Defense pushes Dolphins to head of AFC East

No one, including myself, could have thought that with 3 weeks to play, the Dolphins would share the AFC East lead. That is where the Miami Dolphins find themselves after beating the Bills 16-3, tied with the Jets and Patriots at 8-5 atop the division.

This game belonged to the defense. Miami held Buffalo to 163 total yards and only 22 minutes of possession in the game. That was more than enough for the offense, led by Chad Pennington's 23 of 29 passing for 181 yards. Pennington also connected on his final 11 attempts. He became the first Dolphins QB to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season since Jay Fiedler in 2001.

Next week, the Dolphins play a 49ers team that soundly beat the Jets. The Dolphins can win the division by winning their final three games, but they need a little help to make the playoffs if they lose a game. This year, 10-6 may not guarantee a spot in the playoffs.