ARLINGTON, Texas —
The Dolphins, who had the second-fewest takeaways in the league during the first half of the season, continued their recent interception binge Thursday.

Vontae Davis and Sean Smith each picked off passes, giving the Dolphins six in their past three games.

Davis’ interception, on Dallas’ first possession, was his second in the past three games and ended Tony Romo’s streak of 128 consecutive passes without a pick.

Smith made a diving interception on Dallas’ third possession, on a pass intended for Laurent Robinson. It was only Smith’s second interception in his three-year career, compared with Davis’ seven.

Last season, Davis and Smith each managed just one interception.

CAREY INJURED

Right guard Vernon Carey injured his left ankle during the fourth quarter and left the game for good. He was walking with the aid of a crutch after the game and said he will not know his status for Miami’s next game until he undergoes an MRI on Friday. Nate Garner replaced him.

• The Dolphins were reminded Thursday of their decision to pass on Dez Bryant in the 2010 draft, a month after trading for Brandon Marshall.

Instead of picking Bryant or perhaps safety Earl Thomas at No. 12, the Dolphins instead traded that draft choice for pick Nos. 28 and 40. Bryant has been explosive for the Cowboys, with six touchdowns this season, but was limited to three catches and 35 yards Thursday.

Jared Odrick, selected with the 28th pick that year, entered with four sacks in his past five games but did not make a tackle Thursday. Linebacker Koa Misi, picked 40th that year, had three tackles.

ROSTER MOVES

Defensive tackle Tony McDaniel was back on the active roster after being held out of Sunday’s game for being late to a meeting. The Dolphins’ inactives Thursday were Dan Carpenter (groin injury), Steve Slaton, Ikaika Alama-Francis, Will Barker, John Jerry, Will Yeatman and Igor Olshansky (calf injury).

• Safety Chris Clemons got his first defensive snaps of the season and made a nifty tackle on DeMarco Murray for no gain late in the third quarter.

•  Clyde Gates caught only his second pass of the season, an 11-yarder early in the third quarter. His 39-yard kickoff return late in the first half tied his longest of the season. … Brian Hartline’s 41-yard reception — directly preceding Marshall’s third-quarter touchdown catch — was his longest of the season.

• Coach Tony Sparano said the Dolphins considered drafting Murray last April. “Absolutely did, yes. Really liked him in the draft,” Sparano said. “Thought he’d be a good back and he is.”

The Dolphins instead traded up in the second round to select Daniel Thomas, who was more appealing to Miami because he was thought by some evaluators to be more durable and a better runner between the tackles.

Murray, picked by Dallas in the third round, had been the NFL’s leading rusher over the previous month and ran for 87 yards on 22 carries Thursday. Thomas had six carries for 25 yards.

• With two runs of at least 10 yards, Reggie Bush now has 18 of those this season, equaling his career high set as a rookie in 2006.

• The Dolphins failed to become the first team to go four consecutive games without allowing a touchdown since the 2000 Steelers.

• The Dolphins entered the game with the fewest penalties in the league, but were called for six for 55 yards Thursday, including four false-start infractions — three by Jake Long and one by Marc Colombo. Long also had a holding penalty during the Dolphins’ first drive of the third quarter, which ended with a field goal.

The Dolphins can now officially join the party.

Welcome to the world of the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs. There was always a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny (think of this scene from Dumb and Dumber) glimmer of hope the Dolphins could actually run the table and perhaps grab a postseason berth. Not many outside the locker room thought it could actually happen, but the players felt anything was possible.

A sobering loss to the Dallas Cowboys eliminated any chance of that happening.  

Now, the Dolphins step into the realm of playing football without a purpose. Let me rephrase that. The Dolphins are officially “spoilers.” There is no carrot dangling at the end of the string, other than the dislike of losing. Being out of the playoff picture with five games remaining is the equivalent to a baseball team out of the pennant race by June.

What to do now?

The hardest part is living with the fact that it didn’t have to be this way. Thursday’s loss dropped to Dolphins to 0-4 in games decided by three points or less.

So close, yet so far away.

If the Dolphins just go .500 during those games, the outlook for the remainder of the season is completely different. At 5-6, there’s still a chance for the playoffs.  Instead, next season is the primary focus. Now, the remainder of the season is just a formality.

They reached this point because of an inept red-zone offense against the Cowboys. Five trips inside the 20 (counting the time they made the 21-yard line and Shayne Graham missed a 47-yard field goal) should never produce just 12 points. They left too many points on the field.

“When we get in the red zone, we have to score touchdowns instead of field goals,” tackle Jake Long said. “We were shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Actually, it was more like a shot to the head. There are no twitching body parts on this season.

The fun ride the Dolphins were on the past three weeks is a thing of the past. Reality of a disappointing season is about to set in.

In some ways, 0-7 was probably more enjoyable than 3-8. At least then the Dolphins could think about making that magical run the final nine games.

That’s no longer the case.

Are the Dolphins a bad team just catching a lucky tailwind?

Or are they a good team finally headed in the direction they deserve after a lot of lousy breaks?

