Countdown To Kickoff - Dolphins at Patriots

GAME FACTS
What: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Where: Gillette Stadium
Kickoff Time: 1:00 p.m. (ET), Foxborough, Mass.

SERIES HISTORY
Miami currently leads the season series by a 49-38 margin. The Dolphins have outscored the Patriots 1,923 to 1,740 in the team's 87 contests. Both squads won at each team's home field with Miami beating 38 -13 at Foxborough on September 21. 2008 and the Patriots returning the favor at Land Shark Stadium with a 48-28 win. Miami is 3-0 in division play, the first time the team has accomplished this feat since 1990 when the Dolphins started 4-0 in AFC East contests.

Dolphins' Largest Margin of Victory: 52 (Dolphins 52, Patriots 0, 11/12/72 at Orange Bowl)
Patriots' Largest Margin of Victory: 34 (Patriots 34, Dolphins 0, 10/12/80 at Foxboro)
Current Series Streak: Patriots 1 (11/23/08)
Dolphins' Longest Win Streak: 9 (9/17/89 - 11/21/93)
Patriots' Longest Win Streak: 7 (1/12/86 - 11/20/88)
Most Points by Dolphins: 52, Patriots 0 (11/12/72 at Orange Bowl)
Most Points by Patriots: 49, Dolphins 28 (10/21/07 at Dolphin Stadium)
Most Points, Both Teams: 77 (Patriots 49, Dolphins 28, 10/21/07 at Dolphin Stadium)
Fewest Points by Dolphins: 0, Patriots 34 (10/12/80 at Foxboro); Patriots 3 (12/12/82 at Foxboro); Patriots 12 (12/7/03 at Foxboro)
Fewest Points by Patriots: 0, Dolphins 52 (11/12/72 at Orange Bowl); Dolphins 21 (12/10/06 at Dolphin Stadium)
Fewest Points, Both Teams: 3 (Patriots 3, Dolphins 0, 12/12/82 at Foxboro)

TELEVISION/RADIO
The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS and televised live in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area on WFOR-TV (Channel 4). Greg Gumbel calls the play-by-play with Dan Dierdorf adding the color analysis. WINK Ch. 11 in Fort Myers and in West Palm Beach on WPEC Ch. 12.

The contest will also air on the Dolphins flagship, WQAM Radio (560 AM) and a network of affiliates throughout Florida. A trio of former Dolphins will bring the action to all Dol-Fans. Former wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo calls the game action, while former tight ends Jim Mandich and Joe Rose add the commentary.

The game also will air on the Spanish home of the Dolphins, WSUA (Radio Caracol, 1260 AM) with Roly Martin and Raul Striker, Jr. in the broadcast booth.

THE COACHES
Tony Sparano became the eighth head coach in Dolphins history on January 16, 2008. He is in his 11th season in the NFL and his 26th year in the coaching profession. In his first year as the Dolphins' head coach in 2008, Sparano guided the team to a single season turnaround matched just once in NFL history. Taking over a 1-15 squad from a year earlier, he led the Dolphins to an 11-5 record and the AFC East title. His ten-game improvement has been achieved only one other time in league annals, in 1999 when the Indianapolis. Colts went from 3-13 to 13-3. Before leading the Dolphins, he spent five seasons (2003-07) on the staff of the Dallas Cowboys, during which time the team made three playoff appearances. He tutored the Cowboys' offensive line the last three years while also holding the title of assistant head coach the past two seasons. He coached the team's tight ends his first two seasons in Dallas. Prior to joining the Cowboys, Sparano had NFL stops in Cleveland (1999-2000), Washington (2001) and Jacksonville (2002). Sparano was a four-year letterman as a center at the University of New Haven, where he earned his degree in criminal law. He began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1984 before moving on to Boston University as offensive coordinator in 1989. He returned to New Haven as the school's head coach in 1994, and manned that spot for the next five years.

