Miami Dolphin intel, playoff edition

This is what I gathered from Rotoworld, PFF, injury reports and depth charts.


This is a different write up than I wrote in our regular season game against Miami. Miami has improved and so did the Steelers.

The Miami coaching staff is a strength. HC Gase is a younger Nick Saban. Coached under him and coaches like him. Disciplined and has a process that he follows. His assistant coaches are already being talked about as getting interviews for NFL head coaching jobs.

OFFENSE

QB Matt Moore, age 32, in 3 games this year he started he’s thrown for 8 TDs and 3 INTs. There’s news that Ryan Tannehill might try and play against Pittsburgh but I don’t know why. There’s little or no drop off from Tannehill to Moore and Moore is healthy. He completed 70% against NE in week 17. He’s not afraid to go downfield, he averaged 13 yards per pass attempt against the Jets. Matt Moore was only under pressure on 10 of his 34 dropbacks against NE, but they were the difference in the game. On those plays he went 2-of-10 for 27 yards and threw an interception. When there was no pressure he was a ridiculous 22-for-24 for 184 yards and two touchdowns.. It was a far cry from the previous two weeks, where his passer rating was 133.1 under pressure. So I don’t know whether to blitz him or not. In the previous game against Buffalo, Moore didn’t look so good. His passing stats were largely a result of run-after-the-catch rather than good QB placement. The team mostly won with RB Ajajy and his 200 yards. In week 15 against the Jets, Moore was 6-for-7 for 158 yards on passes targeted 10-plus yards down the field. He passed well to his no-name TEs for good gains.

RB Jay Ajayi. He’s their biggest weapon. And he’s been nicked up the last two games. One injury is his shoulder for sure. Went in for X-rays after week 17. Certainly won’t be 100% against the Steelers. His breakout game was against us in week 6 rushing for 204 yards when his starting OL got healthy and returned. He ran two more times this season for over 200 yards. His backups are Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake who aren’t exciting.

WR Jarvis Landry-- Rotoworld says Miami will go strongly to Landry regardless if Moore or Tannehill is the QB. I believe it. Landry was graded as the best slot WR of Week 15. Three nice catch-and-runs against the Jets. In the three games Moore started, Landry has caught an average of 5 catches per game for 70 yards per game with two TDs in the last three games. Has 1000 yards for the year. He’s 5’11” so I wouldn’t put a smurf CB on him.

WR Kenny Stills---scores TDs. Only caught one pass against the Jets but it was for a TD. Only caught 3 against the Bills but one was for a TD. Only caught 4 against NE but one was for a TD. He’s 6’0”.

WR Devante Parker---is hailed as the big-play threat but he’s been quieted since the emphasis on the running game with Moore now starting. NE put their #1 CB Malcolm Butler on Parker in Week 17.

TE Jordan Cameron--- Miami signed TE Jordan Cameron from Cleveland to be their #1 TE but he’s on IR.

TE Sims—He shows up on game film in goal line situations catching jump balls every now and then but he’s inconsistent. Averages 2 catches per game for 20 yards per game and one TD every three games or so.

TE Marquies Gray----called a ‘padless practice All-Pro’ he shows up on Sundays sometimes as a lead blocker. No TDs this season. Averages 1 catch for 12 yards per game.

LT Branden Albert---this guy is pretty good. Rotoworld says, ‘It’s a huge loss” when Albert is out of a game. Battling injuries off and on all year.

LG Laremy Tunsil---another stud. Battling shoulder injuries all year.

C Mike Pouncey---is on IR. (hip)

C Anthony Steen—a converted guard that never played Center in the NFL until Pouncey went down. Played on two National Champion Alabama teams but went undrafted in 2015. Beat out three experienced Centers to win the backup Center job which became the starting Center job.

RG Jermon Bushrod—he’s the weak link on an otherwise top 10 OL when healthy in my opinion. He’s a converted tackle who Miami is begging and pleading for him to win the RG starting job away from Billy Turner who is bad and a major liability last year. Rotoworld says his play ‘sticks out like a sore thumb’ when compared to the rest of the OL. He’s PFF’s lowest rated run-blocking guard in the NFL this year.

RT Ju’Wuan James----not much written about him so hard to assess but he occasionally grades well on Rotoworld. Is not mentioned as a liability like Bushrod is.

K Andrew Franks----Rotoworld calls him ‘mediocre’. He’s hit 16-21 FGs this year, 1-3 from between 40-49 yards, and 1-2 from 50+ yards.


Defense

DE Cameron Wake-----Since becoming a starter in Week 6, Cameron Wake leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks. Coming off an Achilles' injury, Wake was not fully healthy early in the year, but he has been a monster since entering the starting lineup.

