Miami Dolphins Mid-Season Awards

After playing eight games, the Miami Dolphins are officially half way through their season. Currently sitting at 4-4, the Dolphins find themselves in third place in the AFC East. The Dolphins were able to kick off the season with a bang, starting 3-0, with wins over teams such as the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, the team quickly became cold, losing their next four games. As expected, during the losing streak nothing was going right for the Dolphins; hence the inability to win a football game.

With all the negative media that is currently surrounding the Miami Dolphins due to the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito bullying case, I think it is a great idea to bring some positive energy around this team. That’s why I put together some awards that I would give out to the Dolphins players for their work during the first half of the season. Hope everyone enjoys!

Most Valuable Player: Dmitri Patterson

After going through the entire 53 man roster and looking at the statistics, it was really hard for me to make my decision in picking a MVP for the Dolphins. I ended up settling on Dmitri Patterson for a couple of reasons. Number one, most importantly is the impact that he has on the defensive side of the ball. Patterson is tied for first in the National Football League with four interceptions. The unfortunate and incredible thing about this stat is the fact that Patterson really hasn’t played that much this season. In eight games he has only played a total of 12 quarters. He has been sidelined with a groin injury for the most part of the season.

Patterson is by far the best cornerback on the Dolphins. He has filled in Sean Smith’s role very nicely. It is imperative that he can remain healthy for the rest of the season. The Dolphins really need him out there. Without him on the field, the secondary isn’t as good and it clearly shows.

Offensive Player of the Year: Brandon Gibson

This is an easy one for me. Brandon Gibson came over to the Dolphins this past offseason from St. Louis with the hopes of filling in the third receiver position on the Dolphins. Not only has Gibson done that, but he has done it exceptionally well. Over the course of the first half of the season, Gibson and Tannehill really developed a great relationship. Their communication on the field was huge for this offense. Gibson quickly developed into a trustworthy threat for Tannehill in key situations.

Unfortunately, the Dolphins injury bug hit Gibson quite hard. Two weeks ago against the Patriots, Gibson suffered a season ending knee injury. The loss of Gibson is huge. However, it is time for other Dolphin players to step up and fill the role that was left vacant.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dmitri Patterson

Again, this is an easy one for me. When healthy, Patterson has had a huge impact on the defense. He also is tied for the league lead in interceptions and he has only played in 12 quarters! Pretty darn good if you ask me.

Rookie of the Year: Caleb Sturgis

This one goes to Sturgis by default. Let’s be honest, the Dolphins rookie class has been a bust so far. Jamar Taylor and Will Davis have been struggling to stay healthy, Jelani Jenkins is struggling to find playing time, Dion Sims and Mike Gillislee have barely seen the field and Dallas Thomas can’t find the field if his life depended on it. Yes, first round pick Dion Jordan has played, however, he has not been fully utilized and is receiving very little playing time. Therefore, this award has to go to Sturgis. Sturgis hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t been great. He’s just been average.

Most Improved Player: Charles Clay

When Dustin Keller suffered a major knee injury in the preseason, many expected the Dolphins to go out and sign another tight end. They didn’t do that. They stuck with what they had and so far, it hasn’t been so bad. Not many people expected Charles Clay to fill the starting tight end spot the way he has. Clay, who is in his third season in the NFL has 32 catches for 363 yards and three touchdowns. Whatever Clay did in the offseason to prepare himself for this year worked very well.

Most Disappointing Player: The Entire Offensive Line

Wow. This is beyond disappointing. The Dolphins offensive line has been absolutely terrible this season. Throughout their first eight games, they had put themselves on pace to give up the most sacks allowed ever in a single season. Tyson Clabo has done absolutely nothing since signing here, Jonathan Martin left the team and loud mouth Richie Incognito has been suspended indefinitely for his actions against Jonathan Martin. It is a good thing they went out and traded for Bryant McKinnie when they did, because if not, the line could be ten times worse than it already is.

Well, there ya have it folks. These are my half-way awards for the Miami Dolphins players. This team has really been disappointing this season. After a 3-0 start, the team has been 1-4. The good thing is there is still some time left to turn this circus act around. Hopefully they can put all these distractions aside and close out the season on a high note.

Thanks for Reading!