The Miami Dolphins are gearing up for their third season under the watch of Brian Flores, an opportunity to take another jump forward and announce themselves as a team that is officially back in the hunt in the AFC. But this Dolphins team is carrying endless sets of expectations from the fan base. Some want to see the team win the AFC East. Others are more concerned with the advancements and development of Tua Tagovailoa.
So what exactly defines a successful season for the Miami Dolphins in 2021? NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ has put their own spin on things and defined success for Miami in 2021.
For season to be a success, the Miami Dolphins must _____. pic.twitter.com/a82GLWPTld
— GMFB (@gmfb) July 21, 2021
‘GMFB’ success template for Miami:
- Beat the Bills and make a statement
- Tua Tagovailoa to “prove them right”
- Keep teams under 20 points scored (7-0 in such games in 2020)
- Make sure the run game performs to stay balanced (finish top half of league)
These are all strong points of emphasis for the Dolphins this season. But at the same time, there’s one missing ingredient from the show’s segment that needs to be included if the Dolphins are going to have a successful season:
- Playoffs
Miami won 10 games last year and has ample youth ready to take a step forward in 2021. That, plus the new faces and additional upgrades to the roster, make the playoffs a realistic expectation for this team and one that must be included to help define success. Granted, if the defense is slammed with injury while Tagovailoa throws for 4,500 yards and Miami goes 9-8 and misses the postseason, there will be plenty of excitement for what 2022 has in store.
But you can’t predict injuries and all 32 teams will deal with them throughout the fall. And so any conversation of success and Miami in 2021 must include an additional game (at least) at the end of the year.