Incase you needed another reason to love Jason Taylor.  As if his return home to Miami this season wasn't enough of a reason to love that man, I offer you this.

Jason Taylor recently taped an interview for Sirius NFL Radio that will air on Friday.  But ESPN's Tim Graham got a hold of some of what Taylor said and posted it in his blog.  I just wanted to highlight a couple of JT's quotes.

How happy were you to have the opportunity to score a touchdown on Sunday against the Jets, Jason?

"To score a touchdown in New York against the Jets in the last time I'll be in the hellhole they call a stadium up there before they get rid of it and move to the new one, it was outstanding."

Why do you dislike Jet fans so much, Jason?

"It's the times like this where you beat them and they just keep talking. They just keep going, and they just don't know when to be quiet."

"You know, I've said a lot of things about Jets fans in the past, and I’m sure at heart they're good people. Most of them are good people. The Giants fans are a different type of people. Just put it that way. There's a little more class on the Giants' side, and some Jets fans take the 'c-l' out of class."

On a side note, I know exactly what Jason means.  Living in Jersey about a half hour south of the Meadowlands, I know many fans of both the Jets and Giants.  And yes, Giants fans are completely different - in a good way.

There are a couple of more good Taylor quotes in the post.  And if you have Sirius radio, I suggest listening on Friday to Adam Schein's show to hear the full interview.

Back to the scene of the birthplace of the 'Wildcat.'

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While we'll all admit it was great to knock off the Jets last week and sweep the season series, it's time to now shift our attention to the other divisional rival - the one that actually matters.  The Patriots have been the beast of the AFC East for far too long.  And even with the Dolphins improbable division title last season, things have shaped up in 2009 like they have shaped up for a while - with the Patriots currently sitting atop the AFC East.  On Sunday, the Dolphins will travel up to New England to go toe to toe with the Patriots looking to make a statement.

To get it done, these three matchups will be critical.

Dolphins running game vs Patriots front seven
It's become almost legendary now what the Dolphins did against the Patriots up in Foxborough last season in the first meeting between these two teams - unleashing the 'Wildcat' and running for 216 yards en route to a 25 point thrashing.  But in their second meeting down in Miami, the Dolphins were unable to get anything going on the ground, 'Wildcat' or not.  They ran for only 66 yards and averaged only 3.7 yards per carry as the Dolphins, who hung with the Patriots for two and a half quarters, just couldn't keep up with the Patriots and their high-scoring offense.

Obviously, the Dolphins can't let themselves get involved in another shoot-out like we saw down in Miami last year.  And while the Patriots are ranked 15th in rush defense - surrendering 109 yards per game, which doesn't seem that bad - those numbers are skewed due to the fact that most opponents are trying to keep up with New England's offense and abandon the run too early.  They only see roughly 24 rushing attempts per game by opponents.  But in the key statistic, yards allowed per rushing attempt, the Patriots are ranked 22nd - surrendering 4.5 yards per attempt.  That, my friends, means there's a lot of yardage to be had on the ground.

Of course, everybody is aware that Miami's strength on offense is the running game and the Patriots will obviously stack the box to limit the amount of success Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams can have.  That's why it'll be very important for the Dolphins to remain committed to the ground game even if it isn't working with a lot of success early on.  Last week, the Dolphins got away from the run too quickly because the Jets were selling out to stop it.  That can't happen on Sunday.

In particular, I hope to see a lot of 'Wildcat' on Sunday early and often.  And I'm not talking about the jet sweeps or attempted passes.  I want to see some of that smash mouth power running that the Dolphins did so well earlier this season.  I have faith in Miami's offensive line to come in with the right mindset and play physical enough for the Dolphins to be able to pound the ball up the middle.  Let's set the tone early by pounding the rock.

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Could Chris Chambers return to South Beach?

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Incase you haven't heard, the Chargers have released receiver Chris Chambers.  Chambers, as you all know, spent the first six and a half years in Miami as a Dolphin - even earning a Pro Bowl appearance in 2005.  But he was also a serious under-achiever as a Dolphin, with his performance never really matching the talent his possessed.  In San Diego, it has been much of the same.

But, of course, Chambers has already been linked to the Dolphins - both by fans and even by one of the most trusted NFL insiders in the business.  Dolphin fans seem to be very interested in bringing back the 31 year old receiver.  And ESPN's Adam Schefter even said during Monday Night Countdown that the Dolphins and Ravens could be potential landing spots for Chambers.  Of course, Cam Cameron, Baltimore's offensive coordinator, was also the head coach of the Dolphins when they traded Chambers away in 2007.

