2022 was a season of ups and downs for the Miami Dolphins, and the 9-8 record they compiled did not represent the true potential they possessed.
Miami’s 2023 season got off to a fantastic start, especially in Week 3 with their historic blowout of the Denver Broncos.
From there on, however, their struggles, especially against teams that possessed winning records, became evident. Despite holding a healthy lead in the AFC East going into December, the Dolphins fell apart in the final month to lose the division on the season’s final day with an 11-6 record. A Wild Card loss to the Super Bowl-bound Chiefs soon followed.
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What Went Right for Dolphins
Miami became an offensive juggernaut this season. Mike McDaniel and offensive coordinator Frank Smith’s offense put up nearly 500 points for the season, falling 17 points shy of the 513 points the Dolphins put up in their 1983 Super Bowl championship season.
Within that offensive explosion, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stayed upright and on the field for all 17 contests. Tyreek Hill gave Calvin Johnson’s decade-old receiving yards record a legitimate challenge. Rookie De’Von Achane delivered a solid year, and Raheem Mostert had a career season at an age in which running backs typically decline.
What Went Wrong for Dolphins
Good offenses win football games, but defenses win championships. Miami possessed the 22nd-ranked scoring defense, giving up 23 points per game to their opponents. Their worst outings included giving up 48 points to the Bills in Week 4 and 56 to the Ravens on New Year’s Eve.
Because of their defensive struggles, wins against teams with winning percentages of at least .500 became hard to come by. Only one of their 11 victories came against an opponent with a winning record, and even that victory required a game-winning field goal against Dallas on Christmas Eve.
Team Award Winners
MVP – Tyreek Hill
We will wait to see how many MVP votes the eight-year veteran receives, but Hill played like an MVP throughout 2023. Hill hauled in 119 passes for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023, almost all career highs. His season was defined by multiple 150-yard games, including an explosive Week 1 performance against the Chargers in which he totaled 215 yards and two scores on 12 catches.
Had he not been injured in Week 14 and missed the following game against the Jets, Hill could have legitimately challenged Johnson’s record from 2012.
Rookie of the Year – De’Von Achane
The Texas A&M alum’s second career NFL contest was the defining performance of his rookie season. On 18 carries, Acahane racked up 203 yards and two of the 10 touchdowns in Miami’s aforementioned 70-20 beatdown of the Broncos. He also added another two receiving touchdowns that day. Throughout the remainder of 2023, Acahane remained the team’s RB2 right behind Mostert and accumulated multiple other 100-yard performances.
Best Offseason Addition – Jalen Ramsey
The Dolphins added Ramsey via trade early in the offseason, and for the most part, he had himself a solid first season in Miami. Despite only making 10 starts, Ramsey collected three interceptions and made 22 combined tackles, enough to earn another Pro Bowl appearance.
Biggest Surprise – Raheem Mostert
A running back is not supposed to be this good in his age-31 season. Having never recorded more than eight rushing touchdowns in any one season prior to 2023, Mostert more than doubled his output to set a new career high with 18 rushing touchdowns this past season. He also accompanied this with his first 1,000-yard rushing season.
Biggest Disappointment – Emmanuel Ogbah
In the fourth year of the $65 million dollar contract he signed with Miami in 2020, Ogbah barely had a presence on the field. He started just one game all year, recorded 19 total tackles and one interception, and only forced one fumble. These are all far cries from his standout first two seasons in Miami.
One Burning Question
How do you escape the Wild Card round?
In their current iteration, these Dolphins are undeniably going to be a contender for many seasons to come. However, the first two seasons with McDaniel have ended in first-round exits. To get back on track, Miami needs to invest more in the one thing that wins championships: defense. However, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was one and done as he is heading back to Philadelphia after one season away from the Eagles. Whomever McDaniel brings in to coach his defense would love to start his tenure with a new face on defense, whether it’s through free agency or the 21st pick that Miami possesses in the first round of the draft.
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