GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Let us begin to consider these allegations of a greatly improved Dolphins team to be an unfounded rumor following this Debacle in the Desert here. Get me rewrite on that season theme, ``A New Beginning.''

The new beginning needs a new beginning.

On Sunday, the new beginning looked an awful lot like the same old, same old -- ''an awful lot'' being the key phrase there.

The Dolphins flew cross-country to embarrass themselves in a 31-10 whipping administered by the Arizona Cardinals, an opponent that last made the NFL playoffs in 1998 but was made to look like a Super Bowl-bound juggernaut by Miami's ineptitude.

First-year Dolphins coach Tony Sparano had said Friday, in the hopeful buildup to this game: ``I like my team. I love my team right now.''

Not sure there would be universal agreement in South Florida today.

SHOVED BACKWARD

The Dolphins' performance was worse than a confidence-quaking step back from last week's somewhat-credible, six-point loss to the New York Jets.

This performance was sad shades of last season's 1-15 team. These ''New Beginning'' Dolphins were every bit as error-prone, disheveled-seeming and uncompetitive as the '07 edition that showed Cam Cameron the door.

(By the way, this franchise has now lost 20 of its past 21 games dating to late 2006. Not that anybody's counting or anything.)

A dollop of good arrived late in Sunday's calamity: Backup quarterback Chad Henne entered in the fourthquarter and directed an

89-yard scoring drive.

It was, to slightly adapt a recent notable quote from Barack Obama, ``like putting lipstick on a pigskin.''

You can put Henne in to look good running a two-minute drill for this team -- but it's still this team. Plenty in the quick-fix crowd might now knee-jerk to propose Henne replace veteran Chad Pennington, but if Sunday reminded us of anything, it is that Miami's deficiencies are beyond remedy by whomever is taking snaps.

Sparano said as much when asked if Henne would start the next game.

''No,'' came the answer, quick as a gunshot.

Sparano was right, too, this time, to not bemoan the meager running totals of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams (a combined 22 carries for 53 yards) because, again, there are such bigger problems to face.

The pass defense is horrific, for example.

AN AERIAL ASSAULT

One week after rejuvenating Brett Favre, Sunday's Dolphins were Kurt Warner's fountain of youth as the veteran threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns with a rare, perfect 158.3 passer rating. Cardinals wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald combined for 293 receiving yards on 12 catches.

That's insane.

No, as much as the offense is struggling, personified by the Incredibly Shrinking Ted Ginn Jr., who had one short catch Sunday and seems to have been demoted from the three-wideout package, the glaring issue is that Miami can't stop the pass.

The team had a whole week to prepare, knowing that Boldin and Fitzgerald were a game-breaking tandem, yet Boldin sped free on Arizona's second play of the game for a 79-yard touchdown.

A mental lapse (that's touchy-feely for ''botched assignment'') left linebacker Akin Ayodele to cover Boldin, bereft of support from a safety. There hasn't been a worse mismatch since stripes and plaids. It happened so fast that Ayodele couldn't even give police a decent description.

On the Cardinals' next series, Fitzgerald outleaped cornerback Will Allen and juked safety Chris Crocker so badly, Crocker was left wearing only a jockstrap. It was a 75-yard play that ended short of the goal with Allen catching Fitzgerald from behind.

Until Henne's late heroics, that was the highlight of the game for Miami: Allen's tackle limiting an opponent's play to 75 yards!

''We're not that good that we can dig out of a hole,'' defensive tackle Jason Ferguson said.

Still, you wanted to believe Miami still was in it, down 17-0 at the half.

BACK FOR MORE

But here's how the third quarter began:

A 12-men-on-the-field penalty gave the Cards new life after a missed field goal. (Miami needed about 18 men on the field Sunday). Then a face-mask penalty against rookie Kendall Langford on a third-down sack giving 'Zona yet another chance. A touchdown run soon followed.

The Cardinals' fourth TD happened because Boldin stole the ball as it arrived in the end zone between defensive backs Yeremiah Bell and Michael Lehan.

''They wanted it more than we did, it seemed like,'' defensive end Vonnie Holliday said.

Laments all across the latest desolate locker room.

''I don't know what's going on,'' tackle Vernon Carey said.

Cornerback Andre' Goodman said: ``No bright side right now.''.

At 31-3, Dolfans must have been hoping a merciful clock would start running like Usain Bolt, at least until Henne offered a slim shaft of light in the gloom.

''We've hit some adversity right now,'' said Sparano, his voice escalating to a shade of anger. ``It's not going to be this way all the time -- it really isn't. We're going to make it better.''

This ''New Beginning'' is

a gradual process. We understand that.

And patience is a virtue,

et cetera. That's fine, too.

But nothing about this process can explain, or should excuse, a Dolphins performance as fetid as

Sunday's.

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.