The State of the Miami Dolphins, 2022 Quarter 1

A lot of people divide the NFL season into quarters, so I thought I’d take a look at the first quarter of the 2022 season for the Dolphins.

At 3-1, the Dolphins have far exceeded expectations for what was a brutal stretch of games: 4 conference games against some of the AFC’s top teams (including two division winners from last year, one being the reigning AFC champ).  Two of these wins were dramatic come-from-behind victories, and helped propel the Dolphins to at or near the top of many national ‘power rankings’ lists.   In fact, as it stands now, the Dolphins are the #1 team in the AFC in terms of playoff positioning.

But it is not all positive for the Dolphins.  I’d actually say they are trending downward heading into the second quarter of the season, due to the Tua injury and a defense that has been, quite simply, bad.

Anyway, here are my position grades so far…

QB: B-
Tua was excellent in the Baltimore and Buffalo victories, and his stats are currently near the top of the league.  He has also developed into a leader.  Unfortunately, he still shows a penchant for holding the ball too long and throwing the ball to the wrong team too often, and his injury history reared its ugly head again with back and neck injuries against Buffalo and a brutal concussion against the Bengals.  Overall, his accuracy, ball placement and deep passing have been phenomenal, but I don’t know when he will be cleared to play again, and I don’t know that he is the long-term solution for this team.  2022 was supposed to be about determining whether Tua would become a franchise QB, but due to his fragility I think we have found out that the answer is “no”.  You simply cannot rely on a QB that misses multiple games every season, and now with a concussion it is fair to wonder just how long Tua will be able to play football.  I love the guy, but sadly I think the Phins need to draft his replacement in 2023.  He’s just not reliable.

Backup Teddy Bridgewater has been a model of inconsistency so far, and he will likely get a couple of starts before Tua returns.  This 2022 version of Bridgewater seems just as likely to throw an INT as he is to complete a pass, and I have little faith that he will keep the team afloat while Tua recovers.  He is capable of playing good football, but I wonder if the good will actually outweigh the bad.  Unfortunately, the only other option is unproven late-round draft pick Skylar Thompson, who looked good in preseason but likely won’t take a snap unless Bridgewater gets hurt or completely fails.

OL: C-
C- may not be good enough, but it is a helluva lot better than the F grade this unit received last season.  LT Terron Armstead has been everything we expected, locking down the LT position and playing great football.  LG Liam Eichenberg has had his share of missed blocks, but has also done a great job at times. Eich has been inconsistent but despite his ridiculously awful PFF grade I think he’s done more good than bad.  C Connor Williams has done an admirable job, making all the line calls and playing well overall.  However, he must find a way to stop the high snaps…seems like he has one or two every game.  RG Robert Hunt has had a solid season so far…not spectacular, but nothing to really complain about.  Greg Little has filled in admirably at RT since Austin Jackson’s injury, although he did look mostly terrible against the Bengals.  Guard Robert Jones has seen some action and has been a reliable backup.  Overall, this group is a work in progress and should get better.  They’ve been reasonably good at pass protection…BUT, across the board, they’ve been horrendous at run blocking.  The backs are getting hit as soon as they get the ball and the OL cannot consistently open holes.  It is not quite as bad as last season, but is still completely unacceptable.

RB: C-
If I was grading on Chase Edmonds and Alex Ingold alone, it would be a D.  I had high hopes for Edmonds, but he’s been mostly terrible to this point.  Aside from a big key run at Baltimore, he’s done almost nothing on the ground.  He is good in pass pro and has caught some passes, but his brutal dropped TD in Cincinnati trumps anything good he’s done in the passing game.  I’d label him a free agent bust so far, and that hurts because I really do like him.   FB Alec Ingold has also been a big disappointment so far.  He’s had a couple of big drops in the passing game and his run blocking has been inconsistent.  At times he looks like a battering ram, and at other times he completely misses blocks.  He’s been handed a big role in this offense, but so far he is underwhelming.  The lone bright spot in the backfield is Raheem Mostert, who has been getting better each game and is clearly the best back on the team.  He has excellent speed and agility, and makes the most of every opportunity.  Hopefully he sees more action moving forward.

