Miami Dolphins have offensive weapons but several things could hurt them

The Miami Dolphins are loaded with offensive talent at the skill positions and while many on social media outlets ask who can stop this train, the answer is quite easy.

Stopping the Dolphins offense is going to be difficult if it all gels. Let’s look at the offensive weapons that Miami has and then we will look at what could derail the unit in 2021.

• Myles Gaskin
• DeVante Parker
• Will Fuller
• Jaylen Waddle
• Jakeem Grant
• Albert Wilson
• Preston Williams
• Mack Hollins
• Mike Gesicki
• Hunter Long
• Durham Smythe
• Adam Shaheen
• Tua Tagovailoa

The first thing that stands out is the sheer speed of most of these players. Grant, Fuller, Wilson, and Waddle are top speed performers who can rip a defense apart. Parker and Williams are your big body physical receivers and of course, Mike Gesicki is becoming a lot harder to cover.

Add them all together and put them on the field at the same time, add some motion, and the run-pass-option, and it is a legit question. How do you stop it? How can you cover a set with Fuller/Parker/Waddle/Gesicki/Gaskin? Most teams have one good corner and/or safety but to have so many that you can keep up with the speed is going to be tough.

This all being said, there are a few things that can send this unit packing.

Injuries

On paper, this is an elite offensive unit but Parker, Fuller, and Williams can’t be counted on for a full year or a string of consecutive games. Tua is over his injury but one wrong hit and Miami is turning to Jacoby Brissett.

Injuries happen and there is little you can do about them but the nagging injuries and soft tissue injuries are the ones that hurt the most because those are the week-to-week injuries you can do nothing about, but still have to wait for.

Tua Tagovailoa

The media will either be right or they will be bitterly wrong about what Tua can and will bring to the Dolphins this year. If Tagovailoa is average, the weapons will be used in an average way. Tua has to be better than that. He has to be proactive in getting them on the same page and making sure that he has his timing down with them. This team is not built to be a run-first offense and the running game will only work if the passing game is working.

The Dolphins can have as much talent on their roster as they want but if Tagovailoa can’t hit them, it won’t matter.

Playcalling

Miami’s two-headed approach to the offensive coordinator job is going to be interesting to watch. Who calls the plays, who designs the game plans, who swaps the players? All of these are questions we do not know yet. Will they be sitting next to each other in the coaches’ booth or will they split one high and one low?

What we do know is that the offense can not be overly conservative. They have to be aggressive and that can eliminate some of the faults within the offense and mask some of the weaknesses. More importantly, they can’t coddle Tua. It’s time for him to grow into his role with the team and become their leader and the team will not rally behind him if the offense is scaled down because he can’t handle the full playbook.

The offensive line

Finally, the offensive line is the bigger question of the three. Miami’s line has struggled but if they can figure it out and get it together they will give Tagovailoa time to throw and Gaskin holes to run through. If they can’t, this offense will spin its wheels.

The line play is by far the most important part of this system because if it doesn’t work, it won’t matter who is injured or how poorly Tagovailoa plays.