Dolphins Get Harsh National Grade for 2024 ... Is It Fair?

The Miami Dolphins had a significant and disappointing drop-off this past season

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) intercepts the ball against Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) in the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins had to rank among the most disappointing teams in the NFL in 2024 when they dropped to 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years, but what kind of grade should their performance have warranted?

Well, the folks at CBSSports.com obviously think a very bad one.

Based the grades on performance on the field and in the front office, CBSSports.com gave the Dolphins an ugly D+ grade.

The Dolphins were among 15 teams that got a grade of in the D or F range, along with the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.

The highest grade naturally went to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles with an A+, with the Washington Commanders getting an A, and the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs getting an A-.

About the Dolphins, CBSSports.com's Bryan DeArdo wrote: "Injuries to key offensive players largely told the story of the 2024 Dolphins. While the defense played well (finishing 10th in the league in fewest points allowed), their success was largely undone by an offense that was just 22nd in the NFL in scoring and 25th in third-down efficiency. 

"Former All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill played through an injury the entire season, fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle also dealt with injuries and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed a combined six games with head and hip injuries. Tagovailoa did play at his usual Pro Bowl level when he was on the field, though, which is one of the main reasons why the Dolphins didn't receive a lower grade after going 8-9 and missing the playoffs. Miami needs to start investing in the offensive line if it is going to get back to being a playoff team."

WHAT'S A FAIR GRADE FOR THE DOLPHINS' 2024 SEASON?

At first glance, it seems pretty obvious the Dolphins grade factored in expectations because 8-9 is mediocre, but maybe not as bad as a D+.

And the reality is that even in the games that Tagovailoa started, the Dolphins were a meager 6-5, which certainly isn't overwhelming, and there was the usual problem of being unable to beat quality opponents.

In 2024, the Dolphins went 1-5 against teams that finished with a winning record, with the one victory against the L.A. Rams and losses against the Buffalo Bills (twice), Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans.

And Tagovailoa was the starting quarterback for all six of those games except for the one at Seattle in Week 3.

The Dolphins, of course, went 2-4 in the six games that Tagovailoa didn't start, and it's fair to suggest they would have made the playoffs had he been able to start every game as he did in 2023.

The Dolphins certainly then would have merited a higher grade with a return to the playoffs, but that's not how it played out and based on the results it's impossible to give Miami too high a grade.

We'd still contend that a D+ might be too harsh because there were eight wins and the team still was in playoff contention heading into Week 18, but it can't be too high, either, based on the losing record.

So let's say a C- sounds about right.