Bill Belichick is in his 35th season as an NFL coach (15 of which have been as a head coach), and has spent his most recent 10 seasons as head coach of the Patriots. He has three Super Bowl victories (2001, 2003, and 2004). Before joining the Patriots in 2000, Belichick was the assistant head coach/secondary coach for the New York Jets for three seasons (1997-1999), and had the responsibility of calling defensive plays. He also spent one year with the Patriots prior to his current tenure in 1996, again serving as assistant coach/secondary coach for the team that went to Super Bowl XXXI. His first experience as an NFL head coach came between 1991-1995 when he was at the helm of the Cleveland Browns. In 1979, Belichick was with the New York Giants as a defensive assistant and special teams coach, launching a 12-year tenure with the team. After the 1980 campaign, he drew the added responsibility of coaching the Giants linebackers. While continuing to coach the linebackers, in 1983 his role with the defensive unit increased. He was named defensive coordinator in 1985, a position he held for the next six seasons. Before his run with the giants, Belichick was an assistant special teams coach with the Denver Broncos in 1978, and the Detroit Lions in 1977 and 1976, and at the age of 23 was special assistant to Baltimore Colts head coach Ted Marchibroda in 1975. Belichick lettered in football at Wesleyan University.

DOLPHINS-PATRIOTS CONNECTIONS
Dolphins With Patriots/New England Ties
Dolphins G Donald Thomas attended Hill Regional Career Management High School in New Haven, Conn. He did not play football there, but then walked-on at the University of Connecticut. He played defensive tackle before adjusting to the offensive line. He played for the Huskies from 2003-2007, redshirting the 2004 season.

Patriots With Dolphins/Miami Ties
CB Darius Butler attended Coral Spring Charter and was the first player from the school to sign a national letter of intent. Butler was listed amongst the top 20 recruits in talent-rich Broward County by the Miami Herald despite not playing football until his junior year. His uncle Gene Atkins played for the Miami Dolphins ... Patriots punter Chris Hanson signed with the Dolphins prior to the 2000 season. He was sent over to NFL Europe where he suffered a seasonending injury and was placed on IR. He never appeared in a game with the team. Patriots S Brandon Meriweather attended Apopka (Fla.) High School where he led his school to the Florida Class 6A state championship as a senior in 2001. He would stay close to home for his college career playing at the University of Miami where he holds the career-record for defensive backs with 293 tackles. Patriots RB Sammy Morris has been a part of the Dolphins on two separate occasions. First, he appeared in 13 games in the 2004 season and then all 16 games in 2005. After playing the first half of the year in New England, he would return to Miami for the latter part of the 2006 season ... Patriots LB Junior Seau played for the Dolphins for three seasons, 2002, 2003, and 2005 ... Patriots WR Wes Welker was a member of the Dolphins during the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons ... DL Vince Wilfork attended Santaluces (Lantana, Fla.) High where he was regarded as one of Florida's top three defensive linemen after the 1999 season, a USA Today second-team All-American. He would play three years at the University of Miami (2001-2003) ... Patriots special teams coach Scott O'Brian spent two seasons (2005-06) with the Miami Dolphins as coordinator of football operations/assistant to then head coach Nick Saban.

Coaching/Front Office Ties
Dolphins defensive backs coach Todd Bowles was a defensive backs coach in Cleveland when Patriots CB Leigh Bodden broke into the NFL with the Browns in 2003.Boweles would coach Bodden for two seasons before leaving Cleveland following the 2004 season ... Patriots coach Bill Belichick was part of the staff of then head coach and current Dolpins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells for three different organizations, the New York Giants, the New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. Belichick coached Dolphins DT Jason Ferguson when Ferguson broke into the league in 1997. Parcells also coached Patriots defensive line coach Pepper Johnson when Parcells was the head coach of the New York Giants. Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning held the same position with the Carolina Panthers when Patriots special teams coach Scott O'Brian was the assistant head coach there under head coach John Fox. Patriots tight ends coach Shane Waldron coached Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano at Notre Dame in 2005, Fasano's senior year.

Pro Ties
Dolphins DT Jason Ferguson was a three-year teammate of Patriots TE Chris Baker when both played for the Jets from 2002-2004 ... Dolphins C Jake Grove and FS Gibril Wilson were teammates of Patriots LB Derrick Burgess in Oakland ... Dolphins LB Akin Ayodele and Patriots punter Chris Hanson were briefly teammates of Patriots T Dan Connolly in Jacksonville in 2005, Connolly's rookie season in which he only appeared in four games. Ayodele and Hanson were teammates there from 02 -05. Patriots TE Michael Matthews, Dolphins FS Gibril Wilson and LB Reggie Torbor were all part of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants during the 2007 season ... Dolphins C Jake Grove was teammates with Patriots WR Randy Moss when both played on the West Coast for Oakland ... Dolphins LB Joey Porter was a teammate of Patriots G Kendall Simmons for five seasons (2002-2006) in Pittsburgh ... Patriots RB Fred Taylor was a teammate of Dolphins LB Akin Ayodele when both played in Jacksonville.

