Week 1 of the 2023-24 NFL season has concluded and it is with great pleasure that I announce that through one week, the Miami Dolphins may be the best team in football. Is it too early to assess? Of course it is. Do I care? Not one bit! The expectations placed upon this team were on full display last weekend, as the Dolphins offense was as close to unstoppable as you can get. Now for the fun part, let’s talk Tua.
Did you see this man? My quarterback? The dude with the “noodle arm”? When you refer to my quarterback, don’t forget to address him by his real name, HIM. I still can’t fully grasp what I saw Sunday. Tua Tagovailoa went into Los Angeles and torched the Chargers “top tier defense” for 466 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX PASSING YARDS.
Okay time to calm down, I’m doing that thing again where I start to talk myself into a Super Bowl. But there was a lot to be excited about in week one from the Dolphins. One of my favorite stats from Sunday was that Tua was blitzed 17 times on drop backs by the Chargers on Sunday, which was more than he was blitzed in any single game last season. Against the blitz, Tua was 11/17, 148 yards, 53% success rate. The best part? ZERO sacks of the Dolphins quarterback. I don’t know whether to faint or cry or scream, maybe all three, who knows. The offensive line was and probably still is the biggest question mark on this team, but if they continue to play at that level? Tua may be able to remain healthy (emphasis on may be) and continue to take this team to new heights.
Now, let’s talk about The Cheetah. Towards the beginning of the game, Tyreek Hill was seen holding his lower back and walking somewhat gingerly to the sideline. At that moment, I had lost all hope… Only for him to come back into the game and finish with 11 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns. In all of NFL history, there have been three instances where and player has had a game including 10+ catches, 200+ yards, and two touchdowns. Would you like to see the full list? It was Tyreek Hill all three times. I truly have never seen someone so unguardable in my entire life. Hill ran 21 routes vs single coverage in week one. He recorded:
- 10 targets
- 6 catches
- 151 yards
- 2 TDs
The best thing the Miami Dolphins could’ve done for their young quarterback’s career was trading for Hill.
Now, not all was good in Dolphinland in week one. One of the biggest offseason acquisitions was defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who has been labeled one of the greatest defensive minds in football. Well, the Dolphins defense did not get off to such a hot start, giving up 34 points and 234 rushing yards. I would like to hope that as the season progresses this issue gets addressed, but it is surely something to keep an eye on. With players like Jaelen Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Christian Wilkins, and Zach Sieler, running the ball for opposing teams should be somewhat of a nightmare. The defense did however step up on the final drive of the game, sealing the win with two beautiful sacks of Justin Herbert. So the defense is something we wait to see, while the offense is just as elite as you can get in this league.
The Dolphins enter week two against the New England Patriots and legendary coach Bill Belichick. Tua is a spotless 4-0 in his career versus the Patriots, and looks to make it 5-0 on Sunday Night. New England’s defense is their strength, so let’s hope Miami’s offensive line can hold up and protect their play caller like they did against the Chargers. If they can, I’d expect another big game from Tua and look forward to celebrating a 2-0 record in this young season.
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