Day 1,400, Quasi-Quarantine: Title Dreams Put On Ice Yet Again For 'Fins As Coaching Comes Under Increased Scrutiny

 

Yet another Dolphins season thudded to a dissatisfying ending, with Miami listlessly wandering through an icy effort in Kansas City. Far too many players looked ready for a warm overcoat and a South Beach vacation, leading to a 19-point loss in which the visitors simply did not compete.

Besides the last month or so ("Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"), it was a fun season. The 'Fins possessed a high-octane attack, Tua Tagovailoa stayed healthy, and the defense turned into one of the league's very best.

However, a litany of injuries struck that "D," knocking out six starters and decimating the depth chart. It got so bad that Miami had to sign three 30-something edge rushers off their couches to round out the roster the week of the playoffs.

While coordinator Vic Fangio was able to pivot and at least give Miami a fighting chance down the stretch despite key losses at every level of his defense, coach Mike McDaniel refused to adjust offensively against quality defenses, hanging his entire team out to dry.

So what does the future hold? 

• The Dolphins could lose all three coordinators (Frank Smith on offense, Fangio, and Danny Crossman, who has presided over arguably the league's worst special teams since he arrived).
• The team will likely need to sign Tua to a long-term extension (the Tua Question is a broader conversation for another day), which will hamstring the ability to retain unrestricted free agents like defensive end Christian Wilkins, center Connor Williams, guard Rob Hunt, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, as well as force difficult decisions on high-salary veterans like cornerback Xavien Howard, linebacker Jerome Baker, and offensive tackle Terron Armstead.
• The salary-cap situation is already disastrous, with Miami projected to be some $50 million OVER.
• Miami has not drafted a quality player in its last two classes outside of running back DeVon Achane (cornerback Kader Kohou and tight end Julian Hill are solid undrafted finds). The lack of potential in-house replacements is death to a team with monumental cap issues.
• Significant questions remain about McDaniel's ability as a head coach based on sketchy clock management, incessant pre-snap penalties, and a worrisome reluctance to tailor his game plan to specific opponents.

In short, it's not a pretty outlook, lending more credence to the sense that the Dolphins' window has closed. 

To be fair, the older I get the more I realize that the Super Bowl champion is usually the healthiest team, which introduces an element of luck that most people around the game don't want to acknowledge. While the 'Fins made a lot of big moves designed around creating their own luck, the reality that it fell short is tempered by the understanding that this conversation is far different minus even a couple of injuries and with a home playoff game on the docket.

Back to the lab ...