Joey Porter Still Needs a Hug

Ouch. FOXSports.com senior NFL writer Alex Marvez has a scathing column describing Joey Porter as a “thug” and “this season’s biggest free-agent bust.”

Worse, Marvez’s column follows the release by Fox’s Jay Glazer of a videotape purportedly showing Porter’s beat-down of the Cincy Bengals' Levi Jones at a Las Vegas casino last March. Ugly stuff.

The Steelers’ decision to let Porter test free agency was a no-brainer all along, and it looks better and better with each passing day. No offense, Joey.

By stark contrast, Miami’s front office (led by general manager Randy Mueller) looks worse and worse as the season unfolds with the Dolphins still winless after six losses. First, they signed an aging and in-decline Porter to prop up an aging and in-decline defense.

Then, to continue a recent history of poor drafting, the Dolphins way overspent the ninth overall pick in April’s draft on Ted Ginn Jr. They followed up that mistake by releasing quarterback Daunte Culpepper, now starting in Oakland, and signing the (brain) injury-prone Trent Green – with Cleo Lemon, for cryin' out loud, as the primary backup. Lemon, of course, is now the starter in wake of Green’s latest, potentially career-ending concussion.

Meanwhile, former Dolphins Sammie Morris, Heath Evans and Wes Welker are all making significant contributions to the 6-0 New England Patriots, and Welker’s eye-popping performance yesterday in Dallas punctuated what has already been a stellar season for him.

As for Joey Porter, his longtime foil/nemesis Kellen Winslow II had the last word after finishing yesterday's game with five catches for 90 yards in helping the Browns defeat the Dolphins.

Winslow, whom Porter has insulted repeatedly on and off the field, asked reporters, "Did he play today? I didn't see him."

Ouch.

Flying High

New England 48, Dallas 27. So, yesterday’s "game of the year" -- Patriots vs. Cowboys -- really wasn’t. The game of the year, that is.

That team from New England? Yeah, they're pretty good.

From the New York Daily News:

"The Patriots (6-0) have scored at least 34 points in every game this year and with 21 TD passes in six games, Brady is on pace to smash Manning's record of 49 TD passes in a single season.”

Brady's touchdown-to-interception ratio is 21-2.

Watching the Patriots dismantle the Cowboys in Dallas, one couldn’t help but wonder if the Patriots have any weaknesses. Sheer talent? Nope, not an issue. Hubris and overconfidence? Apparently not. Offensive line? Nope. Quarterback? Absurd. The defense? Nah.
Coaching? Very funny. The defense offense defense Patriots always seem to know what plays the opposition is running next (wink, wink).

Dallas’s secondary has been weak for a long time now, but still … the Patriots’ receivers look unstoppable, especially with that quarterback, behind that offensive line. Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth on the outside are more than enough, and then you have to account for slot receiver Wes Welker, who caught 11 passes yesterday for 124 yards and two touchdowns. And he's a terrific kick returner.

The Patriots’ matchup with the Super Bowl Champion Colts in a few weeks should be interesting, but right now the Patriots really do look unstoppable. Of course, that’s what people were saying about the Colts two years ago when a certain team from western Pennsylvania went on to win the Super Bowl. That was only two years ago? Wow, it seems a lot longer.

Dissa 'n Datta

• New England acquired Wes Welker from Miami on March 5 in exchange for second-round (60th overall) and seventh- round selections (238th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft. With the 60^th pick of the draft, the Dolphins selected Samson Satele, center, Hawaii. Satele has started all six games for the Dolphins this season. With the 238^th pick, the Dolphins selected Abraham Wright, defensive end, Colorado. Wright apparently is not on the Miami roster.
  
• The Dolphins are 0-6, by the way, after losing to the Cleveland Browns yesterday.
• Speaking of the NFL draft and the Brownies, do ya think maybe Cleveland fans are maybe wishing their team had drafted Adrian Peterson with the draft’s third overall pick in April?
• Give Romeo Crennel’s squad credit, though. At 3-3, they look respectable, and first pick Joe Thomas could be a stalwart tackle in the league for years.
  
• Still, Adrian Peterson, man, Cleveland fans have gotta be thinking he’d look good in a Browns uniform about now. Peterson, who had 224 yards and three touchdowns, looked like he was channeling Gale Sayers during the game against the Bears yesterday.
  
• Why does anybody kick to Devin Hester?
• The Bengals? Pee-yoo! The Bungles stink out loud.