College/Hometown Ties
Patriots CB Leigh Bodden and Dolphins LB Cameron Wake both hail from Hyattsville, Md ... Dolphins LB Charlie Anderson was a freshmen at Ole Miss during the 2000 season, which was the senior year of Patriots LB Derrick Burgess ... Dolphins G Donald Thomas played collegiately with Patriots CB Darius Butler at the University of Connecticut ... Dolphins T Andrew Gardner and Patriots LB Gary Guyton both played for the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech, teaming together from 2005-2007, while Patriots TE Michael Matthews was at Tech during the 05 and 06 seasons ... Dolphins punter Brandon Fields and Patriots QB Brad Hoyer were teammates at Michigan State from 2004-2007. Hoyer also hails from Cleveland, OH, the same city as Dolphins WR Ted Ginn ... Patriots LS Jake Ingram and Dolphins WR Davone Bess were classmates together at the University of Hawaii ... Patriots LT Matt Light and Dolphins LB Akin Ayodele were teammates during the 1999 and 2000 seasons at Purdue University ... Patriots G Logan Mankins and Dolphins S Tyrone Culver were teammates for the Bulldogs of Fresno State ... Dolphins CB Jason Allen and DT Tony McDaniel played their last season for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2005, Patriots LB Jarod Mayo's first with program ... San Diego is the hometown of Dolphins RB Ricky Williams and Patriots G Stephan Neal and LB Junior Seau. Neal and Williams wrestled against each other in HS ... Dolphins S Tyrone Culver and Patriots S James Sanders patrolled the defensive backfield at Fresno State together from 2002-2005 ... Patriots G Kendall Simmons opened up holes for Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown when they were teammates at Auburn. Dolphins LB Reggie Torbor was also a teammate of the two ... Dolphins LB Jason Taylor and Patriots CB Shawn Springs were teammates in Washington during the 2008 season, Taylor's only season away from the Miami Dolphins ... Dolphins LB Quentin Moses was a freshmen at Georgia in 2003, the senior year of Patriots TE Benjamin Watson ... Patriots LB Pierre Woods was a high school teammate of Dolphins WR Ted Ginn, where Ted Ginn's father was their high school coach ... Woods would then be a teammate of Dolphins QB Chad Henne and T Jake Long at the University of Michigan.

FROM THE COACH'S OFFICE
(Head Coach Tony Sparano on the team's defensive performance) - "I think all week long we had a bad taste in our mouth from the New Orleans game. We talked a lot about finishing. I think our defense played really well today. I think (the Jets) ran about 38 times and averaged 3.2 yards a carry during the course of this game. That's a good running football team. They're a good football team period, but I thought our defense really rose up and played well. They did a great job of finishing. This team has done that before, and they did it again.

(Head Coach Tony Sparano on Ted Ginn, Jr.) - "Teddy Ginn takes an awful lot, but this kid is a resilient guy. I've seen this before, you just haven't. I've seen Teddy Ginn bounce back and come back to make big plays for this football team. It's the reason why we got him. He did a heck of a job today. He made two huge plays, and had a tremendous, tremendous week of practice. He had really good focus and made two big plays in the football game.

(Head Coach Tony Sparano on the offense) - "I saw a really good defense out there. Rex (Ryan) really had those guys ready to play. We knew that, and there's no surprise there. We knew those guys were going to be ready to play. Our guys were ready to play, too. I thought there were two good defenses punching each other around, I really did. I thought as the game went on, we just didn't make plays. We just couldn't finish plays, and credit has to go to that group. They did a good job in some of those situations. There are some things that we left out there ourselves. A couple of self-inflicted things that we did to ourselves. We took too many sacks. We can't take those kinds of sacks. If you're out of the pocket, you need to throw the ball away. We laid the ball on the ground a couple of times, so we can't do that. But the thing that we did do is that we had a big drive for a touchdown that was critical on the play from (Joey) Haynos. That was a big, big play."

