The Dolphins are now over .500 for the first time all season following a win in Jacksonville. Miami now must clear another hurdle that has thus far eluded them; a 3-game winning streak. This week the Dolphins play the Tennessee Titans; a perfect fit as a spoiler for any playoff hopeful. Tennessee has one of the best running backs in the league in Chris Johnson, who will surely pose a matchup problem for Miami’s defense.
Here are this week’s Keys to the Game.
Miami
1). Run the ball straight ahead and bring back the Wildcat.
The Tennessee Titans’ defensive line is a very active and athletic group that is designed to generate penetration throughout the game. Defensive tackles Javon Haye and Tony Brown explode off the ball, looking to occupy the interior linemen, which in turn allows the linebackers to flow to the ball and make plays. Both Haye and Brown are one gap defenders; however, neither is exceptionally powerful; rarely overpowering their man – bull rushing him into the lap of the quarterback.
The pair does routinely get under the pads of their opponent and use leverage to maintain position. This is not to say that neither player can be moved off the line of scrimmage, but that it will not be an easy task. Both defenders do not generate a great deal of leg drive, but of the two, Haye has the edge in lower body strength in my opinion.
Both players generally have solid hand placement – arms extended and locked with hands around the armpits. This display of technique allows both players, who are less than 300 lbs, to maintain their position along the line of scrimmage against bigger opponents. However, I will say that Brown could use to play with a more consistent pad level as he comes off the ball well, but he can wind up playing very vertical at times.
However, as good as Tennessee’s pair of defensive tackles are, they are susceptible to guards and centers with a solid punch. As noted, neither player generates a great deal of leg drive, and are more reliant on momentum than sheer power to mount an interior push. As such, if their initial advance is stymied, they can have trouble reproducing much forward movement.
Donald Thomas must bring his A game if the Dolphins are to control the line of scrimmage. Jovan Haye will frequently line up almost in a 4 technique, looking to cross his man’s face and into the backfield. Thomas’ footwork which has let him down in the past will be paramount in this week’s game. I have mentioned in previous installments of this column that Thomas routinely allows his hands and feet to become static, relying on his initial punch to get the job done.
It is at these moments that Thomas can lean into his blocks too much, and leave himself exposed. The former UCONN product has good straight line speed, but is not a very fluid player. If Thomas’ lateral movement is predetermined, he is very capable, but when he is forced to adjust on the fly (laterally), he will struggle to maintain position due to his inability to open his hips freely. Donald Thomas must have a good game if the Dolphins wish to have any chance to move the ball with any consistency.
One player to watch is Nate Garner. The second year man out of Arkansas has started 5 straight games for Miami. The Dolphins do employ a guard rotation, but Garner is receiving a great many snaps over the course of the game. Garner is athletic and generates decent leg drive in the run game. Garner is in my opinion, a better in line blocker than Justin Smiley – although it must be mentioned that Smiley is battling shoulder issues. Garner does have trouble sliding his feet laterally on occasion and can be caught leaning or reaching for his man, but some of that is due to his hand use.
Obviously, Garner does not fail to slide his feet on every play, but he likely will have some trouble containing Tony Brown throughout each play. Garner can have bouts of inconsistency in his ability to latch on to the defender; which should allow Brown to slip free and make plays, particularly against the run. I expect Brown to cut short 3-4 Miami runs in this manner.
If the Dolphins offensive line does not control the line of scrimmage – which has been an issue against 3 technique defensive schemes this season, Miami will lose this game by double digits. Controlling the line of scrimmage will lead to the penultimate goal on offense – blocking the Titans’ linebackers.
The Tennessee Titans defense is not predicated solely on their defensive line. On the contrary, the best unit on the team is the linebacking corp. This group is filled with chase and tackle style linebackers; as every player can cover ground and reach the boundary with ease. In my opinion, running on the edge of the defense would be a mistake as it would play into their strength.
