The bone in Justin Smiley's leg shattered less than three minutes into the game last Sunday.

That was the moment when the Dolphins' offensive line lost its most experienced leader; the instant it would face one of the few blows of adversity dealt to this team all season.

''It's a big leadership loss,'' center Samson Satele said.

But in the wake of losing Smiley, a veteran guard, the team is focusing on putting his absence in the past. Although Smiley's broken leg might have been the end to his season, the Dolphins refuse to let it also be the end to this magical run.

On Wednesday, tackle Vernon Carey pulled the group together before practice and reminded the unit to work harder this week, with an increased level of concentration.

`STEP IT UP A LITTLE'

''We couldn't wait to get out there as an offensive line group,'' Satele said. ``Vernon talked to us. He wanted us to come out and fire out. He wanted us to step it up a little. Vernon has to step up even more as a leader with Justin out, and he did that.''

Keep in mind, this isn't entirely about Smiley's absence, either.

Even before he was injured, the Dolphins were contemplating some potential changes along the line. That is partly why the team signed center Al Johnson last week. He was a former starter under coach Tony Sparano in Dallas.

Johnson spent all of Wednesday's practice playing center, sparking what soon could be a competition between him and Satele -- with the consolation prize possibly involving a move to the guard spot.

''It makes me want to practice harder and play harder,'' Satele said of Johnson's arrival, also noting that he realizes how much he can learn from a six-year veteran such as Johnson. ``But every time they bring in a center, I treat it as a challenge. That's just how I am.''

Because of the loss of Smiley, Johnson's incorporation into the Dolphins offense might be accelerated even more than expected. Although he isn't expected to start Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, he could see significant action in the game.

''A large part of it will have to depend on where he is toward the end of the week and how he feels physically,'' Sparano said.

Whether Johnson would play at guard or center also remains to be seen. Whatever the case, Andy Alleman is the likely starter at left guard, and Ikechuku Ndukwe probably will stay at right guard for now.

The offensive line committed some uncharacteristic mistakes in each of the past two weeks in sluggish games against the Patriots and then the Rams. And considering that Sunday's game will feature the first change in the starting lineup since Week 2, the group is well aware of the challenge it faces.

SPARANO'S FOCUS

Still, Sparano isn't overreacting, either. Sparano, a former offensive line coach who continues to closely watch the unit, said he has refrained from giving too much attention to the offensive line so he doesn't lose focus on his other responsibilities.

''This game for us is too important for me to go stick my nose over there and just be the line coach and put my hat on backward and do all that stuff,'' Sparano said. ``I need to make sure that I'm involved in all three of these phases. There's a phase out there right now that can really kill us this week if we don't take care of it -- and that's special teams.''

Instead, Sparano will continue to entrust those duties with offensive line assistant Mike Maser, who has done a solid job with a young line to this point. That said, the players still realize that Sparano's eyes have occasionally wandered their way.

''I think he takes a lot of pride in it,'' Alleman said. ``Being a head coach, he has a lot more on his plate. But he still places an emphasis on certain things. It's near and dear to his heart.''

Satele said he sensed that Sparano was ''mad'' as a result of the unit's consistent mistakes in Sunday's 16-12 victory against the Rams, an emotion that fueled the group to realize the importance of getting it right this weekend.

Considering the importance Miami's coaching staff has placed on the need for solid play in the trenches, there is no reason to think this group won't enter Sunday's game with an increased level of motivation and focus.

With a significant dose of adversity facing the group for the first time this year, Satele knows what will happen if the linemen show up with anything less.

''[The Rams game] was one of those games that each of us took our turn making mistakes,'' Satele said. ``That can't happen against a great team.

``St. Louis was a good team, but if we do that against Buffalo, everything will go downhill.''

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