All Jay Fiedler, a tough and resilient kid from Long Island, has done as a Dolphin is win almost twice as many games as he’s lost. That alone should earn you enough respect so that you’re not yanked from the starting lineup 30 minutes into a brand-new season.
Still, Fiedler’s 35-18 record as Miami’s starting quarterback earned him as much leash as a ferocious pit bull being walked down a sidewalk in South Beach on a crowded Saturday.
Thirty minutes into a Dolphins’ 2004 season that already was on life support with the sudden quitting of franchise running back Ricky Williams and devastating season-ending injury to No. 1 receiver David Boston – with Miami losing 7-0 to Tennessee – Fiedler had the chain around his neck yanked by panicky head coach Dave Wannstedt.
He was benched in favor of off-season acquisition A.J. Feeley, who came to Miami in the offseason with a very incomplete resume.
“I was surprised, I was disappointed,” Fiedler told The Post, looking back on the low point of his NFL career in a phone interview from Miami. “You could use a number of adjectives to describe the way I was feeling at the time, but I also had to [keep my head] in the game, because you never know if the other guy gets hurt.”
Or performs poorly.
Such was the case for Feeley, who lasted two games before Wannstedt, desperately seeking lightning in a bottle to turn his moribund 0-3 team around, went back to Fiedler for tomorrow’s game against the Jets.
“There was definitely a good amount of frustration,” Fiedler said of the benching. “I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing in the first half, but I also realized that it was only 7-0 and there have been a number of games I’ve played down here and was able to come back from halftime deficits – even when I had a bad first half.”
The irony of Fiedler’s existence is that Miami fans, who only three weeks ago were calling for his job, are clamoring for his return. It’s always been that way for him, though.
Following Dan Marino, he’s never been embraced by Miami fans who seem to forget that, despite his prolific numbers, Marino never led the team to a Super Bowl title, either.
Fiedler, who conceded in a rather gross understatement, “I have my fair share of detractors down here,” can be nothing but amused by the fans’ wishy-washy reaction to him.
“That’s dynamic any time a team struggles,” he said. “The next guy in line is the most popular choice. I’ve been injured here and certain people and fans were happy about that until another guy comes in and isn’t successful and all of a sudden they’re asking me, ‘When can you come back?’
“That’s been the roller- coaster I’ve lived since I got here.”
Now Fiedler not only has a chance to resurrect the Dolphins’ season but cement his name on that starting job again.
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Jets’ LT Jason Fabini was downgraded to questionable yesterday after missing his third consecutive practice with back spasms.
If he can’t play or has to be replaced, former Dolphin Brent Smith will play. It’s a tough place for an injury, considering that Miami DE Jason Taylor has had great success against Fabini and the Jets.
Look for the Jets to keep a lot of help on that side in the way of a TE, FB or RB to protect Chad Pennington.