Keys to the Game – Tampa Bay at Miami

The 2009 season has shown that the Dolphins do one thing consistently; be inconsistent. The Dolphins longest winning streak has been 2 games, with the team trading wins and losses over the last three weeks.

After the first half of the season, the team has posted a 3-5 record. If the Dolphins wish to show that their division championship of a year ago was not a fluke, they must begin to play with some consistency over the second half of the season. That quest begins with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here are your Keys to the Game.

Tampa Bay

1) Get pressure on Chad Henne.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded Gaines Adams to the Chicago Bears after 5 games of the 2009 season. Since that trade, the Bucs have gotten more production from Stylez White in 3 games than Adams had in 5. Adams had 10 total tackles and 1 sack in 5 games. White has 17 tackles and 3 sacks over the last 3 weeks. White has had an up and down career thus far, but has already notched an 8.5 sack season in the NFL.

White will face Jake Long, who had issues with speed rushers in the early part of this season. The key for White is to make Long feel as though he can be beaten to the outside. If White can do this, Long may rush his kick slide; making him tall and off balance. As such, Long can be either bullrushed, or beaten on an inside counter move.

White definitely has the speed to successfully attack Jake Long’s outside shoulder, and can leverage his body as he runs the arc. White is fairly adept at using his hands to keep his man at bay, although he relies on a push more so than an arm over or swim move to continue up the field.

In essence, White is predominantly an outside rusher who can struggle to use his hands to redirect inside as a counter move. But, White does have enough power to bullrush Long if the opportunity arises. And, given White’s speed around the edge, this is a matchup that most Dolphin fans will overlook; which may prove to be an unpleasant surprise.

Long must be cognizant of not overextending in order to gain the depth necessary for him to handle White’s up the field rush. If the former #1 overall pick does not play within himself, he will over stride, allowing his hands to drop around his waist whilst ending up on his heels. As mentioned, when he is out of sorts in this manner, he can be knocked on his backside. His inability to get his hands on his man near the shoulders allows the defender to gain leverage, and thus the advantage.

Jake Long relies on his hands and punch much more than his footwork. If he cannot get his hands on the defender in the manner he would like, it can expose Long’s lack of ideal balance for a left tackle. If Long is allowed to set, and use his punch, he can overpower smaller defenders who lack ideal hand use. Therefore it is imperative that White try and attack Long up the field first. Then he can attempt to expose Long’s weakness and sack Chad Henne.

The strong side defensive end; Jimmy Wilkerson is having a career year with 33 total tackles and 5.5 sacks, although over the same 3 game span, Wilkerson has only .5 a sack. The Buccaneers will need both players to show up on Sunday if the wish to win this game. Wilkerson is not nearly as explosive as White, but has shown a better ability to redirect inside if his up the field move is stymied.

Obviously, most defenses wish to pressure the quarterback, especially inexperienced ones as they tend to get rattled, making mistakes with the football along the way. Chad Henne has not made many mistakes with the football in terms of turnovers, as he will take a sack rather than force the ball down the field. Although he has shown that he will float the ball on occasion when facing a rush – albeit he has only done it a handful of times at the most. Henne does not step into the throw and will leave the pass in the air for a long time; which against the Buccaneers’ secondary could lead to a pick or two.

Henne does take sacks, which can cripple the Dolphins chances of moving the ball down the field. The Dolphins have the 29^th ranked passing attack in the NFL, and lack anyone on the outside that causes opponents to alter their game plan. But, pressuring Henne is necessary as when on the move, Henne does go through periods of inaccuracy; throwing the ball short on the run. Again, something the Bucs could capitalize on, even if it is on 2-3 throws.

As such, the Bucs may feel as though they can take more chances and blitz Henne, hopefully creating a turnover, or stifling a drive along the way. The Buccaneers must go out of their way to pressure Henne early.

Henne has played in 5.5 games, starting 5. His record as a starter is 3-2 (the Dolphins lost to the Chargers in the only other game Henne appeared in), whilst giving up 15 sacks (1 sack came against the Chargers). Chad Henne has had 2 games where he threw for under 120 yards before factoring in sack yardage. Henne threw for 227 yards combined in those two games against the Bills and Jets. After factoring in sack yardage, the Dolphins passing game managed only 147 yards over those 2 games – putrid number.

