The 2016 Miami Dolphins have been an enormous surprise, and that’s an understatement. For countless years they have begun the season with high promise, and consistently kicked their fan base right back to the curb. With exception of the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, the Dolphins have been the largest turnaround team this year. If you look at the current roster compared to previous years, it may not be completely obvious as to how they just managed a six game win streak, but to fans who has never experienced Miami’s success in their lifetime, it’s quite the latter.
The 2016 Miami Dolphins Difference: Tannehill, Coaching and More
The most significant difference between this Miami team compared to previous ones is coaching; by far the most overlooked aspect of a successful NFL team. Rookie head coach Adam Gase has shown glimpses of pure genius, grit, initiative and leadership this season. This stems from aggressive play calling, over-performing draft selections and redefining the Miami offense. However, one decision sticks out as the turning point of the 2016 season: cutting Billy Turner and Dallas Thomas.
Finally, a coach in Miami grew a backbone and cut someone. These guys were downright awful, not even practice squad level players. Yet, somehow they stuck around for a few years and always had a spot. It doesn’t make sense, financially, literally, football sense, none. They sucked. This was a warning sign to Miami players; nobody’s spot was safe. A message was sent straight to the players mind, “I really need to step it up if I want to keep my job.” A quality that needs to be instilled in every successful team is fear. Gase did exactly this. He started a fire.
The Aftermath
Coaching is essentially a domino effect; what the coach establishes subsequently falls onto his players. Coaching directly influences how they play and the culture intertwined in the organization. Something that was well overlooked prior to the start of the 2016 season was the fear factor. Jay Ajayi was assumed to be the feature back in OTA’s, but when the veteran Arian Foster signed, those accusations were halted. The sad truth was that the staff was prepared to invest in the injury-prone vet, which upset the sophomore back Ajayi. Adam Gase didn’t approve of his newfound backup pouting, so he left him in Miami for their opener in Seattle. If that’s not a sign of a no-nonsense, then what is? Of course, this was prior to cutting Turner and Thomas but look where Ajayi is now…
The Adam Gase Way
Many experts, and even Miami owner Stephen Ross have compared Gase to a young John Harbaugh, but that’s all rubbish. This man is a young Bill Belichick. The no nonsense clubhouse, the anti media attitude and the next man up mentality all serve for a Belichick team. This type of football is built around a good offensive line, a game manager quarterback and a defense that keeps their offense in the game. It’s a system. No Miami fan can say exactly what system coaches like Joe Philbin or Cam Cameron were running. Unidentifiable schemes. That’s the difference.
Player Performances
Although it all starts in the clubhouse, coaching is only half the battle. Sometimes awful teams have great coaches, the only difference here is Miami’s isn’t on the way out (like Harbaugh in San Francisco). Gameplay is the second to coaching. Ryan Tannehill is actually a pretty good quarterback. Go ahead, let that sink in. He’s actually been good since he entered the league. So why does everyone think he’s not? It’s because the simpleton football fan only judges players based on their playoff births.
Tannehill has never had a good team around him and until last year, he had no weapons, but consistently throws for 4000 yards and 26 touchdowns a year. The only issue here is that the Dolphins never had a good offensive line. Quarterbacks like Trevor Siemian can make the playoffs because of a great defense and a good offensive line. This is the NFL, if you give any QB enough time, they will look great. Take Tom Brady for example, he never get’s touched. This is why his completion rate is so high and why the Patriots win so often. It’s a system and it works. If you don’t do your job, you’re fired and if you cant go, the next guy does just as well. That’s how Matt Cassel made the playoffs. It opens up a balanced offense because running the ball is a viable option to establish.
A Five Man Unit
Now that it’s established that Tannehill is actually an above average NFL quarterback, it’s important to know why he’s just now seeing success. It’s the offensive line. Mike Pouncey has always been a reliable center, even performing at a pro bowl level. When Brandon Albert came over from Kansas City, it looked like he was just finally earning his big NFL payday and wanted to play in a warm area. This is still the case, but he’s starting to churn out consistent performances. Jermon Bushrod is essentially the same story. Right tackle Ja’Wuan James has been the biggest disappointment by far, showing a few inconsistent performances, but still a steady improvement. Even the backups Steen and Urbik have been able to fill roles when players have been out. This has allowed Miami to establish an immense key to victory: a strong run game.