And will it all blow up in their faces in Dallas in four days?

Those are the questions that still burn after Sunday’s 35-8 lacing of the Buffalo Bills.

No answers are handy. But at least it’s a bright and cheerful Monday after three consecutive victories deliriously hoist the Dolphins out of their 0-7 rut.

Like the little girl in the childhood poem, when the Dolphins are bad they are simply horrid.

But, ah, when they are good, like now, they are surely spiffy — especially the defense that hasn’t given up a touchdown in 12 straight quarters.

Yep, the same defense that held the Bills 0 for 12 on third-down conversions.

Grade the Dolphins a C overall, anyway, which isn’t bad considering they went F for their first seven games.

Finally getting healthy, they outscored two of their past three opponents by 65-11.

Of course you’re right — that won’t lay up a nickel in Big D. But Sunday at Sun Life, at least, the Dolphins made a pretty good team look pretty bad.

“We’re playing better,” tight end Anthony Fasano put it after catching the first of Matt Moore’s three touchdown passes. “The defense put us in some good spots. I wouldn’t want to be in an offense playing them.”

That defense is the one element most responsible for reversing the sentiment about coach Tony Sparano.

Three games ago Sparano was a cinch fire. Today, he’s a candidate for Comeback Coach of the Year — with the codicil that that could go up in smoke in Dallas, or any time thereafter. The likeliest way to look at Sparano’s position is that he’s in much better shape than he was, but still living dangerously.

You may not want to credit Sparano. However, if you’re going to blame him for the losses you have to give him a hand for the victories.

Meanwhile, I wouldn’t presume to try to read owner Stephen Ross’ mind as to what he has in mind for Sparano. There’s room for latitude about Sparano’s performance — both ways, up and down. Besides, coaches usually get too much of both credit and blame.

Whatever, Sparano’s Dolphins were better than 0-7 when they were 0-7. But they might not be quite as good as their 3-0 since then.

Again, we’ll find out a lot more in Dallas. Out there, more picks by Nolan Carroll and Yeremiah Bell, Sunday’s interceptors, would be huge.

The Dolphins need to keep retaliating the way they brought TDs after Bills field goals. Moore has to keep cranking after his latest three TD chunks. “Nothing really fazes Matt,” Sparano said.

Over on the losers’ side, Chan Gailey said something meant to be about the Bills but really was more about the Dolphins.

Someone asked Gailey if the Bills’ three consecutive losses and four defeats in their past five games feel like “a runaway train.”

And Gailey replied, “A runaway train is 0-8 — that’s a runaway train.”

Hey, the Dolphins came close to getting hit by that train before they got on the right track, which is where they are right now, which they’ll ride into Dallas.

Not to make light of what the Dolphins did to the Bills or pump up a 6-4 Dallas record, but the Boys will be a bigger test than Sunday was.

Consider the next sentence carefully because it comes bearing good news but is also fraught with danger and the ability to derail the Dolphins’ future:

Matt Moore has done a wonderful job as the starting quarterback this season and has earned much respect and a future with the Dolphins.

That’s it. That’s the sentence.

And if you think there are only good tidings in those words, consider how teammate Reggie Bush sums up Miami’s quarterback to understand where danger lies ready for ambush.

“He is everything you need,” Bush said at one point during his Sunday news conference following the Dolphins’ 35-8 stampeding of Buffalo. “He is everything we need him to be. He is doing a great job. He’s a huge, huge, difference-maker.”

Stop right there, please. Moore has been good and, at times, very good.

He’s been a pleasant surprise. But he is definitely not everything the Dolphins need at the position.

Let us, amid the Dolphins nice three-game winning streak, not lose our perspective. More importantly, let’s not lose our minds.

Moore has proven in his seven Miami starts that he belongs in the NFL. He’s proven he’s a wonderful substitute when the starter goes down.

He’s even shown he has a spark and ability that Chad Henne, Miami’s starting quarterback the past two seasons, showed only in frustratingly rare glimpses.

But is he elite?

Moore has led the Dolphins to 11 touchdowns in their past 16 red-zone trips. Moore has led the Dolphins to three consecutive wins including two rare home wins in a row, with Sunday’s thrashing the latest of the bunch.

Moore also has led the Dolphins from the precipice of a winless abyss to some joy for the folks in the locker room and entertainment for the folks in the stands.

But when next April comes around and the Dolphins are deciding how to best improve on 2011, the general manager must draft a quarterback he thinks will become elite.

And that better happen in the first round because that’s where history screams most elite quarterbacks are selected.

That’s not an insult to Moore.

That’s just reality.

No matter how much Moore improves — and one might predict he’ll continue getting better because that’s his current trajectory — the Dolphins shouldn’t allow themselves to believe they have solved their decade-long quarterback riddle just yet.

The Dolphins obviously are not worrying about this now. We honestly have no clue who will be running this team next April, anyway. Moore is similarly free of that concern. But does he think he’s Miami’s long-term answer at quarterback?

“Yeah, I just want to keep playing well and keep winning,” he said. “Wherever that gets me or takes me, so be it. My main focus right now is just to win ballgames, spread the ball around, move the offense and win.

