Just a couple of weeks ago, Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter wanted to knock the New Orleans Saints off “their high horses,” and his hope was to psych his team to a win against the undefeated Saints; they tried but lost 46-34. Now he is attempting the same thing against the New England Patriots as has come out to state he hates the Patriots just like all his divisional foes.

Last Sunday after Porter said he hated the New York Jets, another divisional rival, the Dolphins won that road game 30-25. Now as his energy is channeled towards the Patriots, his objective is simple to get a win on the road for the 3-4 Dolphins.

For Porter his hatred towards New England was before he arrived in South Florida, it was from his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“It goes back to my Pittsburgh days,” Porter said to the Boston Globe. “I felt a certain way, after some things came out, way back when I was in Pittsburgh, some AFC championships I lost to them, couple times. Come to figure out a few months later why we lost. So yeah, I have a natural hate for them. Period. And that's just gonna be with me forever.”

Along with Porter pushing his team for a win, the Patriots Spygate scandal of 2007 which the team was videotaping defensive coaching signals of the Jets did not go down well with Porter. To Porter, that was not the first time the Patriots had been involved in videotaping other teams; he believes they did the same thing during the 2001 and 2004 AFC Championship games against his then team the Steelers.

To an outspoken Porter, the Patriots won both games by cheating and now that his current team has a chance at New England, he is using every ammunition he can to stick it to the Patriots.

“We do this every year around this time when I do this conference call,” Porter said regarding to the Patriots. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. And they know exactly what I’m talking about. And that’s not gonna change.”

Though his Dolphins are currently 3-4, Porter still regards his team - the defending champions - as the current champions regardless of who leads the AFC East at the moment.

“The division goes to the last champion, period,” Porter said. “The last champion was the Miami Dolphins. We have the championship until we lose it. It’s ours to lose. You can’t just crown the champion because they [New England] used to be the champions back in the day. That hardly makes any sense. It’s what you did the last year. You’re never judged off of what you did a couple years ago, it’s what you’re doing now. Last year, we were the champs.”

Porter has an opportunity on Sunday to close the gap and the margin on the Patriots currently 5-2 and leading the AFC East; a source of his anger, distaste and motivation to defeat New England.

“It comes through Miami, they’re the defending champs, you gotta go take the championship from them. That’s just the way it works,” Porter said.

Porter has a point. Last season the Patriots were blown out at Foxborough and going back there this season, there is no love lost as he wants his team to play with the same intensity they did last season.

“I know they don’t like me. Let’s be honest -- they don’t like me, and that’s fair. I don’t like them, and that’s fair. It’s not like there’s a divorce happening. We never really were married anyway.”

To anticipate a duel on Sunday would be an understatement, the line has been drawn and Porter hopes his heated words targeted at New England would not only push his team mates, it would result in a Dolphins crucial away win at New England.