Dolphins coach Joe Philbin has plenty of work after an 0-4 preseason. (AP Images) |
Coach Joe Philbin couldn’t think of much his team did correct in a preseason-ending 30-13 loss at Dallas on Wednesday.
"Poorly coached game,” Philbin said. “We didn't play well. We had a lot of penalties. We had 12 men on the field. We didn't tackle well. We didn't score touchdowns. You guys saw the same game I did, it was not a good football game, not a good performance by our team.”
But then again, it hasn’t been a very good preseason for anyone on the team.
In fact, the team made history -- but not the good kind.
The Dolphins finished the preseason 0-4 for the third time. The other two: the team’s inaugural season in 1966 when it finished 3-11 and 1989, when it went 8-8, one of just six seasons during coach Don Shula’s 26-year tenure he didn’t post a winning record.
And it’s not like the offense helped out. The starters failed to record a touchdown in four preseason games. Philbin maintains the team has been practicing much better than it plays, but after another defeat it raises the question if the internal success is due to a lack of talent on the roster.
"Am I concerned? Yeah," Philbin said. "The confidence I gain is when I watch guys practice and perform well. We've been a good team in practice but we haven't transferred that to the game on a consistent basis and that's a concern, absolutely."
Better to receive: The Dolphins aren’t happy with the receivers on their roster.
The team put several free agents through workouts on Thursday, including Donte Stallworth, who played with Washington in 2011 when he made 22 catches for 309 yards with two touchdowns in 11 games.
Veteran receiver Brian Hartline also has yet to practice this preseason. Despite mediocre players littering the roster at the position, his injury complicates decisions on who will be cut or added by Friday’s deadline.
The team is likely to keep a maximum of six receivers, with Legedu Naanee and Davone Bess assured of starting spots. If you include a space for Hartline, that means Clyde Gates, Chris Hogan, Marlon Moore, Jeff Fuller, B.J. Cunningham and Rishard Matthews are competing for three spots.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Miami Dolphins from blogger Dave Carey, follow @CBSSportsNFLMIA.