As a kid growing up in Winchester, Ky., Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell never had a younger brother. Never had any younger siblings at all.

``I had an older sister,'' Bell said Wednesday, smirking as if he knew exactly where this conversation was headed.

Well, consider this your welcome to big brotherhood, Bell.

Now for a quick suggestion: You might want to resist taking advantage of your newly acquired rite of passage when it comes to delivering noogies. Those new little brothers? They're kind of big.

Bell, who is facing a situation no other defensive back in the NFL must endure, has the strange but welcomed task of leading the youngest secondary in the league -- a unit that now is composed of a hard-to-fathom three rookies and a sixth-year veteran in Bell.

A big brother? Actually, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano took the title a step further.

``Yeremiah is kind of like the grandfather back there right now,'' Sparano said. ``He's handling it pretty well. He realizes in this situation there are going to be some bumps in the road and some things that he has to help get organized back there. So he is spending a lot more time studying it, those type of things.''

Against the Jets, it marked the first time Miami started the trio of rookies around Bell, as first-round pick Vontae Davis replaced injured Will Allen at cornerback and fifth-round pick Chris Clemons replaced struggling Gibril Wilson at safety.

In general, especially given the youth within the unit, the Dolphins had no reason to be upset with the performance. Communication was sound. Davis looked aggressive, and the situation didn't seem overwhelming for Clemons.

Sparano said Davis and Smith had no mental errors during their 81 plays and said their technical errors were in the ``single digits between the two of them.''

Now for the bigger task: the next game.

PATRIOTS LOOM LARGE

On Sunday, the Dolphins' youthful secondary will be up against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who no doubt is licking his chops as he awaits Miami's fresh fish. But Bell, who has seen his share of Brady the past few seasons, has confidence in his group.

``It's a drastic change,'' Bell said. ``It's definitely a drastic change. But the ability is still there. It's just a communication thing.

``It's definitely different being the talker back there, trying to get everybody lined up while also getting myself lined up. But, at the same time, it's something that's not overwhelming. It's something I accept.''

That's a strong endorsement coming from a safety who was surrounded by veterans a year ago. Last season, Bell relied on veterans Renaldo Hill, Andre' Goodman and Allen. He had spent three seasons in the same secondary, with all four players serving as starters and friends, so you can imagine how overwhelming this could be.

``We all knew the defense,'' Bell said. ``We all knew what to expect because we'd been together for a while. With that bunch, everything was second nature. We played together for so long and knew what each other was going to do.''

And now?

``I feel more of an obligation to make sure everybody is on the same page,'' Bell said. ``Those guys are young. Sometimes the game gets going, and in certain situations somebody needs to be talking.

``With me being the eldest of the bunch, I feel it falls on me.''

For the time being, some growing pains should be expected. But, in the long run, the current situation in the secondary might be viewed as the beginning of a lucrative, stable period at those positions.

The Dolphins, after all, like all of their rookies in the defensive backfield. Are they starting earlier than expected? Maybe. But none of them seems overwhelmed or intimidated.

NEVER BACK DOWN

``Confidence is always sky-high,'' Smith said. ``You've got to have that as a cornerback. You need to look forward to these kinds of matchups. That's what separates you from the rest of the bunch.''

At this point in the season, Smith has faced off against Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan. Now he will guard against receiver Randy Moss, with Brady throwing to him.

So although Smith, Davis and Clemons might be viewed as the younger brothers of the secondary, all three are being asked to grow up fast. And when it comes to being their big sibling, at least Bell can take solace in this: None of his little brothers weighs less than 203 pounds, and they will always have his back.

``Once you get in the game, you start looking around, and you're like, `Young guy, young guy, oh, young guy,' '' Bell said. ``It gets overwhelming, but those guys know what to do out there. And they do a good job.''

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