The Miami Dolphins shocked a lot of fans in the 2016 Nfl Season when they won 10 games and made it into the NFA playoffs. As a result, the NFL rewarded them with three games during Prime-Time hours for the first time in the Dolphins’ franchise history. Now, in the 2017 Nfl Season, Miami wants to continue on with their success and prove that last season was not a fluke. With the NFL training camps starting this week, here is a look at the 2017 Miami Dolphins preview.
Dolphins offensive breakdown
Ryan Tannehill has proven that he can win games for the Miami Dolphins but he doesn’t get the credit he might deserve from fans and critics alike.
Despite his critics, Tannehill has improved his numbers every single season since his rookie year and actually finished the 2016 NFL season with an impressive 93.5 passer rating. However, Tannehill was lost early thanks to a left knee injury and the Dolphins need to keep him better protected in 2017.
The running back situation looked shaky when Lamar Miller left for the Houston Texans but they found a huge replacement in Jay Ajayi. The 2015 fifth round pick proved worth more than his draft spot when he rushed for 1,272 yards – the third most in the history of the Miami Dolphins. That also included three games where Ajayi ran for over 200 yards. Damien Williams serves as his backup.
Jarvis Landry has become one of the NFL’s best wide receivers and he has really helped Ryan Tannehill come into his own.
In 2016, Landry had 94 receptions for 1,136 yards and proved to be the go-to receiver with the Miami Dolphins. Former New Orleans Saints receiver Kenny Stills also stepped up last season and averaged 17.3 yards-per-reception last year. Last year’s first round pick DeVante Parker gives the Dolphins a nice set of targets for Tannehill.
Julius Thomas will serve as the starting tight end this season.
Dolphins defensive breakdown
When it comes to the defense, the Miami Dolphins finished last season ranked 29th in the NFL and that was a big reason their playoff stint was so short. This defense allowed more yards to the opposing teams than any team in the proud franchise’s history.
Matt Burke will take over as the defensive coordinator this season and the team hopes to turn things around.
There are stars on the defensive line that underperformed in 2016. Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake are two Pro-Bowl players but they need help around them and it isn’t there. The best bet for the line is for Jordan Phillips to improve and first round NFL Draft pick Charles Harris to develop.
The linebacker corps is a problem area for the Miami Dolphins. They did bring in former Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons, a player who has averaged 98.1 tackles a season. He joins Kiko Alonso, who was the Dolphins leading tackler last year. Cornerback Byron Maxwell led the NFL in forced fumbles in 2016 and Xavier Howard is a second-year player who looks to improve on a nice rookie year.
Dolphins 2017 NFL prediction
No one expected the Miami Dolphins to win 10 games last season but they won’t surprise many people this year. This Dolphins team has a lot of promise and are much more equipped to compete than they have in years. Miami is not expected to compete with the New England Patriots at the top of the AFC East but they are still a favorite to make it back to the playoffs as a Wild Card team if they can overcome their tougher 2017 NFL schedule.
