The Miami Dolphins surprised a lot of people last season, winning ten games and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2008. This year, however, with the health of quarterback Ryan Tannehill now in question and one of the tougher schedules in the NFL, things could be a whole lot harder for the Dolphins. Until it’s known for sure just how much time Tannehill will miss after suffering a knee injury in training camp on Thursday, it’s unclear whether 7.5 wins are achievable for the Dolphins this year.
Miami Dolphins Opening Futures Odds at BookMaker.eu
Dolphins Over 7.5 Wins -125
Dolphins Under 7.5 Wins +105
2017 Miami Dolphins Offense Preview
The loss of Tannehill is huge. There’s no overstating this. The 29-year-old is reportedly seeking a second opinion to confirm whether or not the non-contact injury he suffered to his knee will require surgery. If it does, that could mean the end of the season for the sixth-year quarterback, but even without surgery he could miss a significant amount of time. Tannehill originally injured his knee last December against Arizona.
This leaves Miami with very little time to come up with a viable replacement for Tannehill before the home opener on September 10. And, it leaves that replacement with very little time to learn the offense. Backup Matt Moore would be the most obvious candidate but there are also rumors about former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler possibly delaying retirement if Miami is interested or Colin Kaepernick getting a shot at the job.
The Dolphins do have one of the best receivers in the game in Jarvis Landry. He had more than 1,000 yards receiving last season and should be just as productive in 2017, assuming Miami comes up with a suitable option at quarterback. Jay Ajayi will return as the top running back from. The former fourth-round pick surprised everybody last year, emerging as the top back and rushing for 1,272 yards on 260 carries. There is some talent on this offense, but nothing matters if the Dolphins don’t have a quarterback.
2017 Dolphins Defense Preview
The Dolphins have a new defensive coordinator this year in Matt Burke and he will look to revive a unit that finished 29th in the NFL for total defense in 2016. There is Pro Bowl level talent on the line in Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake, but they can’t do it alone.
The addition of linebacker Lawrence Timmons should help improve an area of the defense that was cause for concern last year. Timmons is a proven talent and, along with Kiko Alonso, will be leaned upon heavily this season.
The secondary needs to play well or else Miami will have trouble making a return to the postseason.
2017 Miami Dolphins Schedule Analysis
Miami’s schedule doesn’t make this no quarterback thing any easier. The first half of the season is much kinder than the second for the Dolphins, but a Week 4 trip to London could shake things up.
The team opens the season at home against Tampa Bay, a matchup the Miami’s tough running game should fare well in, and then has two more winnable games on the road against the Chargers and the Jets. There is a good chance the Dolphins could start out at 3-0.
Week 4 against the Saints is tricky, however, especially with the early kickoff, so that’s one that could go either way. The schedule gets tougher from there, with Miami facing the Titans, Falcons, Ravens and Raiders in the coming weeks back in the states. Coming out of the bye in Week 11, Miami takes on the Patriots twice in three weeks with the Broncos in-between.
The Final Verdict
Everything is up in the air right now as Dolphins fans await the news on Tannehill and find out who will replace him and for how long. The original diagnosis was not good and that could spell disaster for a team that was already facing an uphill battle this year.
NFL Odds: Miami Dolphins Under 7.5 Wins ( +105 )
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