“That’s all I care about.”

The Dolphins brass cannot afford such a happy-go-lucky approach. The people that run the organization already are scouting every draft-eligible quarterback, including some who might not declare, with the idea they must find a quarterback.

That’s the right approach.

But that approach cannot somehow include the idea of picking a quarterback in the second or third round because, after all, Moore has shown himself to be good enough.

Not long ago, Karlos Dansby was considered part of the problem for the Miami Dolphins, a too-buoyant anchor for an underachieving defense on a winless team.

And yet when Dansby recently proclaimed himself the NFL’s best linebacker, he won praise rather than ridicule for the bold assertion.

“You’ve got to have confidence,” teammate Brandon Marshall said. “Karlos Dansby saying he’s the best — he is. You look at a guy who flies around the field. He’s getting interceptions, sacks — that’s a Pro Bowl guy.”

The Dolphins’ confidence is on the rise, just like their win total. After losing their first seven games, the Dolphins (2-7) have a shot at their first three-game winning streak since 2008 when they play host to Buffalo (5-4) on Sunday.

The Bills, by contrast, are headed south in more ways than one. They ranked among the NFL’s most surprising teams by starting 4-1, but their season is at a crossroads after losses in three of the past four games. They were outscored 71-18 in defeats the past two weeks.

“You hope you have enough character on your team that you fight through tough times,” coach Chan Gailey said.

Miami did just that in the season’s first two months, even as disheartened fans speculated on the chances of a coaching change or a shot at Andrew Luck in next year’s draft.

The breakthrough came with a blowout victory at Kansas City, followed by a win over Washington last week — the Dolphins’ first home triumph in nearly a year. They’re playing so much better that coach Tony Sparano used the word “better” 15 times during one of his daily news conferences this week.

The Dolphins remain buried in the AFC East, where they’re the only team with a losing record. But they refuse to give up on playoff hopes.

“It’s impossible until you do it,” Marshall said. “I’ve been hearing a lot the talk that we’re playing the spoiler mode. But we still have a shot. Now it’s a long shot, but we still have a shot.”

Miami’s most dramatic improvement has been by a defense regarded as the team’s strength heading into the season. In the first four games, the Dolphins gave up 415 yards per game and 6.4 per play. In the past five games, they’ve allowed 319 yards per game and 4.9 per play.

They’ve held the past two opponents without a touchdown.

“We’re doing a tremendous job of running to the football,” Sparano said. “There are a lot of folks getting to the ball on a lot of plays, and I think that’s been a big factor in us getting guys on the ground at a higher rate.”

One of those folks is Dansby, who has 41 tackles in the past four games. Against the Redskins he had two tackles for a loss, two passes defended, a quarterback hurry and a pivotal fourth-quarter interception.

“He’s an active player,” Gailey said. “He’s got a great grasp of the game. He plays with your mind a little bit moving around the way he does. He’s making plays in the open field and he’s making plays at the line of scrimmage. Every time you turn on the film, he shows up.”

Dansby said he hadn’t heard from any other linebackers around the league quarreling with his self-evaluation.

“They watch film just like I do,” he said. “I feel like I’m the best.”

Dansby’s unit will face a Buffalo offense that has bogged down of late. The Bills averaged 30.1 points in the season’s first seven games, but in the past two weeks they’ve totaled two TDs, and one came during garbage time.

“I think it’s just a phase, and it’ll pass,” receiver Stevie Johnson said. “We know what we’re doing wrong.”

One thing the Bills are doing wrong is committing turnovers. They had four, including a fumble by NFL rushing leader Fred Jackson, in last week’s 44-7 defeat at Dallas, their most lopsided loss since 2007.

Ryan Fitzpatrick endured his worst game of the year barely two weeks after signing a $59 million, six-year contract. In the past five games he has 10 turnovers, mistakes that buckled a defense ranked fourth-worst in the NFL.

Injuries have left the offensive line in flux, and even with Jackson, the Bills haven’t scored a rushing touchdown in the past three games. Defenses are crowding the line of scrimmage and limiting yards after the catch by receivers, a big part of the Bills’ success early in the season.

“Coming into the year, nobody expected anything out of us,” Fitzpatrick said. “We won some games and then the expectations came. Well, nobody expects anything out of us again. The way we’ve played, there’s not much expectation out there. So we’ve got to play loose. We’ve got no pressure on us.”

It’s never too late to salvage a season, as the Dolphins can attest.

___

AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report.

MIAMI – Not long ago, Karlos Dansby was considered part of the problem for the Miami Dolphins, a too-buoyant anchor for an underachieving defence on a winless team.

And yet when Dansby recently proclaimed himself the NFL’s best linebacker, he won praise rather than ridicule for the bold assertion.

“You’ve got to have confidence,” teammate Brandon Marshall said. “Karlos Dansby saying he’s the best — he is. You look at a guy who flies around the field. He’s getting interceptions, sacks — that’s a Pro Bowl guy.”