Miami won both of those games, with the Bills committing several turnovers, and Ted Ginn’s career day on special teams, providing the victory against the Jets. In reality, the Jets would have beaten the Dolphins if not for Ginn’s heroics, as the Miami offense totaled 104 yards for the game.

In both of those games, the opposing defenses managed 11 sacks on Chad Henne, and the passing game looked miserable. With Miami’s ground game is losing traction over the last month or so, the Dolphins need Henne to move the ball more than in the past. If the Buccaneers can get pressure on Henne early, chances are the Dolphins’ offense sputters.

Last week Henne had his best game as a pro, going 19-34 for 219 yards. His receivers did not help his cause much dropping 5 balls against the Patriots. Heading into that game, the Dolphins had run the ball 59.26% of the time on first down alone. That trend continued as the Dolphins ran the ball 65.38% of the time on first downs against New England. However, Henne did throw the ball more, than he had done previously.

The only other game Henne threw the ball more than 30 times was against the Saints. Henne threw the ball 8 times alone in the 4^th quarter, 7 after the Saints took the lead. Henne had 36 passing attempts for the game.

Against the New England Patriots, Henne was asked to throw the ball much more than he has been, as he was 5 of 8 for 70 yards in the first quarter. Henne only had 61 yards the entire game against the Jets after sack yardage. The Buccaneers must expect to see runs on first down, and then blitz the quarterback on second and third down.

Against New England, Miami ran 15 offensive plays in the first quarter, 8 passes, 7 runs. There were 3 runs and 2 passes on first down. Miami had 13 plays in the second quarter, 6 passes (1 by pat White), and 7 runs. There were 4 runs and 2 passes on first down. In total, Miami ran 28 first half plays, 14 passes, 14 runs with 7 of those 14 runs on first down compared to only 4 first down passes. That means the Dolphins threw the ball 10 times on second and third down, compared to 7 runs.

Basically, Miami ran the ball 65.38% of the time on first down, but 41.2% of the time on second and third down. The more the Buccaneers can get Chad Henne on the ground, the better their chance are of controlling the Dolphins offense. Knowing when to come after Henne may increase their chances of getting to the former Michigan star.

2). Run the ball against the Miami defense.

At first glance, the Bucs appear to have a somewhat underutilized rushing attack averaging only 23.5 attempts per game. Now, some of this is due to the fact that the Buccaneers have a 1-7 record and have been behind in many games, making the running game somewhat of an afterthought. The Bucs do average 4.1 yards per carry as a team in 2009.

But, looking closer at the numbers it becomes apparent that the Buccaneers are in fact pretty awful at running the football outside of yardage gained by the quarterbacks. Tampa Bay has 179 yards rushing by quarterbacks this season. Byron Leftwich has 6 yards, Josh Freeman has 25, with Josh Johnson having 128 yards. That means that 24.4% of the Buccaneers rushing yards have come from the quarterback position. Tampa Bay averages 3.74 yards per carry outside of any quarterback runs (155 carries – 580 yards).

Looking at those numbers may give the impression that the Miami defense has a good chance at stopping the ground game of the Bucs. Miami comes in giving up only 3.7 yards per carry on 25.5 carries per game. Those numbers indicate that Miami does not blow many teams out, allowing them to continue to use their rushing attack as a means to move the football which may prove vital.

Again, though looking closer at the play of the Miami defense over the course of the season, there is a clear trend over the last 4 weeks; the Miami defense is not stopping the run very well. In the first 4 games of the season, Miami allowed a total of 254 yards on 93 carries – 2.73 yards per carry. In the last 4 games, the Dolphins defense has allowed 502 yards on 111 carries – 4.52 yards per carry. The Miami defense has seen their yards per carry allowed average rise 65.57% over the last 4 games.

Miami’s defense has also seen the number of rushing attempts they have had to face rise as well. In the first 4 games, Miami faced an average of 23.25 rushing plays per game. In the last 4 games, the defense has faced an average of 27.75 rushing plays per game. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, until you begin adding up the numbers – 4.5 carries x 4.52 yards per carry = 20.25 extra yards per game on the ground.

The Buccaneers need to run the ball in order to wear down the Miami defense. In the first 5 games, the Miami defense faced 53.4 plays per game. In their last 3 games, the Dolphins have faced 210 plays, or 70 plays per game. I touched on this trend in last week’s edition of this column, and it appears the trend continues.

