Johnson Gets Testy Over Questions

Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson turned defensive on the subject of defense, cutting short a news conference because the questions annoyed him.

Contributing to Johnson’s testiness was a 29-10 loss to his former team, the Dallas Cowboys.

The Miami Dolphins deployed soft secondary coverage in Sunday’s game, with cornerbacks Terrell Buckley and Calvin Jackson playing at least five yards off Dallas’ fleet receivers. The strategy backfired when Troy Aikman repeatedly completed passes in front of the defenders, and the result was Johnson’s most lopsided loss in his first year as the Miami coach.

“I’ll take the blame,” he said. “Maybe I made them overly cautious because I kept harping on them not to give up the big play.”

When asked about a cornerback who lined up in his own end zone 10 yards off a receiver, Johnson bristled and rose from his chair.

“Any other questions?” the coach said, and then he walked out of the room.

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The Cincinnati Bengals extended Eric Bieniemy’s contract for two years. Terms weren’t disclosed.

The running back would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Bieniemy, 27, is captain of the special teams, has rushed for 105 yards and leads the running backs with 20 catches for 152 yards.