Tyreek Hill tries to get the ball to his mother after a touchdown against the Giants, but fans intervene.

Pressure Point: Dolphins speeding at record pace, but tougher challenges ahead

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The Miami Dolphins’ 31-16 rout of the New York Giants reaffirmed that they are the best track team in the NFL.

First it was De’Von Achane hitting 21.76 mph on a 76-yard TD run, then Tyreek Hill reaching a season-best 22.01 mph on a 64-yard gain.

Speed in abundance led to the Dolphins racing to 524 net yards in a bounce-back win from last week’s trouncing at Buffalo.

In doing so, the Dolphins showed they are capable of outrunning their mistakes — two interceptions by Tua Tagovailoa and a lost fumble — at least against poor to middling opponents.

Aside from a dazzling display of offense and solid performance by the Miami defense, which recorded seven sacks, dominating a bottom-feeding Giants team didn’t provide the big-picture answer about where the Dolphins stand among the NFL’s elite.

Dolphins first in AFC East after Bills’ loss

At an AFC best 4-1 (along with Kansas City), their record places them in that group.

This is the Dolphins’ best start in 20 years, when Dave Wannstedt was coach and Jay Fiedler the quarterback. With Buffalo’s surprising home loss to Jacksonville, Miami is back alone in first place in the AFC East.

It should be noted, though, the Dolphins’ four vanquished opponents have a combined five wins.

Their ugly loss to the Bills stands as a glaring blemish at least until they show the ability to defeat quality opponents. That opportunity will come in two weeks at Philadelphia and in the Nov. 5 match-up with defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City at Frankfurt, Germany.

In anticipation of those challenges, the Dolphins finally have a team built for success in the NFL of the moment, with offense, offense and more offense.

Dolphins have most yards ever in first five games

More, in fact, than any team has ever generated through the first five games in NFL history. Their 2,568 yards topped the mark of the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams’ 2,527 yards in 2000.

“Mission accomplished,” was coach Mike McDaniel’s glib response to that news. “Our whole goal this entire offseason was statistical output through five games.”

The objective would be better defined as “catch us if you can.” It’s all built around a bevy of speedy options.

According to Next Gen Stats, Dolphins have posted the seven fastest speeds on offense this season — three by Hill, three by Achane and the other by Raheem Mostert.

Later Achane disputed Hill’s claim to the top spot because he got run out of bounds on the play, contending, “22 but don’t matter cuz he got hawked.”

While Hill continues to be a runaway threat at wide receiver, Archane is putting up historic numbers at running back. In the past three games the rookie from Texas A&M has 455 yards rushing on 37 carries, eight catches for 63 yards, and seven total touchdowns.

The much-improved offensive line is doing its part to provide openings for the running game and to give Tagovailoa time to throw. Kendall Lamm appeared solid filling in for injured Terron Armstead at left tackle.

Lamm, Isaiah Wynn and Durham Smythe opened the running lane that Achane bolted through virtually untouched (one defender got a tap on his shoulder pad) on the long TD gallop.

Dolphins’ offense brilliant but shows blemishes

The Dolphins’ opening touchdown drive, spanning 89 yards in eight plays, was worthy of hanging in a gallery. It involved an array of McDaniel’s pre-snap motion, misdirection and trickery. Five different players advanced the ball, culminating with Tua’s 2-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle.

The day was not all picture-perfect. The three turnovers that came later were troubling, especially the 102-yard pick-6 by Tagavailoa that enabled the Giants to score their first first-half touchdown of the season.

Such mistakes could have been game changers against a better opponent. Considering the Giants never posed a serious threat, it was easy for McDaniel and Tagovailoa to shrug them off.

“Sometimes the messy games are my favorite,” McDaniel said, noting the teaching moments that come out of mess-ups.

Look at it like every great relay team drops a few batons on the way to setting records.

Achane finished the day with 151 yards rushing, Hill with 181 yards receiving and Tua with 308 yards passing.

This Dolphins team is still getting revved up. Sunday it continued to deliver record numbers and high entertainment value.

Don’t mess with Tyreek Hill’s mom

Perhaps most entertaining was Hill climbing into the stands after a 69-yard touchdown to deliver the ball to his mother. Another fan intercepted but then completed the pass to Hill’s mom after being informed what he was trying to do.

Apparently that was wise, as Hill later explained: “Some guy took it. But my mom, she’s a bulldog, she’s like give me my ball, boy.”

It turned out that Tagovailoa called that pass to Hill on the opening drive of the second half rather than the play McDaniel sent in. Supposedly Tua “misheard” the play that McDaniel wanted.

McDaniel said: “The story is whatever we say it was, huh? If Tua has a better thought than I do, I prefer that. He executes, I’m not mad. I’m not upset.”

The story of this day was a convincing Dolphins win against a struggling opponent, with a few stumbles along the way.

It is always fun to watch your favorite team win in lopsided fashion. But this Dolphins team has more serious work ahead in the next month that can bring much more rewarding results.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

In Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins might have their Spo

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No one entirely understood what they were watching last Sunday, as the Greatest Show on Surf swamped the visiting men from the mountains. But perhaps one man had a bit more perspective, sitting in a Hard Rock Stadium booth with his sons, taking photos with former Dolphins such as Shawn Wooden and all-time sporting greats such as Wayne Gretzky.

“I love watching Mike’s offensive plans,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra texted back, as South Florida’s sports fans everywhere continued celebrating a 70-20 Miami Dolphins victory.

70-20.

70-20!

Even Spoelstra’s Heat — with their 12 playoff appearances, six NBA Finals appearances and two championships since his ascension in 2008 — have never been quite so overwhelming as Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins were last Sunday. Not even during a 27-game winning streak. Not even with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and now Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

But that’s the thing.

It’s not about the short term, no matter how spectacular, as Spoelstra and his new friend McDaniel know.

It’s about what you sustain.

And so that brings us to today, Sunday in Buffalo, against the only squad that stands in the way of AFC East supremacy — with the Jets and Patriots each in some semblance of disarray.

And that brings us to tomorrow, and whether McDaniel can prove as resilient, resourceful and permanent as Spoelstra has proven, just just for a game or season but for more than a decade.

McDaniel had more working against him than Spoelstra did when each was hired, even though he was roughly the same age. While the Heat have been the model of stability since Pat Riley’s arrival in 1995, with Spoelstra just the third official head coach in that time, McDaniel is the 9th, and 12th if you include the interims. The Heat have been the sturdy ship while the Dolphins have been a pool float over the past quarter-century, and so any hire is met with skepticism, as this one was. Yes, McDaniel was touted as a genius by many who had encountered him, but so was Adam Gase. He hadn’t played professionally, nor did he look the part, not for anything but the IT department. And unlike Spoelstra, whose rise was also unconventional in that he came up from the Heat video room, McDaniel didn’t have anyone of the gravity of Riley, someone who had seen him day after day, anointing him.

But McDaniel and Spoelstra, while somewhat different in terms of personality — McDaniel, for starters, enjoys silly media repartee while Spoelstra loathes any such small talk — share some qualities that may have been overlooked by many initially. It’s not just the willingness to innovate, norms and critics be damned, from Spoelstra’s Pace and Space to McDaniel’s “Cheat Motion” that will is now an NFL rage.

It’s their relatability — each self-deprecating in his own way, each willing to take the bullet for those under their command.

And, mostly, it’s their empathy.

Spoelstra has shown that in spades since he’s become the Heat’s singular voice during the season, with the way he speaks about and treats his players, others in the organization, opponents and even reporters — I have too many stories I could share. I’ll never forget the lengthy message Spoelstra sent a media colleague after his son passed, a message that turned my friends to tears as he showed it to me at the memorial.

