What if you were told that the New England Patriots would have the highest point differential in the division after three weeks? No surprises. What if you were then told that they were in a share of last place with the Miami Dolphins, under .500 for the first time in almost a decade? Somehow, all of this is true. Whether blamed on the replacement officials, injuries to key offensive starters, or Tom Brady’s broken nose, the Patriots are 1-2. After a disappointing 31-30 loss to Baltimore, the Patriots need to go back to the drawing board before a divisional showdown next week.

For the second straight week, the Buffalo Bills took it to an overmatched squad, defeating the Browns in a hostile Cleveland environment by a final score of 24-14. After a week one debacle against the Jets, the Bills have quietly put together an impressive couple of weeks. However, the victory was bittersweet; C.J. Spiller, the offensive juggernaut of the early season, went down with a sprained shoulder. The injury doesn’t seem to be severe, but with starting running back Fred Jackson already nursing an ankle injury, the Bills’ backfield may become an issue.

This week’s divisional matchup saw the New York Jets narrowly edge the Miami Dolphins 23-20 in an overtime contest. Both teams looked offensively challenged and undisciplined. The Jets capitalized on a missed Miami field goal in overtime. In fact, the Jets had an overtime field goal of their own blocked, but Nick Folk was given a second chance and booted the game winner because Miami head coach Joe Philbin called a timeout on the previous play.

Adding insult to injury, Miami lost Reggie Bush to a sprained knee ligament. There was no structural damage, so the Dolphins will have their greatest offensive threat back this season. The same optimism could not be felt by Jets fans. All-pro cornerback Darrelle Revis suffered a torn ACL and is likely out for the season. At 2-1, the Jets have reason to believe they will be fine, but Revis is the most important player on the team, and Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson will have a lot of ground to cover without Revis out there.

Next week, Miami travels to Arizona to take on the undefeated Cardinals, the Jets host the 49ers at Metlife Stadium, and Buffalo and New England match up in a divisional showdown.

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Remember everything that happened in the AFC East last week? Well forget it all and flip the script! Week 2 of the 2012 NFL season saw some serious surprises, highlighted by the defeat of defending AFC champions New England Patriots to the lowly Arizona Cardinals after a missed game-winning field goal by all-pro Stephen Gostkowski. If things couldn’t get any worse, it appears as if star tight end Aaron Hernandez could be out up to six weeks after injuring his ankle.

The New York Jets, who looked like a well-oiled machine last week against Buffalo, struggled to find any type of offensive or defensive consistency and were severely overmatched in a 27-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mark Sanchez struggled to find any type of flow, and the team’s wildcat offense proved effective but ultimately too late. Tim Tebow only saw the field for three offensive snaps, a decision that left Jets fans scratching their heads when it was apparent that the proto-typical offensive strategy wasn’t getting it done.

However, it wasn’t all gloom and doom for the AFC East. The Miami Dolphins won their first game of the season by besting Carson Palmer’s Oakland Raiders 35-13. Running back Reggie Bush had arguably his best game as a pro, rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Ryan Tannehill stayed virtually mistake-free, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another while successfully notching a zero in the turnover column. If the Dolphins continue to cut down on mistakes and Tannehill continues to progress, this season could be far more promising than previously anticipated.

After a debilitating week one defeat of divisional rival New York that saw starting running back Fred Jackson sidelined for at least a month, the Buffalo Bills bounced back with a decisive 35-17 victory at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. Running back C.J. Spiller filled in admirably for Fred Jackson, accumulating 170 total yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s effort of two touchdowns to zero turnovers provided a catalyst for this sudden turnaround in Buffalo.

After two weeks of this NFL season, each team in the division is 1-1. With everything still up for grabs and teams still out to prove themselves, the AFC East looks to stay competitive for the foreseeable future. Next week, the New England Patriots travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in a Sunday Night Showdown. Buffalo travels to Cleveland, Ohio, while the Jets travel to Miami for an early season divisional showdown.

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The Miami Dolphins (6-10) refused to pass up a golden opportunity to end the season of the hated New York Jets (8-8), on New Year’s Day. A 19-17 victory by the Dolphins knocked New York out of contention for the sixth and final AFC postseason seed – meaning there will once again be no Super Bowl title for Gang Green, despite coach Rex Ryan’s preseason prediction.

But that didn’t sway Ryan to take the high road for a change. “I’m always going to chase the Super Bowl,” said Ryan. “I know I get criticized for it beyond belief, but if you don’t, then you’re probably a loser, OK? I’m not a loser.”

