I think it's the replacement of Wallace and Hartline with receivers who are far better at YAC. And there's no reason why those receivers can't also be downfield threats. Essentially the offensive YPA has to improve quite a bit for this team to become more competitive, and that's most likely to happen with better YAC in the passing game. Right now two-thirds of the starting wide receivers has relatively poor YAC ability, which is a serious mismatch with the strengths Tannehill has shown he has at this point.
Landry, Clay, Matthews and Wallace are decent-good YAC guys, it's Hartline and Gibson who aren't, if we can get a #2 to replace Hitman we're OK there. Still need an alpha back that'll bring balance and physicality to the offense tho.
Wallace was 75th in the league among offensive players in 2014. The Dolphins had only one player in the top 67 in the league in 2014, Landry (Clay was 68th). Contrast that with New England, which emphasized a similarly short passing game with good accuracy from its QB, had four players in the top 33 in YAC in 2014 (Gronkowski, Edelman, Vereen, and LaFell), and won the Super Bowl. They also defeated the league's best defense in the Super Bowl with the same, short passing game, largely with plays made with YAC. It isn't unrealistic to project Ryan Tannehill to improve in 2015 to the level Tom Brady played at in 2014 (based on numbers alone), but he needs a surrounding cast that complements his strengths to make it more likely to happen. Wallace and Hartline need to hit the road in my opinion.
Brady is only able to complete those short passes because he hits those 3 deeper passes he takes a game to back the defense up and make them respect it. Teams muddy the short field on RT because they know they don't have to bother defending over the top.
I think you are misunderstanding YAC and what it takes to obtain it. Not as simple as "guy catches ball and isn't good after that"...there are many factors that go into it. And scheme is certainly a big one.
Not sure about the stats you're touting with this. Brady had 44 20+ yarders on the season, and 8 40+ yarders. Tannehill had 41 20+ yarders, and 4 40+yarders on the season.
Well yeah, but if he was a Patriot with maybe the best QB ever and a scheme that promotes YAC then he might not be too bad.....maybe.
Brady attempted 0.44 more passes of 20+ yards in the air per game than Tannehill in 2014. Not even a single pass of that kind more per game.
The scheme is already there. It's a short passing, timing offense. And as the article here shows, YAC outside of that is based largely on receiver attributes: http://archive.advancedfootballanalytics.com/2007/08/who-gets-credit-for-yac.html
Again you posted an article by the same guy saying something different. And our offense throws way to many comebacks and outs to be considered the "same". Also we have a QB who seems to throw to the numbers rather than the hands, it's all relevant.
I agree we need YAC guys. I've said that since 17's rookie year. Argued pretty hard against "someone" that we needed more YAC....