McDaniel seems the same.

That quality has allowed his quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, to shrug off all the skeptics and take this satisfying star turn, following all the negative reinforcement from prior coach Brian Flores. McDaniel did more than just believe in Tua. He was vocal and adamant about such belief — again, critics be damned. And he was consistent with his support, not only for what Tua was doing and would do, but what had been done to him by the doubts of the prior regime.

That is a rare quality for a coach, and maybe that’s why McDaniel and Spoelstra have become so chummy so quickly.

A year ago at this time, I was in the Bahamas for Heat training camp and pulled Spoelstra aside to get his view of McDaniel, who was less than a month into his first NFL season. Spoelstra smiled broadly. He likes this stuff more than talking about tired NBA narratives, for sure.

And it was clear how much he liked McDaniel’s approach, from a visit to the Dolphins’ 2022 training camp.

When I noted that McDaniel was about the same age as Spoelstra was in 2008:

“It’s amazing. And he’s way more advanced. And just understands the picture and dynamics of building a team. I was really impressed. Our whole staff was impressed. By the whole vibe up there. During training camp, when we saw it, they were working really hard. And it was one of those South Florida hot days. But they had fun out there too. So they were trying to get something accomplished, they were doing it with joy, I really enjoyed that day, and came away impressed with him. Yes, he looks young. He fits right in. But his maturity and understanding of how to teach football, it belies his years.”

Of their shared unconventional path, Spoelstra said he related, “Just even talking to him. The sports are different. But how you think, I always find that really interesting in talking to people. I tend to now, at this point of my career, learn more from people outside the industry….. You tend to look at things a little bit more differently when you go outside our sport. That’s why I’ve enjoyed those kind of visits….. We had a terrific day, and he was very gracious to give us a couple hours afterwards, and just talk some shop. And you can kind of see how he in general thinks differently, and that leads to innovation. When you’re questioning things, and questioning the norm, and being open to new possibilities. It may be obvious but because it’s not what everybody else is doing, we all tend to fall into that trap sometimes.”

What did McDaniel want to know from Spoelstra?

“You know, I get that a lot of what it’s like to coach teams that are ready,” Spoelstra said. “And to take that real step. That was probably a decent amount of the conversation. He was probably getting frustrated with us, because every time he turned it to us, we flipped it and we were asking more questions about what they do and how they got to that point. I might not understand all the schematics of how they do it, but I loved seeing the process of ‘OK, how did you start with this, and why did you think of it differently to get it to that?’ And if the whole league is zigging and you may be zagging in different pockets, how can that create a competitive advantage.”

Sp9elstra found ways to create plenty of competitive advantages with an undermanned Heat roster this past season, particularly in the postseason, and McDaniel was there to see it, sometimes with Dolphins GM Chris Grier, sometimes with others, watching warmups, sitting in a courtside seat — with Spoelstra strolling and stomping right in front of him — and then spending time in the back tunnels, politely and earnestly chatting up Spoelstra, players and the staff.

Friday, I mentioned that Spoelstra not only was in attendance for the Dolphins’ scoring deluge against Denver, but praised McDaniel on his plan.

Why does McDaniel believe the men — leading two organizations that haven’t always felt aligned — have bonded so much?

Have they spoken about strategy?

“No, I think we’ve talked about the commonalities which we share, and different ways to look at the game,” McDaniel said. “And really the biggest commonality that we’ve shared is we’re in a business where our job is to motivate and curate and get the best out of the players that we have. And you know, it’s a complicated life of the professional athlete, where you have so many people in your ear, there are so many people making money off of you, and to be able to take these highly successful individuals and make them a team, I think there’s a shared experience that we have mostly focused on when we’ve talked. Because it’s some of the biggest problem solving that you really need to undertake.”

No matter the sport.

“I use basketball references all the time, and I think watching the Heat play gave me all sorts of motivation in the offseason, just by team over everything, and what is the saying, ‘The sum is greater than the parts… or whatever,'” McDaniel continued, in his typically folksy style. “That’s what I see from them. And I think that pretty much applies to professional football in general, because you always have talented players across the board, but working together is what generates results. We have a cool relationship. It’s not direct X’s and O’s. Like I can’t help watching basketball and following the ball. And I know that to be wrong from a coach’s perspective, because when I watch football I see all the things moving at once, I’m not just staring at where the ball is going. But I can’t do it in basketball. So I would be very little help. It would be very one-sided. Like, ‘Tell me how you do things again.’ And we have a more equitable friendship, I would say.”

He need not follow the ball in Spoelstra’s sport.

Just the success, and then sustain.

It’s been quite a start.

 

Ethan Skolnick is the CEO of Five Reasons Sports Network.

 

 

 

 

Tua Tagovailoa, with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, had an uncharacteristically poor performance in the loss against San Francisco.

Pressure Point: 3-0 Dolphins ready to take the Achane Train to Buffalo

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The most impactful decision Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had to make Sunday had nothing to do with the outcome the game.

It was whether or not to attempt a field goal in the final minute that would have given the Dolphins the record for most points in an NFL game.

With a 70-20 lead over the Denver Broncos and a 3-0 start to the season assured, it was no surprise McDaniel opted for the kneel-down.

It was the classy choice, the correct choice. It was actually an easy call for McDaniel, who said later, “It’s not really what I’m about.”

So the record stays with Sonny Jurgensen and the Washington Redskins in a 72-41 rout of the New York Giants in 1966.

“I think in this league, it’s all about respect in the NFL,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said in his postgame presser. “We’re not trying to go out there and humiliate teams.”

Certainly not against the team that McDaniel got a start in his unlikely rise to an NFL head coach as a ball boy.

Dolphins shatter franchise records for points, yards

The Dolphins’ offensive made its points and then some. Their 726 total yards were also second-most in NFL history (Rams, 735 in a 1951 game).

Sunday was a feel-good romp that showed how good these Dolphins can be. Next week at Buffalo will give the best indication yet about how good they really are.

They couldn’t have conjured a better confidence builder for that challenge.

Already playing at a gallop in their first two wins with the Thrill-Hill-a-Minute offense, Sunday they unleashed a new weapon in the Achane Train.

In his first complete game, rookie De’Von Achane had 18 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns and four catches for 30 yards and two touchdowns. In doing so, the third-round draft pick from Texas A&M showed the speed, balance and cutback ability that can elevate this offense to scary good.

The twitchy-quick Achane is as much fun to watch in the open field as star receiver Tyreek Hill, who had 157 yards receiving including a 54-yard touchdown that got the Dolphins’ day off to the races.

All the jitterbug moves and abrupt change of direction shows Achane has some Barry Sanders qualities and instincts.

“He’s a confident young man and he knew for sure he could do this, that he could do it at a high level,” said veteran left tackle Terron Armstead, who made his season debut and threw some blocks that helped spring Achane. “He’s special.”

Dolphins impress with diverse offense

The dominant overall performance by the Dolphins was a big step toward what has the makings of a special season.

The record-setting home opener provided an excess of superlatives.

Veteran running back Raheem Mostert also had four touchdowns — three of them rushing — and totaled 142 yards combined rushing and receiving.

Anyone still disappointed the Dolphins didn’t mortgage their future to sign Dalvin Cook?

Oh by the way, Tagovailoa completed his first 17 passes, one short of Ryan Tannehill’s Dolphins record to start a game. He went on to throw for 309 yards with a near-perfect passer rating of 155.8 before taking the fourth quarter off.

This was all without star receiver Jaylen Waddle, who remained in concussion protocol.

Most impressive was the balance of the offense. The Dolphins ran the ball 43 times while throwing 28 passes. They rushed for 350 yards while averaging 8.1 a carry.

They also unveiled a new conga-line touchdown celebration.