The Dolphins’ confidence is on the rise, just like their win total. After losing their first seven games, the Dolphins (2-7) have a shot at their first three-game winning streak since 2008 when they play host to Buffalo (5-4) on Sunday.

The Bills, by contrast, are headed south in more ways than one. They ranked among the NFL’s most surprising teams by starting 4-1, but their season is at a crossroads after losses in three of the past four games. They were outscored 71-18 in defeats the past two weeks.

“You hope you have enough character on your team that you fight through tough times,” coach Chan Gailey said.

Miami did just that in the season’s first two months, even as disheartened fans speculated on the chances of a coaching change or a shot at Andrew Luck in next year’s draft.

The breakthrough came with a blowout victory at Kansas City, followed by a win over Washington last week — the Dolphins’ first home triumph in nearly a year. They’re playing so much better that coach Tony Sparano used the word “better” 15 times during one of his daily news conferences this week.

The Dolphins remain buried in the AFC East, where they’re the only team with a losing record. But they refuse to give up on playoff hopes.

“It’s impossible until you do it,” Marshall said. “I’ve been hearing a lot the talk that we’re playing the spoiler mode. But we still have a shot. Now it’s a long shot, but we still have a shot.”

Miami’s most dramatic improvement has been by a defence regarded as the team’s strength heading into the season. In the first four games, the Dolphins gave up 415 yards per game and 6.4 per play. In the past five games, they’ve allowed 319 yards per game and 4.9 per play.

They’ve held the past two opponents without a touchdown.

“We’re doing a tremendous job of running to the football,” Sparano said. “There are a lot of folks getting to the ball on a lot of plays, and I think that’s been a big factor in us getting guys on the ground at a higher rate.”

One of those folks is Dansby, who has 41 tackles in the past four games. Against the Redskins he had two tackles for a loss, two passes defended, a quarterback hurry and a pivotal fourth-quarter interception.

“He’s an active player,” Gailey said. “He’s got a great grasp of the game. He plays with your mind a little bit moving around the way he does. He’s making plays in the open field and he’s making plays at the line of scrimmage. Every time you turn on the film, he shows up.”

Dansby said he hadn’t heard from any other linebackers around the league quarrelling with his self-evaluation.

“They watch film just like I do,” he said. “I feel like I’m the best.”

Dansby’s unit will face a Buffalo offence that has bogged down of late. The Bills averaged 30.1 points in the season’s first seven games, but in the past two weeks they’ve totalled two TDs, and one came during garbage time.

“I think it’s just a phase, and it’ll pass,” receiver Stevie Johnson said. “We know what we’re doing wrong.”

One thing the Bills are doing wrong is committing turnovers. They had four, including a fumble by NFL rushing leader Fred Jackson, in last week’s 44-7 defeat at Dallas, their most lopsided loss since 2007.

Ryan Fitzpatrick endured his worst game of the year barely two weeks after signing a $59 million, six-year contract. In the past five games he has 10 turnovers, mistakes that buckled a defence ranked fourth-worst in the NFL.

Injuries have left the offensive line in flux, and even with Jackson, the Bills haven’t scored a rushing touchdown in the past three games. Defences are crowding the line of scrimmage and limiting yards after the catch by receivers, a big part of the Bills’ success early in the season.

“Coming into the year, nobody expected anything out of us,” Fitzpatrick said. “We won some games and then the expectations came. Well, nobody expects anything out of us again. The way we’ve played, there’s not much expectation out there. So we’ve got to play loose. We’ve got no pressure on us.”

It’s never too late to salvage a season, as the Dolphins can attest.

___

AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report.

Two snapshots of Dolphins running back Reggie Bush: firing the ball high into the Sun Life Stadium seats after his 18-yard run put the game away; and, standing at the podium for his postgame media session, pausing at the start for a few seconds as he watched his former team, New Orleans, kick the winning field goal against Atlanta on a TV over his right shoulder.

The first moment looked both cathartic release of frustration and angry joy. The second appeared interested, but detached, and absent of envy, though New Orleans has seven wins and the Dolphins have two. Maybe it’s that the Dolphins deploy Bush as their offense’s main taste, not a special seasoning as the Saints did.

The Dolphins threw five passes to Bush on Sunday — he caught four for 4 yards — and ran him 14 times for 47 yards. His first touchdown, a 1-yard run, started inside, then he hopped all the way to the left and strolled into the end zone.

Bush admitted he’s happy in proving he can handle a feature-back load.

“It’s been a tough couple of years,” he said. “Obviously, my past team, I wasn’t able to run the ball as much. I wasn’t given the amount of opportunities. It just feels good to be able to come here and achieve some of the success that we’re achieving, not just me, but as a team. Obviously … it’s not where we want to be, but we’re playing good football right now.”

On Sunday, as he did last week against Kansas City, Bush scored on an end-around that is blocked a little differently than most end-arounds. Instead of relying on deception and misdirection, it looks more like a power sweep.

“Yeah, it’s blocked like a sweep with the running back Daniel [ Thomas] leading,” Bush said. “It’s just one of those plays where you don’t really expect it. You don’t expect the running back to run a sweep like that.”

