I know I'm late to the party, but I thought I would let all the speculation fly around a bit before I addressed the issue of Randy Moss possibly joining the Dolphins. What do we know so far? Let's catch up on what has been a circus of reports.

The Dolphins accompanied the Seattle Seahawks as the first two teams to show initial interest in Moss' services, but since then many other teams have been thrown around as potential suitors-many of which are ahead of the Dolphins on the waiver wire. The Dolphins sit at 18th on the waiver wire, but teams like the Chargers, Rams, Seahawks, and Bears all hold superiority if they want to put in a claim. If the 17 teams ahead of Miami feel like Moss is too big of a headache and not worth the risk, all indications are pointing to Randy Moss joining Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess in what would be a suddenly stacked receiving core.

Although I still think it's unlikely Moss falls past all 17 of those teams, we won't know those other teams' intentions until 4 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. So it's really pointless to sit here and go through each team and decide what the chances are Moss falls all the way to the Dolphins. We can ask the question should the Dolphins put in a claim, though.

If football was purely X's and O's and we didn't have to factor in things like effort and character into the equation, the Dolphins should obviously try to land Moss. It just makes too much sense on the field. When evaluating this offense right now, they are still struggling to make big plays and have been a complete disaster in the red zone the last three weeks.

Yes, Brandon Marshall has opened things up for Henne and the passing game, but defenses are limiting the impact he can have on games by shading a safety his way all game. This does open things up for players like Davone Bess and Brian Hartline, but neither one has the ability to stretch the field.

Randy Moss is arguably the best deep threat this league has ever seen. Sure, he isn't the same player he used to be, but no sane defensive coordinator would even think about single covering him. If they do, they are just asking to give up the home run.

Defenses are getting away with single covering Brian Hartline, which frees up the safety to shade Marshall's direction. With Moss in the lineup, though, you would either have to pick your poison or play cover two all game long. In cover two, DavoneBess would have his way underneath and without the strong safety being able to sneak into the box to stop the ground game, Ronnie and Ricky would see more room to run than they have had in their entire career.

Of course, it's never that easy with Randy, though. How would you react if you saw a Dolphins' player completely give up on a would be touchdown like Moss did last week, or go on a post game rant and brown nose a team and coach that had just beaten him? Not exactly the type of character you want in your locker room.

But then again, it's not like the Dolphins would be risking a whole lot. They wouldn't be forfeiting a draft pick, just adding a little under $4 million to Stephen Ross' tab in a uncapped season. And if you could see Randy Moss shutting up and producing at the level he had in New England for three years, it would probably be under a coach like Tony Sparano.

Sparano shares the same no-nonsense approach that Bill Belichick does. Belichick was able to tame Moss for three full seasons before it all fell apart, during which Moss contributed 50 touchdowns.

That obviously brings us back to square one and the Dolphins' inability to punch it in for six. Moss appears to be just what the doctor ordered for an offense that has struggled so severely in the red zone. That's why if I'm Jeff Ireland, I am sending in a claim for Moss right about now. All we can do right now, though, is sit back and let the waiver wire take it's course. Tomorrow should be an interesting day.

I apologize for not getting up my initial reaction to the big win last night. I was actually at Paul Brown Stadium yesterday and didn't get back home until late.

Anyway, this Dolphins team continues to show the resiliency of a champion. Some teams fold when hit with the adversity that comes with suffering the type of deflating loss the Dolphins did a week ago. But not this group of men.

They once again went into a hostile environment, against a desperate team, with their season flirting with being on the line, and came out with another tough road victory. Teams that know how to win on the road, are poised for deep playoff runs in January. Of course, this Dolphins team better learn how to win in South Florida too, or they probably won't make the postseason.

But for the time being, they are very much still alive, and with that win yesterday, they avoided falling out of the AFC conversation. And after seeing teams like the Jets, Titans, and Steelers lose this week, these Dolphins are now positioned to make a strong playoff push in these next two games against serious wildcard contenders (Ravens and Titans).

We have all week to talk about the next two critical games, though, lets savor what was a very fullfilling win in Cincinnati.

The Dolphins were far from perfect yesterday. In fact, they beat themselves far too often. The gift that was the Chris Clemons dropped interception that resulted in a fluke Terrell Owens touchdown immediately comes to mind. But the muffed punt by Bess, dropped passes by Hartline and Fasano, and the offense settling for FIVE FIELD GOALS yet again, could have easily cost the Dolphins against a better team.