(Head Coach Tony Sparano on Randy Starks) - "Randy did a heck of a job. We talked about winning individual battles. I felt Randy did that a bunch today. I felt him make some tackles for losses or tackles around the line of scrimmage. I have to look at the film, but those were two critical plays there towards the end of the ball game."

(Head Coach Tony Sparano on scoring in all three phases to win a game on the road) - "I think it says a little something. I think it was great focus and attention to detail this week in practice. I have a tough team. I know I have a tough team. There was some questions about my team this week, and whether or not they were tough. I'm not saying we answered them all, but we made a good dent today."

FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
(WR Ted Ginn, Jr. on his two kickoff returns for touchdowns) - "I just tried to go out and make plays. Coach (John) Bonamego and Coach (Tony) Sparano came up with a good scheme and we executed. The guys felt good about what they came up with and they made the blocks they needed to make. I threw in a little freestyle and we had fun. When everybody is on the same page, big things can happen."

(WR Ted Ginn, Jr. on if they saw a weakness on the right side of the Jets kickoff coverage) - "Yes. The whole week we just saw that they overload to one side. As they kick to the left, I saw two guys loop over. I knew if I got to the backside, big things could happen."

(WR Ted Ginn, Jr. on the turn around in his play from last week to this week) - "It's unbelievable what can happen when you believe in God and you have family, friends, coaches and teammates supporting you. The only thing you have to do is be confident, be calm and make plays."

(QB Chad Henne on rebounding from the loss last week) - "I thought last week we didn't respond on offense the way we wanted to. Today I thought we did a great job overall. Special teams did a great job and our defense did an incredible job. To get a win after that big loss in the division is definitely a big plus."

(QB Chad Henne on his first start on the road) - "It was hostile environment. I expected it to be just how it was. It was a back-and-forth game and luckily we came out with a win. We need to look at it on film and continue to improve and get better."

(QB Chad Henne on Ted Ginn Jr.'s game) - "I don't think anyone is happier than our team to have Ted come out with that type of game and respond. It's a great feeling for him and us for him to get his confidence back and can make big plays like that. It's great to be a teammate of his. He was just ready to go and that's good to see from him."

(LB Joey Porter on the teams performance today) - "It was an exciting game. I think guys on both teams played hard. Ted Gin Jr had a great game, and the team played well. They (the Jets) made plays all game, but there can only be one winner."

(LB Joey Porter on Ted Ginn's performance compared to last week) - "It's funny, that's how this game is. Now everybody will love him, saying, "Oh that's how Ted Ginn (responded)" and then write stories about how good he is. That comes with having a good game. It shouldn't be like that but truth of the matter is, I'm happy for him. I'm happy to see him get the monkey off of his back and have a good game like he did today."

(LB Joey Porter on ever being a part of a game where the offense didn't score) - "I've been part of a game where we gave up 43 yards in total offense on defense and lost a game. So its possible. Jason made a big play for us, we scored on all aspects of the game today. Take nothing away from that team(Jets), they played hard, but there only can be one winner today and we wanted it a little more then they did."

(LB Joey Porter on holding keeping the defense together on the field) - "At the end of the game, all we needed to do is make stops and everyone in the huddle knew if we couldn't make the stops who the blame would come down on. We had every opportunity to win the game on defense, and to finally get it done was a good feeling."

(G Justin Smiley on Ted Ginn's performance) - "He deserves more respect than he gets. Not just because of his performance today, but because he loves the game of football. This is what he does. He's a professional and it's his life. A lot of people don't realize that, but he showed his capabilities today. I'm happy for him, he deserves it. I see him every day and I see how hard he works. He takes a lot of flack, but he had a great day. I was really surprised the Jets kept kicking to him. He took two to the house and the last one was almost close."

(G Justin Smiley on the offense) - "He We didn't play very well on offense. Our coaches had a really good game plan and they executed things really well. We made some plays here and there, but didn't make enough. Our last drive for a touchdown was huge for us. We should have been able to do that a little bit more, but you have to give the Jets defense some credit."

WHAT TO LOOK FOR VS. THE PATRIOTS
S Yeramiah Bell
• To up his team record for most sacks by a Dolphins defensive back. Bell had 1.5 sacks against Saints QB Drew Brees in the first half vs. New Orleans (10/25). and is now in first place in team history for sacks by a Dolphins defensive back with 7.5.

