MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The 2023 Miami Dolphins offense was more fun.
But the 2024 Miami Dolphins offense is more sustainable — particularly when the games count the most.
After Week 11’s 34-19 Dolphins victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, there’s enough data to say with conviction that this is a different — and probably better — version of Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Ball-Control Miami Dolphins Offense Smokes Raiders
The Dolphins since Tua Tagovailoa has returned from injured reserve have been as efficient as they have at any point in McDaniel’s time in Miami.
They have scored on nine straight possessions that weren’t end-of-half situations. And unlike in 2023, when they were overly reliant on big plays, they have become a ball-control offense that moves the chains with elite third-down proficiency.
The Dolphins on Sunday converted 8 of 12 third-down tries and both of their fourth-down attempts.
That allowed them to string together a 16-play field goal drive, two 14-play touchdown drives, and one 10-play touchdown drive. Three different possessions took up more than half of a quarter.
And they did it with just three plays of 20 or more yards (although in fairness, one of those three was a 57-yard touchdown pass from Tua to Jonnu Smith on a busted coverage to put the game away).
Jonnu Smith WIDE OPEN for the 57-yard TD!
📺: #LVvsMIA on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/VMOXPnzMzM— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Miami had nearly a seven-minute edge in time of possession despite throwing the ball 36 times.
Put another way: The Dolphins are a ball-control, power-running team that often uses short passes as runs.
That’s an approach that is way more effective when the weather turns bad than what they lived and died with in 2022 and 2023, when McDaniel’s offense was far too often big-play-or-bust.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Improved Efficiency
The Dolphins had just 60 drives of 10 or more plays last year despite having Tagovailoa on the field for all 17 games.
This year, they already have 37 10+ play drives despite Tua missing effectively half the season with his fourth diagnosed concussion.
“It has been a focus of ours in anticipation of how guys were going to defend us and then as we’ve gone through the season, adjusting to how defenses have adjusted to us, and I think that’s a lot of hours of practice, meeting room,” McDaniel said Sunday after the Dolphins improved to 4-6 on the year.
“That’s what comes to mind, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff, starting with (offensive coordinator) Frank Smith, but all the position coaches being connected with the players and really focusing on fundamentals and technique to improve our game.
“The idea is if the whole orchestration of your offense is right, it shouldn’t matter who you go against or what they decide to do. So a lot of execution, a lot of people making plays, and a lot of fundamentals and detail that go into that earned productivity.”
Mike McDaniel on the Dolphins becoming one of the league’s better ball control teams pic.twitter.com/rSMqRcp92m
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) November 17, 2024
It’s been an evolution born out of necessity.
The Dolphins’ offense disappeared down the stretch last year when opposing defenses almost exclusively used two-deep safety coverages to limit the home run plays. McDaniel had no answer when teams took away Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
That’s why the addition of Smith in free agency was so important. The Dolphins now have a Cover-2 buster — and a quarterback in Tagovailoa skilled enough to convert on manageable third downs.
Teams have dared the Dolphins to beat them with Smith and running back De’Von Achane. The last two weeks, the Dolphins have proved that they are OK with that proposition.
Achane totaled 73 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
As for Smith? A career-high 101 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six catches.
His 11 receiving first downs lead the Dolphins and ranked 17th among all players entering the 4 p.m. window
Smith has caught 13 of 16 targets for 131 yards on third and fourth downs this year. Hill, meanwhile, has caught just 12 of 26 targets for 125 yards and nine receiving first downs.
2024 vs. 2023
The Dolphins rank eighth in time of possession (31:24) and ninth in third-down efficiency (42.6%) despite playing without Tua for four-plus games.
That compares favorably to the 2023 Dolphins, who were 15th in TOP (30:10) and seventh on third downs (42.1%) when they led the NFL in total offense (401.3) and ranked second in scoring (29.2).
The Dolphins in 2023 had 76 plays of 20 or more yards and 20 that went for at least 40.
In 2024, they have just 24 20+ yard plays, including four of 40 or more.
“I think what’s been different with the quarterback play is now not trying to force things down the field if it’s not there,” Tagovailoa said postgame.
“Taking the checkdowns, allowing our runners in space to go get first downs. Hopefully they can break a tackle and you can use that also as essentially a run play if you look at it in that sense. And we like our matchups with our guys in space, so that’s what I would attest to today’s performance for us offensively.”