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Jake Long or Joe Thomas?

It's like deciding between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They're both elite. You can't go wrong with either pick.

But when you belong to ESPN.com's prestigious Power Rankings syndicate, you have to make tough choices.

In this week's left tackle poll, Thomas edged Long by one point. Long was listed first or second on each of the eight division bloggers' ballots. Three of them, including me, placed Long on top. Thomas received one third-place vote, but amassed five first-place votes to come out ahead.

The ballot I submitted:

1. Jake Long, Dolphins
2. Joe Thomas, Browns
3. Jordan Gross, Panthers
4. Michael Roos, Titans
5. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Jets
6. Ryan Clady, Broncos
7. Chad Clifton, Packers
8. Donald Penn, Buccaneers
9. Doug Free, Cowboys
10. Andrew Whitworth, Bengals

Choosing between Long and Thomas is splitting hairs. They've been selected for the Pro Bowl every season in the NFL and are the reigning first-team All-Pros. Thomas was the third overall draft pick in 2007, Long the top choice in 2008.

But I gave Long the edge because of the circumstances he has dealt with in Miami.

Thomas has benefited from playing alongside reliable and steady left guard Eric Steinbach all four years. Steinbach has started 62 of a possible 64 games. For the past two seasons, first-round pick Alex Mack has shined, going to a Pro Bowl last year.

Long has had no such luxuries. He has played next to five left guards in his three seasons: Justin Smiley, Andy Alleman, Nate Garner, Richie Incognito and Pat McQuistan.

The Dolphins have been just as dicey at center. They should have their fourth different opening day starter in four years after drafting Florida center Mike Pouncey. They've used five centers the past three seasons.

Long also played at an All-Pro level last season despite a shoulder injury that had some wondering if he should shut it down.

New England Patriots fans might be wondering why I didn't include Matt Light on my ballot. While he did go to the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year, Stats Inc. blamed him for 10 sacks for 78 yards in losses and four penalties -- all more than his previous two seasons combined.

There's a commonly held belief the Miami Dolphins boast one of the NFL's best offensive lines.

They have one of the game's best left tackles in Jake Long. Right tackle Vernon Carey is effective.

But all the clutter between those bookends makes me wonder how the Dolphins can be considered elite. In the three years since Bill Parcells assumed control of football operations and hired offensive-line coach Tony Sparano to run the show, the Dolphins have turned over their interior with alarming frequency.

The Dolphins on Thursday released center Jake Grove. The Dolphins identified him as a critical upgrade last year and signed him to a four-year, $29 million contract.

Now Grove is gone, just like their big free-agent signing from 2008, left guard Justin Smiley. The Dolphins signed Smiley for five years and $25 million. He lasted two seasons.

They'll use their third center over the past three opening days and have constantly changed guards.

No other unit in football depends on chemistry as much as an offensive line, but the Dolphins have been malcontents with their centers and guards.

Let's take a look at O-line personnel the Dolphins have rototilled since Parcells, Sparano and general manager Jeff Ireland came aboard with emphasis on starters.

Assistant coach

Hired offensive line coach Mike Maser in January 2008, fired him in January 2009.

Hired offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo in January 2009.

Left guard

Smiley started 12 games in 2008, 12 games in 2009 (released).

Andy Alleman started five games, including postseason, in 2008 (traded).

Nate Garner started four games in 2009 (injured reserve).

Richie Incognito projected 2010 starter.

Center

Samson Satele started 16 games in 2008 (traded).

Al Johnson was 2008 backup (released).

Grove started 10 games in 2009 (released).

Joe Berger started six games in 2009, projected 2010 starter.

Right guard

Donald Thomas opened 2008 season with job, started 12 games in 2009 (released).

Ikechuku Ndukwe started 15 games in 2008 (traded).

Garner started four games in 2009 (injured reserve).

John Jerry projected 2010 starter.

Others

Guard Shawn Murphy, 2008 fourth-round draft pick deactivated all 22 games (released).

Center/guard Steve McKinney played zero games in 2008 (released).

Guard Evan Mathis played seven games in 2008 (released).

Guard Matt McChesney played one game in 2008 (injured reserve/released).

Guard Andrew Hartline played two games in 2009 (released, practice squad).

Guard Cory Procter signed, released last week and re-signed Thursday.

Tackle/guard Pat McQuistan acquired last week in a trade.

From the moment Bill Parcells took over the Miami Dolphins and began drawing up plans for his offensive line, the interior three blockers have been a volatile mix.

