NFL Network Calling Our D the Amoeba | Page 6 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

NFL Network Calling Our D the Amoeba

Not to derail the thread but better stats than Urlacher.
I understand that, but perception is a powerful thing.

Zack was "ring of honor" great for us, no question.

I don't play the "whataboutism" game, as it relates to Urlacher, or other players.

If I had a vote, I would cast it for Zach, as would almost all Dolphin fans.
 
Good clip.

Minor nitpick - there is a type of defensive scheme called "the ameoba" and for a few plays we used that defensive scheme. He is not calling us The Ameoba Defense. The scheme/style of defense known as the ameoba is, as Bucky explains, when every one mimics a roving LB and pre-snap stands up and meanders around ("mills about") making it very difficult to distinguish the blocking assignments for the OL. A significant part of an effective offense is the pre-snap read, and it's an area where Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have absolutely dominated in the modern era. The Center and the QB are tasked with identifying the defense and making the blocking call to the OL. The standard blocking key is identifying the middle linebacker (the Mike). The standard passing key is identifying the safeties and their assignments--which is on the QB and WR's to both read correctly and the same. So when Bucky refers to identifying the Mike, that is the crux of the ameoba defense.

In essence, it is the same goal as the 1985 Bears Buddy Ryan defense, it is an Overload Blitz. But, the ameoba defense fakes it. They don't put 6 pass rushers against 5 blockers. They overload an area, fake bringing all of them, commit all of them for a second or two, get all the OL to commit, then drops out a part of those rushers much like the famous Steelers Zone Blitz. For a rookie QB who will always have trouble identifying stuff, this is the toughest thing to identify because nobody is down in a fixed 3-point (or 4-point like Cam Wake) stance. Everyone is in a 2-point stance (AKA standing up and walking around seemingly randomly). As soon as you _think_ you've made the right call, one guy shifts sides like an offensive man in motion and re-orders it, causing OL confusion. It works .... well. But when it fails the defense often gets burned like blitzing and getting beaten over the top for a bomb.

The crux of this video is explaining the Dolphins did this tactic 3 times. The first 2 times, as Bucky points out, we blitzed a lot of guys and covered 1-on-1 man coverage, meaning that the defense could be burned. Once is a play worth watching. Twice is a pattern. The Chargers identified that pattern and coached their rookie to be aggressive against it to exploit that gamble and punish the blitz. So in a chess match, the Dolphins third time of running the ameoba defense, we actually employed coverage over the top preventing those bombs. Herbert was committed to being aggressive--which was the TRAP (Admiral Akbar - "It's a TRAP!") designed by the Dolphins. Xavien Howard--our Ballhawk--sat on that route, so when Herbert threw it, Howard became a WR fighting to make the INT, and he could do so because he had protection over the top by a safety--intentionally misread by Herbert and all of the Chargers offensive staff. The defensive call was perfect. Howard's execution was perfect. Herbert made a rookie mistake because he has literally never seen it before. The Chargers coaches instructed him to be aggressive there, and it was a trap designed by the Dolphins DC. And that Chargers WR was never a match for Xavien Howard.

Yep, Herbert was set up to lose, because it was a trap. Yes, DC's often do stuff like this against rookie QB's. Yes, it worked. No, it is not as likely to work against Aaron Rodgers or Big Ben if we play them in the playoffs (or Super Bowl). But it was a very clever wrinkle, extremely well laid out, and flawlessly executed by our defense.

It feels good to finally be the ones flawlessly executing for a change. Almost reminds me of the Bill Arnsparger days when we had the most dominant defenses in the NFL.
 
Symbiote. Yes stolen from Marvel

the symbiote's personality and psychology depends largely of the host's nature, as the link between the host and the symbiote gives the symbiote context. The defense is different from week to week.
 
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