Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Taking it on the run
Dolphins do better when passing less often
DAVIE — The Dolphins had their offensive game plan derailed by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. They fell behind 7-0, then it was 14-0, then 21-0, and 24-0 by halftime. Because of that rapidly escalating defiThe cit, running the ball, the thing the Dolphins do best offensively, was taken out of the equation.
On Sunday, the Dolphins (7-5), who are No. 8 in the NFL in rushing offense at 111.5 yards per game, know they need to find a way to keep the running game part of the game plan the Arizona Cardinals, who are tied for 11th in run defense at 97.9 yards allowed per game.
It could be essential to Miami’s success on offense and overall.
The Dolphins aren’t nearly as threatening offensively when they’re a pass-first team.
Dolphins are 2-17 when quarterback Ryan Tannehill passes 40 or more times the past few years, such as he did against the Ravens. Being forced to pass doesn’t fit the Dolphins or Tannehill, who has been sacked 28 times, tied for seventh-most in the league this season.
“It definitely stresses the ofagainst
fense,” Tannehill said of having to pass often. “It stresses the offensive line. It lets their pass rush kind of tee off. It’s obviously a situation you don’t want to be in. Keep the game close, that way you’re not in that situation.”
Miami had six running plays in the second half against Baltimore, compared with 26 passing plays.
It wasn’t that Baltimore’s defense negated Miami’s running game, it was the circumstance. Running back Jay Ajayi, who had 12 carries for 61 yards (5.1 yards per carry) against the Ravens, was effective.
“It wasn’t tough at all” to run the ball, Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert said. “And that’s no disrespect . ... We were running the ball.
“But we got down too early, we couldn’t do what we needed to do, so that caused us to divert from our game plan and do other things.”
The Dolphins needed chunk yardage against Baltimore. That wasn’t necessarily the case against the Los Angeles Rams, when the Dolphins trailed 10-0 in the fourth quarter and were still able to run the ball.
Baltimore made Miami one-dimensional. New England did the same thing earlier in the season when it took a 24-3 halftime lead.
“It starts with Jay Ajayi and the running game, Tannehill and the read-option,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians said.
Running the ball keeps the play-action pass alive, which makes Tannehill more effective as a passer.
Running the ball keeps Miami’s defense off the field (they played 70 snaps against Baltimore). And running the ball keeps Ajayi, who is seventh in the NFL in rushing at 908 yards, a major factor in the offense.
Arizona has the kind of defense, led by defensive end Calais Campbell, a former Miami Hurricanes standout, and linebacker Chandler Jones, that has the ability to make Miami’s offense one-dimensional.
“That front is about as nasty as they come,” Dolphins coach Adam Gase said. “You know what’s coming. You know five guys are coming more times than not, and they’re going to put pressure on your offensive line to hang in there . ...
“Now you look at the linebackers, and it’s a lot of team speed, a lot of aggressive players, and then you have a great scheme that goes behind it to where they’re not afraid to play aggressive. That’s what makes that defense so tough to go against.”
Running the ball is what makes Miami’s offense tough to go against. If the Dolphins keep the game close so they can use their physical offensive line and aggressive running game, the outlook is bright.
“You get those guys moving up front, and it really juices those guys up,” Tannehill said of the running game. “You break off a long run, and you can feel the energy up front with our offensive line feeling the energy, and the momentum builds.
“It’s definitely a big part of what we want to do.”