National Football League

Dolphins' Philbin regrets creating distraction

Published Sep. 25, 2014 2:21 p.m. ET

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DAVIE, Fla. (AP) Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said he regrets the distraction he created by being non-committal on whether quarterback Ryan Tannehill will start Sunday in London against the Oakland Raiders.

Philbin was contrite Thursday, though he still didn't announce his starter.

''One of the functions of the head coach is to create an atmosphere free from distractions,'' Philbin said Thursday. ''And to the degree that I contributed to any of those distractions, intended or not doesn't really matter, that falls on me. It's my responsibility so certainly I accept that responsibility as a head coach.

''Really, that's all I have to say on it.''

When asked at the end of his news conference if Tannehill will start, Philbin only said he had already covered the topic.

Though Tannehill said Wednesday that Philbin has made it clear to him where he stands, he wished his coach had handled the situation differently. Tannehill conceded that initially it wasn't a good feeling having to deal with the outside distraction.

Tannehill has said he expects to take the first snap of the game and has been practicing with the first team all week. Backup quarterback Matt Moore confirmed his routine hadn't changed from Week 1.

The team is scheduled to depart for London early Thursday evening.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

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