With our Miami Dolphins on their bye week this week, I asked the following question;
What is your biggest surprise of the season as it applies to your Miami Dolphins to this point? This can be a good or
happy surprise, or an unwelcome surprise. Pretty much anything that you did not see coming before this mostly ugly season began.
Below are some of your thoughts and answers-
Luvs2drnk gave us both sides of the coin.
I’ll give a good and bad surprise.
Good: McD getting play calls in quicker giving Tua more time to actually read the defense and finally sticking to the run game.
Bad: The defense in the first half of the season, and has anyone seen or heard from Chop Robinson? I’m starting to think we should have trade him instead of Phillips.
Bill Moody is just scarred by how it all started.
How ineffective the D-Line was out of the gate, and how unprepared the team looked, and how poorly the team played in Indy week 1.
PA phinphan was likewise shaken by the defense at the start of the season, which has since made a huge turnaround.
My biggest surprise is just how bad the defense looked in the beginning of the season. I expected them to be able to do more than they did. Lately, they are playing much better.
Although, I could say the same for the entire team.
SlayerNation1 would have lost the same bet that a lot of us would have.
Grier gone before McDaniel.
I would have lost that wager.
Otherwise, no huge surprises.
SuperG! is surprised by the cobbled-together secondary.
My biggest surprise is the CB group is actually decent. I thought as a collective they were a liability going into the season and they are surprisingly good. Even more surprising is them doing that despite being the most injured position group on the team with 6 players getting IR’d.
phinette23 recognizes that Tua is now scared of his own shadow.
Tua’s PTSD is much worse than I anticipated. He goes into the duck and cover drill when any defensive player is within 10 yards of him. This is no way to operate an offense. I know we’re stuck with him in 2026 because of obvious cap issues, but that doesn’t mean he has to be QB1.
Yarganaught has a list, including how we were all sold on how the defensive front would be the story, and they were, but for all the wrong reasons.
1) Defense – People were talking about Weaver being HC material. People were talking about how dominant our D-line was going to be. How even with a less-than-stellar backfield, it wouldn’t matter because QBs would be running scared and sacked.
2) Tua – He’s regressed, has PTSD, or something. I wondered if that mystery hip injury that kept him sidelined towards the end of last season would be an issue… I think it was. He’s improved somewhat, but mainly because MMD is putting the ball into Achane’s hands.
3) MMD – I was certain the team had abandoned him… Apparently they still want to play hard for him. He has improved a bit as a play caller and game manager, but still has a ways to go regarding halftime adjustment. New offense alignments are either “growth” or “desperation” because Hill is gone… not sure which.
4) Achane – I knew he was good… But he keeps bringing it week after week. When others might have called it a season, he kept playing hard. I’m proud of him.
USMCFinzFreak was surprised but pleased.
My biggest surprise (in a good way) was Grier, and the Dolphins parted ways.
finfanfromsiam is surprised that Achane is still able to go out there and do his magic.
Biggest surprise: McD hasnt ran Achane onto IR yet!!
Alpha6 is all in on our center, who has played awesome.
What is your biggest surprise of the season as it applies to your Miami Dolphins to this point?
Singularly: C. Aaron Brewer
As team units: the development of the run game & development of the bend-don’t-break Defense.
Honorable Mention: the Special Teams unit.
TheRoo1 is just surprised that Mike has managed to stick around.
I honestly expected McD to be gone this week.
I had hoped for, but not expected Grier to be gone.
The team ending 7=10 or 8=9 was totally expected, and still in easy range,,,,, Mediocrity forever!!!!!
Well, that’s our selection of answers for this evening. Thank you to each of you who took the time to participate in our PQOTD post. Please be sure to join us again tomorrow for the live games thread during our Miami Dolphins bye week.
