Joey Porter missed practice Wednesday and is among the many injured Dolphins

The Bucs head across the state Sunday to play those nasty fish from Miami, led by their godfather in the front office: Bill Parcells.

The Tuna’s Dolphins are extraordinarily banged up, writes David J. Neal of the Miami Herald.

The wounded list is highlighted by top defensive players, including linebackers Joey Porter and Channing Crowder, plus nose tackle Jason Ferguson.  

After ambling to his locker, cornerback Vontae Davis insisted that the hip he injured in Sunday’s game was fine.

“The team we played last week didn’t have their starting left tackle out there, didn’t have a couple of [running] backs out there,” Sparano said. “Everybody loses somebody; it is not an excuse. We were fortunate last year that we didn’t have too many of those, and right now we have a couple of them.

“We are at the halfway point of the season, so you are going to have a few bumps.”

If the Bucs can somehow keep the Dolphins’ clock-chewing, down-your-throat rushing attack off the field — and it’s a big if — Josh Freeman and company will have a lot of opportunities against the Miami defense.

The Dolphins are allowing more than 25 points a game, practically an amazing feat of defensive ineptitude considering how they move the chains on offense.