The Miami Dolphins head into their week 14 bye week sitting at 8-5 and on a three game winning streak. They have a 2-2 division record, 4-5 conference record, are 4-3 at home, and are 4-2 on the road. It is expected that a team has the advantage at home, but the Dolphins haven’t been able to take advantage of every home game this season. The head coach of the Miami Dolphins met with the team after last week’s game against the New York Giants and informed them that he was going to give the players extra rest during their bye week. The team has been performing well for the better part of that last month and they deserve a break if we want to make the playoffs. The Dolphins have four games left this season. They host the New York Jets, have to travel to New Orleans, then to Tennessee, and finish the season off at home against the New England Patriots. As the standings play out momentarily, the Miami Dolphins are the sixth best team in the AFC and if the season ended today, they would be the 6th seed in the playoffs, entering in as a wildcard. The Miami Dolphins have had some successes and failures up to this point of the season, but we are going to first focus on how improved the team has been since the season started.
The Miami Dolphins have the 9th ranked offense in total yards, 5th ranked offense in passing yards, 27th ranked offense in rushing yards, and 14th ranked offense in points scored. Tua Tagovailoa has completed 261 of his 372 attempts (70.2% completion rate) and thrown for 4,450 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions. His statistical performance this season has him in line as the second best quarterback in the league in passing yards and touchdowns. Tua is the team captain on offense and when he is having a good game, the team usually has success all around. Halfback Salvon Ahmed leads the team with 159 attempts for 695 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. Salvon Ahmed also leads the team in catches, as he has caught 70 receptions for 828 yards and 1 touchdown. The Dolphins are very close to having three players with 1000 receiving yards. Will Fuller (1,141) and Jaylen Waddle (1,157) have both contributed to Tua’s breakout season in the passing game. Tua has been sacked 31 times this season and there has been just one game where has experienced little to no pressure. The Miami Dolphins brought in right tackle Mitchell Schwartz to limit opposing pass rushers, but the Dolphins offensive line despite its shakiness has allowed Tua enough time to thrive in the passing game.
The Miami Dolphins have the 9th ranked defense in total yards allowed, 10th ranked defense in passing yards allowed, 13th ranked defense in rushing yards allowed, and 4th ranked defense in points allowed. The Dolphins have a bend but don’t break defense and despite the amount of yards that they have let up, they are one of the league leaders in interceptions and takeaways. Safety Jason McCourty leads the defense with 8 interceptions. He also has 36 solo tackles and 1 touchdown. Safety Jevon Holland leads the team with 50 solo tackles. He also has 6 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 touchdowns. Holland is in contention for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel leads the team with 9 sacks. He also has 27 solo tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 touchdown. The Miami Dolphins had questions coming into the season about how their team would hold up on the defensive side of the ball and how their offense would be able to stay balanced with the ability to go deep every play. The Dolphins ability to keep opposing defenses on their toes the last four games of the season is going to make or break their season. The AFC playoff race is very close. There are 10 teams with at least 7 wins and all of those teams are still in the playoff race. A lot of those teams do play one another in the last four weeks of the season, but it will be important for the Dolphins to win the games that they are expected to and compete in the games that are challenging on paper.
The Miami Dolphins have signed everyone of importance to them at the moment except for right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. He was traded just before the trade deadline but the Dolphins have not been able to reach his agent to begin contract negotiations. The Dolphins want to offer Schwartz a three year deal that will keep him on the team until he retires. It is the hope that his agent and the Dolphins are able to begin contract negotiations after the season ends, but if not, the Dolphins are expected to make a hard push in free agency for him. Mitchell Schwartz has quickly become one of the team captains and he was the players representative when speaking with the head coach this week. He emphasized that rest and relaxation would benefit the team more than extra preparation. The Miami Dolphins have also asked their scouting department to look out for talented players enlisting in the upcoming draft. The Dolphins have needs at the safety, defensive end, offensive line, and slot wide receiver positions. It was rumoured that they would also bring in another quarterback to back up starter Tua Tagovailoa, but with only five picks in the draft, that is now less likely unless they go after one in free agency.
The Miami Dolphins will head into week 15 fresh off their bye week and ready to make an end of the season run. They face off against two teams that are not expected to make the playoffs but in weeks 17 and 18, they will have to face off against two teams that if they make it, they could see again. Coach Fallen was asked if he plans to show the entire playbook in the last two games and he expressed that it is more important to make the playoffs first before worrying about who the team could potentially face. His team will be a full strength and he expects the team to lay it all on the line.
