The 2024 season has not gone according to plan so far for the Miami Dolphins. Between injuries and heartbreaking losses, the first seven games has tested the team’s resilience. A squad that was expected to be in playoff contention, the Dolphins have remained confident in the roster they’ve built as well as their coaching staff, but need a handful of players to pick up the slack as they aim to get their season back on track.
Three Dolphins’ that Must Step Up as Mid-Season Approaches
Jaylen Waddle
The Dolphins boast arguably the top receiving duo in the league, but thus far, it’s failed to live up to expectations. Through his first three seasons, Waddle averaged over 1,100 yards, 84 receptions, and six td’s a season. He’s been well regarded as one of the leagues most dangerous deep threats, as well as a dominant run after the catch specialist. This season, through seven games, he’s caught 26 passes for 314 yards and has yet to find the end zone. Most troubling, the speedster has five drops on the year, just three away from his season high mark of eight drops he had when he was a rookie.
Jaylen Waddle’s PFF stats*
– 6th most drops
– 9th worst drop grade*among WRs with at least 16 targets
— Depressed Dolphins Fan (@Dolphinalysis) October 28, 2024
While the entire offense suffered greatly without Tagovailoa under center, playmakers like Waddle need to step up. He’s a game breaking talent, that’s routinely feasted in Miami’s offense. With Tagovailoa back under center against the Arizona Cardinals, the Dolphins offense looked much closer to it’s 2023 version than at any other point this year. If Waddle starts stringing together the kind of games that have made him one of the leagues most feared wide receivers, Miami has a much better shot of getting their season back on track.
Chop Robinson
The Dolphins have not been able to get to the Quarterback with regularity this season. They’re currently tied for second to last in the league with the Panthers, with just nine sacks on the year. Plain and simple, it’s not good enough. The Dolphins took a major blow when they lost stand-out pass rusher Jaelan Phillips with a torn ACL and are still awaiting the return of their pro-bowl edge rusher Bradley Chubb, but they need more production. Far and away, their best production has come from the interior of their defensive line this season.
Robinson was drafted for his incredible burst off the line but has yet to record a sack in Miami. A standout at Penn State, he’s struggled to set the edge in the run game and, as a result, has had issues being a consistent presence on the field. The return of Chubb and the attention he’ll demand should help Robinson start to produce sack numbers, Miami needs those numbers immediately though. One bright spot for Robinson is that he’s put pressure on opposing Qb’s fairly regularly. When those pressures start to translate to sacks, the Dolphins defense will take another step.
Updated rookie pressure totals, according to PFF:
Jared Verse, Rams – 31
Braden Fiske, Rams – 21
Laiatu Latu, Colts – 17 (has played 8 games)
Chop Robinson, Dolphins – 11
Elijah Chatman, Giants – 11 (playing tonight) pic.twitter.com/Ott9WJLWTX— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) October 28, 2024
Cam Smith
The Dolphins secondary has been quietly very good this season. They’ve allowed just five passing td’s on the year, tied for the fewest in the league with the Chicago Bears. The tandem of Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller have been a big reason why, but Miami’s defense can take another step forward with a third, consistent force in the secondary. That’s exactly what Miami drafted Smith to be. The corner possess all the physical traits to be a force in the league, but has struggled badly with injuries and inconsistency in his short career.
In his season debut after returning from IR against the Cardinals, he didn’t have the best game. He allowed five catches on five targets for 63 yards and a TD, primarily against Marvin Harrison JR. His biggest lapse came when he seemed to not go full speed on a back breaking 18 yard completion, that resulted in a first down, on a second and 15, late in the game. Smith simply hasn’t been on the field much in his first year and a half of time in the league. The expectation and hope is that he’ll improve and hopefully be the best version he can be. His teammates are excited for his potential with his impact in practice, and are confident it’ll translate to Sunday’s.
The sooner that happens, the better for Miami. Not only can his improved play help Miami right the ship after a rough start this year, but it will also breathe confidence in the future of the secondary as well.
The landscape of the NFL changes seemingly weekly. With the season still young, if these players start raising their game, the Dolphins season could quickly look different.
Main Image: Jim Rassol – USA Today Sports
