| Griese looks for respect as Fiedler rests BY ARMANDO SALGUERO [email protected] For the numbing medical terminology why Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler has been told to miss tonight's preseason opener against Tampa Bay, tune in a little later. The football terminology is much more direct. It goes something like this: The preseason doesn't count. ''If I don't play, I'll miss 10 plays of the preseason,'' Fiedler said Friday, after he missed his second day of practice with what the team describes as back and muscle spasms. ''Jay will do whatever he thinks is right, but I don't think he's playing,'' said agent Brian Levy, who represents Fiedler. ``I told him the smart decision for him is not to play. No way, no how, no chance.'' If Fiedler listens to his agent, this game likely will be backup quarterback Brian Griese's best opportunity of the preseason to take the starting offense for a test drive. ''It's good to get some timing with them and for them to know me a little bit even if it's just for a day or two so that I can be ready to come in at some point in time during the season,'' Griese said. ``I'm out here to try to prove myself to the guys on this team and earn their respect and earn the respect of the people of Miami again.'' Fiedler is apparently suffering from mild sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The sacroiliac or SI joint basically connects the spine to the hips. There are muscles and ligaments that surround and attach to the SI joint in the front and back, all of which can be the cause of pain and inflammation if the joints are in dysfunction. ''It's not a disk problem,'' Fiedler said. ``It's more located around the SI joint. It's a little out of alignment, which caused some muscle spasms.'' Fiedler said he felt better Friday than he did Thursday when he first hurt himself. He said he has undergone treatment involving heat, ice and stretching. ''I'm optimistic this isn't a major thing,'' Fiedler said. ``A day or two off and I should be back by next week. If this were the regular season, I would be able to go. No doubt in my mind.'' Coach Dave Wannstedt was stung by his team's 2-4 record in games Fiedler didn't start because of injury last season. Backup Ray Lucas, who had completed 68 percent of his passes in the preseason, was ineffective during the regular season and eventually was cut after the season. Griese was signed June 9, a week after being released by Denver. ''This is why I did it,'' Wannstedt said. ``You want to get as many good football players as you can, no matter what position they play, because things do happen.'' Fiedler and Griese are aware moments such as these -- with the starter sitting and the backup playing -- can be a recipe for quarterback duels. Dolphins fans were expecting such a duel when Griese was signed in the offseason. But with Fiedler playing so well during training camp and Griese admitting he has ''a long way to go'' to find a comfort level with offensive coordinator Norv Turner's scheme, no such duel has materialized. But if Griese draws on the experience of his 51 NFL starts and shines against the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers tonight, the specter of a duel will hover over the Dolphins. ''No matter what was going to happen there would be talk about it,'' Fiedler said. ``No matter if only he plays or we both play. I don't think it's going to be any different.'' Griese, meanwhile, dismissed the subject with some inarguable logic. ''I think the same thing happened last year with Ray Lucas didn't it?'' Griese asked rhetorically. ``So that's how much the preseason matters.'' |