ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – It doesn’t matter to linebacker Chris Kelsay whether the Miami Dolphins changed coaches this week, or which quarterback — Matt Moore or former Bills player J.P. Losman — will start against Buffalo on Sunday.

Kelsay instead has payback on his mind because don’t think for a moment the Bills’ usually even-keeled veteran has forgotten how the Dolphins rubbed it in following their 35-8 win at Miami a month ago.

“Basically, they just told us that we laid down. They told us that we threw in the towel, we quit. I don’t care who you are, that stings,” Kelsay said this week. “The way they kind of called us out after the game, we don’t have a good taste in our mouth, so we’re going to give them everything we got.”

Kelsay was referring to safety Yeremiah Bell who, following the game, was quoted as saying the Bills “laid down.”

On Thursday, Bell stood by what he said.

“I like to talk noise,” Bell said. “You’ve got to go out and back it up. We know what happened the first game, and we know they’re going to come out with a vengeance.”

In the big picture, Bell’s comments don’t come anywhere close to matching the vulgar gesture former Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox made to fans prior to a game in Buffalo in 1993 during the heyday of this once intense AFC East rivalry. And Cox, a first-year Dolphins assistant coach, will be on the sideline Sunday.

Bell has at least provided some much-needed flavour to a meaningless matchup in the NFL’s only game this week between two teams with no shot at making the playoffs.

“If that gets (the rivalry) riled up, I’m all for that,” Bell said.

The Bills (5-8), who will miss the playoffs for a 12th straight season, are searching for a win after having lost six straight.

The Dolphins (4-9) have much larger concerns. Miami’s in the midst of its fourth coaching search since 2004 after Tony Sparano was fired this week and replaced on an interim basis by Todd Bowles.

And if that’s not enough to stir anyone’s fancy, there’s the prospect of Losman — the Bills 2004 first-round draft pick — facing his former team in what would be his first start since 2008, his final season in Buffalo.

Moore, who sustained head and neck injuries in a 26-10 loss to the Eagles last weekend, took a majority of the snaps in practice Thursday, but stopped short of saying whether he’ll start against Buffalo.

Bowles said no decision has been made.

Quarterback is but one of the first-time head coach’s many concerns in trying to salvage what’s left of the Dolphins’ fifth losing season in six years.

“We have three games left. It’s not really about me,” he said. “It’s just about trying to keep the team afloat.”

As for revisiting Bell’s comments from a month ago, Bowles shrugged them off.

“I don’t think that’s a big deal one way or the other as far as we’re concerned, or probably where they’re concerned,” he said.

Bowles might want to think again, because Kelsay isn’t the only Bills player who made note of what was said.

“They felt they needed to come out and say stuff that wasn’t relevant, and it started a little fire in me,” receiver Stevie Johnson said. “You don’t let anybody come into your place and talk crap about you.”

Of course, the injury-riddled Bills will have to back that up with more than words. And they’re going to have to perform much better than they did in Miami, when Buffalo was held to a season-low 245 yards, went 0 for 12 on third-down, had a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and lost its top offensive threat, running back Fred Jackson, to a season-ending leg injury.

The Bills are a shell of the upstart, swaggering team that got off to an impressive 5-2 start. Aside from Jackson, Buffalo’s also without its top defensive player, tackle Kyle Williams (left foot).

Their defence has allowed an average of 32 points while managing just five sacks and five takeaways in its past six games.

And their offence is no better. After averaging 31 points an outing through its first seven games, Buffalo has a total of 66 points in its past six.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is taking the brunt of the criticism, and coming off one of the worst starts of his career in a 37-10 loss at San Diego. Fitzpatrick went 13 of 34 for 176 yards, and threw two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

“I think any time you have a bad effort like I did last week, you want to get back on track,” Fitzpatrick said. “These last three games are very important to all of us in getting some of that confidence back: Not only for me, but for everybody on the team.”

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AP Sports Writer Steven Wine in Davie, Fla., contributed to this report.