The Dolphins are entering their third season under Parcells and head coach Tony Sparano, whose professional foundation was built on the offensive line.

In a short time, the Dolphins are on their second O-line assistant coach, perhaps their third different starting center (Samson Satele to Jake Grove to Joe Berger) and maybe their sixth and seventh different starting guards.

Miami's interior line became even more unstable in the past few days.

Nate Garner, who started four games at left guard and four games at right guard last year, underwent foot surgery that reportedly will sideline him at least eight weeks. He had surgery on the same foot over the offseason.

Third-round draft choice John Jerry, the starter at right guard in Saturday night's preseason opener, also is hurt. He suffered a knee injury at the end of Monday's practice and was unable to participate Tuesday.

Richie Incognito and Donald Thomas are battling for the left guard spot, although Thomas can be switched to the right side if Jerry's injury becomes an issue. Thomas has started at right guard the past two opening days, but he's injury-prone. Cory Procter practiced at right guard Tuesday.

Thankfully for Miami fans, Jake Long and Vernon Carey comprise one of the NFL's best tackle sets.

Can the AFC East send three clubs to the playoffs?

Sure seems possible to me. The past two years have produced different division champs and a third team that reached the AFC Championship Game last season.

The journey will start in a matter of days. The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots blow the air horn on Thursday. The Miami Dolphins start Friday afternoon. The New York Jets open their "Hard Knocks" camp Monday morning.

All four teams have loose ends to tie up before camp. None has signed its first-round draft choice. Patriots left guard Logan Mankins remains unsigned and unhappy.

FOUR BIG QUESTIONS

Buffalo Bills: Who will be the quarterback?

New head coach Chan Gailey has stressed there will be an open quarterback competition, but the first depth chart will be known when the Bills begin camp. The campaign would get off to a fascinating start if anybody other than Trent Edwards takes the initial first-team reps. Ryan Fitzpatrick finished last year as the starter, but offers the least amount of upside. He's a sixth-year journeyman backup. Brian Brohm, a 2008 Green Bay Packers second-round pick, provides the most intrigue, titillating Bills fans because he's the unknown quantity. The battle should be a slowly progressing storyline unlikely to be decided until preseason games have been played -- and maybe not until the week before the season opener.

Miami Dolphins: How quickly will receiver Brandon Marshall integrate into the offense?

The Dolphins' prized offseason acquisition missed voluntary workouts and minicamp because of hip surgery the Dolphins didn't anticipate when they traded for him in April. His absence delayed the Dolphins' ability to see how he could transform the offense, forcing any ideas to remain X's and O's on the dry-erase board until training camp. The injury also prevented quarterback Chad Henne from getting fully acquainted with Marshall, a player who can help expedite Henne's development. Henne must get used to Marshall's speed and route angles. How quickly they find their timing on intermediate and longer patterns such as deep outs and posts against a defense will be important to making sure they're totally on the same page when the season starts.

New England Patriots: Will the Patriots show noticeable improvement on defense?

The old baseball adage claims championship teams are strong up the middle. The Patriots can say they're formidable in that regard. They have star nose tackle Vince Wilfork, inside linebacker Jerod Mayo and a solid group of safeties. But this ain't baseball. In football, especially with a 3-4 defense, teams need an outside presence. The Patriots are eager to see if they can improve their pass rush and be more consistent at cornerback. Those two areas depend on each other and contributed to the Patriots ranking 22nd in sacks per pass play last year. They'll have to sort through returning outside linebackers Tully Banta-Cain, Derrick Burgess, Rob Ninkovich and Shawn Crable and 53rd overall draft pick Jermaine Cunningham. At the all-important left cornerback spot, unproven sophomore Darius Butler will compete with first-round pick Devin McCourty.

New York Jets: Will quarterback Mark Sanchez take command in his second camp?

As a reckless rookie, Sanchez seemed hell-bent on squandering a team loaded in several key categories: No. 1 defense, No. 1 rushing attack, three Pro Bowlers on the offensive line. But late last season, Sanchez finally bought into what offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had been preaching and closed the season with a deep playoff run. Knee surgery limited Sanchez's first full NFL offseason, but he participated in minicamp. He'll have two talented receivers, Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, who weren't around at this time last year. How their chemistry develops over the next two months will be crucial.

