The Miami Dolphins enter 2014 season transitioning a new general manager supposedly finally on the same page with the head coach. A roster boasting the possibility of 12 rookies. The Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel’s David Hyde calling for the playoffs or house-cleaning... It's the annual beginning of the season ritual for the Dolphins, boom or bust!
A dose of reality shouldn’t be difficult for the Miami faithful when considering the last Super Bowl victory was a mere forty years ago. A forty-year drought should provide enough caffeine in the wake-up-call to resist the formula of constant churn, but it’s good media. Turmoil sells, the media figured this out long ago. Unfortunately for the writers, Stephen Ross intends to stand by the men he chose to lead this team after the Parcells debacle, leaving one person with the ball clearly in his hands.
Ryan Tannehill...
Certainly, it’s a lot of burden to place on one man, but the NFL is a league dominated by the performance of one player, the quarterback. To imply there are no other problematic areas on the football team would be foolish, but the playoffs are not like the illusive forty-year drought monster. Any NFL team can make the playoffs with stellar QB play. The Dolphins have enough weapons to join the playoff ranks.
It would be quick to say this article is another stirring of the pot but the message is simple, don’t blow up all the pieces if only one is the problem. The intent is not to hand Ryan Tannehill a pink-slip stamped with a declaration of his inability to play quarterback at the NFL level. The message is for him to prove he belongs.
Boss Ross has a unique ability to see beyond the BS and make proper conclusions. Jeff Ireland’s ineptitude made it easy for Ross to see the need for a new GM. Watching Daniel Thomas and Michael Egnew hit the waiver wire certainly added credence to that decision. Given the opportunity to prove he belonged, Ireland’s top 3 picks in 2013 barely touched the field.
Mike Sherman may have been a little harder decision with the OL problems and inconsistency at QB, but it was obvious the offense lacked flair. Mike Sherman was not going to be the OC to provide a progressive scheme, with or without an OL or consistent QB. From the beginning, Ross said he wanted a high-octane NFL offense, to get there Sherman had to go. Ross gave both Ireland and Sherman the opportunity and when they failed, he fired them.
Herein lies the problem for Ryan Tannehill, Sherman was undoubtedly influential in the decision to draft the Texas A&M QB. In this high-stakes arena, Sherman placed his future on the line by guaranteeing Tannehill was the man for the job. Without Sherman, Tannehill would probably not be in Miami. Luckily, Stephen Ross gives opportunity before making rash decisions.
During the 2014 preseason, it was quite interesting to watch Bill Lazor’s offense. It was obvious Ross and Philbin made an excellent choice at offensive coordinator. Seeing Ja’Wuan James step in at right tackle and a Miami team sporting 12 rookies validates Dennis Hickey. These two choices have one thing in common, they go against the good-old-boy network of replacing retreads with retreads. Tannehill was not chosen by the GM and not indorsed by the OC.
Ryan Tannehill is in a precarious position this year, he needs to perform or his job is in jeopardy like Ireland and Sherman before him. Ross has done his weeding in the front office, for the moment. He is happy with the performance of the head coach he selected and he likes the GM he chose. Should the offense flounder, Tannehill stands as the fall guy if he is incapable of running Bill Lazor’s scheme.
There is a positive thread in what may be interpreted as a negative narrative, it has been a long time since the key positions off the field have been competently filled. Kevin Coyle is a good defensive coordinator and 12 rookies hints at the lack of depth on his roster (not to mention Ireland's brilliance at selecting FA linebackers). It means the churning is over for the Miami Dolphin coaching staff and front office. Stephen Ross is finally happy.
In a league dominated by QB play, Tannehill’s performance will dictate whether the Dolphins reach the playoffs. The issue is of a larger magnitude for Ross, the playoffs are fine and dandy but the name of this game is Super Bowl. It is very difficult even for the ardent Tannehill fan to project him as a Super Bowl QB at this point in his career. Ross looks to end the forty year drought and knows Tannehill’s ability to play the position is paramount to seeing his dream become reality.
The reverse nature of sports is interesting; supposedly, great coaches and personnel people make great teams. The reality is, great players’ make great coaches and personnel people. Churning coaches and personnel people is usually a panacea for the inability of players, particularly the QB. Firing Jeff Ireland was correct… He was abysmal. Had he selected Matt Ryan instead of Jake Long, he would still be working in Miami.
Ireland Selected Ryan Tannehill…
From this perspective, it seems Ross has set this season up for Ryan Tannehill to make his statement or follow Ireland and Sherman out the door. Over the course of a season, the QB is the player most capable of influencing the win/loss column. If a team has a great QB, they win and if they don’t, they lose. There can be playoff seasons, maybe a Super Bowl or two, but long-term stability in the NFL rests squarely on the shoulders of the QB.
Miami has done everything right in nurturing Tannehill. They did not place undue pressure on him to be great, while at the same time gave him the experience of starting 32 NFL games. It is concerning, after 32 starts his future is still not obvious, but he has a shot. The Dolphins removed an OC who lacked vision and fired a GM with questionable talent evaluation skills. Now it is up to Tannehill to prove he has the ability to play quarterback at a high level in the NFL.
There is no right or wrong. There is no derogatory assessment of his ability. There is no prediction of the outcome. There is simply one variably that will lead to success or failure for the Miami Dolphins this season and his name is Ryan Tannehill. Stephen Ross gave Jeff Ireland and Mike Sherman the opportunity and they failed. It’s all a professional can ask for, an opportunity to be great.
Every Dolphin fan wonders the same question…
Can the Dolphins find a QB to slay the forty-year drought monster?
If Ryan Tannehill shows the way, house-cleaning will be forgotten in Miami…
Showing posts with label Mike Sherman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Sherman. Show all posts
Bill Lazor's Miami Dolphin Offense is All About Tempo
The mentality Bill Lazor brings from Philadelphia is what head coach Joe Philbin hopes will make the Miami Dolphin offense blossom.
Nepotism runs deep in NFL circles where a constant churning of coaches and coordinators turns the scolded dog coach of today into a coordinator somewhere else tomorrow. In the eyes of coaches that spend a lifetime watching film, there simply is not much difference from one scheme to the next in the National Football League.
It is easy to understand why rookie coach Joe Philbin turned to the good old boy network and hired Mike Sherman to run his offense. As a former professional and collegiate head coach, Sherman had experience on many levels. Even though he failed in both Green Bay and Texas A&M, the decision to hire him as a coordinator was not a bad one. Why enter the treacherous waters of the NFL alone when your mentor is available and willing to help navigate.
The problem is the NFL has two distinct sides, one at practice and one on game-day. The practice side is where knowledge gained from years of experience teaches and nurtures. Practice repetition enables learning and is vital as the game compounds in intricacy over years of development from grade school to the pros. Practice methodology slows down the process of learning and instills fundamentals.
Game-day affords no such luxury. The heat of the game is a quick twitch affair where decisions must come at lightning speed. Any glitch in processing, like forgetting the running game or forcing the passing game is quickly detected by defensive coaches who instantly exploit the tendency.
When the offense sputters fans are left exasperated, screaming for the quarterback to pick up the pace or check down, but many times the hesitation does not come from the field. It is high up in the coaches’ box where fumbling and bumbling occurs unknown to fans cheering in the stadium or glued to the TV at home.
Philbin knew… His headset told a story fans will never know and the reality must have troubled him deeply.
His mentor was no longer up to speed with game-day.
The presumption Boss Ross made the decision to retire Mike Sherman because Philbin was incapable of firing his mentor is incorrect. From the outside, it is only possible to speculate what goes on inside Dolphin headquarters, yet the hiring of Bill Lazor hints at Joe Philbin’s thought process.
Philbin is a film junky. A film junky who was connected to the headset on game-day. The stammering in his ears matched the stammering on film and he knew what he must do. It’s a cruel world when staying on a career path means ending the career of someone close to you. Sherman made it easier on Philbin because he knew he had lost a step. The film does not lie and Sherman could not hide from the tape.
Philbin made an interesting move when he chose Bill Lazor as his offensive coordinator. He broke from the path of least resistance and did not hire a retread.
Hiring a veteran NFL coach is the easiest thing for a film junky to do, why? It’s on film, Philbin has data on film telling him what to expect from every veteran coach. There is no film on Lazor, no comfort zone of what to expect, only the gut hunch that this coach has something special setting him apart from all those that have failed before him.
The pace of the game is what was nagging Philbin... Sputtering and stuttering is not attacking. Hesitation is a symptom of reaction not pro-action and by hesitating, the flow of the game was dictated to Miami.
It’s not passing or running or an even split that makes one offense better than the next, those differences come from the best use of available talent and match-ups. A good offense attacks and dictates the flow by using every means available in rapid succession.
Chip Kelly is not utilizing some crazy scheme. As previously noted, there is not much variation between schemes in the NFL. Chip Kelly is simply attacking. An up-tempo force dictating game speed, keeping the defense in reactive mode is the distinctive quality of a great offense. Joe Philbin knows this, he’s a film junky, and not one interview with Philbin goes by without the word "film" mentioned several times.
Lazor was not signed to copy Kelly’s offense; he was signed to copy Kelly’s approach to offense. Joe Philbin recognized what he heard in the headphones and what he saw on tape, an offense constantly falling behind the tempo of the defense. He knows what he wants and it shows in the way the Dolphins practice in rapid-fire two-groups-at-once sessions, but his OC and consequently his QB could not keep up on game-day.
It’s hard to determine even after two seasons whether Ryan Tannehill is actually any good or not. The image of him waiting for plays while confusion reigned in the coaches’ box was clear when watching most Miami games. The extenuating circumstances brought about by Jonathan Martin only helped to hide the reality and is the perfect excuse for accepting sluggish play. Philbin could have successfully parleyed a justification for his friend and mentor using the bully excuse, but in the end, he chose to let him go.
