Now, Dan’s His Man

It’s funny how a 23-3 loss will bring a coach to his senses.

Jimmy Johnson, coach of the Miami Dolphins, has ranted about Dan Marino and raved about replacement Damon Huard this season, but Sunday’s lopsided loss to the Buffalo Bills underscored the disparity between the quarterbacks, even if Huard is more mobile and more willing to embrace Johnson’s preference to run the ball.

“We’ve missed Dan, without question,” Johnson said. “I’m really happy with the way Damon has played overall. But after the first week or two, I think it finally hit him how important he was. He’s going to be a good player for us, but he’s not there yet.

“When Dan is in the lineup, we can do some different things. You want a mobile quarterback, but more than anything you want a winning quarterback.”

Marino, sidelined because of a pinched nerve in his neck, is doubtful for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots but hopes to play against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day at Dallas.

After the New York Jets had upset the Patriots, 24-17, on Monday night, dropping New England into fourth place in the division, Jet receiver Keyshawn Johnson said it was nothing personal.

“We didn’t come up here to ruin their season, we came up to beat them,” he said. “They can ruin their season on their own.”