The Dolphins only tried to throw it over the top a handful of times Thursday, and on one of those attempts, Tannehill and Bess got their signals crossed. The result was a diving interception by Jairus Byrd. Tannehill’s other pick Thursday came in desperation time, when caution was a luxury the team couldn’t afford.

“I feel like I’m getting better,” Tannehill said after the game. “I feel like I’m learning a lot.

“Obviously, you can’t turn the ball over, and that’s a big problem right now.”

Now that he has identified the problem, the next step is solving it. But solving the Dolphins’ bigger issues — they struggle to block, run and throw deep — probably won’t come until free agency and the draft, Jeremiah said.

Many feared Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman was a bust at this time last year, but the Buccaneers added Vincent Jackson in the offseason, and Freeman, in turn, is having a career year. He is on pace to throw for more than 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Freeman needed three full seasons and a full complement of weapons to truly develop.

Tannehill, meanwhile, is just a little bit more than halfway through his first season.

“We just haven’t made enough plays around him; he hasn’t made enough plays, players around him haven’t made enough plays,” Philbin said. “Sometimes it’s the protection, sometimes it’s the route, sometimes it’s the lack of [a] running game, sometimes [it] is a penalty.

“[It’s] a variety of issues. We haven’t discriminated in that area.”

• Karlos Dansby told WQAM 560 on Friday that he has been playing with a torn biceps that he sustained in the second Jets game. Dansby also said he has a dislocated finger on his right hand. He has been listed on the Dolphins’ injury report the past three weeks but has never been worse than questionable.

• The Dolphins have Saturday and Sunday off before returning to practice Monday.

• Next week, the team will serve some 900 Thanksgiving dinners to families in need throughout South Florida.