Two straight losses following an 8-5 start put the Jets in a position where they needed a significant amount of help to make a playoff run for the third consecutive season under Ryan. New York understood that a win against the Dolphins would be meaningless unless it was accompanied by losses for Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Denver/Oakland.

Scoreboard watching was unnecessary once this one was all said and done. New York had a slight advantage coming into the ball game, as 1,000 yard runner Reggie Bush and Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jake Long were both unable to play due to knee and arm injuries, respectively. Bush’s 5.0 yards per carry was the highest average among 1,000 yard rushers this season.

Fourth year running back, Steve Slaton, replaced Bush and had 55 yards on 11 carries. The Jets had the upper hand on the ground with 129 combined yards in comparison to only 82 for the Dolphins. LaDanian Tomlinson made history yet again, as he passed former Steeler great, Jerome Bettis, for 5^th on the all time rushing list with 56 yards on the day.

A 44 yard Dan Carpenter field goal gave Miami an early 3-0 lead with 9:31 remaining in the first. Mark Sanchez responded with a one yard play action touchdown pass to tight end Justin Keller to put the Jets ahead 7-3 with just under 6 minutes in the quarter. The drive covered 77 yards in 8 plays.

Unable to take advantage of an Antonio Cromartie interception later in the quarter, the Jets defense would nonetheless hold Miami at bay and allow their offense to extend the lead to 10-3 with a 31 yard field goal late in the second quarter. Safety Brodney Pool’s interception with 25 seconds remaining in the half set the Jets up at their own 45, giving them a chance to take a two possession lead before entering the locker room.

A crucial interception by defensive lineman Randy Starks quickly erased Matt Moore’s interception. Miami suddenly cut the lead to 10-6 with a 58 yard field goal as time expired. It was an atrocious first half passing-wise. Sanchez and Matt Moore had a total of just 106 yards while throwing the 3 interceptions.

Miami took their first lead of the game in the 4^th with a record-setting drive. It was the longest possession of the season in regards to both time and amount of plays. The Dolphins went 94 yards downfield in 12 minutes and 29 seconds. A one yard 3^rd and goal touchdown pass to Charles Clay on the 21^st play put them ahead 13-10 with 10:27 remaining in regulation.

“I didn’t realize how long it was,” said Moore. “It was unbelievable, just a great job on everybody’s part.” Not since 1993 had the Jets given up a drive consisting of 21 plays. A 41 yard field goal made the score 16-10 Miami with 7:11 left to go following another Starks interception of Sanchez.

New York moved the ball all the way down to the Miami 10 on the next possession, but Sanchez’s third interception of the afternoon cost them mightily. Linebacker Marvin Mitchell recorded the pick and returned the ball back to the Jets 36. Miami tacked on another field goal to take a two possession lead, 19-10 with 2:32 on the clock.

Brandon Marshall sealed the win for the Dolphins with an onside kick recovery after a late Jets touchdown. Receiver Santonio Holmes appeared to quit on his team and was benched during the drive. This marked the first time in 95 career games where he did not record a reception.

New York finishes the season at .500 and goes into the offseason with several unanswered questions concerning their leadership and identity. The Dolphins now know what they’re capable of, winning 6 of their final 9 after an 0-7 start.

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The Dolphins were just 30 minutes away from pulling off a Christmas miracle in Foxborough. Tom Brady and the Patriots (12-3) came roaring back in the second half on Christmas Eve, erasing the Dolphins’ (5-10) 17-0 halftime lead as they would hold on to win the game 27-24.

The victory clinched the Patriots one of the top two seeds and a first round postseason bye following the Colts dramatic win over the Texans on Thursday night. “It’s good to clinch,” said receiver Deion Branch, “but not by the way we played. It’s not the way you want to do it.” Miami gave Pats fans quite a scare during the course of the first 30 minutes. The Dolphins defense, which had allowed only 14.7 points per game during their recent 5-2 stretch, sacked Brady three times while keeping New England’s high powered offense off the board.

Matt Moore and the Dolphins jumped at this rare opportunity and put together two impressive touchdown drives following a 47 yard field goal on the game’s opening possession. Just two plays after making a 47 yard catch downfield, Brandon Marshall caught a 19 yard touchdown to give Miami a 10-0 lead at the beginning of the second quarter. The drive went 82 yards on just 5 plays.

