The Miami Dolphins have one fundamental flaw on the field that far outweighs every other issue: The offensive line. It’s not to say some of these points have merit; but, none of these perceived or imagined issues is even close to the crippling effect on this franchise and of the Dolphins 2021 as horrific play of the offensive line.
Football is won and lost in the trenches… Right!
This isn’t a knock on the men who man the positions.
Nope!
These guys are all very likeable and are fighting hard and giving everything they have in a brutal sport. BUT, their play is so bad that not a single Dolphins offensive line in my 42 years of watching Phins football have played even close to this poorly–not even close. The Phins 2021 O-line is otherworldly bad in both their starting talent and depth.
Am I spouting hyperbole for clicks and buzz!
Nope!
I’ll give you one stat from the Titans game that will certify my claim:
In the first Half alone the Dolphins ran big 12 personnel (2 TEs, 1 RB, 2 Wrs) 22 times, which was smart considering the terrible conditions on gameday. Inexplicably, the Titans countered this big formation with a small nickel package ( 4 Dls, 2 LBs, and 5 DBs) 19 times on a rain slicked field with their corners mostly 8-10 yards off the ball and a 190lb safety in the box… and the Dolphins decided call mostly pass plays against it.
This is the thing that should not be… but it was, AND the Titans stopped the Dolphins run attack dead in its tracks!
This is failure of the highest level.
But, ‘Duke reeled off a bunch of nice runs. The dumb staff didn’t stick with it,’ you might say.
Go back and watch the game again. Duke had big lanes and did have a handful of nice runs… until the Titans said enough and shut it down… with their Nickel defense.
Brier Summary of the Dolphins rushing attempts in the 1st Half
1 QTR 13:36 Duke picks up 15 on a 1st & 15, but follows it up with a short loss the next play
1 QTR 2nd 10 Duke picks up 2 yards
2nd QTR 13:34 Duke picks up 10, but Phillips follows it up with 1 yard gain.
2nd QTR 3:11 Duke is stopped for 1 yard gain on 2nd Down.
So, the Titans rushed 4, sat in zone coverage, with 5 defensive backs playing off covering mostly 2 Phins receivers and Gesicki and Smythe on a windy and raining day. And the Dolphins decided to have Tua throw them to victory despite the ludicrous odds stacked against them. Talk about Custer’s Bull Run!!!
It didn’t matter what this staff decided to do because the Titans proved they could dictate the Phins ground attack with a pass defense playing off coverage in miserable weather. The Titans opened with Nickel too and stayed there, so they didn’t easy into. They knew by the film that this O-line was an epic disaster and came out of the gate with both middle fingers up.
Vrabel knew as he drew up the game plan for Miami that he had nothing to fear. He sold out on pass defense and knew he could still stop the Dolphins run game. That’s how atrocious this offensive line is… and with that kind of play from the most critical unit in the game of football, Miami was doomed before they ever stepped on the field–no matter what! No quarterback, coach, or defense could have won the day with a big, fat albatross like that wrapped around their neck.
Phins fans, nothing will ever change until Miami fixes this issue. And, the first order of business has to be firing the man who built this line and has been a primary contributor to the Phins’ poor O-line drafts for over a decade since he took over a head of college scouts.
Grier Grier must go and go ASAP because Miami will never succeed until he is gone–NEVER! Go Phins!!!
For a 25 minute film study to support the info above:
