I guess I'm kidding myself. Miami has talent. No, I'm not going to argue it's AFC championship talent. Not even going to argue it's top 5 in the AFC, BUT it has more talent than many like to admit. Drake, Wilson, Grant, Stills, James, Tunsil, Taylor, Baker, X, Fitz, Jones, McCain, and handful of others I may have missed could start for many teams. Not going to say all are All-Pro talents, but talent that can't be denied. And that's not counting ST players or guys like Amendola, Sitton, Wake who may not be back. What Miami is missing is depth and they have 2-4 pretty big holes (e.g., 2nd CB).
Had Miami had a BB, Reid, or Payton, Miami would have been a playoff team. Coaching counts that much.
I agree, they succeeded beyond what I expected, given all the injuries. Can't explain that. Nor can I explain the NE win (or even staying close). Some of those guys don't look like NFL level talent. Nonetheless, I'll throw in a few 'if's,s and I'll admit they're big ones. Let's say Flores, his OC/DC are at least NFL average. Add an average mentally quick QB, CB, two OGs (assuming Sitton is gone). I can make a reasonable argument that's playoff level. Couple of hits in FA and a couple in the draft. Not unreasonable. Putting on my pessimistic hat, that's asking a lot for the Dolpins of the last 20 years.