A playoff win for the Miami Dolphins is way overdue, especially for the faithful Phins fans. The last division title came in 2008 and it’s been two decades since their last postseason victory but the drought can end this year. There’s a lot of optimism surrounding this franchise, especially after last year’s success. Despite a close loss in the Wild Card Round, the team showed brighter days were ahead.
Here’s The Recipe for the Dolphins to End The Drought
Being Consistent On All Turf
Home-field advantage has been huge for the Dolphins, especially in the later portion of the season. The South Florida heat is a different breed which many teams can attest to. Last season, they had a 6-2 record at home with a margin of victory of plus 6.1 points. Most of their troubles came away from HardRock Stadium, they had a 3-6 record with the margin of victory being -5.4 points.
Success on the road makes playoff teams great, and they need to improve in that aspect. They have their hands full with their away game stretch with an opportunity to prove themselves. They have road tests against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens.
Let Tua Cook
A Tua Tagovailoa-led offense has the potential to be one of the best. In year three of Mike McDaniel’s system, the offense is expected to be more explosive. The addition of the speedy rookie Devon Achane will elevate the quarterback play, bringing more versatility to the run-and-pass game. Tua has thrived in McDaniel’s offense but his injury history overshadows his on-field success. It’s no secret of his importance to the team when he suits up.
It’s a tale of two teams with Tua on and off the field. Without him, they were 1-3 and struggled to look productive. They only reached the end zone seven times in his absence. When healthy he had the best passing rating in the league with 105.5. According to PFF, he had a clean-pocket passing grade of 88.8, ranking him the sixth-best quarterback in that category.
The addition of Tyreek Hill opened up the offense, which benefited the surrounding weapons. The Dolphins were the definition of an Air Raid offense. They were third in 25+ yard pass plays (37) while Jaylen Waddle and Hill combined for seven 50+ yard plays.
Defense Production
Turnovers were a point of weakness last season. They only forced 14 turnovers all year but can see huge improvement under Vic Fangio. Fangio is no stranger to coaching elite defenses, which is needed in a conference with brilliant quarterback play. Losing Jalen Ramsey for an extended period of time will be a blow for the defense, but they have the potential to be one of the best.
Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Christian Wilkins are a talented trio that could implement dominance up front. A point of emphasis for the front seven will be more efficient pass-rushing. On paper, this is a gifted group but 40 sacks isn’t the type of production to get the job done.
The secondary will also have to elevate their play until Ramsey returns. It will come down to Noah Igbinoghene or rookie Cam Smith to step up. The talent is there for the defense and Fangio will bring the best out of his guys. The sky is the limit for this group, don’t sleep on the Dolphins’ defense.
2023 Outlook
Tua has been a star for the Dolphins, he’s proved he’s the franchise guy and elevates the team with his play. If all the puzzle pieces can connect for the Dolphins they’ll be strong contenders in the AFC and they’ll be one of the most intriguing teams to watch this season.
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