His mentor was no longer up to speed with game-day.
Like many people, coaches often misplace personal loyalty with the realities of being a professional. There must be a distinct line between work and personal life because blurring that line leads to decisions that are not in the best interest of either. Nepotism in the form of a constantly revolving coaching procession stems from living to work, instead of working to live.
The easiest thing for Joe Philbin to do would have been to bring in a member of his coaching fraternity.
He didn't because he understood that tempo on game-day is the key to great offenses and the best coaches he knows are still employed. That restriction turned him toward a younger coach raised on the high speed mantra. While the offense is still a reflection of greatness or ineptitude at the quarterback position, at least that observation will no longer be obstructed by stutters and stammers in the coaches’ box.
Mike Sherman was a good man and an excellent coach unfortunately, he was no longer up to speed with game-day.
Welcome to Miami Bill Lazor! No worries about how many running plays or how many passing plays, those stats are for talking heads. Being offensive is about attacking weaknesses in rapid succession.
The tape won't lie about a Miami dolphin team attacking on offense. It will reflect quite clearly in the win column. The question is...
Is Bill Lazor up to speed with game-day?
Nepotism runs deep in NFL circles where a constant churning of coaches and coordinators turns the scolded dog coach of today into a coordinator somewhere else tomorrow. In the eyes of coaches that spend a lifetime watching film, there simply is not much difference from one scheme to the next in the National Football League.
It is easy to understand why rookie coach Joe Philbin turned to the good old boy network and hired Mike Sherman to run his offense. As a former professional and collegiate head coach, Sherman had experience on many levels. Even though he failed in both Green Bay and Texas A&M, the decision to hire him as a coordinator was not a bad one. Why enter the treacherous waters of the NFL alone when your mentor is available and willing to help navigate.
The problem is the NFL has two distinct sides, one at practice and one on game-day. The practice side is where knowledge gained from years of experience teaches and nurtures. Practice repetition enables learning and is vital as the game compounds in intricacy over years of development from grade school to the pros. Practice methodology slows down the process of learning and instills fundamentals.
Game-day affords no such luxury. The heat of the game is a quick twitch affair where decisions must come at lightning speed. Any glitch in processing, like forgetting the running game or forcing the passing game is quickly detected by defensive coaches who instantly exploit the tendency.
When the offense sputters fans are left exasperated, screaming for the quarterback to pick up the pace or check down, but many times the hesitation does not come from the field. It is high up in the coaches’ box where fumbling and bumbling occurs unknown to fans cheering in the stadium or glued to the TV at home.
Philbin knew… His headset told a story fans will never know and the reality must have troubled him deeply.
His mentor was no longer up to speed with game-day.
The presumption Boss Ross made the decision to retire Mike Sherman because Philbin was incapable of firing his mentor is incorrect. From the outside, it is only possible to speculate what goes on inside Dolphin headquarters, yet the hiring of Bill Lazor hints at Joe Philbin’s thought process.
Philbin is a film junky. A film junky who was connected to the headset on game-day. The stammering in his ears matched the stammering on film and he knew what he must do. It’s a cruel world when staying on a career path means ending the career of someone close to you. Sherman made it easier on Philbin because he knew he had lost a step. The film does not lie and Sherman could not hide from the tape.
Philbin made an interesting move when he chose Bill Lazor as his offensive coordinator. He broke from the path of least resistance and did not hire a retread.
Hiring a veteran NFL coach is the easiest thing for a film junky to do, why? It’s on film, Philbin has data on film telling him what to expect from every veteran coach. There is no film on Lazor, no comfort zone of what to expect, only the gut hunch that this coach has something special setting him apart from all those that have failed before him.
The pace of the game is what was nagging Philbin... Sputtering and stuttering is not attacking. Hesitation is a symptom of reaction not pro-action and by hesitating, the flow of the game was dictated to Miami.
It’s not passing or running or an even split that makes one offense better than the next, those differences come from the best use of available talent and match-ups. A good offense attacks and dictates the flow by using every means available in rapid succession.
Chip Kelly is not utilizing some crazy scheme. As previously noted, there is not much variation between schemes in the NFL. Chip Kelly is simply attacking. An up-tempo force dictating game speed, keeping the defense in reactive mode is the distinctive quality of a great offense. Joe Philbin knows this, he’s a film junky, and not one interview with Philbin goes by without the word "film" mentioned several times.
Lazor was not signed to copy Kelly’s offense; he was signed to copy Kelly’s approach to offense. Joe Philbin recognized what he heard in the headphones and what he saw on tape, an offense constantly falling behind the tempo of the defense. He knows what he wants and it shows in the way the Dolphins practice in rapid-fire two-groups-at-once sessions, but his OC and consequently his QB could not keep up on game-day.
It’s hard to determine even after two seasons whether Ryan Tannehill is actually any good or not. The image of him waiting for plays while confusion reigned in the coaches’ box was clear when watching most Miami games. The extenuating circumstances brought about by Jonathan Martin only helped to hide the reality and is the perfect excuse for accepting sluggish play. Philbin could have successfully parleyed a justification for his friend and mentor using the bully excuse, but in the end, he chose to let him go.
His mentor was no longer up to speed with game-day.
Like many people, coaches often misplace personal loyalty with the realities of being a professional. There must be a distinct line between work and personal life because blurring that line leads to decisions that are not in the best interest of either. Nepotism in the form of a constantly revolving coaching procession stems from living to work, instead of working to live.
The easiest thing for Joe Philbin to do would have been to bring in a member of his coaching fraternity.
He didn't because he understood that tempo on game-day is the key to great offenses and the best coaches he knows are still employed. That restriction turned him toward a younger coach raised on the high speed mantra. While the offense is still a reflection of greatness or ineptitude at the quarterback position, at least that observation will no longer be obstructed by stutters and stammers in the coaches’ box.
Mike Sherman was a good man and an excellent coach unfortunately, he was no longer up to speed with game-day.
Welcome to Miami Bill Lazor! No worries about how many running plays or how many passing plays, those stats are for talking heads. Being offensive is about attacking weaknesses in rapid succession.
The tape won't lie about a Miami dolphin team attacking on offense. It will reflect quite clearly in the win column. The question is...
Is Bill Lazor up to speed with game-day?
In Miami, The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round
It’s black Monday, a day when NFL coaches and personnel
people are unceremoniously shown the door. After an agonizing loss to the Jets,
the disappointment in Miami is at an all-time high. It was not the worst season
in Dolphin history, but after teasing of something special, the team faltered badly
when in position for a playoff run. The poetic justice of this sad ending is
the harsh reality that the Miami Dolphins are not a playoff team. Getting there
would have tricked the fans and owner into believing greatness was around the
corner.
The blueprint to stopping the Dolphin offense was perfected
in Buffalo a week earlier, but has plagued Miami all season. Ryan Tannehill is
unable to complete deep passes even when the receiver is wide open. Mike
Wallace alluded to 15 TDs left on the field, “There are so many touchdowns me
and him missed,” Wallace said. Tannehill is also wildly inconsistent on sideline
throws, even simple out routes. By defending the rest of the field, Buffalo played
to Tannehill’s weakness. The Jets simply followed the blueprint.
The ploy was so effective, the Dolphin offense scored only
one touchdown in its final 25 possessions. The Dolphins crossed midfield once
in last week's 19-0 loss at Buffalo and deepest penetration in the second half
was to the Jets' 33-yard line in the season finale. The Jets were not taking a great chance leaving Wallace in man
coverage and playing soft on the corners, the Miami offense averaged
less than 20 points per game anyway. When an embattled make-shift offensive line is expected to open holes and pass protect against an 8-man front unconcerned
about wide receivers running wide open deep, it's a recipe for disaster.
Coaches and personnel folks are on the chopping block but the players and particularly the man behind center bear the responsibility for
another lost season. "The ball was in our court and we didn't take
advantage of our opportunity," Tannehill said. "We didn't finish
strong, plain and simple. We didn't finish the way we wanted to, obviously none
of us saw this coming." Buffalo saw it coming, the Jets saw it coming.
They saw a QB unable to complete a long pass and so they
gave it to him. They loaded up everywhere else, placed the ball in Ryan
Tannehill’s hands and said, “Beat us.” Show us you are the man we should fear
when the game and the season are on the line, Tannehill was not equal to the
challenge. Ryan has an oblivious streak, "We didn't play well these last
two games. It was nothing that you could feel or sense in practice. I felt like
we had great practices both of the last two weeks. We just came out and didn't
play well on Sundays."
The NFL is a quarterback league, Bill Belichick was fired in
Cleveland and became a genius when Tom Brady dropped in his lap. The Dolphin
coaches have not seen that kind of luck since 1983 and the coaching carousel
has revolved since Dan Marino retired. It makes little sense to fire coaches
when the QB by his own admission, “just came out and didn't play well on
Sundays." Perhaps the personnel man who picked the QB should bear the
brunt in the blame game. Perhaps the offensive coordinator should be fired for
not teaching the QB how to throw a deep pass.
It doesn’t matter which of these men takes the rap as the
ceremonial guinea pig for the players on the field. The fact is, Mike Sherman
designed play after play this season that found Mike Wallace running wide open
behind the defense. If the ball found Wallace half those 15 times,
it would account for 8 more TDs this season. Jeff Ireland’s free agent
acquisition would not look so mediocre if he had put up 13 TDs. On a team that
lost 4 games by margins of 4 points or less, those 8 TDs cost Joe Philbin a playoff
appearance and perhaps his job. Even the OL coach should be safe when
considering how much better the running game could be with 8 more deep TDs keeping
safeties honest.