All I can say about the firing of Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano—as detailed in latest article by AP Sports Writer Steven Wine—is, what took so long?

Well, truthfully there are plenty of other things I can say, and will—such as Hallelujah, Merry Christmas, Thank Heavens. However, the fact remains this day was long, long overdue. As I’ve stated over and over for the past two years, Sparano simply wasn’t ever going to get the Dolphins over the hump and into a Super Bowl. The chances he’d actually guide Miami to a title? Nil.

I guess team owner Stephen Ross finally figured that out after the 26-10 beating the Miami squad took at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Dec. 11 at Sun Life Stadium. It’s just a shame it took him so long.

Apparently the firing of Todd Haley by the Kansas City Chiefs was the catalyst for the decision, too, although Ross would probably deny that. However, there’s no denying Ross began to feel the pressure mounting that the coaches atop his list of potential candidates to replace Sparano might slip through his fingers if he waited much longer. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald puts it in his latest article, Ross may claim he’d become convinced the speculation about Sparano’s job security was becoming too much of a distraction, and that’s why he finally gave Tony the boot, but in the end, getting a jump on the team’s search for a new coach had to have played a big part in his decision.

Who is atop the list of coaches Ross will consider to replace Sparano is a source of intense speculation among those in the media. The obvious names being mentioned are former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick, former Pittsburgh Steelers head honcho Bill Cowher, former Tennessee Titans skipper Jeff Fisher, and former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers leader Jon Gruden. However, it’s not certain those coaches actually are atop Ross’ list.

“I’d like to find a young Don Shula if that’s possible,” Ross said in the news conference announcing Sparano’s firing. “We are open to everything. We will look at everybody, interview them, and try to find the person we think will be the best fit.”

Considering general manager Jeff Ireland was retained by Ross—something I found as perplexing as the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero did in his latest piece—I’m guessing some of those names mentioned above will have little interest in joining the Dolphins organization. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald may believe—as he states in his latest article—Ross would prefer hiring a star head coach, but even if that’s so he isn’t likely to get one to come to Miami now that Ireland remains.

I can’t for the life of me see someone like Cowher coming to Miami and not demanding to be able to make his own personnel decisions. The idea he would be comfortable with Ireland being his boss is, frankly, ludicrous. Cowher is a far better football mind than Ireland could ever hope to be. Where Cowher is a football genius, Ireland is a clown, and when you’re courting someone like Cowher, you don’t do it by demanding he work under a bozo he couldn’t possibly respect.

While I won’t claim it’s absolute, I’d say the same could be said for the other three names on that list. I would think Billick, Fisher, and Gruden would all want control of the team (meaning Ireland gone) if they were going to come in and take over and try to clean up the Dolphins mess. At the very least they’d want to consult with Ross about who to hire for the general manager position if they didn’t want the added responsibilities of the job. But to think they’d want to come in and work under Ireland? Not a chance in my view.

And with good reason. Ireland himself pretty much spelled out why not one of those coaches should trust him to be their boss in his remarks during the news conference; although I don’t think he intended it that way.

“We all feel responsibility for what happened. This is a game of winning. When you don’t win, you feel responsibility for that. I’ve got responsibility in it, Mr. Ross has responsibility in it, our players have responsibility. Ultimately, Tony had the ultimate responsibility in it.”

Ireland may believe he’s dodged the bullet of responsibility by adding that final caveat regarding Sparano, but the truth remains Ireland is equally responsible for the failures of the Dolphins. While I’ll agree with Ross that Miami’s “record is not indicative of what the team is capable of,” and that speaks volumes about the lousy coaching of Sparano, the fact remains that many of the personnel decisions of Ireland were just as pathetic. I mean, do I have to remind anyone that the club has been laughingly referred to as the Miami Cowboys because of the numerous former members of Dallas Ireland’s brought in?

