Miami Dolphins: Team makes smart decision with Clyde Christensen
The Miami Dolphins made a smart decision with hiring Clyde Christensen as their new offensive coordinator. Will he finally bring their offense to new heights in 2016 and beyond?
The Dolphins once again put up another losing season. They ended 2015 at 6-10 in the bottom of the AFC East with one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Nothing seemed to work well for them offensively as they were in the bottom of most offensive statistics, because they simply had some horrendous play-calling and execution.
Well, all that is about to change thanks to everything Christensen will bring to the table heading into next season. Truth of the matter is, the Dolphins do have the pieces offensively to get the job done but lacked that cerebral aspect of picking the right plays with what defenses were throwing at them. With Christensen in the mix, they could finally tap into their overall potential.
Related Story: Who are the 30 greatest NFL head coaches of all-time?
The Dolphins are serious about being contenders as it all starts with fielding a proficient offense that is capable of putting up plenty of points on the scoreboard. Since their offense was abysmal, Christensen should be able to revamp things right off the bat as soon as possible.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Considering that he’s coming off 14 years with the Indianapolis Colts, everyone knows what he’s capable. His offensive prowess brought the Colts major success offensively which also included plenty of appearances in the NFL Playoffs and a Super Bowl championship. Not only has he worked with Peyton Manning but was also instrumental in the development and success of Andrew Luck.
Now with Ryan Tannehill as his next quarterback to work on, Christensen could finally be the piece he’s been missing in his four seasons so far in the NFL. Tannehill has the talent but hasn’t honestly played to his potential.
Sure, he could use some more supporting weapons but he hasn’t been able to get past the hump of being an okay quarterback when he was once projected to be the next best quarterback in the league.
Expectations haven’t been met with Tannehill’s development but it’s not too late since it’s still early in his career. If Christensen can come in and help mold Tannehill for the better, it could be exactly what the Dolphins’ offense has needed all along with a true offensive mastermind helping to expand the playbook and have him play to his strengths.
New head coach Adam Gase is quickly filling in his coaching staff nicely with the Dolphins getting ready to work on the long off-season ahead to get everything situated. Christensen will probably go down as Gase’s most important hire since it immediately filled the need to get the Dolphins’ offense back in a position to score plenty of touchdowns.
More nfl spin zone: Why Adam Gase Makes Sense for Miami Dolphins
Gase will be doing all the offensive play-calling but make no mistake about it, Christensen will serve a key role in making sure all his players execute and that he finally develops Tannehill towards a more productive future. Since the Dolphins were ranked 26th in total offense in 2015, they can only go up in 2016 with a completely new offensive philosophy that should hopefully yield much better results.