The Miami Dolphins are aware of the story surrounding this team. Many believe Miami is incapable of defeating strong teams because of their past performances in losses to the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Dolphins need to find a new gear and steer clear of the issues that surfaced in the second half of the previous season if they are to silence the naysayers and reach their goal of being one of the two teams playing in Las Vegas in February.
The rookie sensation was one of the NFL’s biggest playmakers before suffering a knee injury in Miami’s 31-16 win over the New York Giants, which got him placed on injured reserve. The former Texas A&M standout began practicing this week and the hope is that it won’t take him long to pick up where he left off, injecting fear into Miami’s forceful rushing attack, which is averaging 147.9 rushing yards per game and 5.9 yards per attempt. If Achane provides the big plays that have him averaging 12.1 yards per carry and has allowed him to score seven touchdowns in four games, then Miami’s offense will remain one of the NFL’s top performing units
NFL teams typically take advantage of the bye week to reevaluate tactics, rest, and rejuvenate their bodies.
The story of this year’s Miami Dolphins team is well known. The general consensus is that Miami cannot defeat strong teams, based on their previous performances in losses to the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs.
In order to silence the critics and reach their goal of being one of the two teams competing in Las Vegas in February, Mike McDaniel’s team needs to shift gears and steer clear of the problems that showed up in the second half of the previous campaign.
Baker, who has started 79 of the 90 games he’s played for Miami, is having a relatively quiet season in this new scheme. With the exception of his one interception, which he ran back for a touchdown against the Eagles, and the 1.5 sacks he produced against the Giants, his 52 tackles have been quite pedestrian. But the Dolphins are under-utilizing his ability as a blitzer (22.5 career sacks) and sprinkling in a handful of pressure plays with Baker could turn up the volume on Vic Fangio’s defense.
