Just four weeks into the NFL season the Miami Dolphins look to be one of the biggest disappointments in the league. Miami entered the year in an interesting spot. They’ve reached the postseason each year under Mike McDaniel. However, they failed to win a single playoff game in either trip. McDaniel helped engineer the No. 2 scoring offense in football a season ago, but the team ranks 32nd in PPG through the first month of the 2024 season. Can this all be salvaged? Or are the Dolphins headed toward a lost season?
It’s not hard to see where it all went wrong. Injuries have played a huge part in Miami’s early woes. Most notably, Tua Tagovailoa has missed the last two games with a head injury that he sustained in Week 2 versus the Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa was, fortunately, able to avoid any serious ailments a year ago, but he had missed games due to injury in each of the previous three seasons.
But, it’s not just Tagovailoa that the team has been missing. RB Raheem Mostert, who led the league in rushing touchdowns in ’23, has been out since Week 1. Starting LT Terron Armstead and CB Kendall Fuller missed last week with concussions. Veteran wideout Odell Beckham Jr. has yet to make his Dolphins debut.
The team will also be without star edge rusher Jaelan Phillips for the remainder of the season. Phillips will undergo season-ending knee surgery after being injured in Miami’s Week 4 loss to the Titans. It comes as a crushing blow for the 25-year-old defender who tore his ACL less than 12 months ago. The team is also without pass rusher Bradley Chubb who suffered an ACL tear in Week 17 of last season.
Injuries don’t tell the entire story, as Miami’s flawed team building has also shown itself during the current drought. Skylar Thompson took over at quarterback following Tagovailoa’s injury but didn’t play well in relief. He exited the Week 3 game versus the Seahawks with a rib injury (after going 13-for-19 for 107 yards and five sacks), and the team turned to third-string QB Tim Boyle. Boyle’s poor play led to the signing of former Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley off of the Ravens practice squad. Huntley started the Week 4 matchup versus the Titans and completed 14-of-22 passes for 96 yards.
Thompson getting hurt is completely out of the team’s control, but he was never a suitable backup for the oft-injured Tagovailoa. He doesn’t possess the processing speed to cover for Miami’s suspect offensive line. Picking up somebody midseason doesn’t seem like a sound move, either. Huntley has some ability, but expecting him to pick up McDaniel’s offense within a week seems a bit farfetched. Reports have surfaced that Tagovailoa could return as early as Week 8. Could Miami’s season already be over by then?
The Dolphins already boast the worst point differential in the league (minus-58). That’s lower than a Panthers team that lost its first two games by a combined score of 73-13. They’re looking like, at best, the third-best team in the AFC East. Buffalo is coming off a bad loss but remains a top threat with Josh Allen at the helm. The Jets are 2-2 and possess one of the most talented rosters in the league.
Week 5 features a matchup between the Dolphins and the 1-3 New England Patriots, followed by a Week 6 bye. A loss could send waves across the league, as Miami stars such as Tyreek Hill could begin expressing their desire to move elsewhere. And, if the Dolphins begin shaking up their roster, don’t be surprised if McDaniel ends up on the hot seat…