Keith Bulluck leads the unit, but Dolphins fans cannot sleep on Stephen Tulloch – a fireplug of a player that explodes through holes to make tackles at almost the same pace as his more heralded running mate. One element that all 3 players in this unit share is their desire to attack the line of scrimmage. Regardless of the play call, many times at least one player of the group will take a step forward; looking to fill the gap and make a tackle with lightening speed. Tulloch is very adept at knifing through holes to make plays against the runner.
However, for all of their aggression and speed, there is not one pure stack and shed linebacker among them. In layman’s terms, none of these players is very adept at taking blocks head on. This does not mean the linebackers never engage an offensive lineman, only that when they do, they do little to halt their advance up the field.
Instead, the archetype for the Titans linebackers is to avoid contact, relying on angles, leverage and collective speed to to make plays. The more often the Dolphins can fire out straight ahead, isolating Lousaka Polite on a linebacker, the better chance the Dolphins have of controlling the pace of the game.
Lousaka Polite is quietly having a Pro Bowl season, and is a physically imposing blocker at the point of attack. The Dolphins’ chances to win this game hinge on Polite’s ability to get a helmet on the Tennessee linebackers with regularity. If Polite can dictate this facet of a game within a game, the Dolphins could very easily control this game from the get go.
Miami likes to double team defensive tackles at the point of attack a good deal of the time. This does allow Miami to generate movement at the point of attack, but it does require that the opposing linebackers are accounted for. Now, obviously Miami does have guards and centers that can reach the second level, but Miami’s desire to run behind double teams can open up alleys for linebackers to attack through.
Give the aggression and speed of Tennessee’s linebackers this element of the ground attack should not be overlooked. Polite’s ability to block the linebackers is paramount, but even more important is at what spot this collision takes place. Polite must generally meet the blocker near the line of scrimmage or beyond for Miami’s running attack to be effective. If Polite is constantly making contact behind the line of scrimmage I have to believe Miami will generate 3 yard gains or less with great regularity.
Whilst I do not agree with running either Ricky Williams or Lex Hilliard to the outside with great regularity against the Titans, I do think Miami should a reverse with Ted Ginn. The Titans are a fast flowing defense that shoots gaps with great regularity, and as such their aggression can make them susceptible to a reverse. A reverse will likely be more successful as it involves an actual handoff to the runner before the reverse occurs; the defense sees the ball in the hands of the runner and attacks forthwith. And end around is simply a handoff to the receiver crossing the formation.
A reverse is a hit or miss play against Tennessee’s defense, but if you hit it at the right time, it could be prove to be a game changing play – something the Dolphins are searching for. A successful reverse will also slow down a defense for a period of time; which plays into the hands of an offense.
I have asked for the revival of the Wildcat for two reasons. Firstly, it is a formation we have not run in two games, so the Titans preparation for it may be suspect in comparison to how other teams prepared earlier in the season. Also, the Wildcat may cause a moments’ hesitation amongst the linebacking corp for the Titans. That hesitation may allow Miami’s blockers to engage them in more of a stationary manner rather than trying to hit a moving target. I am not calling for 15-20 Wildcat plays, only maybe a handful or more – enough to make the defense to take notice.
Miami’s ability to control the Tennessee linebackers is paramount for their chances of victory this week. I believe Miami can run the ball against the Titans, but only if they attack the front in the correct manner.
On another note, the Titans defense does not face many rushing attempts per game – only 23.54 attempts. Even on such limited carries, the defense allows a 4.2 yards per carry average to the opposition. In contrast, the Dolphins rushing attack averages 33.69 attempts per game. Oddly, since Ronnie Brown’s injury, the Dolphins have run the ball 135 times in 4 games – 33.75 times per game. If Miami continues to operate at that rate the team could garner 141.5 yards in this week’s game. If the Dolphins have anywhere near that yardage total, they have a very good chance of winning this game.
2). Continue to allow Chad Henne to throw the ball.