The Patriots only ran 63 plays, but that is still 10 plays more than what the defense was seeing to begin the season. If the Buccaneers can keep the Dolphins’ defense on the field, there is a good chance that the unit will wear down. Most defenses see their average yards per play rise significantly after the 60 play plateau.

The Buccaneers stand a very good chance of getting their ground game going this week, and that is not due to stats alone. As mentioned, the Dolphins do not typically blow anyone out, which allows the Bucs greater opportunity to stay with the run. Given the Miami defense’s inability to stop the run of late, the Bucs should see some early returns on their investment.

But, the key may be the style of runners the Bucs employ. Both Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward are slashers more than they are power backs. This style of runner has given the Dolphins defense trouble thus far this season. Thomas Jones, a quintessential slasher, has been successful against the Miami defense this season. It is not only the running backs that I believe will give the Dolphins issues in defending the Buccaneers ground game. The athleticism of the Bucs offensive line should also factor heavily into this matchup.

The Dolphins will be without Joey Porter in all likelihood this weekend. As such, the Dolphins will likely ask Matt Roth to man the strong side linebacker position; a spot he held last year. Roth has played in only two games thus far this season, and maybe just now rounding into relative game shape after a groin injury made him miss the first 6 games. Roth is a tenacious defender, who relies on hustle over sheer athleticism. The former Iowa Hawkeye does not have fluid hips, nor does he have great lateral agility, although he is a fairly heady player.

The Bucs must try and run the outside when Roth is on the field. Roth does have a habit of getting sucked in on runs that attack the B gap. As such, if the runner can bounce outside, Roth has difficulty getting back outside to make a play.  This does not mean that Roth will give up on the play, only that he will have trouble if he has to react outside after initially flowing inside to help make the tackle. With this in mind, the Buccaneers, need to run bellies, counters or any run in their arsenal that allows a natural cutback lane to the outside.

As noted, the Bucs have the runners who can do this successfully as both Williams and Ward can bounce runs to the outside with great effectiveness. However, these runs may not only be the order of the day simply due to the involvement of Roth in the game’s action. Charlie Anderson will also likely see playing time if Porter cannot go. Anderson is not very stout at the point of attack, although he does have show an adequate ability to shed blockers. Anderson simply lacks the base strength to handle the point of attack with any regularity; so he too must be tested.

The Dolphins inside linebackers; Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele are not sideline to sideline players. Both are best suited to life in a phone booth rather than chasing down the ball carrier. Crowder has the better speed of the two, but he is far from fast. If the Bucs choose to attack the Dolphins head on, it may be a mistake. If the Bucs play to the natural strengths of their runners, they may find more success than many may feel is possible.

The Buccaneers must run the ball against the Miami defense, even if it does not appear as though they are making headway. Obviously, the Bucs cannot continue to run the ball regardless of production, but they do need to stay the course and give the ground game a chance to gain traction; the benefits could be a win this weekend.

3). Involve Kellen Winslow early and often.

The Dolphins continue to have issues with tight ends in 2009. Heading into the New England game, Miami was allowing 71.57 yards per game to the tight end position. Miami surrendered 4 catches for 49 yards to Benjamin Watson – below Miami’s average. The Patriots’ offense is geared to run through their wide receivers, not the tight end; which may have helped the Dolphins register their second lowest tight end yardage totals for the season.

Following the New England game, Miami allows 68.75 yards per game, and 16.66 yards per completion – far from anything resembling sound pass defense in this area. Every team that has an athletic tight end has attacked the Miami secondary with good success.

Tampa Bay does include the tight end in the passing game. Kellen Winslow, Jeremy Stevens and John Gilmore have 45 catches for 433 yards and 6TD’s. Tampa Bay’s tight ends account for 54.5% of the team’s touchdown total and 32.8% of all receptions.

But using Winslow requires more than simply targeting him inside the 30 yards line as the Bucs often do for touchdowns. They need to use Winslow to help move the ball down the field as well. How effective the Bucs are when throwing the ball to the tight end may go a long way in how well the Buccaneers can run the ball.

