The Dolphins on Monday were awarded receiver Armon Binns off waivers from Cincinnati, where he caught 18 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown this season. Binns, 6-3, had been active just two of the past six games before being released Saturday. Miami cut cornerback Michael Coe to make room.
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Highlights from Monday’s news conferences with Dolphins coach Joe Philbin and coordinators Mike Sherman and Kevin Coyle:
### With the playoffs unlikely, I asked Philbin if a case could be made – for the greater good of the franchise – to give more playing to young players, especially Michael Egnew – to see what the Dolphins have. Philbin appears disinterested in doing that.
Here’s how he answered: “I told the team in the locker room – we have a game on Dec. 16 against Jacksonville at 1 p.m. So they are going to show up to prepare to win this game. That’s all I’m concerned about right now.”
### Sherman said Egnew made a couple of great catches on the scout team in practice last week but “he hasn't 100 percent shown that consistency in practice. He’s shown signs of greatness every once in a while, but we want to see it a little more often.”
Sherman said the question of whether Egnew needs to play “is a question Jeff Ireland and Joe Philbin need to answer.” He said it’s something they probably should be discussed.
### Philbin was asked how much of the offensive problems are correctable and how much comes down to talent. Philbin continues to insist it’s not talent (though it would be stunning if he feels that way privately.)
“It’s correctable,” he shot back. “There are plays to be made on both sides of the ball. Most of these games in the NFL, a vast majority, get decided in the fourth quarter.”
### Philbin: “The game unfolded much like we anticipated. We thought it would be decided in the fourth quarter. Teams don’t get in the red zone a lot against those guys. We tell guys all the time you have to earn victories.”
### Philbin, on how Jonathan Martin played at left tackle: “He did a good job [in run blocking]. I like the way he played. I thought there were some good things on film. The line competed hard every play. Two sacks – it was OK. You still need improvement.”… Martin and Richie Incognito each gave up a sack.
### Defensively, Philbin said: “We disrupted their passing game well. That creates issues for them offensively.” On the Colin Kaepernick touchdown, “We did not adhere to those basic principles of a run fit.”
### On how Ryan Tannehill played: “He did some good things. He played better in the first half. Statistically, he didn’t perform as well as he would have liked [in the second half]. It wasn’t [all] on him. There wasn’t as much separation in the route running we needed. It wasn’t wide open guys that he was flat out missing. The depth and width of the pocket was compromised as well.”
### Philbin said he would not comment about -- and did not see -- Brandon Fields push Jonathan Freeny after Freeny’s ridiculous special-teams mistake (running back and touching the goal-line while trying to down a punt).
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### Sherman, on Martin and Garner: “I thought they did a good job. The o-line did some good things.”
### Sherman said Lamar Miller “did an adequate job. There wasn’t a whole lot there on the first one we had. He did a great job on the screen. He needs to play in the games more. He knew what he was doing. He was aggressive. He did a decent job.”
### Sherman said the inability to make enough plays to win games late in the game is “expletive frustrating.” (And yes, he said expletive). “We feel like we’re close but we’re not close enough. They are one of the hardest working groups I’ve been around. They were very disappointed after the game. You could have a heard a pin drop on the bus.”
### Sherman said: “The throw Ryan made to Fasano was an unbelievable play. Our guys were competing. That’s what makes it so hard. They’re giving us everything we have.”
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### Coyle, on Colin Kaepernick’s touchdown run (Jason Trusnik and to a lesser extent, Jared Odrick appeared at fault): “It wasn’t just one or two players. They featured a different type of perimeter run they had not shown. The play before was pretty similar – I thought they were just going to run the ball and be content to punt. I wish we had a little better position….
“You take the 50-yard run away, they averaged 3.9 per carry, which is way below their average.”
### Asked if Koa Misi could have returned from his ankle injury in the second half, Coyle said: “The decision was made to hold him out. We certainly would want him on the field.”
### Coyle, on whether Jared Odrick is better at end or tackle: “In our scheme, he’s an end who moves to tackle. He’s over 300 pounds but has agility and mobility to play at an end. We have him in the right spot. This is his first full year of playing. There’s a lot of progress being made.”
### The Dolphins have forced only one turnover in the past six games (a Reshad Jones interception), and Coyle said: “It’s hard to figure. We’ve created 17 turnovers and only gotten three of them. It’s hard to pinpoint the reason why, because it seems we’re right there.”
### He said Cam Wake (three sacks) was “outstanding. He’s a complete player. He’s a joy to coach. He’s among the best players in the league.”
