The Dolphins made their first appearance on NFL Network's Thursday night package, and fortunately the channel has improved its game presentation since initially miscasting Bryant Gumbel as a play-by-play announcer. Still, there is room for improvement.

Some TV observations from Dolphins-Panthers:

• Bob Papa, in his second year as Gumbel's replacement, quickly served up pertinent information after plays, including who made the tackle. In other words, he is the anti-Gumbel.

• The network made considerable and timely use of replays to show big plays and also to demonstrate how plays developed at the line or in the secondary. On a Chad Henne incompletion, one telling replay showed Dolphins receivers unable to get open.

But why must all replays be preceded by fireworks and ``Thursday Night Football'' flashing across the screen? Irritating.

• Matt Millen, a failure as an NFL general manager but highly capable as a TV analyst, spotted interesting nuances, such as how Dolphins linebacker Akin Ayodele did not react quickly enough to take advantage of the attention commanded by teammate Jason Ferguson.

• Not a fan of NFL Network's obtrusive placement of its score/time graphic (dropping down in the upper middle of the screen). The graphic would be better as a thin, straight line across the top or bottom. And NFL Network doesn't update in-game stats often enough.

• Wisecracking Deion Sanders kept the pregame show moderately entertaining: ``We tell people he has a Lisfranc injury. They don't know who Lis Franc is!'' Sanders said of Ronnie Brown's foot ailment. And of Monday's dreadful Browns-Ravens game, Sanders cracked that it ``was so bad that I took the batteries out of the remote to make sure I didn't turn back.''

Sanders also revealed that Ted Ginn Jr. ``sought me out'' and ``wanted to work'' this past offseason, but, inexplicably, he offered no details. Sanders said, ``There's no way a 4.3 guy should be averaging 11 yards a catch.''

• One pregame highlight showed coach Tony Sparano wearing a microphone during practice. ``Buckle those chin straps, prima donnas!'' he yelled at players who weren't visible.

AROUND THE DIAL

With Jon Gruden agreeing to a contract extension, ESPN said it expects him to remain on Monday Night Football through at least 2011. Gruden told SI.com's Peter King that he ``fell in love'' with television but would like to coach again.

Gruden is dynamic, entertaining and glib, but his commentary remains too dominated by effusive praise. Considering Gruden would coach again, it wasn't surprising he defended Patriots coach Bill Belichick's decision to go on a fourth-and-2 from his own 28-yard line, with the lead, late against the Colts on Sunday. Nor was it surprising that NBC's Tony Dungy -- who has no intention of coaching again -- criticized the call.

When Gruden called Cleveland's Eric Mangini a ``heck of a coach'' Monday, he should have explained why -- because Mangini's work suggests otherwise.

Of Cleveland's Brady Quinn, who was 12 for 30 for 85 yards and two interceptions, Gruden offered this pearl: ``I don't know that Brady Quinn fared real well tonight.'' You don't say?

• The NFL and NBC must decide by Tuesday whether to stick with Patriots-Dolphins as Week 13's Sunday night game. The first two flexible-schedule games were kept in place: Eagles-Bears on Sunday and Steelers-Ravens on Nov. 29.

If NBC drops the Dolphins game, the most compelling option Dec. 6 would be Vikings-Cardinals. For that day, Fox protected Cowboys-Giants and CBS protected Titans-Colts, meaning NBC cannot select either.

• According to the New York Daily News, the Giants filed a complaint with the NFL because they must travel across two time zones on a short week for their Thanksgiving night game at Denver. . . . The Denver Post is the latest newspaper to ban reporters from making game predictions about the teams they cover. . . . Recommended viewing: Bob Costas' Tuesday night interview show, Studio 42, on MLB Network. Costas pressed baseball commissioner Bud Selig with tough questions -- evidence that the channel will not be a mouthpiece for MLB.