Fins On A Tear Heading To Dallas
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The Miami Dolphins have gone from also-rans to the hottest team in the National Football League.
The Fins demolished a third straight opponent Sunday as they ran their overall record to 3-7 on the season. Perhaps the most impressive facet of the Fins' current three game winning streak has been the play of the defense.
Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan lit a fire under his team's defense in recent weeks and whatever he said really resonated with the team. In the last 12 quarters, the Dolphins have yet to allow a single touchdown.
"We're playing good defense," said head coach Tony Sparano. "I think we've taken advantage of some opportunities, made a couple of critical stops in different times down there on the goal line. The group just keeps fighting, keeps swinging pretty good."
But just as important to the Dolphins has been the play of starting quarterback Matt Moore. The former Carolina Panther has played lights out the last three weeks, with the only thing that is slowing him down is his receivers dropping the ball.
"He's got good touch on the ball, a lot, Pennington-like, those kind of thigns, guys that can get up and down that way," Sparano said. "He's got a good feel for what's going on in the middle of the field."
Now the Dolphins have to make a short-turnaround to get ready to play the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.
"Well the challenge for me and the challenge for the players is completely different," Sparano said. "I mean coaches we've spent the last couple weeks, last couple weekends in preparation for this and then came right back after the game here and got work done early this morning so everything was ready to go. Players right now are in there and working on Dallas."
If the Dolphins can pull off an upset of the streaking Cowboys, the team will have won three games in 11 days; a feat not often accomplished in the NFL.
"Obviously, we only have one agenda now and that's to go out there and play our best football and figure out a way to win the game," Sparano said. "It's probably the same agenda they have so from our end that's what we're going to try to do. And if that happens, then piece of work."
Thursday's game against the Cowboys is set for a 4:15 p.m. kickoff.
