No Motivation Necessary

When Coach Jimmy Johnson of the Miami Dolphins, who prides himself on his mastery of psychology, ripped quarterback Dan Marino this week, it was speculated that he was trying to stoke Marino’s competitive fire.

“No one needs to motivate me,” said Marino, whose quarterback rating of 74.3 is a career low.

Running back Curtis Martin of the New York Jets is one of the few players not happy about the decision to tear up the artificial turf at Giants Stadium and replace it with grass next season. In 11 games on the fake stuff last season, Martin averaged 3.7 yards a carry. In four games on grass, he averaged 2.8. The artificial turf, he said, enhances his quickness.

An injury-free Terry Glenn is one reason the New England Patriots are the NFL’s only 4-0 team. The veteran wide receiver leads the league with 32 receptions.

A bigger reason is quarterback Drew Bledsoe, an early most-valuable-player candidate who has thrown only one interception this season, none in the last three games, and has completed nearly 70% of his passes, six for touchdowns.

“His poise has been phenomenal,” Glenn said. “And I think that is what really sets him apart from the previous years.”

Andre Reed did not have a catch in the Buffalo Bills’ 23-18 victory over the Dolphins, and he wasn’t happy about it.

“I’d like to be involved in the offense a little bit more, but it’s not up to me,” he said. “I need to be involved more. I haven’t been involved the last two weeks. Really, I haven’t been involved for four weeks. I’d like to make some plays too.”