Almost always the SB winner has a top 10 offense AND a top 10 defense. Rarely do you see unbalanced teams win.

Just some stats:

Average rank of SB winning defense (by points allowed): 5.5
Average rank of SB winning offense (by points scored): 6.3

Percent of times SB winning defense was NOT top 10: 13.7%
Percent of times SB winning offense was NOT top 10: 19.6%

Cases where unbalanced team with defense below average (#17 or lower) AND offense top 10 won SB:
2006 Colts (#23 defense, #2 offense)
2009 Saints (#20 defense, #1 offense)
2011 Giants (#25 defense, #9 offense)

Of course, that's Peyton Manning in his prime, Drew Brees in his prime and Eli Manning with an amazing post-season performance we're talking about.

Proper strategy is to build a balanced team, and if anything you want defense to be stronger.

 

Something else interesting.. the influence of the salary cap on offensive and defensive rankings for SB winners.

From 1966-1993 during pre-salary cap era, the average defensive rank for SB winners was 4.4 and average offensive rank was 5.3, while for salary-cap era (including that 2010 "uncapped" year) the average defensive rank for SB winners was 6.9 and for offense it was 7.5. So that shows you how salary cap has made it harder for a team to dominate.

Also.. the only cases where you had unbalanced SB winners, either offense or defense, where by "unbalanced" at least one of the units was ranked #17 or lower, occurred in the salary cap era starting with the Bucs in 2002 where they had the #1 defense (by points allowed) and #18 offense (by points scored).

And the ONLY case where a SB winner was not ranked top 10 in either offense or defense was in salary cap era: Giants in 2007 (#16 on defense, #14 on offense).

So while balanced is still the way to go, it's not as important now compared to pre-salary cap.

 

Looks like you're right, at least for the Dolphins.

The average change (from 1966) in offensive ranking per year for the Dolphins is 5.9 (by points scored) and 5.0 (by yards), while the average change in defensive ranking per year for the Dolphins is 7.5, both by points allowed and by yards allowed. So, at least for the Dolphins there is on average a greater change in defensive rankings from one year to the next than in offensive rankings.

 

The reality is that the offense has enough weapons at this time to get this team to the playoffs.
What they don't have is a defense that can get them past the first round of the playoffs. The fact is that the defense is bottom tier and the only thing that will change this is for them to dedicate all their early picks to the defense.

I will be extremely surprised and very disappointed if they don't draft defensive players in the early rounds of the draft. In fact I would be happy if they use all their draft picks this year on defensive players.

 

It's also worth mentioning that the Colt's and Giant's D's performed way above their rankings in the playoffs, further stressing the need for balance.

 

Their best offensive lineman missed most of last season. Tannehill and the offensive players were learning a new offense last year and Gase has stated that Tannehill was just starting to feel completely comfortable with the offense when he went down with his injury.

The fact is that over the last quarter of the 2016 season, the Dolphins defense was terrible and may have been the worst overall defense in the league by seasons end.

While the Dolphins still need to add a guard on offense. I believe that if Pouncey can avoid injury in 2017 and granted that is a BIG if. A healthy Pouncey will upgrade the play of the entire offensive line,IMO.

I just see the defense as the real weakness on this team and drafting offensive players early in the 2017 draft isn't going to upgrade a defense which still has to be considered near the bottom in the NFL.

I think the Dolphins are still at least 3 years away from being a legitimate SB contender. Therefore they have the time to draft more offensive weapons in future drafts. This year though, I think upgrading the defense with younger talent for the future is far more important than trying to add another offensive player in the early rounds of the draft. .

Also other than Fournette, who I seriously doubt will be on the board when the Dolphins draft in the first round. There isn't another offensive player I would want to see the Dolphins draft in the first round.

 

Their offense was ranked 17th.

 

Points. And isn't points all that matters? If my offense scores 30ppg with only 200ypg I'd be happier than if they score 17ppg with 500ypg.

 

A good draft, followed by another one in 2018, along with some good free agent signings and this team will be ready for a deep playoff run. We don't need another three years, you should be competing by year three -IF you do it right.