HOTTEST SEATS

Bills: Demetrius Bell. It's odd to imagine a player drafted in the seventh round as a long-term project being on the hot seat going into just his third season. But Bell plays left tackle, and the Bills can't afford to fool around at such an important position. Bell didn't play a snap in 2008, yet emerged as last year's opening-night starter. He struggled before a knee injury ended his season prematurely. Bell was one of the NFL's most penalized players, and Gailey abhors pre-snap penalties. In eight games, Bell committed six false starts and allowed five sacks.

Dolphins: Will Allen. The 10-year veteran started last season as the club's top cornerback, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the sixth game. The Dolphins played out the year with a pair of rookies, Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, at cornerback. While they were frequently broiled by opposing receivers, they are the future and there's something to be said for trial by fire. Allen's contract might doom him. He's scheduled to make base salaries of $5.2 million this year and $5.5 million next year.

Patriots: Laurence Maroney. He has been a polarizing player since the Patriots drafted him 21st overall in 2006. He has looked like a stud running back at times, but not nearly often enough. Maroney's entering his fifth season but has started only 14 games, hasn't cracked 900 rushing yards in a season and fumbles too much.

Jets: Nick Folk. Coaches don't have much patience for an erratic kicker. The Jets parted ways with a good one, letting Jay Feely leave via free agency. They signed Folk, a former Pro Bowler who was a disaster with the Dallas Cowboys last year. He was inconsistent in Jets voluntary workouts and minicamp, already drawing playful ridicule from coach Rex Ryan. If Folk continues to miss kicks, the Jets won't be laughing.

SECRET WEAPON

Patriots receiver Brandon Tate. When considering New England's top targets, the names Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Torry Holt and maybe Julian Edelman come to mind. Keep an eye out for Tate, a second-year pro with one reception. Tate still was recovering from knee surgery when the Patriots drafted him in the third round out of North Carolina. He made his debut in Week 7 and suffered another knee injury in Week 9. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has spoken highly of Tate during the offseason.

CHANGING OF THE GUARDS

The Bills boast one example of stability over the rest of the AFC East -- on the offensive line, no less.

The Bills enter training camp with the lone left guard in place. Second-year pro Andy Levitre returns as the starter, while each of the other three clubs have uncertainties to address. The Jets and Dolphins are letting players compete for their left guard openings, while the Patriots have a two-time Pro Bowler who has demanded a trade.

In Jets camp, second-round pick Vladimir Ducasse and sophomore Matt Slauson are battling for the vacancy created by the controversial release of nine-time Pro Bowler Alan Faneca.

The Dolphins traded Justin Smiley, their left guard the past two seasons. Nate Garner started eight games, including four on the left side while Smiley was hurt last season. Donald Thomas started 12 games at right guard. Richie Incognito started at right guard for the St. Louis Rams and Bills. The Dolphins drafted guard John Jerry in the third round.

Mankins isn't expected to be at Patriots camp when it begins. He's an unsigned restricted free agent and last month went public with his desire to be traded. Right tackle Nick Kaczur has been working in Mankins' spot.

One of the most interesting position battles of training camp will be at guard for the Miami Dolphins.

Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson examines the upcoming competition for ESPN Insider. He writes "Miami has a chance to have the best offensive line in the league."

The Dolphins made some bold moves at guard over the offseason, signing the notorious Richie Incognito and trading Justin Smiley, who they signed minutes into the start of free agency just two years ago.

Incognito, Donald Thomas, Nate Garner, Joe Berger -- all of whom started games somewhere last year -- and third-round pick John Jerry are in the mix.

Garner started at both left and right guard for the Dolphins. Thomas was the first-stringer for the first dozen games at right guard. Incognito started for the St. Louis Rams and Buffalo Bills. Berger's time came at center for Miami.

Williamson breaks down the pluses and minuses of each player in the run game, pass blocking, character and upside. In general, he likes what he sees lining up inside tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey.

Williamson writes:

I expect Miami to have an elite offensive line. The Dolphins routinely kept extra pass-blockers in for added protection last season. That trend should begin to change drastically, which should help the passing game. This is a young group collectively, and Miami should be set for years to come. It has clearly been a major priority of this regime to rebuild the front wall after it took over a hapless Dolphins' team several years ago.

In March 2008, the new Miami Dolphins administration made Justin Smiley their first big free-agent acquisition, waiting one whole minute after the market opened at midnight to sign the San Francisco 49ers guard to a five-year, $25 million contract.

Two years later, Smiley reportedly is no longer welcome.

Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post, citing an unnamed source close to the team, reports the Dolphins told Smiley on Saturday he wasn't welcome at the training facility for offseason workouts because they're trying to trade him.

