Tony Sparano entered his Tuesday news conference softly whistling, although you'd be hard-pressed to call it a happy tune. You notice people whistling, because so few do. It's a lost art. Sort of like what winning has become for the Dolphins lately.

``The sun came up,'' Sparano said, meaning to distinguish that the bright side to losing an NFL game you should have won is that at least it beats Armageddon.

The Dolphins are enjoying their share of commiserating media back-pats and nice-try-fellas in the wake of Monday night's 27-23 home loss to Indianapolis. Indeed there were positives, such as the welcome reminder that the Wildcat offense still has sharp teeth when Ronnie Brown is its focal point.

Let's be real here, though. This was the game that got away, and a huge, potentially season-shaping game it was.

``Disheartening,'' was Sparano's word for the loss, and an accurate one.

I'd suggest another word for this loss: Unnecessary.

Seems to me Miami all but handed this victory to Peyton Manning because -- after a brilliant and brilliantly executed offensive plan that succeeded all game long -- the Dolphins' play-calling went conservative and soft at just the time it should not have.

Coaches hate second-guessing, but Miami's decision on 3rd-and-6 from the Colts 30 with 4:33 left begs that. Call it the end of the Sparano honeymoon if you like.

Ronnie Brown plows into the line for 3 yards, Miami settles for a 23-20 lead, and you know the rest. Give Manning three minutes with three timeouts at your own distinct peril -- especially on a night when your pass defense was covering tight end Dallas Clark about as well as Gloria Estefan from the orange carpet.

Offensive coordinator Dan Henning made the call. Sparano stood by it.

``I was absolutely willing to take the [three] points in that situation,'' Sparano insisted. ``That put us ahead. I have a lot of confidence in our defense.''

But isn't 3rd-and-6 a passing down when a first down could be all the difference?

TOO CONSERVATIVE

In Chad Pennington the Dolphins have a veteran, savvy quarterback renowned for accuracy and smarts. And you're not going to trust him to avoid a sack or not throw an interception on maybe the biggest play of the game?

You know what they needed even more than three points right then?

They needed seven points. They needed to chew more clock. They needed to force Indy to start using timeouts on defense. They needed to greatly decrease the chance Manning might do just what he did.

The Dolphins needed to go get this victory, not anxiously trust shaky defensive coverage to try and stop the most prolific passer of his generation.

Miami needed a play on that 3rd-and-6 designed to get a first. Maybe one of those quick hits to Ted Ginn that had been clicking to the tune of a career-high 11 catches. Or a draw play against a three-man rush. Maybe even the Wildcat.

Instead Pennington hands to Brown, who plugs into his line like a cork into a bottle, on a play that seemed designed merely to make the field goal try a tad shorter.

It wasn't enough.

I don't just mean the result. I mean the play selection, the thought process. I mean the lack of aggressiveness on that one telling play, and the way Miami so willingly gave the ball back to Manning with so much time left.

They should have passed, instead of passing on the gumption to do so.