Each season in the NFL, there are players who seemingly come out of nowhere to contribute for fantasy owners. Rookies won’t be a part of this discussion; instead we’ll focus on players who for whatever reason - stuck behind a veteran, injury, or simply mediocre play - haven’t been vital contributors. Keep in mind that there are risks involved when selecting these players, but they are risks that carry with them a chance to pay off.

We’ll go division-by-division over the next couple weeks, starting with the AFC East.

Buffalo Bills - James Hardy: At the beginning of the movie My Cousin Vinny, there’s a scene in which Vinny (Joe Pesci) and Mona Lisa (Marisa Tomei) walk into a diner and look at the the menu, which consists of just three things: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. To which Vinny says, “Guess I’ll have the Breakfast.” That’s pretty much how I feel in picking a Bills player to break out. Hardy was the team’s second-round pick last season, but managed to haul in only nine passes for 87 yards before tearing his ACL. However, among those nine grabs were two touchdowns, and therein lies his value. Hardy is still recovering from that knee injury, and may not be ready in time for training camp, but he should be good to go early in the season, if not Week 1. It won’t be easy for Hardy to catch, say, 40 passes on a team with Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, but at 6-foot-5, his ability to get in the back of the end zone on jump balls and the like make him a player to keep an eye on when the season gets going as a possible waiver-wire pickup.

Miami Dolphins - Ted Ginn: Fifty-six catches for 790 yards and two scores does not constitute a breakout, at least not for the ninth overall pick in the draft. Ginn needs to step it up to much greater levels this season, his third, in order to justify that lofty draft status. And don’t put it past the former Ohio State speedster. Now in his second season in the same offense with quarterback Chad Pennington, Ginn should have a comfort and familiarity which will allow him to make strides towards becoming the scoring threat he can be. His first season of 1,000 yards is more than doable, and with that should come five or more touchdowns.

New England Patriots - Laurence Maroney: The former first-round pick has never rushed for at least 850 yards in a season, and last year was death to fantasy owners who selected him, as he managed a paltry 93 yards on the ground. Despite the presence of Kevin Faulk, Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris, Maroney remains the most physically talented back on the roster as each of those players are at least 32 years of age. He can catch the ball as well as run with it, as his 22 catches in 2007 will attest, and he’s also been the team’s primary kick returner, so the talent is undoubtedly there. All it will take is for him to remain healthy and in the game, and his numbers will jump. A tall task, to be sure, but a later-round flier on Maroney in your fantasy drafts could net big dividends.

New York Jets - Chansi Stuckey: Someone has to take the place of the since-departed Laveranues Coles, and Stuckey is as good a candidate as anyone. He had the fantasy throngs excited last year when he opened it up with three touchdowns in the season’s first three weeks. Unfortunately, he failed to catch another score the rest of the campaign. But his 32 catches were the third-most among receivers on the team, and with an opportunity to start in 2009, the former Clemson product should far exceed each of his totals from last season.

The tight end position can be overlooked by fantasy owners from time to time and understandably so. Unlike the wide receiver and running back positions, most leagues just play one tight end, and they don’t put up quite the numbers those positions do either. In fact, of the top-40 players in catches last season, just six were tight ends, and of the top-40 players in receiving yards, just five were tight ends. However, there is one caveat: touchdowns. There were eight tight ends among the top-30 players in that category last season, making them a novel resource for fantasy owners who play in touchdown-heavy leagues. So let’s examine some rookies who may be able to contribute for fantasy owners this season.

Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions (First Round): The first tight end selected in the draft, Pettigrew should step right into the Lions’ lineup as a starter. The Oklahoma State product is known more for his prowess as a blocker than as a pass catcher, but as you can see in the graph to the right, the Lions need to find someone other than Calvin Johnson to throw to. Pettigrew possesses soft hands and his 6-foot-5 frame makes him a fitting target in the end zone. Fantasy owners shouldn’t expect huge overall numbers out of Pettigrew, but they should expect to see him take some trips into the end zone.

Chase Coffman, Cincinnati Bengals (Third Round): No tight end in college football history amassed more receptions (247) than Coffman did during his time at Missouri. Included in those 247 catches were 20 touchdowns, so Coffman clearly has a nose for the end zone. While not a Herculean specimen in terms of measureables, few tight ends in this draft class can match the pliability of Coffman’s hands. Though there are a number of tight ends on Cincinnati’s roster, none have proven to be as adept as a receiver as Coffman can be. He isn’t a proven blocker, so he won’t be an every-down player, but near the goal line, expect Carson Palmer to look his way.

