The Miami Dolphins 2016 season ended Sunday abruptly as they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-12 in the AFC Wild-Card Game. Now that their season is over, let’s look at the good, bad and the future of the Dolphins.
What went right
After finishing 6-10 in 2015, the Dolphins qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with a 10-6 record this season. In his first year as head coach, Adam Gase took a team that began the season 1-4 and made them into a playoff contender in a short amount of time as the Dolphins won nine out of their last 11 games to end the regular season.
The two biggest reasons for the team’s turnaround is the play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill and team MVP Jay Ajayi.
After getting off to a rough start in the Dolphins first five games, Ryan Tannehill played some of his best football before spraining his ACL and MCL on December 11. In his final eight games, Tannehill threw for 1,723 yards, 13 touchdowns against five interceptions.
After he was inactive in Week 1 due to his unhappiness of not being a starter, Ajayi could have just given up on the 2016 season, but he continued to work hard. Ajayi eventually became the Dolphins starting running back and had one of the best stretches in NFL history as he rushed for over 200 yards three times this season joining Tiki Barber (2005, New York Giants) Earl Campbell (1980, Houston) and O.J. Simpson (1973, Buffalo Bills) as the only running backs to accomplish that feat.
It all began when Ajayi rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. He would also rush for over 200 yards in both meetings against the Buffalo Bills as well. Ajayi finished the season with 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns and was named a Pro Bowl Alternate.
After suffering an Achilles injury in 2015, defensive end Cameron Wake had one of the finest seasons of his career as finished with 11.5 sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh also was named to the Pro Bowl after recording 72 tackles and five sacks.
Most people projected the Dolphins to win anywhere to six to eight games in 2016, but they won 10. With another year under Gase and another draft class, the future is finally bright in Miami, as they could become a playoff fixture in the years to come.
What went wrong
Injuries plagued the Dolphins the entire season as safeties Reshad Jones (shoulder) and Isa Abdul-Quddus (neck), center Mike Pouncey (hip), tight end Jordan Cameron (concussion), linebacker Koa Misi (neck) all ended the season on injured reserve. Cornerback Byron Maxwell also missed the team’s last three games due to an ankle injury.
Linebacker Jelani Jenkins and Kiko Alonso also suffered injuries that had a significant impact on the team.
Miami finished with one of the worse rushing defenses in the league as they gave up and an average of 140.4 yards on the ground. Their rushing defense would ultimately be their downfall in their playoff loss to the Steelers as Le’Veon Bell ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.
MVP: Jay Ajayi, 1,272 yards, eight touchdowns on 260 carries. Ajayi was the engine that made the Dolphins offense go in 2016. Without his production, Miami likely wouldn’t have made the playoffs this season.
LVP (Least Valuable Player): Mario Williams, Williams was a complete bust this season as he finished with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. It is unlikely Williams will be back with the Dolphins and it is possibly he has played his last game in the league.
Most Underrated Player: Andre Branch, Branch became a starter in Week 6 and he delivered in a major way as he recorded 1.5 sacks against the Steelers in their 30-15 upset victory in the game that began the turnaround for the Dolphins. Branch would finish the season with 49 tackles, 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. Branch will be a free agent on March 9 and the Dolphins must decide if they will re-sign the defensive end or replace him through either free agency or the draft.
Gameplan heading into offseason
Despite making the playoffs, the Dolphins must shore up a ton of areas before next season. Their biggest need could be at linebacker.
Other than Alonso, the Dolphins don’t have a playmaking linebacker on their roster. They will also need to find a way to keep Alonso, who is a restricted free agent. Miami will likely move on from Jelani Jenkins, who is a free agent and Koa Misi.
Laremy Tunsil, Mike Pouncey and Ju’Wuan James will be back next season, but the Dolphins could move on from left tackle Branden Albert to gain more cap space. Even if Albert is back in 2017, the Dolphins need to find to find a starter at right guard. Also, the team may need to find a young center in the draft since Pouncey hasn’t played a full 16-game season since his second season in the league.
Kenny Stills, who caught 42 passes for 726 yards and nine touchdowns will be a free agent on March 9. Stills averaged 17.3 yards per reception, which was third in the league in average per reception, could command a lot of money on the open market.
In his exit interview, Stills appeared like he wanted to return to Miami in 2017, but if someone outbids the Dolphins, he could be playing elsewhere next season.
Miami needs a playmaking tight end. Jordan Cameron isn’t expected to return to the team next season and Dion Sims is an unrestricted free agent. MarQueis Gray was signed to a contract extension, but he is likely the team’s backup tight end in 2017.
With the Dolphins losing on Sunday, they will pick 22nd in the 2017 NFL Draft. While they’re not likely to select a guard in the first round, linebacker, tight end or a player on the defensive line could be the direction the Dolphins in early on April 27.
Twitter: @antwanstaley