Ball security

Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore’s three fumbles (two lost) in his past two home games all have come from pressure from a front-side edge rusher. Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan went around Dolphins right tackle Marc Colombo twice Sunday.

“That’s something we constantly work on,” Moore said of ball security. “It’s a huge emphasis in practice. Last week, obviously, we were great with it. This week, we’ve just got to really focus. Me, personally, there’s tons of drills that we do. You’ve got to be aware of the situation. That pocket gets a little noisy. The ball is the most important thing. We’ve got to protect that at all costs.”

Tricky calls

The Dolphins got a little funky on the first drive, which began at the Washington 45. They lined up in a Wildcat, with Thomas taking the direct snap, and ran a wide receiver reverse pass out of it. Moore lined up as the wide receiver, but his throw to an open Brandon Marshall took too long getting there and was knocked away.

On the same drive, the Dolphins tried a halfback option pass with Thomas. He managed to throw the ball away as he was being horse-collared by Perry Riley. The penalty moved the ball from the Redskins’ 5-yard line to the 2.

“We knew if we got the ball with the right field position that we were going to take some shots and, unfortunately, didn’t hit them,” Moore said. “I would love to have that first one back. I think that had the guys fired up.”

David J. Neal

The Miami Dolphins are on pace to nab the fewest interceptions in franchise history. Dolphins defenders have a paltry two so far after eight games.

But former Dolphin quarterback John Beck is coming to town Sunday when the Washington Redskins visit Sun Life Stadium.

Opportunity is knocking. The Redskins, mired in a four-game losing streak, rank third-from-last in the NFL in interception rate. If you think the Dolphins have quarterback problems, Beck is rated 31st in the league and the guy he replaced, Rex Grossman, is 33rd.

Tyrone Culver is ready to seize opportunity as the Dolphins (1-7) attempt to extend their winning streak to two. That’s exactly what he has done the past three games, since taking over the starting free safety position. He’s had five passes thrown his way and has not allowed a completion. Now it’s time for a pick.

“I haven’t had any balls caught on me, so that’s good and I’d like to keep that going,” he said. “We want to keep the winning going and I think we’re capable of another great game.”

Culver, who supplanted an injured Reshad Jones, has provided solid if not spectacular play complementing strong safety Yeremiah Bell at a position that has been in flux for the Dolphins the past few years.

Coach Tony Sparano praised Culver for giving the Dolphins a measure of reliability.

“There are specific players that you have on your team that you know exactly what you’re going to get from them when they go out on the field every week and Ty is one of those guys,” Sparano said.

Chris Clemons was the starter last season, but a hamstring injury in training camp meant he lost the job to Jones, who sustained a knee injury four weeks ago against the Jets when he collided with a referee.

Opportunity knocks

Culver — a sixth-round pick of the Packers out of Fresno State in 2006 who is in his fourth season with Miami — got the call.

“It started with a couple injuries, which is what happens a lot of times in the NFL,” he said. “Someone steps in and takes the opportunity, progresses every week.”

Clemons is healthy again but has been consigned to special teams. He has zero defensive snaps and isn’t sure why.

“They haven’t told me,” he said. “You always want to play. I’m a team player.”

Meanwhile, Jones — the type of ballhawk that Sparano likes — is feeling better and rotated on and off the field with Culver during Miami’s 31-3 victory at Kansas City.

“Obviously Reshad was the starter, and he’s a guy who we feel like can help us make some plays,” Sparano said. “But right now back there the communication is really good with the two of those guys in and out of there. We’ll see how we go as we go forward.”

Sparano is still seeking the right combination. Miami’s defense ranks 26th against the pass. Miami’s two interceptions came from rookie Jimmy Wilson and defensive end Jared Odrick.

Bell praised

Sparano is pleased with Bell, who ranks first on the Dolphins in tackles with 64.

“Y.B. is one of the tempo-setters,” Sparano said. “He’s a physical player. The guy plays through every possible nick that you can get. He doesn’t say a word. He just keeps going.’’

But Sparano needs a consistent partner for Bell, who worked in a Kentucky steel mill for two years before walking on at Eastern Kentucky. In 2008, it was Renaldo Hill. The next year was free agent bust Gibril Wilson. Last year it was Clemons.

Culver wants the role. He has played both strong safety and free safety in his career but prefers free.

“I like the freedom back there,” he said. “You can direct traffic. You’re the field general. One thing about me is that I tend to think of myself as a smarter player. I like to study the opponent.’’

Culver, who hopes to be an orthodontist after his NFL career ends, isn’t underestimating Beck or Washington’s receivers — including former Florida Gator Jabar Gaffney, former UCLA player Terrence Austin and former University of Miami player Leonard Hankerson. Santana Moss is injured.

“We just have to keep doing what we did against Kansas City,’’ Culver said. “We were all flying around the field. We’ve got to maintain that energy.”

