Why Miami Dolphins fans do not need to love the QB to believe in this team
By Wesley Minke
What better of a veteran guy for Jaelan Phillips to look up to than Emmanuel Ogbah? Let’s try Melvin Ingram.
Melvin Ingram has been a force in this league for quite some time, and he now will get to be picky and choosy when he will impact the game at a big time. He was also one of the biggest factors in pressuring Josh Allen last season which has been the demise of the Miami Dolphins.
However, I think the already stellar defense I mentioned earlier is a big factor in this team’s success. From the big stars in Xavien Howard, Jevon Holland, and Emmanuel Ogbah, to even the bigger role players like Jerome Baker, Brandon Jones, and Christian Wilkins.
This defense has been a big reason why the Miami Dolphins have been so successful, even under the Tua Tagovailoa era. While many hate to hear the truth around the league, Tua Tagovailoa has a better record than Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, and Jalen Hurts.
So for those that say Tua Tagovailoa cannot win you games, that simply, through stats is not true. Tua Tagovailoa has always been a part of winning teams and that has continued into the NFL. His supporting cast has not been nearly as good as the other QBs from his draft class, but he still finds a way to win with it.
The defense, which seemingly was Brian Flores’s pride and joy, has always been good enough to win games alongside a good game manager. However, there is so much more to be excited about with this defense after some development.
Jaelan Phillips last season: 42 tackles, 9 TFLs, 16 QB hits, 26 pressures, 10 hurries, 6 QB knockdowns and 8.5 sacks (10 individual sacks)
— Tagovailoa's witness (@miami_ry) June 28, 2022
He did this while only playing 54% of Dolphins defensive snaps and also taking coverage snaps.
Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland are going to be ballers in this league for a very long time. Xavien Howard and Byron Jones are already a top 3 corner duo in the NFL. Jerome Baker and Channing Tindall have the capability to be one of the fastest and most physical LB duo in the NFL.
With all that being said, the offense might not be great right away, and you may not love Tua Tagovailoa, but there is still way too much to believe in for the 2022 Miami Dolphins roster.