Well, midway through the marathon that is the NFL season, it’s advantage Dolphins and advantage Tua.

The latter is more impressive than the former. It means in the quarterback-leaning NFL, and in the Dolphins’ quarterback-heavy offense, things are trending in the right direction for seasonlong and possibly postseason success.

So, as we acknowledge the Dolphins are the overwhelming favorites at midseason to win the AFC East, we must also acknowledge Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the overwhelming favorite at midseason to be the AFC East Quarterback of the Year (no, there is no such award).

It’s an impressive single-season path to be on, considering the competition going into the season was New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, the men who finished 1-2 in the 2020 NFL MVP voting, and New England’s Mac Jones.

This was shaping up to be a three-man Battle Royale among Rodgers, Allen and Tagovailoa. 

So far, it’s been nothing close to that. Tagovailoa is the clear leader, and you see that in the standings.

Disclaimer time: It’s important to note we’re only halfway through the season. Things can and will change in many areas. I’ve got to keep repeating that because we know Tua has been injury-prone, and we know the Dolphins were 8-3 last year before finishing 9-8.

Having said that, here’s where we’re at right now:

— Rodgers, the future Hall of Famer, never got his season going. He sustained an Achilles injury in his first series as a Jets quarterback. Zach Wilson is the starter and he has five touchdowns, six interceptions and a cringe-worthy 74.6 passer rating, which ranks 30th in the NFL;

— Allen, the All Pro and Pro Bowl selection, is leading a struggling Buffalo team that has a 5-5 record, fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on Monday and could have three or four more losses on its schedule among Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Miami. Allen has 19 touchdowns, which is tied for the league lead with Tagovailoa, a league-leading 11 interceptions, and a 96.6 passer rating, which ranks 12th in the league;

— Jones, who earned a Pro Bowl berth as a rookie in 2021 (he was originally a second alternate) and helped lead the Patriots to a wild-card berth that same season, was benched last week. Coach Bill Belichick has declined to name Jones as the starter this week. Jones has 10 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a miserable 80.2 passer rating, which ranks 27th in the league;

— Tagovailoa, who has had well-documented injury concerns in the past, is trending in the right direction health-wise, team-wise and individually. He has 19 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 106.4 passer rating, which is second in the league.

Most importantly, the Dolphins are 6-3 and leading the division, while Buffalo is 5-5 and in second place, followed by the Jets (4-5) and Patriots (2-8).

Again, it’s way too early to say for certain things will end the way they’re going right now.

But just as we hand out midseason awards, we can make other midseason observations.

Tagovailoa’s tenuous accomplishment is impressive for a variety of reasons. The top three reasons, in no particular order, being his competition, his injury history and his injury-riddled offensive line.

And, let’s be honest, Tagovailoa has the best supporting cast among AFC East quarterbacks.

He has the best coach (Mike McDaniel), the best running game, the best wide receivers, and soon he might have the best defense.

The offensive line, for all the doubts cast its way, has only allowed 15 sacks, third-fewest in the league. 

It takes a village, right?

It also takes a strong individual effort, and Tagovailoa has given that in many ways, including the offseason jiu-jitsu classes that taught him how to fall properly (tuck the chin to the chest) to help prevent the back of his head hitting the ground and getting concussions.

This is a dream scenario for the Dolphins. This is just the way they drew it up.

They’re the best team in the AFC East, and, so far, they have the season’s best-performing quarterback in the AFC East.

After Achane was designated to return Monday, marking his return to practice while on injured reserve for a knee ailment sustained more than a month ago, signs have pointed up for him as he was back at drills after the minimum four-game absence on IR.

“I do know that he really wants to play. He’s shown that,” McDaniel said ahead of Wednesday’s practice, Achane’s second since being injured Oct. 8 against the New York Giants. “We feel good about where he’s headed. If he’s ready to roll for this game, he’ll play.”

McDaniel noted that Achane “checked all the boxes” in a light Monday practice, which wasn’t padded with tackling involved and that the rookie phenom “looked like a pro.”

“He’s come a long way in a short amount of time,” McDaniel said. “It feels like he’s not a rookie within the locker room.”

