Porter: "We Haven't Laid Down for Anybody"

He must have forgotten the first two games

By JANIE CAMPBELL

Updated 12:45 PM EST, Tue, Nov 3, 2009

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The afterglow from a J-E-T-S S-W-E-E-P is wearing off now, and the Dolphins are turning toward New England and a new challenge: Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Rookie Mark Sanchez, Brady isn't. It's going to be tough.

Fortunately, that's one thing you can say about these Dolphins, and you've gotta like where their heads are at -- according to Joey Porter:

"Sometimes a record doesn't show how good a team is, and we really don't believe we're a 3-4 team...No matter how many bad breaks we had, no matter how many games we lost that we felt like we should have won, we're better than 3-4. Those all sound like excuses when you say it, but...we've learned it doesn't matter what anyone says about us.

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That's just how we feel. We believe, and that's all that matters. We fight every game. No matter the opponent, they'll tell you we're tough. We haven't laid down for anybody. Even though we've lost some games there's not one time you'll turn off the television and say: 'The Dolphins laid down today.'

These types of struggles can break a lot of teams. Some people can't handle the stuff we've gone through individually, and as a team. You've got to be mentally tough, and I feel like we are. We do some things a lot of teams can't do. Nobody is as physical as we are, and we take pride in that. No matter the setback, no matter how we get knocked down we show up to work the next day and get back on our horses."

For as much as that sounds like the usual Peezian bluster, he's right, in a way. They are a 3-4 team, but, early season losses to Atlanta and San Diego aside, the Dolphins have responded. It hasn't always worked out, in the case against Indiana or New Orleans, but the team hasn't quit. The players haven't quit. Ted Ginn didn't quit. Lord knows we wanted him to.

Certainly, there's no reward for almost beating an undefeated team. No points for almost nicking Peyton Manning. And there'll be no boost in falling just short in New England. Seasons aren't judged on intangibles. But with these Dolphins, mental and physical toughness in spite of rebuilding -- in spite of losing their starting quarterback -- in spite of losing Will Allen -- in spite of starting 3 rookies in the secondary -- in spite of having no consistent receiver -- is pretty much all you can ask for at this point.

Sunday we'll find out whether it's enough to carry them past a team that, on paper, they have no business beating.

Janie Campbell hopes Sunday'll be more than words, and Tom Brady cries before its over. Her work has appeared in irreverent sports sites around the Internet.