Deep dive: Why do the Miami Dolphins look so different recently?

How the 49ers hacked the Miami Dolphins system:

The 49ers are bright minds, more specifically their defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. The blueprint is simple, drop your linebackers deeper over the middle and put your secondary with outside leverage on deep routes.

Tua Tagovailoa makes his money on his accuracy in anticipation throws, a lot of times Tua is throwing to spots rather than to guys because the guy usually is at the spot at the perfect time when the ball is there.

Thus why Tua has been so deadly and hits his guys in stride over the middle often, it’s pretty straightforward.

Here’s the thing, if Tua is throwing to certain spots with such accuracy that means that the ball is going to these spots at the same place and the same time, and time, and time and time again.

And the most common pass Tua is throwing? You guessed it. Intermediate pass over the middle.

DeMeco Ryans probably thought: “Hey if we know a general idea of where the ball might go, why don’t we anticipate the anticipation?”

Well gosh darn it DeMeco Ryans you might have nailed it.

But even the 49ers left spaces open, like the TD that Tua threw to Tyreek Hill:

However it looks like a new blueprint was born, because you know who didn’t give up any separation or space on their throws?

The Chargers. 

Yeah, I don’t believe I typed that out either, but it’s true. Let’s take a look.