When Head Coach Mike McDaniel was hired, it seemed like almost a given that he would bring his run-heavy scheme from San Francisco with him, but one trade for Tyreek Hill was all it took to change that. Now, I won’t say that McDaniel completely abandoned the run, but it’s hard not to play second fiddle when you have dynamic talents such as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at wide receiver, but 99.2 yards per game ranked 25th last season and that isn’t good enough. 99.2, that was the Miami Dolphins’ yards per game in 2022. The Dolphins finished with 1,686 rushing yards; for perspective, the Chicago Bears, ranked number 1, had 3,014 at 177.3 yards per game. Granted, quarterback Justin Fields accounted for 1,143 of those yards but let’s look at last season’s rushing yards leader in Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs, who finished with 1,653 yards, just 33 yards less than the entire Dolphins team; that’s when things get worrisome.
One game that stood out to me was the second game against the Bills in Buffalo; running back Raheem Mostert had eight carries for 101 yards in the first quarter, 67 of which came on a single run that I still enjoy watching to this day. Mostert finished the game with 17 carries for 136 yards, now it’s easy to assume that the Bills adjusted, but this wasn’t the case; the offense switched to the pass. There’s an old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and that would’ve applied to that game; with a lead in the 4th quarter and with the snow starting to come down, sticking to the run might’ve kept us in position to win.
The offensive line, which we know struggled last season and ranked 23rd according to statmuse.com, could also benefit from running the ball more often. When the offense runs the ball, it prevents the defense from always pinning their ears back and rushing the passer; the opposing defensive linemen and linebackers have to avoid committing to the quarterback and instead hang back and watch the play develop. This could go a long way in helping Tua remain upright.
With the 2023 season on the horizon and the Dolphins keeping their running back room the same, I believe McDaniel, Tua, and the offense could thrive from leaning on the run game a little more. Running the ball takes the pressure off of Tua, sets up the play action, and forces opposing defenses to think twice before committing to a single element. Yes, we all want the splash plays, we want to see Tyreek throw up his hand so Tua can hit him deep in stride, and who doesn’t love a good Waddle in the end zone, but all of these plays become possible with a strong and effective running game.
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