South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Gore-Drake combo key to success
Dolphins will stick with run plan against Bears
Adam Gase has an unwavering belief that his offense is at its best when two tailbacks share the workload. But the Miami Dolphins coach typically struggles to find the right balance, and role for his tailback duo.
Last week the Dolphins experimented with a role change for Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake, one that made the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history Miami’s featured runner and utilized Drake as a change-of-pace, pass-catching option, and it seemingly worked.
Gore led Miami with 63 rushing yards on 12 carries, all but 2 yards of which came in the game’s first three quarters, when the Dolphins had a double-digit lead in last Sunday’s 27-17 loss. Drake contributed 115 total yards on six carries and
seven receptions, which came off a team-leading 11 targets.
Expect the Dolphins to continue building on this approach during Sunday’s 1 p.m. home game against the Chicago Bears, who possesses the stingiest run defense in the NFL.
If Miami can have success running the ball against Chicago, the Dolphins might have found an offensive identity that’s sustainable.
“We both work good off each other,” said Gore, whose 202 rushing yards on 47 carries leads the team.
“We’re both different [and have] a different running style. He can do everything in the passing game. I can also do things in the passing game, but I think it’s a good mix. As long as we’re in and the game is going right, I think coach Gase will get us opportunities.”
According to Gase, the switch is designed to keep Miami out of difficult distances on third downs, which has been the offense’s Achilles heel for the past three seasons.
“Just stay on schedule. That’s the most important thing,” said Drake, who has gained 153 rushing yards on 39 carries.
“I feel like in the second half [against the Bengals],
we got off schedule. It just put us in situations to where it was third-andunmanageable. As long as we get those 3-, 4-, 5-,
6-yard gains on first down, keep us in second- and third-and-manageable, then I feel like we’ll be successful.”
The Dolphins’ performance this season on thirddown plays shorter than 7 yards confirms Drake’s theory.
The Dolphins are converting 54 percent of the team’s third-down opportunities when facing 6 yards or fewer (12 of 22 in those situations).
Third-down conversions are critical because six of Miami’s 11 offensive touchdowns in the season’s five games were on drives that featured at least one third-down conversion.
When facing a thirddown situation that is between 7 and 10 yards, Miami is converting 20 percent of those opportunities
(3 of 15).
And the most troubling aspect of Miami’s struggles centers on how many plays of third-and-11 or longer the Dolphins have attempted (17), and the dismal conversation rate, which is 11 percent (two have been converted successful).
Add it all up and it clarifies why Miami’s ranked
29th on third downs, and a deeper look at the root of the problem shows that
penalties, and sacks are holding back this offense.
Nine of the 11 sacks Tannehill has taken have come on third-down plays.
According to receiver Kenny Stills, when the offense is on schedule, the Rolodex of plays Gase can call is extensive, especially since play-action and readoption plays can be incorporated.
When the Dolphins are in a “third-and-forever” situation, which is what the team has nicknamed their nemesis, the pickings are slim. And defenses have their ears pinned back to hunt the quarterback and are focused on disrupting the routes Miami’s receivers are running.
As a result, penalties and sacks are common. If the Dolphins face many thirdand-forevers against Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack, it could be a long, and painful day for Tannehill.
“That’s why practice is so important, because if you don’t take individuals [for] 20 minutes really serious and fix the fundamental flaws you have or bad technique, then they show up on Sundays,” said offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
“We always talk about it around here, practice execution becomes game-day reality. We’ve got to clean that stuff up and it needs to happen now.”