MIAMI -- A comeback that probably saved his job wasn't enough to console Dan Marino following the Miami Dolphins' 37-34 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday.

	Dan Marino threw for 313 yards and three TDs, but it wasn't enough for Miami.

Marino threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns, bringing Miami back from a 14-point deficit to tie the score at 34-34 with less than a minute remaining.

He completed 24 of 38 passes in his second game back from a pinched nerve in his neck. It was a dramatic improvement over his five-interception performance in a shutout loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

But it was still a loss.

A frustrated Marino stormed out of the interview room after giving curt answers to a few simple questions.

"We played pretty good, but not good enough," Marino said.

Two questions later, Marino had heard enough when asked how tough it was to lose on a last-second field goal.

"These questions are ridiculous," Marino said. "I'll tell you how tough it is. You work your butt off all week, and then you lose a game like that by three points with two seconds left. That's how tough it is, but you wouldn't know, would you?"

Marino is taking losses a bit harder these days.

It might be because the future Hall of Fame quarterback knows this could be his last shot at winning a Super Bowl.

Teammates, though, said Marino's attitude has not changed.

"Dan is always intense; he's always a competitor," tight end Troy Drayton said. "There's always a sense of urgency to win. He is the same guy, the same fiery competitor with that same intense look.

"He is the same guy who has that endless will to win. As long Dan is putting on his helmet and shoulder pads, I don't think he will ever change. He is the ultimate competitor."

In his second game since throwing just three passes against New England on Oct. 17, Marino seemed closer to full strength.

Though he floated a few passes and had a couple of overthrows, he made up for it with some perfect deep balls, better timing passes and an improved feel for the pass rush.

"I thought that Dan really did a nice job," coach Jimmy Johnson said. "He did an excellent job of bouncing back from a week ago."

Marino needed to.

If not, there was growing sentiment that he would be replaced by Damon Huard, who led the Dolphins to a 5-1 record with Marino sidelined. Miami is 3-3 with Marino at the helm, including 1-2 at home.

In his last action at home, a 23-18 loss to Buffalo in Week 4, Marino went 22-for-44 for 251 yards and threw two interceptions. He stormed out of the interview room then, too, and his play was criticized the following day by Johnson.

Marino responded with 393 yards passing the next week against Indianapolis, his best game of the season. Many figured the same would happen this week against the Colts.

And it did.

"With the kind of performance he had and the way this game went, there was a lot of emotion," Drayton said. "If you're not emotional about this kind of game, then you have no soul."