SI Preview: Dolphins poised to make a giant leap

[Daytona Fin]

Miami’s defense has long been playoff-caliber, but it will be up to quarterback Ryan Tannehill to take the next step and move this team forward

Popular opinion has crowned the Patriots AFC East champs every summer for the past decade, and that prediction was right in all but one of those years. The Patriots appear to be the division’s best team again this season, but keep an eye on the Dolphins, who are poised to take a significant leap forward in 2014.

Besides the head coach and quarterback entering their third seasons together, the unprecedented distractions of last year’s bullying debacle appear to be fully in the past. Then again, the weight of those distractions may have been overblown anyway. The Dolphins were 3-4 to begin the season and started 5-2 following Jonathan Martin’s departure. They would have made the playoffs if not for back-to-back division losses to end the season. Credit head coach Joe Philbin for saving a locker room that he admittedly hadn’t been overseeing carefully enough.

Admiration for Luck and infatuation with RG3 has distracted football fans from noticing that Tannehill has soundly developed the way good QBs traditionally do.He was decent as a rookie, good in Year 2, has the skills to approach greatness in future seasons. Tannehill is willing to make throws from a muddy pocket (a must for any quality pro quarterback), he’s very good on the move (as a runner and a passer) and his decision-making, while still inconsistent, is generally sharp and steadily improving. His only consistent weakness is his deep ball, which he tends to get too much air under. That’s correctable. And, in Lazor’s scheme, it’s also avoidable.

While Nick Foles, Lazor’s QB last season, led the NFL in percentage of pass attempts that flew at least 20 yards (according to Pro Football Focus), the Eagles did not have a deep, vertical passing attack. Many of those 20-plus-yarders were seam throws or defined reads on something like a corner route—throws that the sturdy-armed Tannehill can make.

Quietly, the Dolphins have built one of the better defenses in football, ranking in the top eight in points allowed in each of the past three seasons. Coordinator Kevin Coyle, who has been running the unit since 2012, has built a very similar schematic foundation to the one that’s come to define his former boss, Mike Zimmer, in Cincinnati. That means a mixture of different coverage disguises and rotations paired with diverse, aggressive play from the front seven.

In that front seven, Coyle might actually have better personnel than Zimmer had in Cincy. The zone blitzes require lissome defensive linemen, which he has, starting with Olivier Vernon. The third-year end is coming off an 11.5-sack season and has very respectable run-stopping abilities. Weighing only 268, however, Vernon can be susceptible to power blocks at the point of attack. That’s the same issue Dion Jordan, this defense’s most scintillating athlete, has faced. Jordan, who is suspended the first four weeks for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, increased his weight from 248 to 265 in hopes of becoming an every-down player. But for now he’s poised for hybrid sub-package pass-rushing duties again.

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/08/15/nfl-miami-dolphins-2014-team-preview/

 

[psfign]

"Admiration for Luck and infatuation with RG3 has distracted football fans from noticing that Tannehill has soundly developed the way good QBs traditionally do.He was decent as a rookie, good in Year 2, has the skills to approach greatness in future seasons. Tannehill is willing to make throws from a muddy pocket (a must for any quality pro quarterback), he’s very good on the move (as a runner and a passer) and his decision-making, while still inconsistent, is generally sharp and steadily improving. His only consistent weakness is his deep ball, which he tends to get too much air under. That’s correctable. And, in Lazor’s scheme, it’s also avoidable."

Tanny gonna Tanny!

 

[nick1]

I can't wait I'm expecting 30 TDs. I'm almost to the point if he doesn't throw 30 TDs I will be disappointed. But winning is first and foremost

 

[DeathStar]

We've seen this article before with little results.

Game 1 first.

 

[phinfan33]

Good article for the most part;but, how is Grimes a second tier Corner? I got a chuckle outta that one.

 

[uk_dolfan]

Second tier corner my ass

 

[oasis]

This team is either going to be really, really good or really, really bad.

I just don't see a middle of the road mediocre 8-8 style season this year.

 

[roy_miami]

If Tannehill ups his game to even just Andy Dalton levels we'll be in the hunt for the division. For sure.

 

[PhinFan1968]

Second tier corner my ass

PFF #2 rated corner behind Revis.

 

[malzj]

I'm more worried about the defense and teams running all over us. If the Pats put together a running game it could be a really high scoring game.

 

[LANGER72]

I'm more worried about the defense and teams running all over us. If the Pats put together a running game it could be a really high scoring game.

I agree. Those losses to Buffalo and NYJ were no flukes. New England is running the ball more as well in Brady's twilight.
Our current starting LB core is average (Misi) to bad (Ellerbee/Wheeler). If Trip and McCain can upgrade our run stopping defense to at least average, we have shot to make the playoffs.
Getting teams off the field will be a major problem until the LB mess is finally settled. Atlanta had an 18 play drive against us. This is how we will lose ball games. Being ball controlled.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Every year we see these articles. Every year we hope they will be right for once.

:up:

 

[sampera]

Good article, but there is always one like this before the season starts. Hope this happens

 

[AphexPhin]

I WANT to believe!!!!

 

[SCLSU Mud Dogs]

This is a change from the masses releasing power rankings that have Miami rated at No. 31 or in the mid-20s. This year is different from all of those others, though. We finally have a quarterback with weapons on offense.