RB Ronnie Brown
• With a 1,000 yard rushing season, would become just the third Dolphin to account for multiple 1,000 yard seasons, joining Larry Csonka (1971-73) and Ricky Williams (2002-03).
• With 30 career rushing touchdowns, Brown needs three more to tie Karim Abdul- Jabbar (33) for fourth on the Dolphins' all-time chart.
• Has 3,951 rushing yards and needs 49 for 4,000 in his career.

WR Greg Camarillo
• Has 83 receptions and needs 17 for 100 in his career.
• Has 962 receiving yards and needs 38 for 1,000 in his career.

WR Ted Ginn, Jr.
• Has 1,421 receiving yards and needs 79 for 1,500 in his career.
• Has two kickoff returns for touchdowns and needs one more to tie Mercury Morris with three for highest amount in team history.

LB Joey Porter
• Looks to maintain his streak as the only NFL player to register at least five sacks each year since 2000. In 2009, Porter has 2.5 sacks.

LB Jason Taylor
• Has 126.0 sacks, and is 12th all-time in NFL history. With 0.5 more, he would pass Derrick Thomas (126.5) for 11th. With two more, he would tie Rickey Jackson (128.0) for 10th. He is currently, the NFL's sack leader among active players.

RB Ricky Williams
• With a 1,000-yard rushing season, he would join Larry Csonka as the only Dolphin to record three 1,000 yard seasons in a career. Csonka accomplished the feat each year from 1971-73.

DOLPHINS DIAMONDS
Hard Work Pays Off
Ronnie Brown's 2007 season ended in just the seventh game because of a knee injury. At the time, he had rushed for 602 yards and four TDs on 119 attempts and caught 39 passes for 389 yards and another score. His 991 total yards from scrimmage at the time of his injury led the NFL. Through countless hours of rehab, Brown made it back for training camp this and did not miss a beat last season, as he was selected to the first Pro Bowl of his career. In 2008, he rushed for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns on 214 carries and caught 34 passes for 254 yards. He also completed two of his three pass attempts, totaling 41 yards and a touchdown. He is the first Dolphin to tally 10 or more total touchdowns in a season since 2005 when Chris Chambers collected 11 receiving scores. Brown was the first Dolphin to have 10 or more rushing touchdowns in a season since 2002 when Ricky Williams recorded 16. Brown's rushing total this year consisted of backto- back 100-yard games, which occurred in week 3-4 of the schedule. With a team-high 916 rushing yards in 2008, he surpassed the 900-yard mark in three of his four seasons with the club. He also has led the team in rushing all four years and is on pace for a fifth season as he leads the team with 254 rushing yards. He is on pace for 1,354 on the season. Brown is just the second Dolphin to lead the club in rushing four or more years.

Brown Scores
In a week three game against the Patriots, on September 21, 2008 at Gillette Stadium, Ronnie Brown rushed for 113 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries, but he also tossed a 19-yard TD pass to Anthony Fasano, his first NFL completion. He also became just the second NFL player to score four touchdowns and throw for a touchdown in the same game, joining Paddy Driscoll, who as a member of the Chicago Cardinals, did it on October 7, 1923 against the Rochester Jeffersons. For his performance, Brown was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Against San Diego on October 5, Brown rushed for 125 yards and a TD on 24 carries, the 12th 100-yard rushing game of his career. It was the third time in his career that he has put together streaks of two or more straight 100-yard rushing performances, having amassed four in a row last year in games 3 -6, while having also attained that mark in each of the final two games of 2006. In fact, Brown and Ricky Williams are the only two Dolphins to have three separate streaks of 100 yards rushing in two or more straight games. Williams has done it on six occasions. Brown's four touchdowns at New England came on runs of 2, 15, 5 and 62 yards. His 62-yarder in the fourth quarter was the second-longest of his career, trailing only his 65- yard TD run on October 21, 2005 against Kansas City in his rookie campaign. He now has had three runs of 60 yards or longer in his career, the most-ever in Dolphins history. on November 16, 2008 when he ran for 101 yards on 16 carries.

Closing In
With 48 yards against the New Orleans Saints (10/25), Ronnie Brown surpassed Mercury Morris (3,877) for third place in team history. Brown leads the team with 518 rushing yards and has 3,951 on his career.

