Coaching is as much about knowing your players as X’s & O’s
Good coaching by Gase would mean a lot less playing time for Thomas
Okay, here’s the 2nd Qtr for you judgement of talent, execution, or coaching. You can see Miami is finding traction with certain sets and plays and still struggling with others for the 4th game. Gase still stubbornly tries to jam a square peg in a round hole on occasion, but he also begins to show why we Fin Fans have hope in him with some very nicely designed plays.
With all the talk on the Offensive Line I decided to do some digging in PFF. I don’t believe they are the end all be all, but here is what I found. Miami ended the 2016 season with a PFF grade on it’s O-Line of 30 out of 32 teams. They began the 2017 season with a ranking of 26. PFF currently ranks them 21st, this was pretty surprising given an atrocious 2nd and 3rd game. Steen actually has the highest grade on the OL, slightly ahead of Tunsil and James. Personally, I think this is as good as Steen gets, and Tunsil and James are under achieving. Given these PFF rankings, this roughly means that the OL is 25% better than last season! Not sure if I agree, but it’s food for thought.
2nd Qtr
4th drive
1st & 10: 2TE (Fasano and Thomas)
Due to Landry washing down the CB and the immediate hard cut by Ajayi, this seems to be a designed counter. The OL does it’s job and Ajayi meets a tackle four yards over the LOS and breaks a tackle for a sizable gain. Again and again, Miami’s OL shines when there is counter action.
My Take: Execution by Landry on the wash and Ajayi who is an absolute beast.
2nd & 1: 2TE’s (Thomas on the bench)
Again there’s success in the counter with Thomas pulling to the counter side. Thomas is a semi-serviceable blocker on the move. Steen does an excellent job taking the DE who is lined up in a 3 technique and clearing him out. This is a tough assignment. Tunsil does a good job peeling off from the double team to make a second block that springs the run. A shame Ajayi fumbles.
BTW: See my man Fasano with the sweet cut block!
My Take: Ajayi holds the rock like a loaf of bread. Poor execution.
5th Drive
1st & 10: 3 TE’s & 1 Wide
Titans are following the Jets MO of stack and attack. They over load the strong side and play wide. Thomas pulls in a designed counter with the Zone stretch and sets up for an outside run by sealing the defender inside. Despite the block, Williams cuts it up hard inside for a nice gain. He has been coached to get up field, so I understand why he took the sure yards, instead of going for a gamble and bigger gain outside. It was a good pick up and nice call. This will force teams to play more honest down the road, and it will open up the play side… eventually. The counter action will continue to see success as the game progresses. Why did it take 4 games to add this basic compliment play to the Zone Stretch?
My Take: Good coaching and execution by the OL and Williams.
2nd & 1: 3 TE’s
This is either Man or Inside Zone blocking–I’d assume Inside Zone. Williams runs hard, and Steen make the key block. Gray also provides a key block. This was a very nice ‘man up’ play with 8 in the box.
My Take: OL executes, especially Steen and Gray.
1st & 10: Wildcat
I refuse to comment…. other than to say I refuse to comment–Okay, I just have add a little something. Why? Yeah, Grant is open, but at this point, you need momentum for the starting “O”. You finally have some consistency, and you break it up with this!
My Take: Poor coaching.
2nd & 10: 3 TE
Okay, they dial up a Stretch Wide to the long side, and it’s one block from a positive play. James chips and goes. Don’t understand his thinking. Given the angle, he’s the only one who can make that key block. The missed block destroys the play. In proper echelon blocking Fasano would get #21 after the quick double. Again, notice the Titans, like the Jets and Saints, over load the strong side and go all in for the run by attacking at the snap. The fake reverse to Grant is really useless as the DE who is tracking him would never be in on the play. I guess long term set up for the actual reverse.
My Take: Execution by James.
3rd & 10: 4 Wide & 1 RB
This play, if you listened to it on the live broadcast, shows you the commentators don’t know what they’re talking about. They immediately scream about penetration and Miami’ terrible O-Line… but it’s a screen… that how it’s supposed to go. Williams can’t get free and the play dies. Why can’t Miami run a screen play? We are absolutely the worst at it.
My Take: Execution Williams can’t get free of the jam.
5th Drive
1st & 10: 3 Wides, 1 TE, 1 RB
Interior hold up fine, but both Tunsil and James get beat around the horn immediately, then Cutler goes Cutler. The RB is wide open and could have made a nice gain, but the desperate throw nets a pick.
BTW: Why do our Tackles consistently get beat wide?
My Take: Tackles start this terrible play with poor talent or execution, and Cutler then buries the dagger.
6th Drive
1st & 10: 2 TE & 2 Wides (Fasano and Thomas)
The OL wins by using movement to get good numbers. Landry motions inside essentially eliminates 3 defenders. Landry blocks one, a second must respect his release, and a third must take a long trip around him back side. This is beautiful play design and these kinds of plays are what Miami needs to build a Offensive Playbook off. Good gain on 1st down.
My Take: The whole OL, Landry, Ajayi, and TE’s… EVEN Thomas gets a good grade of execution.
2nd & 6:
Bushrod destroys this play by getting destroyed. He gets pushed inside by the DT and opens a lane for the LB to shoot, while also cutting of the angle for Pouncey to get to the LB and make the block. The pay per head services say it doesn’t get much worse.
My Take: Both execution and talent on the part of Bushrod. I expect him to be replaced by Steen or Larsen.
3rd & 5: 4 Wides
Tunsil can’t make the switch fast enough and lets the rusher get a free run on Cutler. Tunsil manages to push him, but Cutler is on the move. Landry sees the free rusher, so you’d expect a better effort. He should be driving the CB deep and breaking back hard. He gets both hands on the ball, so a little more on his part to create space would have netted a 1st down.
My Take: Execution on Tunsil’s part. He’s having a very poor game given his pedigree. Also, execution by Landry as well. If he wants 12-15 million a season, he can’t take plays off.
End of 1st Half