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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, December 31, 2007

Miami coach's return a long shot

Advertiser News Services

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Miami coach Cam Cameron leaves the field following the Dolphins' 38-25 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

LUIS M. ALVAREZ | Associated Press

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PLAYOFF GLANCE

All Times Hawai'i

Wild-card Playoffs

Saturday

Washington at Seattle, 11:30 a.m. (NBC)

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh, 3 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday

N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay, 8 a.m. (FOX)

Tennessee at San Diego, 11:30 a.m. (CBS)

Divisional Playoffs

Saturday, Jan. 12

Seattle, Tampa Bay or N.Y. Giants at Green Bay, 11:30 a.m. (FOX)

Pittsburgh, Jacksonville or Tennessee at New England, 3 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, Jan. 13

San Diego, Pittsburgh or Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 8 a.m. (CBS)

Tampa Bay, N.Y. Giants or Washington at Dallas, 11:30 a.m. (FOX)

Conference Championships

Sunday, Jan. 20

NFC

TBD

AFC

TBD

Super Bowl

Sunday, Feb. 3

Glendale, Ariz.

TBD

Pro Bowl

Sunday, Feb. 10

At Honolulu

AFC vs. NFC

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Cam Cameron says he looks forward to the coming week. Perhaps he also likes going to the dentist.

The Miami Dolphins coach will discuss his future soon with new boss Bill Parcells. Miami concluded the worst year in franchise history by losing yesterday to Cincinnati, 38-25, and Cameron is considered a long shot to return for a second season in 2008.

It has been 37 years since the Dolphins fired a coach. But they've never finished 1-15 before, a record that begs for sweeping changes.

Parcells began work Thursday as executive vice president of football operations and watched yesterday's game from a press box suite with retired Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf. Parcells declined to talk to reporters.

"We will meet this week at some point in time," Cameron said. "It will be sometime after (today)."

The future of general manager Randy Mueller is in doubt, too.

"Those things will start being addressed I'm sure," Cameron said.

Miami has missed the playoffs six consecutive seasons, a franchise record. Cameron said the beginning of offseason evaluations will help the Dolphins improve.

"I'm looking forward to this week," Cameron said. "We knew coming in this was a process. Unfortunately it's not a lot of fun. It's painful. Now all the evaluations start. It's part of the process of getting this organization where we want it to be."

Cameron may not be part of the process much longer. He needed 14 games to earn his first win as an NFL head coach, which came when the Dolphins beat Baltimore in overtime two weeks ago, allowing them to avoid becoming the league's first 0-16 team.

The Dolphins are the eighth team to finish 1-15. There were plenty of lousy performances and questionable coaching decisions, but injuries and bad luck also contributed to Miami's woes.

"It has been bizarre at times with different things that have happened," Cameron said.

Of the other seven coaches who started a season with teams that went 1-15, only two returned the following year. Jimmy Johnson went 1-15 his first season in Dallas in 1989 but soon was winning Super Bowls, and Mike Riley remained with San Diego despite winning only once in 2000.

"Everybody deserves a second chance," tackle L.J. Shelton said. "Cam Cameron didn't lose 15 games. This is a collective effort."

Cameron inherited a team that went 6-10 last year and is paying the price for a decade of bad personnel moves.

BILLS

LEVY SET TO STEP DOWN

Marv Levy is preparing to step down as Buffalo general manager, according to numerous reports yesterday.

Citing "multiple" unnamed sources, Buffalo's WIVB-TV reported the Bills and the 82-year-old Levy reached "a mutual decision" that he would retire after concluding his second year on the job. The station reported an announcement could come as early as this week.

ESPN.com also cited sources in reporting the decision was reached after the Hall of Fame coach met this week with Bills owner Ralph Wilson.

A person with the Bills told the Associated Press last night there had been discussion about Levy stepping down, but not until after the NFL draft in April. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because Levy and the team had not announced a decision.

LIONS

MARTZ MAY BE THROUGH

Detroit coach Rod Marinelli wouldn't comment on multiple reports that offensive coordinator Mike Martz was finished, either by stepping down or being fired, after a 34-13 loss to Green Bay yesterday.

"Not here, not now," Marinelli said of the situation. He fielded about a half-dozen more questions about his offensive coordinator, finishing by finally saying, "I'm not going to discuss it."

Neither Martz, nor his apparent replacement, wide receivers coach Kippy Brown, could be reached for comment.

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