Volume 1, Number 9

Fitting End To Remarkable Ride

• Before the game starts, the New England Patriots beat Buffalo to get to 11-5. That means they'll make the playoffs if either the Dolphins or Baltimore lose. Just one more reason to cheer for Miami.
  
  
• The Dolphins win the toss, defer and quickly show their respect for Leon Washington by squib-kicking the opening kickoff. The Dolphins will challenge him later, with good results.
  
  
• It's third-and-1 on the Jets' first drive and Brett Favre throws a pass to a wide open Leon Washington. What happened to paying special attention to him?
  
  
• The Jets try to go to Washington on their second drive and have him run an out-and-up on cornerback Andre' Goodman. Goodman doesn't bite and makes the easy interception on the overthrown pass. It continues a tremendous run for Goodman, who has been playing at a Pro Bowl level for weeks.
  
  
• Tight end David Martin bobbles a Chad Pennington pass on third down before finally making the catch, but the bobble comes with a big price - a knee to the back to the head. That takes Martin out of the game, leaving the Dolphins' depleted receiving corps even more short-handed.
  
  
• The Dolphins get funky with the Wildcat, with Ricky Williams taking the handoff from Ronnie Brown and then pitching back to Pennington. The play works to perfection as Pennington throws to Williams down the sideline at the Jets 15-yard line - except for one problem. Williams, normally a sure-handed receiver, drops the pass. Is it big-game jitters again?
  
  
• That plays sets up a third-and-8 from the Jets 40-yard line, and what follows are back-to-back false-start penalties on Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe. More jitters?
  
  
• As out of sync as they are offensively in the early going, the Dolphins are playing very good team defense to keep it a scoreless game.
  
  
• A well-timed blitz gets Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas on Pennington in a hurry and he causes a fumble that the Jets recover near midfield. The Dolphins are making too many mistakes, so maybe it's just not meant to be.
  
  
• It's third-and-9 from the Dolphins 27-yard line, and the Jets convert with a shovel pass to Washington. The Dolphins are doing a great job on Pro Bowl running back Thomas Jones, but how about Washington?
  
  
• On the Dolphins' next offensive snap, they run the Wildcat and Brown throws a pass to tight end Joey Haynos running all alone downfield. But the pass is off target. Clearly, the Dolphins look out of sync. Maybe the magical finish isn't meant to be.
  
  
• Two plays after that, the Dolphins get a major break when linebacker Eric Barton drops a Pennington pass right in his hands in Miami territory. Maybe the Jets just aren't good enough to make the Dolphins pay for their mistakes.
  
  
• Pennington converts a third-and-5 from the Dolphins 45 when he escapes heavy pressure, rolls out to his left and hits Anthony Fasano for an 8-yard gain. That's called pocket awareness. Buffalo Bills quarterbacks, watch the film.
  
  
• Three plays later, the Dolphins take a 7-6 lead with a touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. Phil Simms seems adamant about the fact that Ginn pushed off cornerback Dwight Lowery, but replays show that if there was contact from Ginn, it was very - and we mean very - marginal.
  
  
• The Jets get the ball back and Phillip Merling sniffs out a screen pass, stays back, catches Favre's pass and rumbles 25 yards for a touchdown. Not a bad play for a rookie.
  
  
• Two touchdowns in 15 seconds and it's now 14-6 for the Dolphins. Maybe this will happen after all.
  
  
• The first half does end on a bit of a down note as the Dolphins allow the Jets to drive for a field goal.
  
  
• But let's not get greedy. The Dolphins are up 14-9 at halftime, needing only to hold on for 30 more minutes to win the division.
  
  
• One year after going 1-15.
  
  
• On the subject of bad teams, do you think members of the 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs popped open bottles of champagne after Detroit concluded its 0-16 season?
  
  
• Just wondering.
  
  
• While we're waiting for the second half to begin, a quick look at the scoreboard shows Dallas losing at Philadelphia by 24 points in a winner-take-all battle for the last NFC playoff spot. Way to come up big in the clutch there, Cowboys.
  
  
• The second half doesn't get off to a great start, either, as punter Brandon Fields can't handle John Denney's high snap, giving the Jets a first down at the Miami 28. We're maybe looking at another case of jitters for Denney, who had been so dependable all season. Or maybe it was the wind at The Meadowlands. Or maybe Denney just had a bad day.
  
  
• The Jets capitalize on the mistake and take a 17-14 lead. Surely, this is the end of the dream.
  
  
• Uh, maybe not. Next play from scrimmage, the Dolphins run a flea-flicker and Pennington throws a bomb to Ginn, who beats double coverage for a 44-yard gain.
  
  
• Ginn let the two Jets defenders outrun the ball before he came back to it to make the catch. It might have been Ginn's best play in his two seasons with the Dolphins.
  
  
• It's also the beginning of a drive that will feature two more great catches, first Brandon London's leaping catch followed by Fasano's touchdown catch on a pass thrown behind him. So much for this bad receiving corps.
  
  
• We head into the fourth quarter and the Dolphins lead 21-17. It's now 15 minutes until the realization of a once-unfathomable dream.
  
  
• After the Jets' first drive of the fourth quarter is stopped, Charlie Anderson bursts through the middle to block a punt. The much-maligned special teams deliver at a most opportune time.
  
  
• The Dolphins now lead 24-17 after a 48-yard field goal by rookie Dan Carpenter, but the Jets drive all the way to the Dolphins 29-yard line. That's when Brett Favre throws interception number 3. It's Goodman again on the pick, but it was Joey Porter's presence in the passing lane that forced Favre to throw the ball high and over the head of his intended receiver.
  
  
• Hey, Jets, you wanted Favre, you got him. Thanks again. We'll gladly take Chad Pennington.
  
  
• The Dolphins need a few first downs to kill off the clock and decide to go for the first down on fourth-and-inches from the Jets 40-yard line. Lousaka Polite is in the backfield, so he figures to get the ball considering he's always delivered. But instead, it's Pennington who gets the first down with a quarterback sneak.
  
  
• Not every coach would have gone for it at that spot, but Tony Sparano makes the right call. Let's win the division, not hope not to lose it.
  
  
• Pennington converting is oh-so-fitting. Because, make no mistake, the reason the Dolphins won the AFC East and the Jets didn't was that Chad Pennington played for Miami and Favre played for New York.
  
  
• Thanks again, Jets.
  
  
• Long before the Dolphins clinch their first AFC East title since 2000, we find out that Baltimore has beaten Jacksonville. That means Baltimore is coming to Dolphin Stadium and the Pats are out. Not sure which matchup was better for the Dolphins, but it's just great to see New England out of the playoffs. Nothing personal.
  
  
• As for the Ravens, it's the same franchise the Dolphins faced in their last playoff game - remember that? - and they'll bring the same kind of team. The yards will be tough to come by and already NBC's Cris Collinsworth has anointed the Ravens as a darkhorse Super Bowl pick. So go ahead, keep doubting the Dolphins. Dare you.
  
  
• What the Dolphins have accomplished with this turnaround is amazing. And it'll only get better as time passes and we get a little removed from it.
  
  
• Tony Sparano deserves to be Coach of the Year, with apologies to Mike Smith and John Harbaugh.
  
  
• And if Chad Pennington doesn't get MVP votes, do away with the award.
  
  
• He's not flashy but he keeps delivering. Sounds like the entire team, really. These Dolphins may not be an overly talented team, but they're also a very good team.
  
  
• Hey, remember Bill Parcells' motto: You are what your record says you are. The Dolphins are 11-5. They're also division champs. Incredible!