Bama in the NFL: Do the Miami Dolphins Have a Shot at the Playoffs?

A breakdown of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis.

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Aug 10, 2022 4:56 PM EDT

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

On Feb. 7, the Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel as their next head coach. The 39-year-old has the challenge of coaching this team to the playoffs. In each of the last two seasons, Miami has had a winning record, but missed the playoffs.

It's unlikely that they'll win the AFC East, as the Buffalo Bills are not only the favorites to win the division, but the Super Bowl as well. However, they still have a very good shot at at least the wild card round.

The Dolphins defense hasn't been an issue the last couple of years as the streak of 26 consecutive games forcing a turnover ended last October. Miami finished last season having the fifth-most sacks (48), the second-most quarterback pressures (193) and was tied for the most quarterback knockdowns (77).

Part of that blitz crew is nose tackle Raekwon Davis. Selected with the 56th-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the 25-year-old has started in 26 out of his 30 games played.

In two seasons, the Alabama product's stats aren't eye-popping, as he has 68 tackles including one for loss and 0.5 sacks. However, the Dolphins run a 3-4 defense, meaning the middle of the defensive line (nose tackle—Davis) is doubled on most snaps.

Plus, he's huge. The six-foot seven-inch, 330 pound defensive tackle's ability to clog the line of scrimmage has provided holes for rushers to get those high sack, pressure and knockdown numbers. His role on this defense is a large part as to why they don't have many issues.

The Dolphins have a team loaded with talent all over the field, but one position has been scrutinized more than the rest combined.

Selected with the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and still coming off major hip surgery, Tua Tagovailoa has been called out for his arm strength since the night he landed in Miami.

To help build the Alabama product's offense, Miami selected receiver Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa's college teammate, with the sixth-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

During Waddle's first season, Tagovailoa helped him break the record for most receiving yards by a rookie. Although he's also deep threat, Waddle thrived by speeding around defenders in the middle of the field.

However, even after a solid 9-8 season, the Dolphins thought that they were still missing a piece in the receiving game.

On March 23, six-time pro bowler (three-time all-pro) wide receiver Tyreek Hill was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Dolphins. Since arriving in Miami, Hill has made his presence known.

The West Alabama product has mentioned several times that Tagovailoa is more accurate than his former quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. The league's (arguably) best deep-threat receiver has also been impressed with Waddle.

"I can't wait to see [Waddle] blossom and continue to move his game forward, which I know he will because he comes out here everyday and works hard and he wants to get better," Hill said.

Hill compared his and Waddle's speed to a "Lambo and a Ferrari."

His confidence in his new teammates might be all the motivation the offense needs to produce this season.

However, Tagovailoa will need to silence his critics to make this happen, and that appears to be happening during training camp.

Hill critiqued naysayers of Tagovailoa on his podcast, It Needed To Be Said: "All those people are gonna take their words back on what they said about Tua... I'm just gonna be sitting there, eating my popcorn."

At the end of each practice, McDaniel awards the practice MVP an orange jersey. The MVP wears it the next day and chooses the playlist that practice. Tagovailoa, Waddle, Davis and Hill have all worn the jersey recently.

If Tagovailoa connects with Waddle and Hill on a consistent basis and Davis can continue to clog the line of scrimmage and allow the defense to attack the backfield, the Dolphins could make a serious playoff push.

The Dolphins open up the regular season against the New England Patriots on Sept. 11.

This is the nineteenth story in a team-by-team series highlighting Alabama players in the NFL.