Zach Seiler was a little known hero in the Dolphins win over the Jets
The Miami Dolphins edged closer to the playoffs with a win over the Jets moving them to 7-4 on the season. There were plenty of heroes in the win: Xavien Howard, Ryan Fitzpatrick, DeVante Parker, Jerome Baker, and Elandon Roberts. But, the battle between DL Zach Seiler and T Mekhi Beckton, while unheralded, was both riveting and critical in the win. Here’s a film study of this clash of the titans that culminates in their head-to-head match-up on the critical 4th & 1 play late in the game.
Really, it doesn’t get any better than this in the game of football.
290lbs Seiler v.s. 369lbs Beckton
I’ve broken the tape down into two segments. It was a very odd game for Seiler in his snap distribution. He played plenty in the 1st Qtr, but only had a handful of snaps in the middle and then was called on a bunch late in the third. In total, he only had 20 snaps compared to his average of near 50 snaps a game since Week 5. Maybe he was nicked at some point or it was the plan to rest him considering Miami had the lead?
Whatever the reason, his impact on limited duty was felt. Enjoy this sweet battle in the trenches:
- Play 1: In their first matchup, the massive Bechton buries Seiler.
- Play 2: Seiler goes beast on a guard and yokes the running back. Beckton had the edge early, but Seiler dominated the rest of the line.
- Play 3: Even in pass blocking the power of Beckton turn the large Seiler into a rag doll. For a laugher, notice what he does to #55 Baker!
- Play 4: Again, Seiler found success early in run defense and pass rush on everyone not named Beckton.
Seiler is proving to be a special player for the Dolphins
- Play 1: But, Seiler turned the tables in the 2nd Qtr and used leverage, speed, and hand technique to beat the dominating run blocker soundly.
- Play 2: Not a matchup against Beckton, but notice the elite hustle of Seiler and how he outruns Van Noy who quits on the play early!
- Play 3:Seiler performs a near-superhuman feat by beating Beckton and the tight end on a run block and makes the tackle! Guys, Seiler is something else!
- Play 4: In the critical 4th & 1 play, Elandon Roberts shot the A-Gap and made the big stop for a loss. But, this play has many subtleties. One, Christian Wilkens shoots inside leaving the A-Gap open, this forces Seiler who has outside leverage on Beckton to not only beat him with negative leverage, but he must also deal with a TE on his hip. Seiler gains leverage and holds open the gap long enough for Roberts to shoot it. The trust Flores and the DC have for Seiler on this huge play is TREMENDOUS!
The above plays are examined more closely below with my jazzy 2-cents.
Seiler was a steal of a signing
With the increasing emergence of DT Raekwon Davis, the excellent play and versatility of Christian Wilkens and Zach Seiler, the Dolphins are quietly building an excellent interior O-line. Seiler has a chance to earn an even bigger payday on his third contract because his ceiling is so high. I’m not saying he is elite, but very soon his play will get the recognition it deserves. Go Phins!!!