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Miami Dolphins' Ted Ginn Jr. not getting it done

I f only it were that simple, right? If only the Dolphins' collapse that lost Sunday's game and set the season sour could be neatly blamed on that one timeout call late in the first half -- as so many fans and media apparently would like to believe.

Even coach Tony Sparano made a point of that one sequence to start his Monday news conference, bringing it up before it could be asked.

``I want my players to do this; I need to do it myself. I have to take ownership of the situation,'' the good soldier said. ``I should have lived with what was out on the field in that situation. It was a poor decision on my part.''

Who has the edge: Miami Dolphins vs. New Orleans Saints

WHEN THE DOLPHINS RUN THE BALL

Whatever else the Dolphins' shortcomings are, they can run the ball on anyone, and the Saints will not be the exception. New Orleans is rated an impressive fifth against the run this season. Sedrick Ellis , Will Smith and Charles Grant are no joke. But teams running Wildcat plays this year have gashed the Saints. Facing six Wildcat-type situations this season, the Saints have yielded a total of 49 yards. Do the math. The only way the Dolphins don't gain significant yardage in the Wildcat on the Saints' defense is if they are not trying -- meaning if they are way behind and throwing to catch up.

Advantage: Miami.

New Orleans Saints' comeback victory over Miami Dolphins takes five seconds to ignite

NFL rules grant offenses 25 seconds from the time a dead ball is spotted to substitute players and snap the ball.

Tony Sparano feared that the Saints could pull off that feat in five ticks of the clock Sunday afternoon.

That calculation led the Dolphins coach to call a timeout late in the first half of the team's 46-34 loss -- and it ultimately helped New Orleans score on a touchdown instead of with a field goal.

Miami Dolphins blow second-half lead, fall to unbeaten New Orleans Saints

It was like a bad night at a blackjack table, one that begins with that euphoric feeling as the chips begin to pile up as fast as Ricky Williams' feet. The Dolphins looked unstoppable. Unbelievable. Unbeatable.

Then, before they could barely ponder how they would spend the winnings, the stacks had shrunk and the crowd moved on. And the night -- the once incredibly uplifting night -- had morphed into nothing more than this: Saints 46, Dolphins 34.

``It was ours,'' running back Ricky Williams said Sunday. ``We fought and we fought. They just fought harder at the end.''

Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne laments missed opportunities

Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne wanted the ball. He wanted it now. The play clock ticked down, so he signaled for a timeout as running back Ronnie Brown frantically signaled the Dolphins were out of them. The clock struck zero, flags flew for delay of game, and a pressure situation with the game in the balance was now 5 yards worse.

That third-and-10 non-play with 3:09 left and the Dolphins on their 32-yard line typified Henne's day: Maybe he could've gotten more help from teammates, but he clearly wasn't at his best. And he clearly didn't get the job done when it was there to get done.

``We made some plays out there,'' Henne said. ``We didn't make enough plays at the end. We knew their offense was going to score some points. Offensively, we just needed to score more points and execute at the end.''