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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
MIAMI (AP) -- When the Miami Dolphins play, no lead is safe.
In a sequel to the worst collapse in franchise history, the
Dolphins staged a comeback of their own Sunday, erasing a 17-point
deficit Sunday to beat the Green Bay Packers 28-20.
|  | | Trace Armstrong forces a fumble with this sack of Brett Favre in the fourth quarter. |
Larry Izzo ran 39 yards with a fake punt to set up a touchdown,
Jeff Ogden scored on an 81-yard punt return, and the Dolphins'
defense stiffened after a shaky start.
"It's a 60-minute game," defensive end Jason Taylor said.
"Everyone in Miami understands that now."
The Dolphins started where they left off Monday, when they blew
a 23-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 40-37 in overtime to the
New York Jets. But after the Packers scored on their first three
possessions for a 17-0 lead, the Dolphins answered with four
consecutive touchdowns in a span of 13:06.
Miami celebrated the victory in the locker room by singing, "We
are the Dolphins, the mighty, mighty Dolphins."
"We could have really been down in the dumps if we had lost
this one," said quarterback Jay Fiedler, who played despite sore
ribs that required a hospital visit Sunday morning. "It's a big
momentum swing for us going into the second half of the season."
Miami (6-2) moved into a three-way tie with the Jets and
Indianapolis Colts atop the AFC East. The toughest part of Miami's
schedule is still to come, with four of the next five games on the
road.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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Contrary to the Dolphins' Monday night game, this game featured a
Miami comeback.
The Dolphins looked sluggish early in the game, which might have been the
result of their collapse Monday night. Meanwhile, Brett Favre started this game
extremely hot for the Packers, completing his first 10 passes.
Two big plays for Miami came on special teams. One was a fake punt that
became a 39-yard gain. The other was an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown.
The Packers were hurt by the loss of Dorsey Levens (bruised knee). His
absence was felt by the Packers' offense.
The Packers have dug themselves a hole in the NFC Central. It will be
difficult for them to get back into the playoff race this season.
That unbelievable Monday night loss to the Jets could have been devastating
for the Dolphins, but Dave Wannstedt did a good job keeping them focused
after falling behind in this game.
Miami is a quality team, and quality teams find a way to overcome adversity.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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The Packers (3-5) missed a chance to gain ground on NFC Central
leader Minnesota. The teams meet in Green Bay next Monday night.
"I just hope guys don't give up," quarterback Brett Favre
said. "It's not over. It's a little deeper, but it's not over."
Miami players praised first-year coach Dave Wannstedt for not
reacting harshly to the loss against the Jets. He eased up in
practice last week and rewarded them for Sunday's victory by giving
them the next two days off.
"It's a great, great comeback from a character standpoint,"
said Wannstedt, who improved to 2-11 against Green Bay. His first
12 games against the Packers were as coach of the Chicago Bears.
Special teams played a pivotal role in the rally. Izzo, a
228-pound reserve linebacker, took a short snap from punt formation
on fourth-and-2 and ran to the Packers 14 before fumbling. Teammate
Robert Jones recovered.
"It didn't take much to run through the huge hole that was
there," Izzo said. "I'm just glad Robert Jones bailed me out."
A penalty pushed the Dolphins back to the 31, but they scored
three plays later on Lamar Smith's 4-yard run for a 21-17 lead.
Miami then forced a punt, and Ogden returned it untouched for
his first NFL touchdown. The third-year pro split two defenders,
cut to his right and ran down the sideline for the score.
"The Dolphins learned last week that they have to play two
halves of football," Packers safety Leroy Butler said. "We may
have learned the same thing this week."
The Packers closed to 28-20 on Ryan Longwell's second field
goal, a 48-yarder with 10:50 left. But Miami's defense, which
allowed 30 fourth-quarter points in the loss to the Jets, this time
forced turnovers on the final two possessions.
Green Bay reached the Miami 47 before Favre's tipped pass was
intercepted by Brock Marion. The Packers' last threat ended at
their 39 when Trace Armstrong sacked Favre, forcing a fumble that Kenny Mixon recovered.
"That's the type of defense we expect to play around here,"
Wannstedt said.
Fiedler threw for one touchdown and ran for one. He woke up at
4:30 a.m. Sunday with throbbing ribs, which he bruised in the Jets
game, and was cleared to play only after a trip to the hospital for
X-rays, which were negative.
"With the way my ribs felt, I wanted to make sure there wasn't
anything broken," Fiedler said. "I guess they just started to
spasm. The doctors and trainers did a good job getting me back out
there."
Favre went 21-for-34 for 194 yards. He connected with Antonio
Freeman only twice for 10 yards and had at least three passes
dropped.
"Maybe some of our younger guys thought when we were up 17-0
that it was in the bag," Favre said. "This is the NFL. Anything
can happen. Miami can attest to that."
Game notes
Injury-plagued running back Dorsey Levens scored both Green
Bay touchdowns but sat out the second half after bruising his right
knee. He'll be examined Monday. ... With Fiedler hurting and backup
Damon Huard weakened by the flu, Wannstedt thought he might have to
start third-string quarterback Mike Quinn. ... The Dolphins'
biggest comeback was from a 24-0 deficit against New England in
1974. Miami won 34-27. ... Ogden's punt return for a touchdown was
the first for the Dolphins since O.J. McDuffie had a 72-yarder
against Pittsburgh on Dec. 13, 1993. ... The Packers' punt coverage
team came into the game ranked as the NFL's best, allowing an
average of 4.6 yards per return. ... The Packers fell to 0-6 in
Miami.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Green Bay Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
Dolphins linebacker Thomas out for Packers game
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jay Fiedler discusses the importance of Miami's win against Green Bay on Sunday.
wav: 133 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jeff Ogden may not be well-known, but his 81-yard punt return helped the Dolphins win.
wav: 146 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Dave Wannstedt is excited that the Dolphins were able to get a comeback win of their own
wav: 205 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
After a 39-yard run on a fake punt, Miami's Larry Izzo has his eye on the record books.
wav: 127 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Oronde Gadsden comments on the two big plays by the Dolphins' special teams.
wav: 111 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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