The Miami Dolphins were not expected to be competitive in their playoff game on Sunday.
Playing in Buffalo, the Dolphins entered as two-touchdown underdogs.
But, they remained competitive throughout the whole game and had a chance to win it at the end.
It is always hard to have a successful offense with a third-string quarterback.
But, Skylar Thompson made some good throws in the game and helped keep them alive.
Plenty of credit should be given to first-year coach Mike McDaniel for his game plan.
He knew the limitations of his quarterback and did his best to mask them.
After the game, it was reported that the Dolphins would be bringing back McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa next season.
I’m not one to consider “no news” as news, but one tweet on it seems reasonable: Dolphins haven’t had any conversations about moving onto next season without Mike McDaniel, Chris Grier or Tua Tagovailoa (assuming he’s healthy), per sources. All three remain in the team’s plans.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 15, 2023
The inability of Tua to consistently take the field hindered the Dolphins’ ability to reach their potential.
Miami was 8-5 this season when Tua was starting at quarterback.
He had total control of the offense and did a great job getting the ball to their skilled players.
But, his injury concerns do not seem to be going away.
Tagovailoa was injured coming into the NFL and he has been consistently injured throughout his young career.
This season he suffered from multiple concussions and that is a cause for concern going forward.
But, there is no question Tua silenced most of his critics when on the field.
He threw for 25 touchdowns to only eight interceptions while having the third-best QBR in the league at 68.9.
Overall, McDaniel and Tagovailoa both deserve another year in Miami.
Their jobs should have never been in question.
Miami has been a mess for years before McDaniel, and he seems like the man that can bring stability back to the organization.
NEXT: Dolphins HC Makes His Starting QB Official