Miami Dolphins' Struggles On Display After Preseason Wk 1

Nothing matters in the preseason and nothing to take seriously unless your division will be one of the toughest in football. The Miami Dolphins will face their toughest season in a long while going into 2023. Not only has the entire division made a turnaround, but it’s loaded with talent so wins won’t come easy. After the first preseason game of 2023, Dolphins fans should be a bit concerned.

It seems like every problem they had going into the offseason, they still have. Sure they’ve picked up a handful of upgrades but have they made improvements as a whole? As far as a backup quarterback, neither Skylar Thompson nor Mike White made it seem like they’d be ready in a pinch. Thompson and White had semi-respectable games but totaled 3 INTs between the two of them. Without a great backup, Miami is still in the same position relying on Tua Tagovailoa to stay healthy in 2023.

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Thompson got the start and took on 4 sacks and White added another one. While the Dolphins only started two linemen from their starting unit, allowing 5 sacks is still nothing to shake off. The team hasn’t had a solid offensive line in the past few seasons, and it was also ugly this game. When are the Miami Dolphins going to stop relying on the strength of their starters and find backups that can slide in? If Miami is relying on Tua’s health, not much of this offensive line was reassuring.

Running the ball was hit and miss. Myles Gaskin led the charge with 57 yards on 8 carries but after that it was inconsistent. While rookie De’Von Achane was great in the passing game, that reveals the problem. If Miami can’t get another running back involved in rushing and if they can’t disguise when it’s a pass then their offense will become predictable.

Sure, it might just be the first preseason game. Mike McDaniel will have some tricks up his sleeve. The starters will bring some explosiveness and the plays will be less scripted. Unfortunately, that’s not going to be great come the playoff push. NFL teams don’t win on the strength of their starters alone. Miami will have to have the deeper half of their roster step up plain and simple. If not, expect the same results as last season.