In what is becoming the theme of the season, though, when this team needed a stop, this defense made another key stand. Sean Smith's game-sealing pick with just over two minutes remaining, put the exclamation point on a dominate second-half defensive effort.

After looking like Swiss cheese on the opening drive of the game, the defense completely shut down the Bengals' offense outside of that one lucky T.O. touchdown. The run defense was guilty of over-pursing a little bit in that first-half, but made the necessary adjustments at half-time to make the Bengals one-dimensional in the second, and overall, held Cedric Benson to only 3.4 yards per carry.

The changing moment of the game just might have been Sean Smith replacing Jason Allen as the starting corner opposite Vontae Davis. Allen was victimized pretty heavily on that first drive, and it could have been a lot worse if Owens would have caught that deep ball that hit him in the hands.

Outside of the obvious game-winning interception, Sean Smith had sound coverage all afternoon and really didn't allow T.O. to do much. Let's remember Owens' second touchdown came against Chris Clemons.

On the other side, Vontae Davis almost completely removed Ochocinco from the Bengals' offense. Chad caught two balls on the first drive of the game, both of which were tightly contested by Davis, and only managed one catch the rest of the day.

Yes, it was only one game, but it was also two of the most talented receivers in football. I'm willing to bank on Vontae Davis being the real deal, but obviously Sean Smith still has a lot to prove. If yesterday was a sign of things to come from this corner tandem, though, this defense is capable of great things.

The run defense has really stepped up these past two weeks, and if they can just set the edge consistently while avoiding over-pursuit, they should be able to go toe-to-toe with just about any running game this league has to offer. That means consistent play from the secondary would be the only thing standing in the way of this defense emerging as a complete unit. Still a big IF, but at least we now know it's possible.

Offensively, the Dolphins still have a long way to go. You can't settle for field goals in this league and be a great offense. It's just completely unacceptable to falter in the redzone ten times in two weeks. Yes, Dan Henning's play-calling has been a issue, but I do commend Sparano for not going for some of those fourth downs out of frustration.

Still though, it's calls like the run on 3rd and 6 inside the redzone that may be holding this offense back. But you can't blame it all on Henning, though. He made some gutsy calls towards the end of that game. The reverse play to Hartline set up the clinching touchdown, but the dropped pass by him on the flea flicker left the door open for the Bengals. That just shows it has as much to do with execution as the play calls themselves.

But the important thing is it's not too late to turn things around on the offensive side of the ball. The Dolphins are still very much in the thick of this heated playoff race, and if they can build off what we saw from the defense in the second-half and begin to exucute in the redzone offensively, this football team is going to play in some big games in the future.

Fab Five Fins

Sean Smith: What a time for this kid's first career interception. I expect him to start over Jason Allen next week and for the rest of the season.

Vontae Davis: Anytime you completely shutdown a talented receiver like Chad Ochocinco, you deserve to be named one of the top five players of the game.

Dan Carpenter: Yes, the redzone woes are troubling, but what a season Dan Carpenter is putting together. I may be a bit biased, but in a "what have you done for me lately" league, Dan Carpenter should be considered the NFL's best kicker right now.

Ricky Williams: When a offense is struggling to punch the ball in for six this much, the Dolphins' only touchdown needs to get some recognition.

Brandon Marshall: The numbers were far from impressive by Marshall's standards (5 rec. 64 yards), but sitting in the endzone it was clear how much he was opening up by drawing double coverage nearly all game. Lean Hall, who is widely considered to be one of the league's best corners, shadowed Marshall all day and had the luxury of safety help over the top. That was enough attention to open things up for Bess and Hartline to put together pretty productive days.

Complete box score

Dolphins passing attack: 235.0 pass ypg (13th)
Bengals passing attack: 270.8 pass ypg (6th)
Dolphins pass defense: 216.5 pass ypg (17th)
Bengals pass defense: 222.0 pass ypg (19th)

Dolphins passing stats
C. Henne: 130-206, 63.1%, 1,452 yards, 8 TD's, 6 INT's
B. Marshall: 42 rec. 524 yards, 1 TD
D. Bess: 32 rec. 348 yards, 3 TD's
B. Hartline: 20 rec. 234 yards, 1 TD

Bengals passing stats
C. Palmer: 151-244, 61.9%, 10 TD's, 6 INT's
T. Owens: 40 rec. 564 yards, 3 TD's
C. Ochocinco: 36 rec. 424 yards, 2 TD's
J. Shipley: 21 rec. 321 yards, 1 TD

Back on Tuesday, when we looked at how the these two teams matched up in the running game, it was quite clear, on paper at least, that the Dolphins have the advantage on both sides of the ball. The passing game is the strength of this Cincinnati team, though.

