Nobody wanted to talk about why the Miami Dolphins placed co-captain and outside linebacker Joey Porter on the inactive list Sunday. Everybody wanted to talk about the replacements who produced more against Tampa Bay than Porter has during a game this injury-hampered season.

``Charlie Anderson, Cameron Wake, even old school J.T. [Jason Taylor], all of them managed to find a way to make plays,'' Dolphins linebacker Akin Ayodele said.

In replacing Porter at weak-side linebacker, Anderson picked up a sack, chopped the ball from Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman twice and also played the run well. Even when pass-rushing specialist Cameron Wake didn't get to Freeman -- he had only one sack -- he often caused Freeman to vacate the pocket.

``I knew the guy was tough to take down, but he can't go anywhere without the ball,'' Anderson said. ``He's like 6-5, maybe 250 or something, so I earned everything I got.''

TWO GAMES MISSED

Porter missed the Oct. 4 win against Buffalo with a hamstring injury and was on last week's injury report with a knee problem. The Dolphins listed him as ``probable'' Friday, then acknowledged Saturday he would be among the inactives, yet admitted it wasn't because of injury.

``He'll return [Monday]. It was a coach's decision,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said.

Then, later, when asked again about Porter, Sparano said, ``Anything I do, I keep in-house. To me, what goes on in our family, in that locker room, stays in that locker room. Somebody else wants to put it out there, let them put it out there, but they ain't getting it from me.''

This clearly wasn't about the canyon between Porter's expected production and actual production. He has 2.5 sacks this season and one fumble forced. Porter had double zeroes on sacks and tackles last week at New England. He rushed the passer 30 times, was handled one-on-one by an offensive lineman 24 times, double-teamed by two linemen three times and double-teamed by a tackle and tight end or running back three times. Porter fought through that last combination for his only quarterback hurry of the day.

On Sunday, players didn't even seem certain if they were supposed to let the media know when they found out Porter wouldn't be playing.

Asked if he was surprised Porter was scratched, the effect a move like that can have on a team and how the Dolphins handled it, the usually analytical Ayodele had the same answer for all three questions: ``I can't speak on that,'' with a slight chuckle.

MUM'S THE WORD

Dolphins nose guard Jason Ferguson, another team captain, said about Porter's situation, ``I can't make a comment on that. Sorry, I really can't.''

Taylor, also a captain, claimed, ``I don't know what the deal is. We line up and play with the 45 that are put out there. Joey's trying to get his knee right, or whatever he's trying to do, I don't know.''

Last season, Porter publicly apologized to Sparano for not coming out of the Dolphins' Nov. 23 loss to the Patriots when Sparano sent Anderson into the game to replace him. Porter had just racked up 30 yards in disciplinary penalties.

That's a dead end in terms of looking for any Porter-Sparano rift, however. Porter felt the media made too much fuss over his actions and genuinely was dismayed that Sparano had to deal with public pressure to discipline him.

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