Dolphins concede playoff chances are faint

DAVIE, Fla. — Over and over, rookie cornerback Nolan Carroll replayed the Miami Dolphins' latest missed opportunity.

Hours after a dismal loss to Cleveland, Carroll slunk to the Dolphins' complex, sat down in front of a video machine and studied the potential game-winning interception he dropped.

"I came in here last night and saw it about four times," Carroll said Monday. "It was a long four times. I spent 10 minutes each time I saw it, breaking down different ways I could have done it.

"But I can't get it back. I've just got to put it away. I can't go back in time and do anything about it. I've just got to move on."

That's true for Carroll's teammates, too, even though the future's none too bright. A 13-10 loss to the Browns left Miami at 6-6, with four games to go and only the faintest hopes of reaching the playoffs.

The Dolphins are two games behind Baltimore in the race for the final AFC wild-card berth, and the Ravens hold the tiebreaker. The gap is even greater in the AFC East, where Miami trails the Patriots and Jets.

"I understand where we are right now," coach Tony Sparano said. "We know that we got to win four even to just kind of have a chance."

Sweeping the final four games is a tall order for a team that hasn't won two in a row since starting 2-0. The Dolphins will try to get something going beginning Sunday against the archrival Jets.

One bit of good news for Miami: The game is on the road. The Dolphins are 5-1 in away games and a mystifying 1-5 at home.

"It drives me crazy," Sparano said. "Keeps me up a lot."

The latest egg laid at home came Sunday against a mediocre Cleveland team. Miami's offense sputtered, and Chad Henne threw three interceptions, raising anew doubts he's a long-term solution at quarterback.

Even so, the Dolphins had plenty of chances to win, including when a Browns pass bounced off Carroll's hands with nothing but the goal line in front of him and less than two minutes left.

"We had an opportunity," teammate Karlos Dansby said. "We let it slip between our fingers."

Sparano said Carroll and the rest of the defense otherwise played well, but he was less forgiving of the offense. Breakdowns were frequent, and Miami squandered several chances at big plays, including when Henne twice had receivers open deep.

"We either overshot or undershot," Sparano said.