Do Dolphins have room to improve?

Kudos to the offensive line that not only opened running lanes but also kept Tagovailoa sack free and virtually untouched.

The defense did its part with three takeaways. Most important was forcing a three-and-out after McDaniel’s gamble on fourth-and-short in Miami territory failed early in the third quarter. That quelled the Broncos’ last chance to get back into the game.

Afterward, McDaniel said, “I was most proud of the unrelenting nature we had.”

Even with the 50-point margin of victory, Armstead indicated there were aspects of the overall performance that are open to improvement, such as cleaning up penalties and execution of assignments.

McDaniel echoed that when he said: “Shame on us if you put a ceiling on what you’re capable of … It’s amazing what a group of people can do going in one direction. The points don’t carry over but I think this is a meaningful game for a lot of guys.”

Focus on wins, not records

As for declining to go for the scoring record, McDaniel said, “I will be fine getting second-guessed for turning down NFL records. … I would hope that, if the shoe was on the other foot, the opponent would do the same.”

It is the professional perspective, and it should enhance McDaniel’s growing stature in the league.

He is well aware, the grandiose numbers from Sunday’s rout will ring hollow if the Dolphins don’t follow it with a similarly unrelenting effort next week at Buffalo.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on former Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Tua Tagovailoa has thrived in coach Mike McDaniel's offense with the Miami Dolphins.

Pressure Point: Dolphins alter script, follow gritty path to 2-0

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Lately when the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots get together, the final act tends to be outlandish.

Such as the Miami Miracle when the Dolphins used several laterals for a you-gotta-be-kidding victory on the final play in 2018.

Sunday night the Patriots were trying to pull off an improbable comeback of their own and instead got a ‘Strange Ending’ when former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, coming up short on fourth down, pitched the ball back to guard Cole Strange.

It took seemingly everyone at the Dolphins’ disposal, including the driver of the team bus, to bring the bull elephant down an inch or two short of a first down and preserve a 24-17 Miami win and improve to 2-0 (both on the road).

Replay reversal got it right on ‘Strange Ending’

It was even tougher than it sounds, as it took a replay review to reverse the initial call. The reversal was clearly correct, though it left all of New England and NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth in disbelief.

It helped square the ledger on some head-scratching officiating that went against Miami earlier.

It also left Dolfans strung out, thinking, that was a lot tougher than seemed necessary when the Dolphins’ offense was clicking on the way to a 17-3 halftime lead.

The second half was a different story as the Patriots made things uncomfortable for Tua Tagovailoa and his high-flying receivers.

O-line paves way for Mostert

The Patriots brought the Miami offense down to earth, and that’s a good thing in the bigger picture for the Dolphins’ season. It showed they have the resources to win gritty as well as gaudy, which they will need to do more often than once.

Unlike last week when Miami put up fantasy league passing numbers to outscore the Chargers, this time it took running the ball and the defense making some impact plays to fend off the Patriots.

The offensive line, which has done an admirable job of protecting Tagovailoa in the first two games, cleared the path for Raheem Mostert to rush for 121 yards (6.7-yard average) and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard runaway for Miami’s only points in the second half.

Good to see the zone-blocking scheme find traction, springing Mostert to the outside on the first touchdown and inside on the long gallop.

Van Ginkel stands out in stand-in role

The Dolphins’ defense, embarrassed a week ago when shredded by the Chargers for more than 200 yards rushing, held the Patriots to 88 yards on the ground (3.5 yards per carry) and had two takeaways in the passing game.

The national TV audience was introduced to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who filled in for injured edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (back) with a Herculean effort, recording a sack, three quarterback hits and six tackles, including meeting Strange head-on on the final stop.

The key to that game-ending stop, though, was safety Jevon Holland having the good sense to go low and take out the big man’s legs.

But Van Ginkel’s effort was eye-opening. Hopefully, it showed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who moved Van Ginkel to inside linebacker this season, that he is much more effective working from the outside.

The other defensive standout was Bradley Chubb, who had his best game as a Dolphin. The veteran linebacker, acquired at a steep price at the trade deadline last season, forced a fumble in the first half and had a sack on the final drive. David Long Jr., in his second game for Miami, also had a sack and finished with seven tackles.

X-man still has Parker’s number

Star cornerback Xavier Howard, picked DeVante Parker’s pocket for an interception, as he often did in practice during Parker’s seven seasons in Miami.

On the flip side, Eli Apple continued to be a liability filling in at the opposite corner while Jalen Ramsey rehabs. Can we try another stand-in?

On offense, early in the game the Dolphins gave another indication of how good they can be when operating Mike McDaniel’s system efficiently. With Tyreek Hill starting in motion and Tagovailoa getting passes off in just over 2 seconds, they are formidable.

In two games the Miami offense has put up 60 points and averaged 7.34 yards per play, which would be a record over a full season, as Travis Wingfield noted.

 

But Sunday also showed that Tua and Co. aren’t infallible. Patriots coach Bill Belichick employed three deep safeties to blunt the deep threat and rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez demonstrated that Hill can be covered.

Tua 5-0 vs. Belichick

For all the progress Tagovailoa has made, he is still susceptible to getting frustrated and making bad-decision throws, such as the one he underthrew to a well covered Hill and Gonzalez picked off.

In a fair assessment, McDaniel said, “I was happy with a lot of the stuff that Tua did, you know, but I think that forced throw to Tyreek in the second half is something that he was trying to win the game after a couple frustrating drives. And that’s something you have to learn from. You know, you don’t force the hand.

“But overall, I was really happy with how he bounced back from things that, you know, I know frustrate him. Any time he’s off on any sort of throw, you know, in the past, that frustration has really bled into multiple drives.”

So definitely room for growth and improvement. But tough to quibble too much with two quality wins on the road to start the season.

As Tagovailoa pointed out, “I think our team is 5 and 0 against Bill Belichick. It’s never a me thing. It’s never a me thing. And I don’t think we ever look at it as, ‘oh, we beat them once, we beat them twice, we beat them five times in a row.’ Every time we face Coach Belichick’s team, it’s always a challenge.”

There will be another challenge next Sunday when the Dolphins open at home against the Broncos and the following week when they face a bigger road obstacle at Buffalo.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on former Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Season Ticket: For Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa, it’s about what’s next

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And?

That’s the question that matters to Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins’ coach with the zen sensibility. That’s the word he passes toward his premium, increasingly pugnacious passer, the one whose failure pleases so many, for reasons beyond any reason.

And?

“A human being has ears and eyes,” McDaniel philosophized on the Wednesday prior to the Dolphins’ season opener, a game they would win 36-34, on the road, from behind, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing for 466 yards. “For Tua, it’s literally as boring as the same thing we’ve been talking through each and every practice, when anything goes right or wrong. And it’s like, ‘And?'”

And?

“It’s worry about the next play, worry about how we are getting from the huddle to the line of scrimmage, worry about your technique and fundamentals, and your assignments,” McDaniel continued. “And you have to hold that independently. Because the second you start buying into a bad play or a good play, you’re, you’re really wishing the future into existence. It’s hard enough to play in this league, you can’t worry about extra stuff…”

“It’s that process that, across all sports, anybody who has been successful over a period of time has that process to them, because you are only as good as the next play that you have. And you shouldn’t stand on entitlement of previous plays if they were good. Or you shouldn’t shame yourself if you didn’t like the result. That mental fortitude, that strong mindedness, is something that not many people have. Tua’s wired that way, that gives him a chance to succeed.”

And….. so here we are.

Game 2.

In New England.

