Film Breakdown: How the Miami Dolphins Offense can Return to Form Under Mike McDaniel

Film Breakdown: How the Miami Dolphins Offense can Return to Form Under Mike McDaniel

We’re back people and today we’re breaking up on the Miami Dolphins offense. Looking at some clips from 2023 and 2024 to kind of look how Mike McDaniel can get this offense back to form and how that all kind of starts up front with better run blocking because with how teams play Miami with a lot of too high looks in 2024. They became quite predictable and they lost a lot of those explosive run plays and teams didn’t respect that up front. And that also while you know you lose the big explosive runs and you don’t stay ahead of the game with your running game you know don’t have easier second and third downs to convert it also hurts the play action passing game where the Dolphins were phenomenal in 2023 they couldn’t take as many downfield shots they were forced to throw underneath teams kept things in front of them they were able to get more aggressive as the season went on playing their run and stopping stop stopping stuff cuz they weren’t afraid of the Dolphins trying to push the ball down the field so I want to show some of these clips and how we can return back to that form. And I think having a better O line, staying healthy up front is kind of a key point for the Dolphins in this upcoming season. Things McDaniel can do uh differently that will maybe kind of blend some of the 2023, 2024. But all these early clips are 2023 stuff. You’ll see some 2024 at the end. Kind of see the major difference cuz I think, you know, these clips kind of encapsulate both seasons uh pretty well, at least for for the offense. So uh you know, leave a like, comment on the video, it helps out with all the YouTube algorithm stuff. join as a member if you want early access to some videos and uh yeah, let’s get right into this. Lots of stuff to look at here. So, I mean, look at this. The the Giants out in too high. This is a two-h high look. Dolphins are able to get a light box here. This happened a lot in 2024 where they got a light box and they would still only come up with like one to three yards, which is just not good enough. The Dolphins get a very favorable look up front. Um, and they just block it up perfectly. Like look how everything look how much space is created. When you have running backs like Han and he gets this type of space. I mean good cut offs here. The kick out. They get their left tackle easily up on the next level and Han has this much room to work with. Look at him just break the angle of this safety who’s trying to fit late and he gets a big explosive run play that turns into a touchdown. These types of plays can be gamechanging but it also just puts so much more stress on a defense. Even these toss plays like that’s basic outside zone. Dolphins get the crack toss going and like this play 100% didn’t work at all in 2024. You’ll see some clips of that later on even against the Bills against in but he had like some big explosive run plays. Uh you can see like look at also look at like the depth of the linebackers. The linebackers were playing such deep depth in 2024 cuz they realized they could close downhill pretty easily and then gain depth and coverage if they needed to. Um and also it allows better angles to the sideline. But here they actually block stuff up pretty well. uh able to get to the next level and it just allows Asian to create a big explosive play. Good good stuff from you know a lot of the combined guys there. That’s why, you know, blocking up front is so so key uh for for this Dolphin’s success offensively at least allows you to find some sort of balance because another example of that that crack toss where you know you have a decent, you know, a line going on here at least on the right side. You got Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson, you get the the crack from Durham Smite. things get blocked up pretty well and it just allows Achan to hit that next gear and like when did he get lanes like this or any of that type of space to work with this past season even up front like just creating big explosives to close out a game like the combo here from Connor Williams and Robert Hunt climbs up to that next linebacker and boom heads through a hole and I like having a little more of a like a insert like mid zone type of run like attacking the middle of the field I feel like that’s something the Dolphins can try to excel at in 2025 is being a little more, you know, downhill of a team. Mixing that in, especially with guys like Jaylen Wright, Olly Gordon, and you can have those big explosive touchdown runs. Those literally could just change the entire dynamic of the offense. Actually having tight ends be able to do stuff is huge. Like look at Julian Hill on the momentum like take this out. Durm kind of freezes the edge defender and then works at next level and then you just get him taken out. Boom. momentum block completely widened. And these angles change everything. If you have a tight end or fullbacks that are able to create these types of blocks on the move, it makes life easier for everyone else. The running back, the old line, the angles created, everything is blocked up and boom, you’re gone. You get downhill. And yes, while like teams I think figured out Miami in 2024, it was le like there was definitely some figuring out, but I think it was less about getting figured out and more about just like the execution and like the talent level deteriorated up front and then that made you more predictable with the stuff you had to do that McDaniel was kind of forced to do cuz you couldn’t do a lot of the basic