Yes, Sparano signed off on those move I’m sure, but it was Ireland who made the decision to bring in players like Marc Colombo; a bust if there ever was one. I don’t think someone like Cowher or Gruden, or even Fisher or Billick, is going to stand for such limited ability at evaluating talent. If they don’t want to take over the reins of the general manager position themselves, they’re going to want someone they can trust to do the job for them. That’s because when it all boils down to it, when you’re talking about a superstar head coach like Cowher, the general manager actually works for him, not the other way around.

This is precisely why I think Ross is going to push for someone like Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, or New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. There’s even an outside shot—because of his strong ties to Miami—Ross and Ireland might go after Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who was the tight ends coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Miami during the Hurricanes glory days of a decade ago.

Whatever route they take, though, I believe the Dolphins will likely have a much better shot at doing something than they would have ever had under Sparano. While I’d hoped (and still do) Ross would have gotten rid of Ireland as well, in the end the proper coach might be enough to turn the franchise around. No matter what happens in the future, there’s no doubt about what just happened now.

On Monday, Dec. 12 Christmas came early for Miami fans all across the country. Peace on earth, and good will toward men.

Hut, hut, hike!

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Dolphins Disappointingly Lose 26-10 to Eagles in Vick’s Return

Thank God Miami Dolphins Are No Longer Run by ‘Nick Satan’

Miami Owner Stephen Ross Likely Never to Be on Dolphins’ Walk of Fame

Bringing Sparano Back Next Year Because of Win Over Raiders is Insane

A Dolphins Loss to the Oakland Raiders Could Help Miami

All stats and information taken from personal notes and verified at Pro-Football-Reference.com, NFL.com, and Yahoo! Sports.

Read more by Daniel Barber aka Hotnuke at TFS Sports.

*Daniel Barber has been a fan of all Miami teams since he was a child or since their inception having been born right above Miami.

Sources:

Pro-Football-Reference.com

NFL.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Not long ago, Karlos Dansby was considered part of the problem for the Miami Dolphins, a too-buoyant anchor for an underachieving defense on a winless team.

And yet when Dansby recently proclaimed himself the NFL’s best linebacker, he won praise rather than ridicule for the bold assertion.

“You’ve got to have confidence,” teammate Brandon Marshall said. “Karlos Dansby saying he’s the best — he is. You look at a guy who flies around the field. He’s getting interceptions, sacks — that’s a Pro Bowl guy.”

The Dolphins’ confidence is on the rise, just like their win total. After losing their first seven games, the Dolphins (2-7) have a shot at their first three-game winning streak since 2008 when they play host to Buffalo (5-4) on Sunday.

The Bills, by contrast, are headed south in more ways than one. They ranked among the NFL’s most surprising teams by starting 4-1, but their season is at a crossroads after losses in three of the past four games. They were outscored 71-18 in defeats the past two weeks.

“You hope you have enough character on your team that you fight through tough times,” coach Chan Gailey said.

Miami did just that in the season’s first two months, even as disheartened fans speculated on the chances of a coaching change or a shot at Andrew Luck in next year’s draft.

The breakthrough came with a blowout victory at Kansas City, followed by a win over Washington last week — the Dolphins’ first home triumph in nearly a year. They’re playing so much better that coach Tony Sparano used the word “better” 15 times during one of his daily news conferences this week.

The Dolphins remain buried in the AFC East, where they’re the only team with a losing record. But they refuse to give up on playoff hopes.

“It’s impossible until you do it,” Marshall said. “I’ve been hearing a lot the talk that we’re playing the spoiler mode. But we still have a shot. Now it’s a long shot, but we still have a shot.”

Miami’s most dramatic improvement has been by a defense regarded as the team’s strength heading into the season. In the first four games, the Dolphins gave up 415 yards per game and 6.4 per play. In the past five games, they’ve allowed 319 yards per game and 4.9 per play.

They’ve held the past two opponents without a touchdown.

“We’re doing a tremendous job of running to the football,” Sparano said. “There are a lot of folks getting to the ball on a lot of plays, and I think that’s been a big factor in us getting guys on the ground at a higher rate.”

