But this goes way beyond quarterbacks.

What were they thinking when they shipped two first-round picks to the Saints before the 2002 season in exchange for the gifted but troubled Ricky Williams, who survived 2 ½ years in Miami before wafting his way out of the league?

What were they thinking when they traded Fletcher and a draft pick to the Chargers for wide out David Boston? Fletcher wasn't very good, but at least he could stay on the field. Boston couldn't. He caught four passes in his illustrious Dolphins career.

What were they thinking when they dispatched hold-out defensive end Adawale Ogunleye to the Bears after he recorded 15 sacks in 2003 in exchange for receiver Marty Booker, who hasn't surpassed 750 yards in a season since arriving in Miami in 2004?

What were they thinking when they sent a third-round pick to the Rams just before the 2004 season because they concluded that Lamar Gordon could replace Williams? Lamar Gordon? He lasted three games.

What were they thinking when they traded Wes Welker to the Patriots this past offseason for only second- and seventh-round picks? Welker is now third in the NFL with 61 receptions.

The Dolphins' last first-round pick who made a Pro Bowl was Tim Bowens, back in 1994. The last one on offense was Richmond Webb, 17 years ago.

Nobody the Dolphins drafted before 2004 is even on the team anymore.

And things aren't getting any better.

The Dolphins used the ninth pick in this year's draft on return specialist Ted Ginn, who they thought was the next Devin Hester. Not happening. Ginn ranks 17th in the NFL in kick return average and 20th in punt return average.

Another draft bust. Throw him on the heap.

It all adds up to a team that's seven games away from becoming the first since the 1976 Buccaneers to lose all its games and the first non-expansion team to do it since the 1944 Carpets -- the merged Cards and Steelers during World War II.

Can they do it?

Probably not. They have four games left against losing teams -- the 4-5 Eagles, 4-5 Ravens, 1-8 Jets and 3-6 Bengals. And to their credit, despite being the worst team in football, the Dolphins have played hard, with five of their nine losses coming by three points.

Somewhere along the line, the last team to win all its games will find a way not to lose all its games.

But the future is grim. The Dolphins have no idea how to identify, develop or acquire talent.

And if they don't go 0-16 this year, there's always next year.

By the Numbers

• Colts QB Peyton Manning's 328 passing yards are the third-most since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger by a quarterback throwing six interceptions in a game. In 1996, Bobby Hebert of the Falcons passed for 363 yards in a six-interception game against the Rams, and in 1970 Joe Namath of the Jets threw for 397 yards against the Colts.

• Redskins RB Clinton Portis has rushed for 196 and 137 yards the last two weeks, becoming the first running back this year with consecutive games of 137 or more rushing yards.

• Brett Favre completed 33 of 46 pass attempts for 351 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions and bumped his career passer rating up from 85.4 to 85.5 But Favre still fell from 16th to 17th in NFL history in career passer rating. Donovan McNabb's rating after a four-TD, no-INT performance improved from 85.3 to 85.8, and he passed Favre and moved into 16th place.

• Jeremy Shockey's 12-for-129 against the Cowboys made him the first tight end with 12 or more catches and at least 129 yards in a game since Tony Gonzalez of the Chiefs was 14-for-144 against the Chargers the last day of the 2004 season.

• The Patriots have outscored their first nine opponents by a combined 208 points, the largest point differential after nine games in 45 years. The 1962 Packers outscored their first nine opponents by 231 points.

• Ten quarterbacks -- Favre, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Manning, Matt Hasselbeck, McNabb, Derek Anderson and Jon Kitna -- are on pace to throw for 4,000 yards this year. That would be twice as many as ever in a single season (five in 1999, 2004 and 2006).

Reuben Frank is a sports writer for the Burlington County Times in Willingboro, NJ.