stuff. So that’s kind of like why I think you know here’s an example like Julian Hill having an effective block out in space. This is why I’ve wanted a tight end that can consistently block. Um, but last year you just didn’t get really get that from anyone. Like Durham Smite had a great block here. Look at him combo down with a right tackle, climb up to a linebacker. These are plays that were missed. I, you know, receivers blocking well. You got Craycraft blocking on the the cut on the outside. That’s why, you know, I like the addition of guys like Nick Westbrook A. Hopefully, Pharaoh Brown can bring some more consistency. that is, you know, a huge part that needs to be brought and it allows the running backs to really pick up steam and, you know, gain some heat, uh, kind of ride the hot hand and carry and then you turn a lot of those runs into plays like this where you get the play action game going and linebackers now have to respect the run. Cuz you look at this, look at the line, this was week one in 2023. So, this is when like linebackers really didn’t understand what was going to happen with this Dolphins offense. Look at how they’re getting sucked down by the play action. uh the aggressive jumping up front and look at all this room that has now created. He was able to hit the back foot, throw with anticipation, this is where he thrives and then him and Tyreek being on the same page. When you have that much space to work with, you can really take advantage of guys like Reek and Wadd’s skill set. Um boom, play action there. Linebackers get float away. They get out of the way and he boom, just quick hit to Durham Smite over the middle of the field. These are plays that didn’t necessarily disappear in 2024, but became way less common because of the lack of a running game. They didn’t feel like you could throw it down the field. Even when, you know, they had their starters in, like, you know, the O line was, you know, I mean, the O line was never that healthy, but even when Tua was back, they still weren’t able to push the ball down fields as much because of how teams were playing against them. They didn’t have to respect the run. So, these types of plays just didn’t become as common. uh you know play action also creates clean pockets because you get here boom look how much spacers to work with Tua tries looks at his first read it’s taken away he’s able to reset and then find the second read to Tyreek and still throw with anticipation because you know your pocket created here is clean because if you are able to you know work that play action linebackers don’t get a ton of depth and you create a big play and the O line off play action typically has a much easier job and these are you know these deep dig routes running these dagger concepts that Dolphins absolutely feasted, you know, quick quick motion, boom, create these big 20 yard plus plays. Like look how much space is created here. Cuz these linebackers, second level defenders compared to the third level defenders almost like 15 to 20 yards of separation between the second and third level defenders because of the threat that they were able to create up front. And you also could turn the play action stuff into big like touchdowns. It doesn’t have to just be like those, you know, they were doing a lot of big chunk plays, but you can also like, you know, get the quarters. Look here. He’s getting bracketed and he’s just Tyreek works right past them. You turn that into a long play down the field. That’s another element that was kind of missing in 2024. So, this is what you’re looking for 100%. And then you get to stuff where you try to run the crack toss and you can just see like one, you become a little predictable. Two, the linebackers ready for it. They see the motion. They’re like playing with more depth. They’re able to get over the top. You just have less good blocking up front. Like one, you get the fail immediately. Like angled, you know, I mean, doesn’t do a horrible job, but to get to the outside and then look how much easier the flow is to get out here. Rul Douglas or Julian Hill misses the block on Ros Douglas. This is a big part like Julian Hill missing a block on on Douglas there, which completely slows down that play and everyone just getting to the sideline. That’s why I think, you know, being able to run the ball up the middle, teams weren’t really respective of that and they were able to play the to the perimeter and just taking away plays like that, like here’s another example, another option of it where the corners are getting downhill, playing it aggressively. And when you’re they’re playing a lot of cover, too, the two deep safeties, corners can feel aggressive in run support like that, uh, if they’re able to read it because, you know, they are flat defenders. They don’t have to cover a ton of ground deep. And then this play just gets taken away. And then like look at the people are losing blocks up front. And this was just sort of the story of the season for like you had maybe like a four game stretch like where you were maybe running the ball decently and that was when you had some backups in and you Austin Jackson was still in the lineup and then you just completely lost it had nothing going for you. And then teams could do this like while they were still facing a lot of too high. There’s times where like on first and 10, they would get aggressive and run blitz and get downhill because teams were not afraid of Miami trying to throw the ball down the down the field, especially on early downs because they became predictable because of the lack of running ability. So, they could afford to be aggressive and they just get in the back field like