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Dear Football Experts,

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by dirtylandry, Sep 18, 2017.

  1. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    I have a challenging question. If we suck really bad at LB, could we play a nickel or dime package for the passing game? Or would teams just kill us on the run, unless those Dlinemen can hold their own? And not as an every down thing, more as a passing down situation
     
    bigballa2102 likes this.
  2. DolPhinPhan7

    DolPhinPhan7 Well-Known Member

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    We also suck at Defensive Back though.
     
    Kud_II likes this.
  3. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    good point.
    let's assume we got better at stopping the run, the only way to help the LB's and the secondary is a pass rush. otherwise, we are in trouble
     
  4. Tin Indian

    Tin Indian Rockin' The Bottom End Club Member

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    I think we'd do better at man coverage than Zone. We were getting eaten alive yesterday.
     
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  5. Rickysabeast

    Rickysabeast Royale With Cheese

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    I agree. Watch the Saints game yesterday against the Pats. We'll get smoked.
     
  6. rackhound

    rackhound Well-Known Member

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    17 points given up to rivers especially given the circumstances is not eaten alive. I think people are over reacting. Lets see what they look like Sun. VS the Jets.:couch:
     
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  7. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    It seems like we kind just gave them the seam all game. Not sure if that was a part of the plan. A lot of it had to do with our players being slow on recognizing passed assignments. I think it was more of a first-game thing. Also seemed like we were blitzing DBs a lot more than I remember in recent memory. I suspect Timmons would have done the blitzing if that weird stuff hadn't happened.
     
  8. brandon27

    brandon27 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Well, Chase Allen, our 3rd LB only played like 14 snaps yesterday according to PFF. So that tells you we're already doing that. How much of that was because we were without Timmons though is the question. I'd suspect though we'd still come out that way more often than not with the majority of teams running offenses with at least 3 wr's most of the time
     
  9. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    I hope Burke can make adjustments and isn't stubborn
     
  10. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

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    Solid question. I think that running a base nickel could work against certain teams. The teams that run more college style offenses (lots shotgun/lots of WRs on the field at the same time) would probably be fine. If we run against more traditional sets (I-fomation, double TE single back) we would probably run into problems.

    Regardless of our opponents general schematic philosophy, there will certainly be times in every game in which we want three LBs on the field.
     
  11. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    well one should be back next week. that helps
     
  12. Vinny Fins

    Vinny Fins Feisty Brooklyn dolfan ️‍

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    Gameplan will vary greatly based on personnel available and opposition.

    That said:

    The Jets present 1 problem: Powell. Shut him down and make someone else beat you, much the same way they did to Gordon.

    games 3 and 4 will be problematic, obviously, given the variety of weapons NO and TEN can bring, especially midrange guys like Fleener and Walker.

    We have the personnel to lock one guy down. Almost any NFL team can. But 2nd and 3rd guys? just keep them underneath, as we did yesterday, and limit chunk damage.

    We allowed 3 plays over 20 yards and none over 30. San Diego ran 53 plays (39 Pass / 14 Rush) to our 65 (23 pass / 32 rush). We played ball control, holding roughly a 34 minute to 26 minute TOP edge and limiting them to 25% third down conversion rate, which is the key.

    We can basically run the similar game plan against the Jets and handle them given their matchups, however: consider out 3 opponents between Jets games: NO TEN and ATL. That's rough sledding. we will need more LB depth. Consider we will still have Bal (who matchup wise give us fits), OAK, TB, KC and NEx2... those are a lot of potential matchup nightmares if we cant adjust to the midrange passing game. Higher skill teams will 'death by a thousand papercut' you and take what the 'bend don't break' philosphy leaves them and just wear you down. Thus it's imperative to continue stopping the run while we adjust and better cover the TE and slot WR.

    Other than a mismatch with a LB on Williams for 24 yards, we shut down their outside WR. Allen and Henry as well as Gordon out of the backfield damaged us exploiting our lack of LB speed. That has to improve against that daunting schedule i mentioned.
     