On offense they posses potentially the most lethal wide receiver duo in football with T.O. and Ochocinco, and on defense, many have praised Leon Hall and Johnathan Joesph as the best corner tandem in the entire league.

Needless to say, the Bengals' passing game is a big reason why I have a strong feeling they are much better than their 2-4 record suggest. That's why the Dolphins better get over their controversial loss to the Steelers in a hurry, because the Bengals are a playoff caliber team that is very capable of dropping the Dolphins below .500 for the first time of the season.

Bengals passing attack vs. Dolphins secondary
The Bengals' mediocre record is probably the main reason why Terrell Owens and Ochocinco's prolific season together isn't getting too much attention. When I see the numbers Owens is putting up, I can't help but wonder why nobody wanted to sign him in the offseason. Sure, he's old and doesn't exactly have a model character, but you can't tell me teams couldn't have used a good 1,500 receiving yards, which is what he's on pace for.

Based on the way Vontae Davis has played, we know not to worry too much about one side of the field, but it's the other side that has me nervous. Jason Allen has been hit and miss this season, and was badly burnt by Mike Wallace a week ago. Rumor is, Sean Smith will once again return to the starting lineup against the Bengals.

Despite not picking off a pass in his rookie season, I was a huge fan of how well Smith played last year. He made his rookie mistakes, but overall he showed some lockdown potential, and was actually thrown at far fewer times than Vontae Davis. If only Smith could make the same huge strides Davis has made in his second season, this Dolphins' secondary would be set for years to come and they could possibly challenge Mr. Hall and Joseph for that "best corner duo in the league" title.

But that is very optimistic. Davis and Smith are completely different players, and will develop at different speeds. But if Smith can come out, for this game at least, with a chip on his shoulder for getting benched for the first six games and attempt to cement his name in stone for that starting position opposite Davis, we should see a solid, inspired performance out of the kid.

Regardless of how well the corners play, they can always use a little help from the pass rush. Cameron Wake and Koa Misi haven't disappointed replacing Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, and they are only going to get better and better as the season goes on. Last week we saw the Dolphins pressure Big Ben frequently, but because Roethlisberger is just so good at hanging in the pocket and keeping the play alive it didn't result in a bunch of sacks and didn't help the secondary out much.

Carson Palmer doesn't have the same sort of mobility that Roethlisberger does, and he is battling a hip injury that forced him to sit out Thursday's practice to boot. I see the Dolphins' front seven having another big day, and possibly forcing a turnover or two from Palmer. That still probably won't be enough to stop the Bengals from moving the ball through the air, though.
Edge: Bengals

Dolphins passing attack vs. Bengals secondary
Like I said in the running game preview, Sunday will provide a golden opportunity to get back to running the football successfully. That doesn't mean Chad Henne can't have another big day. Yes, the Bengals have a very good corner tandem, but their third contributor, Adam Jones, is out for the season and Leon Hall did not practice Wednesday or Thursday with a hamstring injury and Johnathan Joseph has only practiced on a limited basis due to a hurt ankle.

Add corner Morgan Trent, safety Chinedum Ndukwe, and safety Roy Williams to the list of those who haven't practiced and the Bengals have a pretty banged up secondary. That obviously doesn't mean the Dolphins should get all pass happy, but it does mean this Bengals' pass defense must be tested early and often, regardless of most of these injured players play or not.

Look back to the Green Bay game. That's the type of balanced approach this offense should try to employ week in and week out. Against teams like the Steelers that's obviously impossible because they are so stout against the run. But against a team like the Bengals, there's no excuse because they aren't dominate against the run or pass.

Even if the Dolphins have consistent success on the ground, hopefully we see Dan Henning let Henne take some shots at the endzone once Miami moves the ball to the Cincinnati redzone. The Dolphins should have learned their lesson last week. You can't settle for field goals and win in this league. Yes, you have to take the points once you hit fourth down under most circumstances, but the redzone struggles is what is currently holding this Dolphins' offense back.