After watching Jordan depart, and knowing what a waste of time/money/resources it was to draft him? As much as I think the defense needs a lot of help, I will be happy even if they go offense -as long as the player turns into at least a decent starter.

 

If we draft offense it should only be guard. Defense has more holes, and is a higher priority as this moment. Your clearly in love with these tight ends in this year's draft (this being like your third post on the subject Lol.) However, we already brought in two free agent tight ends. One being the clear starter if he stays healthy, and the other if he doesn't. LB, DE, or G First round in my opinion.

 

how bout we kill three birds with one stone and draft Adoree Jackson..he'll score points on three different units..

 

I think it's a great topic dirty, how to win in today's NFL, go full metal on offense, defense, or build a balanced team..

I think you go for balance, however don't draft good players to fit needs instead of great ones that don't.manuver the draft if you have to, worry about accrued assets later.

 

Hmmm, that's opening pandoras box..

I think the offense comes down to two major factors that will determine its success...the obvious, better protection and overall play from the unit.and two, the QB understands what it means to convert at all costs..

So you think upgrading the tight position is the way to go?

 

I think the offensive struggles were directly related to a couple of things.

Injuries and a new system.

If the oline had stayed healthy and RT had not of been injured they would have put up a lot more points.

I'm a firm believer that defense wins championships. However, if someone like an O.J. Howard falls to us I'd hope we'd take him. If not, then a defensive player should be picked first.

 

Everything you said that pertains to early and late in games, has to do with converting on third down, one way to look at it is upgrade the talent around the QB and let them do the work, another is to take matters into your own hands a few times a game..that's all it takes.

 

Every team can play the what if game though, just have to scout better than the other guys..acccumlate as much talent as possible, put the coaches in place, and deal with you assets if your to good.

 

Your all about bpa..cool bones.....let's go shoot some birds.

 

Wedding crasher style, with the funny hats and everything.

 

Between a skilled player on offense and a top player on defense we should take defense without question.

Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

 

I think we should target Malik mcdowell first round and Jordan Willis or Rekwon McMillan second round.

Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

 

If they would move him, McDowell, to DE I'd be happy with that pick. And I'd pick Willis over McMillan 100 out of 100 times.

 

I agree with willis over McMillan 100%, but there is a good chance willis won't make it to our second pick.

Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

 

I don't see McDowell as a fit, we already have a penetrating DT, we need one to bolster the run, I'd target Dalvin Tomlinson in the 3rd, and McDowell is another mess of a football player who has relied on his considerable athletic ability but has almost zero technique, and has underperformed in college.

In the 1st I'm taking BPA, which will be a defender, CB, DE,DT,LB, it doesn't really matter which, we need as many quality defenders as we can get, no projects.

 

Yes mcdowell's production was not as much as expected given his talents, but I think that was more due to him being misused and being the focal point of the offensive blocking. He was regularly double teamed yet still managed to create consistent disruption even if he didn't always get the sack or tackle. He was basically a one man wrecking crew without any help. I believe he is a top ten talent if we can get him at 22 it's a steal.

Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

 

Not sure about McDowell. It is said he has all the talent, but is lazy. I think if we had Kacy Rogers instead of Williams as DL coach then I would probably go for it.

 

the bast part of changing the culture and building a locker room thatch police themselves is for this very reason..

aint no way anyone can convince me that a player like McDowell could come into our locker room and disrupt or be lazy on the practice field, weight rooms, let along the games.

so I do believe that is the current atmosphere with Nsuh and Wake being the leaders, reshape jones is a man, Landry will call you out..we have the guy to change the habits of some punks so if their that gifted, maybe take your chance, you've worked hard on developing the locker room to take care of it.

 

If we take him, I hope you are right. I do agree that thanks to Gase our culture has changed. That will help with some guys, but some like Dion Jordan, for some reason, just couldn't get on board. Still SMH on that one. Who wouldn't want to be part of our organization now? The guy's head must really be messed up.

 

That dynamic helps a lot, however, the only reason a DT is part of the discussion is because of the last lazy, physical specimen DT we drafted that we want to replace, a player can only lead a player who wants to follow him.