Dolphins 2023 grades: Handing out marks after another first-round playoff exit

In the second year under head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins’ offense threatened records that had been in place since the days of Dan Marino but sputtered in the final month of the season. Meanwhile, a talented defense hit its stride in the middle of the year but was undercut by too many key injuries.

Miami had hopes of winning the AFC East title for the first time since 2008 and pursuing a conference title. Instead, the Dolphins blew a late division lead, had to settle for a wild-card berth and their season ended in the first round for the second straight year after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here are the Miami Herald’s grades for the Dolphins’ 2023 season.

Offense

▪ Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa achieved his goal of playing in every game for the first time in his career. His availability was rewarded with his best season to date. Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and also threw a career-high 29 touchdowns, as he was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time. However, Tagovailoa struggled in many of the team’s biggest games of the season, especially down the stretch in key matchups with playoff teams. Miami’s season-ending loss to Kansas City only reignited questions about his mobility and arm strength after he looked uncomfortable in frigid conditions against a stout defense. Grade: B+

▪ Running back: The Dolphins ranked sixth in rushing yards and led the league in yards per carry with a career year from Raheem Mostert, who set a franchise record with 18 rushing touchdowns. Rookie De’Von Achane scored 11 touchdowns and established himself as a budding star. Grade: A

▪ Wide receivers: Tyreek Hill was on pace for the league’s first 2,000-yard season before an ankle injury that sidelined him late in the year. Jaylen Waddle recorded his third straight 1,000-yard season but dealt with multiple injuries and went through quiet stretches. Miami didn’t get a ton of contributions from its other wideouts, though. Grade: A

▪ Tight ends: Durham Smythe set a career-high for catches (35) and receiving yards (366) but no tight end caught a touchdown pass this season, as they mainly filled blocking roles. Julian Hill made the team as an undrafted rookie and received playing time for his physical blocking. Grade: C-

▪ Offensive line: The Dolphins used 12 different starting combinations because of injuries but showed improvement under first-year position coach Butch Barry. Miami ranked eighth in ESPN’s run block win rate, defined as how often linemen sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer (the unit ranked 21st in 2022). The Dolphins allowed the fewest pressures in the NFL but that was more a byproduct of Tagovailoa’s quick release. Miami ranked 31st in pass block win rate after ranking 24th in 2022. Grade: B-

Defense

▪ Defensive line: Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler both had career years as pass rushers, recording nine and 10 sacks, respectively. Even Raekwon Davis, known as a run stuffer, had as many pressures (9) in 2023 as he has recorded in his first three seasons (8). Grade: A

▪ Inside linebackers: David Long Jr. got off to a slow start with a new scheme and team but by the end of the year, he was one of the best run defenders at his position. Jerome Baker was also playing well before a sprained MCL sidelined him for four games late in the season and then a dislocated bone in his wrist forced him to miss the wild-card game. Duke Riley filled in well for Baker but Miami’s inside linebackers had issues in coverage at times. Grade: B

▪ Outside linebackers: Each of the Dolphins’ top three pass rushers was having the best seasons of his career until injuries shortened his year. Jaelan Phillips recorded 6.5 sacks but tore his Achilles in Week 12. Bradley Chubb led the team with 11 sacks but tore his Achilles in Week 17. And Andrew Van Ginkel, who effectively served as a starter, recorded a career-high six sacks but injured his foot in Week 18 and couldn’t play in the postseason game. Grade: B+

▪ Cornerbacks: The Dolphins hoped to have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL but Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard only played seven games together. Ramsey missed the first seven games of the season because of a torn meniscus he sustained on the second day of training camp. Howard injured his foot in Week 17 and missed the final two games of the season. Ramsey played at a Pro Bowl level upon his return and Howard improved from a 2022 season that he bemoaned. But nickel back Kader Kohou struggled throughout the year as a frequent target in coverage. Second-round pick Cam Smith only played 20 defensive snaps despite the injuries at the position. Grade: B

▪ Safeties: Jevon Holland was pegged as a breakout star and he had a strong start to the season. But he sprained the MCL in both knees in Week 12 and it lingered for the rest of the year, keeping him out of five of the team’s last seven games. DeShon Elliott was a reliable player in the secondary and Brandon Jones, returning from a 2022 torn ACL, started six games and acquitted himself well in a new role. Grade: B

▪ Specialists: It was a bounce-back season for kicker Jason Sanders, who had his best year since he was named first-team All-Pro in 2020. Sanders made 85.7 percent of his field goal attempts and five of seven from at least 50 yards. But punter Jake Bailey wasn’t a significant upgrade from Thomas Morstead. The addition of Braxton Berrios boosted Miami’s return game a bit but its coverage units were again among the worst in the NFL; the Dolphins were one of three teams to allow two return touchdowns. Grade: C-

▪ Coaching: In his second season as play caller, McDaniel followed through on his promise to run more and introduced multiple wrinkles, including an increase in screen passes and new motions. This helped vault Miami’s offense from 11th in scoring in 2022 to the second in 2023. But McDaniel was out-schemed and similar issues returned in Miami’s biggest games of the season, from communication snafus to a reluctance to run the ball in short-yardage situations.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s new scheme took some time to click with players but when Miami was close to full strength, it was one of the better units in the league.

The Dolphins managed a litany of injuries, particularly on defense, well but the team’s late-season slide and 1-6 record against playoff teams was as much of a reflection of coaching as it was the team’s talent. Grade: B