The Miami Dolphins had a successful if somewhat strange season last year. They reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016 but struggled in the latter stage of the season suffering from a collapse of sorts.
They had an 8-3 record by week 12 which signified their best start to a season since 2001. However, they would then go on to lose five straight games, jeopardizing their playoff hopes Fortunately, they managed a win in their final game of the season, defeating the New York Jets 11-6. This secured the Dolphins their third straight winning season and a place in the playoffs as a Wildcard entry.
While they would lose their playoff game, facing off against Super Bowl favorites the Buffalo Bills, they were perhaps unlucky. They rallied late and looked more than capable of causing an upset, however it was not to be on the night, and they valiantly lost 34-31.
After a strong draft, the Miami will now be looking to start the upcoming season strongly. Sportsbooks like Wynbett NY will be all eyes on the Dolphins training camp.
Kicking off on July 30th, coach Mike McDaniel will be welcoming four rookies to the camp. They addressed some glaring needs in the draft, bringing in a Cornerback, Running Back, a receiver and an Offensive Tackle.
Despite entering without a first round pick, GM Chris Grier still managed some smart picks. CB Cam Smith came as their first pick and was one of the best available players at the time.
Running back Devon Achane added even more speed to what is already the fastest offense in the league. They now boast Tyreik Hill, Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Waddle and Achane as a slew of offensive players with elite speed.
However, their biggest acquisition during the offseason came in the form of Jalen Ramsey. Arguably the best cornerback in the league next to Sauce Gardner, he is exceptional in coverage as well as having the ability to blitz, tackle and stop the run.
In fact, last season he earned the title of the best run defender in the PFF rankings. He finished with a 91.8 run-defense grade and will give Miami one of the strongest CB groups in the league next season.
However, one of the biggest downfalls in the Dolphins game last season was their holes in the offensive line. The addition of veteran coach Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator goes some way in addressing this though and should help them overcome their defensive woes.
The standout from last season was of course Tua Tagavailoa. He looked a whole different beast during Miami’s first season under coach McDaniel and proved he has what it takes to be a franchise QB.
He broke numerous career and franchise records in 2022. Tagovailoa became the youngest quarterback since 1984 to lead the league in passer rating (105.5) and threw the most yards for a Miami quarterback since 2015.
In Miami’s 42-38 win over the Baltimore Ravens he set his career high for completions (36). Passing yards (469) and touchdowns (6). In the same game he threw four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, breaking the franchise record.
His elite receiving duo of Jaylen Waddle and Tyriek Hill aided him majorly. Hill’s 190 receptions for 1,710 yards was the most by a receiver in their team-debut season in the history of the league.
He also set franchise records for receptions and receiving yards, with the latter not being broken since Mark Clayton’s 1984 season.
Waddle’s 75 for 1,357 yards season was exceptional too and this duo combined for 15 touchdowns, making them one of the most prolific receiving duos in the league.
What was most evident about the Dolphins offensively in 2022 was their improvement on chunk plays. Though Tua’s arm strength has been called into question, Miami finished the season with a league-leading 14 completions of 40+ yards and a third-best 62 completions of 20+ yards.
Defensively they were relatively strong too. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins led the league for tackles above all other players in his position with 98 and Linebacker Jaelan Phillips became just the second Dolphin in history to record a minimum of seven sacks in each of his first two seasons.
There is no reason to believe that McDaniel and co cannot replicate these numbers next season. However, it is worth noting that they are in likely the most competitive division in the AFC. With the Jets’ acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, the Patriots’ str