Dolphins running game vs. Redskins run defense

Perhaps no player on the Dolphins utilized the off week to greater effect than Reggie Bush. Heading into the bye of Oct. 7, Bush hadn’t had a run or reception of longer than 23 yards since before Christmas of 2009. Since coming off the break, Bush has ripped off five plays that have gained at least 27 yards. Still, they need a healthy Daniel Thomas to establish the inside running game, or the same pass-happy play-calling tilt will be required to move the offense (19 of the Dolphins’ first 25 plays in Kansas City were passes as they built a 21-3 lead). Washington allows a gaudy 4.5 yards per rush. EDGE: Dolphins

Dolphins passing game vs. Redskins pass defense

This is perfect timing for the Dolphins as Matt Moore has been excellent over the course of his past three starts, completing 52 of 78 passes (66.7 percent) for 579 yards (7.42 yards per attempt) with four touchdown passes and only one interception for a passer rating of 100.3. Meanwhile, in the Redskins’ past three games, quarterbacks have completed 56 of 74 for 672 yards with four touchdowns and only one pickoff (115.4 passer rating). Brandon Marshall is on pace for 1,288 receiving yards at 14.0 yards per catch in 2011. EDGE: Dolphins

Redskins running game vs. Dolphins run defense

The Redskins  turned to rookie Roy Helu as their starter in the backfield over Ryan Torain last week against San Francisco. While Torain is a more traditional between-the-tackles runner (running for 135 yards last month against the Rams), Helu is more of a dual threat. The fourth-round pick had 24 touches last week, but only 10 of them were runs (for 41 yards). The Dolphins, meanwhile, have tightened up. In the first four games of the season, running backs averaged 4.31 yards per rush. Since then, that average has fallen to 3.52 a carry. EDGE: Dolphins

Redskins passing game vs. Dolphins pass defense

With Santana Moss out with a broken hand and Anthony Armstrong nagged by a hamstring pull, ex-Dolphin John Beck, who replaced Rex Grossman as the starter on Oct. 23, has leaned heavily on Helu and tight end Fred Davis, who has become one of the league’s underrated tight ends. With Beck smarting from 13 sacks in his two starts on the road, coach Mike Shanahan shortened the passing game and targeted Helu an astounding 17 times against the 49ers. The Dolphins have logged 12 of their 20 sacks in the past three games. EDGE: Dolphins

Dolphins special teams vs. Redskins special teams

Brandon Fields’ net punting average took a hit against the Chiefs as Dexter McCluster averaged 15.0 yards a return and Fields also found the end zone for a touchback. The 34.2-yard net at Arrowhead trimmed his season average to 40.7, ninth-best in the NFL. Dan Carpenter, meanwhile, has rebounded from a shaky 3-for-6 start to convert his past 13 field goal attempts. Redskins kicker Graham Gano crushed a 59-yard field goal last week, but has missed on four attempts of less than 50 yards. EDGE: Dolphins

Intangibles

Mike Shanahan returns to the site of his 1999 triumph in Super Bowl XXXIII while coach of the Broncos. Suffice to say, though, that The Mastermind looks a lot less smart nowadays without John Elway, Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe and Rod Smith lining up for him. A Dolphins loss would give them a franchise-worst eight-game home losing streak. EDGE: Redskins

Prediction: Dolphins 27, Redskins 13

DAVIE, Fla. – Reggie Bush came to the Miami Dolphins [team stats] with a desire to be the one thing he never had been throughout his NFL career: a traditional running back. He was never that during his years with the New Orleans Saints. And he wasn’t that in his Heisman Trophy days at USC.

And for a while, it seemed Bush wouldn’t, or couldn’t, become that player with the Dolphins. Yet in the past three games, Bush has provided evidence that maybe he can do what he never has before. Maybe he can succeed in an every-down role.

In the Dolphins’ 20-17 loss at the New York Giants on Sunday, Bush ran for a season-high 103 yards on 15 carries. It was just the second 100-yard rushing game of his pro career and it capped a three-game stretch in which he has gained 216 yards on 35 carries.

For the past three games, Bush has averaged 6.2 yards per carry. The number would be impressive enough without context. But it’s more so given Bush was averaging 3.0 yards per carry in the Dolphins’ first four games.

“Just been able to run the ball more,” Bush said with a smile on Wednesday, when asked what has been different in recent games. “I think it’s pretty simple.”

His 15 carries against the Giants were a season high. But his success in recent weeks goes deeper than his increased opportunities. Bush has found more space and has done more with that space. He has done a better job of breaking tackles.

And Brian Daboll, the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, has put Bush in position to better utilize his open-field running ability. Bush’s three longest runs of the season- plays on which he gained 39, 36 and 28 yards- have all come in the past three weeks.

“It’s really a partnership,” Bush said of his relationship with his offensive coordinator. “Daboll has asked me some things that I liked, and we’ve just kind of worked together on just some ways to get me in space and things like that. So I feel like he’s done a great job of just giving me an opportunity.

“And it’s still work in progress.”

That’s especially true for Bush’s role in the passing game. Outside of the season opener, when he had 56 yards receiving against the Patriots [team stats], Bush hasn’t had more than 17 yards receiving in any game.

Daboll, though, said Bush plays a valuable role in the passing game even when he’s not targeted. When Bush goes in motion, for instance, Daboll said it can help quarterback Matt Moore identify the kind of coverage the defense might utilize.