Achane, in four games as a rookie, has 460 yards and five touchdowns on 38 rushing attempts for a whopping 12.1 yards-per-carry average. He also has two receiving touchdowns. In the Sept. 24 win over the Denver Broncos, Achane burst onto the NFL scene with four total touchdowns and 203 rushing yards.

The Dolphins (6-3) have Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Salvon Ahmed at tailback, should Achane not make his return Sunday at home against the Raiders (5-5).

Hunt, who missed the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 5 in Germany with a hamstring injury, did not practice Wednesday after McDaniel said he and fellow offensive lineman Robert Jones (knee) are week to week.

McDaniel said Hunt is “like a cat being in water” with how unfamiliar the usually healthy guard is with dealing with injuries.

Hunt worked on the side of Wednesday drills with trainers.

“I could see him playing in this game, I could see him playing in the next game,” McDaniel said of Hunt.

Jones was not seen at Wednesday practice. Without either of them, the Dolphins would likely start some combination of Lester Cotton and Liam Eichenberg at left and right guard.

The Dolphins also worked out a number of offensive guards Tuesday, including veteran former All-Pro Andrew Norwell. McDaniel said that was about the organization getting ahead of different scenarios where they may reach out to a free agent. Miami also worked out fellow guards Colby Gossett and Wes Martin, along with defensive backs Bubba Bolden (a Miami Hurricanes alum), Dane Cruishank and A.J. Moore.

Along with Hunt and Jones, Dolphins not seen during a media viewing portion of Wednesday’s practice were tight end Durham Smythe, wide receivers Braxton Berrios and Chase Claypool and fullback Alec Ingold.

The team will release its first injury report of the week late Wednesday afternoon.

This story will be updated.

Maybe you should try looking from a different vantage point. Like from, say, New England. Or Arizona. Or Carolina.

The Bucs were not the only team to bring in a new offensive coordinator this season with the hope of finding a simpler path to the end zone. In fact, half the NFL swapped out offensive coordinators during the off-season. That’s 16 new coordinators, including six rookie play-callers.

With that in mind, where do you suppose Dave Canales fits in the class of 2023?

Probably higher than you expected.

Of the 16 new coordinators, only nine have seen an increase in their team’s scoring average from 2022. Canales is on that list. Of the 16 coordinators, only eight have seen a reduction in their turnovers from last season. Canales is on that list, too.

None of this will get him a guest spot on a national pregame show, but it does suggest that the overhaul of an offense can be a tricky thing.

Consider the case of Bill O’Brien. He’s been a head coach in the NFL and at Penn State. He was Tom Brady’s offensive coordinator in 2011, and Bryce Young’s coordinator at Alabama last season. And that hefty resume hasn’t helped him at all in New England this season. Quarterback Mac Jones is having his worst season as a pro, and the Patriots have gone from 21.4 points a game in 2022 to 14.1 points.

Or how about Matt Nagy? He was the offensive coordinator when the Chiefs won a division title in 2017, and then he went off to Chicago to become a head coach. He’s back in Kansas City as the coordinator again and, even with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, the Chiefs have gone from an average of 29.2 points to 23.1.

The point is that playbooks do not come with a money-back guarantee.

There are too many variables in every situation to realistically expect instant success. Maybe the offensive line is beat up. Maybe the new quarterback is slow to learn. Maybe a weak defense means a team is constantly playing from behind.

Or maybe, like in Tampa Bay’s case, the head coach seems to prefer ball control and field position to no risk it/no biscuit.

Whatever the circumstances, it’s possible we’ve all been too critical of Canales’ first two months in Tampa Bay. Yes, the Bucs are still near the bottom of the league in scoring. And, yes, the running game still qualifies as a community embarrassment.

But with a revamped offensive line and a vagabond quarterback in the huddle, the Bucs have begun showing signs of improvement. It’s not just the 57 points scored the past two weeks — which is Tampa Bay’s best two-game stretch since the end of the 2021 season — but it’s also the adjustments along the way.

The running game struggles have been offset by getting Rachaad White outside the hash marks in the passing game. And, after five consecutive games with the majority of passes thrown to receivers not named Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs targeted their top playmakers on 16 of 29 passes against Tennessee.

