DAVIE, Fla. — Joey Harrington led the Miami Dolphins to a fourth-quarter comeback victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings. It was Harrington's third consecutive victory with Miami, and something he never did in Detroit.

Harrington, 3-3 since taking over the starting quarterback job, traces the string of victories to Detroit.

"While my experiences weren't always the best, I learned from them," said the former Lions No. 3 draft pick. "Right from the get-go, I was told, 'We haven't had a quarterback since Bobby Layne. You're gonna be the guy to try to take us to the playoffs.' I liked the challenge, but you can't let the pressure take away ... from what your job is."

He did. He knows that now.

"I pressed," he said earlier this week as he stood before a group of reporters near his locker at the Dolphins' practice facility. "I tried to be too perfect."

After four tumultuous years in Detroit, where he became the face of a fallen franchise, Harrington is about to return for the first time since he left. His Dolphins play the Lions on Thanksgiving Thursday.

"I'd be lying to say it's just another game," he said, "there's obviously a bit of history, but that's what it is — history."

He spent 10 minutes talking about his return Monday. He talked about his returning confidence, about the difference in the offensive systems, about the streak his team is on.

"We are on a little bit of a run at the moment," he said, "and we need to get a win to keep it going."

His coach, Nick Saban, the former Michigan State coach, thinks Harrington won't let the surrounding hoopla bother him.

"That has no factor on the game," Saban said. "The guy is a player for us right now. He's performing well. He's got a new challenge, a new experience right now. What happened four years ago is only going to affect you if you let it affect you. This game is the only thing that matters."

Harrington was traded to the Dolphins in May for a conditional draft pick that will be a fifth- or sixth-round selection. Saban brought him in as a backup. But when it was apparent starter Daunte Culpepper hadn't fully recovered from a knee injury, Saban gave Harrington the job.

In his first start against New England, Harrington threw three picks. But he started to settle into the offense.

When he was in Detroit, he said he was often forced to improvise.

"Some quarterbacks do that very well," he said. "That doesn't happen to be one of my strong suits. What I thrive in are situations where you tell me what to do and I'm going to go out and do it."