Disappointment felt through organization as Dolphins’ slide continues. ‘They want better’

The Miami Dolphins had plenty of time to think and evaluate as they embark on their nine-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Their latest defeat, a 23-20 loss to the winless Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday, was still raw, still fresh in everyone’s mind.

“It was a long flight,” coach Brian Flores said a day later. “Some guys went to sleep. Some guys are watching the tape, asking questions about what they could have done here, what they could have done there, what they can do to help this team.”

This team, one that posted 10 wins a year ago, could use some help in the midst of its current free fall. The Dolphins have lost five consecutive games since opening the season with a 17-16 win over the New England Patriots.

Two losses were close — an overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and Sunday’s loss on a last-second field goal to the Jaguars after letting a 10-point first-half lead slip away to one of two teams that had yet to win a game this season heading into this week. Two others were blowouts — a 35-0 shutout to the Bills and a 45-17 loss to the Buccaneers. They also lost 27-17 to the Colts, a game in which Miami entered the fourth quarter down 17.

The Dolphins continue to contend that they’re close to a breakthrough each week, but that breakthrough — whether because of injuries to key players, execution on game day or coaching — has yet to come.

And even though the season is only six weeks old, time seems like it could be running out.

“The mistakes that we make — and we’ve made — have cost us,” Fores said. “We have to try to limit those mistakes as players and coaches. There’s a slim margin for error, and we’re on the wrong side of that right now.”

And that has resulted in a key buzzword flying around yet again: Disappointment.

Flores used the phrase six times in his 18-minute video news conference Monday after saying it twice Sunday. Receiver Jaylen Waddle and linebacker Jerome Baker each also said it twice after Sunday’s loss.

It’s a mutual feeling, Flores said, among himself, the players, owner Stephen Ross and “the entire organization.”

“They want better,” Flores said.

“It sucks,” offensive lineman Robert Hunt added. “We all want to win. I think we do prepare well. We do practice hard. ... It’s hard to win in the league and little things can get you beat. We’ve just got to keep trying to improve.”

And from rookie safety Jevon Holland, who said he hasn’t been on a five-game losing streak since seventh grade: “We’re coming together and pieces are falling in place, but this is about execution. It really is. That’s for myself, and I think that’s what everybody else sees. We’ve just got to be able to finish.”

That falls in place with how Sunday unfolded. The Dolphins had a 20-17 point lead with 10 minutes left to play but stalled out on their final two drives to allow the Jaguars to complete their rally.

A punt with just less than seven minutes left led to the Jaguars’ game-tying field goal following a nine-play, 44-yard drive to make it 20-20 with 3:40 left in regulation.

The Dolphins then got near midfield but failed to convert a fourth-and-1 on a Malcolm Brown run. Jacksonville responded with a five-play drive, highlighted by a 9-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence to Laviska Shenault Jr. on fourth-and-8 to set up the game-winning 53-yard field goal with one second left on the clock.

Game over. Losing streak continued. Wrong end of the margin for error yet again.

“[The Jaguars] executed in those situations,” Flores said, “and we didn’t.”

And it brings the Dolphins back to the drawing board again, back to finding a way to get out of this losing streak.

They’ll have the chance soon. They host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

“We want to get back out there,” Flores said.