The season ended on a rough patch, but the Miami Dolphins showed a lot of fight in Buffalo. Squeaking into the playoffs with their third string, seventh round, rookie QB, they could’ve laid down, instead they fought. I’m glad. A blow out loss on Sunday may have triggered immature reactions. The game wasn’t perfect, had it been, Miami may have gone to Kansas City; however, the foundation appears solid. The key now is to build upon success. Year two of the Brian Flores fiasco lead many Fins Fans to believe that year three would be “our year.” Instead they started the season 1-7 after finishing the prior year 10-6 and just outside the playoffs. Miami cannot afford another such let down. Buffalo was going to be hostile. Hamlin emotions, the anger of not getting the bye they were on track to secure, and cold weather meant Miami had a tall task ahead of them. Add to that Buffalo jumping to an early 17-0 lead and this team could’ve radioed in the rest of the game and been content to be in the playoffs for the second time in a decade. Instead they got off the ropes and started swinging.
The Dolphins have questions that need to be answered this offseason, both on the roster and the sideline, I hope they make the correct choices.
Coaching: (B-); Coaches Mike and even Boyer did some positive things Sunday in New York. Once the defense settled in after Buffalo quickly snatched a three score lead, Miami slowed the air game, stiffened up on the run, and forced turnovers for what felt like the first time in a month. As they did this, the offense began to chip away. Coach Mike called a solid game that allowed Skylar to use his resources. McDaniel did make one call late in the third quarter that flipped this game on its head. Backed against the end zone, on third and long, he called in a go route. I advocate for always trying to convert first downs, but this time, it seemed a “safe” call may have been best. I would guess Coach Mike feels the same way in hindsight. If Hill comes down with that ball… It put Skylar in a bad position and ultimately lead to Buffalo’s go ahead for good score. The team didn’t lay down though, and for that the coaches need to be commended.
*editor’s note: Miami has parted ways with Josh Boyer. I championed this several times this season believing that the two schemes were in conflict: Boyer’s defense and McDaniel’s offense.
“It appears more and more that the poorest decision the Dolphins made in hiring Mike McDaniel was to keep Boyer. Of course McDaniel maintains it was his decision, either way, it hasn’t worked out. The defense has been the biggest let down. It was designed to force turnovers and get off the field quickly, to face as few plays as possible. Could it be that the combination of a quick strike explosive offense doesn’t mesh with a risk it all blitzing defense? I tend to believe so. It is one thing to go all out on D with man coverage and sell out blitz packages when your offense is controlling the clock and keeping the ball away from the opposition. The D has less time on the field. Less situations to defend. When you are scoring quick and losing the time of possession battle, the D has a greater likelihood of being exposed. McDaniel and Boyer need to sit down and figure this out, and quickly.”
https://politasports.com/2022/12/05/dolphins-san-francisco-week-xiii-grades/
Running Backs: (B-); This grade isn’t for the game, as much as the season. During the Wildcard game Miami only mustered forty yards on the ground. That is a fail, but throughout the season, the running game was very effective when used, especially when Mostert was on the field, which he wasn’t on Sunday in Buffalo. Miami can most definitely build on the ground game. It will need to start with bulking up the offensive line. This unit more than any other on the offense needs to be addressed this offseason. Tua will need better protection, and the backs bigger holes. But I believe this is an area that should generate some optimism.
Receivers: (A+); The trade was successful. The price, worth it. Some wondered if Hill would be able to put the same numbers with Tua as he did with Mahomes. The answer of course was “no.” He put up bigger ones. Hill had the best statistical season of his career being thrown to by three different QB’s throughout the season. The grade doesn’t reflect the playoff game. That was an atrocious game for the receivers. Gesicki and Waddle each had horrendous drops that killed drives and took the offense off the field in key situations. The combination of Waddle and Hill worked tremendously and opened up catches for the remainder of the receiving core. The one player incredulously left out, was Mike Gesicki. Not sure what Miami plans to do, but it’s not worth paying him another 10M to not get targets all season.
Defense: (D+); The defense showed flashes in quarters and periods throughout the season, but never reached the levels of the previous two years. Boyer has been let go, and that seems like the obvious conclusion. Miami was considered a defense first team and hired a coach to shed that moniker, even if Miami’s defense had preformed up to their expectation, I believe that would still have been accomplished. I hope Coach Mike does his due diligence to hire a defensive coordinator whose style meshes with the offensive style Miami has adopted. A defense that is capable of being on the field longer due the quick strike nature of the other side and doesn’t get gassed late in games.
Special Teams: (D); Jason Sanders had a bad year. That isn’t news to anyone that has watched this team in 2022, but what will Miami do? How would moving on affect the already stretched cap? Do they have confidence he can bounce back? At least he never missed four PATs in one game, but man, I’m sure I’m not the only one that was nervous every time he lined up for three. I’ll never forget this moment though that sent Miami to the playoffs!
Quarterback: (B-); Tua couldn’t stay healthy and neither could Bridgewater. A backup that can’t back up, isn’t worth much. Tua made great strides and if he is able to play a complete season, something he has yet to accomplish, could lead this team to a deep playoff run. Miami needs to either invest in Skylar to be the backup, or go find a quality reserve starter. Betting on Tua’s health at this point doesn’t seem a safe bet.
Overall: (B+); The Dolphins made the post season for the first time in nearly a decade. Yes, they crumbled down the stretch, but part of that was without their starting QB. They had the lead or a shot at taking the lead in every fourth quarter game this year, they are getting closer to finally being relevant again. Anything less than eleven wins next season would be a set back, and hopefully getting a playoff win for the first time in two decades should be their base line goals. Like every off season, I’m optimistic, however, this one feel different, I don’t feel as delusional about my optimism.
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