It all comes back to the same fact since Marino retired,
find a QB or the carousel continues round and round… It makes Boss Ross’s job a
little more simplistic. Decide to continue grooming Ryan Tannehill and hope he
somehow overcomes his deep passing inaccuracy or make a scapegoat of someone
else.
From the 30 thousand foot level, Ross should tell his GM to
draft a QB and make a competition of it. Otherwise, when the Dolphins are
8-8 next year with Tannehill, a new coach or GM won’t matter.
The wheels
on the bus will continue going, round and round…
The Ryan Tannehill Plan in Miami
The Miami Dolphins 2013 season begins Sunday in Cleveland and for the second straight year Ryan Tannehill takes the reigns as the starting QB. In Miami Dolphin fandom, there is a fixation with the quarterback.
The shadow of Dan Marino has loomed large over the Dolphins since he retired in 1999. The reasons are plenty, drafted in the 1st round of the famed 1983 "year of the quarterback," Marino’s career eclipsed nearly every passing record in NFL history. Danny’s notorious gun slinging came prior to the proliferation of the passing game in the NFL. To many fans, Marino paved the way for a new breed of passer since his remarkable skills led all the way to the hall of fame.
Thirteen years later, fans in Miami are still obsessed with the quarterback, so much so, Ryan Tannehill is only the 3rd passer to enter a second season as the starting signal caller since Marino. Of the others, Jay Fiedler was a game manager in Dave Wannstedt’s power running offense and Chad Pennington was permanently injured three games into his 2nd season.
Great QBs leave a tequila sized hangover after retirement. It took Peyton Manning to make Denver fans forget John Elway. In San Francisco, Colin Kaepernick has a chance to emerge from the shadow of Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Ryan Tannehill is an interesting example of how the landscape of the NFL is changing with the introduction of the rookie salary cap. QBs like Jamarcus Russell entered the league with all the expectations of a $20 million dollar a year price tag. Tannehill’s $12+ million dollar contract is $7 million less over four years than Russell made in a single season. Changing the investment, changes the expectations. Miami can afford to bring Tannehill along slowly now that the bank is not broken.
There is no longer the need to run a developing QB out of town shouting "bust" when the salary cap makes it conducive to bringing him along slowly. The Dolphins knew Tannehill started only twenty games at QB in college, but with his college head coach and QB coach joining the Dolphin's staff, there was no mystery. Miami would depend on a stellar defense and slowly develop Tannehill into an NFL QB. Perhaps unrecognized around the NFL, the Dolphins are breaking new ground in wisely using the rookie cap. If Jamarcus Russell is the poster child for not paying players before they have earned the big payday, Tannehill may prove the opposite.
2012 was an anomaly with five rookie QBs stepping straight into a starting role. Even the famed draft of 1983 did not see more QBs starting with Marino not taking the first snap until the 6th game of the season. The fact is most QBs take time to develop in the NFL. The previous Collective Bargaining Agreement with its continuous escalation of rookie salaries, left owners and fans demanding starting roles from day one. Russell joined Ryan Leaf and a litany of other QBs unable to hold up under the scrutiny of winning the lottery with the expectation to perform at the level of their riches.
To ease the burden on Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins quietly put together the best collection of young defensive talent Miami has seen in forty years. Whether preordained or coincidence, the order of business in Miami is clearly to lean on an exceptional defense while building the team around an emerging QB. It's an old school approach to the new school NFL. The style of play and the type of player has evolved, but the coaching in Miami has reverted to the days before rookie salaries escalated beyond the ability to coach performance on the field.
While fans and the media fixate on the QB position, NFL offensive coordinators contemplate how to block Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon and Dion Jordan. Double team any of these three and the trio of Paul Soliai, Randy Starks and Jared Odrick await in the middle of the line. The Miami defensive line may be the most talented six-man rotation in the NFL. Behind them, speedy Dannell Ellerbe, Philip Wheeler and Koa Misi form an impressive linebacking crew. The Duo of Chris Clemons and Rashad Jones return at safety to lead an experienced secondary featuring former pro bowler Brent Grimes and Dimitri Patterson at the corners. Patterson may have trouble holding his own against the best NFL receivers, but the ball will need to be in the air quickly when Wake, Vernon and Jordan pin their ears back on the pass rush.
The strength of the Miami defense is not by coincidence as the Philbin plan becomes apparent. Media, fans, GMs and owners caught in the instant gratification craze plant their QBs squarely in the cross-hairs. Many consider quarterback to be the hardest position to play in all of sports, yet the expectation of these supreme athletes is instant success or else. Success not instantly achieved equals catastrophic failure in the court of public opinion and ever-present character assault in the forum of social media.
The curiosity is, these same lambasters will blurt out a comparison to Aaron Rodgers when Rodgers sat four seasons behind Brett Favre. Tannehill is no Drew Brees who walked away as a free agent from San Diego after three miserable seasons. The Pittsburg Steelers cut John Unitas. Talent alone does not dictate the path to QB greatness in the NFL, it is an intangible desire to win no matter how many times failure has interrupted the quest. The question then is, does Ryan Tannehill have the desire?
Joe Philbin learned English in high school from a teacher named Mike Sherman. After thirty-three years, these two men may have switched roles, but clearly, the trust is absolute. Their careers ride on the answer to that question; does Ryan Tannehill have the desire for greatness? The skills are obvious, but these coaches are well aware of how difficult it is to play quarterback in an NFL offense. All the desire in the world will not overcome the inability to recognize defenses or see openings destined to appear during the sequence of a play.
Before Aaron Rodgers emerged, he was coached by these two men. The Green Bay Packers rose to prominence during the tenures of these two men. The media and fans should stand in front of a mirror and ask, are they more qualified to assess Ryan Tannehill? Don Shula once looked Dan Marino in the eye and completely changed his offense. Since then, no group of coaches, a GM or owner has had as much skin in the game. Their entire experience and future legacy is riding on their assessment of a single player, Ryan Tannehill.
Trust is a fool’s game they say. The Miami Dolphin organization is all in and thankfully, the English teacher and assay writer still trust and understand the word coach is a synonym for teacher. Ryan Tannehill may not yet live up to the fans or media expectation, but as long as his teachers see the progression, perhaps the outsiders should leave his potential to the experts. Sooner or later, the understanding of the game will catch up to the desire and Ryan Tannehill will reward his teachers.
Instead of vitriol, Miami fans should sit back and enjoy the ride.
Of course, there will be plenty of time after the plan reaches fruition for KV to say...
“I told you so!"
The shadow of Dan Marino has loomed large over the Dolphins since he retired in 1999. The reasons are plenty, drafted in the 1st round of the famed 1983 "year of the quarterback," Marino’s career eclipsed nearly every passing record in NFL history. Danny’s notorious gun slinging came prior to the proliferation of the passing game in the NFL. To many fans, Marino paved the way for a new breed of passer since his remarkable skills led all the way to the hall of fame.
Thirteen years later, fans in Miami are still obsessed with the quarterback, so much so, Ryan Tannehill is only the 3rd passer to enter a second season as the starting signal caller since Marino. Of the others, Jay Fiedler was a game manager in Dave Wannstedt’s power running offense and Chad Pennington was permanently injured three games into his 2nd season.
Great QBs leave a tequila sized hangover after retirement. It took Peyton Manning to make Denver fans forget John Elway. In San Francisco, Colin Kaepernick has a chance to emerge from the shadow of Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Ryan Tannehill is an interesting example of how the landscape of the NFL is changing with the introduction of the rookie salary cap. QBs like Jamarcus Russell entered the league with all the expectations of a $20 million dollar a year price tag. Tannehill’s $12+ million dollar contract is $7 million less over four years than Russell made in a single season. Changing the investment, changes the expectations. Miami can afford to bring Tannehill along slowly now that the bank is not broken.
There is no longer the need to run a developing QB out of town shouting "bust" when the salary cap makes it conducive to bringing him along slowly. The Dolphins knew Tannehill started only twenty games at QB in college, but with his college head coach and QB coach joining the Dolphin's staff, there was no mystery. Miami would depend on a stellar defense and slowly develop Tannehill into an NFL QB. Perhaps unrecognized around the NFL, the Dolphins are breaking new ground in wisely using the rookie cap. If Jamarcus Russell is the poster child for not paying players before they have earned the big payday, Tannehill may prove the opposite.
2012 was an anomaly with five rookie QBs stepping straight into a starting role. Even the famed draft of 1983 did not see more QBs starting with Marino not taking the first snap until the 6th game of the season. The fact is most QBs take time to develop in the NFL. The previous Collective Bargaining Agreement with its continuous escalation of rookie salaries, left owners and fans demanding starting roles from day one. Russell joined Ryan Leaf and a litany of other QBs unable to hold up under the scrutiny of winning the lottery with the expectation to perform at the level of their riches.
To ease the burden on Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins quietly put together the best collection of young defensive talent Miami has seen in forty years. Whether preordained or coincidence, the order of business in Miami is clearly to lean on an exceptional defense while building the team around an emerging QB. It's an old school approach to the new school NFL. The style of play and the type of player has evolved, but the coaching in Miami has reverted to the days before rookie salaries escalated beyond the ability to coach performance on the field.
