The 2019 Miami Dolphins boasted one of the most ineffective rushing attacks in recent memory. Yes, some of those issues stemmed from offensive line play and game situations — but at the end of the day there’s little question that the Dolphins’ running back room simply wasn’t good enough either. The Dolphins seem to know it, too — given that they went out this offseason and acquired veteran RBs Jordan Howard and Matt Breida to breath new life into the ground game.
But where does the Dolphins’ overhauled running back room stack up relative to the rest of the NFL? Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller recently stacked up the running back duos from every NFL team to filter out each team’s running back situation.
Miller’s ranking of the Dolphins’ backfield isn’t too gracious, but it’s a hell of a lot better than sitting in dead last. Miller ranks Miami’s duo as the 21st best combo in the league, sandwiched between the Detroit Lions and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Miami’s ranking on Miller’s list is good for 3rd in the AFC East as well; Miami sits comfortably ahead of the Buffalo Bills (25th) in Miller’s assessment.
How did Miller sort the field? He used his own scouting eye and blended it with grades from two separate outlets: Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders.
How high is the ceiling for Miami’s rushing game in 2020? It depends quite frankly on a few variables: the durability of Miami’s backs and the chemistry of the Dolphins’ new-look offensive line. If all goes well, perhaps Miami can find themselves closer to the middle of the pack. And that in itself would feel like a minor miracle after the struggles of 2019. The Dolphins as a team rushed for 1,156 yards on the season and averaged 3.3 yards per carry. Those figures were 32nd and 31st respectively across the NFL — so the good news is it will be hard to go anywhere but up this season!