Dolphins 2022 Review: WR Tyreek Hill
With the Miami Dolphins’ season coming to an end after a loss to the division rival Bills in the wild-card playoff round, it's time to review the seasons of some of the team’s best players.
This series will include each player’s stats, best game, worst game, positives, negatives and outlook for the offseason.
Tyreek Hill, Wide Receiver
Stats: 1,710 receiving yards, 119 catches, 7 touchdowns, 14.4 yards per reception
Best Game: 42-38 Win vs. Baltimore Ravens
Was there any doubt this would be the pick? Hill’s 11-catch, 190-yard and two-touchdown — one 48-yarder and one 60-yarder — performance helped Miami complete a 21-point comeback against a talented Ravens team.
Hill’s two touchdowns in that game were really the catalyst for Miami’s comeback. Baltimore gifted him one with a blown coverage, but his speed was giving the Ravens trouble regardless of whether they were in position.
Hill’s 12 catches and 188 yards against the Lions also deserve some recognition, but he didn’t score any touchdowns in that game and Detroit’s secondary wasn’t exactly a challenge at that point in the season.
Worst Game: 21-19 Win vs. Buffalo Bills
Hill caught just two passes, which was tied for his season low, and he had just 33 yards, marking his second-lowest total of the season.
He had fewer yards (23) against the Jets in Week 18, but he only played 66 percent of Miami’s offensive snaps while nursing an ankle injury throughout the contest. Also, Skylar Thompson was quarterbacking the team in that game.
There was no such excuse against the Bills as Hill played 86 percent of Miami’s offensive snaps, and Tua Tagovailoa played most of the game. The Bills deserve some credit for using bracket coverage to limit Hill’s ability to make explosive plays.
In Hill’s defense, Miami’s offense didn’t spend a lot of time on the field against Buffalo as the Bills dominated time of possession, 40:40 to 19:20.
Positive Takeaways
Where to start? The Dolphins traded a first-rounder, a second-rounder, two-fourths and a sixth-round pick to the Chiefs for Hill and gave him a $120 million deal over four years.
He was worth every pick and every penny.
In Hill’s first season with the Dolphins, he broke the franchise record for both receiving yards and receptions in a single season. His 1,710 receiving yards shattered Dolphins legend Mark Clayton’s record of 1,389 receiving yards.
Coming into the season, some questioned whether Hill would produce the same without Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball and Andy Reid scheming up the offense.
Hill alleviated all of those concerns — as unfounded as they were — by finishing with career highs in both touchdowns and receptions. It was clear immediately after he arrived in Miami his talent would hold up no matter what was around him.
In summary, Hill had the best receiving season in Dolphins history, has a legitimate argument as the best receiver in the sport and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Negative Takeaways
Finding something negative in Hill’s record-setting season wasn’t easy.
He did only finish the season with seven touchdown catches, which was tied for the second-lowest output of his career. With that said, seven touchdowns isn’t bad, but there’s clearly some room for growth in that area next season.
Hill’s contract might make it difficult for Miami to extend players like Jaylen Waddle, Jevon Holland, Christian Wilkins and potentially Tua Tagovailoa in the coming years, though it's possible the Dolphins will restructure his deal to free up cap space.
Offseason Outlook
There aren’t any pressing questions Hill will need to answer this offseason, and it’s incredibly unlikely to see his standing with the team changing anytime soon.
He’s under contract till 2026, and it doesn’t appear like his physical abilities are going to regress in the immediate future.
Hill will enter the 2023 season as one of the best receivers in the sport, and Miami should continue to make use of his elite skills.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Dolphins news and analysis year-round. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @PoupartNFL, and that's where you can ask questions for the regular All Dolphins mailbags. You also can ask questions via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.
