Johnson, Dolphins Inch Closer

Jimmy Johnson, saying his desire to coach again is growing, hinted Sunday night he may talk this week with the Miami Dolphins about returning to the NFL and succeeding Don Shula.

“If I do make a decision to get back in it, obviously there’s a lot of work to be done,” Johnson told television reporters shortly after arriving at Miami International Airport. “I have a couple of meetings here in the next couple of days and we’ll go from there.”

Johnson, who lives in the Florida Keys, did not specifically say those meetings would be with the Dolphins. But the remark nonetheless feeds the growing perception that Johnson is in line to replace the NFL’s winningest coach. Shula retired Friday.

Neither Johnson’s lawyer, Nick Christin, nor Dolphins vice president Eddie Jones commented Sunday on possible negotiations.

Lett it be

The Philadelphia Eagles tried running at defensive tackle Leon Lett. That didn’t work.

They tried double-teaming him. That didn’t work.

Finally, they tried running away from him. That didn’t work, either.

“Leon was dominant from the start,” Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said after the Cowboys’ 30-11 victory on Sunday.

Lett’s dominance, and the Eagles’ inability to block him, keyed the Cowboys’ strongest defensive showing since their season-opening 35-0 crushing of the New York Giants.

One play summed up Lett’s dominance and the Eagles’ frustration. With the Eagles trailing 10-3 in the second quarter, they faced a third-and-1 at their 41. They chose to run around right end, away from Lett. Ricky Watters, with a blocker in front of him, appeared to have an easy first down. Lett, however, shot through a gap at left guard and made it all the way across the field to nab Watters from behind, short of a first down. The Eagles punted, the Cowboys marched down the field for a 17-3 lead, and the Eagles never again threatened to make it a game.

Lett’s final stats were deceiving, three tackles, including one sack, for the havoc he inflicted on Philadelphia’s line.

“They dominated us up front on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Eagles coach Ray Rhodes said. “The results were we couldn’t run the football and we couldn’t throw the football.”

Said Lett: “We felt we needed to come out and stop the run first.

“It kind of scared us a little bit because Randall is such a good scrambler,” Lett said.

The way Lett was playing, the only fear was in Eagle eyes.

Breaking the rules

The Colts, the only team that plays in a dome to reach the divisional playoff round, won their second consecutive game outdoors on grass. The snow and subfreezing temperatures didn’t appear to affect Indianapolis any more than it did Kansas City.

“So many people talk about the home-field advantage, talk about the dome experience, talk about the cold weather,” Colts coach Ted Marchibroda said. “Our ballclub doesn’t know all these things that we talk about.”

Said Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, a Michigan graduate: “The field was fine, in good shape, nice traction. I felt like I was back in Ann Arbor. I liked it. It was fun.”

The Colts are the first dome team to reach a conference championship game since Detroit in 1991. No dome team has ever reached the Super Bowl.

Allen ponders future

Chiefs running back Marcus Allen hinted at retirement after yesterday’s disappointing loss. Allen, 35, said he was having a hard time coping with the loss because this seemed like Kansas City’s best chance to win the Super Bowl.

“I’m at a crossroads,” Allen said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. This could have been my last game. That’s what’s so painful. I’m going to take some time, go some place warm, play some golf and make a decision.

“I really wanted to go out on top. I’ve done this a long time and put all my heart into it. That’s why it hurts so much.”