Hard to imagine that at nearly the same time last year, the Detroit Lions were 6-2. Since then they’ve crashed and burned.

Meanwhile the Miami Dolphins, who play New England in a pivotal AFC East game Sunday, have been the anti-Lions. They have been the feel-good story that has surprised the NFL.

“What a great story this season is for the Miami Dolphins,” said CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf. “To put their season in perspective so far, if a year from now we are sitting here talking about the Detroit Lions in contention to win their division, we would say that is just not possible.

“The turnaround of the Dolphins is one of the great stories of the 2008 NFL season.”

Now the question is whether they can win the AFC East or make the playoffs. Dierdorf does not dismiss it.

“If they get by New England, the Dolphins have, with St. Louis, San Francisco and Kansas City factored in there, a very attractive end of their schedule,” he said. Now, they will also have to go to Buffalo and to New York. Miami winning this week would not make them the favorites to win the division, but it certainly could set up an interesting end of the season playing the Jets.”