So let's talk about this for a moment.  First off, here's the current situation.  Chambers must pass through waivers first.  Teams have until 4 pm on Tuesday to put in a waiver claim on Chris.  If a team claims him, they must pay him the remaining portion of his 2009 salary, roughly $2.4 million.  If Chambers passes through waivers unclaimed, then any team can sign him at any time at a negotiated price tag.

We know that GM Jeff Ireland will strongly consider every "acorn" that shakes free and Chambers is definitely an acorn that needs some consideration.  The Dolphins are simply not very well situated at the receiver position and Chambers could be the veteran this team needs.  Then again, he might be exactly what the Dolphins do not need.

Chambers only has 9 receptions this season for 122 yards.  Since 2008, Chambers has 42 catches for 584 yards and 6 touchdowns.  But he's been targeted 95 times which means he's catching under 45% of the passes thrown his way.  We also all know that it's not uncommon for Chris to drop a pass or two...or ten.  According to STATS, Chambers has dropped 4 passes this season - or 13% of the balls thrown his way.  For a comparison, Ted Ginn has 5 dropped balls on 41 targets, resulting in a 12% drop rate.  If everyone is going to kill Ginn for his "inconsistency" then I think we need to be fair and recognize that Chambers has been even worse.

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More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Ginn...gone. What a day for the young man!

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This time last week, Ted Ginn Jr. was drawing the ire of Dolphin fans everywhere.  So it figures that it was Ginn who would be the most important player in the Dolphins' 30-25 win over the Jets on Sunday - without even catching a single pass.  And thanks in large part to Teddy, the Dolphins have done something they haven't done wince 2003: sweep the season series against the hated division rival Jets.  More importantly, perhaps, the Dolphins are now back within a game of .500 and are 3-0 within the AFC East.

Ginn puts the "special" in "special teams"
This past week, much of the talk was centered on what the Dolphins should do with their former number one pick.  The Dolphins decided to bench Ginn, who started every game this year at wide receiver, in favor of rookie Brian Hartline.  Ginn admits, too, that this past week was the toughest of his professional career. 

But Ginn reminded us all of just how damn good he can be as a return man, taking two consecutive kickoffs all the way to the house.  And his 100 yard and 101 yard kickoff returns for touchdowns made NFL history.  Teddy became the first player in NFL history to score two touchdowns of at least 100 yards in the same game.  He's also the first player to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same quarter since Travis Williams did it for the Packers in 1967.  Not a bad way to gain some confidence.

If you're human, you can't help but be happy for the embattled Ginn.  And perhaps what is most telling is how his teammates spoke of Ginn after the game, including Jason Taylor - whose fumble return for a touchdown was overshadowed by Ginn's big day.

"That's all right. That's all right. After everything Teddy has been through, he deserves all the glory," said Taylor.  Here are some more quotes about Ginn:

"People should respect him more, and, now, maybe they will," Brian Hartline said. "It was good to see him play so well."

"He loves the game. This is what he does," Justin Smiley said. "He's a professional. It's his life. I see him every day and how hard he works. He takes a lot of flak, but he had a great day."

But I think Ginn himself said it best.  He said after the game that he convinced himself following his demotion that "big things might happen."  Ginn added, "It's probably one of the toughest weeks I've ever experienced playing football. Last week was one of my toughest games I've ever had, the worst game in my career."

And now?

"I feel at peace more than anything. I made plays for my team. I stayed confident. My team believed in me," said Ginn. "To make them see that smile and have that happiness, to go from 2-4 to 3-4, that's great."

Now let's see if this confidence can translate into more production as a wide receiver.

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Miami Dolphins' Ted Ginn Jr. (19) runs a kick-return for a touchdown during the third quarter.

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It's never easy with these Dolphins, is it?  But a win is a win.  And the Dolphins traveled up to the Meadowlands and played their final game in this current Giants Stadium, and head home tonight with a 30-25 win.

It might have been ugly, but the Dolphins are 3-0 in the division.  Now maybe the Jets will shut the hell up.  Or are Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, and Kerry Rhodes going to run their mouths again even after getting swept by the Dolphins.

Ted Ginn - on this day, we all love you.  We really do...for now.

Celebrate and enjoy the win.  Then it's time for New England next week.