To most fans, this would appear obvious considering the 2nd year pro’s performance this past weekend. Henne tied a franchise record, connecting on 17 straight passes. And, given how Tennessee comes into this week’s game with the 31st ranked pass defense this seems to be a match made in heaven. In reality however, this aspect of the game may be harder for Miami to accomplish than many initially believe.
Tennessee has had two seasons in 2009; before Vince Young and afterwards. Before Young took control of the offense, the Titans were 0-6 and appeared destined for the #1 pick in the 2010 Draft. But after Young regained his starter’s role, the team is 6-1. The Tennessee defense has also experienced a resurgence over that same time period.
In the first 6 games of the 2009 season, Tennessee allowed 1,955 yards through the air – 325.8 yards per game and a 73.9% completion rate. Frankly, those numbers are staggering. However, equally as staggering is the level of improvement the defense has shown over the last 7 games. The Titan defense has allowed only 1595 yards – 227.8 yards per game and a 61.9% completion percentage over that period. The Titans are still allowing a high completion percentage – over 60%, but that figure is light years ahead of the 73.9% rate in the beginning of the year.
Tennessee has also seen its yards per attempt average drop considerably over that period. In the first 6 games, Tennessee allowed an 8.21 yards per attempt average, whilst in the last 7 games, that figure has dropped to 6.13 yards per attempt. In layman’s terms, Tennessee has seen its yards per attempt average drop 25.34% over the last 7 games.
Tennessee has allowed 27 touchdowns through the air this season. 19 of those came in the first 6 games of the season, and only 2 have come in the last 3 games. Tennessee has allowed 233.33 passing yards per game at home this season, compared to 307.1 yards per game on the road.
I do want Chad Henne to continue to throw the ball, and to do so down the field, as it opens up a defense and makes the Dolphins offense more of a threat. I do not want to see Henne dropping back to throw the ball 40 times a game by any means, but giving him around 30 pass attempts should allow him opportunities to make plays.
When Miami does throw, Henne needs to be careful. The Tennessee secondary is playing much better than earlier in the season in part due to the return of Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan returned to the lineup after the bye week, the same time Vince Young took control of the offense. Finnegan is an exceptional corner; capable of shutting down a team’s primary receiver. Finnegan’s skill allows the defense to be much more creative in their coverage schemes.
Since returning to the lineup, Finnegan has 8 passes defended along with 4 interceptions. In comparison, Nick Harper has 4 passes defended all year long. One option for the Dolphins is to use Ted Ginn as somewhat of a decoy. Ginn’s speed could be used to drive Finnegan off the line of scrimmage and therefore make other defenders control the weak side of the field. Now, a decoy only works if you actually attempt to use it once or twice.
This does not mean that Finnegan is an impregnable wall in the defensive backfield that can only be attacked in a clandestine manner. Finnegan likes to stare into the backfield, often turning his back to the receiver and trusting his experience and knowledge of positioning to win the matchup. I believe this allows a receiver to gain inside position on him via the skinny post or slant route.
The Dolphins cannot simply rely on these routes alone to win the battle against Finnegan, but I believe they must look to attack him via in breaking routes when possible. The Dolphins should also run digs and deep ins; however Henne must be cognizant of Finnegan undercutting the route, and the Titans’ linebackers ability to drop into coverage.
Using play action is a good way for Miami to attack the Tennessee secondary, and as a way to provide Ginn more space down the field. Unlike many teams who utilize cover 2 principles, the Titans do like to walk their safeties down around the line of scrimmage, and in particular Michael Griffin. As such, you are dealing with a single high safety, and with Finnegan’s coverage ability it is likely the safety will slide away from his side of the field.
This may provide opportunities for Miami’s tight ends to produce in the passing game. The Dolphins must find ways to involve their tight ends this week. After producing season highs in yardage two weeks in a row, Anthony Fasano totaled 0 catches against the Jaguars. Miami tight ends accounted for 2 catches and 15 yards overall.