WR: A-
Tyreek Hill has been even better than advertised.  The dude plays like a relentless beast that never quits.  He’s the leader of the team, and has the ability to take over games.  Jaylen Waddle has been excellent as well, though he has dropped far too many passes.  Cedric Wilson has contributed nothing and is a free agent bust.  Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft have made the most of limited opportunities and are both reliable receivers.

TE: D+
Mike Gesicki is being paid a lot of money to be an afterthought in this offense.  He has made a couple of key plays in the passing game and has actually improved as a blocker, but his contributions do not match his salary.  That isn’t his fault, but it is clear that he is playing his final season in Miami.  Durham Smythe has gotten a few key catches, but he’s been awful as a blocker.  He is supposed to be an above average blocker, but this year he basically sucks.  This position has been a disappointment through 4 games.

DL: C+  (Note that I’m including edge rushers in this category.)
The run defense has been awesome, led by the dynamic duo of Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler. These guys are dominant against the run.  Trey Flowers and John Jenkins have been good in rotation, and Raekwon Davis – when healthy – has been a force.  Unfortunately, this group doesn’t bring much pass rush ability to the table.  DE Emmanuel Ogbah has been quiet so far and edge rusher Jae Phillips has been solid against the run and invisible as a pass rusher.  The best player on the entire defense has been DE/LB Melvin Ingram, the only consistent pass rusher on the team.

LB: D
Not a lot to get excited about with this group.  Jerome Baker and Duke Riley have both been steady but unspectacular, and Elandon Roberts can stuff the run but doesn’t do much else.  Andrew Van Ginkel has been a non-factor, and rookie Channing Tindall can’t even get on the field.

Secondary: D-
The secondary was supposed to be the strength of this team.  In reality, it is the weak link.  They have given up tons of big plays and have just one interception in 4 games. Xavien Howard has been playing hurt and as a result is playing the worst football of his career. Nik Needham, Kader Kohou, Keion Crossen and Elijah Campbell have each done some good things, but have mostly played poorly.  Safety Eric Rowe is having a terrible season and hasn’t played much.  Brandon Jones was fantastic week one, but has been disappointing since then.  Jevon Holland has been the lone bright spot, but even he has been inconsistent. Overall, this group has been a colossal disappointment.

Special Teams: D  
The Dolphins have gotten nothing out of the return game.  The coverage teams have been OK at best, but did give up a TD on the first play of the Ravens game.  Jason Sanders hasn’t been asked to do much, but against the Bengals he missed an extra point and had a FG blocked.  Punter Thomas Morstead has been steady.

Coaching: C
Mike McDaniel gets an A.  He has transformed the culture of the team, and the players have bought in to his style of coaching and teaching.  McDaniel’s play design and playcalling on offense have been stellar, and I credit him as the primary reason for the Dolphins’ 3-1 record.

Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer gets an F.  The only things his defensive unit have been consistent at are missing tackles and giving up big plays.  The defense can’t force turnovers or generate pressure, they allow tons of yards, they’re awful in coverage and they can’t get off the field.  Boyer’s “bend but don’t break” philosophy is not working.

STs coordinator Danny Crossman gets a D.  Morstead is off to a great start, but everything else is underwhelming.


These grades may seem harsh for the #1 team in the conference, but as always I have to call it like I see it.  The defense hasn’t been good by any measure, and an offense that relied on precision passing is now led by a huge question mark.  In the end I do think it will be a good season, but just two weeks ago I would have said we were headed toward a great season.

Overall, despite being 3-1 and at the top of the AFC, I am not feeling good about the current state of the Dolphins.  Tua’s injury has taken the wind out of the sails.  The offense was carrying the team, but without Tua they have looked very mediocre. The defense looks awful.  I still think the Dolphins will have a shot at a playoff spot by season’s end, but I feel much worse about the team’s prospects today than I did after week 3.

