The new NFL season is upon us, and the aim for the Miami Dolphins will be to go one place better than they did last season. The Dolphins failed to make the playoffs by one, they had the best record of any NFL team in the AFC who didn’t make the postseason.
It’s not just fans of the team and players themselves that think this is a possibility either, bookmakers are predicting that the Dolphins will go close again. The NFL odds from Betfair have the Dolphins at just +110 to make the playoffs, which are far lower than what their odds have been for the past few seasons.
The Turning Point
The second half of last season proved to be a turning point in the recent history of the Dolphins, and now it is time to back that up. The emergence of young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the backing he’s received from the team is a big part of why so much optimism surrounds the Dolphins.
He came into the team as the official starter from week eight onwards. During his time, he became just the fifth quarterback since 1970 to win his first three starts and during the nine games he played, the Dolphins went 6-3.
If Tagovailoa repeats that, it will be enough for the Dolphins to make the postseason, but of course, given he now has NFL experience, there is a chance he could take a step forward. A strong start from him could well be enough for the Dolphins to feature heavily amongst the available NFL betting tips, as people begin to realize just how good this youngster can become.
Fans of the franchise have now seen four seasons where they have failed to make the postseason. The first three of those, in particular, were bad, with the team finishing with losing records. Last season gave them hope, though, finishing with a 10-6 record, 2nd in the East division, and just one spot outside of the playoffs.
In many ways, this season could be seen as a big one and one that will go a long way to determining whether Tagovailoa and the Dolphins can become playoff regulars.
With a lot still to learn, just like we saw last year, the Dolphins may continue to lean on their defense until their young quarterback fully understands the playbook and feels comfortable in games. That shouldn’t be an issue for them, the team led the NFL in takeaways last season, and have a very similar defensive core to go to work with again for the new season.
Veteran Kyle Van Noy is the most notable player to leave, but there were questions surrounding his fit in Miami, so his loss may not hit the team too badly.
In time, the offense, and in particular Tua Tagovailoa, will determine how much success this team has in the upcoming season. However, don’t be surprised to see strong defensive play carry them through in the early part, and if that is the case, the low odds on Miami to make the playoffs this season could turn out to be accurate.
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