Interim head coach Todd Bowles remained aggressive. After forcing a quick 3 and out Miami added on another touchdown. A one yard touchdown pass to Charles Clay concluded an 11 play, 89 yard drive to put the Dolphins up 17-0 with 6:31 remaining in the half. Two long pass interference penalties aided the Dolphins along the way.

New England went into the locker room stunned after missing a 51 yard field goal attempt with only a few seconds left on the clock. A 17-0 score was the largest home halftime deficit for a Patriots team since trailing 18-0 to the Jets all the way back in 1999. The Dolphins were poised to give the Pats only their second home loss in 35 games – until Moore’s giveaways gave New England new life. “Our guys fought,” said Bowles, “but we didn’t finish.”

A fumbled snap by Moore early in the 3^rd was recovered by the Patriots’ Vince Wilfork at the Miami 38 following a 45 yard New England field goal to cut the lead to 17-3. Brady took advantage. He went a perfect 5-5 on the drive and finished off with a two yard scrambling touchdown pass to Deion Branch, making it a one possession game at 17-10.

The Pats then had a short field to work with after forcing a punt deep in Miami territory. Brady led his troops 41 yards downfield and tied the game with a one yard quarterback sneak with 2:17 remaining in the third. Although things were falling apart for the Dolphins, they were still in great position to take the lead to start the 4^th quarter.

Moore brought them down to the New England 44, but was intercepted by Devin McCourty down at the 2 on a ball that was held up in the air by the wind. Moore’s two turnovers proved costly despite going 17-33 for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Pats would eventually convert the pick into a 42 yard field goal to take their first lead at 20-17 with 8:55 left to go. A 59 yard drive and another quarterback sneak touchdown for Brady on their next possession pretty much sealed the deal with 2:56 remaining.

Miami could not stop Brady in the second half after shutting him down in the first. He finished 27-46 with 304 yards and 3 total touchdowns. “We had (Brady’s) number in the first half, but in the second half he came out and made a lot of plays,” said Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby. “He is a coach on the field.”

A late touchdown by Davone Bess made it a 27-24 game, but the Patriots converted a critical 3^rd down, ran the clock out, and secured the victory. New England has now won 7 in a row with just one game remaining before beginning yet another postseason run.

And while the Dolphins let this one slip away, there were some nice milestones reached in the meantime. Reggie Bush’s fourth straight 100 yard rushing game gave him over 1,000 yards on the year. Marshall also reached the 1,000 yard receiving mark, making this the first time in team history that Miami has had both a 1,000 yard rusher and 1,000 yard receiver in one year.
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Reggie Bush has come a long way during his first season with the Dolphins. After leaving New Orleans he just wanted to prove that he can be an every down back in this league.

Safe to say that a career high 206 yard rushing performance in a 30-23 victory over the Bills in snowy, windy Orchard Park on Sunday didn’t hurt his efforts even one bit.

“It feels good. It means a lot,” said Bush. “It means that hey, I’m doing everything that I expect I was going to be doing. It’s not so much as me being surprised that this happened today or that I could rush for 100 yards. It’s more of the fact that this is something I expected.”

Although things certainly didn’t start out the way Bush envisioned them. A fumble on Miami’s second possession had to be discouraging as it was his fourth of the season.

However, he stood the course and before he knew it he regained his confidence after breaking out a nifty little spin move that led to a 28 yard run in the second. That carry would set the tone for his huge day which would end with a 76 yard touchdown run late in the fourth, leaving Buffalo with little hope.

After being knocked out of last week’s game with head and neck injuries, Matt Moore returned to the lineup and also played well in the inclement weather. Moore completed just 10 of 20 passes but did not turn the ball over while throwing for two touchdowns and 217 yards.

The Bills had a different offensive game plan. C.J. Spiller was effective out of the backfield with 91 yards and one touchdown, but Buffalo only allowed him to carry the ball 12 times. The strategy was to attack through the air and in the end that proved to cost them the game.

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s three interceptions heavily outweighed the 316 yards and two touchdowns he accumulated while going 31-47 on the day.

The Bills liked their chances of ending a six game losing streak after the early fumble by Bush at the Miami 42. An 18 yard run by Spiller was quickly followed by his 24 yard touchdown run to give Buffalo an early 7-0 advantage.

It was only the first touchdown surrendered in the first quarter by the Dolphins in their last nine games.

Miami would respond on the first play of the second quarter when Moore threw a wide open 22 yard touchdown to tight end Anthony Fasano. The drive went 52 yards and was set up by a 23 yard punt return by Davone Bess and long pass play to fullback Charles Clay.