If the Dolphins are forced to keep Yeremiah Bell back in order to cover the tight end, it helps Tampa Bay’s ability to run the ball. Miami cannot rely on their linebackers in coverage, as all have proven to be liabilities in this area thus far this season. Neither Channing Crowder nor Akin Ayodele can handle Winslow one on one. Both defenders are capable enough in a zone scheme, but they lack the speed necessary to chase down many plays. Both are better suited to playing the run, or in close quarters, where their physical nature comes to the fore and hides their deficiencies.

Bell is best when he can play near the line of scrimmage and make plays on short passes in front of him. If he is forced to cover down the field, he has proven that he is incapable of making plays in man to man coverage. Bell allows plays to be completed in front of him more than he should. The safety is not very adept at driving laterally, and in my opinion, he allows more space in an effort to keep the ball In front of him. Bell is a decent tackler, but he does not play the ball well in space, rarely making an interception.

As I highlighted last week, Bell has only 1 pass defended in 2009, down from his previous season totals of 10 and 13. He missed the 2007 season without finishing the first game of the season. This is a matchup the Buccaneers simply cannot ignore. The Bucs have struggled with consistency in their passing game, and with Antonio Bryant possibly limited through injuries, involving Winslow may prove to be a necessity rather than luxury.

Bell has been victimized by tight ends running flag routes or deep outs. Even though Winslow is not as explosive as he was earlier in his career, he is still capable of eating up Bell’s cushion; forcing him to turn and run. Bell can run well in a straight line, but he is not as explosive when asked to react laterally.

One final reason to involve Winslow is the affect Joey Porter’s absence could have on Miami’s defense. Miami has had trouble generating consistent pressure on quarterbacks this season. As such, they have incorporated the safety and corner blitz as a means to apply pressure. If the Dolphins are forced to bring secondary players on the blitz, that means that either the Miami linebackers are involved in coverage, or there will be more space in the secondary as a whole. Either scenario is an advantage for the Buccaneers.

Miami

1). Give Greg Camarillo more of a featured role on offense.

Now almost a full year removed from his season ending knee injury in 2008, the former Stanford Cardinal is beginning to round into form. At first glance it would not appear as though Greg Camarillo is producing at the same level he did in 2008 – which was his career year with 55 receptions for 613 yards and 2TD’s

In 2008 Camarillo averaged 5 receptions and 55.73 yards per game, or 11.15 yard per reception – he was injured in the Dolphins’ 11^th game of the season. In 2009, he has 25 receptions for 260 yards and 0TD’s. That works out to 3.125 receptions and 32.5 yards per game. But in reality it has been a tale of two seasons for Camarillo.

In his first 4 games of 2009, Camarillo had 11 receptions for 86 yards. In the last four games, he has 14 receptions for 174 yards. Whilst having only 3 more catches, the former Cardinal star has more than doubled his receiving yardage in his last 4 games. In his first four games, Camarillo was averaging 2.75 catches per game for 21.5 yards, or 7.82 yards per reception. In his last four games, he has averaged 3.5 catches per game and 43.5 yards per game, or a 12.42 yards per reception.

The only other players on the Dolphins who have a higher yards per catch average over that same period are Ricky Williams with a 15.75 yard average and Brian Hartline, who sports a 24.4 yard average. (It must be noted that Hartline had 67 yards on one reception)

Over the last 4 games, Camarillo has been targeted 18 times, Bess 28 times, Ginn 14 times, and Hartline 10 times. Chad Henne has dropped back 117 times over that span meaning that Camarillo was targeted 15.38% of the time, Bess 23.93%, Ginn 11.97% and Hartline 8.55%.

The Dolphins need to continue to allow Camarillo more chances to succeed, simply due to the state of the Dolphins’ receiving corp. Ted Ginn maybe having his worst statistical season, with only 19 receptions for 218 yards. Ginn’s reps have been diminished recently, which is unfortunate as he is the team’s lone deep threat. However, Ginn is not the only Dolphins receiver that is struggling in 2009.

Davone Bess appears to be going through a sophomore slump, as his yards per reception average is 3 yards lower than it was last season. But in reality his performance this season may be more indicative of his true nature as a receiver.

In 2008, Bess averaged 10.3 yards per reception in 2009 he is garnering only 7.3 yards per catch. In 2008, Bess had 54 receptions for 554 yards and 1TD. After Bess became the starter, he caught 35 balls in the final six games for 366 yards. However, only once in those final 6 games did he average 10 yards per reception or better. And, in only six games all of last season, did he average 10.0 yards or better per catch. Other than the game against the St. Louis Rams – where he had a 14.0 yards per catch average – Bess averaged 6.5 yards per catch in the other 5 games he started.

