PBP:Fiedler rescues Dolphins

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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/auto/epaper/editions/monday/sports_f31c3a9676fe421110e1.html

Fiedler rescues Dolphins

By Joe Schad, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, November 24, 2003

Jay Fiedler was hobbling out of Pro Player Stadium, with massive ice packs on his sprained left knee and a balanced perspective after a remarkable victory.

Never has a player who wins so much been booed so often. And never has Fiedler displayed, in such clear fashion, that he is a winner.

Led by Fiedler, who hadn't played in more than a month, the Dolphins overcame a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Redskins 24-23 before 73,578 crazed fans at Pro Player Stadium on Sunday night.

When Fiedler entered the game for struggling Brian Griese with 41 seconds left in the third quarter, fans let out a chorus of desperate cheers.

Cheering Fiedler? Yes, around here, that's desperation.

"You'd like to get that while you're playing, not while you're sitting," Fiedler said. "It didn't bother me that much when fans were booing me so it's not going to pump me up too much right now. In the NFL, you're judged on a week-to-week basis."

Until at least Thursday's game at Dallas, Miami can give thanks it has Fiedler.

"This seemed destined," tackle Todd Wade said.

Destiny came in the form of a 71-yard drive capped by a leaping 1-yard touchdown run by Ricky Williams on fourth down. Destiny came in the form of Fiedler leading a 69-yard drive capped by a 24-yard run by Williams with 4:19 left.

On the second touchdown, Williams burst through a gaping hole carved by fullback Rob Konrad. "A lead play," Fiedler said. "They weren't ready and we hit the crease."

With Miami trailing 23-10, Fiedler rejoined his huddle.

"We're going to go out and win this game," he said.

It was the largest fourth-quarter deficit Miami has overcome in 23 years.

Miami safety Brock Marion appeared to seal the game with an amazing interception of Tim Hasselbeck on third-and-13 with less than four minutes to play.

After the Dolphins (7-4) failed to get a first down, James McKnight recovered a muffed punt by Patrick Johnson to end the Redskins' hopes.

The Dolphins beat Washington coach Steve Spurrier, whose team opened a startling lead despite losing quarterback Patrick Ramsey in the first quarter. This was Spurrier's first visit to Miami since his last game at the University of Florida, an Orange Bowl rout.

Hasselbeck entered the game in the first quarter after Jason Taylor and Jay Williams snapped Ramsey in half, Taylor stepping on Ramsey's left ankle as he slammed his head into the grass.

The Redskins (4-7) scored on four consecutive drives, with two John Hall field goals and touchdown drives of 61 and 80 yards.

On one touchdown, Hasselbeck threw a perfect pass to Laveranues Coles, who beat Patrick Surtain on a deep post for 37 yards. Then Chad Morton's 27-yard draw and Hasselbeck's 11-yard scramble keyed a drive that took more than six minutes and was capped by a 2-yard run by Trung Canidate for a 20-7 lead.

"Not how we would have scripted it," coach Dave Wannstedt said.

Miami quarterback Brian Griese struggled in his fifth start, throwing two interceptions and completing only one long pass, an 80-yarder to James McKnight on the third play of the game. When Griese checked out, he walked over to Fiedler.

"Go get it," Griese said.

One of Griese's interceptions was tipped by linebacker LaVar Arrington and one was an underthrow of Chris Chambers.

Enter Fiedler. On his first pass, Chambers made a splendid one-handed grab on which he spun away for 31 yards. On third-and-15 from the Washington 19, Ifeanyi Ohalete was called for pass interference on Randy McMichael in the end zone.

The drive was capped when Williams, after failing on two carries from the 1 behind a makeshift offensive line, catapulted into the end zone on fourth down with Miami's season on the line.

The final statistics for Fiedler were not all that impressive: 5-of-10 for 59 yards. But his heroics prevented panic that would have ensued with a 6-5 start. Miami hadn't started with that mark since 1996, when it finished 8-8 and failed to make the playoffs.

As Wannstedt ran onto the field, he was feverishly patted on the back by offensive line coach Tony Wise. The look on his face was one of pure relief.

"To find a way to win that game will do wonders for our team psychologically," Wannstedt said. "In the fourth quarter, the pressure was really on. And it was real encouraging to see them respond that way."