All these lineman finally performing puts Miami in a good place, but one performance has surprised the Miami faithful beyond belief: Laremy Tunsil. Coming into the 2016 NFL Draft, Tunsil secured the number spot on Mel Kiper‘s draft board. A few blockbuster trades stripped him of that title, and the new owners of the top picks (Eagles and Rams) had needs elsewhere on the offensive side of the ball. A video of Tunsil smoking the good stuff in a gas mask was leaked hours before the draft. Subsequently his stock plummeted. When Miami drafted him it seemed they just did another Miami thing, drafting another bust after a lackluster season.
Tunsil has been consistently the best lineman for the Dolphins this year. He’s made a few rookie mistakes and missed time for allegedly slipping in the shower, but he’s an NFL starter. A good one at that. He’s also not playing his natural position (LT). Miami drafted him at #13 overall. Miami saved millions of dollars and got the number one player in the draft. That’s not all, Miami had the 8th worst record in 2015, but if you recall, they swapped first round draft picks with the Eagles. Miami got Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell in return. Three starters for moving down a few spots. Sure, they inherited an awful contract with Maxwell, but all three of these players have paid immense dividends already. This is coaching and GM work. Chris Grier and Adam Gase pulling the strings now, no more morons like Jeff Ireland or Joe Philbin.
The Vicious Runner
If that’s not enough to suggest the Dolphins have changed let’s revisit a man by the name of Jay Ajayi. Ajayi rushed for 200 yards in two straight games, spawning a Miami six game win streak. That’s only been done by three players; Ricky Williams, Earl Campbell and O.J. Simpson. Elite company. He’s also averaging the highest yards after contact average in the NFL. He didn’t even start the first two games. To cap it all off, Ajayi also scared Arian Foster, a possible hall of fame running back, into retirement. This is coaching. This is offensive line improvement. It’s is so simple.
The Pieces Are in Place
A great young coach, a reliable run game and a solid offensive line have given Ryan Tannehill everything he needs to succeed. All the tools are finally at Tannehill’s disposal. As the highest sacked quarterback in the league since he was drafted in 2012, he now has a shot to live up to his huge contract. Tannehill is not great passer, but rather a game manager. He has been compared to Alex Smith, an extremely mobile QB, who when given the time wont turn the ball over and can make the right calls at the line. Over that six game win streak Tannehill only turned the ball over once. Gase has been the only coach to give Tannehill the ability to be under center and make the right calls. This has opened up an entirely new playbook.
Moving Forward
Looking at the schedule, the Dolphins struggled against the measly Browns, but they also dominated the Steelers. Only Tennessee, Baltimore and Cincinnati completely outplayed Miami. The Dolphins could be 9-3. The only disappointment here is the 1-4 start, if not for that, Miami could be competing for the division and would have easily steamrolled the Patriots in week 2. The difference is that Miami is winning games they would’ve lost last year, such as San Francisco, San Diego or Los Angeles. They’re finding ways to win, not ways to lose. It’s a new dawn.
Unfortunately, with the great play in the AFC West, and four difficult games on the horizon for Miami, it will be extremely difficult to make a wild card spot. A game against the Cardinals will likely determine if Miami can make a run, ending the year with three divisional games. Who knows, this team is different from years past. Whether is is the violent run game, the over performing defense, the steady offensive line or the consistently good play from Ryan Tannehill, this team is different. They’ve hit the turning point. They graduated from a promising team to a good one. It may not be in the cards this year, but with exciting play from warriors like Jarvis Landry and Ajayi and a coach of the year candidate in Gase, it will be fun to watch it all pan out. Enjoy it Miami fans, it’s only up from here.
