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Running effectively

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by DePhinistr8, Oct 18, 2010.

  1. DePhinistr8

    DePhinistr8 Season Ticket Holder

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    It's weird..I can't wrap my head around it.

    We're currently 14th in the NFL in rushing, which is respectable, but not great. However we only have 1 rushing TD through 5 games. That disturbs me a bit. Especially considering we have 3 fumbles from running the ball.

    So what's the deal here? Are we not running it at appropriate times? What do you guys think?
     
  2. Makados10

    Makados10 Active Member

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    It's just the way it's worked out.

    We have a huge WR in Marshall and a terrific slot guy in Bess for dangerous receiving threats around the goal line.

    I feel confident throwing or pounding the ball in. As Sparano likes to say, it's a good problem to have~
     
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  3. The Aqua Crush

    The Aqua Crush New Member

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    I think we still need to find more of a balance between run/pass. We haven't been very good in the red zone scoring and that could help if we ran the ball more consistently. We seem to run it well from our 20 to the oppositions 30 then it gets stopped or we stop running.

    The way Hennings conservative approach is to managing a game i'm surprised when we have the lead it's not a heavy dose of run. but the way both backs have started the season fumbling i can't say i blame him for the lack of trust. Their running was probably a good step in the right direction for R&R to get more touches moving forward, simply because they gained yards on almost every touch and didn't lose control of the ball against the packers.

    I'm just glad they shelved the WC against the pack. It can be seen it's not as important to us as it used to be.

    I also think the reason we haven't run the ball as effectively is due to our interior O line. I think getting Jerry back will help our running game even further. The middle of our Oline is a mess for between tackle running IMO. We certainly don't run as effective as last year. But were not the worst in the league either. It's effective just unispiring so far. That could change as our interior gets better. Jerry should help that even though he's a rook.
     
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  4. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

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    IMO part of it is the play calling. I thought there were a ton of running opportunities in the last game where we passed into a defense expecting pass. The other part is that we're not as strong at the pivot. I don't have the stats to compare, but it seems to me that our runs up the gut were far more effective last year.
     
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  5. FinFan_Est.1984

    FinFan_Est.1984 Get Aggressive!!!

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    Why is it that we can all see that we need to run the ball more but our coahing staff doesn't make the correction?

    We need an Intervention with Henning. Sparano needs to give him an ultimatum. Run the ball more or we are cutting you off.

    Time to call Jeff Vanvonderen
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

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    IMO its more of a timing issue with Henning. Some drives he sticks with the run too much and the defense knows we're going to run. The result is we get stuffed and are forced into a low percentage 3rd down conversion attempt. Likewise, sometimes he passes into defenses expecting pass. The result is incompletions which force us into a low percentage 3rd down conversion attempt. What has saved us is that Henne has been great on 3rd down.
     
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  7. FinNasty

    FinNasty Alabama don’t want this... Staff Member Club Member

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    We were very run dominated last year. This year, we've been much more balanced...

    I'd judge our performance based of YPC, rather than total yards.
     
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  8. DePhinistr8

    DePhinistr8 Season Ticket Holder

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    On the play where Polite was stopped on 3rd and 1, I said to my nephew "what a great time to fake the dive and go with the pitch"

    If you look at the reply, the corner on the outside where the pitch man (I think it was Ricky) would have run totally sold out to go inside...Ricky might still be running if they pitched it to him.

    That, and I think something like that has to be sprinkled in so teams have to respect the possibility that it won't always be Lou on 3rd and 1.
     
  9. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

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    Using that measure our ranking is 22nd.
     
  10. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    Yesterday was weird in that Green Bay was in a 4-2 base to take away the pass, yet the playcalling was still 39-39 run/pass. It was still nice to see them run the ball in OT when they needed to, as well as Henne picking up a nice first down to Bess.
     
  11. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

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    Several times during the game I saw that the draw was wide open. We're passing effectively enough that the defense has to respect us when we spread them out. When we showed that last game, GB vacated the middle. In a single back, which RB runs well out of, we could have been gashing them for 10 - 12 yards a pop.
     
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  12. AbideN703

    AbideN703 Yes, I'd hit it

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    Look at some of the Henne INTs in or near the red zone. The Phins get close to TDs but then piss them away with turnovers.

    I don't like the way they rotate Ronnie or Ricky either. I'd rotate them both on the same drive, not individually. I don't see how you can form a rhythm if you're in only every other drive.
     
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  13. The Aqua Crush

    The Aqua Crush New Member

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    Bingo Rafael. The draw or pitch in certain instances could have really got the D off balance. We missed those opportunities. Henne really has been terrific on third downs to keep drives alive. If we were using some off balance plays to keep the D guessing it could have been much more benefitial.

    I don't think it was a problem with the running or passing game, but rather which types of plays were called when. I think part of that isn't just on the play calling however. It needs to be something Henne develops and audibles as he sees and reads d's better. I'm not sure how much control he has to do that yet. My guess is not much. but if he reads something he can expose by calling a different play he should start to get the trust of Henning and Sparano to make that call.

    Henne could do a better job of looking guys off too. He still has a tendancy to stare down his target and show the D where he's throwing. That will come as he develops, but you could tell GB's D Line was instructed to get their hands up and they were doing it all game, luckily for us it wasn't too catastrophic as Henne was able to throw through them. A pump fake here or there would open things up all over the field for him might even open up some draws in a one back set or a clip and roll out for a TE or RB for a short dump screen to pick up big gains after the throw. Without getting a D off balance though if he tries a screen or dump they are swarming to the ball and being over aggressive.
     
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  14. PhinsRDbest

    PhinsRDbest Transform and Transcend

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    the next dimension
    Maybe having an inside offensive line consisting of Incognito, Berger, and McQuistan has something to do with it.
     
  15. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    The lack of athleticism amongst our starting interior lineman is not good..They struggle getting to the 2nd level, and their weakness's do not allow them to find defender's in open space...

    Berger works in his space well, but that space is limited, I see similar things in the other 2..

    Welcome back Jerry...we need that boy.
     
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  16. DePhinistr8

    DePhinistr8 Season Ticket Holder

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    I notice that on a couple of our screen passes. They'd get out there and almost look lost.
     

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