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Dolphins Offense Will Be on a Different Level in 2024

We finished last season with 2 of 5 starters healthy. From that point to the start of this season it will be much improved.
Of course, we're comparing ALL of last year against this coming season, not just from the point the Dolphins had injuries.

The Dolphins still have a couple of months to get some OL help as I said, but as of right now, you think the current starting 5 is better than the starting 5 that was healthy last year? Arguably the 2 best of those starters are no longer on the team.
 
Just stop with the great #1 stats offense crap.
Its stupid. Its about wins and losses when it matters.
This offense was 1-6 against the good teams. And could only kick FGs against Dallas. When it counted the play calling sucked and the offense failed.
They couldnt even get the damn plays in on time.
In the KC playoff game down 3 scores they couldnt even run a hurry up offense. It was an embarrassment.
But lets celebrate because they scored 70 against Denver and beat a bunch of scrubs.

First, I think stats are important - not in seeding or W/L, but follow this logic. Take Miami's O stats for games 1>7 and O stats for games 11>17. Completely different results. That's why full season stats don't mean much. How many seasons did NE start out poorly but end up in the SB?
 
Don’t matter want opposing teams were happy about
The injury excuse in the NFL is old
ESPECIALLY among the fans

If by "in the NFL" you mean all 32 teams, I agree. If you are focused on Miami, that's clearly wrong. It's human nature to say 'if Mahomes, Hill, Kelce weren't out for 4 games, we would have been in the SB.' (Made that up) And it's likely correct. Every year most teams have 'if not for injuries.' That's what fans do . . . across the NFL. No different that 'If Unitas hadn't throw that INT' or 'if Biletnikoff hadn't dropped that TD pass.' There is the reality to accept and the 'dream of what could have been. Human nature.
 
If by "in the NFL" you mean all 32 teams, I agree. If you are focused on Miami, that's clearly wrong. It's human nature to say 'if Mahomes, Hill, Kelce weren't out for 4 games, we would have been in the SB.' (Made that up) And it's likely correct. Every year most teams have 'if not for injuries.' That's what fans do . . . across the NFL. No different that 'If Unitas hadn't throw that INT' or 'if Biletnikoff hadn't dropped that TD pass.' There is the reality to accept and the 'dream of what could have been. Human nature.
I don’t play the “what if” game
We were just not good enough and although we scored points against bad teams we got stopped by better teams

McD needs to learn to use all facets of his players on offense
Right now, we’re just a one trick pony
 
IMO the predictability or the "the offense was figured out" complaint came down to two issues.

1. The loss of Williams made both our run blocking and pass blocking much, much worse. Eich wasn't as good at making the calls, anticipating stunts, etc. He couldn't reach the second level to run block like Williams could. And he made a few too many critical mistakes in pass pro.

2. Good teams figured out they could align in a pass favorable front, but double Hill and Waddle (when they were both in). Miami would then option to pass and our third receiving option couldn't separate.

Brewer staying healthy would solve the first issue. He is arguably a better run blocker than Williams was. In pass pro, he isn't as stout one on one heads up against the NT, but Miami Cs are rarely asked to do that. In help situations and at making the calls Brewer is comparable to Williams. My concern is if Brewer doesn't stay healthy. We need one of the UDFAs to upgrade that back-up spot or there are reports that Williams is expected to recover and be re-signed. Although that isn't expected by the start of the season, more like October if it happens.

The second issue is what OBJ, Jonnu Smith and Malik Washington have the best chance of alleviating. I also think Achane and Wright could factor in. I see all four new additions and Achane just through development as being upgrades over our third receiving options last season. It's tough to learn the receiver position in this system. There are sight adjustments that only work if the QB and th receiver are seeing/reading things the same way. It takes time for that coordination to develop. Fortunately OBJ was in a very similar system in LA, so that learning period should be shorter for him. Achane being in year 2 should also help him.

Another thing that would help the second issue is just saying "f*ck it" and running into unfavorable box looks at times. You can't let the defense dictate what you're going to do all the time. Sometimes you just have to impose your will. SF often does that and IMO it makes their offense less predicatable.

I don't think that's necessarily a "play calling" thing for McD. Tua has the option at the line. I think he can be a little too aggressive. Both in terms of not taking the check down, but also in terms of looking for the potentially bigger pass play vs. just handing it off (wanting the ball in his hands, etc.). McD could help though by helping Tua be a little less robotic in those line reads. It's that next level of playing QB where you realize that you're guy is just eating a DE or DT's lunch and you keep exploiting it. Miami has done that against DBs at times in the pass game, but I don't recall them doing that in the run game.
 
