Well, that may be a stretch. But Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy’s mastery over the Dolphins didn’t mean a lot Sunday.
Since 1988, Buffalo had been 17-5 against Don Shula’s Dolphins, including 3-0 in playoff games.
But Jimmy Johnson is now running the show in Miami. Sunday’s loss dropped Levy to 1-3 against Johnson. Two of those losses came in Super Bowls when Johnson guided the Dallas Cowboys.
NUMBERS
Washington’s Terry Allen fell three games short of the NFL record of 13 consecutive games with at least one rushing touchdown. The mark is shared by former Redskins John Riggins and George Rogers. . . . With Sunday’s victory, Steelers coach Bill Cowher improved to 8-1 against Cincinnati’s David Shula since the two coaches were hired in 1992. Shula is 19-51, a near-reversal of Cowher’s 51-26 record. . . . The Bengals haven’t had a 100-yard rusher in 55 games since Harold Green’s 190-yard game on Dec. 20, 1992.
Mike Tomczak is 5-0 as a starter this season, and the Steelers QB is 10-2 in his last 12 starts. . . . Minnesota is 3-7 in its last 10 games played outdoors. . . . Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas scored his 58th career rushing touchdown in the third quarter, breaking O.J. Simpson’s team record of 57. Thomas had his best rushing game of the season, carrying 16 times for 85 yards, and now has 10,121 in his career. He is 11th on the all-time rushing list, 62 yards behind Simpson.
UNUSUAL INJURY
Jeff George isn’t the only quarterback to go to the bench because of June Jones this season. The Atlanta Falcons coach had an unusual role in an injury suffered by Houston’s Chris Chandler on Sunday.
Chandler was injured with 1 minute 13 seconds remaining in the first half in Atlanta when he attempted to run for a first down and tumbled out of bounds into Jones.
The coach landed hard on his head and left shoulder, but he was OK. Chandler, however, limped off to the locker room with a pulled groin muscle, and Steve McNair went the rest of the way for the Oilers.
Houston coach Jeff Fisher said Chandler is questionable for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh at the Astrodome.
OTHER INJURIES
Jets center David Alexander was lost for the year when he sprained his left knee early in the second quarter at Jacksonville. The Jets already were missing six starters because of injuries, and 11 starters have missed a combined 16 games.
St. Louis cornerback Torin Dorn was knocked woozy in a head-on collision with Rams linebacker Roman Phifer while they were attempting to make a tackle. Dorn stayed on the bench for the rest of the game at Carolina.
St. Louis rookie quarterback Tony Banks left the same game after suffering a bruised right (throwing) elbow after a blitz by Carolina’s Chad Cota.
Other injuries of note: Cardinals C Mike Devlin (sprained right knee); Oilers KR Mel Gray (dislocated finger); Steelers G Brenden Stai (injured left arm); Bucs WR Robb Thomas (dehydration); Vikings S Corey Fuller (dehydration); Giants RBs Keith Elias (sprained ankle) and Tyrone Wheatley (sprained knee); Ravens DEs Dan Footman (fractured right forearm) and Rob Burnett (sprained knee); Colts FB Zack Crockett (injured knee during pregame warmups).
NOT QUITE BRYAN COX
“If I was on the outside looking in, I would rip this team,” said Atlanta receiver Terance Mathis, who had two fourth-quarter touchdown receptions for the Falcons (0-6). “I’m tired of going in there on Monday and the coach saying, `We did some good things, I saw some improvement, we played hard–but.’ When are guys going to get tired of that `but?’ “
