May 2011 - Miami Dolphins Wiretap

RealGM's Week 8 Rundown

Jun 4, 2014 9:42 AM


Baltimore 30, Arizona 27 Trench Counter: Ravens +6.5, Cardinals -6.5 Trailing 24-6 at halftime, the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) scored 27 of the game's final 30 points to edge the Arizona Cardinals (1-6) on Sunday afternoon. The two teams combined for close to 200 penalty yards and nearly split time of possession. Joe Flacco struggled in the first half, but rallied in the third and fourth quarters to finish 31-for-51 with 336 yards and an interception. His long passes set up Ray Rice, who ran 18 times for 63 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Arizona scored touchdowns on a run by Beanie Wells, punt return by Patrick Peterson and a pass from Kevin Kolb to Early Doucet over a five-minute stretch in the second quarter. For then on, the Cardinals would only score on a 45-yard field goal by Jay Feely to momentarily tie the game with close to nine minutes left in regulation. Arizona had just 207 yards of total offense and went 2-for-11 on third down. Minnesota 24, Carolina 21 Trench Counter: Vikings +3.5, Panthers -3.5 The Minnesota Vikings (2-6) won just their second game of the season as rookie quarterback Christian Ponder got his first NFL victory in a close contest against the Carolina Panthers (2-6). The game featured a pair of rookie quarterbacks as Cam Newton played well yet again and drove Carolina to within range of a game-tying field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining. However, Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard attempt (wide left) to give Minnesota the victory. Newton had 290 passing yards and three touchdowns, but Ponder and the Vikings averaged more yards per pass (8.2 to 7.6). Carolina outrushed Adrian Peterson and Minnesota, averaging 5.2 yards per carry as a team. Newton scrambled six times for 53 yards and wide receiver Steve Smith, who caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, gained 12 yards on one ground attempt. The Vikings tied the game at fourteen late in the second quarter after Newton fumbled on a sack by Jared Allen. Houston 24, Jacksonville 14 Trench Counter: Texans +10.4, Jaguars -10.4 The Houston Texans (5-3) downed the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) thanks to timely offense and a fairly strong defensive effort. Arian Foster ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on a workmanlike 33 carries and Houston's defense limited Jacksonville to just 2.8 yards per pass at Reliant Stadium. Jaguars rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert went 10-for-30 with 97 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Foster's lone touchdown run gave the Texans a 21-7 lead early in the fourth quarter and it was his ability to gain yards late that allowed Houston to seal the victory. The Jaguars gained just 174 total yards on offense and came back down to earth after their shocking win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown, his first road score of the 2011 season. N.Y. Giants 20, Miami 17 Trench Counter: Giants +2.2, Dolphins -2.2 The Miami Dolphins (0-7) flirted with their first win of the season but ultimately fell to the favored New York Giants (5-2), who came to life in the fourth quarter. Dan Carpenter hit a 40-yard field goal with 12:17 left in the third period to give Miami a 17-10 lead, but the Dolphins didn't score again and Eli Manning and the Giants moved the ball well in the second half. The Dolphins committed the only turnover of the game, sealing their fate as Matt Moore was intercepted by Corey Webster with little time remaining. Manning attempted twice as many passes as Moore, accumulating 349 yards and two touchdowns, one to Mario Manningham and another to Victor Cruz. The connection with Cruz came on a 25-yard completion and gave New York their first lead of the game with 5:58 left in regulation. Reggie Bush rushed 15 times for 103 yards, his first 100-yard rushing since 2006 and just the second of his NFL career. St. Louis 31, New Orleans 21 Trench Counter: Rams +3.7, Saints -3.7 The St. Louis Rams (1-6) won their first game of the season in impressive fashion, topping the New Orleans Saints (5-3) with A.J. Feeley filling in for Sam Bradford (ankle sprain). The Rams jumped out to a 24-0 lead and held off a late charge by Drew Brees and the Saints at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis was led by Steven Jackson, who rushed 25 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns. They had nine first downs on the ground, against just three for New Orleans. The Saints scored three touchdowns in the final 17 minutes of the game, but it wasn't enough after they dug themselves an early hole. Brees threw a pair of interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Rams a 31-14 edge with less than three minutes remaining. New Orleans averaged just 2.8 yards per rush, with Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles struggling against a surprisingly potent Rams defense. Tennessee 27, Indianapolis 10 Trench Counter: Titans +2.3, Colts -2.3 The Indianapolis Colts (0-8) bounced back a bit after their embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday night, but they remain winless after losing to the Tennessee Titans (4-3). The Colts had more first downs than the Titans (22 to 17), but Indianapolis committed a pair of turnovers while Tennessee didn't give up the football. Delonte Carter and Donald Brown combined to lead the Colts to 6.1 yards per rush and Curtis Painter added 79 yards on seven scrambles, but they were just 6-for-17 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth. Matt Hasselbeck found Nate Washington for a 14-yard touchdown pass with 5:20 left in regulation to seal the win for Tennessee. Hasselbeck averaged 6.8 yards per pass, totaled 224 yards and threw for the aforementioned touchdown. Chris Johnson struggled yet again, gaining 34 yards on 14 touches, but Javon Ringer padded the team rushing average with 14 carries for 60 yards. The Titans protected Hasselbeck well. He was sacked just once and hit only five times in all. Buffalo 23, Washington 0 Trench Counter: Bills +18.8, Redskins -18.8 The Buffalo Bills (5-2) absolutely dismantled the Washington Redskins (3-4) thanks to a great performance on both sides of the ball. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21-for-27 with 262 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Fred Jackson had 194 total yards (26 attempts for 120 rushing yards). The win moved Buffalo into first place in the AFC East with nine games to play. John Beck was ineffective, going 20-for-33 with 208 yards and two interceptions. The Bills defense totaled nine sacks, eight tackles for loss and hit the quarterback 14 times. Washington managed just 178 total yards and was a combined 4-for-16 on third and fourth down. The game marked the first time that Redskins coach Mike Shanahan had been shut out in his coaching career. Detroit 45, Denver 10 Trench Counter: Lions +14.9, Broncos -14.9 The Detroit Lions (6-2) got back in the win column with a drubbing of the Denver Broncos (2-5) and quarterback Tim Tebow. Matthew Stafford, playing despite suffering a foot injury last week, went 21-for-30 with 267 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford threw a touchdown pass in each of the game's first three quarters. Calvin Johnson was his leading receiver with six receptions for 125 yards and a score. Detroit averaged 6.1 yards per play. Tebow, a week after leading a dramatic comeback win over the Dolphins, went 18-for-39 with 172 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed 10 times for 63 times in just his second start of the 2011 season. Tebow was sacked seven times and hit on seven other occasions. Denver didn't score a touchdown until the 8:19 mark of the fourth quarter when Tebow found Eric Decker for a 14-yard score. Pittsburgh 25, New England 17 Trench Counter: Steelers +6, Patriots -6 The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) scored the first 10 points of the game and made a defensive stand late to defeat the New England Patriots (5-2) at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh had 10 more first downs than New England, who went three-and-out on their first possessions of both the first and second halves. The Patriots managed just 213 total yards and held the ball for only twenty minutes. Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball early and often, going 36-for-50 with 365 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, while Tom Brady had a 4.9-yard average. Brady went 24-for-35 with 198 yards and two touchdowns, but Pittsburgh used press coverage and swarmed the ball whenever a pass was completed. The Steelers averaged 5.5 yards per play. The Patriots moved an average of just 4.3 yards per offensive snap. San Francisco 20, Cleveland 10 Trench Counter: 49ers +10, Browns -10 The San Francisco 49ers (6-1) remained hot with a nice win over the Cleveland Browns (3-4) at Candlestick Park. The 49ers remained the only team in the NFL with one loss and they have the second-best record in the league behind the Green Bay Packers (7-0). Alex Smith managed a good game, going 15-for-24 with 177 yards and a touchdown, while Frank Gore did the heavy lifting. He rushed 31 times for 134 yards and a score. Colt McCoy had a rough afternoon for Cleveland, tossing an interception and losing one of his four fumbles. He finished 22-for-34 with 241 yards for a decent 7.1 yards per attempt average. The Browns averaged just 2.9 yards per rush attempt and totaled only 66 yards on the ground with Peyton Hillis out. Cincinnati 34, Seattle 12 Trench Counter: Bengals -2.7, Seahawks +2.7 The final score was ugly, but the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) were close statistically in their victory over the Seattle Seahawks (2-5). Seattle actually had more first downs (20 to 18), total yards (411 to 252), and a higher yard per pass average (7.4 to 5.5). Marshawn Lynch scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 8:55 left in the game to bring the Seahawks to within 17-12, but Cincinnati scored the final 17 points of the game. Ironically, it was their special teams that put the game away with Brandon Tate returning a punt 56 yards for a touchdown and Reggie Nelson returning an interception 75 yards for another seven points in the final four minutes of the game. The AFC North is now loaded at the top with the Bengals and Ravens tied for second place between the Steelers at 5-2. Philadelphia 34, Dallas 7 Trench Counter: Eagles +14.1, Cowboys -14.1 The Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) moved into a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East with an impressive win over the Dallas Cowboys (3-4) on Sunday night. The Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead and led 34-0 a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys scored their only touchdown on a 70-yard pass from Tony Romo to Laurent Robinson at the 12:44 mark of the final period. Philadelphia had 31 first downs (against Dallas to 12), went 7-for-12 on third down (against 3-for-10 for Dallas) and 495 total yards. The Cowboys gained just 267 yards at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles held the football for 42:09 as they earned their second-straight win after a very poor start to the season.