And Tua Tagovailoa, who has shown himself as resilient and defiant as any athlete in the South Florida market in some time, rallying back from a major collegiate injury, suffering silently amid an initial coaching situation (hello Brian Flores) that seemingly sabotaged him, enduring the slings and arrows from the national media about his arm, his physique, his concussion susceptibility and everything else…..

Now that quarterback — 1-0, in the MVP conversation already, and more sure of himself than ever — must show that he can succeed amid success. That he can counter complacency. That he can keep soaring and take his team with him.

So that’s what is at stake for Tagovailoa tonight, in front of a national television audience and against a legendary coach against whom he’s had uncommon success, already 4-0 vs. the Patriots of Bill Belichick.

Can he prosper as a frontrunner when even as the No. 5 overall pick, he’s always been the underdog?

What’s his “and” when all has gone well?

Because we know when he does when it doesn’t. Tagovailoa has shown an uncanny ability to excel after an error, in just about every game (see Green Bay, Christmas) when he wasn’t concussed. It happened again after he misfired on a 3rd and 12 deep in Chargers territory, down 24-20 in last Sunday’s fourth quarter, with his pass for new favorite Braxton Berrios intercepted in the end zone. The Dolphins, for a change in a game they were manhandled on the defensive front, quickly forced a punt.

Tagovailoa entered.

And if you’ve been following his now four-season career, you knew what was next.

First play.

Tyreek Hill.

Thirty-five yards.

Touchdown, and the lead.

Someone with more time than I will compute his career passing rating on plays and drives directly following one of his miscues, but the odds are it’s triple digits.

How?

When that’s when so many quarterbacks shrink and cower?

I asked him that this Wednesday.

“I think that’s been a big growth for me this offseason, is being able to sort of erase the next play, and really hone in on what the next play requires of me,” Tagovailoa said. “The saying of ‘each play stands on its own merit’ is sort of the approach that I take when I’m given a play to go throw out there. Sometimes that play could be an interception or I could have gotten sacked on that play. We call it again. We can’t think, ‘OK, since you threw this interception, you are not gonna read it that way anymore, you’re gonna change how you read it.’ For me, it’s all right, each play stands on its own merit. How would you read this if you were in your flow? You would read it this way. That’s how I tried, the OTAs, this camp, that’s how I tried to get my frame of mind, as far as each play, and you’ve just got to out there and make the correction and continue playing.”

He did that last Sunday. He did that with the blonde bomber Justin Herbert on the other side, the favored gunner who is actually the real dink and dunker of the too, even if public perception tells you different. Herbert didn’t come through when it mattered. He rarely does. Tua does in most of the moments that matter: third downs, fourth quarters, and so on.

And Sunday in Los Angeles, he had a big number to show for it.

What of the ongoing concerns and complaints about whether he can throw deep?

“I don’t care,” he said, laughing. “I mean, I don’t care. 466 is, that’s what 466 is if I can’t throw deep. Thanks.”

466 was last week.

So was 36-34.

So now, for Tagovailoa and his Dolphins….

And?

 

The author, Ethan Skolnick, is the CEO of Five Reasons Sports.

Tua Tagovailoa will miss the Dolphins' game at New England and possibly more.

Pressure Point: Dolphins’ offense exhilarating in opening win; defense needs work

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Woke up still breathless from the Miami Dolphins’ thrill-a-minute 36-34 win win over the Chargers in the season opener at Los Angeles.

The numbers were staggering: 969 net yards by the two teams. There were nine lead changes. The Dolphins only punted once.

The Miami offense was a breathtaking journey on Mr. Tua’s Wild Ride with a heaping helping of Tyreek Hill.

The Dolphins put up 536 yards, including 466 passing by Tua Tangovailoa (28 of 45, three touchdowns, one interception, 110.0 passer rating.) He completed 11 of those passes to Hill, who with 215 yards and three TDs took a strong first step toward becoming the first receiver with 2,000 yards in a season.

Meanwhile, the Fins defense was a recurring gut punch that left you gasping for help.

Better late than never for Fins’ defense

Vic Fangio’s crew made its presence felt just in time to salvage the win and the new defensive coordinator’s esteem with two sacks and a forced intentional grounding.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler, newly signed to a three-year, $30.75 million contract, got the first one. Then on fourth down, Jaelan Phillips and Justin Bethel met at the quarterback to end a day that otherwise belonged to high-falutin offense.

Kudos to them for that.

Usually what happens in these NFL shootouts is a very NBA-like result: whoever has the ball last wins.

It appeared headed that way after Jason Sanders missed the extra point after the Dolphins took the lead on Tagovailo’s last hook-up with Hill with 1:45 remaining.

The Chargers took over on their 25, needing just to advance into field-goal range. Their hopes died after five plays netted only eight yards.

An instant classic

It was another high-scoring classic that brought to mind the 1982 playoff epic won in overtime by the Chargers, 41-38.

An offensive shootout was not unexpected. What didn’t figure was that Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s handiwork would be mostly about handing off.

While Herbert threw for 228 yards and a touchdown (23 of 33), the Chargers amassed more yards (234) on the ground, and averaged more yards per play rushing than passing (5.9 to 5.5).

New Chargers OC Kellen Moore certainly brought a change in philosophy to the pass-happy Chargers, who in recent years lived or died wlth Herbert’s arm. They averaged just under 90 yards a game rushing last season.

In Moore’s first game in the role for L.A., he had Austin Ekeler (117 yards) and Joshua Kelley (91 yards) running roughshod over the Miami defense.

Dolphins can’t stop the run

The Dolphins never really slowed them down, let alone stopped the Chargers’ rushing attack.

In the end those two sacks and an earlier one by Kader Kohou that set up a Tua-to-Hill TD, were just enough for Miami.

If this Dolphins defense is going to be good enough going forward remains to be seen.

Certainly, expectations were much higher after Fangio was embraced as the team’s most important offseason addition.

A more conservative, less risky approach on pass defense than in recent years under Josh Boyer comes with Fangio. The porous run defense was alarming.

As was allowing touchdown drives of 94, 75, 75 and 75 yards.

Tagovailoa, receivers have field day

Exhilarating offense prevailed for Miami. Tagovailoa, Hill and Co. showed all they can be and that they can match scores with anyone if need be.

Tua’s performance wasn’t without flaws. He had two turnovers in the red zone, including a poorly thrown ball into the end zone that was intercepted.

But he came right back and hit Hill in stride on a streak along the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown. Rapid atonement has become a Tua hallmark.

He also showed a finishing touch by threading the winning 4-yard TD over a defender to Hill.

His most pressure-packed throw was the 47-yard completion to Hill on third-and-10 on that drive.

Also impressive was converting on third-and-15 with a pass on the run to Braxton Berrios. That jump-started a drive to a field goal that cut the Chargers’ lead to 31-30.

This time Dolphins rule middle ground

The bigger picture was the turnaround from what happened when these teams met last year. Remember how an injury-riddled Chargers defense applied press coverage and clogged the middle of the field and held Miami to 219 total yards?

This time Tagovailoa thoroughly carved up the Chargers secondary in the middle as his speedy receivers turned the game into what Chargers coach Brandon Staley aptly referred to as “a track meet.” Miami had nine plays of at least 21 yards.

Impact by multiple receivers

Another good sign was Tagovailoa had multiple completions to seven receivers. Tight end Durham Smythe, best known for his blocking, had three receptions for 44 yards. Tua made good use of secondary wideouts River Cracraft (three receptions, 40 yards including a touchdown) and newcomer Berrios (three receptions, 42 yards). Fullback Alec Ingold also had two catches for first downs.

Miami’s O-line stands tall

Perhaps most important, the offensive line didn’t allow a sack despite missing star left tackle Terron Armstead. Tagovailoa rarely felt heat from Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and other Chargers rushers.

The Dolphins’ run game showed promise early — Raheem Mostert had six carries for 32 yards and a touchdown in the first half — but then was abandoned.

Considering the Dolphins scored on seven of nine possessions (not counting a final possession of kneel-downs) it is difficult to find much fault with the offense or Tagovailoa’s performance.

It reiterated that as long as Tagovailoa, Hill and bookend wide receiver Jaylen Waddle are healthy, these Dolphins can be a force. But also that depth of talent on offense is more than star deep.

Going forward, an earlier wakeup call for the defense would be appreciated.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on the platform formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Miami Dolphins 2023 Season Preview & Predictions: Defense

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The Josh Boyer era as defensive coordinator came to a close at the end of a disappointing injury-filled season. That unit, considered one of the most promising up-and-coming defenses in the league the past couple of years, is now commanded by the highly distinguished Vic Fangio. Having spent over thirty-five years coaching in the NFL, including three years as head coach, Fangio’s innovative schemes are heavily incorporated throughout the league. Having the creator himself running the Dolphins defense, brings a renewed optimism and energy to a unit that seems on the brink of taking off.

 

What exactly Fangio brings to the Dolphins, and the methods he uses to push his players to meet the high expectations people have placed on them will be a major early storyline throughout this season.

 

Identifying the players who have critical roles in ensuring this defense can become one of the league’s best, and what they must accomplish, is a great place to start.

 

Jaelan Phillips is very good, but can he be special? – Two things that have never lacked for Phillips are his incredible athleticism and physique, and a motor that never quits. Maxing out his work ethic and athletic gifts, got him to the very-good mark. Last season he was seventh in the league in total pressures (70) and hurries (44), but only twenty-first in sacks (7).

 

In order to max out the rest of his potential, he needs to become a finisher. Aside from instincts and athletic superiority, what makes players like Micah Parsons, TJ Watt, and Myles Garrett elite, are their diverse and refined pass-rush move-sets and technique. Phillips too often relies on his power and bull-rush to try and beat his defenders. Growing his bag of tricks with rips, chops, swims and spins will play a significant factor in whether or not Phillips reaches his ceiling.

 

Steady is the pace for Jevon Holland – Stats and numbers are a great tool for evaluating players, but they can sometimes be misleading. For instance, the numbers would show that Holland suffered a bit of regression in his second season. He allowed the sixth highest completion percentage amongst safeties (80%), however the secondary lost two significant starters at cornerback (Byron Jones, Nik Needham), and the safety who plays opposite him (Brandon Jones). The scheme was designed to run heavy-blitzes with the cornerbacks playing press-man. Being down such important personnel forced Holland to try and pick up a lot of slack.

 

This year should result in significant growth for Holland, as long as he maintains the trajectory he’s already shown. Fangio’s scheme is dependent on high-level play from the free safety, and he has a knack for bringing the most out of them. Over the years Fangio has developed All-Pros like Justin Simmons, Eddie Jackson and Dashon Goodson, Pro Bowlers Eric Reid, Donte Whitner, and Antoine Bethea, and others like Adrian Amos and Kareem Jackson.

 

While Jalen Ramsey is out for at least half of the season, and there are questions surrounding who will man the other safety position, Holland should have every opportunity to become the next notch on Fangio’s long list of star safeties.

 

Cam Smith needs to be a quick study, and Kader Kohou can’t have a sophomore slump – With Ramsey out until sometime in November, at the very least, the Dolphins can’t afford to see the injuries or struggles of last season become an issue again. There’s hope that Nik Needham will come off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list at some point this year, and you can’t control injuries, but in order for the secondary to play at a high level Kader Kohou needs to show last season’s surprise breakout wasn’t a fluke.

 

Second-round pick Cam Smith flashed early and often in training camp before suffering a shoulder injury. Luckily, he wasn’t sidelined long. He showed a penchant for making big plays at the University of South Carolina and has a hungry mentality. With Xavien Howard now at the ripe-age of thirty, Smith has a lot of expectations on his shoulders to help the cornerback position stay at a high level for years to come.

—-

 

Beyond the growth of the young players on the roster, there’s specific things the defense must do this season to become a top-ten unit.

 

The Dolphins must prove they can finally sack the quarterback, especially in the absence of a high blitz rate – Fangio’s system is not known for running many blitzes, something the Dolphins did at one of the highest rates in the league under Brian Flores and Josh Boyer.

 

When the team hasn’t sent the extra bodies, rushers have struggled to bring the quarterback down.  Part of the reason for that last year was the aforementioned struggles in the secondary. Despite having the third highest pass rush win rate in 2022, they only finished fifteenth in sacks. The year prior, with Howard and Byron Jones healthy, Miami had the fifth most sack in the league.

 

The new scheme will move the defense away from the man-to-man coverages they were used to, and will feature predominantly zone concepts. What makes Fangio one of the best is his ability to keep the quarterback guessing by continuously switching up the zone assignments post snap. This diminishes the passer’s ability to identify weaknesses pre-snap.

 

If the secondary and linebackers can maintain their zone assignments, it could force opposing quarterbacks to hold onto the ball longer while they make their reads, and give rushers opportunities at coverage sacks. They key will be Phillips, and Bradley Chubb showing they can manipulate the pocket and bring quarterbacks down, as well as Christian Wilkins proving he’s not just an elite run-stopper on the interior.

 

Speaking of a significant reduction in blitz plays, can the Dolphins continue to prove their run defense is stout – After finishing with the fifth highest run-block grade (78.2), thanks in large part to Wilkins (best run stop win rate in the NFL in 2022) and the newly re-signed Zach Seiler (4th highest run-defense grade, PFF), can they maintain a high-level without the help of the disguised blitz?

 

This scheme runs with light boxes that try and entice offenses to run the ball. The defensive lineman play gap-and-a-half, while trying to force the runner outside where the safeties have the responsibility of forcing stops. Both Brandon Jones and DeShon Elliott are known for playing in the box and stopping the run. Elliott finished with the tenth most stops (15) among safeties in 2022 (Lions). Jones, who suffered a torn-acl last season, is still working his way back. Holland can also defend the run, but will likely be tasked to defend the deep part of the field.

 

It’s time to shine for Jerome Baker and David Long Jr. – Both linebackers will play a significant coverage role in Fangio’s defense. For Baker, this will be an adjustment as he had a heavy role in the pass rush, and far fewer coverage snaps than most linebackers the past few years. That’s not to say he can’t do it however, as he has the necessary athletic requirements and has been sufficient in coverage throughout his career.

 

The addition of David Long has the potential to pay huge dividends for the Dolphins. He’s tailor-made for this scheme, and could help elevate the run defense even further. The biggest concern for him is health, as he’s missed eleven games over the past two seasons and has struggled with soft-tissue injuries.

 

For this defense to be successful, both Baker and Long need to play at the level they.re capable of, and stay on the field. While Duke Riley has proven to be a decent role-player at times, he nor last year’s third-round pick Channing Tindall have shown enough to inspire confidence in elevated roles.

 

Predicting the season…

 

-Reuniting Bradley Chubb with Vic Fangio will allow both Chubb and Phillips to become the players everyone thinks they can be. With a talented secondary, those two should have the time to get to the quarterback. Having a pass-rusher with the talent to be a 10+ sack per year player has resulted in Fangio’s defenses allowing five fewer points per game averages. With those two on the edge manipulating the pocket, and the return of Emmanuel Ogbah on passing downs, the Dolphins have no excuse for not turning potential into reality.

