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DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -Three weeks ago, the Miami Dolphins’ defense was reeling from a relapse.
A 48-28 loss to New England was reminiscent of 2007, and reinforced doubts that Miami was ready to mount a push toward a playoff berth.
The Dolphins haven’t given up a touchdown since.
“As bad as that game was, look how far we’ve come – and how far we can still go,” linebacker Akin Ayodele said.
Tied with the Jets and Patriots for the AFC East lead, Miami (9-5) can go to the postseason for the first time since 2001. By sweeping the final two games, the Dolphins would clinch a berth. Anything less, and they might fall short.
“We have full control over what’s going to happen,” linebacker Joey Porter said. “It’s exactly what you want. You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re hoping this team loses or that team loses to benefit you.”
Miami will close out the regular season on the road, against the Chiefs and Jets, and the likelihood of cold weather will put a big burden on the Dolphins’ much-improved defense.
has allowed a total of 24 points – eight field goals – in victories over St. Louis, Buffalo and San Francisco. The three-game stretch without allowing a TD is the Dolphins’ longest since 1973, which happens to be the last time they won the Super Bowl. The streak is the NFL’s longest since 2000.
It’s a dramatic change for the Dolphins, who gave up an AFC-high 31 points a game last year while going 1-15.
“They’re learning how to communicate very well out there,” first-year coach Tony Sparano said. “There are guys covering for one another. And they’re becoming pretty resilient. They don’t really get flustered a whole lot, even when somebody makes a big play against them.”
That was the case Sunday, when the 49ers had the ball for 38 minutes, made 24 first downs and drove inside the Miami 25 four times.
Sparano said he was on the lookout for signs of surrender as his defense wearied trying to protect a small lead.
“I was a little worried,” he said. “We were bending and bending and bending. I saw them coming to the sideline, and I was trying to see the look in their eyes. I’ve seen teams I’ve been a part of in the 14th week of the season where in that kind of situation, the look wasn’t good. It was a tired, beaten-up look. And that wasn’t the look on the sideline Sunday.”
The Dolphins beat the 49ers 14-9, making one final stand at the Miami 21-yard line in the final 90 seconds.
There was no way they were going to get in the end zone,” safety Yeremiah Bell said.
While there’s no question the defense is much improved, it has faced few potent offenses. The no-TD streak has come against teams ranked in the bottom third in the league in yards, and the Dolphins will encounter another sputtering team Sunday in the Chiefs (2-12).
Cold weather has been a challenge for the Dolphins even in the best of years, and the forecast for Sunday in Kansas City is a high of 28 degrees. But Sparano’s surprising Dolphins are 4-2 on the road, and he projects they’ll handle chilly conditions well.
“The type of game we play suits the elements,” he said. “It’s not like were playing fast-break football. We’re not a run-and-shoot team. We’re not trying to spread it out and throw it all over the place.”
Instead, Miami relies on a ball-control, mistake-free offense that has nicely complemented the defense. The Dolphins won Sunday in part because they committed no turnovers, and with only 10 all season, they remain on pace to break the NFL record of 14 set by the 1990 New York Giants.
While the offense has undergone a radical personnel makeover, eight defensive starters were with the Dolphins last year. But the new regime led by Bill Parcells changed the scheme, reinforced the line and shuffled the secondary.
g only 5 1/2 in 2007. Matt Roth has thrived since switching from end to outside linebacker. Bell, answering doubts about his durability, has been Miami’s leading tackler much of the season. And with the additions of Jason Ferguson and rookies Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling up front, run defense is much improved.
“It’s the team concept – everybody is making plays,” Ayodele said. “Everybody.”
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