"Running back Ronnie Brown will not play versus Carolina on Thursday, according to head coach Tony Sparano. Sparano also said linebacker Joey Porter will play against the Panthers and the coach thinks the linebacker "will start," against the Panthers.

That's what is happening inside the Dolphins at this hour:

Porter, the subject of a Chris Mortensen report in which the ESPN information man said the linebacker will not play against Carolina Thursday, was asked by the Herald's David J. Neal if he saw the report Monday night.

"Yeah, I saw the report," Porter told Neal. "I got no comment on that."

Sparano had a definitive comment. I asked him if there was any doubt in his mind whether Porter would play and Sparano said, "No."

So Porter plays despite a Mortensen report to the contrary.

A Dolphins In Depth report from yesterday that Brown would not play is correct, meanwhile, because Brown went to see a foot specialist today and isn't playing Thursday."