Dolphins vs. Patriots 2012 reaction: Miami fans have tough time finding silver linings in 'miserable' loss

Searching for a way to describe a disheartening shutout loss to the New England Patriots to end the Dolphins season, Miami fans couldn't get past just how "miserable" the whole endeavor of their Week 17 matchup seemed.

Over at The Phinsider, the bloggers knew that expecting more than a 7-9 record in a season that featured a rookie quarterback and first-year head coach might have been asking for too much, but the pain of the loss still stung.

In the coming days, we will also look back at the season and realize that a 7-9 season, in which we developed a rookie quarterback with minimal dynamic weapons around him, as well as a rookie head coach, was not as bad as it feels today. But, for now, today sucks.

As for the game itself, the Dolphins' first scoreless performance in 12 years didn't sit too well with the Dolphins faithful. The bloggers pointed specifically to a lack of protection for their rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was hit early and often on Sunday.

Ryan Tannehill, who was 20-for-35 for 235 yards with an interception, was sacked a career high seven times. He was also hit eight more times, and at one point, appeared to have his day over when he fell, then staggered his way to the sidelines.

Now at the end of a disappointing year, many, including the bloggers, foresee some real changes and some holes to fill across the team.

The Dolphins now enter the offseason coming off their fourth straight losing season, the first time they have done that since their first four seasons in the league. The team clearly has needs that have to be targeted this offseason, and the debate for that will start immediately.