Vontae Davis had a huge impact as well. During that same quarter the Miami cornerback recorded the first of his two interceptions and returned the ball to the Buffalo 25 after a field goal gave the Dolphins their first lead at 10-7. The pick would lead to another field goal, extending the lead to 13-7.

Davis’ third quarter interception was also his fourth of the season.

With a lead the Dolphins decided to take their shots downfield in the third quarter. This worked out perfectly when Moore opened the second half with an 80 yard drive that was highlighted by a perfect 65 yard touchdown throw to Brandon Marshall down the right sideline.

The catch was not only Marshall’s fifth touchdown of the season, but it also sealed his fifth consecutive 1,000 yard season.

The Bills kept trying to fight back but waited too long. By the time they scored their first down to make the score 23-13 the fourth quarter was already more than halfway over.

All the credit needed to be given to the Miami defense. They held Buffalo to no third down conversions, going a remarkable 0-11 throughout the entire 60 minutes.

An unsuccessful onside kick left Buffalo with almost no chance after cutting Miami’s 30-13 lead down to 7. They would force a punt and leave Fitzpatrick and the offense with one last chance. Unfortunately they needed a miraculous 80 yards in 16 seconds.

Miami wouldn’t let that happen with a tackle after the first lateral ending the game.

Tony Sparano may have been fired earlier in the week, but the Dolphins still took care of business and won their fifth game out of seven.

“Coach Bowles did a good job of keeping everybody together,” said Moore. “It was a sad day, but we’ve got to keep moving.”

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For the first time in almost a year, the Miami Dolphins gave their home crowd something to cheer about. Reggie Bush scored the clinching touchdown and emphatically threw the ball into the stands. Bush scored twice and Rex Grossman, who got the start over John Beck this week, was picked off twice as the Dolphins cruised to a 20-9 victory over the Washington Redskins.

This was the second straight victory for a Dolphins team that started the season 0-7. ”It was nice to come in this locker room and celebrate a win,” coach Tony Sparano said. “I see 2-7 now as a hill but not a mountain. That’s how our players see it, too.” The Dolphins had a small 10-6 lead going into the half, but were able to put together 70 and 81 yard scoring drives to pull away as they held off any chance of a fourth-quarter comeback by the Redskins.

“The first seven games we were kind of in disarray,” Bush said. “We were trying to find our identity. The difference now is we’re playing 60 minutes and finishing at the end of games.”

Miami was up 13-9 with Grossman driving down the field to the 10 early in the fourth when he threw a pass right at linebacker Karlos Dansby who made the interception to end the drive. The Dolphins then came out and drove 81 yards for the touchdown on a 18 yard run by Reggie Bush, who finished with 47 yards on 14 carries

Vontae Davis, who returned from his one game benching, added another interception. Matt Moore, who had a terrific game against Kansas City last week, had an interception and a fumble but was 20 of 29 for 209 yards. The Dolphins went 8 for 14 on third down despite coming in as the worst in the NFL.

The Redskins dropped their fifth in a row after starting the season promisingly. “It’s frustrating being 3-6,” Grossman said. “We’re better than that.”Grossman was 21 of 32 for 215 yards and two picks. Grossman was the surprise starter this week after he was benched four weeks ago in favor of John Beck.

Shanahan said it had to do with the injuries to the offensive line that he decided to go with Grossman who’s more experienced. ”I thought Rex gave us a chance to win,” Shanahan said. “If you have this many guys go down, I didn’t want to go with the inexperienced guy and throw him to the wolves.”

The Redskins’ three scoring drives netted only 48 yards as they were set up close by two turnovers, but had to settle each time for field goals. Washington reached the Miami 20, 26, 5, and 10 yard lines. Graham Gano also missed two field goals form 50 and 49 yards out. The interception by Kevin Barnes set up the Redskins at the Miami 5, but they lost three yards on three plays and settled for a field goal.

On Ryan Kerrigan’s sack forced fumble the Redskins were again set up close at the Miami 24, but again settled for just three points. ”You get into the red zone three times, you’ve got to make plays to win the game,” Shanahan said. The Dolphins look to continue their new found success when the Bills come to town on a two game losing streak.

Washington heads home looking to snap the losing streak against division rivals the Dallas Cowboys winners of two straight.

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When looking at this game on paper, you couldn’t find two teams on more opposite sides of the spectrum. The Kansas City Chiefs had won four straight games to put themselves in a tie for first place in the AFC West after a dreadful 0-3 start, and the Miami Dolphins couldn’t win a game.

