Should the Miami Dolphins be planning for life without Josh Boyer?
The Miami Dolphins could be changing defensive coordinators again.
It is time to start talking about defensive coordinator Josh Boyer potentially leaving the Miami Dolphins this off-season. As the 2020 season has gone on, Boyer’s defense has improved dramatically. Early in the year, against the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins struggled against the run and the pass. However, they have played some unbeatable defensive football since then.
The last three weeks have been a masterclass in defense for the Miami Dolphins. They have forced four turnovers and held opposing offenses to 34 total points in three games. The pass rush has stepped up in a big way, even with Shaq Lawson missing a game and Davon Godchaux going down for the remainder of the season.
Now, with the recent success of Dolphins head Brian Flores, teams may want to acquire some of that “magic” or follow the model that the Dolphins used. Instead of searching for the next “offensive genius”, the Dolphins simply hired the man that they believed was right for the job. Flores has proved to be quite the coach, and his defense looks completely different in 2020 with Josh Boyer at the helm. Now, the Dolphins may need to start worrying about losing their young coordinator. There are two ways that Boyer could depart from South Florida this off-season.
The Matt LaFleur scenario
Before taking the job as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Matt LaFleur took a lateral promotion. He went from offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams’ massive 2017 offensive turnaround to Nashville to take the same exact role with the Tennessee Titans. The reason why he would ever leave Sean McVay and that offense? Play calling duties. McVay is the unquestioned leader of the offense in Los Angeles, and LaFleur knew he had to show his ability in leading an offense if he ever wanted to be a head coach. It is no secret that Brian Flores has a massive impact, as well as final say, on the defensive gameplan. If Boyer has aspirations to run his own team, he will need to run his own defense first.
A potential head coaching job? The Zac Taylor way.
While it is unlikely that Boyer would get a head coaching job after one year with Brian Flores having considerable control over the defensive gameplan, it is certainly a possibility. The Cincinnati Bengals hired Zac Taylor even though he had never been an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He was the quarterback coach for the Rams in 2018 under offensive guru Sean McVay. Teams were all looking to capture some of that Sean McVay magic, and thus Taylor was hired by the Bengals. The NFL world is vocal about their respect for the job that Brian Flores has done in his year and a half with the Miami Dolphins. With a little more success, everyone could be trying to copy the Miami Dolphins model. Boyer is young and works directly with Flores every day.
Synopsis
The Dolphins may be playing their third straight season with a different defensive coordinator in 2021. Options to replace him may be limited if Flores chooses to stick with a “New England style defense”. Boyer was with Flores in New England for many years and knows that system like the back of his hand. If Flores just wants to assume full control of the defense to avoid another drastic change this off-season, the options open up. One name to watch is current Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, who is likely to be fired at the end of the season.