Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins made strides by the end of the 2019 season.
From speculation that the team wasn’t trying to win in 2019 to a strong finish and a program headed in the right direction. This past season, the Miami Dolphins looked miserable early on but first-time head coach Brian Flores and the organization was determined to change the culture. Slowly but surely, the club made strides and it could pay off this season.
A year ago, the club cleaned house by dealing away a number of prominent players to obtain a slew of draft choices. From left tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills and defensive end Robert Quinn to quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Kenyan Drake and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Flores and general manager Chris Grier had a plan and when it was all said and done, the Dolphins owned three first-round picks in April and used the first on Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Is he the immediate future or will the team rely on Ryan Fitzpatrick again this season?
Hence, it’s the final installment of an eight-part series that looked at each club that finished last in their respective division a year ago and now looks to move up to the very top. All told, it’s not uncommon for a team to finish in fourth place and a season later wind up as a division champion.
It happened twice in both 2017 (Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars) and 2018 (Houston Texans and Chicago Bears). So how can the Miami Dolphins win a division title for the first time since 2008?
3. Build on last season’s solid second-half finish
Make no mistake, the first four games of the season for the Miami Dolphins in 2019 were pretty abysmal.
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The club opened the season with a 59-10 loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens and then seven days later in the same venue were smoked, 43-0, by the New England Patriots. They were followed by setbacks to the Cowboys (31-6) and Chargers (30-10). Those four defeats were by a combined 163-26 score.
Three more losses would ensue, but a 0-7 start would be followed by five victories in the team’s final nine games. Two of those wins were over the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles (37-31) as well as the aforementioned Patriots, the latter at Foxborough in Week 17 when the then-defending Super Bowl champions had a lot on the line.
Now Brian Flores’ team must show that the club’s 5-4 finish was a sign of things to come. The Dolphins had a very busy offseason securing some of the club’s weaknesses, which they were not able to overcome early in 2019 but learned how to adapt by season’s end.
It’s a franchise that has made just one playoff appearance since 2009 and but last year’s stretch run was promising indeed.
2. Find a consistent pass rush
Miami’s defense has been a sore spot for the franchise for any number of years. It’s not as if the club hasn’t spent money in free agency or addressed the various needs via the NFL draft. But the club has swung and missed far too many times on both fronts. So in 2019, enter new head coach Brian Flores, who brought quite the defensive pedigree from the New England Patriots.
Even though the team prevailed in five of its last nine outings a season ago, the defensive problems were still evident. The Dolphins permitted a league-high 494 points and surrendered a whopping 54 offensive touchdowns. That included 39 scores through the air, some of that due to the fact that the team managed an NFL-low 23 sacks.
But there is hope. Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) states that the club boasts the most improved pass rush in the NFL come 2020. In free agency, Miami added ends Shaq Lawson (Bills) and Emmanuel Ogbah (Chiefs) and versatile linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the latter who was with Flores in Foxborough.
In April’s draft, the Dolphins added to the front seven via defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (2b-Alabama) and potential edge performers Jason Strowbridge (5-North Carolina) and Curtis Weaver (5b-Boise State). Now can these newcomers fortify a front-seven that includes incumbents Christian Wilkins and Davon Godchaux?
1. Make the new-look running game the offensive focal point
There was plenty of excitement in late April when the team used the initial selection of its three first-round draft choices on former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Of course, he’s coming off a serious injury and some would say the Dolphins made quite the risky move investing the fifth overall on a player that may not be able to contribute immediately. It’s certainly a wait-and-see situation.
These days, the talented prospect is competing in camp with ageless Ryan Fitzpatrick and two-year pro Josh Rosen, who the club acquired last year via trade from the Arizona Cardinals. But regardless of who winds up being the starter behind center, the Dolphins will need a reliable ground attack.
Miami was dead last in the NFL in rushing this past season (72.3 yards per game) and the club’s leading rusher was actually Fitzpatrick with 243 yards and four scores. Hence the free-agent signing of Jordan Howard (Eagles) and a draft weekend trade that brought Matt Breida from San Francisco. They could prove to be quite the combination (via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com).
A year ago, the ‘Fins were limited to fewer than 100 yards rushing in all but three games. There were only two contests in which the club finished with at least 30 running plays. And a little ball control could certainly benefit a team that finished 27th in the NFL in rushing defense in 2019.