Despite 2-0 Start, Dolphins Have More To Prove Before Joining NFL's Top Contenders

When the AFC's top Super Bowl contenders are discussed, the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals typically come up first. After their 2-0 start, the Baltimore Ravens may have entered the conversation as well.

There's another team in the AFC that has duplicated Baltimore's undefeated start. After surviving in New England on Sunday night, the Miami Dolphins have peeled off back-to-back road wins to open the season.

The Dolphins have a lot going for them this year. Just as he did last year before he got hurt, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has come out of the gate hot. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle may be the most dangerous one-two punch in the league at wide receiver.

When it's rolling, the Dolphins' offense is as explosive as any in the NFL. Miami's defense is a work in progress, but there's plenty of talent on that side of the ball, and Vic Fangio is one of the most well-regarded veteran coordinators in the league.

On paper, the Dolphins have all the ingredients to make a deep playoff run. They could perhaps even represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVIII.

But for the Dolphins to truly be regarded as one of the AFC's elite teams and a Super Bowl front-runner, a few things need to happen.

The straw that stirs the drink of Miami's offense is Tagovailoa, who is off to a fantastic start to his fourth NFL season.

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Tagovailoa finished only 21-of-30 for 249 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Patriots. But in Week 1, he exploded against the Los Angeles Chargers with 466 passing yards and three scores.

That massive game sent Tagovailoa's MVP odds skyrocketing. While some were taken aback by the ease with which he dissected the Chargers, Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe said Tagovailoa's teammates are well aware of what he's capable of.

"We see it every day, what he does in the offseason, how hard he works," Smythe said, via Henry McKenna of Fox Sports. "It doesn't surprise any of us. I think that was just more validation than anything. Obviously, we all expect big things from him the rest of the season in this building, and I think some people outside are starting to see that as well."

We saw this same movie last year. In Week 2 of the 2022 season, Tagovailoa scorched the Ravens for 469 yards and six touchdowns. But the following week against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa was knocked out of the game by a "back injury" that many believed to be a concussion.

The following week against Cincinnati, Tagovailoa indeed suffered a concussion. He suffered another one against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day, which ended his season.

The Dolphins and Tagovailoa took steps this offseason to ensure that doesn't happen again, from jiu-jitsu lessons for Tagovailoa to learn how to fall to improving the team's offensive line. Tagovailoa has been sacked only once over the first two games of the season, which needs to continue. The Dolphins are toast if lose their star quarterback, as we saw last year.

Part of the reason why Tagovailoa took such a pounding last year was that Miami couldn't run the ball consistently. The team was 25th in the league with 99.2 rushing yards per game.

Despite being connected in one way or another with just about every free-agent running back or potential trade target available at the position, the Dolphins' biggest offseason addition in the backfield was rookie passing-down back De'Von Achane. That left 31-year-old veteran Raheem Mostert as the team's de facto lead back with Jeff Wilson Jr. on injured reserve to start the year.

Mostert gained 121 yards on the ground against the Patriots, and the team averaged 4.8 yards per carry. That's the sort of offensive balance that keeps opposing defenses guessing and keeps pass-rushers from pinning their ears back.

But the week before against Los Angeles, the Dolphins rushed for only 70 yards on 20 carries. That's not what head coach Mike McDaniel, Mostert or Tagovailoa should want, as 50-dropback games mean more shots on the quarterback.

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The Dolphins also showed improvement on defense in Week 2 relative to the season opener, especially against the run. They're playing without superstar defensive back Jalen Ramsey and were without top edge-rusher Jaelan Phillips against the Pats. But Miami was gouged for 233 yards on the ground by the Chargers and let the Patriots back into the game Sunday night.

This isn't to say that Miami's defense has to be as good as Buffalo's, or even Baltimore's. Kansas City's isn't, and the Chiefs have done OK for themselves in recent years. But as important as it is for the Dolphins to improve on last year's 18th-place ranking defensively, it's just as vital they be consistent. That consistency is what gets teams wins in January.

Finally, the Dolphins need to make us believe they are among the AFC's elite. A 2-0 start is great, and the Chargers and Patriots aren't bad teams. What they are, however, is winless. And both of those games were single-digit wins.

The Dolphins need a statement victory. They need to beat a mediocre Denver Broncos team by 17 in Week 3. Or better yet, they need to go into Buffalo and send a message by beating the Bills in Week 4.

The Dolphins don't have the resume of the AFC's other heavyweights. They need to show that they belong.

The good news is that all these things are doable. A healthy Tagovailoa is playing as well as any quarterback in the league. A better offensive line in front of Tagovailoa is good news for both the young quarterback and the team's ground game, which could get Wilson back in a few weeks. As the defense gets healthier and more experienced in Fangio's system, it should improve.

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Get these Dolphins firing on all cylinders, and they can give Buffalo and Kansas City all they can handle. They could win the AFC East and even make it to Las Vegas as the AFC's Super Bowl representative.

But after two games, it's premature for Miami fans to start making plans for a February trip to Sin City.

The Dolphins are a team on the rise. But they still have some climbing to do before they reach the mountaintop.