The Dolphins signed free-agent guard Richie Incognito last week. The belief at the time was that Incognito would compete for the right guard opening with Donald Thomas, who lost his job in Week 14 to Nate Garner.

Both guard spots apparently are up for grabs. Smiley was the Dolphins' best guard when healthy, but he missed four games in 2008 and one game (plus four starts) last year because of leg and shoulder injuries.

There's no questioning the Miami Dolphins have added some nastiness to their offensive line with Wednesday's signing of guard Richie Incognito.

They've also injected a healthy dose of confusion into the locker room.

Three Dolphins players I've spoken with since the team signed Incognito to a one-year contract expressed intrigue over the move. In general, they like his ability and versatility. But the players claim Incognito's arrival undercuts what football operations boss Bill Parcells and head coach Tony Sparano have preached about character since they took over the team.

"I think he'll make our line better," one Dolphins player said. "But I don't get it. What he represents goes against everything they've been telling us."

Not acting like a buffoon long has been a hallmark of a Parcells organization. Sparano doesn't put up with on-the-field shenanigans either. Players who can't control themselves are asked to turn in their playbooks.

Yet the Dolphins are introducing a player onto their roster whose career is infamously based on personal fouls, blowups and fines.

Incognito committed 11 personal fouls in less than four seasons with the St. Louis Rams. They waived him in December after a game in which he committed two personal fouls and got into a sideline confrontation with head coach Steve Spagnuolo.

The NFL fined Incognito $50,000 for his actions in that game. League disciplinarian Ray Anderson sent a letter to Incognito to inform him the next transgression could lead to a suspension.

Remember how Buffalo Bills linebacker Kawika Mitchell reacted via Twitter when they claimed Incognito off waivers in December?

"BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT THIS YR. THE GUYS A BUM. DIRTY AND ALWAYS WILL BE. REALLY WISH I WAS PLAYIN RITE NOW. SERIOUSLY... I KNO WE'RE N NEED OF OLINE BUT THIS GUY ..."

The reaction of Dolphins players I spoke with wasn't nearly that strong, but it was in the zip code.

The Dolphins have prided themselves on being a clean team. The Dolphins committed 68 accepted penalties for 640 yards last year. Only three teams had fewer accepted penalties and were assessed fewer penalty yards.

Incognito was whistled for 10 accepted penalties for 115 yards. His accumulated transgressions would be 18 percent of the Dolphins' entire team.

The Dolphins need help on their interior line. They've been on the lookout for depth at guard for two years.

Left guard Justin Smiley is a clear-cut starter when healthy, but he has missed 13 games over the past three seasons with leg and shoulder injuries. Right guard Donald Thomas has immense potential but lost his starting job to Nate Garner with the season on the line in Week 14, days before the Dolphins put in the waiver claim for Incognito but lost him to the Bills.

Incognito didn't ingratiate himself to the Bills in his short time with them. Their new front office declined to tender a qualifying offer, forfeiting their restricted free agency rights to him.

The Dolphins must believe they can keep Incognito in check.

Personnel men and coaches routinely are convinced, even though others failed previously, that they can fix a problem player. Parcells and Sparano have a better shot than most. Parcells has a track record, and Sparano's roots are as an O-line coach.

Incognito has been apologetic about his past misdeeds and has professed a desire to keep his emotions under control.

In the locker room, however, players are skeptical about the decision and wonder about the mixed message.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Falling

Donald Thomas, Dolphins right guard: He lost his starting job to Nate Garner in Week 14. A few days later, the Dolphins put in a waiver claim for right guard Richie Incognito but were trumped by the Buffalo Bills. On Wednesday, the Dolphins signed Incognito to a one-year deal. Incognito is versatile enough to play other spots, but his presence doesn't seem to bode well for Thomas.

Rising

LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets running back: The former face of the San Diego Chargers went from unemployed and coming off his worst season to landing in the backfield of the NFL's top rushing team. Tomlinson will line up behind an exceptional offensive line that has started the same quintet 37 games in a row and features Pro Bowlers at center, left guard and left tackle. It's a glorious opportunity for Tomlinson to show he still can be a force.

In examining how effectively every NFL offensive lineman pass blocks, ProFootballFocus.com analyst Khaled Elsayed didn't limit himself to the tackles.

On Wednesday, we took a gander at Elsayed's research on the ultimate pass-protectors. The AFC East featured three of 2009's best tackles in a metric called "pass blocking productivity" of every offensive lineman.