While fans and the media fixate on the QB position, NFL offensive coordinators contemplate how to block Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon and Dion Jordan. Double team any of these three and the trio of Paul Soliai, Randy Starks and Jared Odrick await in the middle of the line. The Miami defensive line may be the most talented six-man rotation in the NFL. Behind them, speedy Dannell Ellerbe, Philip Wheeler and Koa Misi form an impressive linebacking crew. The Duo of Chris Clemons and Rashad Jones return at safety to lead an experienced secondary featuring former pro bowler Brent Grimes and Dimitri Patterson at the corners. Patterson may have trouble holding his own against the best NFL receivers, but the ball will need to be in the air quickly when Wake, Vernon and Jordan pin their ears back on the pass rush.
The strength of the Miami defense is not by coincidence as the Philbin plan becomes apparent. Media, fans, GMs and owners caught in the instant gratification craze plant their QBs squarely in the cross-hairs. Many consider quarterback to be the hardest position to play in all of sports, yet the expectation of these supreme athletes is instant success or else. Success not instantly achieved equals catastrophic failure in the court of public opinion and ever-present character assault in the forum of social media.
The curiosity is, these same lambasters will blurt out a comparison to Aaron Rodgers when Rodgers sat four seasons behind Brett Favre. Tannehill is no Drew Brees who walked away as a free agent from San Diego after three miserable seasons. The Pittsburg Steelers cut John Unitas. Talent alone does not dictate the path to QB greatness in the NFL, it is an intangible desire to win no matter how many times failure has interrupted the quest. The question then is, does Ryan Tannehill have the desire?
Joe Philbin learned English in high school from a teacher named Mike Sherman. After thirty-three years, these two men may have switched roles, but clearly, the trust is absolute. Their careers ride on the answer to that question; does Ryan Tannehill have the desire for greatness? The skills are obvious, but these coaches are well aware of how difficult it is to play quarterback in an NFL offense. All the desire in the world will not overcome the inability to recognize defenses or see openings destined to appear during the sequence of a play.
Before Aaron Rodgers emerged, he was coached by these two men. The Green Bay Packers rose to prominence during the tenures of these two men. The media and fans should stand in front of a mirror and ask, are they more qualified to assess Ryan Tannehill? Don Shula once looked Dan Marino in the eye and completely changed his offense. Since then, no group of coaches, a GM or owner has had as much skin in the game. Their entire experience and future legacy is riding on their assessment of a single player, Ryan Tannehill.
Trust is a fool’s game they say. The Miami Dolphin organization is all in and thankfully, the English teacher and assay writer still trust and understand the word coach is a synonym for teacher. Ryan Tannehill may not yet live up to the fans or media expectation, but as long as his teachers see the progression, perhaps the outsiders should leave his potential to the experts. Sooner or later, the understanding of the game will catch up to the desire and Ryan Tannehill will reward his teachers.
Instead of vitriol, Miami fans should sit back and enjoy the ride.
Of course, there will be plenty of time after the plan reaches fruition for KV to say...
“I told you so!"
Could Dustin be The Destiny in Miami...
And then, the drought...
The skid of the Miami Dolphins runs parallel with the drought at the TE position. The inability to make critical plays in the redzone where great TEs live comes to life in the stats from the 2012 season. Consider the following graphic.
These are the top twenty passers in the NFL and the top twenty tight ends from 2012 as compiled by www.footballoutsiders.com. All those arrows are not coincidence, TEs are a QB’s best friend on the football field. Anthony Fasano may not have been an awful TE, but he is not to be confused with the players on this list. One which happens to be, Dustin Keller who was having somewhat of a down season and still managed to make the top twenty.
The Dolphins have neglected or devalued the position throughout their history. Jim Mandich along with Andre Tillman were selected in the 2nd round of the draft (Andre who?) and through nearly 50 years of drafts, Miami has never selected a TE in the 1st round. The chart above demonstrates the importance of the position related to the success of a QB and yet it has been a forgotten position in Miami.
It is not a coincidence the Dolphins have been unable to establish respectable quarterback play during the TE drought. It is inevitable when the safety valve is missing from the arsenal. Jim Jensen was not considered a true tight end, but ask Dan Marino what player he looked for in critical situations and number 11 will be high on the list. The 1994 Dolphin team that suffered the devastating injury to Marino was primed with Keith Jackson in the fold.
The Dolphins could have helped young Ryan Tannehill by bringing him the safety blanket of Tyler Eifert in a first, first at TE, but chose to trade up for Dion Jordan, again devaluing the position. Leaving Dustin Keller, who could turn out to be the best free agent acquisition for Miami this year if he remains healthy. If Keller can provide Tannehill with a consistent target and force safety attention away from other receivers, Tannehill will shine.
Looking closely at the tight end position on any NFL football team provides a tremendous key to the style of play anticipated on the field. A player like Fasano limits a team in the passing game because he is not a natural receiver. His motions and route running are not smooth enough to elude many linebackers and most safeties. A TE like Fasano got open by scheming him into open spaces. His presence as the number one TE was the primary key to defenses diagnosing Miami's rushing attack. Watching Fasano come out of his stance, keyed whether the play was a pass or a run.
To evolve into the offense Joe Philbin and Mike Sherman hope to employ, the Dolphins need look no further than the top of their own division. The Patriots are redefining the NFL passing game using tight end play. The game already dictates a QB throw into tight windows, throwing to a bigger and stronger target can only increase the chances of success. Having multiple TEs willing to block and get behind defenders in the passing game, opens the running game as well.
The reason the TE has been neglected, may not be a deliberate slight by the Dolphins, there are simply not many humans capable of playing the position well. The TE must be able to block like a tackle with the speed and hands of a wide receiver. Those guys are hard to find on this planet. The parallel between the Miami QB drought and the Miami TE drought means, perhaps the Dolphins should reconsider the value of the TE in the modern offense.
This season belongs to Dustin Keller. A great receiving TE has not been seen in these parts for nearly two decades. Ryan Tannehill needs a safety blanket and the redzone needs a stud. Keller signed a one-year deal to prove to Miami and the NFL his real value. He could not have chosen a better landing spot.
The rise of Ryan Tannehill may very likely coincide with the acquisition of Dustin Keller.
For Miami fans, the ascent could be fun to watch...
Analysis - The Miami Dolphins Should Pass on Mike Wallace
To better understand the value of wide receivers prior to spending zillions of dollars in free agency, it is important to analyze how touchdowns are scored in the NFL passing game. Sampling the yardage of touchdown passes thrown by five top Quarterbacks and three rookie Quarterbacks can provide a baseline for the value of different types of wide receivers.
Wide Receivers are defined by strengths. Some are known for speed and the ability to get open deep, and some are known for route running and getting open in traffic. The purpose of this evaluation is to help conclude whether a WR with deep speed such as Mike Wallace is more appropriate for the Miami Dolphins than a player Like Gregg Jennings with great route running skills.
Prior to probing into the heart of the matter the following charts presented in no particular order, should be considered. These represent the yardage splits for some of the more prolific NFL QBs, along with rookies, Ryan Tannehill, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson. Charting these passers creates a snapshot illustration of the NFL as a whole. Before reading on, take a moment to identify what obvious conclusions can be drawn from the data.
The New England Patriots with Tom Brady have been one of the most prolific scoring offenses in NFL history, but in today’s game, the Packers and Saints along with Peyton Manning led teams, have also set the standard for scoring points. The Patriots have gone through several wide receiver evolutions with Brady at the helm, covering the spectrum from Randy Moss to Wes Welker and many different players in between.
The 2012 data above shows a whopping 72% of the TDs thrown by these QBs came from 20 yards or less. Staying with the Patriots as an example, it is not presumptuous to assume someone in New England did a similar analysis and came to the same conclusion.
Why bother with a deep threat Diva like Randy Moss when only 28% of the scoring opportunities come from pass plays longer than 20 yards and 80% of those scores come from throws that actually traveled 20 or less yards down the field!
In view of this, it is easy to see why the Patriots know the advantage of dynamic route runners like Wes Welker coupled with physical, elusive, pass catching Tight Ends. The Packers are well aware, as are the Saints and most of the high powered offenses in the NFL. Deep threat receivers are not as important in passing offenses as was once thought.
The West Coast offense was spawned from the philosophy of using the short passing game as an effective alternative to a power rushing attack. Teams employing this attack value the wide receiver position differently than teams utilizing a power rushing attack.
Long scoring passes in the WCO are derived mainly from two scenarios, a receiver causing a missed tackle on a short pass route or the short passing game causing the safeties to creep too close to the line of scrimmage and thus allowing a receiver to get behind them. The type of receiver effective in this offense is a prolific route runner, proficient at reading defenses.
The power rushing attack demands different types of receivers. The tight ends in a power offense are block first, pass second. This is why Anthony Fasano was a great fit in the Sparano offense but may not be a great fit in the Sherman offense. The wide receivers in a power offense are expected to block but there is also the need for a speed receiver. The term “take the top off the defense” is derived from a speed receiver keeping the safeties from playing in the box to help in run support. Great route running or reading defenses, is not as important as safeties respecting a WRs ability to get behind them.
The free agent question facing the Dolphins is whether Mike Wallace is actually a good choice for the Miami offense. The clamoring of the fan-base should never influence the evaluation process. Years of mediocrity has the fans begging for a splash of any kind, but making a splash for the wrong receiver will lead to further mediocrity as it did with Brandon Marshall.
The Brady, Brees, Rodgers and even Manning offenses do not utilize the concept of an alpha receiver because they spread the passing attack to many receivers. This is another mainstay of the West Coast Offense. The power rushing attack is where the alpha concept makes sense because of the limited opportunities and the need to force the defense to key on a single receiver. When the defense must key on the alpha, it essentially creates a blocking scheme for the running game. The receiver removes defenders from the play by running them out of it.
