Miami Dolphins' midseason grades are in | Schad

MIAMI GARDENS — Only the Ravens and Chiefs have more wins than the Dolphins in the AFC at this point in the schedule, the oft-welcomed bye.

Miami is 6-3 and, yes, it would have been nice to win at Buffalo, at Philadelphia or (essentially) at Kansas City in Frankfurt, Germany.

But the Dolphins are squarely in position to win the AFC East and are a legitimate contender to run through the AFC playoffs.

From the perspective of Miami head coach Mike McDaniel, the most important question of self-reflection is this: Are we improving as a team?

"I think we’ve really gotten better in the midst of wins and losses," McDaniel said this week. "That’s a huge, important piece because besides maybe this organization’s 1972 year, there’s always bumps in the road on the journey for every single team, even the ones that finish the season with a win.

"I can’t say it enough. It’s the daily input. You’re going to have highs and lows. You’re going to have successes and failures. It’s learning how to take those and move forward for the eventual, inevitable elimination games."

The Dolphins have not been shy about targeting the next Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

There are reasons to believe it's not impossible.

There are reasons to believe some things must be better.

Miami is getting healthier at the right time. And it could be argued the Dolphins will be favored out of the break to win their next five and improve to 11-3 before a tough closing act with Dallas, Baltimore and Buffalo.

"We're moving in the right direction," linebacker Jerome Baker said.

"I think we’ve got the right formula," defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said.

"I can promise you that our arrow is pointing up," offensive tackle Terron Armstead said.

The bye is always the perfect time to take stock of a season.

Here are our midseason grades:

Coaching: B+

Mike McDaniel is one of the most innovative, self-aware and perceptive head coaches in professional sports.

McDaniel and veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio give Miami a tactical advantage in most games.

Offensive line coach Butch Barry is one of the assistants who has done an outstanding job.

Outside of the Eagles game (10) Miami has seen some improvement in penalties. However, there is still some pre-snap processing to polish, especially on the road when encountering loud crowd noise.

Quarterbacks: B+

Tua Tagovailoa is first in the NFL in passer rating, passing yards, passing touchdowns, second in yards per play and fourth in completion percentage.

Tua has seen a small increase in interception percentage, but he's also on pace for a career-high 36 touchdown passes. Miami is first in the NFL in red zone offense.

Tua has improved his ability to protect himself when under pressure, sacked or hit. His ability to stay healthy and excel in December and January will affect his narrative.

Running Backs: B+

Miami is second in the NFL in rushing yards per game and fifth in rushing yards per play. This is a stunning reversal from 2022, when rushing was near-impossible at times.

Raheem Mostert is second in the AFC in rushing yards and first in yards per carry.

Rookie De'Von Achane is averaging 152 yards in his last three games played.

Wide Receivers: B+

Tyreek Hill leads the NFL with 1,076 receiving yards and 408 yards after catch.

Jaylen Waddle is averaging 13.1 yards per catch.

Hill does lead the NFL with eight drops, according to Pro Football Reference.

Tight Ends: C-

The Dolphins lean on their tight ends to provide effective blocking.

According to Pro Football Focus, Durham Smythe is the 57th-graded tight end in pass blocking and 62nd-ranked in run blocking.

That seems very harsh, considering both the eye test and how well Miami has run the ball and protected Tua.

Miami tight ends have 18 catches and zero touchdowns this season.

Offensive Line: B

The Dolphins are second in the NFL in rushing yards per game and fifth in fewest sacks allowed. Very impressive.

Kendall Lamm has been solid when filling in for Armstead at left tackle. Robert Hunt and Connor Williams have been solid (except for a few faulty snaps).

Austin Jackson is markedly improved. Isaiah Wynn was solid before sustaining an injury.

Defensive Line: B

The Dolphins are graded fifth in the NFL against the rush by PFF.

Christian Wilkins is graded 18th among 126 interior defenders. He is on pace for a career-high 8.5 sacks.

Zach Sieler is graded 60th, including 71st against the run.

Miami is 10th in the NFL in opponent yards per rush.

Edge Rushers: B

The Dolphins are sixth in the NFL in sacks, third in hits and fifth in pressure percentage.

Bradley Chubb (6.0 sacks), Andrew Van Ginkel (4.0 sacks), Jaelan Phillips (3.5 sacks) and Emmanuel Ogbah (2.5 sacks) have generated quality pressure.

Bradley Chubb, D surge Miami posted second-half shutout vs. Kansas City

Among edge rushers, PFF grades Van Ginkel eighth of 107, Chubb 24th, Phillips 43rd and Ogbah unranked.

Linebackers: B-

David Long is graded 19th among 81 linebackers by Pro Football Focus and Jerome Baker is graded 71st.

Long is graded second in the NFL among linebackers in run defense and 11th as a pass rusher, but 71st in pass coverage.

Baker is graded higher as a push rusher (35th) than as a run stopper (69th) or in pass coverage (51st).

Both players have begun to perform better with more comfort in the first year in Fangio's scheme.

Defensive Backs: C

Miami has played most of the season without cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but the pass-defense metrics through nine games are a bit disappointing.

Miami is 13th in passing yards per game allowed, 29th in opposing passer rating and 26th in interceptions.

The Dolphins have allowed 14 passing touchdowns, sixth-most in the NFL. They're also 30th in the league in red-zone defense.

Safety Jevon Holland is graded first among 87 at his position; DeShon Elliott 13th; Kader Kohou 60th and Xavien Howard 75th.

Special Teams: C-

The Dolphins are ranked 31st in the NFL in special teams by Pro Football Focus.

Jason Sanders is 27th in field goal percentage and 0-for-1 from 50+ yards.

Jake Bailey is 25th in punt average and 17th in net punting.

Braxton Berrios is slightly below his career average in returns.

Dolphins next step Miami Dolphins close to elite need landmark win

Overall: B

A 6-3 start is satisfactory. A 7-2 start may have merited a B+ grade.

But this story is only 9/17th told.

An 11-6 finish would be OK. A 12-5 mark would be even better.

At least one playoff win — ideally at home — is required of this group.

That is the mandate. AFC Championship Game appearance?

Why not? Now that would make this season an A.

Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' report card from Joe Schad