Adam Gase continues to struggle with game planning
Week three continues to see the Miami Dolphins start off slow and lost, then pick it up in later quarters. Is this a situational issue or a common trend with coach Adam Gase?
An offensive coordinator or head coach, will script the first 10-15 plays of any given game. This allows the offense to get reps for those specific plays and hopefully gets the offense in rhythm. Here is how the scripted plays with Adam Gase has gone the first three games:
Titans
4 plays- punt
12 plays- TD
11 plays- turnover on downs
4 plays punt
Jets
4 plays punt
3 plays punt
3 plays TD after turnover
3 plays punt
7 plays punt
Raiders
3 plays punt
7 plays punt
3 plays punt
3 plays TD
6 plays punt
The first drive of each game has gone 4 and out with a punt. Only one drive has gone over 7 plays for a score. And 10 of the 14 drives have ended in punts. Of the 3 TD’s, two of them came in 3 plays.
The Jets game saw the Dolphins turn it around in a hurry and score 20 before the half. The Raiders game was not so good. Penalties, lack of running success, and long 3rd downs have killed drive after drive.
Adam Gase is known throughout the league as being one of the premier play callers and offensive minds in the league. He is in year three of his coaching tenure at Miami and he is definitely not on the hot seat this year. Even if he was, a 3-0 start has ended that conversation.
However, it is becoming hard to ignore the very poor scripts to start off the game. The lack of preparation on both sides of the ball that makes it seem like it takes 4 to 5 drives to realize that there is a game going. Most importantly, this is a common trend from years previous. Slow starts have been locker room interviews for Gase since he arrived in Miami. Does it mean that the Dolphins have a head coach that doesn’t know how to prepare a game plan or a team for a game, or are we seeing a new squad of players having a hard time acclimating to a new system?
Miami needs to see their head coach start games off quicker and have a better game plan if they are to compete against playoff teams like the Patriots, Packers, Jags, and Vikings this year.