Accordingly, the Bucs had 10 plays of 15 yards or more against the Titans.

“It speaks to protection. It speaks to the guys up front, and our skill guys making plays down the field,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “The first play of the game, it was kind of a quick-game play and they changed the coverage and Chris gets the ball for an explosive [play]. We always aim for 10-plus explosives each game, so that’s a big thing for us to be able to do that to keep those guys off-balance, keep moving the chains and resetting downs.”

The Bucs obviously need to do better. Averaging 19.8 points per game is not going to get you to the Super Bowl. It rarely even gets you in the playoffs. There have been 282 playoff teams since 2000, and only 5.6% (a total of 16) averaged 19.8 points or less per game, including the 2022 Bucs.

The offense is better than it was last year, and better than it was last month. It’s not creating headlines around the NFL, but it is moving in the right direction. Even if it’s only a few yards at a time.

“Just trust the process,” Mayfield said. “Trust the system that things are going to come.”

Cracraft, a sound reserve wideout and top run blocker among Miami’s receiving corps, was up against his 21-day practice window the Dolphins opened up Oct. 25 when he was initially designated to return. He was on IR for a shoulder injury suffered Sept. 24 against the Denver Broncos.

To make room on the active roster for Cracraft, the Dolphins waived cornerback Kelvin Joseph.

In three games and a start with the Dolphins, Cracraft had six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown in the team’s season-opening win at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Cracraft is the fifth player the Dolphins have activated off IR this season, joining cornerback Jalen Ramsey, offensive tackle Terron Armstead, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. and offensive lineman Robert Jones.

Miami has also already opened the 21-day window on running back De’Von Achane, with the possibility he returns to the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Raiders off his knee injury.

NFL teams are allowed to designate eight players to return (the point where they begin practice) from either IR or the non-football injury list, and Miami has used six of those spots with eight games remaining.

Offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and running back Chris Brooks (IR) and wide receiver Erik Ezukanma (NFI) are players currently on those lists, but the Dolphins could hold off on bringing back either of them this season if more vital players sustain injuries that will cost them weeks but not the remainder of the season. Wynn, though, started Miami’s first seven games at left guard, so if he’s able to return late in the season from his quadriceps ailment, it would be a valuable return.

Joseph was the return the Dolphins got in the preseason trade that sent fellow cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to the Dallas Cowboys. Joseph played in four games this season with Miami, mostly on special teams while getting all 21 defensive snaps at the end of back-to-back blowout games in Weeks 3 and 4, the 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos and 48-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

In another wide receiver move Wednesday, the Dolphins signed South Florida-raised speedster Anthony Schwartz to the practice squad.

No, seriously, don’t ask.

The last time the Miami Dolphins looked this certain to win the AFC East in November was 1993, and I asked tough-guy linebacker Bryan Cox how it felt to be 9-2 and staring at more than the division crown.

He stuck up his middle finger, as he often did in conversations, and said, “No one in here better talk like that.”

This was three decades ago and those Dolphins didn’t win another game the rest of the way.

But look around the AFC East right now. Go ahead. It’s all set up perfectly for the Dolphins. The division is them and three lumps of carnage. Remember back in August how the division was considered the toughest in football, how people wondered if they all could make the playoffs?

Now, the 4-5 New York Jets can’t score and coach Robert Saleh said he’d, “plead the Fifth,” on why Zach Wilson is still quarterback. How’s that for leadership at the top?

The 2-8 New England Patriots aren’t just the worst team in the AFC but the impossible looks increasingly probable with Bill Belichick answering weekly questions about being fired.

“I think we’re all disappointed in the season,” Belichick said to the latest such question after a 10-6 loss to the Colts in Germany. “But we’ll keep going here. Seven games to go. Be ready to go next week against the Giants.”

Isn’t it discouraging for a football generation that put up with “The Patriot Way” to see them so bad they’re not even hate-able?

Finally, there’s 5-5 Buffalo. The division champs the past three years sees the window slamming on them. They lost at home Monday night after having 12 men on the field on Denver’s last-second field goal attempt. The kick missed, but the penalty gave Denver a mulligan. The second attempt won the game, 24-22.

