Another season filled with hope, promise, and potential comes crashing down in epic proportion. Dolphins finished with 11 wins for the first time since 2008, had a three-game lead in the division with five games left and clinched a playoff berth in week 15. This season finished eerily similar to the last two seasons. When you look back, Miami had an 8-3 record before they collapsed in 2021, and last year, the team collapsed after a 9-3 start.

Yet this season felt different somehow. But, in the end, we may have been catfished again. For those unfamiliar with the term “catfish,” it is to be someone different, to trick or attract other people. Several times, the team failed to change the narrative, whether it was “beat a team with a winning record” or “win bad weather games,” yet those all remained the same. The NFL season is a long journey, and the Dolphins continue to repeat history in fizzing out right when playoff football is around the corner.

Take a look back; there were multiple times when fans and even the nation thought this franchise was taking a significant turn. Mike McDaniel’s offense was so electric it drew comparisons to some of the best offenses in football history. It seemed that way until the injury bug came along, and the skid of bad performances started turning into bad losses.

Offensively, this team achieved accolades that were a first in this franchise’s history. They scored the most points in a single game in team history, the second most in NFL history when they defeated the Broncos 70-20. For the first time, Miami had two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa put himself among the top three QBs in franchise history after finishing with the passing yard title (4,624 yards), among the best in passer rating, and was named Pro-Bowl starter. The offense made significant strides for most of the season but took a hit after losing Robert Hunt and, most importantly, center Connor Williams. His absence showed exactly how valuable he is to this offense. Before his injury, he was rated the no. 1 center according to Pro Football Focus.

What led to another collapse?

When you look back, think, “Where did this team go wrong?” The first game that comes to mind is the Titans game. A game that will be stuck in Miami fan’s memory for the foreseeable future. For so many reasons, that game hurt our season. If Miami had won that game, that momentum could’ve led to a much stronger finish and possibly a division title. That win would’ve led to an easier path in the playoffs and, with help from others, could’ve eliminated the Buffalo Bills.

With all the success we saw offensively, it seemed that Miami’s speedy attack was getting figured out. Teams started making adjustments such as taking away the middle of the field, surprise blitz packages, and forcing Tua to make off-timing throws. This offense is all about timing and rhythm and will be something the team needs to try and fix this off-season so the team can readjust when needed. Six second-half points during those final three games is unacceptable and baffling when you think about where this offense was in the first half of the year.

The Special teams unit was mediocre all season, and you can expect to see coordinator Rex Crossman be one of the departures we see this off-season. The defense never really collapsed and held their own in most games when they were asked to do more with less. Moving forward, you have to wonder if Fangio will remain the DC with how strict and scheme-oriented his defense is. He is a bit “old school” when it comes to the way he handles things. He will play players based on their knowledge of the scheme rather than getting the most of the players on the roster. At times, it seemed like Jalen Ramsey was unhappy with his role, and during media sessions, second-round rookie CB Cam Smith saw little to no action, Nik Needham never saw the field, and linebacker Channing Tindall is still a mystery. With all that being said, it led to seeing way more Eli Apple action than any fan would have ever hoped for.

Overall and in conclusion, we can go on for days about what went wrong during this final stretch. Head Coach Mike McDaniel had several moments in numerous games where he didn’t put this team in the best position to win. His obsession with getting Tyreek Hill the ball became extremely noticeable and had players looking like a shell of themselves, including Jaylen Waddle, even though he finished with 1,000 receiving yards. This upcoming season needs to be better, and it should be. Considering McDaniel is still a young HC and is still learning to master the art of calling an entire game.

This off-season will be very interesting with the amount of players becoming free agents and looking for an extension. None will be more important than the decision that will be made at the quarterback position with Tua Tagovailoa. Other big names include Christian Wilkins, Rober Hunt, Connor Williams, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Rekwon Davis. There will be some cuts and trades as well to relieve some cap space, and you have to wonder if we have seen the last of Xavien Howard in Miami.

Miami is projected to be $40 million over the cap, so buckle up for what is going to be a major offseason for the Miami Dolphins.