The second quarter features road games against the Jets and Lions, and home games against the Vikings and Steelers.  I think the Phins will beat the Steelers, but I’m not feeling good about the other games.  I’m hoping for 2-2, but thinking that 1-3 is more likely given the poor state of the defense and uncertainty at the QB position.

I will say this: after I trashed the defense, I do have to give them credit for essentially shutting down the Bills and Ravens in the second halves of those games. A lot of passes defensed and, at times, good pressure. That said, still too many yards and staying on the field too long, not allowing our offense to get the ball.

We have had problems with teams that are 3-deep at WR: Ravens, Bills and Bengals. Our next two opponents, the Jets and Vikings, are also 3-deep at receiver. Let's see what Boyer can come up with.

My biggest fear is that Tua was dragging the rest of the team kicking and screaming to 3-0 and now that he's out they will lose every game unless/until McDaniel comes to his senses and starts Skylar. A 6-win season at this point would be a colossal disaster and mean that McDaniel would be no better than the rest of the pathetic parade of poseurs post-Shula. But it would continue the current pattern of the previous four 3-0 Fins teams' season win total decreasing by one each time.

As a cautionary tale, just last season the Panthers started 3-0, lost their next 4, and finished 5-12. I said it before and I will again, this team CANNOT afford to drop to 3-4.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/car/2021.htm

Still some tickets for Sunday's game so I think I'm going and wearing my Tua Jersey proudly.
Might want to start a Go Fund Me for bail money.

If Miami struggles for the next 4 games and Tua's health is in question then it's time to see what Skylar the Torch Thompson can do! This team has offensive weapons. On paper the defense should be better.

I give Miami a B- at the quarter point. The offense gets an A, defense gets a D. The offense has shown resiliency overcoming point differential. The defense , outside of Ingram, has been terrible. It was that way last year until Flores changed schemes.

Tua looked like he was coming along in the offense. Still showed the weak arm prior to the concussion. 45 yards is about his limit. The key for Tua and the offense is to keep the defense off balance with the depth of the routes. That was lacking the last two seasons.

Offensive line gets a strong B. Through the first 3 games Tua was hit 22 times. The previous year was near 60 through three games. That's a major difference due to coaching. It's resulted in some big plays. Something that lacked on this team.

I worry about Tua going forward. Mostly health. I don't want to see that kid ending up damaged. The health of the person is more important than a paycheck or prestige.

JEGnj wrote:Still some tickets for Sunday's game so I think I'm going and wearing my Tua Jersey proudly.
Might want to start a Go Fund Me for bail money.

Good luck! LOL

CarsonChris wrote:

Tua looked like he was coming along in the offense. Still showed the weak arm prior to the concussion. 45 yards is about his limit.

I don't think it is a question of arm strength. Tua's overall body strength was weaker last season, and he threw a couple passes over 50 yards in the air last season. He also threw a pass 60+ yards in the air in practice this summer. He has the arm strength. The issue is mechanics...too often, he steps to the side on deep passes instead of stepping into the throw. Not sure what that's about, but it limits his arm strength on those throws.

Regardless, a QB rarely has to throw over 50 yards so it is not much of a concern for me. The concussion and continued injuries are the big concern for me.

After all that, if the season ended today, the Miami Dolphins would be the AFC's number one seed.

I'll take it, all things considered.

We just got our tickets. Upper deck section 344 but we will be there. Hopefully I don't get smashed on the head and get a concussion.

HalCHorn wrote:After all that, if the season ended today, the Miami Dolphins would be the AFC's number one seed.

I'll take it, all things considered.

Oh absolutely. It's a great place to be! I just don't think miracle comebacks are a sustainable path to winning - especially when missing our starting QB for an unknown length of time, and with two starting corners injured.

Beating the Jets would be huge, because I don't see us beating the Vikes at all...so if we're sitting at 4-2 heading into the Steelers game, that would be killer!

JEGnj wrote:We just got our tickets. Upper deck section 344 but we will be there. Hopefully I don't get smashed on the head and get a concussion.

Maybe you should wear a helmet! LOL