You’ve seen the game, seen the highlights, watched the interviews, and read the articles, so what else can be said? There are so many plays that showed the Dolphins heart in their win over the Jets Sunday. But there’s one play that few are talking about, that may have been the most special. Late in the 4th quarter with a lead the Dolphins faced a 3rd and 1. Easy Decision, give it to Lousaka Polite. On the season every time Polite was giving the ball on 3rd or 4th and short, he got the first down. Not some of the time, or most of the time, every time they gave him the ball, he got the first down. This time he was stopped short. So late in the 4th, the biggest game in years for the Dolphins, on the road, Brett Farve on the sidelines, you have to punt right? A defensive minded coach would have punted, an offensive minded coach would have. But Tony Sparano didn’t. To sum up what kind of coach Sparano is all you need to know is that he is an offensive line coach. Offensive line coaches live for those moments, 4th and short, game on the line, playoffs on the line, a chance to seal a victory or win the game, that’s what Offensive linemen and their coaches’ dream of.

But Polite was just stopped. Do you give the ball to him again? Do you give the ball to your pro bowl running back? No, Sparano knew who to give the ball to. The Miami Dolphins MVP, who should also be the NFL MVP. The man who was also thrown out of New York to the sound of “we want Brett.” The fans that cheered him for 8 years, the organization that drafted him, they all agreed he had nothing left. So with a final chance to end it, a chance to win the game, the division, and complete the greatest season to season turnaround in NFL history, Sparano knew exactly who to give the ball to. It may be the greatest quarterback sneak in Dolphins history, you knew he would get it; nothing could stop him on this day.

This is what the Dolphins have been missing since Dan Marino retired. Take not everyone, you don’t need a Manning to win, you need a leader. Someone the team can look to for leadership. A quarterback that inspires the defense to play harder, the offensive line to hold a block longer, a coach to risk more and fan’s to finally cheer again.