I don’t play the “what if” game
We were just not good enough and although we scored points against bad teams we got stopped by better teams

McD needs to learn to use all facets of his players on offense
Right now, we’re just a one trick pony

I'm not arguing whether the team was good or not. I'm pointing out human nature. When someone or a loved one or a favorite team doesn't 'win,' it's human nature to find reasons for not winning. If that 'reason' leads to corrective behavior, that's fine. If I/we have no control over that ('my' team losing), it's cathartic. Every human alive does that.
 
IMO the predictability or the "the offense was figured out" complaint came down to two issues.

1. The loss of Williams made both our run blocking and pass blocking much, much worse. Eich wasn't as good at making the calls, anticipating stunts, etc. He couldn't reach the second level to run block like Williams could. And he made a few too many critical mistakes in pass pro.

2. Good teams figured out they could align in a pass favorable front, but double Hill and Waddle (when they were both in). Miami would then option to pass and our third receiving option couldn't separate.

Brewer staying healthy would solve the first issue. He is arguably a better run blocker than Williams was. In pass pro, he isn't as stout one on one heads up against the NT, but Miami Cs are rarely asked to do that. In help situations and at making the calls Brewer is comparable to Williams. My concern is if Brewer doesn't stay healthy. We need one of the UDFAs to upgrade that back-up spot or there are reports that Williams is expected to recover and be re-signed. Although that isn't expected by the start of the season, more like October if it happens.

The second issue is what OBJ, Jonnu Smith and Malik Washington have the best chance of alleviating. I also think Achane and Wright could factor in. I see all four new additions and Achane just through development as being upgrades over our third receiving options last season. It's tough to learn the receiver position in this system. There are sight adjustments that only work if the QB and th receiver are seeing/reading things the same way. It takes time for that coordination to develop. Fortunately OBJ was in a very similar system in LA, so that learning period should be shorter for him. Achane being in year 2 should also help him.

Another thing that would help the second issue is just saying "f*ck it" and running into unfavorable box looks at times. You can't let the defense dictate what you're going to do all the time. Sometimes you just have to impose your will. SF often does that and IMO it makes their offense less predicatable.

I don't think that's necessarily a "play calling" thing for McD. Tua has the option at the line. I think he can be a little too aggressive. Both in terms of not taking the check down, but also in terms of looking for the potentially bigger pass play vs. just handing it off (wanting the ball in his hands, etc.). McD could help though by helping Tua be a little less robotic in those line reads. It's that next level of playing QB where you realize that you're guy is just eating a DE or DT's lunch and you keep exploiting it. Miami has done that against DBs at times in the pass game, but I don't recall them doing that in the run game.

I kind of agree. But the O was predictable and the D 'figured out' the game plan when Williams and the OL was at it's best.
And I agree on point 2. doubling or tripling TH/Waddle, or, with frequency, sitting in the timing windows. Miami's O didn't seem to care enough to adjust. 3rd and 4th reads were often open (more that TH/waddle) but were plays called to target those receivers as 1st read? Nope. Football 101. Doesn't matter if Jerry Rice is the 3rd read if the QB has 2.1secs, Much less Achane or Smith.
Agree on the run game. At times it seemed 'wait, the run game is working, but I promised TH 2K.' Frequently it seemed Mcd had the O humming, but tried to be too cute. If he can handcuff the 'bad Mcd,' he can have a scary O.
 
Miami may have the best skill players in the NFL.

But, I still think it comes down to extending drives. The Dolphins make a lot of big plays, it's those small ones that give the team trouble, specifically the short-yardage ones that keep drives going.

I'm not sure Miami improved the personnel enough here, but maybe the offensive line gets a little better under Barry and his second season? Maybe there's more of a commitment? Maybe Smith, at tight end, helps in those situations.
 
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So much so we choked down the stretch and did nothing in the playoffs once again. Fools gold
But I guess you bought it
Yeah, just dismiss the avalanche of injuries over the second half of the season. :rolleyes: Miami was actually playing some games down the stretch with four of their five starting offensive linemen out of the lineup. Throw in a hobbled Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert for good measure and you were expecting the same production as in the beginning of the season? The Connor Williams injury alone totally changed the creativity and effectiveness of the offense. I didn't even touch on the injuries on the defensive side of the ball which were equally devastating effecting the overall team's ability to play complimentary football.
 
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