Liam loses his block real quick like he’s he’s almost doing, you know, the splits. he’s on the the ground and they get in the back field and blow that stuff up and you know those plays get taken away. You lose the play action ability and you know I don’t think this I don’t think this offense in 2025 is going to be a 1 to1 in of 2023 or a 1 to1 of 2024. I think you’ll see a mix of stuff, but I think if the O line stays healthy, they will be able to find some sort of balance running the ball. And if the Dolphins offense can run the ball at least at a decent level, the Dolphins offense is going to find way more success in 2025 than it did in 2024. Then it becomes I think on McDaniel and Tua his shoulders after the fact to see if they can you know how far they can elevate it with new wrangles from McDaniel and then Tua playing at a you know a decently high level cuz man they were getting bullied up front. No run game in this versus especially against this Packers defense people losing battles up front. No one getting inserted. O lineman not creating any push and you don’t have that no play action. and they weren’t able to really uh create a lot of stuff and things getting taken away. No short yardage run. They try to get, you know, pick up this short yardage run. Engle misses his block on the edge uh and the play is going to get blown up because if Engle’s able to kick out just enough there, no linebacker fills up. Brewer loses a yard on the play and then it’s over. And then now you try to work play action game here against like the Texans. This is a good example of how the Texans kind of took away stuff is they ran an inverted Tampa two. So, it looks like it’s going to be cover three to try to throw off the defense. And they know like off the play action one, they’re not super threatened. The linebackers don’t have to be like flying downhill. So, they don’t even gain a ton of depth. They know they have over the middle of the field help. They take away stuff. The the corners become the two high guys. And the middle of the field safety, which you think is cover three, he rolls down in Tampa two and takes away the middle of the field. Tua and Tyreek aren’t on the same page. Tua never sees it coming either and it gets picked off. And that was kind of the story of the season. Obviously, you know, this is just like a one one play, but I do think this is a good way of showing like especially these Packers and Texans game of how, you know, good teams, good coaches were able to play Miami very effectively. Um, there was times where the offense was still able to be good in 2024 obviously, but against lesser talent and they were just able to like really overtake it, but when they really match met their match, they had zero running game, zero. And then teams did not have to respect that. They had nothing going. it was a lot of, you know, later downs, ineffective screens, and then when they showed play actions, teams didn’t have to respect it and they had a perfect play call to take away what Miami liked to do. Um, but if they do this stuff, like say they are running this type of thing, this defense, if you are able to run the ball successfully, then teams would be forced to, you know, do this less less of the the two high and you could also stick with it. And then if they have to go away from it, then these types of plays over the middle of the field become more opened up again. So that’s kind of what I’m thinking for for this defense or this offense to create more explosive plays. I do think that will happen if Tua in the O line stay healthy. I do think you will see more explosives. Uh you still have great weapons and I think you know they added some fun pieces to compete. Uh really just depends on how healthy some of those guys can stay up front. Even if like they don’t play like even if you know Jonah doesn’t have the greatest rookie season or James Daniels isn’t you know completely back to 100% off the injury. I think if those starting five stay healthy for the most part maybe have four of them I still think the line will be able to do their job. I think it’s a very offensive line friendly system and I still think they’ll be an upgrade over what you had last year and that’ll be enough with you know I think Austin Jackson is a key part of the running game. Brewers really good in this scheme. And then uh I think Patrick Paul, I know some people have their question marks. I think even if he doesn’t take a huge jump, I still think he’ll be good enough with the other people in there within this system. He has the size and athleticism for it where I’m not like super worried. And really, I mean, I think one of the key parts of this offensive season is also the tight ends and the fullbacks being able to run block on a consistent level. And I do believe having better line, it it all kind of keys together. I think the line playing at a higher level allows their jobs to be easier and them playing at a higher level allows the alignment jobs to be easier which in you know in form also makes your lives easier on the running back and then it makes the life easier on the quarterback and then if the life’s easier on the quarterback life is much easier on the receiver. So, it all ties together, but it all really starts up front. And that’s kind of the key, I think, difference, especially up front from a run game perspective because if you can run the ball, pass pro is so easy in the Dolphin system, especially with all the play action that they’re able to do. So, if you guys enjoy the video, make sure to like, comment, subscribe. Next time, peace.

Mike McDaniel Miami Dolphins Head Coach

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