When judging a team’s season, it’s often pretty cut and dry. Either a team won enough to be labeled as a success or it fell shy of its preseason expectations. However, when assessing the Miami Dolphins’ 2022 campaign, it requires a bit of nuance.

Sure, the Dolphins lost six of its last seven games, including a hard fought wild card loss on the road to the Buffalo Bills. But by overcoming adversity and making the playoffs, the Dolphins laid the foundation for the future.

I found a stat that I think speaks volumes about the 2022 Dolphins.

They were within one score in the fourth quarter in each of the 9 losses this season. The last time that was true of a Dolphins team — 1984.

The 2000 team held that distinction until the divisional round.

— Travis Wingfield (@WingfieldNFL) January 16, 2023

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier acknowledges the team’s shortcomings while shining a positive light on the season.

“We finished where we were, but we got to the playoffs. Had a chance to win a playoff game versus one of the best teams in football. Kind of is what it is.”

Finishing the regular season 9-9 wasn’t what the Dolphins had in mind after sprinting out to am 8-3 start. However, injuries halted Miami’s forward momentum, forcing the team to navigate a chunk of the season without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

That being said, the Dolphins gave Buffalo all they could handle, led by third string quarterback Skylar Thompson and an opportunistic defense.

Miami returns most of its core in 2023, which should be a season where the Dolphins make the leap from good to great.

Featured image via Mark Konezny – USA TODAY Sports

totalpoll id="166852"]