Miami Dolphins fans positive about direction of team, expect Tua Tagovailoa to be MVP candidate

The Miami Dolphins are heading into Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season with a 1-0 record thanks to an offensive shootout win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday. They are rewarded with a second-straight road game to start the season, this time in a Sunday Night Football AFC East divisional matchup as they visit the New England Patriots.

How are the fans feeling about the Dolphins a week into the season? What is the biggest concern about the team right now? And is Tua Tagovailoa, who vaulted to be the co-favorite for the league MVP Award after his Week 1 466-yard passing performance, an actual contender for the award? We asked all of those questions in out latest SB Nation Reacts survey, brought to us by DraftKings Sportsbook.

In mid-August, we asked the fans if they were confident in the direction of the Dolphins, a standard in-season question for our SB Nation Reacts surveys. The results showed 83 percent of the fan base felt good about Miami and the direction of the team. How does the fan base feel after the 36-34 win? That number has jumped to 97 percent - just below last season’s high-mark of 99 percent. Dolphins fans are behind this team and think they are heading in the right direction. Would a win over the Patriots bump that up to the 99 - or even 100 - percent mark? Hopefully the team gives us a chance to find out on Sunday.

As for where the concern is for the team still, the fans are worried about the rush defense. Provided with three other options, offensive line, secondary, and pre-snap penalties, nearly two-thirds of the fans looked to the ability to stop the run as Miami’s biggest area of concern. The Chargers were able to rush for 233 yards against the Dolphins with a 5.8 yards per rush average. It definitely should be an area of concern as the team adjusts to new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme. Miami was fourth-overall against the run in 2022, so the potential to get better is there, but they need to make corrections now.

The offensive line ranked second in the concerns, receiving 26 percent of the responses. The secondary received six percent and the pre-snap penalties was down at five percent.

As for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his candidacy for the league’s MVP Award, we cam say the fan base believes he is a legitimate contender. With 94 percent of the responses thinking he should be in the running, Dolphins fans have high hopes for Tagovailoa this season. He was playing like an elite quarterback last year in games he started and finished, but the concussions he sustained during the season cost him playing time, including the final two regular season games and the team’s one-game playoff appearance.

We will be back next week with a new poll, so make sure you check it out. It is a great way to have your voice heard. Do you agree with this week’s results? Feel free to discuss in the comments at the bottom of the page.

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