The 2013 campaign of the Miami Dolphins will be forever scarred by the bullying scandal surrounding offensive lineman Jonathan Martin.
Richie Incognito, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey were found to have harassed the 24-year-old, while offensive line coach Jim Turner was also involved in the affair, which led to his contract being terminated.
The scandal overshadowed an 8-8 season by the Dolphins which nearly ended in a playoff appearance, only for Joe Philbin's side to throw it away in the last two weeks of the campaign.
Sports Mole looks back at their 2013 season.
Pre-season expectations
The Dolphins were full of optimism heading into the 2013 campaign. The club had spent heavily during free agency to land wide receivers Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson, while cornerback Brent Grimes was brought in to shore up the defense. Miami also moved up to third overall in the Draft to select defensive end Dion Jordan to add to their already potent pass rush. Philbin was heading into his second season along with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was looking to build on his steady rookie campaign. There was hope they could challenge the New England Patriots for supremacy in the AFC East and reach the post-season for the first time since the 2008 campaign.
Highlight of the season
The Dolphins were as inconsistent as it comes in the 2013 season. However, they proved they were more than capable of taking on the big boys in the AFC on their day, as on Halloween they secured an impressive overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals when Cameron Wake burst off the edge and sacked Andy Dalton to produce a match-winning safety. That victory was topped two months later when they defeated the Patriots at Sun Life Stadium, with a last-minute interception of Tom Brady in their own endzone. That victory was their first over the Patriots since the 2009 campaign.
Biggest disappointment
Following their win over the Patriots the Dolphins could have taken a large step towards the playoffs with a win over the Buffalo Bills in week 16. However, they were shut out against Doug Marrone's side as the Bills eased to a 19-point victory over their rivals. They could still secure a playoff place if the Baltimore Ravens lost in their final game of the season - which they did - and Philbin's side could beat the New York Jets. Yet again they failed to deliver under pressure as they lost at home to the Jets and missed the post-season, allowing the San Diego Chargers to creep in.
The club's off the field problems were even a bigger disappointment, not just to the club but the NFL as a whole. The NFL report into the bullying scandal found gaping flaws in the organisational structure and the behaviour of the staff and players at the club. It will take a good while before the Dolphins can put the incident behind them and move on.
Player of the season
Olivier Vernon was a third-round Draft pick in 2012 and had a steady rookie season for the Dolphins notching three sacks. However, he came on leaps and bounds in his second year with the club as he became their premier pass-rusher. The 23-year-old caused havoc for opposing offenses week in, week out using his power and speed to get around offensive lineman. Vernon more than made up for the lack of production from Cameron Wake while he was struggling with injury before he got up to speed later in the campaign. He was certainly the standout on the defense claiming 11.5 sacks, which put him inside the top 10 in the NFL.
Unsung hero
Charles Clay was thrust into action as a pass-catching receiver for the Dolphins after tight end Dustin Keller was ruled out for the season. The 25-year-old didn't disappoint as he became one of the most reliable options for Tannehill especially towards the end of the campaign. His ability to get open in tight coverage was extremely helpful to the quarterback as he took a beating behind a shaky offensive line and needed to get rid of the ball ultra quick. For a player designated as a full back he still managed to haul in 69 receptions for 759 yards along with six touchdowns.
Off-season changes
The Dolphins will need to make major changes to their offensive line as it is unlikely that Martin will return to the team along with Incognito. The line gave up 58 sacks, so changes were probably going to happen anyway. The club may look to target tackle Rodger Saffold along with guard Jon Asamoah to shore up the line. The Draft could also be used to with players such as Zach Martin and Antonio Richardson available to them at 19 in the first round. A running back is also a need as Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller struggled, so someone like LeGarrette Blount, Knowhson Moreno could be useful to ease the pressure on Tannehill.
2014 prospects
Philbin's side have the making of a good team and can challenge for the playoffs once again built off the success of their defense. If Tannehill can take a step further in his development and he gets a lot of help from a running game along with better play from his receivers, they could challenge the Patriots for the AFC East title. A lot of question marks still remain over the organisation as a whole.
Simon Sinclair
