(My Sportsbook) - Just about everything broke right for the Dolphins on Sunday, except where it mattered most, on the field.

Miami carried a four-game winning streak into Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and another victory would have put the Dolphins squarely into the thick of the playoff race, but the disheartening 24-10 setback instead all but ended their postseason hopes.

A fifth consecutive win, coupled with losses by Denver and Kansas City, would have left the Dolphins just one game out of a playoff spot. One! And it would have come after the disastrous 1-6 start. Well, the Chiefs lost in overtime and the Broncos were beaten Sunday night, but Miami could not take advantage.

Instead, the Dolphins will probably watch the playoffs from afar for a fifth consecutive season -- the longest drought in franchise history.

Sure, they are only two games behind with four to play, but five teams are tied at 7-5 for the two AFC wild card berths and the Dolphins are also knotted with three other teams at 5-7. Too much to overcome. And their 2-6 conference record does not bode well for breaking ties.

There was plenty of disappointment over the lost opportunity, but there also appears to be no quit.

"I think a lot of players are probably a little disappointed," Dolphins head coach Nick Saban said Monday. "The team has handled the negatives. It says a lot about the team to come back and win the four games that we won. We stubbed our toe and lost a game, let's see how we come back and finish the season. I think that's going to say a lot about the character and attitude of the team. That's the attitude we're going to take with them. Nobody likes losing. I've said that before. I don't like it. The players don't like it. The owner doesn't like it. Nobody likes it. We're here to try to win football games and get the most out of our players and get them to play to their full potential. When that doesn't happen it's disappointing to all of us."

Maybe so, but when the pressure was on and the Dolphins absolutely needed a win, they came up short. Now they can go back to playing free and easy, with nothing on the line. That means they'll probably win four in a row again and finish with a winning record to give everyone [false?] hope again next year.

WHY THE GAME CHANGED - OFFENSE

It actually appeared as if the Dolphins were going to take control of Sunday's game early. Leading 7-3, Joey Harrington had the offense in position for another touchdown after a 46-yard pass to Chris Chambers set up a first down at the Jacksonville nine.

Then, the old Joey showed up. Not the one that was nearly flawless in the Thanksgiving win over Detroit, but the one that used to play for the Lions. His next four throws -- incomplete, but a penalty; incomplete; interception; and interception.

The first INT came in the end zone and denied at worst a field goal chance. The second, after the Jaguars had taken the lead with a 95-yard touchdown drive, led to Jacksonville's second touchdown of the quarter and essentially put the game out of reach just seconds before the end of the half.

"They made turnovers and they got 14 points off of turnovers and that was basically the difference in the game," Saban said Sunday. "I was disappointed in the way we executed."

Harrington took the blame.

"In hindsight I should have thrown it out of the back of the end zone," the quarterback said of the first pick. "The other interception, the corner squatted on Wes [Welker] inside early and we tried to get Chris [Chambers] up the rail and I threw short. We tried to get something back and it was a costly mistake -- my fault."

WHY THE GAME CHANGED - DEFENSE

As the Jaguars were driving toward their first touchdown, Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor left the game with an arm injury. Miami was ahead 7-3 when he left the field. When he returned to start the second half, the Jaguars were ahead 17-7.

"I missed the end of the half. It was a bit of different game when I came back out," Taylor said.

Think he makes a difference? Ask Coach Saban.

"I think it affected us a little bit when he missed that little bit of time right there in the second quarter when he went in to get x-rays," Saban said after the game. "He makes so many plays. He batted three or four balls down, got a sack, had pressures, so his presence on the field, not only in his performance, but in his leadership, is really critical I think to our team."

Clearly. His short absence may have cost Miami the game -- and, possibly, a remarkable turnaround season.

ALABAMA GET AWAY

Speculation about Saban's future in Miami was rampant this past weekend, as rumors spread that Alabama was interested in filling its coaching vacancy with one former SEC sideline boss.

Saban came to Miami after five highly successful seasons at LSU, where he led the Tigers to a pair of SEC championships and a share of the 2003 national title.

The question about Alabama came up Sunday after the game and the coach was none too pleased.

"I can't believe anybody would even ask about it," Saban complained. "I'm not going to continue to respond to rumors and innuendo, which this obviously is. I'm committed to a group of guys here and a football team and a football staff and we're working hard to try to get this season right and -- really -- it kind of challenges your professional integrity a little bit to even talk about it. I mean, people throw it on the wall and see what sticks is what I can tell you. It's disappointing to me that -- it's flattering that someone would consider me for anything, but it's also disappointing that when you're trying your very best to do the best you can for your team, that it can come as a distraction that anyone would even ask about it. It's certainly not a distraction to me."

NEWS & NOTES

-The Dolphins scored a touchdown on their opening possession for the first time this year.

-Running back Ronnie Brown was inactive Sunday and the Miami ground game suffered with only 68 yards. Sammy Morris started in Brown's place and had just 47 yards on 12 carries, plus injured an ankle.

-Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare missed a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter that would have made it a seven-point game. It was his career-high 10th miss of the season. He later made a 42-yard kick in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Unless there is another four-game winning streak and a collapse by the rest of the AFC, the Dolphins start playing out the last quarter of the season by welcoming the New England Patriots -- the first of three straight divisional opponents -- to town.

Miami will then visit Buffalo and host the New York Jets on Christmas night before closing the campaign in Indianapolis -- by the way, a former division foe.

The Dolphins are 0-3 within the division, including a 20-10 setback at Foxboro on October 8. Harrington got his first start with the Dolphins in that game and threw a pair of interceptions to Asante Samuel. The two picks set up both of New England's touchdown drives -- short ones at that of 10 and 24 yards.

Miami will try to make it a third straight split of the season series. The Patriots won in Miami last year, posting a 23-16 triumph.

New England is, again, at the top of the AFC East with a record of 9-3 -- two games ahead of the second-place Jets. The Pats need a win Sunday and a Jets loss against Buffalo to wrap up the division title.