Zach Thomas

Zach Thomas, who sat out the Miami Dolphins' opener because of a broken leg, will be back at his middle linebacker position today against the Tennessee Oilers. "I hated watching last week's game from the sideline," Thomas said. "I'm just glad to be back. It was killing me." Thomas hasn't played since breaking his left fibula in an exhibition game Aug. 4.

As the New York Jets prepare to take another step toward securing a spot in the playoffs, the spotlight remains on one of their assistant coaches who put his worst foot forward. Sal Alosi, the Jets strength and conditioning coach, was suspended for the rest of the season and fined $25,000 by the team for using his knee to intentionally trip a Miami Dolphins player running out of bounds on the sideline on a punt. The lingering question: Was it simply a rogue act, or did the Jets deliberately form a human wall along the boundary to crowd the Dolphins' outside coverage man?

Miami Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas will sit out his fourth consecutive game Sunday because of an ankle injury. The Dolphins put Thomas on the inactive list, meaning he will not play against the New York Jets. He said the injury also threatens his availability next week at Indianapolis. "I'm not playing this week, and I don't know about next week, either," Thomas said. "It's frustrating because I have a lot of stuff wrong down there.

2007 predicted order of finish . . . . * 1. New England: The rich get richer, and the Patriots just seem to get better every season. The addition of receivers Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth gives Tom Brady two of the fastest receivers in football -- although Moss has been hampered by a hamstring injury -- and Wes Welker is an outstanding third option.

Miami Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas, the team's leading tackler the last four seasons, will be sidelined a third consecutive game because of a sprained right ankle. Thomas initially suffered the injury Sept. 24 against the New England Patriots, but didn't sit out until aggravating the injury against the New York Jets on Oct. 24. He hasn't played since. His backup, Larry Izzo, is questionable because of a pinched nerve.

The Miami Dolphins, establishing themselves as the most boring team in football, have also jumped out to 3-0 in a year when Miami will play host to Super Bowl XXXIII. "We can't get excited about being 3-0," Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas said. "Shoot, we were 3-0 my rookie year [1996]. I thought we were going to be 16-0, but we finished 8-8."

Instant replay has gained yet another champion. Miami Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas was on the field during the Buffalo Bills' final two furious drives Saturday. He couldn't see if the Bills' Andre Reed scored on the controversial play that resulted in the receiver's ejection. But Thomas saw enough to know that he wouldn't want his own team's fate to rest solely in the hands of the officials on the field. "I think we should get replay back," Thomas said.

Their home is in the Panhandle about a three-hour drive to the northeast in an unincorporated area outside Pampa, the big city, and White Deer, a plot of land so isolated that as kids they would play in the snow in their underwear without fear of being seen by neighbors. So remote that, as Spike Dykes, their football coach at Texas Tech, says, "You gotta be wantin' to go there to get there." So Lubbock is a huge metropolis to the Thomas brothers. No wonder.

2007 predicted order of finish . . . . * 1. New England: The rich get richer, and the Patriots just seem to get better every season. The addition of receivers Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth gives Tom Brady two of the fastest receivers in football -- although Moss has been hampered by a hamstring injury -- and Wes Welker is an outstanding third option.

Zach Thomas is too short, too slow and didn't deserve to go to one Pro Bowl, let alone four. Miami choked last season, and so did he. The Dolphin middle linebacker has heard it all. From his mom. "She's always sent me news clips ever since college and it's always negative clips," said Thomas, a fifth-round pick who has led the Dolphins in tackles six times in seven seasons. "When I'm in a hotel room opening up mail from my mom and reading that, that's my mom, man. She knows what makes me click."

Zach Thomas is too short, too slow and didn't deserve to go to one Pro Bowl, let alone four. Miami choked last season, and so did he. The Dolphin middle linebacker has heard it all. From his mom. "She's always sent me news clips ever since college and it's always negative clips," said Thomas, a fifth-round pick who has led the Dolphins in tackles six times in seven seasons. "When I'm in a hotel room opening up mail from my mom and reading that, that's my mom, man. She knows what makes me click."

Miami Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas will sit out his fourth consecutive game Sunday because of an ankle injury. The Dolphins put Thomas on the inactive list, meaning he will not play against the New York Jets. He said the injury also threatens his availability next week at Indianapolis. "I'm not playing this week, and I don't know about next week, either," Thomas said. "It's frustrating because I have a lot of stuff wrong down there.

Miami Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas, the team's leading tackler the last four seasons, will be sidelined a third consecutive game because of a sprained right ankle. Thomas initially suffered the injury Sept. 24 against the New England Patriots, but didn't sit out until aggravating the injury against the New York Jets on Oct. 24. He hasn't played since. His backup, Larry Izzo, is questionable because of a pinched nerve.

Instant replay has gained yet another champion. Miami Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas was on the field during the Buffalo Bills' final two furious drives Saturday. He couldn't see if the Bills' Andre Reed scored on the controversial play that resulted in the receiver's ejection. But Thomas saw enough to know that he wouldn't want his own team's fate to rest solely in the hands of the officials on the field. "I think we should get replay back," Thomas said.

The Miami Dolphins, establishing themselves as the most boring team in football, have also jumped out to 3-0 in a year when Miami will play host to Super Bowl XXXIII. "We can't get excited about being 3-0," Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas said. "Shoot, we were 3-0 my rookie year [1996]. I thought we were going to be 16-0, but we finished 8-8."

Zach Thomas, who sat out the Miami Dolphins' opener because of a broken leg, will be back at his middle linebacker position today against the Tennessee Oilers. "I hated watching last week's game from the sideline," Thomas said. "I'm just glad to be back. It was killing me." Thomas hasn't played since breaking his left fibula in an exhibition game Aug. 4.

As the New York Jets prepare to take another step toward securing a spot in the playoffs, the spotlight remains on one of their assistant coaches who put his worst foot forward. Sal Alosi, the Jets strength and conditioning coach, was suspended for the rest of the season and fined $25,000 by the team for using his knee to intentionally trip a Miami Dolphins player running out of bounds on the sideline on a punt. The lingering question: Was it simply a rogue act, or did the Jets deliberately form a human wall along the boundary to crowd the Dolphins' outside coverage man?

LONDON -- Sure, a 26-foot animatronic statue of Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor stood next to Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square on Monday, but for pertinence it probably should've been William "The Refrigerator" Perry. And yes, it's impressive that changing trains at Waterloo means running across advertising placards of Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey, but maybe they should've gone with Tom Brady and, really, Dan Marino.

Their home is in the Panhandle about a three-hour drive to the northeast in an unincorporated area outside Pampa, the big city, and White Deer, a plot of land so isolated that as kids they would play in the snow in their underwear without fear of being seen by neighbors. So remote that, as Spike Dykes, their football coach at Texas Tech, says, "You gotta be wantin' to go there to get there." So Lubbock is a huge metropolis to the Thomas brothers. No wonder.