime time appearance.

I'm guessing that this also means that the Week 14 matchup between the Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals is no longer a flex candidate, since I don't think NBC would feature one of the same teams in consecutive weeks. Then again, with the Eagles and Giants set to square off on the peacock network that weekend, I wouldn't have expected that game to change anyway.

So, it appears our only other candidate for a flex game would be Week 17 against the Giants, and I still think there's a very good chance we get flexed OUT of our Week 15 matchup against the Panthers, unless Carolina engineers a turnaround in fairly short order.

Dolphins waive Matt Roth, sign Alama-Francis

Matty I — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:25:45 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

Browse more photos »

In a very surprising move, the Dolphins have waived former second round pick Matt Roth. Filling his roster spot is former Lions DE Ikaika Alama-Francis.

Roth was a starter at strong side outside linebacker all of last year but had a "mysterious groin injury" that held him out of all of training camp this year and much of the season this year. But even still, this move comes as a big surprise as it seemed like Roth was possibly on his way towards becoming a solid run-stopping OLB in Miami's 3-4 defense.

It's hard to figure out why the Dolphins decided to cut Roth at this point in time. But the Miami Herald reports that this move "was strictly a football decision" - according to a team source - and didn't have anything to do with any outside factors, like Roth's groin injury from earlier this season. Sources also told the Herald that this was just a situation where people in the personnel department and on the coaching staff thought that Roth wasn't the same player he was last season. Asked if the groin injury could be part of the reason, a source said, "That's as good a guess as any."

But still - the timing of the move was curious, to say the least.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins added defensive end Ikaika Alama-Francis, a 2007 second round pick of the Detroit Lions. He spent two seasons in Detroit before being cut back in September. Alama-Francis is a 6'5, 290 pound prototypical 3-4 defense end who could very well see playing time sooner rather than later with Tony McDaniel and Randy Starks expected to get some snaps at nose tackle following the loss of Jason Ferguson.

Alama-Francis has played in 19 career games with the Lions, starting two. Before attending Hawaii, he was a three sport star in high school, playing baseball, basketball, and volleyball. So he's an athlete for sure. He actually was a walk-on to Hawaii's basketball team before decided to play football.

Hat tip to Daniel52