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor, Personal Award, Team Achievement

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Sparano Calls Latest Loss 'Unacceptable'

Nov 13, 2014 3:52 PM

After a week of rumors that he may lose his job, Tony Sparano called Miami's latest loss "unacceptable." Miami lost 20-17 to the Giants, who scored the final 10 points of the game. "We went toe to toe with them, swung hard. We didn't win. It's not acceptable," Sparano said.

Associated Press

Tags: Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor

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Reggie Bush Records Second Career 100-Yard Game

May 17, 2014 9:35 PM

Reggie Bush has recorded a 100-yard rushing game for just the second time in his NFL career. Bush surpassed the mark midway through the third quarter against the Giants on Sunday afternoon. At the time, winless Miami led New York 17-10. He had 12 carries for 100 yards and four catches for 17 yards when he surpassed the mark. Bush's last 100-yard game came on back in 2006, during his rookie season. He tallied 126 yards on 20 carries against, ironically, the Giants on Christmas Eve. He has averaged fewer than 40 rushing yards per game in his NFL career.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor

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Cowher Says He'll Return To CBS In 2012

Oct 31, 2014 2:59 PM

Former Steelers coach and current CBS analyst Bill Cowher says he'll return to the network in 2012. Cowher said on Sunday's pregame show that he has not been approached by anyone for a coaching position. He had been linked to the winless Dolphins in reports. Cowher says he has "not been contacted directly or indirectly by any football team or any organization" and wants to put "all the speculation to rest."

ESPN.com

Tags: Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Misc Rumor

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Marshall Subtly Predicts Dolphins Will Beat Giants

Jun 4, 2014 6:36 AM

The Dolphins are winless this season, but that hasn't stopped Brandon Marshall from making bold statements. "To: Media," Marshall tweeted. "When we win Sunday please don't say the Giants didn't take us serious." For the record, Giants players aren't biting. "We don't pay any attention to that," defensive end Osi Umenyiora said. "We've got bigger fish to fry, man."

NFL.com

Tags: Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Misc Rumor

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Bell: Dolphins Don't Stink, Bush Stinks

Oct 11, 2014 4:54 AM

Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell was unhappy that Reggie Bush used the adjective 'stink' to describe the Dolphins following the team's 18-15 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. "He stinks," Bell said emphatically. "That shouldn't be said around this locker room," he went on. "We know that we're 0-6 and we're not playing the best but at the same time there's no need for that."

NFL.com

Tags: Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor

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Fasano: 'Suck For Luck' Campaign Sucks

Oct 16, 2014 10:18 PM

Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano is touchy about the thought of a team tanking in order to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck next spring. "It's sick actually. I can't even fathom those thoughts of those people that conjure up that stuff," he told WFAN-AM in New York. "They have never played sports and pretty much aren't really our loyal fans. I can't really put any weight into that and I know the players don't listen to it." The Dolphins are winless in their first six games.

NFL.com

Tags: Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor

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Report: Dolphins Owner Reaches Out To Cowher

Oct 11, 2014 5:11 AM

Operatives for the Dolphins have contacted people close to former Steelers coach Bill Cowher about the team's head coaching job, according to a CBS Sports report. The report, which cited a source with knowledge of the situation, said Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was resorting to back channels to avoid the kind of criticism he received in January 2011 when he publicly courted then-Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh while current Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was still under contract. Miami is still winless on the season.

