MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Defensive tackle Jared Odrick best summed up the mood in the Miami Dolphins' locker room Thursday night following a 22-9 victory over the rival Buffalo Bills.
"My ass feels fine," Odrick said with a chuckle. "So, I'm not sure what was supposed to happen. But my ass does feel fine.
"You never want to give another team bulletin-board material. You really don't."
Odrick was referring to Buffalo defensive back Leodis McKelvin's guarantee that the Bills would "beat that ass" in Miami. The Bills entered this game confident -- and cocky -- after winning three in a row in this series. The Dolphins were in no place to fight back in the media, so their best course was to wait until the game and let their pads do the talking.
Miami played with an edge and was the more physical team in this series for the first time in two years. The Dolphins did not bring a complicated game plan on just three days of preparation. They ran the ball well, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and kept Buffalo out of the end zone the entire game.
Most of the matchups on paper favored Buffalo. But Thursday's game was about the things that couldn't be measured.
The Dolphins (6-4) showed their toughness -- mentally and physically -- on a short week. This was very much a pride game in a pressure situation, and Miami responded by outscoring the Bills (5-5) 19-3 with the game on the line in the third and fourth quarters.
"It tells us a lot about our character," Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon said. "We're not the type of team that's just going to lay down. ... We demand respect."
The victory doesn't save the Dolphins' season, but it keeps them in the playoff hunt in a crowded AFC field. Meanwhile, Miami most likely derailed Buffalo's postseason hopes.
"That type of stuff doesn't bother our team. Guys talk trash all the time," Dolphins safety Jimmy Wilson said of the comment from McKelvin, who left the game with an ankle injury. "Until we prove we are one of the best teams in the NFL and continue to go out every week and handle our business on defense and offense and special teams, that's the only way you shut guys up."
There is something different about this season's Dolphins. They certainly have better talent and depth than the previous two seasons under head coach Joe Philbin. But this team also does not get flustered in the face of adversity.
Thursday presented a must-win game on national television against a team the Dolphins struggle to beat -- and they didn't blink. Miami also didn't play its A-game, yet beat a division rival by 13 points. These are the type of games in previous years the Dolphins would lose.
In fact, Miami is 5-2 in its past seven games and playing some of its best football of the Philbin era. Its only two losses have come in the final minute to the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in games that could have easily had a different result. This could be an 8-2 team if a couple of breaks had gone its way.
The Dolphins are starting to earn the contender label. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Miami is above .500 through 10 games for the first time since 2008. That happened to be the last time the Dolphins made the playoffs and won the AFC East.
Miami made a big step Thursday by slaying the nemesis Bills, which keeps the door open for bigger and better things in the second half of the season.
