Miami Dolphins offensive recap Vs Titans week five

Ineptitude is the key word coming from Adam Gase. Not only does it capsulize this game, it does the same for the organization as a whole going back at least the last decade.

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Miami played without its projected starters at left tackle, left guard, running back and tight end. So to counter this maybe moving the pocket would be in order. They did a bootleg roll out to the right that hit Dion Sims……once.

This is yet another game were there are not many highlights to show on offense. It is the third game were only one touchdown was scored. Although the first two such games were played against playoff caliber teams and this game had seven starters absent.

Ryan Tannehill Hits DeVante Parker for a 50-Yard Gain! | Titans vs. Dolphins | NFL

Same play: Looks like Parker got off the press well.

DeVante Parker was given a highlight tape of someone he looks up to Detroit WR Calvin Johnson. It was his coach that gave it to him with hopes of him improving. The same should be done with Ryan Tannehill with a highlight tape of Ben Roethlisberger.

Damien Williams’ 58-Yard Screen Play Leads to Jay Ajayi’s TD Run | Titans vs. Dolphins | NFL

Ex-Dolphin Brice McCain picked himself into his team-mate. Luckily they picked themselves as the Dolphins would have been called for it had they tried their own pick play.

Jay Ajayi’s TD Run | Titans vs. Dolphins | NFL

The Jay Ajayi’ TD Run, he follows Dallas Thomas with a nice block by TE Sims for the TD. Damien Williams had a 58 yd run from a short pass to set it up.

Jay Ajayi was used as the lead back yet Kenyan Drake’s stats look better as do Damien Williams’. This seems like a status quo move with no attention paid to past performance. There had been a knock on Drake over his pass protection. Arian Foster has been the best at pass protecting blocking and maybe Williams. Question is then how did Foster get open for those past wheel routes? Also why weren’t the same routes used for other backs afterwards?

Miami is 31st in the NFL in running first downs. Miami is 26th in the NFL in passing first downs. This looks familiar right? It was even the case back with Lamar Miller. They can’t run for first downs to save their life’s. The solution seems to be the power run game but they won’t go that route so they should be using jumbo packages. This game showed many passing attempts for third and short while failing badly.

Halftime stats:         Mia          Tenn
1st downs                    4              14
Total yards                101           274
Time of poss          10:00       20:00

Game stats:                         TEN                       MIA
First Downs                        23                              8
Rush-Yds-TDs              41-235-1                     17-51-1
Cmp-Att-Yd-TD-INT    20-29-163-3-0        12-18-191-0-2
Sacked-Yards                     0-0                              6-42
Net Pass Yards                   163                           149
Total Yards                              398                        200
Fumbles-Lost                      1-0                            0-0
Turnovers                                 0                               2
Penalties-Yards                  5-40                           8-83
Third Down Conv.                  5-12                        4-11
Fourth Down Conv.              0-1                           0-0
Time of Possession              36:44                     23:16

Jason McCourty Rips Ball Away for INT & Titans Score FG | Titans vs. Dolphins | NFL

The fault here can probably be shared evenly. This pass is behind Parker, who has shown a good ability to fight for the ball while high pointing it and should also carry over to other passing plays. Jay Ajayi also had a boneheaded penalty called on him after the play had ended by re ripping the ball back.

Jakeem Grant from ‘Undrafted’ Returns Punt 74 Yards for TD! | Titans vs. Dolphins | NFL

Jakeem Grant’s 74-yard punt-return TD was the 7th longest punt return in team history. The Last punt return for TD was by Jarvis Landry at Washington for 69 yards back on 9/13/15.

There was one play that Grant was used on offense. It was great to have Grant breakout and take one to the house.This showcases what possibilities there are available if they were to just design a package in order to get him into open space or even try him as a slot receiver.

Game notes

• Jay Ajayi had a score on a reception that was called back due to Jarvis Landry being called for a hold.

• TE MarQueis Gray was more sure handed this time with the short dump passes although it would still be nice to see more of Dominique Jones. (power frame)

Final notes

Adam Gase said he built the defense to play with a lead. He inherited a team that averaged only 19 points a game last season and is now scoring worse than that. So that notion should be flipped on its ear. Dolphins are 28th in the NFL, averaging 17.8 points per game. They scored 17 points against Tennessee on Sunday, with one touchdown being a punt return.

A new system can generally take six weeks to kick in and having multiple injuries along the way certainly hinders this time line.

Gase on Ryan Tannehill:

“When we have 18 drop-back passes and he’s hit or sacked on nine of them — and then the completions we do have, he’s got guys in his face,” Gase said. “So I’m supposed to blame him for that?”
He also added ” … Everyone wants to blame that position. It’s the easy one to do, because you can see completion/incompletion/interception. When you hit your back foot and you get sacked, no much you can do about it.”

Tannehill isn’t completely at fault, he has yet to have his starting front five to protect him better. However he has to show he can do more by sliding in the pocket and/or run sometimes.

Adam Gase says the team is ‘inept’ he may just be reflecting on the team that takes the field but it relates to the whole team from the owner on down.

What should have been a better rebuild last off-season as Brian Miller pointed out  may as well start to happen now. Keep a handful of core players on each unit. One area were the front office faltered was seeking players that are aged and or injury prone when they already have core players that are injury prone. It is understandable to try money-saving moves when you have big contract players like Suh / Tannehill but looking back this looks like a key piece of ineptitude that Adam Gase was handed.

While these mid level salaried, mediocre at best injury prone core players have been sidelined injured, those players taking their places have outperformed them. Most other teams would keep those fill-in players as the new starters, I believe this is called churning the roster and the Miami Dolphins constantly fail in this area. Which leads to more rebuilding every few seasons or so.

This churning the roster model is important and should be followed to keep an even keel. As it stands now there is almost no chance any team would be willing trade participants to take on over priced contracts of any under performing players. This would be one tough rebuild but they should at least try it.