One of those folks is Dansby, who has 41 tackles in the past four games. Against the Redskins he had two tackles for a loss, two passes defended, a quarterback hurry and a pivotal fourth-quarter interception.

“He’s an active player,” Gailey said. “He’s got a great grasp of the game. He plays with your mind a little bit moving around the way he does. He’s making plays in the open field and he’s making plays at the line of scrimmage. Every time you turn on the film, he shows up.”

Dansby said he hadn’t heard from any other linebackers around the league quarreling with his self-evaluation.

“They watch film just like I do,” he said. “I feel like I’m the best.”

Dansby’s unit will face a Buffalo offense that has bogged down of late. The Bills averaged 30.1 points in the season’s first seven games, but in the past two weeks they’ve totaled two TDs, and one came during garbage time.

“I think it’s just a phase, and it’ll pass,” receiver Stevie Johnson said. “We know what we’re doing wrong.”

One thing the Bills are doing wrong is committing turnovers. They had four, including a fumble by NFL rushing leader Fred Jackson, in last week’s 44-7 defeat at Dallas, their most lopsided loss since 2007.

Ryan Fitzpatrick endured his worst game of the year barely two weeks after signing a $59 million, six-year contract. In the past five games he has 10 turnovers, mistakes that buckled a defense ranked fourth-worst in the NFL.

Injuries have left the offensive line in flux, and even with Jackson, the Bills haven’t scored a rushing touchdown in the past three games. Defenses are crowding the line of scrimmage and limiting yards after the catch by receivers, a big part of the Bills’ success early in the season.

“Coming into the year, nobody expected anything out of us,” Fitzpatrick said. “We won some games and then the expectations came. Well, nobody expects anything out of us again. The way we’ve played, there’s not much expectation out there. So we’ve got to play loose. We’ve got no pressure on us.”

It’s never too late to salvage a season, as the Dolphins can attest.

___

AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report.

MIAMI – Not long ago, Karlos Dansby was considered part of the problem for the Miami Dolphins, a too-buoyant anchor for an underachieving defence on a winless team.

And yet when Dansby recently proclaimed himself the NFL’s best linebacker, he won praise rather than ridicule for the bold assertion.

“You’ve got to have confidence,” teammate Brandon Marshall said. “Karlos Dansby saying he’s the best — he is. You look at a guy who flies around the field. He’s getting interceptions, sacks — that’s a Pro Bowl guy.”

The Dolphins’ confidence is on the rise, just like their win total. After losing their first seven games, the Dolphins (2-7) have a shot at their first three-game winning streak since 2008 when they play host to Buffalo (5-4) on Sunday.

The Bills, by contrast, are headed south in more ways than one. They ranked among the NFL’s most surprising teams by starting 4-1, but their season is at a crossroads after losses in three of the past four games. They were outscored 71-18 in defeats the past two weeks.

“You hope you have enough character on your team that you fight through tough times,” coach Chan Gailey said.

Miami did just that in the season’s first two months, even as disheartened fans speculated on the chances of a coaching change or a shot at Andrew Luck in next year’s draft.

The breakthrough came with a blowout victory at Kansas City, followed by a win over Washington last week — the Dolphins’ first home triumph in nearly a year. They’re playing so much better that coach Tony Sparano used the word “better” 15 times during one of his daily news conferences this week.

The Dolphins remain buried in the AFC East, where they’re the only team with a losing record. But they refuse to give up on playoff hopes.

“It’s impossible until you do it,” Marshall said. “I’ve been hearing a lot the talk that we’re playing the spoiler mode. But we still have a shot. Now it’s a long shot, but we still have a shot.”

Miami’s most dramatic improvement has been by a defence regarded as the team’s strength heading into the season. In the first four games, the Dolphins gave up 415 yards per game and 6.4 per play. In the past five games, they’ve allowed 319 yards per game and 4.9 per play.

They’ve held the past two opponents without a touchdown.

