Dolphin Corners Face Tough Foe

Playing cornerback in the NFL requires the ability to single-handedly stop 220-pound running backs and shut down 6-foot-2 receivers.

It also helps to have a short memory and plenty of attitude.

The cornerbackss for the Miami Dolphins (2-0), largely considered one of the best duos in the league, have it all. They’ll probably need it Monday night against the Buffalo Bills (2-1), whose receiving tandem of Eric Moulds and Andre Reed put up big numbers against the Dolphins last year.

“The attitude we have is that we’re going to challenge you,” Miami cornerback Terrell Buckley said. “We understand that you’re going to make some plays, but our whole goal is to make more plays than you. We have to believe in our ability and we have to have what I call selective memory.”

Sam Madison, who starts opposite Buckley, said he has learned the same in his three years in the league.

“You have to have attitude with the style of defense we’re playing,” Madison said. “You’re going to be flagged and get beat for touchdowns. But you have to be strong and have amnesia.”

Whether it’s called selective memory or amnesia, the ability to block out the recent past is a basic necessity for playing one of the toughest defensive positions on the field. Any cornerback knows that one step, sometimes even less, can make the difference between a turnover and a touchdown.

A little forgetfulness also helps cornerbacks like Buckley and Madison maintain their usual swagger.

“That’s part of that attitude,” Dolphins secondary coach Mel Phillips said. “If you make a bad play, you’ve got to have the attitude that either they were lucky or you’ve got a way to correct it. You’ve got to be able to blank it out, forget it, and go to the next play. And if you don’t do that, you’re going to have a long day.”

One thing the Dolphins certainly haven’t forgotten about is the damage Bills receivers have done to them in the past.

Reed, a 16-year veteran, has 120 regular-season catches for 1,711 yards against Miami, the most by any receiver against the Dolphins. In the three meetings last season, Reed caught 12 passes for 147 yards, numbers that pale in comparison to Moulds’.

Moulds hauled in 17 passes for 380 yards and scored three touchdowns, one in each game. Moulds, who led the AFC last season with 1,368 yards receiving, torched the Dolphins’ secondary for an NFL postseason record 240 yards in the first round of the 1998 playoffs.

“Most people were downplaying him when he first got in the league, but he made a quick turnaround last year,” Madison said. “He’s a great receiver because he’s big and physical and he doesn’t like for you to put your hands on him. That’s my style--to put my hands on you--so it’s going to be a great match. We have to be able to cover him.”