Miami Dolphins’ Adam Gase needs to adjust for quicker offensive starts
Despite teams focusing to stop the Miami Dolphins running game, head coach Adam Gase has plenty of other options to get points on the board.
Adam Gase’s Sunday start against the Oakland Raiders, started much like any other nightmare, with bleeding and screams from someone you love. The Miami Dolphins defense came out cold, and the Dolphins fell behind early, Derek Carr made it look too easy to put points on the board and to walk through the Dolphins defense.
The Oakland Raiders receiver, Jordy Nelson had 6 rec for 173 yards and 1 TD. On the first pass play, Carr and Nelson hooked up for 63 yards on a 9 yard pass with 54 yards coming after the catch. Then Carr targeted the uncovered Nelson for a 12 yard pass in the end zone for a TD. Still in the 1st quarter, again Derek Carr hits Nelson through the air 25 yards deep and Nelson had a 41 yard run after the catch. The absence of Reshad Jones was felt early as Miami scrambled for answers on defense.
Cornerback Xavien Howard stepped up and picked off Carr on another 65 yard pass attempt, and ran the interception back 40 yards. Miami’s defense had seemed to have just woken up, but on offense, Miami was still looking to move the chains, and the running game was getting shut down.
Head coach Adam Gase, has been said to have abandoned the run game way too early in the past, and has been labeled a pass happy coach. Sunday in the first half you could argue that is not the case as the Dolphins offense was held to a combined 41 rushing yards. Frank Gore had 6 carries for 12 yards, Kenyan Drake had 5 carries for 3 yards, and Tannehill had 3 carries for 26 yards.
More from Phin Phanatic
- Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
This poor production could point to the offensive line or it could mean teams are aware what Gore and Drake are capable of doing from the backfield, and making QB Ryan Tannehill beat them with the passing game? But why is it taking so long to figure out? Why are we playing catch-up to start games? This one is on Adam Gase, whether it is the run or pass, his adjustments have been too slow coming, and that’s why we seem to be slow starters.
This team has too many weapons on offense to defend them all, find the hot hand, find the open guy, find the best match-up that leads to success. Gase would be better suited if he would not go into games with these predictable 15 play scripts, and just call the game like it’s the fourth quarter.
The “lightning speed” that I have previously wrote about gets canceled out, do to the predictable play calling Gase forces like a square peg in a round hole, go with what fits. While Ryan Tannehill is growing as the Quarterback of the Dolphins, Adam Gase also needs to grow as an offensive play caller.
It sure will be nice to get Reshad Jones back on the field, and you can not say that loud enough, because the New England Patriots are next.