100-Yard Ricky
Ricky Williams has accounted for 20 100-yard rushing games as a Dolphin, a franchise record. He tied the previous mark of 15, first set by Larry Csonka, with a 104-yard effort (31 atts.) at Dallas (11/27/03) on Thanksgiving Day. Williams surpassed the mark with a 107-yard, 1 TD performance (18 atts.) two weeks later against Philadelphia (12/15) in a Monday night contest. In addition, Williams holds the two highest single-season totals in club annals. In his four seasons with the club, the Dolphins have posted a mark of 17-3 when he has run for 100 yards or more. Overall in his eight NFL seasons, the teams for which Williams has played have produced a record of 24-8 in games when he has reached the 100-yard rushing plateau.

Career Day
Ricky Williams 68 yard touchdown run in the first quarter against New Orleans (10/25) was a career long, surpassing his previous best of 63 yards which came against the Bears on December 9, 2002. It was also tied for the sixth longest run in team history. Williams tied a career high with three rushing touchdowns against New Orleans. The last time Williams scored three touchdowns in a game was as a member of the New Orleans Saints on October 22, 2000 at Atlanta. The three rushing touchdowns are tied for the third most in team history with a host of other players.

Ricky Rushes
Ricky Williams has proven to be one of the top rushers in team history. In five seasons, he has totaled 5,038 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns on 1,179 carries. He stands in second spot on the Dolphins' all-time rushing chart, trailing only Larry Csonka (6,737). With 85 rushing yards against Buffalo (10/4), Williams became the 40th player in NFL history to rush for over 8,000 yards (8,194).

Dominant Performance
Although Miami lost against Indianapolis on Monday Night Football (9/21) 23-27, the offensive line put together one of the most dominant run performances in recent team history. The Dolphins had 239 rushing yards on 49 carries and two rushing touchdowns from Ronnie Brown. Miami also owned the time of possession by a 45:07 to 14:53 advantage. It was the Dolphins highest time of possession in team history, besting the 43:39 mark set on December 7, 1987 against the New York Jets. The Colts became the first team since time of possession was established as a stat in 1977 to win a game with such a marked difference. In fact, Miami has won the time of possession battle in four of it's first seven games.

Polite=First Down
Lousaka Polite, while known as a bruising blocker, is a tough runner between the tackles. The fullback has carried the ball six times this season on thirdand fourth-and-one and picked up the first down all six times. Three of those three drives resulted in touchdowns. In 2008 in those situations he carried the ball 12 times and on 11 occasions he picked up the first down. Seven of those twelve drives resulted in touchdowns.

Ginn Goes Deep
After showing steady improvement in his rookie season, wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., the Dolphins' first round draft choice in 2007, raised his game another level in 2008 and looks to further his development in 2009. against Indianapolis (9/21), Ginn had a career-high 11 catches for 108 yards. His previous career-high was seven receptions which he had two times (vs. Cincinnati on 12/30/07 and vs. Buffalo on 10/26/08 2008). His 11 catches were tied for third most in team history, trailing Chris Chambers (12/4/05 vs. Buffalo) who had a team record 15 catches and Jim Jensen who notched 12 catches (11/6/88 at New England). The third-year receiver from Ohio State also finished with his second career 100 yard receiving game. The speedster caught connected with Chad Henne. for a 53-yard touchdown reception vs. the New York Jets (10/12). It was Ginn's longest reception for a touchdown in his career, besting a 41-yard touchdown from Chad Pennington at the New York Jets (12/28/08).

Many Happy Returns
WR Ted Ginn, Jr. returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against the New York Jets (11/1). It was Ginn's first kickoff return touchdown of his career and the first time in team history that a player has returned two kickoffs for scores. Ginn became the eighth player in NFL history to have two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a single game. His 101- yard kickoff return against the Jets was the second longest in team history behind Mercury Morris who brought a kickoff back 105 yards against Cincinnati on September 14, 1969. The last Dolphin to return a kickoff for a score was Wes Welker who had a 95-yard touchdown at Baltimore on January 2, 2005. Ginn is now second in Dolphin annals with two career returns for touchdowns behind only Morris (1969-75) who registered 3 career kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Total Yardage
Ted Ginn, Jr.'s 299 yards in kickoff returns against the New York Jets (11/1) set a Dolphin mark surpassing Travis Minor's 215 yards which he recorded on October 13, 2002 at Denver. Ginn became the first player in NFL history with two touchdowns of 100 yards in the same game and is the eighth player in NFL history with two kick-return touchdowns in a game. Ginn also became the first player to record two KR-TDs in the same quarter since Green Bay's Travis Williams returned two kickoff returns for scores in the first quarter on November 12, 1967 vs. Cleveland in Milwaukee County Stadium. Williams returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and added a 85-yard kickoff return in the first quarter in a 55-7 Green Bay win.