The Titans have the speed in their linebacking corp to win the matchup against Miami’s tight ends, so the coaching staff must find the spaces in the Tennessee zones on defense. In my opinion, those areas may be 10 yards or under on the sidelines, or down the seams.
Another consideration for the application of a heavy dose of play action is its ability to manipulate the Tennessee linebackers. As mentioned, Stephen Tulloch and Keith Bulluck will routinely take a false step forward regardless of a play fake or not. Both players do a good job of breaking down, keeping their feet alive; allowing them to react and drop into coverage quickly. Regardless, taking a false step can be exploited if the Dolphins can run the football with some authority in the early part of this game.
One final reason I say the Dolphins should allow Chad Henne to throw the football is only 7 of Tennessee’s 27 sacks have come at home this season, and the defense has only 2 sacks over their last 3 games. Conversely, Miami’s offensive line has allowed 4 sacks over their last 4 games.
Chad Henne has shown that he can handle an expanded role in the offense at this stage of the season. However, the unit must score points than it has been since the loss of Ronnie Brown. Brown suffered a liz- franc injury against the Buccaneers in week 10. Since that time Miami has averaged 18.5 points per game, having scored 20 or more points only twice. For the Dolphins to have a legitimate shot at winning this game, the offense must put 24 points or more on the board.
3). Paul Soliai must win his matchup against center Kevin Mawae.
The Titans sport the league’s most dynamic runner in Chris Johnson. Johnson leads the NFL with 1626 yards rushing and has a 355 yard advantage over his next closest competitor. The former East Carolina star is not solely a runner in this offense as he leads the team with 42 receptions. The Dolphins ability to slow down Johnson will likely be the determining factor in their ability to win this week’s game.
The Dolphins’ ability to stop Johnson also hinges on their knowledge of where to defend him. The Titans have tailored their rushing attack to their all pro runner’s skill-set by incorporating a tremendous amount of off guard and off tackle runs into their offense. The Titans offensive line is quick and athletic; allowing the unit to run the sweep and stretch play with machine like precision. These runs allow Johnson to use his speed and vision to pick and choose his hole.
Also, as with any outside run of this type, the defense is collectively flowing in one direction, which does open up cutback lanes for the runner. Johnson’s speed allows him to exploit any crease he can see, and with his speed, defenders will be prone to over pursuit. Anytime a defense is in motion in this manner, there will be defenders that will become fundamentally unsound. At that point Johnson can make a small run into a touchdown from anywhere on the field.
The Titans have handed the ball off to Chris Johnson 272 times this season. Johnson has run the ball to the left side 98 times, the middle 66 times and to the right 108 times (36% left, 24.3% up the middle and 39.7% to the right). At first glance, those numbers appear pretty equal in terms of left/right distribution. However, if we look at the numbers a bit closer the Titans have been favoring the right side of the offense since Vince Young took over at quarterback.
In the first 6 games of the season, Tennessee had run the ball 38 times to the left, 24 in the middle and 33 to the right. So, in their 6-1 stretch since, the Titans have run the ball to the left 60 times, whilst running right 75 times. In terms of percentages, it doesn’t take a math whiz to figure out that the Titans have run the ball 25% more on the right side than the left of their offense over the last 7 games. In terms of in game disparity, the Titans run the ball an average of 8.57 times per game to the left and 10.71 times per game to the right – hardly Earth shattering, but it does matter.
What should also be noted is the increase in Johnson’s workload over the last 7 games. In the first six games Johnson averaged 6.33 rushing attempts to the left, 4 in the middle and 5.5 to the right. Over the last 7 games he has averaged 8.57 attempts to the left, 6 in the middle and 10.71 to the right.
Now many may be wondering why I chose to highlight Paul Soliai’s matchup with Kevin Mawae if the Titans run the ball to the outside more than they do up the middle. In my opinion Soliai needs to have a good game for the Dolphins to control Johnson in some manner. The Titans run the ball to the outside a great deal, and often on a stretch play – similar to the Colts. And, as mentioned the ability to cut the ball back is inherently present due to the dynamics of the play.
