It’s mainly the midway level of the season and if the Dolphins (5-3) repeat what they did within the first half, they’ll win 10 or 11 video games and, most definitely, finish their five-year playoff drought.
With this being a 17-game season, if the Dolphins choose up the place they left off after Sunday’s 31-27 win at Detroit, they are going to have a reliable shot at an elusive postseason berth.
The Dolphins have missed the playoffs in 18 of the previous 20 years. They haven’t gained a postseason sport in 22 years, courting again to a 23-17 additional time win over the Colts on Dec. 30, 2000.
With a positive schedule the subsequent few weeks (at 3-5 Chicago, vs. 3-5 Cleveland, vs. 1-5 Houston), they need to strengthen their maintain on one of many AFC’s seven playoff berths.
The mixed report of the Dolphins’ first eight opponents is 33-27 (.550).
The mixed report of the Dolphins’ remaining 9 opponents is 32-35-1 (.478).
The Dolphins, who presently maintain the No. 6 AFC playoff spot, ought to fare higher within the second half of the season.
However beware. The schedule on the finish of the season is back-loaded (at San Francisco, at Los Angeles Chargers, at Buffalo, vs. Inexperienced Bay, at New England and vs. New York Jets).
The mixed report of the Dolphins’ final six opponents is 26-20 (.565).
And the Dolphins, who're 2-2 on the highway, have 5 highway video games amongst their remaining 9, together with a stretch of three in a row.
Nonetheless, the outlook is promising.
Tua Tagovailoa (12 touchdowns, three interceptions, league-best 112.7 passer score) appears to be hitting his stride after a two-game absence in concussion protocol. His three-touchdown, 382-yard efficiency in opposition to Detroit was his finest sport of the yr.
“I used to be very proud of the best way the quarterback performed and the selections that he made, simply taking part in inside himself and making performs once they have been there,” coach Mike McDaniel stated.
Receivers Tyreek Hill (league-best 961 yards receiving, two touchdowns) and Jaylen Waddle (727 receiving yards, fourth within the league, and 5 touchdowns) have been nearly unstoppable.
The offense confirmed variety in opposition to the Lions with a speeding landing from fullback Alec Ingold, receiving touchdowns from Waddle and tight finish Mike Gesicki, and what ought to have been a receiving landing for receiver Trent Sherfield (he was dominated down simply wanting the aim line). All are encouraging indicators.
“We had a bunch of key performs from Mike Gesicki, Trent Sherfield, [running back Raheem] Mostert, after which the play that Tua had,” McDaniel stated.
“If we are able to get that each week, that’s a successful formulation. That's powerful to cease.”
The protection, for essentially the most half, is making performs when essential.
The statistics aren’t best. The Dolphins are twenty third within the league in yards allowed per sport at 362.8, however they make well timed performs akin to maintaining Detroit scoreless within the second half and getting two interceptions within the remaining three minutes to protect the Pittsburgh victory.
Dolphins followers needs to be optimistic.
Nicely, cautiously optimistic.
Vital accidents proceed to mount even because the Dolphins are getting more healthy general.
Left guard Liam Eichenberg was the newest, sustaining a knee damage in opposition to Detroit. He was changed by Robert Jones.
The Dolphins misplaced security Brandon Jones (knee) for the season the earlier week in opposition to Pittsburgh.
All advised, the Dolphins have misplaced 4 starters or projected starters to season-ending accidents, or for vital time resulting from damage — Brandon Jones (knee), cornerback Byron Jones (Achilles), cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles), and proper deal with Austin Jackson (ankle). It needs to be famous Tagoaviloa missed two and a half video games resulting from concussion protocol.
And turnovers and penalties are nonetheless regarding.
The Dolphins are minus-3 in turnover margin, tied for twenty fourth.
The Dolphins are tied with Dallas for fourth-most penalties (55) and are ninth in penalty yards (416).
“You simply must make a degree of emphasis, take every penalty individually and coach off of it, in order that we are able to enhance and never put ourselves in such powerful spots on each side of the ball unnecessarily,” McDaniel stated.
The bottom sport, which has proven indicators of life not too long ago by totaling at the least 100 yards in three of the previous 4 video games, nonetheless isn’t at full pace.
The Dolphins are twenty eighth in speeding at 88.1 yards per sport.
The Dolphins are sixteenth in scoring at 22.3 factors per sport, and twenty fourth in factors allowed at 24.0 factors a sport.
In factors allowed vs. factors scored, the Dolphins are minus-14. They’re considered one of three groups to have a successful report and be the other way up in that class, becoming a member of Tennessee (5-2, minus-6) and the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3, minus-25).
As for particular groups, kicker Jason Sanders stays 0 for 3 on subject aim makes an attempt of fifty yards or past however good on something shorter, and punter Thomas Morstead is consistently flipping the sector and serving to the protection. Nevertheless, the Dolphins stay spotty in particular groups as miscues akin to Detroit’s profitable pretend punt preserve occurring.
However the offense appears to be getting right into a groove, the protection continues making performs, and most significantly, the Dolphins have a successful report and stay within the thick of the playoff hunt.
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