Dolphins have rarely come up short

On Sunday, they face a Miami Dolphins team that has two of the AFC's most proficient players on third and 1 -- quarterback Jay Fiedler and running back Ricky Williams. The former is 4 of 4 on third and 1, and the latter has converted 8 of 9, trailing only Kansas City running back Priest Holmes's 14 conversions.

Moreover, the Dolphins lead the AFC in red zone defense at 28.6 percent, and are fifth in the AFC in red zone offense at 54.8 percent. They lead the NFL in fourth-down defense efficiency, as their opponents have converted just one fourth down in 10 tries.

Offensively, they've converted 2 of 4 fourth-down tries.

"It's kind of unusual for one team to be at the top of the league on short-yardage offense and defense," said Belichick. "The Dolphins haven't given up 50 percent conversions on third down and 1 this year. They're stopping [opponents] a lot, and converting [third down and 1] almost every time.

"They nailed us twice [on third and 1] in the first game," said Belichick, referring to the Patriots' overtime victory in Miami Oct. 19. "They're stopping everybody. You think you can make a yard, but it's hard to make one."

Still, the Patriots have also been effective on converting third and 1. Running back Antowain Smith is 3 for 3 while Mike Cloud is 3 for 5.

No running joke

Belichick said while there's room for improvement in the running game, he has seen progress in many areas. Currently, the Patriots are averaging 98.4 yards on the ground per game. Of the team's 224 first downs, 65 have been picked up via the ground. "The blocking has at times been better than others," the coach said. "The one thing we haven't had statistically is that we haven't had a lot of negative plays in the running game. Now, we've had some, but compared to other teams, compared to league average, we're not losing as many yards." As a team, New England averages 3.4 rushing yards a carry, while its opponents average 3.6 yards. "We're not having bad plays, not cutting guys loose in the backfield, not getting overpowered," the coach added. "At the same time, we would like our yards-per-carry average to be higher than it is. You want to eliminate the negative plays. You would like to create bigger running lanes for the backs, and, at the same time, the backs have to make some yards on their own." . . . Belichick said recent acquisition J.J. Stokes is steadily getting acclimated to the offense. "He's very professional," Belichick said. "He's a smart guy, he's an experienced guy. He wants to get everything right and he's done a pretty good job out there catching the ball." . . . Linebacker Mike Vrabel is still questionable for Sunday as he battles the flu . . . Miami linebacker Zach Thomas is questionable after twisting a hip muscle at Wednesday's practice . . . With a victory Sunday, Miami would secure its seventh consecutive winning season and its 11th in 12 years.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.