There are two concerns I have about the Miami Dolphins heading into the closing stretch of critical December games, which will determine Miami’s seeding in the AFC hierarchy and dictate how many home games the Dolphins host in the postseason.
Injuries continue to handcuff the offensive line, and that’s watering down the offensive product.
Never mind the ridiculous amount of yards (ranked first) and points (ranked second, behind Dallas) Miami is averaging, and the 45 burger the Dolphins just put up on a Washington Commanders team that’s circling the drain.
Armstead and Hunt must improve their physical condition.
Because of his knee, quadriceps, and now ankle injuries, Terron Armstead is not the same elite performer he was at the beginning of his career.
After watching Armstead intently for the past two games, I’m beginning to believe that the Dolphins would be better off resting the four-time Pro Bowl pick for the next two weeks in order to give his injuries time to heal.
In my opinion, this Dolphins team cannot win the Super Bowl without Armstead in good condition.
One of the team’s most potent run blockers, Robert Hunt, recently experienced a setback due to a hamstring ailment, and Kendall Lamm, a consistent backup, is recovering from a back injury.
Even if Liam Eichenberg has performed brilliantly over the last few weeks, we shouldn’t ride the Eichenberg Express for too long before anything untoward occurs.
For the record, over the previous five starts, Eichenberg has performed admirably. However, I feel far more at ease with Eichenberg playing right guard than I do left guard.
The point is, Miami’s run game yields less points and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is under greater duress when the unit that wins and loses games in the NFL is worse.
The Dolphins will win 13 games and go to the Super Bowl, in my opinion, by enhancing their run game, which is currently averaging 143.3 rushing yards per game (second in the NFL) and 5.28 yards per carry (ranked first).
Teams who play physical run games, stingy defense, and outstanding quarterback performance have historically won Super Bowls.
There is a limit on how much a team can rely on its backups and a statute of limitations on what can be expected of them.
What Miami is currently getting from Butch Barry’s offensive line might be sufficient to defeat the Commanders and Jets, but I doubt it will be sufficient to defeat the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Baltimore Ravens—all of whom routinely harassed Tagovailoa with four rushers during Miami’s only humiliating loss of the season earlier this year.
The linebacker position needs to improve.
The other thing that worries me is that Jerome Baker, a six-year starter for the Dolphins who isn’t particularly attractive, is probably going to be out.
More will be expected of David Long and Duke Riley, which may cause the Dolphins defense—which is ranked eighth in the NFL going into Monday night’s game against the Titans—to ease up a bit.
Due to the front-line pressure and back-end coverage Miami is receiving from the secondary, Miami has the potential to finish among the top five defenses in the league.
The linebackers’ pass coverage and run gap filling are the Dolphins’ weak points.
Riley and Long were taken out of plays on numerous occasions throughout the Commanders game due to easy blocking. A proficient offensive coordinator would devise a strategy that targets them.
Vic Fangio must therefore defend them.
In addition, the Dolphins don’t have many good choices beyond Riley and Long, thus edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel will have to stick with playing inside linebacker in nickel packages.
Is Channing Tindall ready to be trusted in Miami? On that, the jury is yet out.
Reuben Foster, a former first-round selection who has a history with Mike McDaniel, is being worked out by the Dolphins. However, given Alexander Johnson’s expected promotion from the practice squad—he has spent the entire season there—Furrow is more likely to be used in a special teams and practice squad capacity.
Emmanuel Ogbah, who struggled on run-specific downs but has contributed five sacks, an interception, a force fumble, and a pass deflection on his 169 defensive snaps this season, or Jason Pierre-Paul, who is starting his second week of practice with the team, will be the third-down pass-rushing specialist that the Dolphins need to find and develop.
Leave a Reply