The alpha - Diva - demands attention (Brandon Marshall), which happens when there is a $60 million dollar man in the huddle. Not only is it paramount from a pay for performance aspect, but there will be an expectation from the fan-base to justify the huge investment. The Dolphins already made the decision to change to the West Coast style and hence unloaded Marshall.
This is where Joe Philbin must take control and spell out the direction of the Miami Dolphin offense in perfectly clear terms. Trading Marshall came about because he was not a good fit for the football team, Wallace is in the same mold. There may be no “border line personality disorder” but the stats sheet is what has been used to define the player, not where he fits in the scheme and on the roster.
Great teams do not overpay role players and the Sherman/Philbin offense is designed to spread defenses thin by utilizing role players. In this scheme Wallace’s salary would never justify the statistical outcome. Wallace would never be happy as a role player and the offense is not designed for an alpha dog.
The Steelers build through the draft and allow players to leave if they do not fit the team concept. The Dolphins wish to follow this path. It makes little sense if they choose to overpay players other team's have discarded because they don't fit, especially when those same players do not fit the Miami scheme.
It is simple logic when answering the question of whether Miami should spend $60 million on Mike Wallace. It doesn't matter whether Wallace is a great player, it doesn't matter whether Wallace is a good citizen. What matters is whether Wallace is a good fit for the Miami Dolphins and that is all that should matter. Hypercritical fans should never dictate team decisions, those decisions should come from researching what is proven successful.
The Dolphins need look no further than the Patriots, the Saints, the Packers, teams that have been to the dance and came home with the trophy. Most of all, the Dolphins should know that one of those teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, allowed Mike Wallace to walk.
Wide Receivers are defined by strengths. Some are known for speed and the ability to get open deep, and some are known for route running and getting open in traffic. The purpose of this evaluation is to help conclude whether a WR with deep speed such as Mike Wallace is more appropriate for the Miami Dolphins than a player Like Gregg Jennings with great route running skills.
Prior to probing into the heart of the matter the following charts presented in no particular order, should be considered. These represent the yardage splits for some of the more prolific NFL QBs, along with rookies, Ryan Tannehill, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson. Charting these passers creates a snapshot illustration of the NFL as a whole. Before reading on, take a moment to identify what obvious conclusions can be drawn from the data.
The New England Patriots with Tom Brady have been one of the most prolific scoring offenses in NFL history, but in today’s game, the Packers and Saints along with Peyton Manning led teams, have also set the standard for scoring points. The Patriots have gone through several wide receiver evolutions with Brady at the helm, covering the spectrum from Randy Moss to Wes Welker and many different players in between.
When reviewing the receivers associated with these prolific passers, the unexpected realization is...
Speedy deep threat WRs are highly overrated.
The 2012 data above shows a whopping 72% of the TDs thrown by these QBs came from 20 yards or less. Staying with the Patriots as an example, it is not presumptuous to assume someone in New England did a similar analysis and came to the same conclusion.
Why bother with a deep threat Diva like Randy Moss when only 28% of the scoring opportunities come from pass plays longer than 20 yards and 80% of those scores come from throws that actually traveled 20 or less yards down the field!
Roughly 10% of all TD Passes are thrown more than 20 yards in the air.
90% of all TD passes are throws of 20 yards or less.
In view of this, it is easy to see why the Patriots know the advantage of dynamic route runners like Wes Welker coupled with physical, elusive, pass catching Tight Ends. The Packers are well aware, as are the Saints and most of the high powered offenses in the NFL. Deep threat receivers are not as important in passing offenses as was once thought.
The West Coast offense was spawned from the philosophy of using the short passing game as an effective alternative to a power rushing attack. Teams employing this attack value the wide receiver position differently than teams utilizing a power rushing attack.
Long scoring passes in the WCO are derived mainly from two scenarios, a receiver causing a missed tackle on a short pass route or the short passing game causing the safeties to creep too close to the line of scrimmage and thus allowing a receiver to get behind them. The type of receiver effective in this offense is a prolific route runner, proficient at reading defenses.
Tight ends in the WCO are pass first, block second because the short passing game is the rushing attack.
In effect, tight ends are the WCO running backs.
The power rushing attack demands different types of receivers. The tight ends in a power offense are block first, pass second. This is why Anthony Fasano was a great fit in the Sparano offense but may not be a great fit in the Sherman offense. The wide receivers in a power offense are expected to block but there is also the need for a speed receiver. The term “take the top off the defense” is derived from a speed receiver keeping the safeties from playing in the box to help in run support. Great route running or reading defenses, is not as important as safeties respecting a WRs ability to get behind them.
The free agent question facing the Dolphins is whether Mike Wallace is actually a good choice for the Miami offense. The clamoring of the fan-base should never influence the evaluation process. Years of mediocrity has the fans begging for a splash of any kind, but making a splash for the wrong receiver will lead to further mediocrity as it did with Brandon Marshall.
The price for making a mistake goes beyond the possible $60 million in salary.
Placing a mismatched receiver in the offense could be a disaster.
The Brady, Brees, Rodgers and even Manning offenses do not utilize the concept of an alpha receiver because they spread the passing attack to many receivers. This is another mainstay of the West Coast Offense. The power rushing attack is where the alpha concept makes sense because of the limited opportunities and the need to force the defense to key on a single receiver. When the defense must key on the alpha, it essentially creates a blocking scheme for the running game. The receiver removes defenders from the play by running them out of it.
The alpha - Diva - demands attention (Brandon Marshall), which happens when there is a $60 million dollar man in the huddle. Not only is it paramount from a pay for performance aspect, but there will be an expectation from the fan-base to justify the huge investment. The Dolphins already made the decision to change to the West Coast style and hence unloaded Marshall.
Going for the big name would mean a return to the convoluted, unplanned Tony Sparano offensive formula?
For Miami, it's complete nonsense...
This is where Joe Philbin must take control and spell out the direction of the Miami Dolphin offense in perfectly clear terms. Trading Marshall came about because he was not a good fit for the football team, Wallace is in the same mold. There may be no “border line personality disorder” but the stats sheet is what has been used to define the player, not where he fits in the scheme and on the roster.
Great teams do not overpay role players and the Sherman/Philbin offense is designed to spread defenses thin by utilizing role players. In this scheme Wallace’s salary would never justify the statistical outcome. Wallace would never be happy as a role player and the offense is not designed for an alpha dog.
The Steelers build through the draft and allow players to leave if they do not fit the team concept. The Dolphins wish to follow this path. It makes little sense if they choose to overpay players other team's have discarded because they don't fit, especially when those same players do not fit the Miami scheme.
Will the Miami Dolphins be a team that builds through the draft...
Or was this lip serve?
It is simple logic when answering the question of whether Miami should spend $60 million on Mike Wallace. It doesn't matter whether Wallace is a great player, it doesn't matter whether Wallace is a good citizen. What matters is whether Wallace is a good fit for the Miami Dolphins and that is all that should matter. Hypercritical fans should never dictate team decisions, those decisions should come from researching what is proven successful.
The Dolphins need look no further than the Patriots, the Saints, the Packers, teams that have been to the dance and came home with the trophy. Most of all, the Dolphins should know that one of those teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, allowed Mike Wallace to walk.
Miami should wave bye as he passes and hurry him along...
Bye bye now Mike, thanks but no thanks.
Dolphins Tannehill Playing Like a Rookie
There was a lot of discussion about criticizing Ryan Tannehill in my last post and I thought I would demonstrate some of the reasons why I'm beginning to fall off the Tanny train. Here is the breakdown of Tannehill's first 4 passes of the New England game.
On Tannehill's 1st attempt, you can see by the coaches film, Mike Sherman has this one dialed up. Davone Bess is wide open.
See the 1st down marker, see the defender on the ground!
Tannehill completely missed him. He threw it at Matthews' feet, uncatchable. On the next play, Fields bumbles a low snap and the Dolphins are looking like dolts. This is not coaching, the play calling was exceptional. This is on Tannehill, both plays were perfectly schemed and wide open. We can't compare Mike Sherman to Dan Henning.
Tannehill's 3rd attempt...
The important thing to recognize here is the area in yellow. It looks like Tannehill is focused entirely on Fasano coming across the middle tightly covered. Hartline and Bess are both covered at the top, Clay is wide open, but Tannehill stares down Fasano.
Tannehill has grown into a tendency to bale to his right, but this is ridiculous. There is so much space if he had taken one step up as the rush was coming, look back and forth between this and previous picture, one step and he has the amount of time associated with Tom Brady. Is this the lack of line play I hear so much about? Is this the poor play calling I hear about? No, sorry this is very poor play from the QB position, so if fans want to say the kid will grow into it, I'm okay with that, but put it where it belongs.
Hartline ended up catching the ball on a come back to rescue Tannehill, but it was short of the 1st down and another punt. Please stop making excuses is all I ask. Hope this is rookie lack of understanding, hope Sherman and Philbin can coach Tannehill up, but please don't sugar coat what is right in front of your eyes.
Okay, now you see why I'm only going to show the 1st 4 passes... It keeps getting more painful. Here's number 4.
Look at Tannehill's head, we can't see his eyes but it's pretty obvious he's zoned in on Davone Bess. I don't know who the corner is, but he's got Bess locked up. Now look at the top, holy crap!!! Reggie Bush is in single coverage on a Linebacker and he is about to go house on a wheel route! But Ryan has decided come hell or high water he's throwing to Bess.
The ball is nearly picked because Tannehill decided prior to the snap which receiver he was throwing to. Again look in the pocket, one step forward and one step right and Tannehill has all day to find Bush.
I will not say too much about the sequences presented here, simply because I don't need to. Remember one thing, these are only the first 4 passes. The folks who make excuses will say that he settled down or whatever. I will say what I said in the last post...
