Through the first four weeks of the 2024 NFL season, the Miami Dolphins are just 1-3. After a blowout loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night, the Dolphins have dropped three straight.
Their offense, without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, has been incapable of moving the ball. The Dolphins rank 26th in yards and 32nd in points so far this season; they have totaled fewer yards in each successive game, have just four offensive touchdowns and are now using a fourth-string quarterback who was not on the team until two weeks ago.
It’s a far cry from the 2023 offense that led the NFL in yards and ranked second in points, scoring on 43.5% of its drives (third in the NFL). Of course, that’s more likely to happen when you’re without your starting quarterback. Still, head coach Mike McDaniel has been considered one of the league’s best offensive designers, and he is not used to seeing his unit struggle the way it has these past few weeks.
“Everything’s on the table,” McDaniel said regarding how to fix the offense’s issues, via the Miami Herald. “You can’t argue that the offense is good. To me, in a situation like this — I haven’t really been in one where you haven’t really had production consecutively like this so you have to be open, in your mind, to all things.”
The Dolphins haven’t been able to get De’Von Achane into open space, as the explosive running back is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle each have only 17 receptions, for a total of just 429 yards between them across the first four contests. None of the quarterbacks who has filled in for Tagovailoa (Tim Boyle, Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley) has thrown either a touchdown or an interception, none of them has exceeded 6.1 yards per attempt and they have each taken sacks on at least 7% of their dropbacks.
Even Tagovailoa was just 40 of 62 for 483 yards, two touchdowns and three picks before suffering his latest concussion. We have no idea when he’ll be back, so McDaniel is going to have to change some things to get this group going.
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