Saturday, the Dolphins did what they've done against elite teams all season.

Miami surprised New England in the first half, limiting Tom Brady to just seven completions in 19 attempts, for a paltry 87 yards. He was also sacked three times, as Miami jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead.

Then came the third quarter, when Brady became Brady, throwing for one TD and running for another, and engineering a third drive that ended in a field goal.

By the time the fourth quarter began, Miami's lead had already evaporated, and Brady scored again to lead the Patriots to a 27-24 victory.

While Brady flourished, Matt Moore floundered, showing once again why he is not the future of the franchise at the quarterback position.

Moore threw an interception and committed a costly fumble. The stats say he had a good day -- 17-33 passing for 294 yards and three TDs, but when Brady hit his stride and the Dolphins defense was fading, Moore could only lead Miami on one scoring drive in the second half.

Left tackle Jake Long, who battled injuries all season, finally saw his 2011 end when he tore his right biceps during the game.

Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush were again bright spots, as Marshall caught seven passes for 156 yards and a TD, and Bush cracked the 1,000-yard barrier for the first time in his career with 113 yards on 22 carries.

But add this to the Cleveland, Dallas, Denver and the New York Giants games as yet another time Miami appeared to have a victory in hand, only to lose at the end.

Despite their season-ending tear, the Dolphins fall to 5-10, their worst record since the 1-16 debacle in 2007.

And now, with Miami in deperate need of a franchise quarterback in next year's draft, USC signal-caller Matt Barkley has already said he's returning for his senior year, while Oklahoma QB Landry Jones is rumored to be staying on campus also.

That leaves just Stanford's Andrew Luck and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III as the top-flight quarterbacks coming out this year. And with the Dolphins slated to pick ninth, behind QB-needy teams like the Colts and Redskins (with the Browns and Jaguars still uncertain as to whether they'll take a passer or not), the odds are Miami will have to wait yet another year to find a worthy successor to Dan Marino and Bob Griese.

And Dolphins fans have run out of patience, with it now 28 years since the last time Miami reached a Super Bowl.

The Dolphins do have some pieces to build around, with Bush and Marshall on offense and Cameron Wake, Karlos Dansby and Vontae Davis on defense.

But the safety position remains a need, as well as another edge rusher to help take the pressure off Wake. On offense, quarterback, tight end, offensive line and a second receiver to complement Marshall seem to be the primary needs.

In any event, the Dolphins play out the season next week at home against the hated Jets, then the long offseason of searching begins anew.