Other than the six games where he had a 10.0 yards per catch average or better, Bess averaged 7.71 yards per reception. (35 receptions – 270 yards) In the six games Bess did average 10.0 yards per reception or better, he averaged 14.95 yards per reception (19 receptions – 284 yards)

Thus far in 2008, he has caught 36 passes for 262 yards, or 7.3 yards per reception. But Bess’ yards per catch has actually dropped in the last 4 games in 2009. In the first 4 games Bess had 20 receptions for 157 yards – 7.85 yards per reception. In his last 4 games, Bess has 16 receptions for 105 yards – 6.56 yards per reception.

For his career outside of the 6 games in 2008 where Bess averaged 14.95 yards per reception, he has 71 receptions for 532 yards – 7.49 yards per reception in 18 regular season games. Greg Camarillo has, in 19 games over the last two years, had 80 receptions for 873 yards – 10.91 yards per reception. You can personally choose which game you wish to take away of you want an 18 game comparison, but I think there is a clear trend shown by the numbers.

Not only is Camarillo our best threat at wide receiver over the last 4 games, but he is also the most reliable option Miami has. Bess has a 69.2% completion rate on all balls thrown at him (52 targets, 36 completions). Ted Ginn has a 43.18% completion rate on all balls thrown at him (44 targets, 19 receptions). Brian Hartline has a 64.7% completion rate on all balls thrown at him (17 targets, 11 receptions).

In comparison, Camarillo has an 83.33% completion rate (30 targets, 25 completions). The Dolphins must begin to feature the players that have the highest success rate in making the catch when the ball is thrown in their direction. The Dolphins passing game is not of the caliber that it can afford to miss opportunities of any kind in this portion of their offense.

Camarillo is not a speedster by any means, but he runs very crisp routes and can be best described as quarterback friendly. The Dolphins cannot simply pump the ball to Greg Camarillo, but maybe targeting him 3 more times a game may be about right if the Dolphins wish to improve their passing game. Camarillo is adept at running the comeback and slant route; which is a route that needs to be seen in Miami a bit more in my opinion.

Miami could also afford to use less of a one receiver formation in the open field, as Camarillo – if featured in this alignment – is not the type of receiver that can dominate as the only true receiver in my opinion. Giving him the benefit of another receiver, even if it is a decoy in the form of Ted Ginn would be a good way to ensure that your most productive receiver has the best chance to work his way open.

I am not suggesting that only Ted Ginn can pair with Camarillo, but simply that the Dolphins must show less one receiver two tight ends and two back offense. Get Camarillo on the field, and help him when you do. It could be Brian Hartline, who has shown that he has enough speed to beat his defender down the field. Whomever it is, make sure that the offense and the passing game’s most reliable target has his best opportunity to succeed.

Another reason I ask for Camarillo to see more time, and chances in the passing game is based on the defense the Dolphins will be facing this weekend. It must be mentioned that whilst the Bucs do have issues against the pass, the secondary has 11 interceptions so far this season. To say the unit is opportunistic would be an understatement – a majority of the defenders in the unit make plays on the ball. However, the Bucs passing defense gives up a high average per reception to wide receivers.

Thus far in 2009, the Buccaneers have given up 72 catches for 1266 yards to wide receivers this season. That works out to 17.53 yards per reception and 158.25 yards per game. In contrast, the Dolphins pass defense; oft much maligned, has allowed 81 receptions for 1248 yards. That equates to 15.40 yards per reception, or 156.0 yards per game. The Buccaneers face only 29 passing attempts per game, whilst the Dolphins face 34.125 attempts per game.

Part of the reason the Buccaneers face fewer pass plays is the play of their defense. The unit sees an average of 62.88 plays per game, with opponents running the ball an average of 34 times a game. There may be plays to be made against the Bucs secondary, but again, the Dolphins must be careful where they do throw it, and it would be wise to target their most reliable receiver when they do.

2). Get the ground game going.

Much has been made about opposing defenses successfully shutting down the Wildcat over the past 3 weeks. Over that period, defenses have held the Wildcat to 43 yards on 31 plays – 1.39 yards per carry (Please note that these numbers do not include Pat White’s numbers over that same period). But, what isn’t mentioned in those numbers is that the Wildcat is being treated as an entire offense – with sacks being added to come with the total yardage for the formation rather than for runs and passes.