“We’re doing a tremendous job of running to the football,” Sparano said. “There are a lot of folks getting to the ball on a lot of plays, and I think that’s been a big factor in us getting guys on the ground at a higher rate.”

One of those folks is Dansby, who has 41 tackles in the past four games. Against the Redskins he had two tackles for a loss, two passes defended, a quarterback hurry and a pivotal fourth-quarter interception.

“He’s an active player,” Gailey said. “He’s got a great grasp of the game. He plays with your mind a little bit moving around the way he does. He’s making plays in the open field and he’s making plays at the line of scrimmage. Every time you turn on the film, he shows up.”

Dansby said he hadn’t heard from any other linebackers around the league quarrelling with his self-evaluation.

“They watch film just like I do,” he said. “I feel like I’m the best.”

Dansby’s unit will face a Buffalo offence that has bogged down of late. The Bills averaged 30.1 points in the season’s first seven games, but in the past two weeks they’ve totalled two TDs, and one came during garbage time.

“I think it’s just a phase, and it’ll pass,” receiver Stevie Johnson said. “We know what we’re doing wrong.”

One thing the Bills are doing wrong is committing turnovers. They had four, including a fumble by NFL rushing leader Fred Jackson, in last week’s 44-7 defeat at Dallas, their most lopsided loss since 2007.

Ryan Fitzpatrick endured his worst game of the year barely two weeks after signing a $59 million, six-year contract. In the past five games he has 10 turnovers, mistakes that buckled a defence ranked fourth-worst in the NFL.

Injuries have left the offensive line in flux, and even with Jackson, the Bills haven’t scored a rushing touchdown in the past three games. Defences are crowding the line of scrimmage and limiting yards after the catch by receivers, a big part of the Bills’ success early in the season.

“Coming into the year, nobody expected anything out of us,” Fitzpatrick said. “We won some games and then the expectations came. Well, nobody expects anything out of us again. The way we’ve played, there’s not much expectation out there. So we’ve got to play loose. We’ve got no pressure on us.”

It’s never too late to salvage a season, as the Dolphins can attest.

___

AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report.

FORT LAUDERDALE—

Former Miami Dolphins safety Louis Oliver never imagined he would ever be in any Hall of Fame, but there he was on Tuesday night giving his acceptance speech as one of six inductees into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame.

“It is very flattering,” said Oliver, 45, of Sunrise, who played eight seasons in the NFL including two stints with the Miami Dolphins. “I am very excited to be in a group that includes a group like (Dan) Marino, Coach (Don) Shula, H. Wayne Huizenga, Michael Irvin and those types of people.”

“Just to be recognized with those people puts me in a category that most people aren’t in,” added Oliver, the top pick of the Dolphins in 1989 and 25th overall in the draft. “It’s not Canton, Ohio, but it is a really big deal for me.”

Oliver said was surprised when former Miami Dolphins linebacker John Offerdahl, a 2009 Broward County Sports Hall of Fame inductee, called him two months ago to tell Oliver he was selected.

“I just played the game and wanted people to enjoy what I did on the field,” Oliver said. “I am still at a loss for words as to why anybody would want to induct me into anything. I guess a couple of people still remember my name. I was never looking for any accolades afterward.”

Oliver was joined by Duffy Dillon (swimming), Wendy Bruce Martin (gymnastics), Joe Castiglione (athletic administration), Barry Krauss (football), and Gene Monahan (sports medicine) at the annual gala at the Broward County Convention Center. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Sports Development office presents the event.

Krauss, 54, a Pompano Beach High School graduate, played football for the University of Alabama, where the All-American and spent 13 years playing in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins.

“This is awesome,” said Krauss, who was introduced by his father, Rob. “This is about dreams. Most times we give up on our dreams…when I was growing up, it was always me dream to play for the Miami Dolphins. When I finally suited up for them and I was standing on the sideline, I cried.”

The class of 2011 joins other Hall of Fame members including Dara Torres, Chris Evert, Whitey Ford, Michael Lohberg, and Angelo Dundee, among others.