DT N. Suh---Can completely overwhelm an offense. But the Patriots neutralized him last week. Odd. Odd that he can dominate but disappear. I’d stay the heck away from him. Against NE, Ndamukong Suh was a dud. He totaled one hurry on 32 pass rushes and was moved off the line mightily on multiple run plays. Obviously it was a near-meaningless game for the Dolphins, but it was still a season-low 42.3 grade for the defensive tackle. PFF graded him as the best DL of week 15 however. Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh combined for seven total pressures against Buffalo in week 16. Ndamukong Suh was strong in the run game, but as a unit they could do little to slow down Tyrod Taylor through the air or the Buffalo running backs on the ground, though they did choose overtime to come up with some of their biggest stops and partially redeem an ugly overall display. So who knows? Rotoworld calls the Miami DL a strength and will need to continue to prop up an ‘underwhelming’ LB corps.

DT Jordan Phillips—really struggled last year. Listed at starting on the depth charts but apparently the dolphins do a lot of substitution on the DL during the game because they have others listed as having stats for games although not the starters. I get the impression that Suh is the BIG FISH in this swimming pond though.

DE Mario Williams----is just about a situational pass rusher at this late point in his career.

MLB Kiko Alonso---‘is having a bounce back year’. At one point, led Miami in tackles and interceptions. Had hand and hamstring injuries a few weeks ago.

OLB Jelani Jenkins—Rotoworld says Jenkins is having a ‘horrendous’ season but Miami said they are trying to get him back from injury fast for the big games. (?) Probably because the backups are worse.

OLB Misi is on IR (neck)

OLB Donald Butler----A Chargers washout, widely accused of giving up in San Diego. Lasted 6 weeks with the Cardinals this summer. Signed around Sept sometime I think.17 tackles in 14 games.

CB Byron Maxwell---benched early in the year. Played well against the Steelers. Out with injured ankle in week 17 but will start against the Steelers.

CB Xavien Howard---had knee surgery 3 months ago.No sacks or INTs in 7 games. The poor Miami secondary shredded by Tom Brady is the reason Miami lost to NE, not the QB Moore, according to Rotoworld. Howard was rated as a top performer against the Jets in Week 15.

SS Michael Thomas----an All Pro special teamer, he finished 66th of 111 CBs graded last year and beat out a rookie for the SS position this year. One sack and one INT.

FS Walt Aikens---started at FS at the beginning of the season but was quickly benched. Starting now only because the other two FSs are now on IR. Zero sacks and zero INTs.

P Matt Darr----41 yard average, with 5 touchbacks this year

 

Previously, in the thread, 'nor's pictures', I showed how Jarvis Jones was not keeping containment, allowing the Miami RBs to get outside. Jones got benched and here are pictures showing a stronger James Harrison holding the point of attack, turning the play inward for basically no gain. I expect to see more James Harrison than JJ in this next game.

 

I noted that when Jarvis Jones was pass rushing, Miami only single teamed him. pic 1
When James Harrison was pass rushing, Miami double teamed him. pics 2+3
Perhaps we can use this tendency to our advantage somehow.

 

I doubt JJ even dresses for the game...

 

How's Kenyan Drake doing in the return game? You have him listed as a RB no-factor. Serious question, haven't watched them a ton but hear his name for returns....

Isn't our ole buddy Kraig Urbik starting for the Dolphins? due to injuries or ???

 

Good post, turtle.
I didn't spend much time talking about special teams but you are right, Drake is a threat. I shoulda given him more credit previously.
http://www.espn.com/blog/miami-dolp...ke-dolphins-rookie-class-paying-big-dividends

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/12/kenyan_drake_runs_from_no_no_t.html

You are right, Urbik did start...at Center.... He was one of the three veterans that Miami experimented with until C Anthony Steen won the job. Good observation. You're a sharp guy.

 

Not sharp, just a blind squirrel. Drake had some draft noise here as a returner and I often wondered why the team and Urbik parted ways. Not a starter by any means, but we were going through that "nobody can stay healthy phase" with coach Kugler et al. And they seemed to part ways early. Can't remember all the details about the timeline though. I was just curious. Good stuff though, I like the intel posts

 

Steen originally started after Pouncey went out, but Urbik has been the starter the last couple of games. He will be the starter on Sunday as well. Maxwell is also not a lock to play. He hasn't practiced yet this week, as far as I know. I'm assuming he won't miss this game, but it's up in the air at this point.

 

Wow. Interesting. Steen is listed as the starter on both depth charts, the official Miami Dolphin one and Rotoworld's. Urbik isn't even on the depth chart at center on the official Dolphin depth chart.

 

Great Info here, thanks.

 

The Dolphins just waived DE Jason Jones formerly of Detroit. He had 3.5 sacks for the Dolphins this year but was told he would be inactive for Sunday's game vs Pitt. He then asked for his release. I think there was some offseason talk about him on here or did they actually bring him in for a visit?

I don't think he's available for anyone to sign until Monday though, I could be wrong. Weird time of year though imo for someone to get released.

 

Wow! With our current injuries along the DL how great would it be to pick up a pissed off ex player for a game. We did show interest in the off season...