Miami Dolphins: 21 personnel will lead Miami to the playoffs
By Jeremy Klump
In 2021, the Miami Dolphins offense was a complete joke. All of the coaches should’ve been fired during the year; that’s how bad it was. Every week you could tell someone different was calling the plays because every week, they have a different “identity.” And I use the word identity lightly because let’s be honest, they stunk, and that’s not really an identity in the NFL.
A significant discrepancy for the Dolphins was their use of 21 personnel (2 running backs and 1 tight end), and that is why fans should start to get excited about McDaniel.
In 2021, the Dolphins ran 21 personnel 10 times (1% of their offense) (via Sharp Football Analysis).
I watched the San Francisco 49ers offense extensively, which is why I even dove into this article because I charted them being in 21 personnel a ton. And to be exact, the 49ers led the NFL with 425 snaps of 21 personnel, 147 more snaps than the second team on that list (via Sharp Football Analysis).
That is why the signing of fullback Alec Ingold is so important. Having a fullback to help the offense isn’t what it used to be in the NFL, but some offenses still use a fullback.
The 49ers almost made the Super Bowl again, and they did so with an average quarterback. How? 21 personnel.
21 personnel helps the quarterback a ton because teams will need to play the run more than anything, which allows the offense to thrive off of play-action and keeps the defense guessing.
How will 21 personnel work in Miami? Well, let’s just say I may have people tell me I’m way too excited about this team. Let me explain…