Labor Day Sports Buzz

[gafin]

Monday Dolphins update: Coordinators Lazor, Coyle address issues

Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was much more complimentary of Knowshon Moreno than Lamar Miller today and clearly wants Miller to be more producitve. Armando has those interesting comments on his Dolphins blog.

Lazor had more to say on other issues. Among them:

### For competitive reasons, Lazor understandably declined to say why the Dolphins haven’t often, in the preseason, showcased the fast-pace offense that some players expected or how much of an up-tempo attack will be used during the regular season.

“The strategy of how we would like to approach each game, we will probably keep those to ourselves,” Lazor said.

Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese has said that the Dolphins intend to play at a faster pace beginning in Sunday’s opener against New England at Sun Life Stadium.

### Lazor likes how Ryan Tannehill has developed. “You are talking about a guy that has the desire to be great and the desire to work at it. We ask him every day to be the most prepared player when he walks on the practice field. [His] work off the field, he’s done a great job with that.

“We need Ryan to continue to show a mastery of what we’re doing, decisions he makes, making them fast, being accurate with the football, spreading the ball around. We try to put him in really hard positions in practice to get him ready to do that in a game.”

## Where has Tannehill shown the most growth? “We’ve seen him work to be decisive and on time and get the ball out of his hands. In the games, he’s proven he can do that. He’s getting the ball off on time. We’ve been pretty pleased how he’s done that in the game.”

### Lazor offered plaudits for rookie receiver Jarvis Landry: “I have no concern about Jarvis Landry being ready to play. In every preseason game, he’s played at a high level."

### Lazor doesn’t seem terribly concerned about the possibility of the Patriots again trying to take away Charles Clay, as they tried to do in Miami’s win last December when they limited him to one catch: a big fourth-down reception on the Dolphins’ final drive.

“I have great confidence in his ability to get open,” Lazor said of Clay. “If you have an average player on him, he’s probably going to get open…. I’ve seen the film from last year.”

### The Dolphins ranked 26th in the league in scoring last season, at 19.4 per game. Philbin said he wants to get to 25 points per game.

Lazor declined to quantify his numerical goals but likes what he has seen: “Overall, we’re getting faster. We want guys who can play in space, when they get the ball in their hands, know what to do with it. And we want guys that can separate.

"Every guy that’s blocking has to block with a certain kind of attitude and every guy that’s running has to run with a certain kind of attitude. We expect to be productive when we run the ball. We think we have good backs. I think we have a good offensive line. I like how quickly they’ve learned to communicate together.

"I feel very good about the talent level we have. When you start new there is always that little bit of first couple games to see certain people. We have some new people we need to see operate real games. It’s time to put up some points.”

### Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle feels optimistic about his unit, noting they allowed the second-fewest yards per play in preseason.

### Linebacker was a weakness last season, but Coyle is encouraged by how Koa Misi has adjusted to middle linebacker and mentioned he “was in on six hits in 23 plays” in his second and final preseason appearance, at Tampa.

“Dannell Ellerbe is comfortable where he is,” Coyle said. “We’ve seen productivity out of Philip Wheeler in defending the run and pressuring the quarterback, as well as the backup guys.”

And Coyle said: “I feel good about the secondary. I’m excited about Grimes… and Cortland Finnegan. Cortland and Louis Delmas have been joys to coach. They bring a toughness, an edge. He brings tremendous amount of energy, excitement, physicality to the defense. I expect big things from Louis. He’s been nothing but a pleasure to coach. People have to be aware where Louis is. I expect him to be a physical force for us.”

More here:
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/

 

[phinfan33]

I like the part about Lazor saying Ryan has the desire to be great, and works at it everyday. I'm also glad Lazor will be calling plays from the sideline instead of the pressbox.

 

[Avalanche of Wins]

I like pretty much everything that has come out of lazor's mouth, guy has got me excited big time

 

[ChrisEAS]

im upset that we didn't sign Ryan Succop.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

I saw the Lazor Q&A and honestly, I didn't really take from it what Barry Jackson took from it on the question about Clay.