  13. Puka-head

    Puka-head My2nd Fav team:___vs Jets Club Member

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    This D has been playing a lot of 4DL-2LB-5DB looks with an extra S/CB in for the LB. I think we see a lot more of that going forward, not just on our team but that's the way to defend the TE and RB seam routes that are winning the mismatches vs LBs across the league right now. Two SS a FS and 2 CB with 2 OLB types who can run defend and rush the passer with our front four is pretty hard to match up against.
     
  14. Bpk

    Bpk Premium Member Luxury Box

    Timmons and TJ McDonald solve both things; a decent pair of LBs for run D or a good pair of SSs to handle a run or pass
     
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  15. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    yeah but we need to hold the fort down until TJM comes back
     
  16. bigballa2102

    bigballa2102 Well-Known Member

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    This is a good thought, but with dime and nickel coverage you have to design blitzes to help out your d line, other wise they will double team suh and chip wake like normal, I don't really think nickel and dime is the answer if you get pressure you can play the 4-3 and be ok but the lack of pressure is the key to any D. I would like to see the 3-4 with man coverage one over the top the chargers never really went deep they kept it within 15 yards and ate us alive.
     
  17. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    In reality our LB's played well. Maxwell sucked. Jones looked rusty. Wake was held on every play (surprise). Suh dominated. Harris is this close to finding his rhythm, but was average with a few hurries and QB hits.. Even though X gave up ~80 yards he was targeted like 15-16 times. Not too bad when you consider that his responsibility may have changed due to Timmons being gone and when you consider he was facing a HoF QB with some pro-bowl WR's.

    But all-in-all the defense held together and kept a team that put up 21 on Denver to 17 points. Was it pretty? Nope. But with everything that has happened over the past few weeks I think Burke got his guys in position to make the right play and they bent, but never really broke.
     
  18. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    I just want to see the semblance of a pass rush to really see how bad the pass coverage is on both levels. My gut instinct is Howard and Jones are still good
     
  19. Kud_II

    Kud_II Realist Division

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    I'm no football expert but this is pretty cut and dry. I agree with this post.

    Our DBs can't cover, no high quality tacklers either. It's time to accept our defense is gonna get burned. We usually do well on redzone D, that's the only positive.

    Our DL can't get a pass rush which is really depressing with Suh and Wake and Phillips. We will be relying heavily on our offense (and shoot outs) in a lot of games this year I think, and we have to win a good portion of them if we wanna make the playoffs again.

    Our football life is in the hands of Ajayi Cutler Landry Parker Stills, and... Adam Gase calling all games like he called the second half vs Bolts. Oh and I could see Parkey's leg deciding a lot of games for us, so lets hope he continues his performance from LA.
     
  20. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    this is such a head-scratcher. what is the solution on defense? is it personnel? are we bad in talent all the way across?
     
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  21. bigballa2102

    bigballa2102 Well-Known Member

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    I don't think its personnel I think its a really bad scheme I think we put way to much pressure on the front 4 to get constant pressure with no help IE blitzes. I honestly think if they played a little more zone w some blitzes it would help a lot. The man to man with 2 deep cover isn't working because everyone completes 5-10 yard passes consistently at least rivers did, the way tight ends run routes now they are a nightmare for any LB no matter who it is. If they would blitz it would take the double team off suh for 1 and for 2 it wouldn't allow the rb to chip wake coming out of the backfield. I don't know much but id take suh n wake 1on1 any day of the week. I would say there will be some changes this week its only week 2 for us so I would bet to see a lot more mix ups on D and a lot more stuff from the offense.
     
  22. Deus ex dolphin

    Deus ex dolphin Well-Known Member

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    I expect Gase to be vanilla against the Jets, as our talent level is just better. They are on a mission to get the #1 pick, so only a sloppy game by Miami gives them a win.
     

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