ProFootballFocus.com devised a formula that essentially takes the number of sacks and quarterback hits allowed plus pressures and divides them by the number of pass plays.

Elsayed also applied that equation to the interior linemen. AFC East grunts excelled there, too.

Buffalo Bills

Geoff Hangartner came in last at center, but he was flanked by rookie guards in 2009. ProFootballFocus.com had Hangartner down for three sacks, four QB hits and 17 pressures.

Those rookies, Andy Levitre and Eric Wood, graded well.

Levitre was in the middle of the left guard pack. He allowed two sacks, nine QB hits and 11 pressures. Wood was farther down the list among right guards. In 10 games he gave up three sacks, two QB hits and a dozen pressures.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins had two centers in the top nine. Usual starter Jake Grove was ninth (zero sacks, one QB hit, seven pressures), while injury replacement Joe Berger was fifth (zero sack, one QB hit, four pressures).

Justin Smiley was ninth among left guards with three sacks, five QB hits and eight pressures. Nate Garner was second in limited action on the right side. He was blamed for only one sack, two QB hits and two pressures.

New England Patriots

Stephen Neal ranked fourth among all guards. ProFootballFocus.com charged him with two sacks, one QB hit and seven pressures.

Logan Mankins ranked 13th among all guards and sixth among left guards. Mankins yielded two sacks, three QB hits and 13 pressures.

Dan Koppen, however, was in the lower third at center, ranking eighth from the bottom. He allowed zero sacks, but had eight QB hits and 10 pressures.

New York Jets

Perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca was way down the list. A dozen left guards had a worse PBP rating, but only two yielded more sacks than Faneca did. He was charged with six sacks, two QB hits and 15 pressures.

Brandon Moore was ninth among all guards and sixth on the right side with one sack, two QB hits and eight pressures.

Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold ranked fourth at his position. He gave up one sack, two QB hits and five pressures.

Elsayed was kind enough to share the spreadsheet he used to track these stats, and with a few clicks of the mouse I was able to merge all of the positions and sort them by PBP rating. Obviously, centers and guards were the most efficient because they're not victimized by pass-rushers as much.

Mangold ranked highest among all AFC East O-linemen at sixth overall. Berger was seventh and Garner ninth. Neal was 12th, Grove was 15th and Moore was 27th.

Bills left tackle Demetrius Bell ranked last among all NFL offensive linemen in PBP rating.

New York Jets

• George Willis of the New York Post writes "Kerry Rhodes and Rex Ryan insist they are on the same page, but that's a lot like saying Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren are still married."
• Rhodes snapped on defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman, reports Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News.
• Newark Star-Ledger reporter Dave Hutchinson notes the Jets' are relieved they got right guard Brandon Moore back.

Buffalo Bills

• Buffalo Sports Daily publisher Patrick Moran puts together his Bills all-decade team, and if you need a reminder of how bad the 2000s were for Buffalo, check out some of Moran's selections.
• If that's not enough, Brian Galliford of BuffaloRumblings.com takes a gander at Buffalo's 10 worst draft picks of the decade.
• Buffalo News reporter Rodney McKissic writes about receivers coach Tyke Tolbert joining Les Myles' staff at LSU.

Miami Dolphins

• Palm Beach Post reporter Edgar Thompson examines the progression of quasi-rookie outside linebacker Cameron Wake.
• Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero writes a testimonial to the automatic chain-mover, fullback Lousaka Polite.
• South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter Mike Berardino takes a look at the time-sharing plan going on with right guards Donald Thomas and Nate Garner.

New England Patriots

• ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss provides a handy timeline of Tom Brady's injury problems, which continue to mount.
• Has the Patriots' offense has become too predictable? In a Boston.com video, Globe columnist Bob Ryan and writer Christopher L. Gasper debate.
• Amid the chaos, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald acknowledges the quiet leadership of linebacker Jerod Mayo.

An interesting chess match could unfold in the trenches Sunday in Land Shark Stadium, where the New England Patriots visit the Miami Dolphins.

When they played four weeks ago, Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork moved out to the edge to line up against Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long. The maneuver helped the Patriots short-circuit the Wildcat, which was limited to 7 yards on 10 plays.

"Vince has really played all across the line for us," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the game. "He's a pretty versatile player. He's very flexible. He did a good job. He embraced the move all week, and I think -- we'll see how the film looked -- but it looked like he did a pretty good job on Long."

