DAVIE, Fla. -- The thought of the Miami Dolphins fielding a quality rushing attack in 2000 was so unfathomable last March that newly hired head coach Dave Wannstedt admitted his promise of such would cause the average fan "to spill their coffee right on the newspaper and say, 'I've heard this year in and year out.'"

	Lamar Smith has been tough to bring down this year, rushing for 1016 yards through 14 games.

Heading into the playoffs, it's safe to say that Dol-fans can enjoy their breakfasts once again.

Miami is enjoying its best season rushing since quarterback Dan Marino was a rookie in 1983. The Dolphins are averaging 121.9 yards this season, with running back Lamar Smith having become the franchise's second 1,000-yard rusher in 22 seasons.

Combined with a dominating defense and an efficient passing game, the Dolphins now have the tools to be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender entering the postseason.

"I think it's a confidence thing," Smith said of Miami's ground game. "It's an attitude for us. People have been saying (the Dolphins) couldn't run the football in the past. So we all got together as an offensive unit and said we were going to show these people."

Smith deserves much of the credit for the Dolphins' rushing success. A seven-year veteran who didn't receive a phone call from any other teams after being released last February by New Orleans, Smith signed a two-year, $1.75 million contract with the Dolphins with the understanding he probably would serve as a backup to incumbent J.J. Johnson.

Breaking stride

DAVIE, Fla. -- Bus trips to the movies and an intrasquad softball game sound more like something deployed by a summer-camp counselor trying to keep his kids amused than motivational tactics by an NFL head coach. But Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt arranged both events while trying to win his players' trust in the offseason. Wannstedt wanted to place his own stamp on the team while moving away from the shadow of coaching mentor Jimmy Johnson, whose exhausting practices had taken their toll on his players physically and psychologically. The movies and softball were well-received. But even after a 5-1 start, there was still some skepticism about Wannstedt in the locker room stemming from his 40-56 coaching record during six seasons with the Bears. Wannstedt truly won over his players after a devastating 40-37 overtime loss to the New York Jets in late October. Rather than punish his players for losing a 23-point fourth-quarter lead by scheduling grueling practices in a Johnsonesque fashion, Wannstedt took the opposite tact. He made meeting times later that week to give his players more time to recuperate and eliminated contact work in practice. The Dolphins responded with a 28-20 victory over the Packers and have won five of seven games since the disaster against the Jets. "I think the biggest thing is, guys believe in Dave's approach," said Dolphins defensive end Trace Armstrong, who also played under Wannstedt in Chicago. "One of the keys to success in any organization is the people that are out there have to believe you are doing the right things. Dave has done a great job with this group of getting them to buy into his system from the way we practice and prepare. Every aspect of what we do, guys are excited about it and believe in it. I think that goes a long way." -- Alex Marvez

Smith proceeded to wrest the starting spot from Johnson at the end of the preseason and hasn't let up since, eclipsing his previous season high for carries (153) by the midway point of the season. Smith also has shown a durability that was lacking in prior campaigns, missing just one game this season because of a minor hamstring injury.

Although blessed with average speed for an NFL tailback, Smith makes amends with his power and field vision.

"When there's maybe just enough room to get a yard for most backs, he may turn it into a big run of six to 10 yards," Dolphins right guard Kevin Donnalley said. "He gets yards after getting his first hit."

But Smith isn't the only reason why the Dolphins have been able to accomplish on the ground what Jimmy Johnson's teams failed to do during his four-year coaching tenure in Miami. Some of the other factors: