Dolphins have given themselves zero margin for error in salvaging their disappointing season
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Back in August, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier indicated that with the roster he and coach Mike McDaniel put together, they expected to compete for a Super Bowl this season.
“Health and luck all contribute to it and team chemistry,” Grier said. “It’s been exciting to watch these guys all together. So yeah, we feel if we’re healthy and ready to go, that we have a chance to compete, which is what we always want — that chance.”
At the midway point of the season, the Dolphins (2-6) will be clawing the rest of the way to even get above .500 after underachieving despite an experienced and talented roster, and struggling to overcome injuries.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said he still has confidence in the group, but they can’t think about their now-slim playoff chances.
“We’re not worried about anything else but the next opponent,” Tagovailoa said after Sunday’s loss at Buffalo. “Playoffs, any of that, we’re not worried about that. Worried about who the next opponent is, and we’re trying to win out.”
The NFL’s top offense from 2023, which has last season’s receiving yards leader Tyreek Hill, three-time 1,000-yard receiver Jaylen Waddle and Odell Beckham Jr., is one of the worst scoring units in the NFL.
Miami’s victories this season have come against the Jaguars (2-7) and the Patriots (2-7), while it has losses to three sub-.500 teams: Seattle (4-5), Tennessee (2-6) and Indianapolis (4-5).
The season started with Hill being yanked from his sports car by Miami-Dade police and forced face-first onto the ground during a traffic stop. Four days later, Tagovailoa suffered the third known concussion of his NFL career, and the quarterback was later placed on injured reserve.
Tagovailoa’s injury sent the Dolphins’ offense into a plunge, as the play of backups Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle and Tyler “Snoop” Huntley “wasn’t good enough,” McDaniel acknowledged.
The Dolphins failed to score more than 15 points during Tagovailoa’s four-game absence and topped 140 yards passing just once during that span.
Going 1-3 without their starter, the Dolphins couldn’t afford to continue those struggles when he returned in Week 9. But despite drastic improvement in the offense in the past two games, the Dolphins are 0-2 since Tagovailoa’s return.
Defensive tackle Calais Campbell doesn’t believe the season is over based on the improvements they’ve made over the past two weeks — the offense scored on all but two drives Sunday against the Bills.
“The problem is,” Campbell said, “we’ve pretty much put ourselves in the position where our margin for error is zero.”
What's working
Tagovailoa. He went 25 for 28 (for a career-high 89.3% completion rate) with 231 yards passing and two touchdowns on Sunday. Since his return from IR, Tagovailoa has completed 80.3% of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The run game also has been a strength and should be a bright spot to build on in the future, with young running backs De’Von Achane — who is in his second year and leads the team in rushing yards and is third in receiving yards — and rookie Jaylen Wright. The Dolphins have rushed for at least 140 yards in their past four games thanks partly to the work of their offensive line, which has improved in its run blocking and gave up only one sack against a good Bills pass rush.
What needs help
The Dolphins have been error-prone all season, and it has cost them in close games. Early in the season, it was pre-snap penalties. Lately it has been fumbles, an area in which Miami leads the league. RB Raheem Mostert has lost a second-half fumble in two of the last three games, and Miami lost both games by less than a touchdown.
Stock up
CB Jalen Ramsey and DT Campbell. Ramsey has been moved all around the field this season and is allowing a 60.9% completion rate and 11.4 yards per completion. Those numbers aren't too far off from his stats during his last All-Pro season with the Rams in 2021, when he allowed a 59.2% completion rate. He also has a career-high five quarterback pressures on seven blitzes. The only thing he was missing was an interception, which he came up with on a deflected pass against Buffalo.
The 38-year-old Campbell is proving to be Miami's best free agency pickup, not only for what he's done on the field but for his leadership. Campbell has two sacks and 28 tackles.
Stock down
LB David Long Jr. has struggled in pass coverage this season and was essentially benched for Anthony Walker Jr. on Sunday. Walker started at inside linebacker in Long's place and had 10 tackles. Long took snaps only on special teams.
Injuries
The Dolphins are missing star pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Phillips suffered an ACL injury in Week 4 that required season-ending surgery. Chubb has not played yet after tearing his ACL last December. McDaniel said he's optimistic that Chubb will play this season. ... DT Zach Sieler remains out with a fractured orbital bone after he was poked in the eye during practice a couple of weeks ago.
Key number
4 — Numbers of games the Dolphins have won in their last 14 outings going back to last year. They've lost to the Bills three times in that span.
Next steps
The Dolphins currently have the No. 8 pick in the draft, while four of the remaining eight teams on their schedule currently have losing records. Miami will face the Los Angeles Rams (4-4) on Monday night in Week 10.
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