Tannehill needs to step up his game.
On Tannehill's 1st attempt, you can see by the coaches film, Mike Sherman has this one dialed up. Davone Bess is wide open.
Bess may have been able to catch this ball, but a decent pass from Tannehill and this was an easy catch for Bess. Tannehill left Bess at the mercy of a charging DB aiming at his ribs and the pass was incomplete. The Dolphin offense was very tight to start this game and that usually starts with the QB...
Tannehill Tries again throwing to Rishad Matthews...
See the 1st down marker, see the defender on the ground!
Tannehill completely missed him. He threw it at Matthews' feet, uncatchable. On the next play, Fields bumbles a low snap and the Dolphins are looking like dolts. This is not coaching, the play calling was exceptional. This is on Tannehill, both plays were perfectly schemed and wide open. We can't compare Mike Sherman to Dan Henning.
Tannehill's 3rd attempt...
The important thing to recognize here is the area in yellow. It looks like Tannehill is focused entirely on Fasano coming across the middle tightly covered. Hartline and Bess are both covered at the top, Clay is wide open, but Tannehill stares down Fasano.
Tannehill has grown into a tendency to bale to his right, but this is ridiculous. There is so much space if he had taken one step up as the rush was coming, look back and forth between this and previous picture, one step and he has the amount of time associated with Tom Brady. Is this the lack of line play I hear so much about? Is this the poor play calling I hear about? No, sorry this is very poor play from the QB position, so if fans want to say the kid will grow into it, I'm okay with that, but put it where it belongs.
Hartline ended up catching the ball on a come back to rescue Tannehill, but it was short of the 1st down and another punt. Please stop making excuses is all I ask. Hope this is rookie lack of understanding, hope Sherman and Philbin can coach Tannehill up, but please don't sugar coat what is right in front of your eyes.
Okay, now you see why I'm only going to show the 1st 4 passes... It keeps getting more painful. Here's number 4.
Look at Tannehill's head, we can't see his eyes but it's pretty obvious he's zoned in on Davone Bess. I don't know who the corner is, but he's got Bess locked up. Now look at the top, holy crap!!! Reggie Bush is in single coverage on a Linebacker and he is about to go house on a wheel route! But Ryan has decided come hell or high water he's throwing to Bess.
The ball is nearly picked because Tannehill decided prior to the snap which receiver he was throwing to. Again look in the pocket, one step forward and one step right and Tannehill has all day to find Bush.
I will not say too much about the sequences presented here, simply because I don't need to. Remember one thing, these are only the first 4 passes. The folks who make excuses will say that he settled down or whatever. I will say what I said in the last post...
Tannehill needs to step up his game.
Miami Dolphins Exploit Jets Poor Coaching
Tony Sparano’s coaching weakness became obvious when the Dolphins dismantled the Jets on Sunday. His complete inability to adapt to the unexpected was apparent when Miami added a wrinkle to its pressure package. The same lack of adaptability that led to his dismissal as the head coach of the Dolphins, left the Jets offense sputtering and unable to make the corrections needed to right the ship.
The Jets suffer from the same uncreative approach that has become passé in the NFL. Professional football games can no longer be dictated by power offense and brute force defense. The Miami Dolphins showed a corner blitz package for the first time this season, Tony Sparano and the Jets were unable to respond.
It was a brilliant move by the Dolphins to bring something completely different to the table. Jimmy Wilson and Nolan Carroll performed the blitzes to perfection and it was evident Mark Sanchez was unaware of the break down in protection. Sparano on the sideline going over reams of pictures with Sanchez trying to understand, made it easy to see why the Dolphins could not adjust last season with Sparano at the helm.
Football cannot be played in a vacuum, it is a series of adjustments made as the opposition shows his hand. This new perspective as the opponent playing against Sparano, confirmed his inability to adjust. It is what Ricky Williams meant when he said Sparano is a “micro-manager.” Taking a rigid approach to a game plan leads to failure when the plan does not work and there is no room for adjustment. Watching Sparano try to diagnose the Dolphins blitz left the impression there was nothing to fall back on if the original plan did not work.
The entire Jets staff was unprepared for the attacking Dolphins game plan. Mike Westhoff was stunned by an early on-sides kick and assumed Miami had played the one unexpected card they had in the deck, little did Westhoff know, the deck was loaded!
Tim Tebow was added as the personal protector to the punter because he enabled the Jets options like the fake they ran successfully against Miami in the last meeting. There was little consideration taken to the fact Tebow has never truly had to block anyone in his football career. Instead of worrying about what Tebow may do, Miami exploited his inexperience. It was genius coaching from the mind frame of aggression.
Leading 20-0 surely Miami would not try anything fancy against a kicker who had not missed a field goal this season. Again Westhoff, Ryan and Sparano failed to recognize Miami’s aggressive game plan, 20-0 was not enough. Following the game, Westhoff admitted it was the worst game he coached in his 40 years in the NFL. The blocked field goal added to the frustration that may have changed to momentum had the kick been successful.
The Jets had the misconception that talking a good game and making veiled threats to injure another team’s playmakers is enough to make opponents play timid. Ryan and his crew are like the bully gang in the schoolyard, most of what they do is talk. When the real fighting starts it's the heart of the dog that wins out over empty words. The great Gods of football seem to bounce the ball in the right direction for the underdog Dolphins, so maybe there is something to Reggie Bush's backhanded statement about karma, it comes around...
Ryan, Sparano and Westhoff have built a reputation of being tough guys, playing a hard hitting brand of football, but being smart is not part of the equation. Punch a team in the mouth, take out the rookie QB on the second drive and watch them crumble. Most times it will work, but not when a team, coming off a bye week has doubled the preparation all the way to the backup QB. Matt Moore never missed a beat.
Miami heard about the “hot sauce” and the “head hunters,” but it was all talk. A violent straight arm early by Reggie Bush showed which heads should be on a swivel. All the way through to Richey Incognito waving bye-bye to a bench that was wishing it was as empty as the stadium. The biggest game in a season nearly half over and the Jets were no-shows, their actions did not back their words.
Rex Ryan never told his players talk was cheap, Tony Sparano had no answers for the corner blitz and Mike Westhoff forgot Tim Tebow is a quarterback not a punt protector. The Dolphins clearly outplayed the Jets, but this was a coaching victory. Joe Philbin, Mike Sherman, Kevin Coyle and Darren Rizzi put together a flawless game plan and the players executed it to perfection.
No need for the Dolphins to talk about the win, Mike Westhoff said it best, “that's as bad as it’s been in my entire career.” Westhoff was speaking for the entire Jets coaching staff who know they were demoralized by a superior staff and a team that would not be denied.
Hello NFL, welcome the Miami Dolphins to the playoff hunt!
The Jets suffer from the same uncreative approach that has become passé in the NFL. Professional football games can no longer be dictated by power offense and brute force defense. The Miami Dolphins showed a corner blitz package for the first time this season, Tony Sparano and the Jets were unable to respond.
It was a brilliant move by the Dolphins to bring something completely different to the table. Jimmy Wilson and Nolan Carroll performed the blitzes to perfection and it was evident Mark Sanchez was unaware of the break down in protection. Sparano on the sideline going over reams of pictures with Sanchez trying to understand, made it easy to see why the Dolphins could not adjust last season with Sparano at the helm.
Football cannot be played in a vacuum, it is a series of adjustments made as the opposition shows his hand. This new perspective as the opponent playing against Sparano, confirmed his inability to adjust. It is what Ricky Williams meant when he said Sparano is a “micro-manager.” Taking a rigid approach to a game plan leads to failure when the plan does not work and there is no room for adjustment. Watching Sparano try to diagnose the Dolphins blitz left the impression there was nothing to fall back on if the original plan did not work.
The entire Jets staff was unprepared for the attacking Dolphins game plan. Mike Westhoff was stunned by an early on-sides kick and assumed Miami had played the one unexpected card they had in the deck, little did Westhoff know, the deck was loaded!
Tim Tebow was added as the personal protector to the punter because he enabled the Jets options like the fake they ran successfully against Miami in the last meeting. There was little consideration taken to the fact Tebow has never truly had to block anyone in his football career. Instead of worrying about what Tebow may do, Miami exploited his inexperience. It was genius coaching from the mind frame of aggression.
Leading 20-0 surely Miami would not try anything fancy against a kicker who had not missed a field goal this season. Again Westhoff, Ryan and Sparano failed to recognize Miami’s aggressive game plan, 20-0 was not enough. Following the game, Westhoff admitted it was the worst game he coached in his 40 years in the NFL. The blocked field goal added to the frustration that may have changed to momentum had the kick been successful.
The Jets had the misconception that talking a good game and making veiled threats to injure another team’s playmakers is enough to make opponents play timid. Ryan and his crew are like the bully gang in the schoolyard, most of what they do is talk. When the real fighting starts it's the heart of the dog that wins out over empty words. The great Gods of football seem to bounce the ball in the right direction for the underdog Dolphins, so maybe there is something to Reggie Bush's backhanded statement about karma, it comes around...
Ryan, Sparano and Westhoff have built a reputation of being tough guys, playing a hard hitting brand of football, but being smart is not part of the equation. Punch a team in the mouth, take out the rookie QB on the second drive and watch them crumble. Most times it will work, but not when a team, coming off a bye week has doubled the preparation all the way to the backup QB. Matt Moore never missed a beat.
Miami heard about the “hot sauce” and the “head hunters,” but it was all talk. A violent straight arm early by Reggie Bush showed which heads should be on a swivel. All the way through to Richey Incognito waving bye-bye to a bench that was wishing it was as empty as the stadium. The biggest game in a season nearly half over and the Jets were no-shows, their actions did not back their words.