Jaelan Phillips: 11.5 sacks

Bradley Chubb: 7.5 sacks

Christian Wilkins: 6 sacks

Zach Seiler: 4 sacks

 

-Miami will see the return of impact plays from their role players. Having a healthy Ogbah could be a surprise x-factor to the defense. Another could come from a player who has made impact plays in the past, and that’s Andrew Van Ginkel. Both players should benefit from being in this scheme, assuming the secondary stays relatively healthy and can perform in coverage. It’s tough to predict specific stats for role players, but you can predict that they’ll make a significant mark throughout the season

 

-Xavien Howard will have his return to glory. Taking away the physical stress of having to play on an island against every team’s best receiver, should help keep ‘X’ healthy after suffering two nagging hamstring injuries in 2022. Putting him in the position to read, anticipate, and react to the quarterback will be a gift for a player who is special in large part because he’s among the best at doing those things. I wouldn’t be surprised if Howard manages a 4-6 interception season, and likely another trip to the Pro Bowl

 

-The Dolphins will see a couple of defensive All-Pros in 2023…

Jevon Holland

Christian Wilkins

…and a few Pro Bowlers as well

Xavien Howard

Jaelan Phillips

Wilkins

Hollan

 

-Miami will finish the season with a top twelve defense in yards, and top five in points with an average of under 20 ppg allowed.

 

Miami Hurricanes

The End of the Beginning

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As the ball nestled harmlessly onto the Brazos Valley turf, carrying with it the Canes’ ill-fated comeback attempt, a calm settled over the Hurricanes.

Amidst the cultish cheering of the maroon clad zealots those of us resplendently dressed in ostentatious orange filed out of Kyle Field beaten but not defeated. The result was disappointing, but the effort was there. And the Canes looked the part under the premise that Texas A&M was a talented, high quality opponent that Miami had outplayed on the road.

The reality was far different. Both teams were headed to disappointing 5-7 seasons and a tumultuous offseason of change.

What we saw that day in Aggieland was two programs that were headed in the wrong direction. When two teams fight to the last play, the cliche that is often uttered is “it’s a shame there has to be a loser.” Last year, when these two teams met, it was a shame there had to be a winner.

Mario Cristobal 2.0

When Mario Cristobal constructed the 2022 Miami Hurricanes coaching staff, he did so in a very un-Miami way.

For all the glitz and glamour of Miami, for the misappropriation of the term “South Beach,” for the stereotype of sunshine and palm trees, Miami itself is a self-made, hard scrabble town built on the backs of immigrants. What people from outside of Miami don’t realize is that those from the neighboring counties of Broward and Palm Beach are much more Miami than the glitterati you see on TV and social media. And the University of Miami football program mirrors that reality as the school for all of South Florida.

And so it was with great excitement with which we greeted our new money overlords that showed up over the last 18 months. Finally, Miami could spend money rivaling traditional college powers. The all everything staff was assembled. The Offensive Coordinator? Stolen from Michigan. The QB Coach? Was an Offensive Coordinator in his previous role. The LB coach? Was previously the Head Coach of 3 FBS schools and a National Championship Defensive Coordinator.

As John Hammond famously said in Jurassic Park, we “spared no expense.” And this worked out as well as that did.

By the end of the Canes’ season, the only thing left of the rotting carcass of that season was the undeniable truth surrounding the failure of that approach.

The Canes finally flush with cash had the ability to not only attract top coaches but to also place them in positions beneath their station. And while the administration, and Mario, finally had that money to spend on these coaches, they “were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

And so the reboot started this offseason. Slowly coaches that were celebrated upon their arrival left out the back door. Their replacements? Unheralded assistants looking for their big break.

Replacing those that felt Miami was lucky to have them with hungry assistants viewing Miami as the stage from which they can ascend up the coaching ranks is a return to the roots of the program.

And of the city.

Culture Clash

Miami is not an easy place to play or win. In a crowded sports landscape, expectations abound. Despite 20 years of futility, there is still a championship or bust mentality.

This week’s opponent is the polar opposite. Texas A&M is tradition rich. While the Canes are often mocked for attendance (usually unjustifiably and with out-of-context images), the Aggies fill their stadium. The whole town (if you want to flatter it by calling it that) is centrally focused on the school’s football team.

So obsessive are the Aggies’ fans that they hold cheering practice called “Midnight Yell” the night before home games. The tradition of Yell Practice started in 1913, 12 years before the University of Miami even existed.

They have a chant for everything, with the crowd participation often detached from whatever is transpiring on the field. Their band is massive, spanning the entire field, executing maneuvers with military precision.

Famously friendly, they’ll greet you with a “howdy” and talk your ear off about traditions. Evangelists, the whole of them.

The Aggies mascot is a well-manicured, pampered female Rough Collie named Reveille.

They are everything Miami is not. And for that, I’m thankful.

The Miami Way

Cause amidst the pomp and pageantry, for all the traditions and revelry, do you know what’s missing? Winning.

Give me the half empty stadium, the searing humidity, the small private campus, the poor student in the bird costume trying not to pass out from heat exhaustion…part of Miami’s greatness is that the tradition doesn’t matter. The outlier school shall always remain the outlier school.

To the extent there are traditions: Running through the smoke, holding up 4 fingers at the start of the 4th quarter, and yes, the now defunct Turnover Chain, they are quickly co-opted by other schools.

Schools can copy those things, but they can’t copy what makes Miami unique, which is a local school where kids from the community go to make it big, lifting themselves and by extension the school and community.

The one tradition forged in the 80s, carried forward through to the early 2000s, that has been dormant for 20 years is the winning. And with it, the program has lost its swagger.

As the Canes enter this week, with the invaders from Texas coming to South Florida, it’s time to rediscover the famous Miami Pride. A program built on doing what it is repeatedly told is not possible has been overrun by a lack of self belief.

But I reject that premise. It’s time to be Miami again. When you go to College Station, they greet you with a “Howdy” in the parking lot and a warm welcome. And that’s fine for them.

In Miami? Win on the field, and if you want to fight in the parking lot (or in the stands, or in Publix), we’ll do that too. This is not about a resurrection, but a restoration.

We’re not to be intimidated, we’re the ones that are supposed to do the intimidating

First we deal with Jimbo, then Mack, then Dabo, then Mike. This year we start to settle all Family business.

And it is a Family. For all the differences between Miami and Texas A&M, Miami is a cult of its own. But the beliefs are not in centuries-old traditions, passed down from generation to generation, from back when Old Tex told his bull to skedaddle.

The only core belief for the Miami Family is a belief in Miami itself. We believe in each other. There is magic in the Magic City. Miami is simultaneously a noun, a verb, and an adjective.

It’s that belief in Miami’s otherworldliness that has brought it this far, and it is that belief that will carry it forward.

This program was built fighting and winning the battles that are categorized as impossible, often motivated by the mere statement that winning was not achievable. 

And that needs to begin anew on Saturday. There will still be trials and tribulations, times when the team struggles, bad losses. Such is the nature of sport, such is the nature of a rebuild.

Saturday is not the end of the rebuild. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a show host and writer for @FiveReasonsSports. He covers the Miami Hurricanes for Sixth Ring Canes and Formula 1 for Hitting the Apex. He also co-hosts Buckets, which covers Miami Hurricanes Basketball. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins 2023 season predictions: Offense

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After finishing sixth in total yards in 2022, the Dolphins enter year two under Mike McDaniel with high expectations. Tua Tagovailoa is healthy after missing five and half games (including their playoff wildcard loss to the Bills) due to concussions. The offense in general, managed to elude any significant training camp or preseason injuries. There’s even some new faces, like free-agent additions WR Braxton Berrios, OL Isaiah Wynn, TE Tyler Kroft, QB Mike White, and a promising rookie with third round pick RB De’Von Achane.

The start of a new campaign usually comes with some excitement, a ton of hot-takes and predictions, but also some concern-driven narratives that can come from the nearly nine-months of a way-too-long offseason. A couple of these narratives should be addressed, and the subsequent anxiety calmed, before making any concerted projections for the 2023 season.

