Hunting for new hope
Versatility strength for rookie lineman Eichenberg
MIAMI GARDENS — As one could imagine, the Miami Dolphins offensive line room was initially distraught after a subpar outing, surrendering six sacks against the Buffalo Bills in a 35-0 loss in the team’s home opener. But the mood throughout the week has shifted to one of hope.
“It was definitely down at first, but you use that to fuel you to get better so it doesn’t happen every game,” said center Michael Deiter. “Down, but the down is motivation to be better. Obviously, it wasn’t a good showing. It needed to be a lot better, and that’s the focus: What can we do each day to get better, be cleaner with communication?”
It will take more than motivation, though, against a Raiders’ defensive front that can get after the quarterback when the Dolphins play in Las Vegas on Sunday looking to avoid a second straight loss.
After getting exposed by the Bills’ pass rushers and their blitz packages, the Dolphins’ offensive line needs to find answers for Raiders defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue. Some of those answers may not come from the same lineups that were seen on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Rookie Liam Eichenberg could find his way into the starting unit at a number of positions. After playing mostly left tackle in college at Notre Dame, Eichenberg worked primarily at right tackle and left guard in his initial training camp. When left tackle Austin Jackson missed the week of practice ahead of the opener in New England, Eichenberg played there. He subbed in for Jesse Davis at right tackle amid
his injured knee in the second half of the loss to Buffalo.
Could it be left tackle, where Jackson struggled Sunday in his season debut, for Eichenberg? With Davis limited for two straight practices, although he says he’s fine, does Eichenberg slide in on that end again? Could his opportunity come at left guard for Solomon Kindley? Could his insertion at one spot still mean the player he replaces starts but at a different position?
Eichenberg, the second-round pick in the past draft, said on Thursday he’s been moved around the line in the week of practice as the Dolphins look to find the “best five” they’re always in search of.
“It’s just kind of wherever they want me,” he said. “They’ve been flipping me around the whole week.”
As a rookie in the NFL juggling so much information, Eichenberg revealed Thursday that he reaches back to a technique he used to study in college: Flash cards.
“I have flash cards kind of broken up for tackle and guard,” the studious Eichenberg said. “When we did installs, I would make cards for every install, so it was a good amount. The offense, the playbook is pretty large. It’s good stuff. It’s got everything in there.”
Eichenberg admitted that, as he played so much left tackle at Notre Dame, his brain would shut down when the offensive line coach was breaking down what other positions on the line were doing on certain plays. Now in the NFL, he can’t continue that way.
“Now you have to listen to when he’s talking to tackles and guards,” he said. “I
listen to when he’s talking to the center too because you just never know. It’s a lot of information but if you can kind of understand it from everybody’s perspective, it makes it a lot easier.”
Davis, who in his five seasons with the Dolphins has had to play all over the offensive line, has brought Eichenberg along in picking up the nuances of different positions, Eichenberg said. Davis is also prepared to potentially play elsewhere on the line after he was beat at right tackle by Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa en route to the hit that knocked out quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from Sunday’s game in the first quarter.
“It’s the same old thing,” Davis said. “Wherever the club needs me, that’s where I’ll be.”
Beyond merely winning 1-on-1 blocking matchups, the Dolphins need to improve at identifying blitzes.
That was an area where Buffalo had a field day, with a blitzer from the secondary coming in untouched for sacks on Tagovailoa on two of the Dolphins’ first three offensive plays.
Deiter took part of the blame for that on Thursday. He said it starts with both the center and quarterback identifying it to then communicate the protection to everyone pass blocking.
“It does come down to all five or all six that are in protection, just making sure the communication’s clean,” Deiter said. “There’s no gray area in who’s got what, what front they’re in, ‘what could they possibly bring?’ But, I would say, it definitely starts with the center and the QB and making sure they’re echoing it out to the rest of the guys.”
The Raiders’ defense has five sacks and 18 quarterback hits through two games this season.