Shawn Nelson, Buffalo Bills (Fourth Round): Like the Bengals, the Bills have a number of tight ends on the roster, but none that can match Nelson’s athletic ability. He has good speed for a tight end, and his hands are equally proficient. Coming out of Southern Miss, Nelson’s handicap is similar to Coffman’s in that he does not have the blocking ability to play every down, but he won’t need to in order to be effective. With Terrell Owens likely getting double-teamed inside the red zone, Nelson should be able to exploit defensive coverages with enough consistency to be on the receiving end of a number of Trent Edwards touchdown throws.

Cornelius Ingram, Philadelphia Eagles (Fifth Round): Only a torn ACL suffered before the 2008 season caused Ingram to drop to the fifth round. The Florida product will have as much opportunity as any rookie at the position because he should be the second tight end behind Brent Celek in Philly. Ingram has the ability to make big plays with his athletic ability, and he is a perfect fit in Andy Reid’s West Coast offense. The Eagles have too many other offensive options for fantasy owners to rely consistently on Ingram to find his way into the end zone, but he’ll still get his share of yards and catches.

There were 23 running backs selected in the NFL draft, but most fantasy owners are concentrating on the three who were chosen in the first round - Knowshon Moreno, Donald Brown and Chris Wells. Obviously, it’s justified to focus on those players as they will undoubtedly be thrust into action swiftly. But history says that there will be running backs outside of the top picks that will have an impact on fantasy owners. Last year, it was Steve Slaton, who was selected in the third round. In 2007, Selvin Young, who went undrafted, ran for over 700 yards with Denver. Maurice Jones-Drew was a second-round pick in 2006. In 2005, Frank Gore and Marion Barber made impacts as third- and fourth-round selections, respectively. So who will it be this season? Let’s take a look.

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles (Second Round): He’s the most obvious answer, and for good reason. The Eagles selected him in the second round knowing that star Brian Westbrook will soon be 30, and has an injury history - including recent ankle surgery - that reads longer than Homer’s Odyssey. McCoy has a skill set that compares favorably to Westbrook, so the Eagles would likely not have to adjust their offense when the former Pitt star is in the backfield. The fact that he is a good receiver is a bonus for fantasy owners, especially those in PPR leagues.

Shonn Greene, New York Jets (Third Round): Thomas Jones had a fantastic overall season for the Jets last year, but possibly started wearing down near the end. Jones ran for fewer than 80 yards in each of New York’s final four games, failed to average 4.0 yards per carry in any of the team’s final three tilts, and over their final two contests, didn’t have a run for more than eight yards. Enter Greene, the top pick of the third round. He’ll spell Jones, and should see a healthy number of carries, as Leon Washington will likely be used as a third-down back rather than Jones’ immediate backup. Greene is not efficient in the passing game, which hurts his value somewhat, but his physical style makes him a fit for goal-line carries.

Andre Brown, New York Giants (Fourth Round): With Derrick Ward off to Tampa, there is a gap in the trio that consisted of he, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw that was so cleverly named “Earth, Wind and Fire.” Brown doesn’t fit well into any of those categories; he’s the type who can do a little bit of everything. Though Bradshaw is expected to be the No. 2 back behind Jacobs, don’t be surprised if the Giants work Brown in the same way they did with Bradshaw last season in a three-back rotation.

James Davis, Cleveland Browns (Sixth Round): There’s a good reason that no current Cleveland back promotes excitement in the minds of fantasy owners. Jamal Lewis remains somewhat productive, but he’s seen a lot of carries over the years and last season, despite running for just over 1,000 yards, failed to amass a single 100-yard rushing game and averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. Davis very easily could have been a higher selection if not for a senior season at Clemson that was disastrous for everyone involved. Nonetheless, he ended his career as a Tiger with nearly 4,000 rushing yards and 49 total touchdowns. At the very least, he should challenge incumbent Jerome Harrison for the backup job.

As we continue our series which looks at the fantasy value of each NFL division’s quarterbacks, we tackle the AFC East, also known as the Home of Brady. But there are some other interesting options as well, so let’s examine the situations.