Moore indicated Wednesday that he’d like to utilize Bush more in the passing game.

“Obviously he’s talented with the ball in his hands and we’d love to get him the ball,” Moore said. “I think our plans have been pretty good, and he has his share in most of our game plans. So that’s all up to the coaches, but any time we can get him the ball it’s a good thing.”

Despite his improvement in the running game in recent weeks, Bush’s role with the Dolphins is still a “work in progress,” he said. That’s as much true for him as it is for the Dolphins, who are still figuring out the best way to utilize Bush.

Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com

DAVIE—

Reggie Bush came to the Miami Dolphins with a desire to be the one thing he never had been throughout his NFL career: a traditional running back. He was never that during his years with the New Orleans Saints. And wasn’t that, either, back in his Heisman-trophy days at USC.

And for a while it seemed the Bush wouldn’t, or couldn’t, become that player with the Dolphins. Yet in the Dolphins’ past three games, Bush has provided evidence that maybe he can do what he never has before. Maybe he can succeed in an every-down role.

In the Dolphins’ 20-17 loss at the New York Giants on Sunday, Bush ran for a season-high 103 yards on 15 carries. It was just his second 100-yard rushing game of his pro career, and it capped a three-game stretch in which he has gained 216 yards on 35 carries.

For the past three games, Bush has averaged 6.2 yards per carry. The number would be impressive enough without context. But it’s more so given Bush was averaging 3.0 yards per carry through the Dolphins’ first four games.

“Just been able to run the ball more,” Bush said with a smile on Wednesday, when asked what has been different in recent games. “I think it’s pretty simple.”

His 15 carries against the Giants were a season high. But his success in recent weeks goes deeper than his increased opportunities. Bush has found more space and has done more with that space. He has done a better job of breaking tackles.

And Brian Daboll, the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, has put Bush in position to better utilize his open-field running ability. Bush’s three longest runs of the season — plays on which he gained 39, 36 and 28 yards — have all come in the past three weeks.

“It’s really a partnership,” Bush said of his relationship with his offensive coordinator. “Daboll has asked me some things that I liked, and we’ve just kind of worked together on just some ways to get me in space and things like that. So I feel like he’s done a great job of just giving me an opportunity.

“And it’s still work in progress.”

That’s especially true for Bush’s role in the passing game. Outside of the season-opener, when he had 56 yards receiving against the Patriots, Bush hasn’t had more than 17 yards receiving in any game.

Daboll, though, said Bush plays a valuable role in the passing game even when he’s not targeted. When Bush goes in motion, for instance, Daboll said it can help quarterback Matt Moore identify the kind of coverage the defense might utilize.

Moore indicated Wednesday that he’d like to utilize Bush more in the passing game.

“Obviously he’s talented with the ball in his hands and we’d love to get him the ball,” Moore said. “I think our plans have been pretty good, and he has his share in most of our game plans. So that’s all up to the coaches but any time we can get him the ball it’s a good thing.”

Despite his improvement in the running game in recent weeks, Bush’s role with the Dolphins is still a “work in progress,” he said. That’s as much true for him as it is for the Dolphins, who are still figuring out the best way to utilize Bush.

abcarter@tribune.com

The Dolphins can try to comfort themselves by noting, correctly so, that they have been very competitive during this 0-7 start, leading in six games, including three times in the fourth quarter.

But here’s the flip side: In going 0-for-September and October, the Dolphins have been so inept, so inefficient, in several areas, that they are on a pace to break team records in at least four ignominious categories.

And at their current pace, they are on pace to break at least one inglorious NFL record, though there’s still time to avoid that. Consider:

• The Dolphins have forced only four turnovers, which is next to last in the league behind (shockingly) 6-2 Pittsburgh, which has three takeaways.

What’s more, Miami has only two interceptions, none by a starting defensive back.

The Dolphins are on pace for just over nine takeaways, which would break the NFL record low of 11, set by Baltimore in 1982.

The Steelers’ lack of takeaways seems like an anomaly. While Pittsburgh had 35 last season, the Dolphins had only 19, which was next-to-last. So this problem isn’t new.

“You can put them in positions on the practice field, different type of ball drills, strip drills,” coach Tony Sparano said. “Any time the ball is on the ground in practice, we finish like it’s a fumble. Those are the things we can control in practice. Other than that, some players have a certain knack for getting the ball out.”

Out of position

Yeremiah Bell said one cause of the dearth of turnovers is players being in the wrong position.

Backup cornerback Jimmy Wilson and defensive end Jared Odrick have the team’s only interceptions. Starting cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith each have just one interception in the past 23 games, though Davis has missed three games this year with a hamstring injury and Smith began last season as a backup.

For perspective, consider that the Dolphins have had fewer than 10 interceptions in a season only once — eight in 2006. They had 11 last year.

There are a few offensive areas where the Dolphins are on a pace to be historically bad, by franchise standards.

The Dolphins’ average of 15.3 points per game (29th in the league) is worse than their 16.7 average during their 1-15 season (2007) and on par with the franchise record of 15.2 set during the team’s expansion season of 1966.