I am not discounting the Dolphins’ need to have both Kendall Langford and Randy Starks play with consistent leverage whilst not trying to penetrate all the way into the backfield. In essence, both players need to simply prevent their man from moving them off the ball and in many ways setting the edge – forcing the ball inside, unless of course they can disengage and make the play themselves.
On any outside run, the defensive ends must stay parallel, shading the inside shoulder of the tackle just slightly. As such, they can force the ball inside, without getting blocked completely out of the play and to the boundary.
By asking the defensive ends to play in such a manner, the Dolphins need to prevent the center or guard from getting to the second level and blocking either Akin Ayodele or Channing Crowder. Neither player is blessed with sideline to sideline speed, so keeping them free to scrape and make plays is paramount. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, neither player is exceptional at shooting gaps either – which is also an effective way to stop the run.
In order for this to happen, Paul Soliai cannot become fixated on a solitary battle in the middle of the field. Soliai has great quickness, which enables him to reach the boundary with regularity. Soliai does chase down the ball to the boundary, but predominantly that happens when he is running into the backfield at a slight angle rather than flowing horizontally down the line of scrimmage. This is not to say that Soliai does not chase the ball otherwise, only that he does not typically get involved in the action as much. The Dolphins need Soliai to make some plays on the perimeter this week if the team is to have any chance to win this game.
Soliai must work to get in front of Mawae on any stretch or sweep play, although he should not try to completely penetrate into the backfield. If Soliai fails to get in front of Mawae and in the gap, he will be passed to either Jake Scott or Eugene Amano. Soliai must win the race to a spot along the offensive front. If Soliai can do this, the Dolphins can rally to the football and hopefully hem in Chris Johnson. If he fails to do so, Mawae will get to the second level and seal either Crowder or Ayodele from the play.
I worry that if Soliai does try to penetrate into the backfield consistently on these plays, Johnson will cut the ball back and exploit the space Soliai has left behind him. I just cannot say that Soliai matched up with Johnson on a one on one tackle in the backfield is a win for the Dolphins. However, Soliai preventing Johnson from cutting the ball back against the grain, and allowing the Dolphins linebackers to run unimpeded is. This game may have many fans asking why Soliai did not do more, without realizing that he may be most effective when we don’t hear his name called.
Soliai does present somewhat of a matchup problem for Mawae as the 3rd year player is not a typical nose tackle. Soliai can create problems along the offensive front as he has the quickness to attack the gaps. In many ways Soliai can operate in much the same manner as a 3 technique defender would. However, Soliai has also improved his base strength to the point where he can overpower double teams or simply bullrush his opponent into the backfield.
The biggest issue for Mawae is to match Soliai’s quickness down the line of scrimmage. For a 355lb man, Soliai is very nimble and is not in the mold of a typical nose tackle – Soliai is not an immobile tree stump. In many instances, Mawae has the advantage in mobility against his opponent, in this game however, the bigger man may also be more nimble player.
Soliai’s biggest question mark this season has been consistency in his level of play. If Soliai does bring his lunch pail with him, he is the type of player that can shut down an opposing ground game. However, this game will test his ability to consistently use his hands as he flows down the line of scrimmage. One of Soliai’s weaknesses is that when he does flow down the line he can get lazy and lean into blocks with his shoulders, instead of using his hands to maintain position and leverage.
If Soliai falls into this trap, Mawae has the experience to simply use the former Utah star’s momentum against him; riding him out of position to make a play. By playing undisciplined, Soliai prevents himself from crossing the face of Mawae and getting into the gap along the front.
Instead, Mawae will have both the hand placement and positioning to win the battle; keeping Soliai out of the backfield. And, as mentioned, he will be passed off to a guard, which then allows Mawae to reach the second level and pick off back side pursuit. If Mawae is constantly on the second level of Miami’s defense, the Dolphins do not have a realistic chance to win.
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