National Football League

Dolphins show staying power at Green Bay

Published Oct. 19, 2010 1:14 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Miami Dolphins wanted to show they were 60-minute men. They went 66 minutes instead.

Miami had plenty of staying power in an overtime victory at Green Bay, a big change after consecutive losses at home, when second-half lapses made for very unhappy endings.

''It's definitely something to build on,'' safety Yeremiah Bell said Monday. ''We talked about it the night before the game: playing a complete game and not beating ourselves. It was very satisfying, especially coming off two losses. It puts a good taste in your mouth. Hopefully we can keep that taste for a long time, and guys can get used to it.''

The Dolphins twice came from behind, and for the first time this season, they outscored an opponent after halftime. Dan Carpenter's 44-yard field goal six minutes into overtime gave Miami a 23-20 victory.

The Dolphins (3-2) will likely need four solid quarters again Sunday to beat AFC North leader Pittsburgh (4-1). Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long expects the win at Green Bay to provide momentum.

''This is a big step for us to show that we can come back and don't panic,'' Long said.

In back-to-back defeats against the Jets and Patriots, the Dolphins shriveled under the glare of prime time. The latter loss was especially disheartening because Miami was outscored 35-7 in the second half.

Coach Tony Sparano reminded his team of that collapse at halftime Sunday in Green Bay, when the score was 10-10.

''We got in the locker and talked long and hard about how two weeks ago we had the opportunity to control what happened in the second half of the game, and from the outset we didn't do it,'' Sparano said. ''We wanted to change that.''

And they did. The Dolphins mounted a 59-yard scoring drive to start the second half, then scored again on Chad Henne's 22-yard pass to Anthony Fasano - their first fourth-quarter TD this season.

In overtime, they forced a three-and-out by Green Bay to set up Carpenter's kick. Special teams closed out the victory and were sound throughout after a meltdown in the loss to New England.

The big plays were a big change for a team that had been outscored 69-32 after halftime this season. Success in such situations breeds more of it, Fasano said.

''It's good having those experiences under your belt and being able to draw on them in times of need, especially for the young guys on the team,'' he said.

Miami won with balance - 39 passes, 39 runs, 73 yards rushing for Ronnie Brown and 64 for Ricky Williams. The Dolphins' 150 yards rushing were a season high, as were their 26 first downs. They had a 10-minute edge in time of possession.

''When we needed to run it, we did well,'' Long said. ''That's what we pride ourselves in, we want to be a good rushing team.''

The defense had a season-high five sacks, three by Cameron Wake, and allowed only 76 yards rushing. Chatty inside linebacker Channing Crowder started after missing the first four games with a groin injury, and tried to contribute even before the game began.

''On the plane, in the locker room, at the hotel, just to break up the quiet,'' Crowder said. ''People are always looking at the ground scared and walking around worried before the game. It's still a football game. I bring a coolness to the team: `Let's go out and have fun and enjoy what we do and play like we're playing in the back yard.'''

The Dolphins kept their cool with the game on the line, and the second-half breakthrough helped them keep pace in the AFC East with the Jets (5-1) and Patriots (4-1).

Miami's schedule eases considerably after mid-November.

''The two losses we had, we just messed up and hurt ourselves,'' Crowder said. ''I've been in this league long enough to know you don't hit your stride until around this time of the year. Hopefully we have an identity now, and we can get on a roll and make a playoff run.''