Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Omar Kelly grades the 4-3 Dolphins at season start.
The Miami Dolphins are having a Dr. Jekylland-Mr. Hyde type of season.
One week coach Adam Gase’s team is pulling off impressive comeback wins, like upsetting the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons on the road.
The next week the Dolphins have a lifeless offense, one which can barely get a first down or convert a third down, much less score actual points.
The Dolphins might have a 4-3 record, but this team isn’t performing like one that belongs in the playoff picture.
Here is the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s midseason report card, evaluating how the Dolphins have performed in their first seven games.
Passing Game: F
No matter who is behind center — Jay Cutler or Matt Moore — the Dolphins have been ineffective throwing the ball because of the run game’s inconsistency, which has negated the play-action passing game. And Miami’s offensive line struggles has put the quarterback under constant duress. This season, Miami’s quarterbacks have a cumulative passer rating of 72.6, and are averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. Those dismal numbers make the Dolphins the secondworst passing offense in the NFL, ahead of only the winless Cleveland Browns.
Running Game: D-
Jay Ajayi, who has averaged only 3.4 yards per carry, is struggling to shoulder the load of Miami’s inconsistent rushing attack. The Dolphins average just 76.4 rushing yards per contest, and are the only team in the NFL that hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown this season. The offensive line deserves plenty of blame for Ajayi’s struggles considering he has been hit at the line of scrimmage, or behind it on most of
his carries this season. Miami’s 3.2 yards per carry average is the second worst in the NFL, ahead of only the Arizona Cardinals (3.0).
Defending the pass: D
The Dolphins are allowing opposing quarterbacks to produce a 103.1 cumulative passer rating, which is the third worst in NFL, only ahead of the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots. Opponents are completing 69.9 percent of passes against the Dolphins, which is the highest completion rate in the NFL this season. And the Dolphins have pulled down just two interceptions. There are only two teams — Oakland and the Carolina Panthers — with fewer this season. Miami’s pass rushing has been respectable, but it’s only a factor when the Dolphins are playing with the lead.
Defending the run: B+
The Dolphins have had an impressive transformation when it comes to stopping the run, holding opponents to 95.4 rushing yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry. That’s a drastic improvement from last year’s 140 rushing yards allowed per game, and 4.8 yards allowed per carry. William Hayes’ edge setting, Lawrence Timmons and Rey Maualuga’s physicality at linebacker, and Reshad Jones’ return from his shoulder injury should be credited for the turnaround. But last week’s struggles against Baltimore, which rushed for 174 yards, showed there could potentially be some leakage without starting defensive end Andre Branch, who is sidelined with a groin strain.
Special teams: C
The Dolphins’ kicking and punting game has been respectable most of this season. Cody Parkey missed his first field goal of the season last week, and his kickoffs have been solid. Rookie punter Matt Haack has been somewhat erratic, but his overall numbers — 45.4 yards on punts for 40.8 net yards — are decent. The Dolphins core special teams units have been solid on kickoff and punt coverage, and kick and punt blocks (two so far), but the return game has been non-existent this season.
Coaching: C
Matt Burke’s defense has been forceful, keeping the Dolphins in all but one game this season by holding five opponents to 20 points or less. And the defense has excelled without a number of key starters at times, which proves that coaching has a lot to do with the unit’s success. On the flip side, it is hard to justify what has taken place on offense, where the Dolphins hold the distinction as the worst unit in the NFL. Gase, who serves as the offense’s play-caller, has tried everything but demoting players, and making changes to his offensive line. Maybe it’s time.
Biggest problem: Offensive line
Something has to give before the offense’s struggles sink the Dolphins’ season, and the unit that has had constant issues this year has been the offensive line. Fiveand seven-step drop plays have virtually been removed from the playbook because the offensive line can’t protect long enough for them to work, and the run-game issues have neutered the play-action passing section of the playbook as well. Changes need to be made in personnel, or with the unit’s approach.
Midseason MVP: Reshad Jones
Safety Reshad Jones’ play-making prowess (45 tackles, half a sack, one interception and two fumble recoveries) keeps the Dolphins in games, and his physical presence when lined up close to the line of scrimmage gives Miami’s defense the sharp bite they missed last year when he was sidelined most of the season by a shoulder injury.
Most impressive rookie: Cordrea Tankersley
Cordrea Tankersley hasn’t been flawless during his five-game tenure as Miami’s starting cornerback. He’s allowed four of the team’s 11 touchdowns through the air this season, but the former Clemson standout the Dolphins selected in the third round of this year’s draft has proven he has the mental toughness needed to bounce back from adversity, and the athleticism and speed required to keep pace with some of the NFL’s better receivers.