The Dolphins’ starting offense,

playing without 4 starters, fails to produce a TD as the Panthers earn a 27-20 win in preseason action Friday.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Things didn’t necessarily go well for the Miami Dolphins’ starters in Friday’s second preseason game at Carolina. Things didn’t go poorly, mind you. But considering the Dolphins had four penalties for 46 yards, went 0 of 2 in the red zone, and gave up a 71-yard touchdown run to running back Christian McCaffrey, the first-half showing could have been much better.

“We’re moving the ball but we’re getting field goals,” coach Adam Gase said. “We had a great opportunity after a turnover to put it in the end zone and we didn’t do it. We had negative plays. We have a lot of things to clean up.”

Miami, which played its starters on both sides of the ball for much of the first half, trailed 13-9 at halftime and went on to lose 27-20.

The Dolphins, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill (14-of-17 passing for 100 yards, 91.2 passer rating) healthy and active, made some good plays on both sides of the ball.

Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they still aren’t adept at finishing drives with touchdowns.

Miami got its first half points on three field goals — a 42-yarder and a 29-yarder in the first quarter by Jason Sanders, the rookie seventhround pick from New Mexico, and a 54-yarder from Greg Joseph, the undrafted rookie from FAU, in the second quarter.

Miami, whose first-team offense saw its only possession stall

at the Tampa Bay 35-yard line in last week’s preseason opener, was victimized in the red zone by an apparent miscommunication between Tannehill and wide receiver Jakeem Grant (Tannehill threw deep in the end zone while Grant stopped around the 1-yard line) and a holding penalty by left tackle Laremy Tunsil at the Carolina 6-yard line.

The Dolphins got a few big defensive plays.

Defensive end Robert Quinn had two sacks, and cornerback Xavien Howard had an interception.

“That was good,” Gase said of Quinn’s plays. “That was one of our problems last year when we came here. We couldn’t get the quarterback down. I thought the guys harassed him and did a good job of causing some pressure.”

But the big plays weren’t enough to carry the Dolphins, who shuffled their defensive starting lineup to include rookie safety Minkah Fitzpatrick at nickel/slot cornerback, rookie linebacker Jerome Baker on one outside position and slot cornerback Bobby McCain on the boundary.

“It was better,” Gase said of his defensive performance as compared to a week ago. “We just can’t let those big plays up. It’s got to get cleaned up a little bit.”

Plus, Miami had four penalties for 46 yards in the first half, including a 21-yard pass interference by Howard that led to a 27-yard go-ahead touchdown by Carolina tight end Ian Thomas.

Tannehill, who has missed the last 20 games due to two injuries to his left knee, said during the week he has total confidence that the joint is fully healed and he didn’t appear to have any issues Friday against Carolina.

Tannehill got knocked down a couple of times and moved around well while wearing a brace on his left knee.

“I think the trust has been there for a while now,” the quarterback said.

“I think throughout the spring, that’s when I really got the 100 percent trust back, being able to do everything that I need to do out here and more throughout the training process and practices. Doing all of the running, cutting, the movements that I need to do, I think that’s what gave me confidence and the trust. Now I don’t even think about it. It’s just going out there and playing.”

To be fair, Miami’s starting offense was without wide receivers Kenny Stills (right ankle) and DeVante Parker (right hand/middle finger), tight end MarQueis Gray (concussion) and running back Frank Gore (rest).

But getting a touchdown would have helped the Dolphins feel better about their offensive progress.