Since then, however, Miami's offensive line has gotten raggedy. Belichick's thoughts on the matchups likely will be different.

Nate Garner has taken over for Justin Smiley at left guard, and center Jake Grove has been battling an ankle injury that forced him to miss Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills. Joe Berger made his first NFL start in Grove's place.

Grove, who missed practice Wednesday, was considered a high-priority offseason acquisition for the Dolphins. They didn't like the way former center Samson Satele handled the AFC East's behemoth defensive tackles: Wilfork, Kris Jenkins of the New York Jets and Marcus Stroud of the Bills.

On the NFL Network's "GameDay Morning" show Sunday, former defensive tackle Warren Sapp made Wilfork his pick for toughest player in the league.

Where will the Patriots put Wilfork? They might have all sorts of options, and whoever draws the assignment won't be thrilled.

ESPN.com's John Clayton takes a look at the state of the AFC East heading into Week 13, including his analysis of where the New England Patriots are after Monday night's loss in the Superdome, Chad Henne as the Miami Dolphins' franchise quarterback and whether Charlie Weis could be a candidate for the Buffalo Bills' coaching vacancy.

Everybody is singing the praises of Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams for his three-touchdown performance Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers.

Williams ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. In his long and sometimes spectacular career, it was his first game with rushing and receiving touchdowns.

Williams is 32 years old, but he recorded two 100-yard rushing games in a span of five days. Highly impressive.

But let's stop for a moment and acknowledge the performance of Dolphins fullback Lousaka Polite, who delivered several skeleton-rattling blocks to open lanes for Williams.

With the Dolphins' offensive line crumbling before them -- right tackle Vernon Carey, center Jake Grove, starting left guard Nate Garner and reserve Joe Berger all came off the field at some point, and usual left guard Justin Smiley played hurt -- Polite was the best hole-puncher on the field.

ESPN Stats & Information tracked every play and found 18 of Williams' 22 rushing attempts came out of a backfield set. He gained 107 of his yards, averaging 5.9 yards a pop, with Polite blocking for him.

Polite, a highly effective option in short-yardage situations, likely will be called upon to carry the ball more with Ronnie Brown out for the year with a broken foot. Polite had four attempts for 11 yards Thursday night, but he also fumbled for the first time in his career.

But do yourself a favor the next time you watch the Dolphins. Watch how he plays when he doesn't have the ball.

In previewing Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers, I noted the Miami Dolphins would have to dig deep to win without star running back Ronnie Brown.

Little did we know they would have to dredge the depths of their roster to pull it off.

The raggedy Dolphins found a way to defeat the Panthers 24-17 in Bank of America Stadium. The Dolphins have fought back to .500 after a 0-3 start and remain in the playoff picture.

Aside from getting shredded by the Panthers' ground game and a harrowing finish, the Dolphins were convincing in light of significant personnel problems.

The Dolphins had only three days to concoct a game plan sans Brown, their leading rusher and Wildcat triggerman. Ricky Williams responded with a three-score game. He ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.

Chad Henne completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 172 yards and no interceptions. Joey Porter recorded his first multi-sack game of the year.

Even more remarkable than winning without Brown, however, was the Dolphins' ability to survive a series of injuries throughout the game.

Center Jake Grove was hurt 70 seconds into the third quarter. Grove's replacement, Joe Berger, got hurt with about 10 minutes left in the game. Nate Garner, who started the game at left guard for Justin Smiley, became the third center. He went down with a leg injury with about five minutes left.

Got all that?

The biggest injury, however, was on defense. Nose tackle Jason Ferguson suffered a knee injury on the final play of the third quarter. He was carted to the locker room and didn't return.

Williams mysteriously didn't finish the game. Lex Hilliard took the critical carries when Miami tried to kill the clock in the waning moments. Williams appeared fine on the sideline, but was spotted having a serious talk with the team's training staff after his third touchdown. We'll update if there's an issue.

Those injuries could resonate for the rest of the season, but for now -- playing on Thursday gives the Dolphins a weekend off -- they can feel good about staying in the playoff hunt.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

The Miami Dolphins on Monday announced the eight players who will comprise their practice squad to open the season.

• Receiver Julius Pruitt
• Receiver James Robinson
• Tackle Nate Garner
• Offensive lineman Mark Lewis
• Defensive end Ryan Baker
• Linebacker J.D. Folsom
• Linebacker Danny Lansanah
• Cornerback Will Billingsley