SAN DIEGO -- Who are these guys?

They look like the Dolphins because they're wearing the same uniform. They sometimes act like the Dolphins because, yes, that was Joey Porter getting in Marcus McNeil's face before the game, saying things not printable in this publication and promising a bad day for the San Diego offensive tackle.

These guys sometimes even play like the Dolphins because every drive still takes forever and they still do a good job of stopping the run.

But everything else, and particularly the results these guys are getting now, has nothing to do with success. It has nothing to do with playing winning football.

It has nothing to do with the formula that carried the 2008 Dolphins to a division title.

This team gives up turnovers, even in the shadow of the other team's goal line. This team isn't healthy right now a year after seemingly mocking the injury report. This team gives up big plays, and that's something the Dolphins rarely did last year.

But most depressing right now, and something Tony Sparano must seriously be worried about, these Dolphins are not finishing games. They couldn't hold a lead in the fourth quarter last week, and they wilted in the second half Sunday after being tied 3-3 at halftime.

And finishing off games is something the 2008 Dolphins did in victory after impressive victory.

So if you're looking for the team that won and turned things around and made you proud last season, forget it.

That team is AWOL.

These Dolphins are lost. And they have no identity worth keeping.

``I know what our identity is,'' guard Justin Smiley said from a corner locker of a hushed and depressing locker room Sunday. ``We're a tough, physical football team. But we're doing the things we didn't do last year. I think our identity is the same. I think we can move the football. We've moved the football 17 plays and 94 yards and we've done it against great teams.

``But you get down in the red zone you have to score points. Last year we were very efficient in the red zone. Now, for one reason or another, we're shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties and turnovers.''

The Dolphins are shooting themselves in one foot on offense. Then they're shooting themselves in the other foot on defense by yielding big plays.

Last week it was the 80-yard touchdown pass by Dallas Clark. On Sunday it was a 55-yard reception by Vincent Jackson followed the 47-yard reception by Malcom Floyd.

So what do you have? A lame team that doesn't have a foot to stand on.

Unfortunately, these are issues with no easy solutions. The defense gave up those long pass plays even when coaches called double coverage on the receivers who caught the passes.

And everyone in the secondary was victimized -- Sean Smith and Gibril Wilson on the 55-yarder and Will Allen and Yeremiah Bell on the 47-yarder.

``It's a great job by their receiver,'' coach Tony Sparano said, ``and we did a poor job of executing it.''

So, barring a trade for underappreciated but steady Renaldo Hill, what does this all say about Miami's chances going forward?

``We're doing things that last year we knew not to do,'' nose tackle Jason Ferguson said. ``We were known for not giving up big plays. We were known for not turning the ball over. We got turnovers and big plays today.

``We don't want to keep bringing back last year, but you see the difference between the two teams, and that's the major difference.''

Unfortunately the Dolphins may no longer have the tools to return to 2008. Quarterback Chad Pennington, who spent five hours a day working out so he could stay healthy, could be out indefinitely.

He left Sunday's game with a shoulder injury that the team hopes is only a separation but fears could be a serious dislocation. Either way, Chad Henne has to step in for now -- a quarterback with 26 career attempts supplanting a 10-year veteran, an unknown quantity taking the place of a player with history.

Yet another reason to ask of these Dolphins, who are these guys?