Buffalo Bills: Lackadaisical is a good word to describe the Buffalo passing offense last season, which came in at 22^nd in the NFL with exactly 190 passing yards per game, and 26^th in the league with just 14 passing touchdowns. Whether it was the fault of quarterback Trent Edwards or the offense the Buffalo coaching staff preferred to utilize doesn’t matter - there was little fantasy value to be taken from that aspect of the team. It seems likely that things will be different this season, now that the Bills have hitched their proverbial wagons to the Terrell Owens carriage. Due to this, many fantasy owners are expecting Edwards to take a step forward in fantasy value. He did post an excellent completion percentage of 65.5 last season, but his touchdown-to-interception rate was undistinguished, at 11 scores to 10 picks. Edwards has an exceptional all-around stable of wideouts to throw to, especially if 6-foot-5 second-year pro James Hardy can become what many believe he can. That said, Edwards is certainly worthy of being selected in fantasy drafts, though trusting him as anything more than a QB2 right now isn’t a particularly good idea.

Miami Dolphins: You think rising from the dead is impossible? Well look no further than Miami signal-caller Chad Pennington, and you’ll be proven wrong. He was tossed aside by the Jets after Brett Favre decided to come out of “retirement”, and the Dolphins quickly snatched him up. Shockingly, Pennington quickly rose to fantasy relevance, starting Week 1 with a two-touchdown, 250-yard performance against his former team. From there, Pennington continued to help fantasy owners, and wound up leading the NFL in completion percentage at 67.4, coming in second in the league with a QB rating of 97.4, ninth with 3,653 passing yards and 12^th with 19 scores. There is little reason to think Pennington will regress this season, but he’s still not in the top tier of fantasy quarterbacks. He’s more like a 1B type of option. Probably not someone you want to simply plug into your lineup, but certainly good enough to utilize on a semi-regular basis.

New England Patriots: He’s back. Though those words don’t excite fans of the Bills, Dolphins, or Jets, they certainly do Patriots fans and fantasy owners. Tom Brady will be back under center, and he’ll surely bring back abhorrent memories to fantasy owners who had him on their team in 2008. His knee injury in Week 1 changed the fantasy landscape last season, and although there was some respite for those who were smart enough to immediately pick up Matt Cassel, it wasn’t the same. One thing people hopefully do not expect with Brady’s comeback is another 50-touchdown season. It’s not happening. That was a once-in-a-lifetime season that won’t be repeated. Yet Brady still has excellent weapons at his disposal, and is a top-five fantasy quarterback, at the least.

New York Jets: Whoever the Jets quarterback is, he won’t be worthy of fantasy consideration. That much seems to be fairly certain. Kellen Clemens and Mark Sanchez will battle it out, with Sanchez presumably the winner. If you’re going to bring up how Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco did last season as rookies in defense of using Sanchez, don’t, as those were far different situations. Both had rushing offenses behind them that were in the top four in the NFL, and though the Jets figure to have a solid running game and Leon Washington had an excellent all-around season last year, remember that Thomas Jones is going to be 31, and Shonn Greene has yet to prove himself beyond one campaign in Iowa. So there remain a few question marks in that area. The Jets also do not have a deep stable of receivers for Sanchez to throw to. Jerricho Cotchery, but beyond that, second-year tight end Dustin Keller is their top threat. There’s something else to consider when talking about Ryan and Flacco - neither had years that would make fantasy owners swoon. Ryan was better than Flacco, with 3,440 passing yards and 16 scores, but neither mark was even in the top 12. Flacco had just 14 passing touchdowns and fewer than 3,000 passing yards, and both marks ranked just 20^th. But those are just two players. There are many more examples of quarterbacks who were top draft picks floundering during their rookie year, even if they went on to great success. Sanchez may turn out to be special, but leave him on the waiver wire during fantasy drafts this year.

By now, fantasy owners are all aware that high draft picks like Chris Wells and Michael Crabtree will have an impact on their leagues in the 2009 season. But what about some of the lesser-known players, guys that were drafted in later rounds that could also have an impact? Let’s take a look at some players selected in the fourth round on that fantasy owners should at least keep in mind.

