Dolphins 2021 grades: Assessing an offense that fell short of preseason expectations
In the days after the Dolphins were officially eliminated from playoff contention in the Week 17 loss to the Tennessee Titans, coaches were hesitant to give season evaluations and grades for players, devoting all their focus to their season finale against the New England Patriots.
With Monday’s surprising firing of Brian Flores, roster evaluations will ultimately be performed by a new head coach and their incoming staff. The Dolphins have already begun the search for their new coach, sending interview requests to five potential candidates.
In the first of a two-part series, the Miami Herald will give out grades to each Dolphins position group for the 2021 NFL season. First is the offense.
Quarterbacks
Grade: B-
The quarterback position is so dependent on various factors around the player and the 2021 season was set to be a vital one for Tua Tagovailoa, his first as the Dolphins’ full-time starter. However, between injuries, insufficient talent around him and lingering Deshaun Watson trade rumors in the first half of the season, it was an at-times trying year for the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Dolphins debuted their new-look offense in a season-opening win over the Patriots but Tagovailoa was knocked out early in the team’s Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills with a rib injury. Tagovailoa missed the next three games and under backup Jacoby Brissett, the Dolphins offense lagged through slow starts and a lack of explosive plays. Tagovailoa returned in Week 5 and played some of his best football during the team’s seven-game winning streak, showcasing his pinpoint accuracy behind an offensive line that was arguably the league’s worst unit this season. Like the entire team, Tagovailoa came crashing down in the loss to the Titans, a performance that rekindled questions about his future in Miami and the many pre-draft concerns that followed him into the NFL.
Running backs
Grade: D+
The Dolphins opted not to invest any high draft capital or significant cap space in the running back position and got their money’s worth during the season. Though the offensive line struggled at times, the unit ranked ninth in ESPN’s run block win rate, suggesting there were more opportunities in the running game than one would think. The Dolphins ranked 30th in rushing yards per game and 31st in yards per attempt. Malcolm Brown was a wash as a free agency pickup and missed most of the season with a quadriceps injury. Of 50 qualified rushers, Myles Gaskin ranked 49th in yards after contact per attempt. It was telling that the Dolphins’ best backs, Duke Johnson and Phillip Lindsay, were midseason pickups and ended the season atop the depth chart.
Wide receivers
Grade: C-
Of all the position groups on the offense, wide receiver was the most disappointing. The highly anticipated trio of Jaylen Waddle, DeVante Parker and Will Fuller didn’t play a single game with Tagovailoa. Fuller finished the season on IR with a mysterious broken finger injury and just four catches after signing a one-year, $10 million deal in the offseason. Parker was limited to 10 games because of nagging injuries. Waddle was the bright spot, setting numerous rookie franchise records and breaking Anquan Boldin’s rookie reception record. But overall, a group that was hyped throughout offseason workouts and training camp fell well short of expectations.
Tight ends
Grade: B
On a team that used more 12 personnel [two tight-end sets] than anyone in the NFL by a wide margin, the tight ends thrived in an otherwise stagnant offense. Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe both set career numbers for receptions and yards and Gesicki came close to breaking franchise records at the tight end position. However, far too often did Gesicki become a bystander in an offense that needed him as a pass catcher. Third-round pick Hunter Long played sparingly and is still an unknown after his rookie season.
Offensive line
Grade: D-
The Dolphins offense was only going to go as far as its young offensive line and a group that features multiple top-100 picks from recent drafts did not develop at the rate it needed to allow the unit to be a respectable offense. The Dolphins used eight different starting combinations throughout the season because of injuries and unsatisfactory performance and the group allowed a league-leading 235 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. The offensive line also ranked 32nd in ESPN’s pass-block win rate, part of the reason the Dolphins had to rely so heavily on a quick passing game.
This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 5:29 PM.
