Having finished up the NFC west with the Seattle Seahawks 22-23’ BUS trends and draft report we move on to the AFC east. The division was filled with promise last year. Even the Patriots and Jets who some might say were rebuilding stayed relevant for much of the season and were able to show up and compete week in and week out.
Miami however was a wildcard. With new head coach Mike McDaniel and newly acquired WR Tyreek Hill last offseason many didn’t know what to expect. For the past few years, the team has fallen short of expectations, but this year just seemed a little different. It felt as though they had finally gotten some key puzzle pieces, they had needed for quite some time. The question was less about the talent and more about if those in leadership positions (players and coaches both) could get the job done.
They were tested immediately. In the week 3 match-up against the division rival Buffalo Bills starting QB Tua Tagovailoa was pushed down by Bills linebacker Matt Milano causing the back of Tua’s head to hit the turf. He had a hard time getting up and was unsteady which prompted his removal by the team’s medical staff. After passing the concussion protocol he was allowed to return and finish out the second half of the game, it was later stated that it was back spasms that caused his unsteadiness. After making it through the next week he was named the starter week 4. In the Thursday night game against the Bengals Tagovailoa was thrown down to the turf and immediately went into what is known as a “fencing response”. He was spine boarded and brought to the hospital for further testing. This produced outrage from NFL fans, analysts and prompted the NFL to change their concussion protocol guidelines. Tua eventually returned week 7 but in a week 16 game against the Packers had his head hit the turf again. He finished out the remainder of the game but was put into the protocol later that week effectively ending his season.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel providing an update today on QB Tua Tagovailoa at the owners meetings:
“I’m really encouraged with the work he’s doing for preventative injuries with his core and neck training. His jiu-jitsu stuff has been outstanding.”
(🎥 @MiamiDolphins) pic.twitter.com/3hVYjK9zYW
— Will Manso (@WillManso) March 27, 2023
These injuries to Tua had a big effect on team success but much more importantly it shined an even bigger light on player safety and rule changes that needed to be addressed. Every year one to two topics take over the news segments and the NFL. Concussions, turf types, low tackles, blind side hits and chronic lingering ailments are just a few. One thing to remember about this whole situation is that the Miami Dolphins have one of the best athletic training staffs and medical staffs in the entire league even according to the players as noted on the NFLPA end of season team report cards. These types of things can happen to any team and something the NFL had to adjust which to their credit they did. With that said, enforcing their protocol will be their most important job.
Luckily for the Dolphins success they had Teddy Bridgewater as their back-up, a prior NFL starter and player that has thrown for over 15,000 yards in his NFL career despite a devastating injury. Unfortunately for the Dolphins that only lasted so long as injuries to Bridgewater’s knee and finger as well as a concussion he suffered rendered him unable to play in multiple games. This left Miami with third string QB Skylar Thompson for their post season game against the Bills. Thompson had started just 2 games and played in 7. Miami lost the game but by a slim margin of 34-31 giving hope to next year.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 09: Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel during the National Football League game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins on October 9, 2022 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.(Photo by Rich Graessle)
The QB situation was not the only adversity Mike McDaniel and his team faced though it was most certainly the most publicized. Injuries to his offensive line including Terron Armstead (Toe), Eric Fisher (Calf) and Liam Eichenberg (MCL) and to his secondary including Xavien Howard (Groin), Byron Jones (Achilles) and Brandon Jones (ACL) made it very difficult to close out games including losing 5 of their last 6 with 4 of them by 6 points or less.
When evaluating Miami’s Banged Up Score rankings this past season, they had one of the most stable B.U.S rankings when compared to most teams. This is a testament to positional depth, experience, and players in that depth 2 and 3 position. Their yearly trend was flat except towards the end of the season when it mattered the most. A steep decline from 72.4 to a low 54.4 in their final 3 weeks made it an almost impossible ask when it came to a playoff win. In their final game against the Buffalo Bills, they had over a 20-point disadvantage when it came to health including being down 2 quarterbacks.
The Miami Dolphins, despite health issues to key players, a new coaching staff, new talent relationships and outside commotion were able to make the playoffs and compete being down to their third string QB. If that doesn’t excite Miami fans for next year, I’m not sure what will. As a Patriots fan and former football athletic trainer, let me be the first to congratulate the Dolphins on accomplishing what I think many felt they couldn’t do at seasons start. If they can stay healthy and improve some defensive woes, then Miami could be a real contender over the next two years.
