Fantastic Four: Reserves had a common bond

They weren't interested in stealing any scenes, but wideout/ kick returner Kevin Kasper, rookie cornerback Randall Gay, rookie safety Dexter Reid, and running back Rabih Abdullah weren't exactly part of the background, either.

Each made a meaningful contribution to help the Patriots extend their winning streak to an NFL-record 19 games, including postseason, with a triumph over the winless Dolphins (0-5) before a Gillette Stadium sellout of 68,756.

"It just means a lot and it just adds to the camaraderie on the team," said Abdullah, who scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in his seventh year in the league on a 1-yard plunge to give the Patriots a 24-7 lead with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

"I mean, I just got here," said Abdullah, a 6-foot, 225-pounder who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Lehigh. He signed with Tampa Bay, where he spent four seasons before landing in Chicago for two seasons and, eventually, signing with the Patriots last month. "But as soon as I got here, I just noticed how together everybody was as a team and how everybody worked hard together and studied and just prepared for the game as a team.

"I just wanted to be a good player and I just wanted to be able to contribute here."

Abdullah sounded a familiar refrain echoed yesterday by his teammates on the supporting cast.

Signed earlier this week to help the Patriots shore up their injury-riddled receiving corps and bolster their special teams, Kasper was the first to make a contribution when he fielded the opening kickoff and, without any hesitation, returned it 21 yards.

"I'm a kickoff returner and I've got to get the ball and get upfield," said Kasper, who was rescued from his desert exile in Chandler, Ariz., when the Patriots called him last week to conduct a workout. "It's not the first time I've done a kickoff return, it's an exciting stadium to play in, and I was just glad that I was out there and had the opportunity to play."

It may hardly have registered a blip on the radar, but, with speedy returner Bethel Johnson inactive (coaches' decision) and receivers Troy Brown (shoulder) and Deion Branch (knee) nursing injuries, Kasper's contribution did not go unnoticed by Patriot Nation.

"When I'm out there, I just try to give 110 percent each and every play," said Kasper, who spent time in Denver, Seattle, and, most recently, Arizona, where he was waived Sept. 5 after playing in seven games with the Cardinals last season. "Again, it's just great to get the opportunity to play with these guys. It's all about the opportunity, and it's all about that these guys are great guys and to come here and be a part of this is just great."

Gay, the only player to make the roster as an undrafted rookie free agent, and Reid, a fourth-round pick, were of the same sentiment after each recorded a career first in yesterday's game, both coming at the expense of Miami quarterback Jay Fiedler.

Gay intercepted a Fiedler pass intended for Derrius Thompson and returned it 10 yards to the Miami 30 to help set up New England's first touchdown, a 1-yard Tom Brady pass to tight end Daniel Graham. Reid recorded his first fumble recovery when he pounced on Rodney Harrison's forced fumble against Fiedler at the Miami 48.

"First of all, I was just running to Fiedler and I saw Rodney make a great hit on him and I just happened to be in the area of the ball," Reid said. "So, I mean, all the credit has to go Rodney for causing the fumble. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to recover it."

Reid's recovery led to New England's final touchdown, a 1-yard plunge by Abdullah, who found himself in the game after Corey Dillon pulled up after making a bullish 36-yard run to the Miami 4.

Abdullah, who hadn't scored a touchdown since his college days against Patriot League rival Lafayette, entered the game with just one thought: Don't fumble.

"Of course, that's the kind of stuff that's going through your mind," Abdullah said. "I was just very excited and I was just concentrating on protecting the football and just trying to get the necessary yardage to get the touchdown."

Was his first career TD all the more meaningful because it came in a game that extended the Patriots' record winning streak to 19 games?

"That's hard to answer right now, but I'm just glad we got this win," Abdullah said. "It was a definite team effort. Everybody played well and we knew it was going to be hard coming in. It was a great team effort, and I was just glad I was able to contribute."

As was the rest of the supporting cast.