How do the Miami Dolphins stack up with NFL's Final Four?

The Dolphins haven't won a playoff game in their last 22 seasons.

"We were very aware of the drought of winning a playoff game, but that’s something that since I got the job that has been a huge motivating factor for me," first-year head coach Mike McDaniel said after the season-ending loss at Buffalo. "We fell short."

The Dolphins started 8-3 and it looked for all the world like they were ready to compete with the likes of Kansas City, Cincinnati and Buffalo for the AFC crown.

Then, well, the bottom fell out. And yes, Tua Tagovailoa's concussions were the biggest factor.

It was a 1-5 stumble down the stretch and, yes, a competitive playoff loss at Buffalo.

But three years after a total and intentional teardown of the entire roster, is Miami any closer to escaping mediocrity and joining the rare air of NFL elite?

Closer? Yes. Close? Highly debatable.

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Nothing is more important in the NFL than having the right quarterback. And during the recent Bengals-Bills playoff game, CBS analyst Tony Romo suggested that for the next decade, we're going to see Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes deep in the playoffs "over and over and over again."

So ... what about Tua?

Well, concerns about his health, durability and long-term viability as a franchise quarterback will hover over Tua and the franchise. Perhaps that's unless and until he stays healthy through 2023 and leads Miami to a playoff win.

Burrow already has six playoff appearances in two seasons, with a 5-1 record and Super Bowl run.

Allen has playoff wins in three straight seasons and a total of four over four seasons.

Mahomes has at least one playoff win in each of his five seasons, with a 9-3 record and a Super Bowl ring.

Tua? Well, it's a 0-0 playoff mark and a hold-your-breath and wait-and-see future.

Make no mistake, a healthy Tua and more experienced head coach McDaniel can do NFL damage. But how far could this franchise realistically travel as early as next season?

Let's take a look at where Miami ranks compared with the NFL's Final Four — Chiefs, Bengals, Eagles and 49ers — for some clues. It's clear there are some league categories in which Miami must improve to compete.

OFFENSE

Points Per Game

Chiefs (1), Eagles (3), 49ers (6), Bengals (7), Dolphins (11)

Conclusion: Shocker. The best teams in the NFL have high-flying offenses. And very good quarterback play. And good offensive play-callers. If Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy can lead the Eagles and 49ers to a conference championship game, who is to say Tua can never do that? Not me. Unfortunately, there are more top quarterbacks in the AFC. McDaniel had a significant impact on Miami's offense and his second season as a primary play-caller should smooth out some of the play-clock miscues.

Passing Yards Per Play

Chiefs (1), Dolphins (2), Eagles (3), 49ers (4), Bengals (8).

Conclusion: Wow. Look at how important yards per pass play is. And look at where Miami sits among the best teams in the NFL. This is a credit to McDaniel's scheme, Tua's improvement, Jaylen Waddle's improvement and the addition of Tyreek Hill. Waddle led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch. Tyreek Hill trailed only Justin Jefferson with 1,710 receiving yards. Miami's passing attack made massive gains in 2022.

Rushing Yards Per Play

Chiefs (8), 49ers (10), Eagles (13), Dolphins (19), Bengals (29)

Conclusion: The Dolphins averaged fewer than 100 rushing yards per game, one of the worst attacks in the NFL. That Miami was not among the worst in yards per attempt is slightly encouraging. McDaniel knows he must run more and must improve Miami's rushing effectiveness. The Dolphins don't have a single running back under contract for 2023, though bringing back Raheem Mostert and/or Jeff Wilson makes sense. Perhaps key offensive linemen returning to a familiar scheme will help.

Third-Down Offense

Chiefs (2), Bengals (3), Eagles (4), 49ers (6), Dolphins (24)

Conclusion: Big disparity here. What's odd is that Tagovailoa had a high third-down passing completion percentage and Waddle and Hill are deadly on all downs. Miami's inability to convert third-and-short situations is something Miami must improve on next season. The Dolphins could use a reliable tight end or big, physical receiver to make more of a third-down impact.

