The surging Dolphins have been accused of playing down to their level of competition, no easy task for a team coming off a 1-15 season.

Where exactly is their level? Below sea level? Journey to the center of the earth subterranean level?

Despite needing a last-minute, 38-yard field goal by rookie kicker Dan Carpenter to beat the dysfunctional Oakland Raiders 17-15 Sunday, the 6-4 Dolphins won their fourth straight game and find themselves in a meaningful game Sunday for the first time in nearly five years when they host the injury-depleted, Tom Brady-less Patriots (6-4).

A week earlier, the Dolphins needed a 79-yard TD drive in the fourth quarter and a batted-down two-point conversion pass by safety Yeremiah Bell to stave off the lowly Seahawks, 21-19.

The...

The Miami Dolphins showed again they can beat a bad team -- barely. Next comes the biggest game yet in the franchise's revival. Rookie Dan Carpenter nailed a 38-yard field goal with 38 seconds left to cap a 61-yard drive, and the Dolphins earned their fourth consecutive victory Sunday by defeating woeful Oakland 17-15.

Ask Ricky Williams what's new, and the list is longer than his latest touchdown run. These days he's tackling the works of author Carlos Castaneda. He's savoring Barack Obama's victory. With plans to become an osteopath, he's taking college classes in writing and math. Oh, and his burst is back. Miami Dolphins boss Bill Parcells noticed it last week at practice.

Their lead in jeopardy, the Miami Dolphins preserved it by batting down a 2-point conversion pass with less than three minutes left. Next, instant replay saved them from a potentially costly fumble. Then they needed one final defensive stand, which ended at midfield with an incomplete pass on fourth down.