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'A tough break' Dolphins' Fiedler out at least a month after thumb surgeryPosted: Monday October 14, 2002 4:07 PM
MIAMI (Ticker) -- The Miami Dolphins are tied for the best record in the NFL, but will be without quarterback Jay Fiedler for at least a month. Fiedler suffered a broken right thumb with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's thrilling 24-22 win against the Denver Broncos and is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday afternoon. "It's hard to approximate bone healing, but I feel comfortable to say that he [Fiedler] will be out a minimum of a month," said Dolphins trainer Kevin O'Neill at Monday's media briefing. "Beyond that, there will be a week-to-week evaluation." Ray Lucas, a seventh-year player in his second season as Miami's backup, will start this weekend when the Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills. He started nine games in 1999 with the New York Jets. "I expect Ray [Lucas] to come in and continue running the ship just like I did," said Fiedler, who completed two passes for 39 yards to set up the winning 53-yard field goal by Olindo Mare with 6 seconds left in Sunday night's win. If Fiedler is sidelined a month, he will miss just three games since the Dolphins have a bye Oct. 27. After that, they have road games at Green Bay and the New York Jets. With Lucas starting, Sage Rosenfels, who was acquired from Washington during the preseason, moves up to the backup role. Fiedler, 30, broke the thumb when he banged it off a helmet after completing a 5-yard pass to running back Ricky Williams. "It happened in the second-to-last drive on a throw to Ricky in the flat," Fiedler said. "I came down on a helmet and felt something loose in there, but I was still able to grip and throw." Despite the injury, Fiedler came out for Miami's last possession after Jason Elam boomed a 55-yard field goal to give Denver a 22-21 lead with 45 seconds remaining. After two incomplete passes, Fiedler faced a third down play with 29 seconds left and fired a 17-yard pass over the middle to rookie tight end Randy McMichael. Fiedler was fortunate on his next pass, which was tipped by Broncos linebacker John Mobley into the hands of Dolphins receiver Dedric Ward for a 22-yard gain to the Denver 35 with 11 seconds left, setting up Mare's winning kick. The win gave the Dolphins (5-1) a two-game lead in the AFC East over New England and Buffalo. But Fiedler's injury tempered the elation for head coach Dave Wannstedt. "It's a tough break for Jay. He certainly showed everybody what kind of quarterback he is," Wannstedt said.
Fiedler has completed 112-of-176 passes for 1,289 yards and nine touchdowns with six interceptions this season.
© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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