After finishing their 2021 campaign with a winning record, the Miami Dolphins opted to fire head coach Brian Flores and replace him with San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
With the arrival of a new coach, plenty of money to spend and a collection of draft picks, the Dolphins went out and made some big splashes this offseason, signing left tackle Terron Armstead and trading for/extending wide receiver Tyreek Hill chief among them.
An offensive-minded head coach and an improved offensive line and group of weapons for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should be enough to bring Miami to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
However, on Tuesday, USA Today’s Nate Davis released his record projections for all 32 teams in the NFL for the 2022 season (subscription required), and he had the Dolphins finishing with a 9-8 record – the third season in a row that they’ve secured at least nine wins.
Here’s what Davis wrote about Miami:
The arrivals of Pro Bowl-caliber players like WR Tyreek Hill and LT Terron Armstead should obviously upgrade a team that’s had a winning record the past two seasons despite falling short of the playoffs both times. The onus for a breakthrough will be on highly scrutinized QB Tua Tagovailoa, who’s somehow working with his fourth offensive coordinator heading into his third season, not to mention rookie head coach Mike McDaniel. How well does Tagovailoa mesh with his revamped supporting cast, and will he get any help from the ground attack? Stay tuned, but a team that’s started slowly the last two years better get it figured out quickly in 2022 given December serves up a murderers’ row of opponents (49ers, Chargers, Bills, Packers).
While Davis’ projection may be lower than most Dolphins fans would hope for, his reasoning is solid. The questions surrounding Tagovailoa and McDaniel are legitimate. Until we see them actually prove their worth in Miami, there will be those that are skeptical, and rightfully so.
Speaking on the schedule, it’s more difficult this year than last year, and that’s fairly obvious. With the AFC improving this offseason and continuing to add talented quarterbacks, the conference and the division will continue to be tough battles for this team.
Earlier in the offseason, we projected Miami to finish the year 10-7, and that still feels about right. Then the only question will be whether or not that’s good enough to grab a Wild Card spot or not.