- Shawn Nelson, TE, Buffalo Bills: Drafted with the 21^st pick in the fourth round, the Bills got themselves an athletic tight end with the ability to stretch the field. The former Southern Mississippi player could become a valuable target for quarterback Trent Edwards, though he may struggle to see the field early because he needs to improve on his blocking. Of course, there’s also one Terrell Owens to worry about, as he’ll undoubtedly demand the ball, and Buffalo also has an adept second wideout in Lee Evans. That said, Nelson is a talented pass-catcher with no one standing in his way on the Buffalo depth chart, which makes him a sleeper for fantasy owners.

- Austin Collie, WR, Indianapolis Colts: Selected just after Nelson with the 27^th pick in the fourth round, Collie finds himself in a great situation with Indianapolis. The former BYU wideout did nothing but produce during his college career, and he has a real opportunity to earn playing time behind Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez. Collie isn’t the speediest player, but he has good hands and will catch everything thrown his way. There’s enough offense to go around in Indy that Collie may see his share receptions on the other end of Peyton Manning’s passes.

- Cornelius Ingram, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles’ fifth-round pick, Ingram is now with a team that has a plethora of other pass-catching options, but not at the tight end position, as they let L.J. Smith go. Brent Celek will likely be the No. 1 tight end, and Matt Schobel is there, but he shouldn’t stand in the more talented Ingram’s way.

- James Davis, RB, Cleveland Browns: A sixth-round pick of the Browns, Davis could not have found himself in a better situation. Though there are a multitude of backs on Cleveland’s roster at the moment, none are so talented that they will push Davis aside. With a strong training camp, it’s possible Davis could start the year as a backup, and after that, who knows what could happen. The Browns will take offense anywhere they can get it, and Davis may be that source as the year progresses.

Parity is a word thrown around a lot when talking about the NFL, but there has never been a greater example than the AFC East this season. A year ago one could justify criticizing the division as the worst in the NFL. Composed of a juggernaut (New England - 16-0), a mediocre franchise (Buffalo - 7-9), and two teams with top five draft picks (New York - 4-12; Miami - 1-16), the distribution of talent within the division was downright pathetic.

But less than a year later, with three games remaining in a near complete regular season, there is a three-way tie for first place in the division with the Buffalo Bills trailing by two games. Consider: one year ago the difference in wins between the winning-est team and losing-est team in the division was 15. This season, at least at this point, it’s 2. That’s the power of free agency, the draft, injuries, and a dash of luck or fate for good measure.

So what’s next for the East’s three contenders (Buffalo is eliminated from division discussion)? Glad you asked. (Before we proceed, please forgive me if I misstep in my understanding of the NFL’s tiebreaking procedures.)

First, let’s point out the tight race within the division does not necessarily translate to great individual team strength. Indeed, if the season ended today, only the New York Jets would make the postseason, while the two Wild Cards would come from other divisions - specifically, the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts (both 9-4). The fact only one team in the three-way tie could make the postseason makes the race within the division infinitely more important.

Let’s start with New York, which holds the tie-breaker, a 3-1 record against other AFC East rivals (both the Patriots and Dolphins are 3-2), that will most likely decide the division. The Jets gave Tennessee its one loss this season three weeks ago, but has since lost two consecutive games by significant margins of 10 and 17 points. Just when the New York Bretts appeared to be getting red hot at the right time, the team suddenly cooled off against the Broncos, who were otherwise on a slide, and 49ers, who have been regressing since 2006, and now looks shakier than ever.

The interesting news is this: as pointed out earlier, the Jets have been more successful in the division than either New England or Miami but have also played fewer games. Two of New York’s final three games are at home against division opponents Buffalo and Miami. In what might be the ultimate tiebreaker, the Dolphins travel to New York week 17. Even if the Jets have one more win at that point after winning weeks 15 and 16, the Dolphins would hold the new tiebreaker with a better record in common games (because the two teams could have identical records against AFC East opponents).

Alright, so that’s the race between Miami and New York in a nutshell. But what about the Patriots, which are technically second in the division right now? Unlike New York (and like Miami), New England does not control its own fate. Because the Patriots do not have a tiebreaker over New York and does not play a game against either Miami or New York, they cannot win the division by simply “winning out.” If New York wins out, it wins the division.

The good news for fans from Foxborough or Miami Beach is this: because the Jets have two division games remaining, losing one will push it to a similar record in comparison with either/both the ‘Phins and Pats.