Debunking the narrative:

After seeing Tua suffer multiple concussions last year, the Dolphins again chose to ignore the offensive line

There’s a reason Chris Grier has stated that he’s much less concerned about the offensive line, than the fans and media. It’s a message that the organization has tried to drive home in consecutive offseasons now, and it’s time for people to understand (and accept) why.

The Dolphins scheme is built on defensive manipulation. They utilize shifts and motions, to misdirect the defenses and leave them vulnerable (the tight ends, and fullback play a huge role in getting defenders to bite). Most offensive play-calls also give Tua the option to run or pass, based off of his pre-snap reads, which he is among the NFL’s best at.

Aside from the scheme philosophy, Miami’s offense is built heavily on quick timing routes. That ensures that Tua, who has one of the fastest releases in the NFL (2.3 seconds), isn’t a target of pass-rushers for very long.

In regard to Tua’s injury concerns, none of his concussions were a direct result of bad offensive line play. Each time he was trying to extend a play, rather than simply throwing the ball away (the hit Tua took from Matt Milano against the Bills was flagged for roughing-the-passer).

Overall, the Dolphins have done a good job at identifying run-blockers that fit the heavier personnel that Miami requires for their disguise scheme. Isaiah Wynn and Lester Cotton are considered better run-blockers than pass, and Connor Williams was elite (85.1 run blocking grade, ProFootballFocus) in the same regard last season. Tight ends Durham Smythe and Tyler Kroft, and fullback Alec Ingold are all positive value blockers with critical roles in both pass protection, and the running game.

Debunking the narrative: Miami’s unsuccessful flirtation with top-level running backs this offseason shows a lack of confidence (despite stating they’re comfortable) with their current group,and that could foreshadow a disappointing end result for them

Chris Grier’s pursuit of names like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, D’Andre Swift, Dalvin Cook, and most recently Jonathan Taylor, is likely more about identifying a player that may put you over the top, rather than a lack of belief in what they currently have.

Raheem Mostert (4.9 yards per carry) and Jeff Wilson (4.7) had few problems picking up yards on the ground last season. While the team was ranked near the bottom in the league in rushing yards, they were also ranked 31st in rushing attempts. This offseason Mike McDaniel stressed that he plans to incorporate the run game more than he did last season.

Jeff Wilson will start the season on the injured-reserve list, but Salvon Ahmed and rookies De’Von Achane and Chris Brooks have shown promise throughout training camp and the preseason games. This is also the Dolphins most diversified group they’ve had in a long time, as each player brings their own skill-set to the running back room.

Points of emphasis for the 2023 season

Spread the love – Forcing the ball to one of, if not the most dynamic wide receivers in history, isn’t something people are going to question…if it’s working. The Dolphins have one of the most talented receiving duo’s in the NFL, yet Hill had 53 more targets last year. In game’s where Hill’s target share significantly outpaced Waddle’s, Miami had a 2-4 record. Now with the addition of Braxton Berrios, a healthy and prepared Cedrick Wilson, and potential development of Erik Ezukanma, there’s no reason the team doesn’t balance out their passing attack.

Tua must be smarter in adverse situations – He admittedly has always been the type of quarterback to try and make something happen, even when a play breaks down. Aside from the concussions (that’s plural) he sustained trying to do exactly that, creating off-script has never been a strength for Tua (and that’s okay). Instead of focusing on what’s downfield beyond the time the imaginary alarm goes off in his head that says it’s time to get rid of the ball, learn to embrace the check-down.

For the first time in his professional career, Tua has a very promising and dynamic pass-catcher at running back in rookie De’Von Achane. Durham Smythe and Tyler Kroft have proven throughout their careers that they’re capable safety-nets at tight end, and WRs Berrios and Wilson are accomplished in the slot with yards-after-catch (YAC) ability.

If all else fails, throw the ball away. The result of an incomplete pass out of bounds is likely better than forcing something on a broken play.

It’s time to see if McDaniel can make the correct in-game adjustments and play-calls – Whether it’s hubris, nerves, or over-thinking, McDaniel seemed too stubborn to the game plan last season. It was obvious (painstakingly at times), that the identity of the offense was going to be attacking the middle of the field in the passing game. Most of the time it worked beautifully, particularly in the five-game stretch against the league’s worst passing defenses, but like with any offense teams began to show successful counters. Instead of pivoting to a plan b or c, McDaniel continued to try and force the issue.

As stated, McDaniel has made it clear that he is looking to make more of a commitment to the run, an area of the offense that was successful yet heavily underutilized last season. While there’s no doubt that he’ll stay true to that, what will he do in the midst of adversity in-game. Miami’s week fifteen loss against Buffalo was a prime example of not utilizing the run-game in obvious situations. Despite rushing for 188 yards at a 7.8 yards-per-carry clip, McDaniel made the decision to pass on three third-and-short situations. All three times the pass went incomplete and the drive ended.

The Dolphins had a monster passing attack with Tua on the field last year, as he led the entire league in yards per pass. There’s no reason for the offense to go away from that success this year, but can Mike McDaniel show that when the situation is calling for the obvious choice, he won’t backslide and try and force a big play.

There will be a very big early indicator of how this offense has progressed in year two – Miami was one the most penalized teams in the NFL in 2022, especially pre-snap where they finished with the third highest amount (46). Along with penalties, other self-inflicted wounds like drops and play-calling caused the offense to leave too many points on the field. Despite ranking 7th in EPA (Expected Points Added), the Dolphins finished 17th in drive success rate (44.6%).

Heading into the second year in this scheme, while returning the majority of last year’s personnel, the team should look prepared, efficient, and be operating on all cylinders.

Now, on to some measured (and objective) predictions…

Cedrick Wilson Jr. will have a larger role in the offense then people may think.

After dealing with some nagging injuries last season, which may have stunted his ability to work in and grasp a complicated offense, Wilson managed a healthy and productive preseason. In his final year with the Cowboys, he did manage to accumulate 602 yards and 6 touchdowns, on 45 receptions. On top of that, he managed an impressive 5.6 yards after the catch, which played a factor in why Miami signed him last offseason.

Wilson did end up earning playing time late last season, and displayed some dependability as he finished the season with zero drops.

If he can manage to stay healthy, there’s no reason he can’t contend with Braxton Berrios for the third wide receiver spot. Unless McDaniel has plans to work Erik Ezukanma into the passing game, Wilson is currently the only proven bigger-bodied pass catcher in the receiver room.

De’Von Achane will see a limited role to start the season, but will flash a Darren Sproles/Danny Woodhead like receiving ability as the season goes on.

From all indications, Achane didn’t do much to stand out in his first training camp. He also sustained a shoulder injury in the Dolphins’ second preseason game against the Texans, which kept him limited for the remainder of camp. It’s likely safe to assume that McDaniel will take a calculated approach to working him into regular season snaps, especially with Ahmed possessing many similar qualities and having impressed throughout the exhibition season.

While many fans may be excited to see his potential in the backfield, Achane brings an element to the passing game that Miami hasn’t had since Kenyon Drake was on the roster. In a similar mold to what role Darren Sproles played for the Chargers, Saints, and Eagles, or Danny Woodhead for the Patriots, Achane can be a dangerous weapon in the screen game. With the threat that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle bring downfield, having an explosive home-run threat catching dump-offs and screens can really move a defense out of balance.

I expect Achane to dazzle with at least a handful of chunk plays in the passing game before the season is over. A prediction of 250-300 yards receiving shouldn’t be considered overzealous.

Tyreek Hill falls well-short of his 2,000 yard goal, and that’s a good thing.

