Dolphins bolster analytics department, add in-game strategist | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Dolphins bolster analytics department, add in-game strategist

DKphin

DKphin

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Did the Dolphins maximize Jay Ajayi’s effectiveness in 2016? Perhaps new Dolphins ideas man Matt Sheldon will look into it. CHARLES TRAINOR JR ctrainor@miamiherald.com

The Dolphins continue to invest heavily in analytics, hiring Matt Sheldon as their director of football research and strategy.
Sheldon comes to Miami from Chicago, where he was the Bears’ director of analytics and football research for the past two years.
Before that, he was a coach, both in the NFL and CFL. Most notably, Sheldon coached the Bills linebackers from 2006-2009.
Sheldon is expected to work on in-game strategy and tactics in Miami.
Sheldon has also served as a consultant for teams on the high school and collegiate level. He has a level of expertise in player tracking technology in sports, appearing in a panel on the subject at the MIT Sloan Sports analytics Conference in March in 2016.
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In principle, a constructive move to gain a contemporary edge... but hiring the guy who strategized the Bears into one of the worst records in the league may not really be an inspired hire. :idk:
 
I'm fine with it, but am curious how it's used. You could look at a more macro level and produce data that demonstrates, for example, team A's defense can't cover as well at 15 yards and in the middle of the field, or at twenty yards, they struggle on the boundary, or they are susceptible to being exploited in certain looks or plays, like Team A's LCB struggles with double moves.

In the more micro sense, as the PFT folks have learned, analytics in football are less useful than in basketball and especially baseball. If you look at line play, you'd have to know the play, and maybe the players gives himself up to allow a different player to excel. There isn't enough info in some senses. In baseball you have stats until you're blue in the face. Football analytics is different but can be used in more creative ways.
 
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Matt Sheldon's team was 9-23 the past 2 years while he was doing his voodoo analytics in Chicago

If he has the same "success" here as he did in Chicago we'll have great draft positions
 
miamiron said:
Matt Sheldon's team was 9-23 the past 2 years while he was doing his voodoo analytics in Chicago

If he has the same "success" here as he did in Chicago we'll have great draft positions
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Yes because some guy doing analytics is the reason the Bears are complete ****...

Get real. That team has no QB, no depth, terrible coaching. None of that truly reflects what this guy did.
 
meh, w.e. as long as they have given up on the "our milkshakes fix broken players" garbage
 
...Working backwards from what is necessary to be successful, [we determine] the traits to quantify the elite and then, hopefully, develop players up to that standard and select players that are competent in that area.
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I think this is pretty cool. but it's probably a little late to help us in this draft (if they are going to use it for that, too). Maybe next year.
 
More likely that Sheldon impressed Coach Gase when he worked for the Chicago Bears and this is a hiring that has the confidence and backing of our Head Coach.
 
One of Gase's boys....Gase throwing him a bone and a nice check...his hiring won't win or lose games for the Fins either way...
 
Analytics are good. Film study is good. But film study + analytics is king. Analytics can help identify bias and preconception when doing film study, and film study gives context and meaning to analytics.

But it's one thing to have an analytics dept and another to listen to them. For example, one thing analytics has shown is it's a mathematical fact that teams are missing out on points by not going for it on 4th down often enough. They've known that for years, but still no head coach dares to listen to the math.
 
where's th'fish said:
Analytics are good. Film study is good. But film study + analytics is king. Analytics can help identify bias and preconception when doing film study, and film study gives context and meaning to analytics.

But it's one thing to have an analytics dept and another to listen to them. For example, one thing analytics has shown is it's a mathematical fact that teams are missing out on points by not going for it on 4th down often enough. They've known that for years, but still no head coach dares to listen to the math.
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What is the yardage on 4th down and field position?
 
where's th'fish said:
For example, one thing analytics has shown is it's a mathematical fact that teams are missing out on points by not going for it on 4th down often enough. They've known that for years, but still no head coach dares to listen to the math.
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We went for 4th down 4 times last season which was the lowest amount in the NFL
our zero % success rate was also the lowest in the NFL.

Philadelphia led the league with 27 attempts

We were also second to last in 3rd downs made last season
We were also second to last in total first downs made last season
 
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