After narrowly missing the playoffs last year for the 18th time in the last 20 seasons, the Miami Dolphins have made quite a splash this offseason.
They traded for elite wide receiver Tyreek Hill and signed running backs Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel, as well as linebacker Melvin Ingram III.
They have also brought on board new head coach Mike McDaniel, who had spent the previous season as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.
"The Miami Dolphins offense is going to be SCARY under my guy Mike McDaniel."
—@AdamSchein on the @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/JvG3ad0s1s
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 2, 2022
These moves have led to lots of excitement in South Florida, as Fins fans believe the team has the makings of a Super Bowl contender for the first time in umpteen years.
After all, Miami already boasts wideout Jaylen Waddle, who had a very good rookie season, and Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard, who recently got a generous contract extension.
Still, some are not sold on the Dolphins moving forward.
In fact, it is very possible that this coming season could be another disappointing one for them.
The Team Has Plenty Of Talent, But It Has To Come Together In A Very Tough AFC
The team that wins the Super Bowl is not always the team with the most talent.
Rather, it is the team that is collectively the best squad, even if it has considerably less talent than some others.
Will McDaniel be able to unlock the potential the Dolphins have, especially on the offensive side of the football, despite being a first-time head coach?
Will Miami’s offensive line get the job done?
The team will apparently go with a different strategy there under McDaniel.
“The Dolphins are adjusting to more of a zone scheme for the offensive line, with players working together to block defenders in specific areas, rather than assigning a defender for the individual lineman to block,” wrote Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider. “This allows for more double-team blocks and ensures that a player who is responsible to block a linebacker does not miss his block because a defensive lineman crashed down onto him.”
The big downside for the Dolphins is that other teams throughout the AFC have also made big additions, and the conference as a whole will be a battle.
The Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns have revamped rosters, and there could be at least one winning team in the conference that doesn’t make the playoffs.
Miami finished 9-8 last season, and its seven-game winning streak late in the schedule provides hope for the 2022 campaign.
But given the depth throughout the AFC, it’s possible the Dolphins will have to win at least 11 games to reach the playoffs.
It All Depends On Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa, the team’s quarterback, is going into his third season, and although he has shown flashes of promise, he hasn’t come close to putting it all together yet.
Year 3 is always a huge year for QBs, and Tagovailoa has plenty of work to do.
Although he has shown accuracy when throwing deep passes, he doesn’t take many deep shots, and with Hill on board, Tagovailoa will need to go deep more often while still hitting his target.
.@danorlovsky7 says that with Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa becomes a top-12 QB in the NFL 👀
"The Miami Dolphins with Tua and now with Tyreek Hill could become basketball on grass." pic.twitter.com/87orBZOA85
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 28, 2022
Ball security could also be an issue for him, as he threw 10 interceptions in 13 games last year and committed nine fumbles.
If Tagovailoa doesn’t show significant improvement in 2022, the Dolphins could end up watching the NFL playoffs on television yet again.
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