AFC playoff weekend shows where Dolphins have to get to, CBS News Miami's Steve Goldstein
MIAMI GARDENS - It is no surprise that Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen are remaining in the playoffs. All three potential future Hall of Fame quarterbacks (Mahomes is already a lock) will battle for spots in the AFC Championship game. It is no surprise that they are all still playing football, and highly likely that one will end up in the Super Bowl.
Now, of course, the Miami Dolphins lost their last three games not only to each one of them individually but to their teams as well. The Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills all have systems tailored to play to the immense abilities of each quarterback. They have lengthy relationships with their current coaches. And their teams are solid around them.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are just two seasons into their working relationship. If you consider the number of games Tua missed last season because of injury, including the stretch run and playoff game, the combination is really in its infancy stage.
In their third season together, they will look to show improvements as they did this season in year two.
The Dolphins had the number one offense in the NFL, and Tua led the league in passing yards. As a team, the Dolphins clinched a playoff spot fairly early, but after that win against Dallas, they could not beat the big three quarterbacks.
As the offseason begins, the question is, how do they close that gap and get over the hump. McDaniel and Tagovailoa are still learning and there is room to improve. There are always personnel changes, and the coach/quarterback duo's job is to integrate those changes with what they already have going.
Injuries played a role in this season's harsh ending, but that's life in pro sports. A little health luck helps, but teams can not count on it. This season was extraordinary, though. The big challenge is finding ways against good teams, late in the season, and on the road, to be productive as an offense.
More Time
To keep Tagovailoa healthy and run the most pre-snap motion detailed timing offense, the Dolphins got rid of the football quickly. At times, it worked like a perfectly orchestrated symphony. But at other times, passes were hurried and the offense looked out of sorts. This is an area Tagovailoa and the offense can improve.
D Health
Injuries aren't an excuse in sports. But on the Dolphins' defense, it was just a fact. Any team would struggle losing half of its starters, and backups as well at one position (linebacker). In the last two games, the defense played its heart out and did all it could to give the team a chance to win. Expecting much more would have been difficult under the circumstances.
Tight End Role
Durham Smythe did an admirable job blocking and occasionally showing in the passing game. Whether it's using him more or bringing in a more impactful tight end in the passing game, the Dolphins would benefit from getting that position more involved as an outlet for Tagovailoa, not only when things break down, but more often as the primary target. Kansas City (obviously!), Baltimore, and Buffalo all use the tight ends to make drive-saving plays regularly.
Keep Runnin'
Mike McDaniel was the run game coordinator in San Francisco. He knows how to design and call plays to create space for running backs and did so this season. Rookie De'Von Achane got injured and did not have his same burst for the most part after coming back. Raheem Mostert had a career year and set the franchise record for touchdowns in a season. He unfortunately missed the last two games of the regular season and wasn't himself in the playoff game as he only carried the ball eight times. Injuries helped derail what could have been an even better ground game than it was.
Communication Is Key
After the last few games, Tagovailoa spoke about miscommunication among players and how they need to clean it up. He never specified which positions he was referring to, but you can bet McDaniel will get to the bottom of it. He is a brutally honest coach who will work tirelessly to identify and fix problems in his own house.
See The Forest Through The Trees
As difficult as it is right now for fans to find any positives, the Dolphins are one of just four teams to have a winning record in the last four years. The three others are teams Miami has to go through in the AFC. Nonetheless, they have qualified for the postseason in each of McDaniel's two seasons as head coach. They had the best offense in football, even with the struggles down the stretch, in Tagovailoa's first full season of playing every game. The ending was gut-wrenching and should disappoint everyone and you can tell Mike McDaniel was heartbroken. But the facts are the facts, this team keeps improving and will work this off-season to do so again. Figuring out a way to beat Buffalo and win the division to get home games in the playoffs will be the goal starting in April's off-season workouts.