Are the Miami Dolphins even trying to run the ball?

Looking at the development of the Miami Dolphins running game, it makes one wonder. There isn’t a development in production, however the running game is evolving. The change we are seeing lately is using the pistol formation.

At the start of the season the Miami dolphins used a more standard run/pass option. They did add a twist to this, and that was having the quarterback pivot during the time the running back takes or fakes the hand off.

Using the pistol formation seems to add a layer of protection in the backfield. This offensive line just couldn’t keep the protection needed for standard RPO. Even with that added twist of pivoting.

For some reason I like to look of the pivot better, and it may provide greater coverage of the option actions. Should the pistol formation be used more it’s likely that pivot action will disappear, as there are just too many bodies in the backfield.

Head coach Brian Flores has never stopped thinking outside of the box, and many people are second-guessing what is going on with the running game.

I have a guess as to what might be happening. Being thrown into the fire is how the saying goes, and that is what is happening to Tua Tagovailoa.

Many people bring up how having a real running game would help the quarterback, the same could be said for having a better offensive line. This is nothing new and the same is being said for many other quarterbacks and many other teams.

How do you find out if a quarterback can carry a team? Well, not having the two things mentioned above can provide a look. As crazy as it might seem, that is what our head coach just might be doing, remember, he thinks outside the box.

We might be seeing the same thing from quarterback Tua, he might be showing the same characteristics as his coach. The last game, they won over the Giants, Tua had an interesting selection on which wide receiver to throw the touchdown passes to. The main top receivers got a lot of yardage during the game, but when it came time for touchdowns it was the lower tier receivers who got one each, there was an instance were the main receiver Parker seemed to be open.

Brian Flores seems like a stern coach, and I wouldn’t put it past him, that he would use a sink or swim technique in analyzing what should be his franchise quarterback. Doing this intentionally seems like asking for an injury, and if you remember that is what happened to Tua early on, he missed three games with a rib injury.

The Miami Dolphins most likely did intend to have a good offensive line with an adequate running game. When the first thing fell by the wayside so did the second. Setting up a laboratory for Flores to conduct experiments.

My two cents would be to use someone like Phillip Lindsay who can help pass protect, and/or make active and use a larger back like Gerrid Doaks. They have protected him on the practice squad long enough.