How much did injuries play into the Miami Dolphins offensive collapse?

Tua Tagovailoa needs everything to go well for him to perform at the top of his game for the Miami Dolphins.

When Tua Tagovailoa had time, he took advantage of the mismatched defensive schemes. He was able to buy a little time when he needed it and he relied on the running game when the passing game wasn't where it should be.

Tagovailoa can't shoulder the entire offense. That isn't a knock on him as a player, it is a fact. Tua needs the players around him to play at a reasonable level and down the stretch, they didn't. Why? Injuries played a big role in the domino effect of Miami's offense.

Tua lacks creativity beyond his second read but it is more than that. Without time, he can't adjust to the quickness of the game and he can't find the outlet receivers when there are defenders in his face.

How does this all fit in with injuries? Tua was healthy all year but those around him were not. Without Tyreek and Jaylen Waddle at times, Mike McDaniel's inexperience showed. His play calling suffered and as a result, the Dolphins offensive line struggled. When that happened, Tua was forced to play a style that he wasn't used to playing. He had to improvise.

It all came full circle because Miami couldn't overcome a lot of those injuries. In a perfect world, the Dolphins wouldn't have to deal with so much at one time but over the last several weeks, it all caught up and there was simply too much inexperience from the players, to the coach, to the quarterback to truly make up for the deficiencies.