Konrad taking the lead

Reminded of the incident, Konrad said, "I couldn't care less what Bryan Cox says. I've blocked for an 1,800-yard rusher in Ricky Williams. He's gone over 1,000 yards again. I think that speaks for itself."

Indeed it does.

If Cox were commenting on Konrad now he would likely have a different view. How could you not? The 6-foot-3-inch, 240-pound former Syracuse star is a vital part of the Dolphins' running game. If you've watched the Dolphins this season, you can't help but notice Konrad's lead blocking. He's also caught 14 passes for 157 yards.

"I'm a little taller than most fullbacks, so for me, leverage being a big part of your ability to block well, I had to really work on my technique." said Konrad. "I've worked hard watching film and work on what I need to do to certain guys to block them effectively. I never had to block at Syracuse. That wasn't my role. But coming to the NFL, it's something I had to learn to do."

And Williams is thankful for that.

Konrad and Williams are very close. Williams often credits his offensive line, but Konrad is a big part of Williams's success.

"For a while there, our entire offense just wasn't clicking," said Konrad. "I broke a finger and had surgery in preseason, and missed the start of the year. We lost [quarterback] Jay [Fiedler] and we just went through a spell there where we couldn't do anything. I think when Jay came into the game against Washington and sparked that win, that really gave our entire offense a jolt. It got Ricky going. We got the ball into Chris Chambers's hands more, and our entire team had a confidence boost."

To say that Konrad loves coming to New England is an understatement. In fact, he wanted to play here this season. He thought he had a visit scheduled in the offseason, but then heard the Patriots were courting Richie Anderson. When it appeared New England was on the verge of signing Anderson, Konrad decided not to risk his chance to stay in Miami and signed a three-year deal. Anderson subsequently signed with Dallas.

There was some hard feelings between Konrad and Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli for a while, but that died out. In their last meeting in Miami, a 19-13 Patriots overtime win, Konrad was still sidelined with a broken finger, yet he understood how much the game hurt his teammates.

"There are two games -- that one and the Houston game, both at home -- games we should have won that have really left a lasting hurt on us," Konrad said, "We could be 10-2 now. There's no sense looking back, and it's not really revenge we feel, we just know [tomorrow] this is the biggest game in the AFC East this year."

Konrad grew up in North Andover, and played his high school football and plenty of his college football in the cold and snow. This weekend's ominous forecast is no big deal for him. It shouldn't be a problem for Fiedler, who played at Dartmouth. And Konrad's other backfield mate, Williams, seems to thrive in rough field conditions.

"For me, it's overblown," Konrad said. "All of that stuff is. The record in December. All that stuff. You can't carry stuff over from one year to the next. Teams are different. Players are different. Situations are different. I love playing in nasty weather and maybe that's just the little kid playing in the mud mentality I have. But the reason we got Ricky was for us to become an all-weather team. He gained over 180 yards in that game last December in Foxborough."

Konrad certainly respects the Patriots' defense and all of the schemes it utilizes. Part of his job is to pick up New England's various blitz packages.

"They've got guys like Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel who line up as defensive ends and linebackers and they create mismatches with tight ends and running backs trying to block them," Konrad said. "They have a bunch of guys who can do different things. Ted Washington has been a huge acquisition for them because he ties up two or three guys and takes up both A gaps."

The Dolphins arrive in Foxborough full of confidence. Fiedler has earned the respect of his teammates, who have faith that he can do the job.

"Jay is a guy who can do a lot of things. He's not 6-5, 6-6 like Drew [Bledsoe] with a rocket arm. He's not Michael Vick, either, but he's an excellent athlete and you have to respect his ability to run with the ball," said Konrad.

Scouts have taken notice that Fiedler has more zip on his passes this year. "Jay would never admit this, but he broke his hand last year and I know it had to have an effect on him. I know after breaking a bone in my hand, it kills. I think Jay has recovered fully and he's able to feel the ball better," Konrad said.

Good weather or bad, Konrad expects to be a force tomorrow, whether it's blocking for Williams, catching passes, or rushing the ball.

"We all have to play our best," Konrad said. "The Patriots are in front of us. We've played them tough, but not well enough to beat them."