Miami’s expectations in 2018 were as a non-factor
Expectations for the Patriots and Dolphins in 2018 were polar opposites
To say the Miami Dolphins are blowing the expectations of the best football bookie software out of the water is a gross understatement. Heck, even most fans feared their beloved Phins would be among the worst teams in the league.
Yeah, we’re only 3 games into the season… and things can always turn ugly fast. But if you can’t celebrate a 3-0 start, what’s the sense in being a fan?
It’s been hit and miss with Coach Gases over 2 seasons with the Dolphins. This season, most fans and analysts were on the fence about his future in Miami. But in his third season, he has finally found players that can execute his vision and tastes on offense. Questions over his ability are dwindling fast.
Hell, even the defense has taken a Paul Bunyon step forward… so far.
Tannehill has done an excellent job of spreading the ball around to his receivers. His growth is following the same ascending arc as in 2016. The difference between Tannehill and Moore or Cutler can’t be unestimated.
Gone are the days of relying on Jarvis Landry to carry the passing game.
Now Gase has Wilson and Grant, who allow him to line up in more exotic formations. The ‘trick plays’ that have been unveiled this season have been game changers. These types of plays were executed to perfection against the Raiders… and will give defenses plenty to prepare for in coming games. This new flood of speed also opens things up for Stills and Parker who have been productive. And on top of all this, add in the slowly increasing production of Gesicki. The offense now threatens from sideline to sideline and Line of Scrimmage to End Zone.
There isn’t one spot on the field that a defense can consider as a ‘safe zone’.
By all appearances, dynamic, big-play offense has returned to South Florida. The last time we saw this type of offensive potential was the 1995 Season.
Miami is currently averaging 25 points per game, which is good for 11th best in the NFL. The production is a touchdown better than Miami’s 2017 average of 17.6 points per game.
What’s an even more promising aspect about this season is the defense’s much-improved as well.
Speed and discipline are making all the difference
On Defense, the Dolphins are only allowing 17.3 points per game. This is 6th best in the NFL. They are also tied for second best in the takeaway and giveaways at +4 turnover ratio! The Dolphins have 7 interceptions this season, which is only 2 shy of their 9 interceptions in 2017.
The Dolphins defense has been a bend but not break defense. The Phins ‘D’ as only allowed 4 scores in 9 trips to the Red Zone. Xavien Howard has played like a true shut down corner. Two of his three league-leading interceptions have been made in the End Zone.
In addition, the defensive line has really stepped up. After 3 games, they have allowed only 89 rushing yards per game, which is good for 7th best in the league. This is a significant improvement from last season where the Defense allowed 110.5 yards per game on the ground.
Oddly, Miami’s one expected strength is near the bottom of the league with 6 sacks. This puts them tied for 24th. The big hit to this ranking came in the first game against the Titans where they failed to produce a sack. So even though Miami only has 6 sacks, this has been a group that has improved in applying pressure with each subsequent game.
Stats are nice at this stage, but a big win this week is a whole other story.
The Dolphins will have an extremely tough task going up to New England. A Dolphins win will give the Patriot their first 3 game losing streak since 2002. The Patriots have definitely shown flaws so far, but we all know how well they play at home against Miami.
I am very anxious to see if Miami can truly climb to the top of the league. If they win this week, there will be no denying that the Dolphins are truly heading in the right direction. Go Phins!!!