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The Dolphins will have to wait another week to shed the underdog label.
That should be OK with them, considering how well they've worn the tag lately.
But Miami's players figured back-to-back wins against New England ( a 13-point favorite) and San Diego (a seven-point favorite) would give the 2-2 Dolphins the edge Sunday at 0-4 Houston.
Instead, Miami opened as a three-point underdog Monday.
That's just as well, said linebacker Akin Ayodele, who knows that the Dolphins have to avoid falling into a trap against a desperate Texans club.
"It's going to be important we understand what we're facing, how hungry this team is going to be to get a victory against us," he said.
With back-to-back wins for the first time since November 2006, the Dolphins are victory-starved no longer. That doesn't mean they're close to satisfied. Guard Justin Smiley said coach Tony Sparano "is going to make it really tough for us to drink the Kool-Aid.
"We know that one day you're on top, the next day you're on the bottom. That's the way it is in this league."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/10/06/dolphins07.html