The Miami Dolphins enter Week 13 riding high after securing two pivotal victories over the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Commanders (held at the Santiago Bernabeu in Spain). Their upcoming clash with the New Orleans Saints will be decisive in keeping their playoff hopes alive (if there is still hope).
Despite the outcome on Sunday, we have seen a major improvement in the Dolphins' offense, especially in the run game with De’Von Achane as the main weapon. However, we can’t say the same for the WR room.
With Tyreek Hill out of the picture due to his season-ending injury, Jaylen Waddle and Malik Washington have had to take on the role of being Tua’s main aerial threats.
Even with a dip in overall production, Waddle is stepping up and handling his new role as WR1. However, Washington still hasn’t fully taken advantage of the opportunity created by Hill’s absence.
Malik Washington must step up and dominate the WR2 position for the Dolphins
No one could deny that Washington isn’t showing the little sparks of talent we saw in his rookie season.
If you watch his few games last year, you’ll notice that his strength is running shorter, quicker routes. However, he needs to take advantage of Hill's opening by attacking deeper routes to give the offense better production.
Yes, Mike McDaniel’s playbook keeps him in a secondary role for the most part, but the former Virginia and Northwestern receiver still needs to show greater presence in the small opportunities that come his way.
Watching the Dolphins, you could notice Washington struggling with the YAC. He catches the balls Tua throws his way, but they often end up being nothing more than checkdowns when the team needs him to use his speed to gain more yards.
On top of a playbook that doesn’t showcase his strengths, it’s clear that Tua prefers targeting Waddle or Achane over Washington. For him to change that narrative, he needs to assert himself and become a more reliable target. How can he do that?
Firstly, he needs to win the physical 1v1 duels and gain a gap between himself and the rival to catch the ball with ease. That separation will allow him to win more yards after the catch, producing a major advance for the offense.
Secondly, Washington must diversify his route tree. An effective WR2 excels not only in short routes but also dominates the intermediate range.
While Washington has already mastered the short game, he now needs to develop his ability to attack deeper routes, providing Tua with another reliable option downfield, especially when Achane is also running short patterns.
Malik Washington can become that second wide receiver the Miami Dolphins need; he just needs to prove it.