Miami Dolphins 2023 Season Preview: High Expectations Amid Uncertainties.
As we approach the 2023 NFL season, the Miami Dolphins face high expectations and boast promising prospects of success. Although a playoff contender in 2018, concerns regarding Tua Tagovailoa’s health cast an unsettled shadow on their chances. With an overhauled defense and powerful offensive weapons on board, however, they appear poised for a deep playoff push and NFL Super Bowl aspirations are within their grasp if they navigate various hurdles successfully.
Striking a Balance between Expectations and Concussion Worries
Following their wild-card appearance last season, the Miami Dolphins enter the 2023 season with high expectations and strong optimism. Unfortunately, concerns regarding Tua Tagovailoa’s history of concussions remains an important obstacle. He suffered two concussions (and possibly more) last season alone causing considerable anxiety about his long-term health; should Tagovailoa manage to avoid more injuries, they stand a better chance at challenging for a Super Bowl title.
Defense Reinvented: The Influence of Jalen Ramsey and Vic Fangio
Miami made significant efforts during their offseason to strengthen their defense. Trading for former All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey was an eye-catching move, pairing him with Pro Bowler Xavien Howard to form a formidable cornerback pairing. Furthermore, Vic Fangio’s appointment as defensive coordinator will add strategic play-calling ability that should improve Miami’s performance against their opposition – promising an improvement from their 18th place finish last season.
Miami made one of their riskiest decisions this offseason by opting not to upgrade their backup quarterback position. Given Tagovailoa’s injury history, their reliance on third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson and former Jets backup Mike White seems risky; more experienced options such as Andy Dalton, Taylor Heinicke, or Gardner Minshew could have been pursued instead. Instead, Miami decided to stick with their existing backups; this may present difficulties should Tagovailoa become injured again.
The Dolphins face an uphill climb as they kick off their 2023 campaign with three away games within four weeks of kickoff, beginning against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium and the Patriots on a Sunday Night game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, respectively. Hosting Denver Broncos players who have been revamped as well as Bills who play in Orchard Park, New York add an additional degree of difficulty to Miami’s early schedule.
Emerging Star to Keep an Eye On: LB Jaelan Phillips
Jaelan Phillips is one of the Dolphins’ key edge rushers to watch in 2023. Already boasting 15.5 sacks from two seasons of action, Phillips shows signs of breaking through into double digit sack territory. His athleticism and size make him a disruptive presence on defense; with increased playing time Phillips should make an even larger impactful statement about their defense.
Although not catastrophic, the Dolphins’ offensive line does have weaknesses and potential injury risks. Left tackle Terron Armstead missed 48 games during nine seasons with New Orleans while right tackle Austin Jackson has underperformed at times, further raising concerns for this group of offensive line players.
X-Factor: The Impact of Jalen Ramsey
Jalen Ramsey has become an exciting addition to Vic Fangio’s Dolphins secondary, sparking much anticipation among Dolphins’ fans and league peers alike. While there may be questions over his performance with the Rams in 2022, nobody doubts Ramsey’s great cornerback skills and under his tutelage, Ramsey should become even better and potentially elevate their rank among the league’s best secondary units.
Devon Achane, a rookie running back, should also be kept an eye on. Although competing in an already-crowded backfield alongside Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, Achane has the potential to carve out an impactful role similar to that played by Darren Sproles during his prime years. Fantasy managers should take note of Achane as a fourth option in leagues that value reception-friendly playback.
Given all the risk factors at play, including Tagovailoa’s concussion history and potential legal entanglements regarding Tyreek Hill, it would be prudent to wager under on his passing yards prop. He has yet to surpass this mark during any NFL season – making this bet a safe one given its uncertain outcomes.
The Miami Dolphins enter an extremely important 2023 NFL season with high expectations, tremendous potential, and formidable challenges. Hoping for a deep playoff run while dealing with concerns over starting quarterback Jameis Winston adds intrigue. Jalen Ramsey and Vic Fangio’s influence will play a pivotal role in Miami’s quest for success – they’ll need to help strengthen defense along with potential improvements on offense as the AFC East battle heats up further this year. Miami must step up and seize this momentous occasion to secure playoff spots and make 2023 truly memorable for everyone involved.
