Losing their best running back, the Miami Dolphins will now turn to Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II, and Carlos Washington Jr. On tape, it would seem the easy way to beat Miami now is to just take out their wide receivers and put a lot of pressure on Malik Willis. The Dolphins, however, have a way out.
With Achane now out, the pressure isn't on the backup running backs or the offensive line. At least not as much as it was before the injury. The pressure will now increase on the tight end room.
Losing their top offensive weapon means losing a decisive running back who can turn the smallest of a seam into a 10-yard run. That won't be the case anymore. Off-tackle runs with Wright and Gordon are going to require more sustained blocking from the tight ends and larger holes. It's in the passing game, however, that they need to step up.
Miami Dolphins need to run more two-tight end sets to combat defensive schemes
This is just one guy's opinion, but if I'm going to beat a heavy blitzing team like the Vikings, I'm going to start by employing another TE on the opposite side. This gives more protection for Willis and will give the offensive tackles another outside blocker to help open running lanes, but where it may pay off more is in the passing game.
We can look specifically at the Vikings this week since that will be their first post-Achane opponent. Beyond the blitz, Brian Flores will challenge the Dolphins' young wide receiver to make plays quickly. He will press them off the snap and force them out of their routes.
While this is going on outside, the linebackers, edge rushers, and defensive linemen will shift every play; a safety will drop into the box before dropping back into a lane. All the while, Willis is going to have about 2 seconds to get rid of the ball.
The best combat for Miami is to run tight end screens. Greg Dulcich and Will Kacmarek are keys here. If they can peel off blocks and set up outside, they give Willis an easy target and force Flores to change coverage, but it has to succeed.
In Week 3, the Dolphins hit Dulcich five times for 55 yards. He needs to be fed more.
Caleb Douglas is looking like a scratch again this week, putting more pressure on Chris Bell, Malik Washington, and Kevin Coleman Jr. Willis is going to want to push the ball to them, but his patience will be important despite the pressure he will see.
The outlet has to be his tight ends. It's imperative if they want to succeed. A 2-TE set adds protection, adds another blocker to the run game, and a disguised passing option. Using them correctly will put the Vikings' linebackers in a "stay-at-home" situation, eliminating one of the pass-rushing lanes that Flores likes to use.
For their part, Ducich and Kacmarek have to be patient, too. There shouldn't be any big downfield passes to a tight end; there should be a methodical four- or five-yard out route that is cleared underneath by the WRs. Slowik also has to use a delayed route to keep the Vikings from stacking the edges.
The key to all of it, however, is Willi's decision-making. He can't get rattled, can't get impatient with the pressure, and he has to be deliberate and accurate with his passes. Each snap this week will be important because the smallest of mistakes could give the Vikings everything they need to run away with the game.
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