All that changed on Sunday as the Dolphins layed a beat down on the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The team waited until the final seconds to start celebrating their long-awaited first win of the season.

“I’m just happy for the guys in our locker room,” Dolphin’s head coach Tony Sparano said. “All I’ve wanted to do for seven weeks is see these guys smile.” Matt Moore was 17 of 23 for 244 yards, had three touchdowns and a 147.5 passer rating. This was the first three-touchdown game by a Miami quarterback since Chad Pennington did it in 2008.

Reggie Bush had another great game on the ground. He racked up 92 yards and a score on 13 carries. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall had his best game of the year, snagging eight passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, which added to his already-impressive stats against the Chiefs. He has 52 catches for 689 yards and seven scores in eight games against the Chiefs from his time with the Denver Broncos.

Matt Cassel finished the day 20 of 39 for 253 yards, even though he was facing one of the weakest pass defenses in football that was without cornerback Vontae Davis. He didn’t have much chance to throw the ball as he was under pressure all day, getting sacked five times and having to scramble even more times.

“They executed and we didn’t,” Cassel said. “We were able to put together some drives, but we weren’t able to sustain those drives offensively. We have to do a better job of executing. It starts with me and all the way down the line.”

Kansas City’s only points came on their opening drive when a 14 play 53 yard drive was capped by Ryan Succop’s 43-yard field goal. After that, it was all Miami as they answered with a touchdown later in the quarter when Moore found tight end Anthony Fasano open in the back of the end zone following a nice play action fake.

On the Dolphins next drive, Moore found fullback Charles Clay for two big gains of 21 and 22 yards, and then found Fasano again wide open down the sideline for the 35-yard score to extend the lead to 14-3.

In the third quarter, the Dolphins busted the game open after Moore hooked up with Marshall for 14 yards. Bush was able to bust a 28-yard run for the score. The Dolphins defense was able to snuff out any chance of a comeback with a stop on fourth and goal on the three-yard line.

“This was not the kind of performance we expected or wanted,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “This was a very dangerous team that was playing a lot better than their record. It’s hard to win in the NFL, and they just did a better job than us.” Brandon Flowers put it more bluntly and no so calmly.

“We got beat,” he said. “We got beat pretty bad by the Miami Dolphins. At home.” The Chiefs look to rebound and keep pace with the Chargers and Raiders against the Denver Broncos who knocked off the Raiders this week. The Dolphins look to keep the good play rolling as they head home to square off with the Washington Redskins.

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The New York Giants were able to pull a victory on Sunday against the winless Miami Dolphins, but from watching the game, you’d think the Giants didn’t even care about the game. If it wasn’t for Eli Manning, the New York headlines would read something much different had the Dolphins gotten their first win in MetLife Stadium.

Manning’s 25-yard touchdown throw to Victor Cruz with just under six minutes left in the game helped the Giants to escape with a victory, and move to two games ahead of the Cowboys and Eagles in the NFC East, moving the team to 5-2.

“The pressure was there just to get the win,” Giants guard Chris Snee said. “No one was concerned about ‘Oh, we’re going to lose to a winless team, or we were going to lose.’ We thought we were still going to win the game and that’s just the confidence we have, and that stems from Eli.”

Manning was the lone bright spot. He ran 31 of 45 for 345 yards and two touchdowns, bringing the Giants back from 11 points down in the first half. With every passing week, he’s starting to show the leadership many thought was missing, as well as the ability to put the team on his shoulders when they aren’t there mentally. Four of the five wins the Giants have had this season have come in the fourth quarter.

“We knew coming in it would be a tough battle,” Manning said. “A lot of games have come to the fourth quarter, and we knew it would be a tough road. They did a lot of good things defensively, ran a lot of different blitzes. We didn’t run the ball real well today, and we had to throw the ball more than we wanted to. But we’re capable of doing that.”

This loss is just another notch on what is going to be coach Tony Sparano’s last season as the Dolphins head coach. It follows last week’s disastrous game when the Dolphins blew a 15-point lead and lost in overtime to Tim Tebow and the Broncos

“We went toe to toe with them, swung hard. We didn’t win. It’s not acceptable,” Sparano said. Matt Moore played a semi-decent game, going 13 of 22 for 138 yards and one interception. He also had five carries for 31 yards and a touchdown on the ground. However, he was sacked on the final two drives four times, and his one pick sealed the game for the Giants.