NFL.com

Tags: Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor

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Dolphins Sign J.P. Losman

Jun 14, 2014 6:22 PM

The Dolphins have signed quarterback J.P. Losman, replacing Sage Rosenfels as their backup to Matt Moore. A blood disorder sent Rosenfels to the hospital in August, and he said in a statement that he hasn't fully recovered. "When I first joined the Dolphins, all tests showed that I was healthy and ready to go," Rosenfels said. "But after practicing for a few weeks, especially in the heat, some new indications made it obvious that I need to rest and allow my body to regain all requisite strength."

Associated Press

Tags: Miami Dolphins, Signing

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Sparano To Refs: I May Lose My Job

Oct 30, 2014 11:17 AM

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano could sense a once insurmountable lead slipping away, so he implored two officials to review a touchdown just scored by the Broncos on Sunday afternoon. "If I don't call a timeout, I'm (sunk) and now I'm getting fired, OK?" he screamed while pointing toward the team owner's skybox. The desperation in Sparano's demeanor was understandable, but his plea went unheeded. The touchdown was upheld on review, accelerating Denver's astounding comeback for an 18-15 overtime victory Sunday. Miami's collapse after being up 15-0 was epic in scale—the first time since at least 1983 that a team had blown a lead of more than 14 points with three minutes to go.

Associated Press

Tags: Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor

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Report: Cowher Will Be High On Miami's List
With the Dolphins winless in their first six games, speculation has begun to pick up steam regarding head coach Tony Sparano's eventual replacement.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Sparano Reportedly Safe Despite Loss
The Dolphins are 0-6 after their collapse against the Broncos on Sunday.

NFL.com

Marshall: Sparano Shouldn't Be Blamed
The Dolphins are winless this season at 0-6 and they have the NFL's longest losing streak at nine games, stretching back to last season.

Associated Press

Dolphins Buy Tickets To Avoid Blackout
With Tim Tebow coming to town, the Dolphins have agreed to buy any remaining tickets to avert a television blackout for Sunday's Denver-Miami game.

Associated Press

Dansby Rips 'Suck For Luck' Campaign
Karlos Dansby will not be participating in the plan to 'Suck For Luck' being proposed by fans of the Dolphins.

Sun-Sentinel

Sparano's Status Could Hinge On Denver Game
How the Dolphins fare on Sunday against the Broncos could have a huge impact on coach Tony Sparano's future with the team.

NFL.com

Dolphins Owner Reportedly Consulting With Mangini
Last week, Eric Mangini was linked to the Eagles.

NFL.com

Jason Taylor Expecting Boos From Jets Fans
Jason Taylor spent a season with the Jets, but he doesn't expect a warm reception.

NFL.com

Mangold Likely To Play Against Dolphins
Jets center Nick Mangold is questionable for Monday night against the Dolphins.

Mike Mazzeo/ESPN.com

Ryan Likes Marshall's Plan For Ejection
Jets coach Rex Ryan is happy with Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall's plan to get ejected in Monday night's game.

Mike Mazzeo/ESPN.com

Marshall Seeks Second Quarter Ejection
Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall has a goal of getting kicked out of the game in the second quarter on Monday night against the Jets.

ESPN.com

Ryan Calls Game Against Dolphins A 'Must Win'
New York is 2-3, off to their worst start under Ryan.

Rich Cimini/ESPN.com

David Garrard Seeks 'Committed' Team
David Garrard wants to play quarterback in the NFL, but has no desire to do so for the Dolphins in their current state.

Chris Mortensen/ESPN.com

Henne Out For Season, Dolphins Search For QB
Miami is attempting to sign a veteran quarterback to compete with Matt Moore.

NFL.com

Dolphins Reach Out To Garrard, Delhomme
The Dolphins may need a quarterback if Chad Henne's shoulder injury is as serious as they fear.

NFL.com

Shoulder Injury Could End Henne's Season
The Dolphins are concerned about about a separation of Chad Henne's non-throwing shoulder and they are awaiting a second opinion.

NFL.com

Sparano Safe Through Miami's Bye
Dolphins coach Tony Sparano's job is safe for at least a couple of weeks.

ESPN.com

Miami's Burnett: I Need To Step Up
Dolphins linebacker Kevin Burnett isn't happy with his performance so far this season.

NFL.com

Dolphins Won't Have Thomas Against Chargers
Reggie Bush could see more attention this week with rookie Daniel Thomas on the sidelines.

Associated Press