Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins had their best season in many years during the 2023 campaign. While they had their share of deficiencies, they finished 11-6, their best record since 2008, and they made the playoffs for only the fourth time in the last 20 years.
The Dolphins still have lots of room for improvement. Their defense was as porous as a leaky roof during a monsoon, and they really struggled to defeat opponents that had a winning record.
But their offense was just about as good as it gets. Miami finished the season ranked second in points and first in passing yards, total yards and rushing touchdowns. Hill—the Dolphins’ No. 1 wide receiver—led the way with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns, both of which led the NFL, and had it not been for an ankle injury that slowed him down in December, he may have broken the mythical 2,000-yard barrier.
Hill talked about Miami taking the next step this coming season, which in his mind is winning a playoff game, while praising its fast-paced offense and calling teammate Tua Tagovailoa “one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”
Can the Dolphins break their long playoff drought?
Playoff success and the Dolphins haven’t gone together in the same sentence since baggy jeans were in style and Bill Clinton was in the White House.
Miami hasn’t won a single playoff game since the 2000 season, and it hasn’t gotten to the AFC Championship Game since the 1992 campaign, back when legendary QB Dan Marino was still in his prime.
But the Dolphins do have the tools to finally notch a postseason win, even if some holes remain, particularly on defense. Hill and Jaylen Waddle make up one of the game’s deadliest and flat-out best wide receiver tandems, while veteran Raheem Mostert and explosive young stud De’Von Achane give them an excellent tag-team duo at running back.
The departure of four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills could give the Fins just enough of an opening to finish first in the AFC East, which would guarantee them a playoff berth and possibly give them home-field advantage for at least one game there.
Should Miami get to the postseason, Tyreek Hill’s experience winning the Super Bowl championship with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 will come in handy, especially for his young teammates. On the other hand, he had a quiet five catches for 62 yards in last season’s playoffs against the Chiefs as they destroyed Miami 26-7.
But overall, things are looking up for Miami for the first time in many years, and the exploits of the “Cheetah” are a major reason why.
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