• The Dolphins are converting 25.8 percent of their third-down attempts (23 for 89). That’s worst in the league and by far the worst in franchise history since the NFL began keeping track of that statistic in 1973. Even during the 1-15 season, Miami was at 37.2.

Against the Giants on Sunday, the Dolphins converted their first four third-down chances but failed to convert any of their final six.

Receiver Brian Hartline spoke candidly about the offensive problems on WQAM-560 this week, saying, “When plays work, we don’t go back to them enough.”

He said at times, “We’re more concerned about protection than having the best personnel on the field…. I wish we could get to the point where we’re making [defenses] change than … us try to change our offense to fit their defense.”

• Another problem: The Dolphins, last in the league in sacks-per-pass-play, have allowed 27 and are on pace to give up 61.7, which would shatter the team record of 53 set in 1969.

Under pressure

The Dolphins, who allowed 42 sacks during the 1-15 season, already have relinquished more sacks that they did during Sparano’s entire first season (26 in 2008). They yielded 34 and 38 the past two years.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jake Long has given up five sacks, Marc Colombo three (as well as a league-high eight quarterback hits), and Mike Pouncey and Richie Incognito two apiece.

Running backs also have been responsible for several sacks. Matt Moore acknowledged Wednesday he should have thrown away the ball in some instances instead of taking sacks.

This is telling about the Dolphins’ quarterback play: Of the three quarterbacks who rank worst in the league in fourth-quarter passer rating, two are Dolphins: now-injured Chad Henne is 37th at 48.7 and Moore is 39th and last at 44.2. Curtis Painter, whose Colts are also winless, is 38th.

Moore said the area he most needs to improve is “making some throws in crunch time where big throws need to be made.”

Moore’s overall 65.3 quarterback rating is second-worst in the league, ahead of only Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert. Since Dan Marino left, only two Dolphins quarterbacks who threw at least 100 passes in a season had a rating lower than Moore’s: John Beck’s 62.0 in 2007, and A.J. Feeley’s 61.7 in 2004.

We heard the message all summer: The Dolphins’ offense would be more daring and attacking and aggressive and all of those wonderful adjectives that typically inspire enthusiasm among fans.

And oh yes, we heard this a lot, too: The Dolphins would dictate to opponents what they would do, not allow defenses to dictate to them.

The road to 0-5 is paved with good intentions. But here’s all that really matters: After five games, the Dolphins offense is scoring less than last year, 15 points per game compared to 17.1, and it hasn’t done anything good enough to win a game.

And like last season, the Dolphins are again 30th in the league in per-game scoring.

They enter Sunday’s game against Denver with just three touchdowns in their past four games, including none Monday in Matt Moore’s first start as a Dolphin.

“We have to find what our niche is,” Reggie Bush said last week.

Bush said that when he signed with the Dolphins, he asked, “Do we want to be an air-it-out team [or] a ground-and-pound team? What is our identity?” More than two months later, “that’s one of the things we’re still trying to find out.”

A better offense?

In some ways, the Dolphins offense has been better than a year ago.

They’re averaging more yards per game (343.8 to 323.1) and more yards per play (5.3 to 5.0).

“Overall, we’re doing a good job of moving the ball,” receiver Davone Bess said.

The Dolphins rank 16th in yards per game (compared to 21st last year) and 14th in rushing (up from 21st).

Their passing offense has dropped from 16th to 19th, which isn’t surprising considering the backup quarterback played most of the past two games.

But all of the small signs of progress have been negated by this: The Dolphins are horrible on third downs (15 for 62).

Their 24.2 percent conversion rate ranks last, well below the 38.8 league average and their 40 percent rate last year.

“I don’t have an answer for you,” Moore said of the third-down shortcomings.

New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll hasn’t received nearly as much criticism as predecessor Dan Henning.

And there have been several factors beyond Daboll’s control, including the loss of quarterback Chad Henne to a season-ending injury; generally mediocre or subpar quarterback play (aside from the Patriots game); and the fact Brandon Marshall hasn’t been able to hold on to five potential touchdown throws.

The Dolphins have dropped 14 passes (which ranks in the bottom quarter in the league) and are 30th in sacks allowed per pass play.

Daboll cannot be blamed for that.

Some criticism

But several offensive decisions/issues (involving Daboll and other coaches) warrant scrutiny. Among them:

• The inability to maximize Bush’s talents during the first four games. Coach Tony Sparano has said the Dolphins need to do more to get Bush in space, and Bush said the Dolphins aren’t lining him up at receiver nearly as much as the Saints did.

He is averaging just three receptions per game, and 6.2 yards per catch — less than his career averages of 4.9 and 7.3.

And too many of his runs have been between the tackles, something that doesn’t play to his strengths.

• A few peculiar play calls, including a deep ball to Clyde Gates on the ill-fated final drive against Cleveland. And here’s another one: On third and inches from the Jets’ 41 on the Dolphins’ first series Monday, why did they throw a pass to Gates — who was covered by All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis — instead of running the ball?