Rex Ryan never told his players talk was cheap, Tony Sparano had no answers for the corner blitz and Mike Westhoff forgot Tim Tebow is a quarterback not a punt protector. The Dolphins clearly outplayed the Jets, but this was a coaching victory. Joe Philbin, Mike Sherman, Kevin Coyle and Darren Rizzi put together a flawless game plan and the players executed it to perfection.
No need for the Dolphins to talk about the win, Mike Westhoff said it best, “that's as bad as it’s been in my entire career.” Westhoff was speaking for the entire Jets coaching staff who know they were demoralized by a superior staff and a team that would not be denied.
Hello NFL, welcome the Miami Dolphins to the playoff hunt!
Losing Trend Continues for Tannehill and The Dolphins
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach, Raheem Morris had a famous quote for critics that showed the Bucs statistically were not performing well, “stats are for losers!” Morris was probably right, even though the team had started 4-2 last season, dwelling on statistics does not lead to wins on the football field. After 10 straight losses led to his firing, he probably wishes he had listened a little more closely.
Obviously a QB performs better in a win, than in a loss. The quandary in measuring statistical greatness in quarterbacks is whether individual performance numbers are more important than wins or losses. Dolphin fans have seen some of the greatest quarterback play in NFL history in a man named Dan Marino. What Dolphin fans did not celebrate were Super Bowl victories during Marino’s tenure.
Comparing any QB to Dan Marino, especially a rookie is not only wrong, but foolish, Marino is in the hall of fame and Ryan Tannehill can only dream of reaching those lofty standards. The point is, great stats can get a QB into the hall of fame, but wins get a QB a Super Bowl ring. Folks in Miami have seen admirable QB play, but after 40 years, the thirst for a Super Bowl victory is like finding an oasis after a long trek through the Arizona dessert.
The relevance of these statistical references to the Miami Dolphins comes when trying to understand whether Ryan Tannehill can lead the Dolphins to victory in closely contested football games. Take a moment to consider the following chart breaking down the results of how Ryan Tannehill performed in wins and losses at Texas A&M in 2011.
The chart shows a breakdown of all the Texas A&M wins and losses in 2011. Excluding Baylor, the 25 average point differential in the winning games came against mostly inferior opponents. The -5.5 differential in losses is telling, excluding the Oklahoma game, A&M lost every other game by an average of 2.8 points. An average of less than a field goal from a 12-1 record.
Mike Sherman is personally well aware of these numbers. It's a trend that continues with the Dolphins and must be addressed and rectified before Tannehill, and in turn the Dolphins can win these close games. Unfortunately the numbers do not lie and will follow Tannehill until he learns from his mistakes.
Poor execution by Tannehill on a pitch play to Reggie Bush early in the fourth quarter killed a promising drive. Tannehill missed Bush on the toss, resulting in a loss of 9 yards. With an opportunity to put Arizona away later in the fourth quarter, the Cards blitzed and according to Tannehill, “we had a little miscommunication up front...”
Richie Incognito missed the blitzer, but it is Tannehill who called the protection and he did not make the proper call. He got sacked and stripped of the ball, with a free blitzer running in his face, he did not tuck the ball, and in fact he never really tried. Cardinals then converted the turnover into the game-tying touchdown drive in regulation.
The game could still have been won through these mistakes, but the interception in overtime was the back breaker. Tannehill again had a free blitzer, but instead of eating the ball and taking a sack, he chose to throw the ball up for grabs. These are the kind of plays that are the difference between winning and losing. These are the kind of plays that define great QBs and guys who have great stats. Taking a sack and punting is sometimes the right choice.
The whispers of poor play calling by not running the ball on 2nd and eight insinuate Ryan Tannehill is incapable of leading the team to victory. Tannehill needs to learn how to win and for that to happen, he has to be put in a position to make the crucial plays. The play calling on the fumble was done to place the ball in the hands of the guy who needs to be the leader of this team.
Tannehill failed, and now his coach is being questioned, and teammates like Reggie Bush lament, “It’s very frustrating when you’re prepared for a team, you know what they’re going to do, and you still let them do it, great teams find ways to win games. Great teams don’t allow those things to happen. Obviously, we’re not there yet.”
Joe Philbin said it best in his press conference today, "This isn't a profession for the faint of heart. We have to accept responsibility for where we are at and still have faith and confidence that we're going to improve on a weekly basis." It’s sometimes easy to forget, Ryan Tannehill is a rookie. His play is better than any rookie on the Dolphins since 1983, but he still has a lot to learn.
To take the next step in his and the Dolphins evolution, Tannehill must understand, sometimes a sack is not a bad thing, sometimes a sack is the right thing. The golfers out there know what it feels like to hit a bad shot and then compound it by trying to be a hero on the next. After calling the wrong protection, do not compound the error by fluttering a pass in the process of taking a hit. Punt and depend on teammates to do their job.
If the Dolphins have any chance for a successful season Tannehill must learn, turnovers are always bad. Do not compound errors by trying to make plays when none are available. Teams begin stoking up the pressure as the games come to a close. It is up to Ryan Tannehill to find ways to win these close games, or the Miami Dolphin's season will end like Texas A&M's season.
What could have been, had the Dolphins come away with victories in close games...
Obviously a QB performs better in a win, than in a loss. The quandary in measuring statistical greatness in quarterbacks is whether individual performance numbers are more important than wins or losses. Dolphin fans have seen some of the greatest quarterback play in NFL history in a man named Dan Marino. What Dolphin fans did not celebrate were Super Bowl victories during Marino’s tenure.
Comparing any QB to Dan Marino, especially a rookie is not only wrong, but foolish, Marino is in the hall of fame and Ryan Tannehill can only dream of reaching those lofty standards. The point is, great stats can get a QB into the hall of fame, but wins get a QB a Super Bowl ring. Folks in Miami have seen admirable QB play, but after 40 years, the thirst for a Super Bowl victory is like finding an oasis after a long trek through the Arizona dessert.
The relevance of these statistical references to the Miami Dolphins comes when trying to understand whether Ryan Tannehill can lead the Dolphins to victory in closely contested football games. Take a moment to consider the following chart breaking down the results of how Ryan Tannehill performed in wins and losses at Texas A&M in 2011.
Mike Sherman is personally well aware of these numbers. It's a trend that continues with the Dolphins and must be addressed and rectified before Tannehill, and in turn the Dolphins can win these close games. Unfortunately the numbers do not lie and will follow Tannehill until he learns from his mistakes.
Poor execution by Tannehill on a pitch play to Reggie Bush early in the fourth quarter killed a promising drive. Tannehill missed Bush on the toss, resulting in a loss of 9 yards. With an opportunity to put Arizona away later in the fourth quarter, the Cards blitzed and according to Tannehill, “we had a little miscommunication up front...”
Richie Incognito missed the blitzer, but it is Tannehill who called the protection and he did not make the proper call. He got sacked and stripped of the ball, with a free blitzer running in his face, he did not tuck the ball, and in fact he never really tried. Cardinals then converted the turnover into the game-tying touchdown drive in regulation.
The game could still have been won through these mistakes, but the interception in overtime was the back breaker. Tannehill again had a free blitzer, but instead of eating the ball and taking a sack, he chose to throw the ball up for grabs. These are the kind of plays that are the difference between winning and losing. These are the kind of plays that define great QBs and guys who have great stats. Taking a sack and punting is sometimes the right choice.
The whispers of poor play calling by not running the ball on 2nd and eight insinuate Ryan Tannehill is incapable of leading the team to victory. Tannehill needs to learn how to win and for that to happen, he has to be put in a position to make the crucial plays. The play calling on the fumble was done to place the ball in the hands of the guy who needs to be the leader of this team.
Tannehill failed, and now his coach is being questioned, and teammates like Reggie Bush lament, “It’s very frustrating when you’re prepared for a team, you know what they’re going to do, and you still let them do it, great teams find ways to win games. Great teams don’t allow those things to happen. Obviously, we’re not there yet.”
Joe Philbin said it best in his press conference today, "This isn't a profession for the faint of heart. We have to accept responsibility for where we are at and still have faith and confidence that we're going to improve on a weekly basis." It’s sometimes easy to forget, Ryan Tannehill is a rookie. His play is better than any rookie on the Dolphins since 1983, but he still has a lot to learn.
To take the next step in his and the Dolphins evolution, Tannehill must understand, sometimes a sack is not a bad thing, sometimes a sack is the right thing. The golfers out there know what it feels like to hit a bad shot and then compound it by trying to be a hero on the next. After calling the wrong protection, do not compound the error by fluttering a pass in the process of taking a hit. Punt and depend on teammates to do their job.
If the Dolphins have any chance for a successful season Tannehill must learn, turnovers are always bad. Do not compound errors by trying to make plays when none are available. Teams begin stoking up the pressure as the games come to a close. It is up to Ryan Tannehill to find ways to win these close games, or the Miami Dolphin's season will end like Texas A&M's season.
What could have been, had the Dolphins come away with victories in close games...
The Horses Do Not Match the Philosophy in Miami
Miami Dolphin coach Joe Philbin and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman share a common philosophy. They believe having the ability to throw the football is crucial in today’s NFL. Offenses must use multiple sets showing a wide variety of formations and personnel groupings, from a two back - two tight end look, to five wideouts staggered across the line of scrimmage. There is only one thing wrong with this perspective; they inherited a team built to play a power running game.
Drafting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is only the first step in the process of revamping a roster where square pegs do not fit in round holes. The obvious glaring weakness is at the receiver positions. Devone Bess and Brian Hartline are good secondary options as is Anthony Fasano, all three of these players deserve to be on the roster but none is truly a playmaking game breaking receiver.