“Absolutely, absolutely,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said when asked if it was one of his most inexplicable losses. “We practiced that two or three times this week — the substitution from dime to field-goal block. At the end of the day, we didn’t execute it. So, it’s inexcusable.”

It’s the kind of inexcusable that gets a coach fired, and McDermott made sure it wasn’t him. He fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on Tuesday. The Bills lead the league in turnovers. Quarterback Josh Allen looks liked he’d fumble a handshake. So Dorsey goes.

You know what all of this means: The Dolphins have a chance to fill a power void unlike in any season in two decades. They’ll also have a tough time quieting the talk about not beating a good team before the playoffs considering there’s only two such games left on the schedule — Dallas and Baltimore.

So what? Should they apologize for beating up on no-account teams and having the inside lane down the stretch against a tin-can AFC East teams?

New England won that way for 17 years.

This isn’t to say the Dolphins have a victory lap to the division title. There’s any-given-Sunday opponents like Las Vegas, Tennessee and Washington. There’s two games left against the Jets’ defense. Buffalo isn’t dead, but all signs point to it being so when in comes to Hard Rock Stadium for the regular-season finale.

Say this, too: Overconfidence shouldn’t be a Dolphins issue considering the latest game against Kansas City and the fact they have done nothing more than beating up on lesser teams. There’s accomplishment in that. Just not satisfaction.

Coach Mike McDaniel seems to tinker more with X’s and O’s than the souls of his players, but there probably will be a moment in the second half of this season to tug at their souls. McDaniel, the history major, can say how this franchise hasn’t won a division title since the 2008 season or grabbed a home-field playoff advantage since 2000.

He can tell of Don Shula reciting three goals to his Dolphins team each year in training camp: Win the AFC East, get the home-field advantage and win your way to the Super Bowl.

Or maybe Cox’s middle finger would just suffice to all questions about the good position they’re in. There’s work to be done. But there’s an fertile opportunity considering the fate of the fallen AFC East.

When this season began it looked like there was no pushover in the division. Now three teams are pushovers. The Dolphins just need to give them a good shove.

They won that game over the Seattle Seahawks, but their fortune wasn’t .500.

The Bucs finished the regular season 8-9 but still won the NFC South and the right to host the Dallas Cowboys in a wild-card game.

Considering the offseason overhaul, as well as recent collapses to Atlanta and at Houston, the Bucs find themselves in remarkable shape to three-peat as division champions.

The Saints and Falcons lost last weekend. New Orleans (5-5) still leads the division heading into its bye week. Atlanta’s defeat to Arizona dropped it into third place, one-half game behind Tampa Bay at 4-6.

“It’s the same, but it’s different,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said Monday. “We feel different, because we’re a different team. The record and everything is the same, but we feel like we’ll be in it right until the very end. We just have to take care of our business and get on a streak.

“November and December football is very important. This is the third quarter for us. If we can do well in the third quarter and set up the fourth quarter, we feel like we can bring it home.”

Unfortunately, bringing it home means starting with their longest trip on the road. The Bucs travel to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Levi’s Stadium is the site of Tampa Bay’s biggest regular-season whipping a year ago, as San Francisco spoiled Brady’s homecoming with a 35-7 rout.

“You can see how they played you last time, and it will be different again this time,” Bowles said. “But very-well coached team, they don’t commit a lot of penalties. They play very composed football. So you’ve got to withstand the first, second and third wave of those guys, because they’re going to keep coming.

“Understanding what we have to do from our standpoint will be more important than what they have to do. We’ve got to go out there and understand the mistakes you made last year and correct things and just play hard, tough football.”

Instead of Brady, the Bucs have Baker Mayfield under center. He’s the division’s highest-rated passer (93.6) with 2,143 yards, an NFC South-best 14 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.

“In the last few weeks, even in the losses, we’ve been fighting,” Mayfield said following a 20-6 win over the Tennessee Titans. “So, it’s just a matter of things to kind of fall our way and to just continue on this journey. Don’t let your head go down. Continue fighting, and the good things will happen.