Miami has tried to throw the ball 6 times over the last 3 games, garnering 2 sacks for a combined loss 20 yards, and one completion for 1 yard. That makes the gross total negative 19 yards from the passing game out of the Wildcat.

The running portion of the Wildcat has gained 62 yards on 25 carries – 2.48 yards per carry. Not ground breaking, but not 1.4 yards either. The numbers have been added together so that it equates to 31 plays for 43 yards, when in reality the passing aspect of the Wildcat has not been successful, and has lost yardage, not the rushing offense. It is true the rushing component has been controlled in comparison to the beginning of the year, but the way the information is being presented, is inaccurate in my opinion.

Over that same period White has 7 carries for 42 yards, and has handed the ball off 3 times for 28 yards (Both White’s handoffs and carries are considered as normal runs according to NFL stats). Overall, Miami has 84 carries for 322 yards – 3.83 yards per carry during that stretch.

Over the last 3 games, Miami’s normal rushing attack has 54 carries for 279 yards – 5.17 yards per carry. Outside of Pat White’s rushing totals, the Miami offense has 47 carries for 237 yards – 5.04 yards per carry.

Those numbers look good until you consider that one run accounted for 29% of the total yardage, and that was two games ago. Ricky Williams had a 68 yard run against the New Orleans Saints, and outside of that single run, the Miami rushing attack has 46 carries for 169 yards – 3.67 yards per carry.

Essentially, the entire Miami ground game has not been consistent enough to keep the team on a winning path. Going into the New Orleans Saints game, the Miami offense was averaging over 177 yards per game on the ground. After the last 3 weeks, the team now averages 150.9 yards per game.

Regardless of whether the Wildcat is to blame or not, for the most part, the Miami rushing attack has not been performing as well as it had been earlier in the season. For the Miami offense to truly operate at its best, the running game must keep the offense in 2^nd and 3^rd down and short.

That way, Chad Henne can continue to be aggressive in the passing game. Against the Patriots, Henne had a 6.4 yards per attempt average – his highest average since the Monday night game against the New York Jets, where he posted a 9.3 yards per attempt.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as mentioned allow an average of 17.53 yards per completion to opposing wide receivers. Miami must take advantage of this by being aggressive through the air. However, they must be careful who they attack in this unit. Tanard Jackson is a ball hawking safety who is very aggressive, almost to a fault when defending the run. In only four games this season Jackson has 3 INT’s and 3 passes defended. Tampa Bay has had trouble stopping the run this season, giving up 4.8 yards per carry.

As such, Jackson and fellow safety Sabby Piscatelli are more apt to bite hard on play action fakes. Jackson does play near the line of scrimmage at times, and it is not uncommon to see Jackson take more than one step forward on a play fake. Such aggressiveness must be used as a means to attack the Bucs secondary. Given that Miami has the reputation of being a run first team, the Dolphins could generate some large gains through the air.

Any extra room the Dolphins could generate for their receivers would be a welcome sight for Dolphins’ coaches and fans alike. Miami had 5 drops last week against the Patriots, something the league’s 29^th ranked passing attack cannot afford if it is to move the ball through the air successfully.  But, it is not only the receivers that could use the extra room to operate. The Dolphins tight ends must be incorporated into the passing attack as well.

Thus far this season, the tandem of Joey Haynos and Anthony Fasano, have 21 catches for 200 yards and 3 TD’s. Whilst the scoring production is good enough, the tandem still averages only 2.63 receptions and 25 yards per game. In 2008, Miami tight ends averaged 4.19 receptions and 57.88 yards per game.

However, it must be mentioned that Miami’s tight ends have become much more involved in the passing game over the last 4 weeks. Over that span, Fasano and Haynos have compiled 16 receptions for 161 yards and all of their 3TD’s. Miami must continue to work the tight end into the mix as it helps to control both the linebackers and safeties from simply crashing down into the box in an effort to stop the run.

Miami must ensure that it puts pressure on the Tampa Bay secondary not only on the outside, but in the middle of the field as well. Such tactics will also help to slow down both linebacker and secondary blitzes; tactics that the Bucs do use more of this year since the departure of Monte Kiffin.