Davone Knows Bess
Davone Bess leads the team with 30 catches and is equally adept at moving the chains, pacing the team with 16 first down receptions. His impressive sophomore campaign follows a rookie year where he made the team as an undrafted rookie free agent out of the University of Hawaii and caught 54 passes. His 54 catches were the second most by a rookie free agent in NFL history.

Henne Starts
When Chad Henne lined up under center against Buffalo (10/4), he became the 29th different player to open a game at quarterback in the Dolphins' 44- year history. With the 38-10 victory, Miami has a 12 -17 record in these games. The following is a gameby- game rundown of the debuts of the 28 starting quarterbacks in Dolphins history. The 28 point victory was the largest margin in a win in these type games. The previous mark was 14 points when Scott Mitchell led the Dolphins to a 41-27 victory vs. Indianapolis the Colts on October 24, 1993. Henne completed his first career touchdown pass, a fiveyard score to rookie Brian Hartline. It was also Hartline's first career touchdown reception. It was the eighth time in Dolphin history that a quarterback making his first career start has thrown a touchdown pass. Henne joined quarterbacks Rick Norton, John Stofa, Don Strock, Dan Marino, Kyle Mackey, Scott Mitchell and Sage Rosenfels as quarterbacks who have thrown a touchdown pass in their first career start.

Henne Times Two
With the victory over the New York Jets (10/12), Chad Henne becomes the first Dolphin quarterback to win his first two career starts since Damon Huard accomplished the feat when he complied three straight victories in 1999. Huard replaced an injured Dan Marino and led the Dolphins to wins over Philadelphia 16-13 (10/24/99), at Oakland 16-9 (10/31/99) and the Titans 17-0 (11/7/99). Against the Jets, Henne engineered his first fourth quarter comeback of his career, leading the team on a 13- play 70-yard drive that lasted 5:06. He finished the night completing 20 of 26 passes for 241 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.

J-Peezy
Since entering the NFL as a third-round draft choice of Pittsburgh in 1999, linebacker Joey Porter has been one of the top pass rushers in the NFL. He built upon this reputation in 2008, having produced 17.5 in 2008, a figure that surpassed his previous career-high total of 10.5, set in 2000 and 2005 with the Steelers. His total this year includes a four-sack effort in a win at New England on September 21. The four sacks tied a career high which he first achieved on October 21, 2001 at Tampa Bay. The total also is tied for the fourth-highest figure in Dolphins history and is the most since E.J. Junior recorded four on October 6, 1991 at New England. In 2008, Porter posted two or more sacks in a game four times and the Dolphins are 3-1 in those games. He has now done it 17 times in his career. Porter also is the only player in NFL history to have at least 70 career sacks and 10 career interceptions. Since becoming a full-time starter in his second season of 2000, Porter has posted a total of 81 sacks, the most among linebackers during this span, and fourth-most overall. In addition, he is the only NFL player to have collected a minimum of five sacks each year from 2000-08. Porter's 17.5 sack in 2008 is the highest singleseason figure by a linebacker in Dolphins history, as he surpassed Bryan Cox for that honor against New England on November 23, 2008.His sack total is the third-highest overall single-season figure in Dolphins history.

Wake Up
Seeing the most significant action of the season, LB Cameron Wake recorded the first 2.5 sacks of his NFL career against Bills QB Trent Edwards (10/4). Wake was named CFL Defensive Player of the Year in both 2007 and 2008 as he recorded 39 sacks in just two seasons as a member of the B.C. Lions. It was the most sacks by a Miami player since September 21, 2008 when Joey Porter had four in a 38-13 win at New England. Wake was second for the most sacks by a rookie or first year player in a game joining LB AJ Duhe (11/6/77 at NY Jets) and DE Marco Coleman (10/25/92 vs. Indy) who both recorded three sacks in a single game.

