DAVIE, Fla. -- Jimmy Johnson made a hasty exit from his weekly news conference Monday, leaving many questions unanswered.

	The frustration showed on Jimmy Johnson's face as Miami lost its third straight.

Among them: Does he plan a hasty exit after this season?

Given the Miami Dolphins' recent tailspin and Johnson's glum demeanor, fans are wondering whether he's ready to retire. His family wonders, too.

"I have no idea. I don't think anyone else does," said his father, C.W. Johnson, from Port Arthur, Texas. "His team is not turning out like he thought it would."

Coach Johnson predicted that this year would be special, but instead the Dolphins appear destined for the same dismal finish that prompted him to quit briefly after last season. Miami (8-5) has lost three games in a row, including a 28-20 defeat Sunday to the New York Jets, and now stands seventh in the race for six AFC playoff berths.

It has become increasingly apparent that if Johnson returns in 2000, it will be without Dan Marino at quarterback. Johnson cut off questions from reporters Monday after just five minutes, but he took the time to identify Marino as the primary culprit for the latest loss.

The future Hall of Famer has been a season-long scapegoat for Johnson. At New York, Marino went 18-for-39 for 192 yards and threw two costly interceptions, both in the final 16 minutes.

"We've been inconsistent at that position. We feel we can improve on it," Johnson said. "We've just got to make better decisions."

Johnson said Marino will remain the starter Sunday against San Diego. But the coach cites Marino's frequent turnovers as a major reason for the season gone sour.

"In all of our five losses, we've turned the ball over more than our opponent," Johnson said. "Any time we turn the ball over more than opponent, it's going to be a negative with me, however we turn it over. If you have a tight game and you turn it over, you're going to have a difficult time winning."

The Dolphins are 0-3 since Marino returned from a neck injury. They're 3-4 when he plays most of the game, and 5-1 with Damon Huard at quarterback.

But Marino is hardly the only problem. The ground game has sputtered all season, despite Johnson's pledges to upgrade it, and now rookie running backs Cecil Collins and J.J. Johnson are both hurt. The once-dominant defense, worn down from carrying the team most of the season, has declined to mediocrity.

"It's unfair to point the finger at Dan and blame him for everything that's going on," tight end Troy Drayton said. "When we lose, we all lose."

The late-season collapse is part of a pattern. The Dolphins are 5-9 in December under Johnson and 31-19 in other months. In early November they shared the NFL's best record, and now they might need three consecutive wins -- against San Diego, the Jets and Washington -- just to make the playoffs.

Johnson, 56, has said repeatedly that he'll wait until the offseason to decide about his future. The offseason might begin sooner than expected.

"It hasn't been easy," C.W. Johnson said. "When Jimmy is doing good, he talks football with me all the time. He doesn't talk football a lot the past month or so."