The Tampa Bay defense has allowed only 35 receptions for 396 yards to opposing tight ends this season – 11.31 yards per reception and 49.5 yards per game. In contrast, the Dolphins defense has allowed 33 receptions for 550 yards – 16.66 yards per reception and 68.75 yards per game. The Dolphins must not allow their tight ends to be spectators in the passing attack.

3). Apply pressure to Josh Freeman.

The Bucs come into the game having allowed 16 sacks on the season. Only 2 belong to Byron Leftwich, with Josh Johnson having 11 and Josh Freeman having 3. It is difficult to know exactly what to expect in terms of quarterback play as Freeman has started only one game. But, one element is constant, the Bucs offensive line does give up some sacks.

The Dolphins come into this week’s game having totaled 21 sacks thus far in 2009. Not a great total, nor is it putrid. The big issue for the Dolphins is that they have to be more consistent in applying pressure over the course of the game. Miami has done fairly well at applying pressure in the first half, but as the game has worn on, the pass rush has become less of a factor. This trend may be shown in the defense’s inability to close out games – allowing the most 4^th quarter points in the league.

As noted, the Dolphins will likely be without the services of Joey Porter this week. Unfortunately for both Porter and Dolphins, his absence may not even be felt. Porter has done very little to make an impact in 2009, having only 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Porter has only .5 a sack in the last 3 games and has not looked explosive in any regard. In all fairness, Porter has played in only 6 games this season after injuring his hamstring early in the year.

The question is how the Dolphins intend to replace Porter in the lineup. Matt Roth has recently come back to the fold after missing the first 6 games due to a groin injury. Roth may just now be rounding into game shape, so it will be interesting to see how many snaps he can provide. Roth is not an explosive pass rusher instead, he relies on hustle and power to make his way to the quarterback.

Roth will not outrun Jeremy Trueblood to the corner, but he may be able to outwork him to pressure Freeman. Roth does have short arms, so he can have trouble disengaging from his blocker at times as well. Personally, I believe Trueblood can handle Roth on a pass rush without major incident. Trueblood may however have issues dealing with Cameron Wake; a Miami backup defensive end.

Wake is an up the field rusher who has the speed to put Trueblood on his heels. Trueblood has decent lateral agility, but is a limited athlete. The former Boston College standout does not play with a great deal of knee bend; which causes him to lean into blocks rather than using a solid base.

Trueblood lets his hands fall below his waist when he is dropping back in his kick slide; which hurts his ability to use his punch to slow the defender’s advance. The tackle would like to get his hands under his opponent’s armpits or in the vicinity to be effective. By starting with his hands low, Trueblood is often late with his hand placement.

As such, his hands are lower than would be ideal, which helps allow defenders into his chest. Trueblood is as mentioned, is on his heels; which combined with his lack of a solid punch may make susceptible to a bullrush.

This last point may be important as Wake is not very adept at using his hands to disengage or redirect inside. What the former CFL star does do well is rely on his immense power if his initial up the field move s stymied. In my opinion, Trueblood is susceptible to this move due to his body positioning and lack of ideal knee bend.

Wake’s impact on the game is important, as otherwise the Dolphins will have to rely on Roth or Charlie Anderson to supply the pressure across from Jason Taylor. If the Dolphins do not generate pressure from the afore mentioned players, the Paul Pasqueloni may have to begin bringing pressure from the secondary. If this tactic is needed, it opens up the secondary to potential big plays; something the Dolphins wish to avoid. Safety blitzes mean single coverage on the outside- with two rookie quarterbacks.

The Buccaneers do like to push the ball down the field, and Josh Freeman has a strong arm, which should allow the Bucs to take advantage of potential single coverage on the outside. The more Josh Freeman feels comfortable, the higher the chance of success the Buccaneers offense will have.

The key for Miami is that when they do rush the quarterback that the defense maintains good lane responsibility. Freeman is not solely a pocket passer. The former Kansas State star is adept at breaking contain and making plays with his legs. Freeman does not simply lower his head and look to run for yardage when he does get in the open, the rookie looks to make the play down the field. If the Dolphins defenders simply rush up the field, Freeman may be able to leak out the hole created by an up the field rush.

Miami has two pass rushers in Roth and Wake that can have trouble disengaging or redirecting respectively. If they are too aggressive, it could allow the Buccaneers quarterback the ability to make big game changing plays.

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