Lazor sort of hinted that if the Patriots want to take someone away that they can (he joked that they could put 11 guys on someone and obviously he's not going to get open) and that it then falls upon the other players to get open and make plays.

 

[LDaniel7]

I saw the Lazor Q&A and honestly, I didn't really take from it what Barry Jackson took from it on the question about Clay.

Lazor sort of hinted that if the Patriots want to take someone away that they can (he joked that they could put 11 guys on someone and obviously he's not going to get open) and that it then falls upon the other players to get open and make plays.

Also, Clay is not the kind of player that can get open on anyone. Not at all. Lazor, in trying to be complimentary, said that if you put an *average* guy on Clay, he'll get open.

Which of course means that Clay's ability downfield is not much above average, if at all.

People in Miami make the mistake so many times of getting high on mediocre talent at certain positions, and not being able to see real talent (developing) at other positions. It's weird.

LD

 

[hoops]

"We want guys that can separate"

Music to my ears...no wonder egnew got canned when he did...Lazor knew he wore coverage like drapes

You better hit the pats with some serious tempo...although I'm sure belichick is preparing for it

sounds like McCain will get some sub package reps as a rusher at the los...at least they know he's not ready for anything else...will be interesting to see if he can do anything but get washed out by starting tackles on the edge...run some overload and gap pressure packages with him

 

[Daytona Fin]

Good to hear.

### Lazor said he will not call plays from the press box, but on the sidelines instead, because “it’s a comfort level for me and for some of the other coaches and for the players.”

Tannehill told Griese that he gets the play call 10 seconds faster when Lazor is on the sideline.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/#storylink=cpy

 

[BlueFin]

Also, Clay is not the kind of player that can get open on anyone. Not at all. Lazor, in trying to be complimentary, said that if you put an *average* guy on Clay, he'll get open.

Which of course means that Clay's ability downfield is not much above average, if at all.

People in Miami make the mistake so many times of getting high on mediocre talent at certain positions, and not being able to see real talent (developing) at other positions. It's weird.

LD

Are you suggesting Clay is mediocre?

His peers ranked him as a top 100 player for 2013.

He weighs 250 pounds...of course he won't run away from Revis...but he will outmuscle him.

If you put a linebacker on Clay I like Clays chances.

 

[BenchFiedler]

I like pretty much everything that has come out of lazor's mouth, guy has got me excited big time

You like everything that comes out of his mouth, but do you like everything that will come out of his offense. I remember Mike Sherman was a big fan favorite during his 1st year too.

 

[Zounds]

Just reading between the lines, but it sounds like Lazor is approaching each game differently in that he wont do the fast-paced offense unless he thinks it offers a benefit, where the Eagles last year did the fast paced offense every game regardless of opponent.

 

[El Calebra]

I think we all will get a surprise on Sunday.
Letting the world know whats coming would be stupid and it sounds like Lazor is not stupid.
I bet they huddle and still kick ass.

 

[ChambersWI]

Good to hear.



Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/#storylink=cpy

Some coaches can do fine from the press box, but others prefer to be more hands on. I dunno what the answer is there. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me that most assistants that move on to be head coaches have been coaching more on the sidelines. I know a lot of coaches prefer to be more hands on when it comes to helping players if there's a mistake and it also gets the play out quicker.

I remember that when Scott Linehan was our OC under Saban the offense struggled early when he was up in the booth, and then Saban made him come down to the sideline and the offense was good enough to get him a head coaching gig.

 

[maralieus]

Also, Clay is not the kind of player that can get open on anyone. Not at all. Lazor, in trying to be complimentary, said that if you put an *average* guy on Clay, he'll get open.

Which of course means that Clay's ability downfield is not much above average, if at all.

People in Miami make the mistake so many times of getting high on mediocre talent at certain positions, and not being able to see real talent (developing) at other positions. It's weird.

LD

I'm not really sure where you got that, I took it as saying that you can't cover clay with a normal player, it takes a star or two normal players to cover him.