There is a segment of the fan base convinced Brandon Marshall could have filled that void and trading him was a mistake. The rest, believe Marshall was nothing more than a selfish brooding child with a borderline personality disorder. The truth is, Marshall could not be depended on in critical situations. He has all the physical prowess of the game’s best receivers, but he simply does not have the mental capabilities to match.
The problem facing the Dolphins was outlined in an earlier article which showed trading Marshall accelerated his signing bonus to this year’s salary cap. That made it impossible for the Dolphins to be more than bit players in free agency. This is the reason Chad Johnson, Legadu Naanee and Anthony Armstrong were the only options available given Miami’s cap space. None of these receivers is in the Vincent Jackson category, which was out of the Dolphins reach.
Selecting tackle Jonathan Martin in the second round was a wise decision based on his play early in the season. The choice was not only made because Martin was the best available player, Miami also felt it imperative to keep the QB upright. The move now looks a lot better considering they are starting a rookie QB. Tannehill won’t go far in this league if he spends more time in the training room than on the field.
The biggest disappointment of the draft is Michael Egnew. As a senior at Missouri Egnew caught 47 passes, adding to the 90 catches he had as a junior, but he has been noticeably inactive with the Dolphins. Egnew would have been a compliment to Fasano with the speed to get open in the seams, but obviously, he will not be much help to Miami this season.
The bottom line for the Dolphins is, without cap space, Miami was not capable of spending on free agents, which left them with lower tier options. They chose a QB in the first round of the draft and decided protecting him was more viable than hoping a second round wide receiver would become the missing playmaker.
What this all leads to is... Miami will revert to the running game in 2012. They have a great back and two very good young talents behind him, a bruising fullback and good blocking tight ends, all led by a young inexperienced QB behind an underrated offensive line. The philosophy has not changed; the coaches are simply doing the best with the personnel currently on the roster.
In the fourth quarter of the Jets game, Mike Sherman learned a big lesson; no matter how much he would like to take advantage of the safeties creeping in the box, he doesn’t have the horses to throw the ball against a good coverage secondary. Miami will be a running team and fans will have to live with it until Philbin and Sherman have the talent to execute the scheme they undoubtedly will move toward in the future.
There is another advantage to being able to run the ball; it takes the pressure off the rookie QB. So while it may seem Joe Philbin is a reincarnation of Tony Sparano, there is a plan and hopefully Dolphin fans have the patience for it to come to fruition. Unlike Sparano, Joe Philbin is not enchanted with a gadget play, he sees where he would like to go and has the Dolphins traveling down the right path to get there.
Be patient and have faith Miami fans… The cycle of the NFL is coming back around to the Dolphins. The day of the white hanky will rise again!
Drafting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is only the first step in the process of revamping a roster where square pegs do not fit in round holes. The obvious glaring weakness is at the receiver positions. Devone Bess and Brian Hartline are good secondary options as is Anthony Fasano, all three of these players deserve to be on the roster but none is truly a playmaking game breaking receiver.
There is a segment of the fan base convinced Brandon Marshall could have filled that void and trading him was a mistake. The rest, believe Marshall was nothing more than a selfish brooding child with a borderline personality disorder. The truth is, Marshall could not be depended on in critical situations. He has all the physical prowess of the game’s best receivers, but he simply does not have the mental capabilities to match.
The problem facing the Dolphins was outlined in an earlier article which showed trading Marshall accelerated his signing bonus to this year’s salary cap. That made it impossible for the Dolphins to be more than bit players in free agency. This is the reason Chad Johnson, Legadu Naanee and Anthony Armstrong were the only options available given Miami’s cap space. None of these receivers is in the Vincent Jackson category, which was out of the Dolphins reach.
Selecting tackle Jonathan Martin in the second round was a wise decision based on his play early in the season. The choice was not only made because Martin was the best available player, Miami also felt it imperative to keep the QB upright. The move now looks a lot better considering they are starting a rookie QB. Tannehill won’t go far in this league if he spends more time in the training room than on the field.
The biggest disappointment of the draft is Michael Egnew. As a senior at Missouri Egnew caught 47 passes, adding to the 90 catches he had as a junior, but he has been noticeably inactive with the Dolphins. Egnew would have been a compliment to Fasano with the speed to get open in the seams, but obviously, he will not be much help to Miami this season.
The bottom line for the Dolphins is, without cap space, Miami was not capable of spending on free agents, which left them with lower tier options. They chose a QB in the first round of the draft and decided protecting him was more viable than hoping a second round wide receiver would become the missing playmaker.
What this all leads to is... Miami will revert to the running game in 2012. They have a great back and two very good young talents behind him, a bruising fullback and good blocking tight ends, all led by a young inexperienced QB behind an underrated offensive line. The philosophy has not changed; the coaches are simply doing the best with the personnel currently on the roster.
In the fourth quarter of the Jets game, Mike Sherman learned a big lesson; no matter how much he would like to take advantage of the safeties creeping in the box, he doesn’t have the horses to throw the ball against a good coverage secondary. Miami will be a running team and fans will have to live with it until Philbin and Sherman have the talent to execute the scheme they undoubtedly will move toward in the future.
There is another advantage to being able to run the ball; it takes the pressure off the rookie QB. So while it may seem Joe Philbin is a reincarnation of Tony Sparano, there is a plan and hopefully Dolphin fans have the patience for it to come to fruition. Unlike Sparano, Joe Philbin is not enchanted with a gadget play, he sees where he would like to go and has the Dolphins traveling down the right path to get there.
Be patient and have faith Miami fans… The cycle of the NFL is coming back around to the Dolphins. The day of the white hanky will rise again!
Ryan Tannehill and a New Offense in Miami
The big news this week was the naming of Ryan Tannehill as the starter for the Dolphins, but Friday night’s game against the Falcons will give Miami fans a better idea of what to expect from the Dolphins this season. Atlanta will be the first team game-planned for in the Joe Philbin era and should be a truer indication of how Mike Sherman will use play selection to set-up the running game or the passing game.
Until this point, the preseason has been less about preparing for regular season games and more about player evaluation. Only rushing 27 times in two games, has kept the running game under wraps, while the QBs and WRs battled for starting and back-up roles. This week should unveil a different offense in Miami, the Dolphins will obviously deploy the rushing attack much more, but how it will be used is what defenses on Miami’s 2012 schedule will be looking to catalog on film.
All the evidence points to the passing game being used to set-up the run, which is like going back to the future with Ryan Tannehill taking the place of Dan Marino. Not since Marino have the Dolphins employed throwing the football as a primary means of attack, believing this transition can take place overnight is probably shortsighted. There are bound to be growing pains as Joe Philbin reverses the course Miami has followed since Marino retired.
The old adage that the running game sets up the pass is passé, as confirmation can be found in these rushing charts of some of the more prolific NFL offensive teams, with the Dolphins included for reference.
2011 GREEN BAY RUSHING STATS | 2011 NEW ORLEANS RUSHING STATS | |||||||||
Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | |||
395 | 1558 | 12 | 3.9 | 431 | 2127 | 16 | 4.9 | |||
LEAGUE RANK | LEAGUE RANK | |||||||||
26 | 27 | 16 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 4 | |||
2011 NEW ENGLAND RUSHING STATS | 2011 DETROIT RUSHING STATS | |||||||||
Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | |||
438 | 1764 | 18 | 4 | 356 | 1523 | 9 | 4.3 | |||
LEAGUE RANK | LEAGUE RANK | |||||||||
17 | 20 | 3 | 24 | 31 | 29 | 23 | 13 | |||
2011 NYG RUSHING STATS | 2011 MIAMI RUSHING STATS | |||||||||
Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | |||
411 | 1427 | 17 | 3.5 | 469 | 1987 | 11 | 4.2 | |||
LEAGUE RANK | LEAGUE RANK | |||||||||
22 | 32 | 6 | 32 | 6 | 11 | 19 | 15 | |||
The stat line most startling is the league ranking in number of attempts for most of these teams. There seems to be an almost blatant disregard for the old school thought of run first offense. There are numerous reasons for this transformation, but what’s relevant to Dolphin fans is that Joe Philbin and his coaching staff buys into this change of the guard and that Miami will be moving in this direction.
The change was already evident in the Dolphins not caring about trying to balance the offense in the first two preseason games. But these numbers are very deceiving in the west coast offense. The traditional rushing offense is replaced by a controlled passing game that uses short passing in place of a straight ahead rushing attack. What’s missing from these stats is the amount of throws to the backs and TEs that have taken the place of running plays.
The NFL purist in the stats line has not yet made the progression from the type of stats shown above to a chart more representative of what is happening in the modern game. Miami will now have stats similar to what is shown, but the game itself has not changed that much. The forced running game is replaced by a short passing game, with “dump-offs” no longer called “check-downs” because they are planned plays. Instead of going through a receiver tree progression and then settling on an outlet receiver, Tannehill will look to the check-off first on a three step drop.
This is a complete reversal from the traditional progression then check-down. The QB looks short first and then uses his feet when the short pass is covered and goes to the next longer and so on. This makes more sense than waiting in the pocket for “a play to develop” because it looks to what could be open by sequencing the depth of the pattern tree.
This is why all the talk about Miami needing a Brandon Marshall type of receiver is way off base. Each receiver has a depth in the progression and it is up to the QB to see the weak spot in the defense and to direct the passing game without a primary receiver. This is the change Miami fans should begin to see this week against Atlanta. Thirteen years after Dan Marino retired, the Dolphins are back to being a passing team.
Beware Dolphin fans… Three yards and a cloud of dust has left the building!
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