Steve Slaton and Moore scored on one yard runs to finish the Dolphins first two drives. After that, they were only able to get a field goal from Dan Carpenter as the Giants defense stepped things up in the second half.

Reggie Bush had his best game as a Dolphin. He rushed 103 yards on 15 carries, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Dolphins from giving away another game, and continuing the league-long winless streak.

The Dolphins head to Kansas City next week to square off with the surging Chiefs who are on the hunt for the AFC West. This is a game the Dolphins have a chance to win and finally get that first victory of the season. However, they will have to show up for the full four quarters and not just the first three.

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Despite showing signs of losing to a team that has not won since last season, the New York Giants were able to rally back for a 17-20 win over the Miami Dolphins. The Giants’ running attack were not prepared today, only running for a total of 58 yards which came mostly from the help of Amhad Bradshaw.

On the other hand, the Dolphins ran for a total of 145 yards due to running back Reggie Bush. Bush ran for 103 yards on 15 attempts, breaking his personal record. Quarterback Matt Moore and running back Steve Slaton were able to rush for a touchdown apiece in the game.

The Miami Dolphins were not successful in the throwing game, with Moore throwing for 138 yards on 13 completed catches along with throwing an interception. Wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess completed a total of seven receptions for a total of 98 yards, without any touchdowns.

The New York Giants were able to rally in the second half of the game, with quarterback Eli Manning throwing 349 yards and two touchdowns in 31 completions. Mario Manningham caught the first touchdown pass in the second quarter, along with catching six passes for a total of 63 yards.

Wide receiver Victor Cruz caught the game winning catch for the final touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, finishing off the game with 99 yards off of seven catches in the game. The Giants (5-2) travel to Massachusetts next Sunday to face the New England Patriots, while the Dolphins (0-7) travel to square off against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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There were just as many Tim Tebow fans in Miami on Sunday as there were Dolphin fans. Tebow’s fans were all very disappointed as he looked absolutely awful. It looked like Miami, to many fans’ dismay, were on their way to their first victory of the season. Then he did the unthinkable and led an improbable comeback.

Tebow led the Denver Broncos with two touchdown passes in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter in his first start of the season, which forced overtime. Matt Prater sealed the win with a 52-yard field goal in overtime to give Denver the 18-15 victory over Miami. Denver was trailing 15-0 with five minutes left in the game when Denver took over at their 20 yard line.

Tebow, who had been hearing it from fans all game, looked atrocious up to that point, and Denver had zero conversions on third down. “It was my fault we were in that position,” Tebow said. “Silly things kept happening. On the sidelines, we were still believing. We wanted it, and they believed in me for more than 60 minutes.”

Tebow managed to lead touchdown drives of 80 and 56 yards with a successful onside kick thrown in the middle. He scored the game tying two-point conversion untouched with only 17 seconds left on the clock. In overtime, it was Denver’s D.J. Williams who sacked Matt Moore, forced a fumble, and recovered it at Miami’s 36 yardline.

It only took three more plays, and Prater sealed the Dolphins’ fate as their winless streak continues extending the NFL’s longest streak to ninegames. If coach Tony Sparano wasn’t on the hot seat before, he sure is now after this disappointing loss. “Of course he’s the head coach, and he’s going to take a lot of heat,” receiver Brandon Marshall said. “But trust me, it’s not him. Not just him. It’s all of us.”

“I’m just discouraged for the players in the locker room,” Sparano said. “They work really hard, and we don’t have anything to show for it right now.” Tebow struggled for most of the game, suffering seven sacks, failing to pick up blitzes, and making several horrible throws nowhere near the intended receiver.

But this didn’t make him lose confidence, and he was able to lead an eight-play drive capped by a five-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas for the touchdown with three minutes left to make the score 15-7. The Dolphins failed to grab the ensuing onside kick, and Virgil Green recovered at their 44 with two and a half minutes left.

Tebow was able to find Daniel Fells for a 28-yard gain, brining them to the three yard line, Again, he found Fells for the three-yard score with time running out. As for the Dolphins, they are just looking for any sort of remedy to their season. “I’m trying to search for answers,” Miami running back Reggie Bush said. “I just keep coming back to embarrassing.”

This was a big win for Denver and Tebow. Midway through the third quarter, Denver had netted two yards on 10 pass plays, which is an average of seven inches a play. After that, Tebow went nine for 13 for 1,121 yards and finished 13 of 27 for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 65 yards on eight carries.