Red Zone Offense

Chiefs (2), Eagles (3), Bengals (5), Dolphins (10), 49ers (18)

Conclusion: This is another category in which Miami holds its own. Tua is an effective player in red zone situations. McDaniel has a solid red zone plan. It would be awesome if Tua had a bit more mobility but he is a solid red zone decision-maker and as we know he's excellent at ball placement and anticipation. Again, Miami could use a big, strong player to take more reps next season, perhaps Erik Ezukanma.

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed

Chiefs (2), Dolphins (10), 49ers (11), Bengals (17), Eagles (24)

Conclusion: This is encouraging. Dolphins quarterbacks were not, in fact, mauled in 2022. Yes, Tua needs to find ways to better avoid hits. But the addition of Terron Armstead and Connor Williams and the continued progression of right guard Robert Hunt means we should no longer suggest Miami's front is hopeless and terrible.

Giveaways

49ers (3), Bengals (4), Eagles (5), Dolphins (8), Chiefs (17)

Conclusion: Miami had only six fumbles all season, along with 15 interceptions. But overall, they took care of the ball fairly well on offense. On a negative note, Miami was tied for fourth in the league in penalties, which is not a separate category assessed here. But none of the four remaining teams is worse than 19th in team penalties.

DEFENSE

Points Per Game Allowed

49ers (1), Bengals (5), Eagles (7), Chiefs (16), Dolphins (24)

Conclusion: This cost defensive coordinator Josh Boyer his job. The Dolphins regressed. Yes, there were key injuries. But Miami had too much talent to land here. The incoming defensive coordinator should have this unit in the top 12 in scoring defense in 2023.

Passing Yards Per Play

Eagles (1), Chiefs (6), 49ers (11), Dolphins (12), Bengals (15)

Conclusion: This was worse than it looks. Miami couldn't get off the field on third downs, which is why they were 27th in the league in passing yards per game allowed. This is inexcusable. Yes, Xavien Howard played through injury, and Byron Jones could not play at all. Yes, Nik Needham and Brandon Jones were hurt. But Jevon Holland, for example, was not positioned to maximize success.

Rushing Yards Per Play

49ers (2), Dolphins (6), Bengals (9), Chiefs (15), Eagles (24)

Conclusion: Maybe it's more important to be better against the pass than the run in a passing league? The Dolphins' defensive front was stout. Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, Jaelan Phillips and company did an admirable job against the run.

Third Down Defense

Chiefs (13), Eagles (14), 49ers (16), Bengals (20), Dolphins (24)

Conclusion: It's bizarre to me that the best teams in the league aren't at the top of the league in third-down defense. In particular, the Niners, Bengals and Eagles allowed few points despite allowing their fair share of third-down conversions. Regardless, Miami must improve in his area.

Red Zone Defense

49ers (20), Bengals (9), Eagles (11), Dolphins (23), Chiefs (31)

Conclusion: Look, the Dolphins need to be better in third-down defense and in red zone defense. But I guess it's encouraging that, for example, the Bengals may go to the Super Bowl with a terrible red zone defense. Great teams win with great offense, especially passing offense. Great teams, it seems, are also generally good against the pass. What a great team can't be is ranked too low in too many defensive categories.

Sacks Per Pass Attempt

Eagles (1), Chiefs (5), 49ers (14), Dolphins (22), Bengals (29)

Conclusion: Miami needs more sacks and the next coordinator will probably deliver. Sack totals should increase for Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Jerome Baker, Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and so on and so on. This is a potentially ferocious bunch. I'm worried about the Bengals' D against Kansas City with these numbers. How are they fifth in scoring defense but 20th on third down, 31st in red zone and 29th in sacks?

Takeaways

49ers (2), Eagles (4), Bengals (11), Chiefs (20), Dolphins (30)

Conclusion: That's an absolute disgrace that Miami ranked 30th in turnovers. If they had created more turnovers, all of their other statistics would have improved and maybe Boyer finds a path to keep his job. Miami had only eight interceptions and six fumble recoveries the entire season. Miami was -7 in turnover differential for the year. The 49ers, Eagles and Bengals totaled +27.

Joe Schad can be reached at jschad@pbpost.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins vs. Chiefs, Bengals, Eagles and 49ers