Miami Sack Exchange
When linebacker Jason Taylor rejoined the Dolphins on May 13, 2009, opposing offenses realized they would have to game plan for two of the most prolific sack artists of their generations. Taylor and Joey Porter have combined for 209.0 regular season sacks (Taylor 124.0, Porter 85.0) in their respective careers

Taylor Returns
Jason Taylor returned to the Miami Dolphins on May 13, 2009 after spending the previous season with the Washington Redskins. Taylor has six seasons of ten or more sacks, including three of the last four years. According to coach Tony Sparano, Taylor has lost none of his work ethic or passion in his 13th year in the league. Taylor, who turned 35 on September 1, is the oldest player on the roster. "We couldn't keep him out of the weight room," Sparano said. "He's added about 10 pounds of muscle, doing things like dead lifts. And he's one of the most intelligent players I've ever coached -- a complete pro's pro."

Scoring Defender
Jason Taylor scored the ninth touchdown of his career at the New York Jets (11/1)on a 48-yard fumble recovery by RB Shonn Greene after he was stripped by NT Paul Soliai. It was the first fumble return for a touchdown since CB Michael Lehan returned a fumble 43 yards against the Jets in Miami on December 2, 2007. Taylor's nine touchdowns (all as a member of the Dolphins) have come from three interceptions and six fumble returns and the Dolphins are 8-1 in those contests. The first five touchdown of Taylor's career came on fumble returns. Taylor's three interception returns for touchdowns ties him with Dick Anderson and Terrell Buckley for the second highest total in Dolphin history, behind only Zach Thomas. Taylor also holds the Dolphins team record for most career touchdown fumble returns in club history and for most career touchdowns by a Dolphins defensive player in club history. In addition, Taylor's sixth fumble return for a touchdown at the New York Jets surpassed Jessie Tuggle for the most in NFL history.

Multi-Talented
LB Jason Taylor had 2.0 sacks against New Orleans (10/25), which was the 30th multiple sack game (1.5 or more) of his career. He has amassed two or more sacks 24 times for the Dolphins in his career, with the team holding a 16-8 record in those games. Taylor also forced two fumbles against QB Drew Brees.

Rookie Pick
Rookie CB Vontae Davis had a 23-yard return for a touchdown off an interception of Bills QB Trent Edwards vs. Buffalo (10/4). It was the first interception for a touchdown since Phillip Merling returned a then New York Jets QB Brett Favre pass 25 yards for a score as the Dolphins defeated the Jets 24-17 on December 28, 2008. Additionally, it was the first interception return for a touchdown by a defensive back since November 2, 2008 when C Will Allen picked off then Broncos QB Jay Cutler for a 32-yard touchdown return in a 26-17 Miami victory.

Starting Young
2009 draft picks S Chris Clemons, CB Vontae Davis and CB Sean Smith all were in the starting lineup against the New York Jets (11/1). It was the first career start for Clemons, a fifth-round pick from Clemson. Davis, a first round pick from Illinois and Smith, a second round selection from Utah became the first rookie cornerbacks in the team's 43-year history to open a game at both corner positions. It was also the first career start for Davis.

For Whom The Bell Tolls
Dolphins strong safety Yeremiah Bell gained a reputation as one of the team's top playmakers from 2005-06. Over this two-year stretch, he played in all 32 games with 11 starts, and registered 86 tackles, five sacks, an interception, 16 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He missed most of 2007 after sustaining a torn Achilles' tendon in the seasonopener. He was back in his old form in 2008. On the season, he recorded double-digit tackle totals on three occasions, including a career-high 12 at Houston on October 12. In addition, he turned in one of the biggest defensive plays of the game in the victory over the Seahawks when he swatted a pass on the 2-point conversion attempt that was intended for John Carlson. On the year Bell led the team with 120 total stops, while he also was third with 10 passes defensed. Against New England on November 23, he recorded his first sack of the season, which also marked the sixth of his career as he tied Liffort Hobley for the most career sacks by a Dolphins defensive back. Bell had 1.5 sacks against New Orleans (10/25) and now in first placefor sacks by a Dolphins defensive back.

Carpenter Under 40
K Dan Carpenter connected on a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter against the New York Jets, which was the longest for the kicker this season. Additionally, Carpenter is 17-17 on field goals that are 40-yards or shorter.