Despite the salute to the Gators and Tebow mania, the stadium was almost half empty at the start — a sign of growing fan discontented with the Dolphins. The crowd was booing the home team before Miami’s first series ended, but Denver moved the ball no better. Together, the two teams failed to convert their first 16 third-down situations.

Miami is just looking for any answers as they fall to 0-6, and have to travel to MetLife stadium to square off with Big Blue.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) welcomed the New Orleans Saints (4-1) to the Raymond James Stadium, hoping to improve their record before they jet off to London to entertain the NFL’s UK-based fans next week.

Having collected impressive victories over the likes of the Atlanta Falcons so far this season, the Bucs were keen to keep their win percentage over the 500 mark, despite having fallen to a franchise record defeat to the San Francisco 49’ers last week. Standing in their way however, was an in-form Drew Brees and his Saints were not going to be pushovers, as their impressive record so far shows.

With LeGarrette Blount sidelined through injury, the Buccaneers turned to Earnest Graham, but the running back failed to make much of an impression with his early rushes. The Bucs did however grab the lead when the Saints turned over possession, and the home side kicked a field-goal after failing to convert a 3^rd down.

The lead was to be short-lived however, with Brees finding tight end Jimmy Graham for a 16-yard gain, giving the Saints great field position, and also furthering Graham’s lead at the top of the tight end reception table in the NFL. From here, wide receiver Marques Colston collected a 38-yard TD pass from Brees, putting the visitors into the lead for the first time.

The lead changed hands again early in the 2^nd quarter however, when Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman found Arrelious Benn, who had escaped the man coverage, for a 65–yard TD pass, the longest for the Bucs since 2008.

The Bucs continued to press home their advantage, with Graham rushing for big gains consistently on a drive which culminated in a field goal, extending their lead to six points. Meanwhile, the Saints continued to struggle to get their offense going, and when the Bucs regained possession, they worked their way down the field before Freeman found Preston Parker on the slant route for a 19-yard TD pass.

The Saints came close to striking back just before the interval, having started on their own 2-yard line, but Brees passed successfully to Graham for 43 yards, and then to Colston for 37 yards, but had to settle for three points with a field goal as time ran out.

The 3^rd quarter went by fairly uneventfully for both sides, with neither side truly threatening the opposition end-zone, until the Saints moved to within 10 yards of the Bucs end-zone with just three minutes left in the quarter. Unfortunately for Sean Peyton’s side though, the Tampa Bay defense were more than a match for the New Orleans offense, and limited them to the field goal.

This did however make it a one-possession game heading into the 4^th,, until the Buccaneers struck back quickly, kicking a field goal themselves, and re-establishing the 10-point lead. The Saints soon closed the gap on the Bucs once the 4^th quarter started, driving to Tampa Bay’s 12 yard line, which then allowed explosive rookie Mark Ingram to power into the end-zone, reducing the lead to just three points.

With time running down in the 4^th, and the Bucs having added three more points to their lead, Brees was moving them Saints offense down the pitch, taking them to the Bucs 4 yard line. The usually infallible Brees then threw an interception in the Bucs end-zone, with Quincy Black picking the ball, and allowing Tampa Bay to run the ball away, with the game finishing at 26-20 to the Bucs.

Raheem Morris will be thrilled with his team’s effort and performance last night, especially that of his defense, who made life extremely difficult for Brees.

The Saints will not be entirely disheartened however, with tight end Graham collecting over 100 receiving yards for the fourth game in the row, and really establishing himself as a danger-man for the Saints, as they hope to bounce back this week, and continue their march towards the playoffs.

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Things are moving extremely fast in the NFL these days; in fact, sports fans haven’t been able to take in every thing that has been occurring in terms of free agency and trades.  The movement throughout the league is not surprising given the small window teams have to accomplish all of their off season requirements.

Free agency is an exciting time and so far it has been great to cover, the moves should have a big impact on other players still considering where they will take their talents next season. Also, these player movements should impact the success and failures we see during the season.

Let’s examine what has happen thus far and where the surprises lie.

Why not start with the biggest name still available—Asomugha hasn’t moved yet, but would the big name defensive back choose to return to Oakland.  He is a very loyal player but loyalty will not necessarily earn you a ring.  He is reaching a point in his career where he must make a move; the question remains though, where will he play.  Will he decide to play with another great defensive back in Revis and a potential Superbowl team in the Jets, play with another team offering the most money or will he return to Oakland? Only he knows at this point, but I know where the sports world hopes he goes.  It just makes sense to be in a jets uniform next year but will he accept that challenge.

