‘He rushed for a season-best 158 yards and on a season-high 30 carries, and he was running aggressively, slamming into the holes and carrying defenders while grinding out the tough yards.’
BillsBeat - January 7, 2002
The backup plan works just fine
‘Linebackers Tommy Hendricks and Scott Galyon and free safety Arturo Freeman, members of the "JIC Club," have proven in the past two weeks that they are ready when the Dolphins need them. "We tagged it the `Just In Case Club,’" Galyon said, "and we prepare ourselves to be ready when the team needs us. You never know when your time will come, but you can’t let your teammates down."’
To Turk, if shoe fits ...
‘Five punts, five balls down inside the 20-yard line for Matt Turk, whose value has grown enormously as the offense has turned increasingly more docile in the second half of the season.’
Mounting injuries a concern
‘The list of injured players increased for the Dolphins after Sunday’s 34-7 victory over Buffalo, and that could be troublesome for a team that had nine starters on last week’s injury report.’
Enjoy, but don't kid yourself
‘The good news: They start with a home game Sunday. The bad news: They start against the Ravens or Jets. Pick your poison.’
The J-word can give Huizenga the jitters
‘"But that team from New York is 8-0 against us lately! And they’re 7-1 on the road this year! And they came back from 17-0 to beat us this season! And there was the Monday Night Meltdown last year! They’re a Stephen King character in a green uniform!"’
Bills coach notes some bright spots
‘"Nine of our last 12 games have been competitive," Williams said. "We were extremely competitive [today] until that penalty. When we pressed to get back into the game, our younger players committed some turnovers, negating some significant big-play opportunities. We’ve got a lot to do in the offseason, but we’ve come a long ways also."’
Run defense registers another good showing
‘Bills running back Shawn Bryson was coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, and the Dolphins held him to 16 yards on 12 carries.’
Grading the Dolphins
‘It was easy to say this was only the 3-12 Bills, but this club had beaten the Jets 14-9 last week and this was a game the Dolphins needed to clinch a home game in the playoffs.’
Smith runs for 158 in 'Fins rout
‘”We win by being a team every week,” Wannstedt said. “We’ve got our half a dozen or so dominate guys, but that’s what’s encouraging about this group going into the playoffs. We’ve won a lot of games by having a lot of different people stepping up and doing different things.”‘
Galyon, Hendricks were ready just in case
‘Just in case you didn’t notice, neither performed like a backup in the Dolphins’ 34-7 victory against Buffalo that clinched a home playoff game for Miami. Galyon had a season-high five tackles, the first interception of his six-year NFL career and the first sack of the season. Hendricks, playing linebacker for the first time in his career — he was a star safety in high school and college — had four tackles while replacing the defense’s leader.’
Brown emerges as Buffalo backup QB
‘"He is a smart QB," Moulds said. "Give him credit. He got in and made the most of his opportunity. I felt like he made plays and made the most of what was there. He certainly had some nice throws today."’
Playoff time: Sizzle or fizzle?
‘Is it a mirage, this two-game running start on the post-season, or a genuine Miami Dolphins’ miracle in the making?’
No Dan, no Troy, just Jay
‘After the Dolphins defeated Buffalo, for example, Miami coach Dave Wannstedt called it “the type of win we enjoy.” That meant watching Fiedler throw only 16 passes.’
Jets or Ravens? Dolphins say they don't care
‘For the second straight week, Brock Marion returned an interception for a touchdown.’