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Dolphins closing in on dubious mark

Dec 16, 2007 - 1:06 PM Baltimore (4-9) at Miami (0-13) 1:00 pm EST

MIAMI (Ticker) -- The Miami Dolphins have just three tries left in order to avoid becoming the first team in NFL history to finish with an 0-16 record.

Looking to avoid moving a step closer to a dubious mark, the Dolphins host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The only other team in league history to finish winless were the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who went 0-14 in their first season in 1976.

"We should win a ballgame, you would think," defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday said. "I guess we'll find out because we have only three more tries to do it."

If the Dolphins lose to the Ravens, they would join the 1976 Bucs as the only teams in league history to start a season with 14 straight losses.

After this contest, the Dolphins visit the unbeaten New England Patriots (13-0) before closing the season here against the Cincinnati Bengals (5-8).

While the Dolphins have dropped a franchise-record six games by three points, they have failed to be competitive the last two weeks, losing to the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills by a combined 78-30.

Against the Bills, the Dolphins fell into a 17-point first-quarter hole en route to the 38-17 loss. Miami committed two turnovers and allowed three sacks in the first quarter.

First-year Dolphins coach Cam Cameron has yet to make a decision on whether John Beck or Cleo Lemon will start at quarterback.

Beck, who has failed to engineer a touchdown drive in any of his four starts, was pulled in favor of Lemon in the first quarter last week.

Like the Dolphins, the Ravens also are enduring a miserable season.

A year after winning the AFC North, the Ravens are in last place in the division. To make matters worse, they enter this contest in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.

After nearly knocking off the Patriots in a Monday night game on December 3, the Ravens were completly lifeless in last week's 44-20 beating against the Indianapolis Colts.