Usual full recap post to come tonight/tomorrow morning.  And please, rather than starting a million new fanposts about this game, keep most of the talk in this thread.  Thanks.

Enjoy the rest of your football Sunday.

Ted Ginn...who would have thunk it?

5:52 to go - Dolphins lead by five.  We need a big drive here!

Use this thread now for all live game discussion.

GO DOLPHINS!!!

As bad as the offense played, it's 3-3 at the half.  I'll take it.

Use this thread now for all live game discussion.

GO DOLPHINS!!!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

It's time once again to see who all the "talking heads" are picking in Sunday's game:

Not as much love from these guys as I thought the Dolphins would get.  I think a lot of people believe that the Dolphins will still be deflated over their tough loss last week and will come out flat on the road on Sunday.  But I'm not buying that idea.

Speaking of ideas, Peter King actually shares an interesting one.  He writes in his pick that he believes Rex Ryan "had the Jets working OT this week to figure out" how to slow the Wildcat - possibly taking ideas from what the Saints did last week.  King thinks that, to counter Ryan, Tony Sparano and company will have Chad Henne throw 40 passes.

Could you imagine?  It would be a bold decision by the Dolphins if they came out firing.  What scares me most is how much I actually like an idea presented by Peter King.  I think he might be on to something here.  I think the Dolphins could very well come out and throw to loosen up the Jets before pounding them with Ronnie and Ricky.

And I think the Dolphins will somehow find a way to knock off their division rivals for the second time in less than a month.  Put me down for a 23-16 game - Dolphins win.

My Week 8 Locks
Colts -11.5 over 49ers - I was on the Niners bandwagon for a little bit, but the wheels have come off.  Peyton Manning and company will put up 35+ on Sunday.
Texans -3.5 over Bills - How is this spread so little?  The Texans, with Andre Johnson expected to play, should put up a ton of points up in Buffalo en route to at least a 10 point win.
Bears -13.5 over Browns - The Browns are one of the three worst teams in the league and they will get destroyed up in Soldier Field.  Look for Jay Cutler to have a big day throwing the ball.
Cowboys -9.5 over Seahawks - Dallas showed me a lot last week by dominating Atlanta.  I expect a similar performance against a far weaker team.

Last Week: 3-1
Season: 10-10

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

Hey Jason, this team needs a vocal leader to step up. Who better than a guy who everyone knows despises the Jets?

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On Sunday, the Dolphins will head to the Meadowlands looking to sweep the season series against the Jets for the first time since 2003.  More importantly, though, the Dolphins will look to avoid falling to 2-5, which would seemingly all but ruin their postseason hopes in 2009.

For the Dolphins to exit Jersey with a win on Sunday, they will have to play much better than they did during last week's second half collapse.  There are a lot of keys to this game.  But the three below are, in my opinion, of the utmost importance.

Put last week behind them
This can't be easy for them.  Hell, it hasn't been easy for us fans.  It's always difficult to put a tough loss behind you and move on to the next game.  When you take into account the caliber of opponent that the Dolphins almost knocked off last week and the way the game unfolded in the second half, I'm sure this week hasn't been the most enjoyable for both the players and coaches.

That's why I think it's a good thing that the Dolphins get to head to the Meadowlands and take on a hated division rival following that loss on Sunday.  There's no better way to put a heart-breaking loss behind you than to knock off a hated rival.  It would provide some healing for both the players and the fans.

That's also why I think that the Jets are doing the Dolphins a favor by continuing to open their enormous mouths and talk trash about the Dolphins over and over.  Among other things, we've heard Darrelle Ravis say he thinks the Jets are the better team and Shaun Ellis complain about the Dolphins going overboard with their celebration of the game-winning touchdown.  And let's not forget how dismissive the Jets were moments after getting beaten by the Dolphins back in week 5, with Calvin Pace and Bart Scott showing disrespect to the Wildcat and calling Chad Henne a "second-year clown quarterback."

Yup - all that talking the Jets are doing is only helping Miami get over their tough loss last week and focus on the job at hand on Sunday.

But even so, make no mistake about it.  Sunday's game will test this team's mental toughness.  It would be easy for a team to roll over on the road following that tough loss last weekend.  We're going to learn a lot about how this team and this coaching staff handle adversity.  Let's hope they show the kind of fortitude that I think this team does indeed possess.

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MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-4) AT NEW YORK JETS (4-3)

SERIES

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