“So, it’s a one-game-at-a-time mentality for us from here on out. Control our own destiny and see where it takes us. So, we have a group that’s really, really focused. We know what we need to do. Now it’s just about continuing to correct it and show up on Sundays.”

Glancing ahead, it helps the Bucs that they own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Saints, having beaten them in Week 2. In addition to New Orleans, Tampa Bay has two remaining games with Carolina (1-8) and one at Atlanta.

Even if the Bucs lose to the 49ers, if they go 4-0 in their remaining NFC South games (they should be favored in at least three of them), they would need only to win two of their three remaining non-division games: at Indianapolis (Nov. 26), at Green Bay (Dec. 17) or against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Raymond James Stadium on Christmas Eve to finish 10-7. That could be enough to win the division and host a home playoff game.

Of the teams in the NFC South, the Bucs probably have the toughest remaining schedule against non-division opponents.

The Falcons’ remaining non-division games are at the N.Y. Jets, home against the Colts and at Chicago. The Saints also have an easier path outside the NFC South: vs. the Detroit Lions and N.Y. Giants before traveling to the L.A. Rams.

New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr had to leave last weekend’s 27-19 loss to Minnesota with a shoulder injury and a concussion, making his status going forward uncertain.

There’s still a long way to go, but it looks as if the Bucs once again will be playing meaningful games in November and December. What will be the key?

“It’s just keepng everybody together,” Bowles said. “The positivity, the focus, the understanding, the communication, talking to guys when they’re down and picking them, and everybody being in the same boat. They do a real good job with that.

“[Sunday’s win] was big, because we lost four in a row. A lot of people can lose faith, and these guys never flinched in the locker room. The effort was there. They understood the mistakes they made, and they tried to correct them [Monday], so that was big for us.”

Latest line: Dolphins are favored by 12 points

Dave Hyde, Sports Columnist (Season record 6-3): Dolphins 33, Raiders 17

A bye week to rest. A backup quarterback to play against. And a Raiders team that already got the short-term boost that the firing on an unpopular coach can bring with two straight wins. The Dolphins, 12-point favorites, can start a stretch of easier games in good style. The Raiders are just 1-4 on the road.

Chris Perkins, Dolphins Columnist (Season record 5-4): Dolphins 34, Raiders 17

The run game should be featured because of rookie running back De’Von Achane’s expected return, and look for the defense to continue its ascent now that many of the key players are healthy. This figures to be another comfortable home victory for the heavily favored Dolphins.

David Furones, Dolphins Writer (Season record 7-2): Dolphins 31, Raiders 16

Las Vegas appears to have been rejuvenated under interim coach Antonio Pierce after the firing of Josh McDaniels. But one thing is edging the Giants and Jets. It’s another to come down to Miami Gardens, where the Dolphins are 4-0 this season and have won 16 of their last 18. The Dolphins are refreshed coming off the bye week and win a game they should.

Kathy Laughlin, Sports Editor (Season record 7-2): Dolphins 38, Raiders 20

The 6-3 Dolphins are rested, determined and playing at home, where they have not lost this season. The 5-5 Raiders have one road win this season, and that was by one point against the 4-5 Broncos. The Dolphins’ only danger here is overconfidence.

Keven Lerner, Assistant Sports Editor (Season record 8-1): Dolphins 30, Raiders 17

The Raiders have found new life under interim coach Antonio Pierce, who took over for the fired Josh McDaniels three weeks ago. Pierce’s commitment to the running game has paid dividends. Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing last season, has thrived as of late as Las Vegas improved to 2-0 with Pierce at the helm. But both of those wins came at home and were against the woeful Jets and Giants. The true test of how good the Raiders really are will come against the AFC-East leading Dolphins.

Steve Svekis, Assistant Sports Editor (Season record 5-4): Dolphins 27, Raiders 10

A rejuvenated 5-5 Las Vegas team plays its first road game under new coach Antonio Pierce. While the Raiders have multiple All-Pro players in Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams, the Dolphins defense will likely tee off on rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who will be making his fourth NFL start. The Silver and Black are vulnerable against the run, having averaged allowing 156.5 rushing yards per game over Vegas’ past four contests.