Miami Dolphins Top 10 Stories of 2022

MIAMI GARDENS ― One of the phrases Dolphins coaches and players have been using in the last few weeks is "unfinished."

How has such-and-such's season gone?

Well, it's "unfinished."

How has the offense, defense or special teams performed?

Well, let's see, as the season is "unfinished."

The Dolphins hope to win at New England on Sunday, the first day of 2023, and would clinch a playoff spot if that happens and the Jets lose at Seattle.

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The Tape Don't LieMiami Dolphins fall to Green Bay Packers, a review

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What a wild roller-coaster ride Mike McDaniel's first season has been.

Three wins. Three losses.

Five wins. Four losses.

Is the Dolphins' season unfinished? No. But this year surely is about to be.

So much to break down. But as the 2022 calendar year is about to come to a close — and it can't come quickly enough for some of us — let's take a quick look back the Top 10 Dolphins stories of the year:

Dolphins hire Mike McDaniel

McDaniel has improved the Dolphins' offense. He's injected Tua Tagovailoa with confidence.

McDaniel has brought a sense of humor and personality and transparency and humility.

He also brought an 8-3 record, though a four-game slide has put the season in jeopardy.

We first saw how different McDaniel was at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he was a media rock star.

Dolphins fires Brian Flores, who sues club

The Dolphins felt Flores didn't work well with others. So they fired him, even though he won 19 games in the previous two seasons.

Flores said race played a role in his dismissal and sued Miami and NFL, alleging discrimination.

Under Flores, the Dolphins improved and had structure, organization and discipline.

Miami's defense performed better than it has in 2022. But its offense was a disaster.

Tua leads NFL in passer rating

Tagovailoa is meeting expectations in 2022, leading the NFL in passer rating, third-down passer rating and fourth-quarter passer rating.

Tua improved his deep ball, became a more assertive leader and learned to relax and let loose a bit more. He's also become a husband and father.

Tua was an MVP candidate before his play leveled off in losses to the Chargers, 49ers and Bills.

Tua sustains at least two concussions

When or will Tagovailoa play again this season? That's unknown.

Tagovailoa has been evaluated for a concussion three times this season and determined to have had at least two.

Durability is always going to be a concern for Tua, drafted 5th overall despite a devastating hip injury at Alabama.

Dolphins trade for Tyreek Hill

Hill has already set the Dolphins' record for receiving yards and is probably already established as the best receiver in club history.

Hill has boosted Tua's confidence and maintained his status as the speediest deep-ball threat in the league.

The decision by general manager Chris Grier to yield 1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th and 6th-round picks was a winner. And Miami is fortunate, too, that Hill said he wanted to play for the Dolphins, not the Jets.

Dolphins lose draft picks for tampering

The Dolphins lost their own first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft as well as a future third-rounder for tampering with Tom Brady.

This is potentially disastrous considering Miami now has no first-round pick next year. Could Miami have used that pick for a backup/developmental quarterback prospect? Perhaps.

Could the Dolphins use a running back, tight end, offensive linemen, linebacker or cornerback? Well, yeah. It's hard to say if the NFL's stiff penalty involved any annoyance in Miami's alleged tanking of the 2019 season.

Byron Jones never takes the field

McDaniel spoke optimistically about Byron playing in Week 1, and he never did.

Jones had offseason surgery on a lower leg and tried to resume running but never felt confidenct in his ability to move following the injury.

The loss of Jones significantly impacted Miami's pass defense this season, despite the emergence of undrafted rookie free agent Kader Kohou. It seems unlikely Jones would have a future in Miami.

Dolphins extend Xavien Howard

The Dolphins gave Howard a 5-year, $90 million contract before this season, but it has not been a good season.

Howard has one interception and has allowed four touchdowns and a passer rating of 101.6 according to Pro Football Reference.

Howard is 29 and the Dolphins can only hope that he rebounds next season. Or perhaps in the final two games of the regular season and the playoffs.

Dolphins sign Terron Armstead

Miami's decision to sign Armstead was critical. Even though Armstead is currently playing with injuries to his pectoral, toe, knee and hip, he's played 13 of 15 possible games.

Armstead is the leader and the anchor of Miami's youthful offensive line. He's a Pro Bowler. He's a strong pass protector and run protector.

The Dolphins' offensive line is entirely different when he's not in the lineup.

Dolphins trade for Bradley Chubb

The Dolphins yielded a 2023 first-round pick to Denver in a deal for Chubb, before giving him a mega-extension.

Chubb is questionable for Sunday with hand and ankle injuries. He has 2.5 sacks in 7 Dolphins games.

Chubb deserves some time to adjust to a new scheme and coaches and teammates. But Miami will absolutely depend upon Chubb to become a dominant force in 2023 and beyond.

Joe Schad can be reached at jschad@pbpost.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins