Miami (1-9) at San Francisco (1-9)
Currently: - Game info: 4:15 pm EST Sun Nov 28, 2004
- TV: CBS
A.J. Feeley won’t have to worry about looking over his shoulder anymore, but the Miami Dolphins will be certain to keep an eye on his injured right hip.
The hobbled Feeley leads the Dolphins when they visit the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup between the NFL’s only one-win teams.
With Jay Fiedler out for the season, Feeley will likely remain Miami’s starter at quarterback as long as his hip holds up.
Feeley committed four turnovers in a 24-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday—his third start of the season. Fighting through a right hip injury he sustained in the second quarter, Feeley threw the decisive interception to Seattle’s Michael Boulware, who returned it 63 yards for a score with 56 seconds left.
Feeley said his treatment will consist of “a lot of ice and laying on your stomach”—which should give him plenty of time to stew over his mistakes. He was 23-of-45 for 229 yards, but also fumbled twice and threw two interceptions.
“I’ll play on Sunday, regardless of what’s going on,” Feeley said. “If I have to get shot up (with pain-blockers) five or six times, I’ll do it.”
Fiedler was put on injured reserve Tuesday with a herniated disc in his neck. He was hurt Sunday while playing one series in place of the struggling Feeley.
Fiedler played in eight games, including seven starts, this season.
The Dolphins added depth to the quarterback position by signing veteran backup Jason Garrett on Wednesday. Garrett, best known as Troy Aikman’s backup during the Dallas Cowboys’ run of Super Bowl titles during the 1990s, will likely be the No. 2 quarterback behind Feeley.
The Dolphins have already lost receiver David Boston, linebacker Junior Seau, defensive tackles Tim Bowens and Larry Chester for the season due to injuries. Linebacker Zach Thomas, the team’s leading tackler, is doubtful for Sunday after suffering a hamstring injury in practice on Wednesday.
Miami’s season was essentially ruined when Ricky Williams decided to retire during the summer. It’s unlikely the Dolphins will take any solace in knowing the star running back will be reinstated with the team after a four-game suspension beginning next month, according to his lawyer.
The league says an agreement has not been completed. Williams must approve the deal, which would move him from the retired list to the suspended list for the final four games of the schedule. Williams, 27, is required to serve the suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
After that, his contract with the Dolphins would be in force.
The 49ers started slowly, committed key turnovers and never recovered in a 35-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Dennis Erickson’s team has endured several humiliating losses this season, and the coach is tired of pointing out the same errors by the same players.
“We’re making the same mistakes,” Erickson said. “To improve, you have to learn from your mistakes and not make them. When I look at our team now as compared to five weeks ago, we’re doing a lot of the same things.
“We’re turning the football over. We’re giving up turnovers for touchdowns. Our field position has been bad. We haven’t gotten any better, in my opinion, in the last month.”
San Francisco is trying to avoid matching the worst record in franchise history, set by the 1979 team, which went 2-14. It’s already Erickson’s worst season as an NFL coach.
Tim Rattay is coming off another mediocre game, going 15-of-31 for 147 yards while getting sacked five times, losing a fumble and throwing an interception that was returned 55 yards for a touchdown on Sunday.
Erickson plans to stick with Rattay for the rest of the season, since the quarterback’s problems aren’t all his own fault. San Francisco’s offensive line has struggled mightily, failing to protect Rattay or give tailback Kevan Barlow any room to run.
Team Comparison
| Team | Records | Standings | PF | PA | Road/Home | AFC | NFC | DIV | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 4-12-0 | 4th AFC East | 275 | 354 | 1-7-0 Road | 2-10-0 | 2-2-0 | 1-5-0 | Lost 1 |
| San Francisco | 2-14-0 | 4th NFC West | 259 | 452 | 1-7-0 Home | 0-4-0 | 2-10-0 | 2-4-0 | Lost 3 |
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