I would be willing to bet this offense ranks in the top ten by year's end in total offensive yardage. But unless they improve in the redzone and put more points on the board, all of that won't matter a whole lot, because it likely won't lead to any more wins. Besides giving Henne a true go-to threat, I was especially excited about this team's redzone potential once they acquired Brandon Marshall.

How many fade routes to the corner of the endzone have we seen thrown Marshall's way? There was that back shoulder throw that was slightly off the mark last week against the Steelers, but other that, it seems like the Dolphins have been using Marshall as more of a decoy than anything near the goal line. That needs to change in a hurry. Marshall is too big of target to only have one touchdown on the season.

One thing to be very optimistic about, though, is the lack of a Bengal pass rush. They have only registered six sacks collectively so far, which is fewer than Cameron Wake all by himself. When you add that to the fact the Dolphins' offensive line has been very effective in pass protection, Henne should have plenty of time to scan the field on Sunday.
Edge: Dolphins

Dolphins Special-Teams
Kicking
Dan Carpenter: 13-15 FG's, Long 53
Punting
Brandon Fields: 42.0 yard average, 12 IN20, Long 68, 2 punts blocked
Punt Return
Davone Bess: 7 returns, 13.0 yard average, Long 18
Kick Return
Patrick Cobbs: 10 returns, 20.9 yard average, Long 30
Nolan Carroll: 9 returns, 24.3 yard average, Long 37
Punt Coverage: 13 returns, 4.7 yard average, Long 19
Kick Coverage: 20 returns, 30.1 yard average, Long 103, 1 TD

Bengals Special-Teams
Kicking
Mike Nugent: 14-16 FG's, Long 54
Punting
Kevin Huber: 44.5 yard average, 11 IN20, Long 73
Punt Return
Quan Cosby: 9 returns, 6.0 yard average, Long 10
Adam Jones: 5 returns, 6.6 yard average, Long 27
Kick Return
Benard Scott: 13 returns, 20.2 yard average, Long  60
Adam Jones: 7 returns, 19.1 yard average, Long 29
Punt Coverage: 8 returns, 6.5 yard average, Long 20
Kick Coverage: 25 returns, 28.9 yard average, Long 97, 1 TD

After the Steelers fumbled the opening kickoff and the Dolphins conclusively recovered, it appeared the special-teams woes were officially in the rear view mirror. The Dolphins went on to cover several other kicks well, but conceded 37 and 48-yard returns to Pittsburgh's Emmanuel Sanders, who went on to be named AFC Special-teams player of the week.

Both returns set up Steeler scores, and both killed momentum the Dolphins were beginning to build. We've seen how well the kickoff unit can cover kicks, now it's just time to see it consistently. And by consistently I mean every single time.

On the bright side, we didn't see any blocked punts or kicks, and Dan Carpenter was once again ol' reliable, nailing all five of his field-goal attempts. Sure, we want to see more touchdowns, but it's comforting to know Carpenter is almost a guaranteed three points if the offense happens to sputter.

Against the Bengals this week, the Dolphins will actually be facing a unit that has been almost as bad covering kicks. Cincinnati is nearly allowing 30 yards per kick return themselves, and have also had one taken back to the house.

Dolphins' kick returner Nolan Carroll has showcased some potential returning kicks and has very nearly broken off a few big returns. Too bad he's banged up and has missed the whole week of practice, though, because this Bengals coverage unit may have been the first victim of a big Carroll return.

Patrick Cobbs will fill in admirably, though, but won't be much of a threat to take one the distance because of lack of breakaway speed. He will hit the whole hard and possibly set the Dolphins up with solid field position, however.

In my humble opinion, the Dolphins are a better team than the Bengals right now, and should be the favorite to come out with another close win on the road. That would change in a hurry, though, if the Dolphins happen to make another costly mistake in the kicking game.
Edge: Bengals

Dolphins running game: 107.0 rush ypg (16th)
Bengals running game: 100.2 rush ypg (19th)
Dolphins run defense: 100.8 rush ypg (12th)
Bengals run defense: 118.0 rush ypg (22nd)

Bengals leading rushers
C. Benson: 123 att. 476 yds. 3.9 ypc, 2 TD's
B. Scott: 18 att. 92 yds. 5.1 ypc

Dolphins leading rushers
Ronnie Brown: 76 att. 313 yds. 4.1 ypc, 1 TD
Ricky Williams: 67 att. 288 yds. 4.3 ypc

After watching the Heat's lackluster performance last night, maybe it's not time for the city to move on to basketball season just yet. Despite the blown opportunity last week and despite being in a stacked division and conference, the Dolphins have a golden opportunity in the next three weeks to stake a claim in the heated playoff race.

Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, it's all about how they respond emotionally after such a heart breaking loss to the Steelers. If they come out still hungover from last Sunday, the Bengals are a good enough team to expose them big time at home. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Cincinnati runs them off the field in a uninspired blowout. But then again, they could come out with a cheap on their shoulder after feeling slighted by the refs the week before.

This team is very young, with some new faces assuming critical leadership positions. We just don't know what to expect from them yet. But let's move on from the emotional part of the game and get back to X's and O's.

Bengals running game vs. Dolphins run defense
The run defense was phenomenal in that second half on Sunday. The Dolphins were getting to Mendenhall nearly the second Roethlisberger handed him the ball. Even more encouraging was how well Wake and Misi contained the edge, which appeared to be this defense's biggest weakness before this past Sunday.

If this front seven can dominate one of the best running game's in the business, there is an awful lot to be excited about defensively Dolphin fans. Many fans were probably so caught up in the controversial call, they really haven't given the front seven the credit they deserved for that performance. Of course, though, it can easily go under the radar when the secondary is surrendering big play after big play.

Nonetheless we should expect similar stoutness against the run this Sunday. The Bengals haven't been running the ball as well as they have the past couple seasons, and Cedric Benson is averaging a shade under four yards per carry. After what we saw this defense do against the Steelers, it's not acceptable to get gashed on the ground anymore.

We now know this front seven is capable of great things. Consistency is obviously the next step, though.

I think the biggest reason for improvement has been Channing Crowder's return. Say what you want about his mouth and play-making abilities, but the dude can fill run lanes. Also, despite Jared Odrick getting knocked out for the year, the Dolphins are starting to find the right mix for the front three.

Tony McDaniel has stepped in effectively at defensive end when the Dolphins move Randy Starks to nose tackle, and Paul Soliai has played like a starting caliber nose tackle when Starks lines up at end.
Edge: Dolphins

Dolphins running game vs. Bengals run defense
The Dolphins had to stray away from the approach they took against the Packers that yielded their best all-around offensive outing of the season. Dan Henning was able to strike up the right balance of the run and pass in that thrilling overtime victory in Lambeau. Against the Steelers, though, the Dolphins were forced to become one dimensional because you simply can't line up and run on that dominate Pittsburgh front seven. They moved the ball fairly effectively but faltered in the redzone in large part because of a lack of a running game.
Against the Bengals, though, there really is no excuse for not returning to that balanced approach. Of course, hopefully Dan Henning doesn't get too conservative either. Henne has been playing well and deserves his share of opportunities to move the football, but when this offense has been at it's best, they have been running the football successfully.

If Ronnie and Ricky can return to the form and consistently pick up a good four to five yards a pop on Sunday, things are going to be considerably more manageable for Henne and the passing game. The play-action pass will once again enter the equation, and this offense will have the potential to be near unstoppable if they can run the ball like they did last year with Henne playing as well as he has the last couple games.

That's still a pretty big "if" at the moment, though. And for this running game to get back on track the interior offensive line needs to get its act together in a hurry. That brings me to John Jerry. Forget about him? Yes, the promising rookie hasn't been on the field since Week 2, but if you can remember back that far, he was actually playing like the most consistent interior lineman the Dolphins had.

I'm not blaming the woes all on Jerry's replacement, but the drop off has been considerable since Pat McQuistan entered the lineup. Hopefully, that's about to change in a hurry, because according to some practice reports today Jerry was back working with the starters. The Dolphins may just be testing him out to see where he's at, and who knows how well he will even perform after missing so much time, but the ceiling is much higher for this running game with Jerry alongside Berger and Incognito.

Let's not forget that the Benglas are ranked in the bottom half of the league when it comes to stopping the run. Sounds like a great opportunity to get back to Dolphin football.
Edge: Dolphins