The Miami Dolphins have been like Jekyll and Hyde in the first half of the 2023 NFL regular season. They have the No. 1 offense in the NFL, but their performance on the field is dictated by the level of their opponent.
When the Dolphins are facing off against lower-echelon teams, they steamroll them and rack points at a rapid pace. Against upper-echelon teams, their offense doesn’t move the ball anywhere near as efficiently.
In their three losses against the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, Miami has averaged only 17 points per game and have not scored more than 20. In their victories, they have averaged 39 and scored at least 24 in each of them.
Figuring out how to get over the hump in big games will be key for the Dolphins to find the success they believe capable of in the second half of the season. A big reason for their success to this point has been being able to keep quarterback Tua Tagovailoa clean in the pocket.
That, in the opinion of Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN, has been the statistic that has defined the Dolphins’ start. Keeping Tagovailoa clean has been a big reason they have found so much success.
“Tua Tagovailoa has been sacked on a career-low 4.3% of his dropbacks this season. The Dolphins’ offense has put up video game numbers this season, but that doesn’t happen if they don’t keep Tagovailoa upright — especially considering his injury concerns coming into the season. His offseason body transformation has proven helpful, but he’s also helping himself by getting the ball out faster than any other quarterback in the NFL (2.38 seconds).”
McDaniel has put together the perfect scheme, taking full advantage of the speed his offense possesses. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are a dynamic pairing at wide receiver, while Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jeff Wilson have been handling the backfield work.
They have all been able to find success because of the work the offensive line has done in the trenches. Without them, this offense wouldn’t be clicking in the fashion that it has. We have seen plenty of excellent offenses derailed by poor offensive line play, but the Dolphins’ unit has stepped up in the 2023 season to this point.
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