Am I overcomplicating things? Yeah, probably. Honestly, odds are pretty good there will be an outright winner. But this is the fun of watching the NFL as the regular season comes to its conclusion: anything can happen. Just consider: three weeks ago we thought the Jets were moving to the forefront of the Super Bowl discussion - they’ve since lost back-to-back games; not long before that, the Dolphins had a losing record (3-4) - they’ve since won 5-of-6; and prior to that the Patriots’ season was considered lost because its star quarterback was out for the season. Certainly, things have changed, and no doubt they will continue to do so over the next three weeks.

The Lowdown

Hasselbeck is out, the Dolphins are hot, and this game could wind up a blowout favoring the Dolphins. Miami is within one game in the AFC East and on a two-game win streak, while the Seahawks have one road win this season (and another victory at home).

Love ‘em

Seneca Wallace - SEA - QB - Wallace has filled in admirably while Hasselbeck has been MIA. The 28-year old quarterback has passed for 391 yards and 3 touchdowns (with no interceptions) in his last two starts and should see at least a little more success against the Dolphins, who rank 26th in pass defense.

Ronnie Brown - MIA - RB - It’s hard to love a back that has scored just once in his last three games, but there’s good reason to be looking forward to this week: the Seahawks can’t stop anything. And it’s consoling to know that the team’s Brown failed to score against - Baltimore and Buffalo - have pretty darn good defenses, a luxary Mike Holmgren’s squad lacks.

Hate ‘em

Julius Jones - SEA - RB - It’s hard to post good numbers in a RBBC system with two other healthy backs, and Jones has disappointed fantasy owners most of the season. He hasn’t carried for more than 61 yards or scored a touchdown since the Seahawks week 4 bye, and the Dolphins are solid against the run.

Greg Camarillo - MIA - WR - Ignoring his 111-yard performance at Denver last week, let’s just look at what he did before that. Nothing? Okay. He has one touchdown reception this season and was averaging 53 yards per game before Denver.

The Lowdown

The AFC East has the tightest division race in the NFL, but this game could see one team jump to an outright lead. Buffalo is coming off two consecutive division losses, while the Patriots lost a tough one against Indianapolis last week.

Love ‘em

Wes Welker - NE - WR - I love Wes Welker, but there is a caveat: if you’re not in a PPR league, stay away. Welker has just one touchdown reception this season, but the fact that he’s had at least 6 receptions in every game this season makes me a fan. That many receptions usually translates to at least 50 yards, despite his role as the pure “possession receiver.”

Lee Evans - BUF - WR - If Trent Edwards throws a touchdown pass, there’s a pretty good chance Lee Evens will be on the receiving end. In any event, Evans has finished 6 games with more than 75 receiving yards and 3 with more than 100. He’s the Bills’ best receiver and a big-play target.

Hate ‘em

Trent Edwards - BUF - QB - Buffalo has scored 73 points in its last four games, an average of about 18 per game. Edwards has just 6 touchdown passes this season, and he hasn’t had a multiple touchdown game yet this season. And, just to be safe, let me point out that New England hasn’t allowed 20+ points in its last three games.

Most of Either Teams’ Running Backs - BOTH - RBs - Neither team has a lot of luck running the ball and both have committee systems in place. Marshawn Lynch has been mostly ineffective this season, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, while New England’s Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis (who might just be worth starting because he’s been scoring) have been splitting carries 50-50. If you want to start one, go with Green-Ellis because he’s scored in every game he’s played and he’s rushed for at least 50 yards in two of his last three games. Otherwise, avoid this position.

Summary

Indianapolis earned a much-needed win over the Patriots, 18-15, to improve to 4-4 and remain alive in its postseason hunt. New England lost its third game of the season and is now tied with New York and Buffalo for a share of the AFC East division lead. New England controlled the ball for much of the game (over 34 minutes, thanks to four drives that lasted at least 7:45), but two fourth quarter turnovers (on its only two possessions of the quarter) led to Indianapolis’ go-ahead field goal and the game’s conclusion.

When New England had the Ball

Matt Cassel completed 25-of-34 attempts for 204 yards and one interception. That interception proved to be the game’s biggest game-changer, as it occurred on 4th and 15 and gave Indianapolis the ball with 4:40 remaining. Manning drove the Colts down the field for the go-ahead field goal. This was the third game this season that Matt Cassel did not throw a touchdown pass.

Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis were both relatively effective running the ball, combining to carry the ball 25 times for 117 yards and 1 touchdown. Faulk rushed 10 times for 60 yards, while Green-Ellis picked up the only touchdown of the game for New England. Faulk also had 5 receptions for 38 yards.

Randy Moss led the Patriots with 6 receptions for 65 yards, while Wes Welker finished with 7 receptions for 37 yards. Welker has caught at least 6 passes in every game this season and has 56 receptions on the year. Moss has had at least 5 receptions in each of the last three weeks.

When Indianapolis had the Ball

Peyton Manning appeared much more Peyton Manning-ish than he had in recent weeks, completing 21-of-29 for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns. He now has over 2,000 passing yards this season and has thrown for at least 200 passing yards in every game this season. He has failed to throw a touchdown pass in just one game this season and has thrown at least 2 touchdowns in four of his past five starts.

Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes were relatively inneffective in the game, carrying 21 times for 47 yards. Neither had a carry greater than 5 yards and their combined yard per carry average was a paltry 2.2. Addai added 2 receptions for 10 yards, finishing the day with 42 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches.

Four Colts players had at least 4 receptions: Reggie Wayne (5), Dallas Clark (4), Anthony Gonzalez (4), and Marvin Harrison (4). All four also had at least 50 receiving yards, but Anthony Gonzalez was the only player who caught a Manning touchdown pass - he had 2.

Where the Teams Now Stand

New England is 5-3 and tied with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets for a share of the AFC East division lead, one game ahead of the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots next game is at home against Buffalo.

Indianapolis is 4-4 and in second place in the AFC South, 4 games behind the undefeated Tennessee Titans. The Colts play at Pittsburgh next week.

Summary

Miami defeated Denver, 26-20, to improve to 4-4 and remain close to the rest of the competition in the AFC East. Denver fell to 4-4 and has lost four of its last five games, but the team is still in first place in the weak AFC West, a game ahead of the San Diego Chargers. The Broncos’ offensive weaknesses continue to surface while Ronnie Brown and the Dolphins appear to be getting stronger every week of the season.

When Miami had the Ball

Chad Pennington completed 23-of-40 for 281 yards and threw one interception, Miami’s only turnover on the day. Pennington’s pick was negated, however, when Jay Cutler threw his third interception of the game. Denver snapped a four game touchdown streak for Pennington, who has 7 this season.

Ronnie Brown carried the ball 20 times for 59 yards and 1 touchdown. Most of his yards came on a 30 yard scamper, which left him averaging 1.5 yards on his other 19 carries. He added 3 receptions for 30 yards to put his total yards from scrimmage up to 89 on the day. Ricky Williams managed just 16 yards on his 6 carries, but was able to improve his overall yardage with his one reception, a 23 yard catch.

Greg Camarillo, who had 32 receptions going into this game, improved his numbers greatly with an 11-catch game. Those 11 grabs yielded him 111 yards and he now has 483 on the season. He was the only player on the team with more than 3 receptions.

When Denver had the Ball

Jay Cutler completed 24-of-46 pass attempts for 307 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in another rought outing. He has thrown at least one interception in six of his last seven starts and at least one touchdown pass in every game he has played this season. He also has four 300-yard games this season, but his passer rating has dipped below 80 in four of his last five starts; in his other four starts his rating has been above 93.

Denver’s running game was noticably absent again this week as the team’s attempted to run the ball just 11 times in the game. That yielded 10 yards from the team’s running backs, most of which came on Andre Hall’s only carry: a 7 yard run. Michael Pittman carried 7 times for 4 yards and added 21 yards on 2 receptions.

Fullback Peyton Hillis was the team’s star receiver in this game, after having just one reception for four yards prior to it. He hauled in 7 receptions for 116 yards and 1 touchdown in this game, leading or tying any of his teammates in all three categories. Eddie Royal accounted for 7 receptions for 69 yards and 1 touchdown. Hillis and Royal were the only players on the team with more than 2 receptions.

Where the Teams Now Stand

Miami is 4-4 and in fourth place in the AFC East, a game behind Buffalo (5-3) and New York (5-3) and one-and-one-half games behind New England (5-2). The Dolphins play at home against Seattle next week.

Denver is 4-4 and on top of the AFC West, a game ahead of San Diego (3-5). The Broncos play at Cleveland Thursday.