Again, every indication is that the Dolphins will strive for a much more balanced offense in 2023, and that doesn’t just extend to the running game.

The target gap between Hill and Waddle should narrow, and with the addition of Berrios in the slot, and an improved Wilson, it seems far-fetched for Hill to even replicate the 1,710 yard season he had a year ago. That’s also taking into account that Miami should see an increase in targets to their backfield.

While it would be fascinating to see Tyreek hit that benchmark, doing so would likely mean that the offense didn’t hit the mark in other areas, or they suffered significant enough injuries. The best thing for the offense is to become multi-dimensional and make it even harder for defenses to overly focus on one specific facet.

Quick hit hot-takes (that I actually believe in)…

-Tua plays all seventeen games, and with a new safety-net in Berrios, and an added dynamic in Achane, he puts together the season Dolfans have been waiting for. 4,500 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions is the floor for ‘Uce’, and would likely result in the long-term contract extension he, the team, and fans are hoping for.

-Jaylen Waddle officially hits superstardom, as the young surpasses the old-ish. The third-year pro is too talented, and too dynamic to not continue growing. With defenses continuing to emphasize Hill, I’d expect Waddle adds quite a few more plays like the 84-yard touchdown sprint against the Packers, to his highlight reel. Waddle: 95 rec, 1520 yds, 8 tds
Hill: 101 rec, 1410 yds, 9 tds
Berrios: 41 rec, 465 yds, 3 tds
Wilson: 30 rec, 345 yds, 4 tds

-Don’t forget the tight ends, even if the Dolphins might have! Smythe has proven to be a reliable player, not only as a blocker but as a possession receiver as well. While i wouldn’t expect him to see a significant increase in usage in the passing game, even with Mike Gesicki now in New England, the tight end is just too far down the target share list in this offense. Aside from Smythe, Kroft has had a very similar role over his career, but may be a tad more favorable redzone threat.
Smythe: 28 rec, 257 yds, 2 tds
Kroft: 23 rec, 230 yds, 3 tds

-The running back room is the toughest to predict, especialluy with Jeff Wilson on the IR to start the season, and Mostert now 31 years young and three years removed from playing a full season (he only missed one game last year). How McDaniel splits the carries is one of the more intriguing questions entering week one. Mostert should lead the team if he stays healthy, but he shouldn’t be expected to carry too heavy of a load. Will the undrafted rookie and training camp surprise Chris Brooks pick up Wilson’s slack? Ahmed has flashed as a runner in limited opportunities, but he’s not a pass-blocker and doesn’t offer anything different than what Mostert gives (who is a significantly better blocker). Plus, there’s Achane.
Mostert: 170 att, 799 yds, 4 tds
Brooks: 149 att, 700 yds, 6 tds
Achane: 83 att, 423 yds, 1 td
Ahmed: 30 att, 138 yds

The Miami Dolphins are still in the huddle as the clock ticks down on fourth-and-1.

Pressure Point: Dolphins give Bills a scare, but leave fans frustrated

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This is why they have playoffs, because there are no certainties in the NFL.

Not for the Los Angeles Chargers with a 27-0 lead, only to get swamped by an epic Jacksonville Jaguars comeback in a stunning 31-30 loss on Saturday.

For a while Sunday it looked like another Florida team might flip an improbable script with the Miami Dolphins turning a 17-0 deficit into a 24-20 lead, on the road with a third-string rookie quarterback against the highly favored Bills in their AFC wild-card game.

Ultimately, there was no Miami Miracle in Buffalo as what could have been the Dolphins’ greatest postseason comeback victory fell short 34-31.

While the effort and the scare they put into a bonafide Super Bowl contender was commendable, the ending was wrenching in a way that is characteristic of a franchise that never fails to string along its fans and leave them in agony.

This one will be remembered for the Dolphins’ final hopes fizzling after a delay-of-game penalty on fourth-and-short in the final two-and-a-half minutes.

Confusion on fourth-and-1

For all the good first-year coach Mike McDaniel did in getting the team to the playoffs for the first time in six years and within a whisker of upsetting a 14-point favorite, he will have to endure an offseason of bitter taste from questionable game management in the fourth quarter.

McDaniel repeatedly had trouble getting plays in to quarterback Skylar Thompson and the proper personnel package on the field in timely fashion. They had already burned all of their timeouts because of that issue.

This time there was no way to avoid the penalty. They were still in the huddle with five seconds left on the play clock.

So they went from needing less than a yard to fourth and a long five with 2:29 remaining.

On what would be Miami’s final offensive play, Thompson either didn’t see Tyreek Hill streaking open across the middle or the rush was on him too quick to make that throw. So Thompson looked to the right and was unable to connect with Mike Gesicki on a short pass. And that was that.

McDaniel said afterward that there was confusion with the officials on whether Salvon Ahmed had actually gotten the first down on the previous play.

“We thought we got the first down, so we were deploying some players for the first-and-10. And then it was articulated that it was fourth down,” McDaniel said in his postgame media session.

That was definitely a time when one of those previously squandered timeouts would have come in handy.

Whatever the reason, it made for an excruciating ending as the wind rushed out of the Dolphins’ season with a massive Pffft!

Efficiency in getting plays in and off is certainly an area for improvement as the Dolphins have often pushed the play clock to the final seconds this season. It became more of an issue Sunday with a rookie quarterback contending with a loud, hostile crowd.

Dolphins 0-for-4 since last playoff win

Bottom line, the Dolphins were one-and-done in the playoffs for the fourth time since they last won in the postseason 22 years ago.

They gave a much better accounting of themselves than in the previous three which were all routs by a combined score of 77-24.

It appeared like it would more of the same with Josh Allen and the Bills leading 17-0 early in the second quarter.

Turnovers had a lot to do with the arc of this game and everything to do with the Dolphins making a contest of it. Miami cashed in 18 points off three turnovers.
Allen came in with 14 touchdown passes and only one interception in his playoff career.

The Dolphins picked him off twice in the second quarter and forced him into a fumble that defensive lineman Zach Sieler scooped up for a go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter.

The Bills regained the lead after converting a Thompson interception into a short touchdown drive.

But Thompson led an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to bring Miami within three points with 10:53 remaining.

Thompson ended up completing 18 of 45 for 220 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions and a passer rating of 44.7.

Would Tua Tagovailoa have changed wild-card outcome?

The rookie was often off target and slow getting passes off. But he didn’t get great help from his receivers, who had several notable drops.

Jaylen Waddle, in particular, looked like he was trying to catch a pot roast slipping off a greased platter with oven mitts until finally coming through with three catches in the fourth quarter.

Damar Hamlin, the Bills safety who needed to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati two weeks ago, watched on TV and tweeted following the game: “I have to give a huge shout out to the Dolphins. Made it a game. I’m so looking forward to more Bills Dolphins in the foreseeable future.”

Yes, the Dolphins bucked steep odds and made it closer than most of their fans may have hoped for. But the way it turned out left them feeling frustrated with the many mistakes, angry about the disorganization in game management and lamenting how the outcome could have been different with starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a healthy participant.

Unfortunately, health and availability has been elusive with Tagovailoa. Recurring concussions have put his long-term viability in question — the most recent head injury kept him out of the final two games of the regular season and the playoff.

Adam Schefter, of ESPN, reported Sunday that Tagovailoa “is expected to return as the Dolphins starting quarterback next season” and that he might have been cleared from concussion protocol had the Dolphins advanced in the postseason.

According to Schefter: “Medical professionals also are confident that Tagovailoa should be able to resume his NFL career next season, if not sooner, sources said.”

Like the outcome of Sunday’s game, that is just another uncertainty in the Miami Dolphins’ unending seasons of elusive hope.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns