What Could Have Been: The 2022 Miami Dolphins

By Tres Valenzuela

When NFL teams hit the reset button, a lot is expected of the new regime. But are coaching and front office personnel a big enough variable alone to change the course of a season? Joe Valenzuela looks at the Miami Dolphins’ season, the effect of Mike McDaniel on their offense, and what it means going forward:

All Change In Miami

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As we approach the last stretch of the 2022 season we still may have more questions than answers – the first for you maybe being ‘who is this writer and why have I never seen an article of his on the website’! To which I say, check out the weekly Touchdown Review podcast. It’s quite the listen!

Now let’s get serious, entering divisional weekend of the playoffs, we look around and see familiar faces, but we also see new contenders. It begs the question, what propels a team with a history of losing into a Super Bowl contender? Initially one could assume the answer is the right head coach. And this year, there are two excellent cases in point in Brian Daboll and Doug Pederson. But in truth, it’s much more complicated than that…

At the beginning of the season, the Miami Dolphins looked very much the part with an explosive offense that seemingly could not be stopped. A large part of the success stemmed from a new, bright, quirky head coach in Mike McDaniel. Brought in from San Francisco with the reputation of one of the new offensive gurus in the league, McDaniel quickly tailored the offense to adhere to his player’s strengths. With the additions of Tyrek Hill, Terron Armstead, and Raheem Moestert in the offseason – to compliment an already intriguing roster – it appeared that South Beach had entered a new exciting era.

And yet, despite making the playoffs, the wheels fell off down the stretch. How did this come about?

Rollercoaster Season

Miami took no time to announce their arrival, starting 3-0 and displaying an offense that was the envy of the leaguee. That all came crashing down in week 4 in a highly anticipated matchup with the Bengals that featured two of the top young QBs. Tua was swung down and knocked out cold early in the contest and Miami lost their first game, but more importantly their QBs availability.

We’ll sidestep how the Dolphins handled their quarterbacks health, and stick to the facts. Tua eventually returned to the field and put the Dolphins back in position to make a playoff run, leading the team to an 8-3 record. That is until the harsh reality of the NFL hit the team once again. The Dolphins’ quarterback unfortunately sustained two more concussions throughout the season, and not only put his season in jeopardy but his career. The Dolphins’ record slid without consistency at the QB. Needing a win and a Patriots loss to make it to the dance, things appeared to be at rock bottom in Miami. 

With little hope outside the city of Miami, the Dolphins somehow managed to win an ugly game against the Jets, despite having to start rookie 3rd string QB Skylar Thompson. At the same time, the Bills took care of New England, setting up a wild card matchup between division foes the following week.

QB > HC?

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The Dolphins took the field against Buffalo last weekend without much of a chance but still managed to put up a hell of a fight. With timely turnovers and a little bit of luck Miami had a legitimate opportunity to steal a win. Down by 3, needing just a yard to move the chains with just over 2 minutes Miami committed the unthinkable, the dreaded delay of game. Miami was unable to convert the 4th and 6 the next play and their season ended there. Miami had been plagued all day but slow play calls and it cost them at the worst moment.

Despite the excitement and progression that came with McDaniel, the age-old need for a franchise quarterback seemed to be the biggest determining factor in Miami’s success. Questions remain about Tua Tagovailoa and his future in the league, but now they seem to have moved away from ability and more to fragility. It was a concern he had since his days at Alabama, and something for the Dolphins to focus on in order to help his career longevity. On the evidence of one season however, the McDaniel-Tagovailoa partnership seemed to flourish – when the QB was healthy enough to suit up.

Depending on what side of the fence you’re on you could view the Dolphins’ season as a success or a letdown. What does remain evident is that despite being able to draw up crazy plays or create mismatches, nothing compares to having experience as a head coach. Mike McDaniel will learn from his mistakes and, hopefully, Tua returns to form next fall. Unfortunately, we will never know the true potential of the 2022 Dolphins.

JOE VALENZUELA

NFL ANALYST

A FORMER COLLEGIATE WIDE RECEIVER AND CURRENT TEXAN, JOE IS A REGULAR CONTRIBUTER TO THE TOUCHDOWN REVIEW PODCAST. IN ADDITION TO WRITING FOR THE TD, TRES ALSO WORKS AS AN NCAA ANALYST FOR PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS.

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