Those breaks are over as the Dolphins (9-5) prepare for a projected 20-degree afternoon Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City against the Chiefs (2-12).

"They were always there in a sea of red," said Dolphins DE Vonnie Holliday, who played for the Chiefs from 2003-04. "That place is a wild place to play.

"We used to say . . . if we could jump upon [teams from Florida] early they'll want to jump back on the bus and get back to that warm weather."

The Chiefs are 21-5 at Arrowhead in December since 1995, but only 1-4 in such games with Herman Edwards as coach. The Dolphins are just 4-10 in cold-weather venues in December over the past 10 years, and they haven't won in three tries in Kansas City since 1981.

Crowder ailing

LB Channing Crowder, the Dolphins' leading tackler, was held out of Wednesday's practice with a stiff left knee and was reduced to riding a stationary bicycle.

"It's kind of a weird thing," Coach Tony Sparano said. "He ended up waking up and his knee was really stiff. We're going to take a peek at it and we thought he needed a day's rest."

Pennington snubbed

Several of QB Chad Pennington's teammates suggested that he was snubbed by being left off the AFC Pro Bowl team.

"Absolutely," RB Patrick Cobbs said. "He came in, did a lot of great things and is getting the job done. I don't see how you don't put him in there."

"I'm honored to be mentioned among those guys," Pennington said. "My whole focus has been on trying to help us win."