The jets have already taken care of primary receiver Holmes and will likely not attempt to resign Braylon Edwards who had a decent year for them last season.

Other notable signings thus far include big named quarterback Donovan Mcnabb, perennial attack dummy for fans and NFL players alike.  He will take his talents to Minnesota this season and mentor their first round draft pick Christian Ponder until he is ready to take over.

Minnesota will also lose big time receiver Sidney Rice who has chosen to sign with the Seahawks.  The Seahawks are taking a chance on him given the fact he has had one productive season with the indecisive Brett Favre and he will be coming off surgery which sidelined him for most of last year.  The Seahawks have also acquired Tavarus Jackson from Minnesota after parting ways with their long tenured quarterback Matt Hasslebeck who will now be taking his veteran talents to the Titans.

The first big time talent to come of the board so to speak is Deangelo Williams, the Panther back has chosen to resign in a 5 year deal with over 20 million in guaranteed money.

The hated Patriots have struck potential gold in their trade with the Redskins in which they acquired Albert Haynesworth for a 6th round pick; once again, coach Belichick gets a possible steal that puts them back on top in the AFC East division. I don’t know how many teams were looking at the troubled defensive tackle, but looking at the potential defensive line, the AFC East along with the rest of the league have been out maneuvered up until this point.

While we already have big movements with quarterbacks, there are still moves to be made– specifically Kolb in Philadelphia and Kyle Orton in Denver.  Also, Vince Young will be released today, we have yet to hear where exactly he will pay, what role he will have on that team or even what teams have shown interested.  The young quarterback’s reputation has been damaged significantly, it remains to be seen if he will recover and get his career back on track.  Speaking of great college players, 3rd down back Reggie Bush has signed with the Dolphins with a 2 year contract worth roughly 5 million; a considerable reduction in value from his Saints days.

ESPN is now reporting that Chad OchoCinco has been dealt to the active patriots; maybe a way to combat the potential addition of Asomugha to the Jets.  It remains to be seen what happens with many more players including receivers, Plaxico Burress, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. Expect many more announcements in the day’s ahead, things are just heating up as we approach the upcoming NFL season.

Image Courtesy of  Walter G Arce / Shutterstock.com

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The NCAA has been criticized by many for the way it handles college sports and student athletes. Schools constantly must be on their toes to ward off NCAA investigations. They must be careful to follow every dumb and mundane rule to the T.

There are so many things wrong with the NCAA, and its legal existence is a phenomenon. The organization is a monopoly, and a surprisingly successful one. There is no other organization that oversees college athletics, and not a hint of competition.

It is also a dictatorship. Conferences should be allowed more power and freedoms to make their own decisions, making things quicker and more efficient, but also providing a check to their power. Whatever these big wigs say goes, and that’s another problem with them. Their rulings are often inconsistent, and they lack punishment guidelines, just making them up as they go.

In the Cameron Newton controversy this past year, the NCAA decided that Newton was eligible, even after several allegations were made that his father was asking universities for money in exchange for Cam to play for their school. Previously the NCAA had ruled that parents were part of the student, resulting in sanctions for USC and stripping Reggie Bush of his Heisman Trophy.

Several other major institutions have been in the news recently for brush-ups with the NCAA. The University of Connecticut, Tennessee, Michigan, and recently Ohio State have received disciplinary actions for somewhat trivial ordeals.

Another problem is the profiteering off of student athletes. The NCAA has video games, jerseys, bobble heads, etc in the likeness of players, and these players don’t see a dime of this money. Yes, the players do have scholarships and are receiving a free education which is of amazing worth, but it pales in comparison to the profits that the NCAA and schools are making off of students. They should get a cut of these profits in the form of a stipend, or receive a portion of money after graduation to help them financially with their futures.

The NCAA is so worried about themselves that they forget about the student athlete’s who make the college engine run. They suspend kids over golf-cart rides, or if someone buys them a pizza, while the NCAA smugly enjoys their royalties. If these students make a mistake, the NCAA has no problem wiping their names from the record books so it’s as if they never existed at all.

If a coach messes up at a university it is the college that is punished, not the coaches. They can leave for another job while the institution suffers through penalties caused by a departing coach. It can take years to turn a program back around, especially if it is suffering from a lack of scholarships, or a post-season ban.

Now there must be rules of course, or else every team would be pulling an SMU, but the rules must create a level playing field, should be less trivial, and should be more consistent. Maybe the conferences should just govern themselves, and the NCAA could take a back seat to the athletes that make them all of this money.

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