Read more: http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...-miami-dolphins-at-baltimore-ravens-a-review/Dolphins coach Adam Gase says, “The tape don’t lie.” So each week, I’ll give the game tape a closer look. Here are some things I noticed:
- The Miami Dolphins never adjusted to the Baltimore Ravens attacking the middle of the field with tight ends. It was clear early and often what the Ravens planned to do on offense. And Miami could not find a way to stop it. On Baltimore’s first scoring drive, one play best illustrated how much room Ravens tight ends had to operate. It was a 15-yard connection over the middle between Joe Flacco and backup tight end Darren Waller. Flacco picked out a spot over and behind linebackers Spencer Paysinger and Kiko Alonso. As the play was happening, Paysinger was actually pointing to his left. When Waller catches the pass, at the Dolphins’ 8-yard line, freezing the game tape frame stunningly reveals there are seven Miami Dolphins encircling Waller and he is in the middle of what is essentially a crater. Paysinger and Alonso are left to chase from behind. Cornerback Bobby McCain and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus are watching from afar. Cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Tony Lippett and safety Bacarri Rambo will all close, with Rambo making a low tackle. But this is an example of how Flacco and coach John Harbaugh simply identified and repeatedly attacked a vulnerability in Miami’s zone defense. “It’s zone coverage,” Dolphins coach Adam Gase said Monday. “You just have to play as close as you can.” The Daily Dolphin went back and looked at all 12 catches made by Ravens tight ends (Dennis Pitta 9, Nick Boyle 2 and Waller 1) and the ones successfully defended by Miami (only three). Here’s which way Flacco went to his tight ends: left (3), right (3) and middle (6). Here are some of the players who were involved in trying to tackle or tackling Ravens tight ends: Kiko Alonso, Spencer Paysinger, Bacarri Rambo, Isa Abdul-Quddus, Andre Branch, Michael Thomas, Bobby McCain. It was almost everyone. After the game, Thomas told me there simply needs to be tighter coverage. And Rambo cited a need for better communication. But it was painful to go back and see how many different ways the Ravens exploited a soft middle. How did some Dolphins not point at and scream as loudly as they could before the snap: “Tight end! Tight end! Tight end!” Well, maybe they did. Surely other teams will try to emulate the Ravens moving forward. Imagine the ways New England might have tried to utilize Rob Gronkowski and will likely use Martellus Bennett (5-114 against Miami in Week 2). Surely Jermaine Gresham of the Cardinals and Charles Clay of the Bills (the former Dolphin) will enjoy watching the this Ravens tape. Miami now has some serious issues at linebacker, beginning with a thumb surgery for Alonso which will either keep him out or limit him even further against Arizona at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. Then linebacker Jelani Jenkins, who has struggled all season, and once did show some promise covering tight ends, has issues with a knee and a hand a more and missed the Ravens game. Alonso, who never makes an excuse, was a step slow a few times in pass coverage, surely in part due to a hamstring issue. Neville Hewitt, a young, athletic linebacker who played safety in college, only recorded 23 snaps last Sunday. Could he be part of the solution? Something must change in the way Miami defends the middle of the field, particularly against tight ends. Gase admitted Sunday the team didn’t have an answer. Challenge or not, one must be found.
Good stuff...disheartening but good.
