Running game will be crucial to this final stretch for the Miami Dolphins

The running game will be crucial to this final stretch for the Miami Dolphins, 3 teams in the AFC East are separated by 1 game. Who gets the playoff spot?

When Mike McDaniel was first hired as the HC of the Miami Dolphins I was excited about what he was going to do with the running game. Sure, the Shanahan system does a lot of motion for the passing game, but the run is their bread and butter.

And who was toted the “run game guru” title by Kyle Shanahan? You guessed it. Mike McDaniel.

Well things haven’t exactly worked out as expected, don’t get me wrong, the improvement Mike McDaniel has made to the passing game is incredible, I’ve never seen an offense this aggressive, fun, and creative when passing the football. (Counting the Dolphins only of course).

But the run game for the Miami Dolphins has not made any improvements, in fact, the Dolphins are not even running the ball. To me, that’s like driving your car with the emergency break on.

“Juan what do you mean the Dolphins aren’t running the ball? We just rushed for 188 yards on Buffalo!”

You’re not wrong, this was also the biggest reason why Miami was able to keep the game close, handle the clock better, and sustained drives so that the defense wasn’t getting murdered every 5 minutes vs Buffalo.

BUT.

For the majority of the season, this hasn’t been the Miami Dolphins’ identity. AT ALL!

Miami Dolphins running game – by the numbers:

• Attempts per game: 22.4 (31st)
• Rush yds per attempt: 4.3 (20th)
• Rush yards per game: 96.9 (27th)

I don’t know about you, but hiring an HC that specializes in running the ball who then can’t run the ball, is like going to an Italian restaurant only to find out they don’t serve pasta.

Like seriously, what are we doing here?

It’s not like the Dolphins can’t run the ball, because we just saw vs the Buffalo Bills that they are more than capable of running effectively. So why aren’t we doing it more?

The next 3 games leave no room for error, and that’s because the Patriots, Jets, and dolphins are all separated by only one game in the AFC East. And with the way the conference is playing out only one of those teams will get the playoff spot.

I get it, Miami has Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle but balance is key. If McDaniel just wants to drop back every snap then you see how that played out vs the 49ers and vs the Chargers.

Good teams aren’t going to bend over for you to air raid them to death like the Bears or Lions, they will adjust.

The beautiful thing about a passing offense as dangerous as the Miami Dolphins is that the defense most times leaves a light box, and that makes it easier to run the ball.

We literally saw it happen vs Buffalo, just came up short. But that’s the winning formula.

If the Miami Dolphins want to secure their playoff spot without any heart attacks, the running game is their golden ticket.

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