The Phins face their kryptonite in a dual-threat QB
The Miami Dolphins are on a roll winning three games in a rowas they head to Arizona! A big reason for this winning streak is clearly the Phins defense. And the heart of the defense has been the secondary with corners Byron Jones and Xavien Howard, who is currently the 6th best corner according to PFF and is tied for an NFL best 4 interceptions. Quite a change over the quality of defense the Dolphins has fielded for a near-decade.
Strong defense is MUST for Miami to keep on winning
Coach Flores has quickly built a defense similar to New England’s when they last won the Super Bowl. A pretty impressive feat for sure. Flores focused on cornerback talent that could play man coverage to allow his heavy use of pressure fronts. This was a big reason for going out and signing Byron Jones and resigning Howard to two of the NFL’s most lucrative contracts for corners.
Things didn’t start out smoothly, though.
Jones missed a couple of games because of injury but he has played in the last three games. Quality man-coverage is the engine that makes the whole defense work. So, when Jones returned, the tight coverage allowed the D-Line that extra second or two to pressure the QB. And the last three weeks have produced a dominating Phins defense.
Now, the other big reason the Dolphins Defense has been playing well is that they feasted on pure pocket passers. Over the last three games, Miami had to stop Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Flacco, and Jared Goff, who aren’t a danger to scramble. The Dolphins defense has had plenty of success over the years defending one-dimensional QBs. On the other hand, Miami’s three losses came at the hands of Newton, Allen, and Wilson. All of these players are dual-threat QBs that burned Miami with their arm and legs. The Phins have a long history of struggling to contain mobile quarterbacks. The hope is that history is about to change.
Murray is an ultra-mobile quarterback
Arizona has one of the better dual-threat QBs with Kyler Murray. In only in his second year, he’s already posting an MVP type of season. Flores has a real shot to ditch the monkey that’s been on the Phins’ back by stopping the ultra-mobile Murray. But, only a special performance and gameplan can make that happen, though…
… Brian Flores could put a spy on Murray to cover him if he tries to run?
The problem with this strategy is Miami will also be facing two future Hall of Famers in wide receivers, Fitzgerald and Hopkins. This game will really test both Jones and Howard. If Miami has to add help to either corner it will really stress the defense when Murray goes on the move. The problem is Miami will certainly have to help their corners. The less they need to though, the better chance they have to stop Murray.
At best, the Phins will only be able to slow the Arizona offense. So, a win against this type of offense will demand Tua to be a factor.
Tua will have to make plays if Miami wants to win
On offense, Tua is going to have to play much better this week. Understandably, Chan Gailey was conservative in Tua’s first game. This week, the kid will need to throw the ball downfield far more. Also, the volume in his pass attempts will need to increase. Sure, Miami was up big in the first half, so the Dolphins decided to play extra conservative with a rookie QB. They won’t have that luxury this time against a high-powered Cardinals offense, which ranks 1st in the NFL with 419 YPG.
Tua must get his two biggest weapons in Parker and Gesicki involved in the passing game early and often. The training wheel must come off Tua and Gailey must let him loose. Not too loose… but certainly within reason. The problem for Tua and the Phins is that Myles Gaskin won’t play due to a knee injury that put him on injured reserve. Gaskin has quietly been the glue holding this offense together. So, various of the pay per head reviews like AcePerHead.com are betting Tua will need to show at least some of his special sauce this week to notch a win.
5-3 would look really nice mid-way through the season
The opening line for this game was the Cardinals -5. With Miami now in the thick of the playoff race, a win would be great! But, it’s not the end of the world if they lose, especially since it’s an NFC team they are facing. Tua responding positively to an increased workload and the Phins proving they can at least contain a mobile QB is the more crucial ‘win’ for the 2020 Phins. Of course, the Phins notching all three ‘wins’ would be nice, too!
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans’ thoughts about Miami pulling out another upset victory this weekend?
The Dolphins defense has been improving incrementally. If Flores figures out how to stop the dual threat QB, it will bring the Phins one step closer to being valid again. Go Dolphins!
I agree… finding a way to stop mobile QBs has been a horror for us for a long time. This is still a building year… we can only hope the Texans flop hard. A top 5 pick this draft would be huge to go along with steady improvement and a bunch of other draft picks. I do expect to see something good in 2021 though… this year is a semi mulligan to me, Fitz…
I don’t think we will win this game. I feel our defense is up to a strong game but our offense will be doing the three and out boogie! In addition, Tua is going to give up the ball on either a fumble, a pick or both. He is a FNG and he is up against a good team. We are away, so traveling could be a factor! I really want to compliment the defense though! They can get even better! I love solid defense! Great job guys!
I think Tua has had a chance to cut his teeth… if he is elite we should see something of a flash. I’m fine with 2 TDs 1 pick type play with an increased throwing volume. The Cards are a bottom 3rd D, so we should be able to move the ball compared to the Rams who are #1 in least yards allowed.
The Dolphins defense has been improving incrementally. If Flores figures out how to stop the dual threat QB, it will bring the Phins one step closer to being valid again.
Go Dolphins!
I agree… finding a way to stop mobile QBs has been a horror for us for a long time. This is still a building year… we can only hope the Texans flop hard. A top 5 pick this draft would be huge to go along with steady improvement and a bunch of other draft picks. I do expect to see something good in 2021 though… this year is a semi mulligan to me, Fitz…
I don’t think we will win this game. I feel our defense is up to a strong game but our offense will be doing the three and out boogie! In addition, Tua is going to give up the ball on either a fumble, a pick or both. He is a FNG and he is up against a good team. We are away, so traveling could be a factor!
I really want to compliment the defense though! They can get even better! I love solid defense! Great job guys!
I think Tua has had a chance to cut his teeth… if he is elite we should see something of a flash. I’m fine with 2 TDs 1 pick type play with an increased throwing volume. The Cards are a bottom 3rd D, so we should be able to move the ball compared to the Rams who are #1 in least yards allowed.