Following Miami's 31-12 defeat at the hands of the previously winless Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football, the moment we all realized we'd been bamboozled arrived early this year.
The Dolphins are embarrassing, and they should be embarrassed.
In the aftermath of their putrid performance in front of a national TV audience, it's time to face facts. Brace yourself for some uncomfortable truths.
Tua Tagovailoa's Season Should Be Over.@Tua on the sidelines for MNF #TENvsMIA | ESPN pic.twitter.com/BGdsfwNpzX
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 30, 2024
First, and most important: Tua Tagovailoa shouldn't see the field for the remainder of this season. These working conditions are unsuitable for a man one wrong fall from retirement. Learn to choose your battles.
The Dolphins' season was about taking the next step and becoming a serious contender. But with a shaky offensive line and a quarterback beset by serious health concerns, it’s time to face a hard truth: It’s not worth risking Tua’s long-term future for short-term gains.
The reality is that as currently constructed, this team is not equipped to protect him, nor to make a deep playoff run. Hurrying Tua back and risking further injury would be a waste. With a $200 million contract freshly signed, it makes more sense for Tagovailoa to take a step back, allow the Dolphins to revamp their offensive line over the offseason, and start fresh year.
Rushing back behind this O-line is akin to wasting video-game lives, only IRL. Don't force Tua to press his luck. He should protect his future.
TYREEK HILL IS PISSED OFF WITH THE #DOLPHINS…
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 1, 2024
HE CONTINUES TO SCREAM & YELL
👀👀👀👀pic.twitter.com/Uucl9rDWHD
Trade Tyreek Hill
Yell at us all you like, but sometimes you've got to skate to where the puck is going. The Dolphins have a roster in disarray and need more toughness. That doesn't mean Tyreek Hill is the problem, but trading away him and his salary could be part of the solution.Call trading a star for salary cap relief and draft assets "Marlins Mode" if you must, but it's the right move here.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Tyreek Hill, despite his elite production, is not the right fit for this version of the Dolphins, and his visible frustration on the sidelines during Monday's loss is a sign of a bigger issue brewing. The Dolphins, who need a roster and salary-cap overhaul, should consider trading Hill to a team ready to contend — perhaps even back to his old stomping grounds with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hill’s new deal, worth $90 million over three years with $65 million guaranteed, is a hefty invoice for a team that must rebuild its foundation. With his value still high, the Dolphins should see what they can get for him.
A first-round pick or additional draft capital could be a way to jump-start this franchise's next chapter and free cap space for future moves. It’s a painful step, but one worth exploring.
Just a nasty block by Robert Hunt 💪
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
📺: #CARvsLV on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/Uc6E1dPsnu
"Beta Offseason"
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. The Dolphins did precisely that this past offseason when they let the heart and soul of the offense and the defense walk away.Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt, two of the most physical players on the roster, were let go in free agency, leaving a massive void that has yet to be filled. Wilkins anchored the defensive front with his relentless motor and elite run-stopping ability, while Hunt provided a rare physicality and versatility on the offensive line.
Both players are thriving with their new teams while the Dolphins' discount-bin replacements are not working out as the overly optimistic management had hoped.
You wanted to get tougher, but you let your toughest pieces walk away while signing your speedy stars, aging cornerback, and injury-prone quarterback to a billion dollars' worth of deals.
Make it make sense.
When a team loses its identity up front on both sides of the ball, it’s virtually impossible to contend for a title. One might think the Dolphins' massive successes on offense last season were due to speed, but the dirty little secret is that the good old-fashioned running game — led by Hunt's blocking — set it all up.
That's gone. And so are the points.
The Dolphins' front office gambled and lost. They used big money elsewhere. This isn’t the same team that made strides last season, and the club's inability to control the trenches is a big reason.
Mike McDaniel is so over it 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/U0RZs48eH2
— JJ Gruden (@TakingThePoint5) October 1, 2024
Mike McDaniel Is No Genius — He Just Found a Glitch
Uh-oh — someone has been exposed. So much for the "offensive guru" tag.Mike McDaniel, fresh off a contract extension, looks like a superhero without his superpowers.
McDaniel was hailed as an offensive genius last season, credited with innovating the Dolphins’ offense with unique motion plays that confused defenses and created mismatches.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: McDaniel may not have been some offensive mastermind; he just found a glitch in the system — and one the league has now fixed.
To crack down on McDaniel’s bread-and-butter tactics, the NFL adjusted the rule for players in motion this past offseason. The rule now states, "Any eligible backfield player who changes his stance does not have to come to a complete stop before the snap, as long as his actions are not abrupt (false start) or forward (illegal motion)."
In the Dolphins' latest loss, the team was hit with three illegal motion penalties.
Consider the loophole closed. Time to find a new slant, buddy.
The Curse of the Tequesta. pic.twitter.com/8hLkWHTNG6
— Jake Marsh (@PMTsportsbiz) January 8, 2024
The Dolphins Are Cursed by the Curse of the Tequesta
Let's face it, kids. Earmuffs — we're so fucked.The Miami Dolphins are cursed. For decades, the franchise has been plagued by bad luck, missed opportunities, and inexplicable misfortune.
Note to those who refuse to believe in the supernatural: The Curse of the Tequesta is real.
Build a stadium in an Indian burial ground, win haunted prizes.
This is the life we must accept. The Dolphins are cursed unto the afterlife...where they will suck, too.
