Archives for November 18, 2011

‘Hence, Buffalo’s starting “O” line on Sunday at Miami will be former left guard and substitute left tackle Andy Levitre at center, backup Chad Rinehart at left guard, Kraig Urbik, who replaced Wood against the Cowboys, at right guard, veteran Erik Pears at right tackle and rookie fifth-round draft choice Chris Hairston, healthy again, at left tackle, in place of injured starter Demetrius Bell.’

‘"We’ve turned the ball over at a high rate, we’ve played some really good football teams and we had opportunities to win a lot of football games here at the end of games but didn’t find a way to win them," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "The last couple of weeks we’ve found a way to win these games. There’s a fine line in our league between winning and losing and in the beginning part of the year we just didn’t find ways to win games, we didn’t make those kinds of plays, but in the last couple of weeks we’ve made those kinds of plays."’

‘Both were limited, but coach Chan Gailey said Pears took nearly every rep and while he couldn’t say for certain if Johnson would be available to play Sunday in Miami, he felt optimistic because the receiver practiced Thursday.’

‘Tabbed as a versatile player who could provide a threat as a runner, a receiver, a returner and possibly even a thrower, Smith really has been none of the above.’

‘”He’s their playmaker,” said linebacker Karlos Dansby, whose Dolphins play host to Jackson and the Bills on Sunday. “I’d say he’s the best running back in the league right now, especially as his numbers go. He’s on track of having a great season. Hopefully, we can slow him down a little bit.”‘

‘”You just learn the business side of things,” Losman said. “It was an exciting time when I came out. We had a great opportunity there in Buffalo and we just couldn’t get things going the way we wanted to from an organization standpoint for many different reasons. We had lots of change and it’s very hard to win when you have lots of change and there are a lot of things that play a factor. Now I’m just waiting for that next opportunity and you’ve got to work hard. It’s hard when you’re used to playing all the time, but that’s something you learn how to deal with.”‘

After slow start, Miami Dolphins rookie Clyde Gates improving (Miami Herald)

Tyrone Culver’s fighting to take advantage of opportunity (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Dolphins’ versatile Charles Clay works through injuries (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Dolphins-Bills to be televised (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Miami Dolphins’ end Jared Odrick enjoying ‘rookie season’ by dancing like a fool (Palm Beach Post)

Miami Dolphins again avoid local TV blackout by buying their own tickets and giving them away (Palm Beach Post)

Stopping Jackson will be challenge for Fins (Fox Sports Florida)

Coach Sparano Press Conference And Transcript (MiamiDolphins.com)

Coach Sparano Press Conference And Transcript (MiamiDolphins.com)

Jason Taylor Press Conference And Transcript (MiamiDolphins.com)

Dolphins And WFOR-CBS4 Ensure Telecast Of Sunday’s Dolphins-Bills Game (MiamiDolphins.com)

Losman Hasn’t Forgotten His Time In Buffalo (MiamiDolphins.com)

Second Rookie Season For Odrick More Enjoyable Than The First (MiamiDolphins.com)

‘”It’s hard to shuffle around, but he does a good job with it, and that’s why he’s so valuable,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m sure he’s going to do just fine there at center.”‘

‘Starting safety George Wilson missed a second day of practice since hurting his neck against Dallas. Gailey says it’s “questionable” whether Wilson will play against Miami (2-7).’

‘Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday, but his status for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins is still up in the air.’

‘So what has happened? You can look at it 1 of 2 ways. The Bills offense ran into a pair of defenses that are ranked in the top 10 and presented challenges in different ways. The Jets have the best secondary in the league and the Bills depleted receiving corps was no match. The Cowboys pass rush was too much for the Bills to handle and it threw off Ryan Fitzpatrick and the timing of the passing game. Perhaps you subscribe to the theory that teams have a lot more film on the offense than they did back in September and they have figured out the Bills plan and how to beat it.’

‘”They’re a team, like us last year, we started out with a lot of losses and they kept piling up and then you get that taste of victory and some things start going your way,” he said. “It’s obviously a team that is on a little bit of a roll with their wins and they’ve played well, they haven’t been handed those games by any means, they’re really beating those teams.”‘

‘”As y’all can see, fundamentals and being where I’m supposed to be, I’m there,” McKelvin told reporters Wednesday. ” I’m not getting burnt, I’m not getting beat deep with nobody there to be there to help, but not to help, but as far as making the play. Just me as far as trying to make that play. I wanna be that guy to make that big play or to just make a play period. I just want it to happen, but it hasn’t gone my way lately.”‘

‘Welch was most recently with the New England Patriots, but was released on Nov. 8th. The 6-7, 310-pound Vanderbilt product entered the NFL as a seventh-round (208th overall) draft pick of the Patriots in 2010. Welch however, spent the 2010 season on Minnesota’s practice squad before being signed the Vikings’ 53-man roster on December 14th.’

‘Bills 17, Dolphins 13.’