What went right, what went wrong for the Dolphins’ offensive line versus the Patriots
Heading into the Dolphins’ season opener against the New England Patriots, the first game of the season was always going to serve as an early litmus test for the new-look offense but also the offensive line, the most scrutinized position during the offseason and training camp.
The unit was far from perfect against New England but left a positive initial impression; quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was sacked just twice, and the offensive line was able to help the quarterbacks and running backs pick up conversions in critical situations late.
As expected, the Dolphins emphasized the use of run-pass options early and often against New England. On the first play from scrimmage, Tagovailoa faked a handoff to running back Myles Gaskin out of the pistol formation and found rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a 17-yard catch and run. With the offensive linemen firing off the line of scrimmage and engaging with the Patriots’ defensive linemen, New England’s linebacker crept up, leaving a window for Tagovailoa to find his former Alabama teammate.
The team found success with it again on its final, game-sealing drive. With the offense facing first-and-14 and pinned at its 5-yard line, the same exact play with the same exact formation was called. The Patriots were expecting a run in this situation and the sight of the offensive linemen moving forward at the snap gave that impression, too. However, Tagovailoa again faked the handoff, this time to running back Malcolm Brown and found wide receiver DeVante Parker running a slant on the other side of the field or a 14-yard gain.
“I think the RPO game was a big part of our game plan going in,” right tackle Jesse Davis said. “We can get some good chunk plays out of it like we did. It’s also tricky not to go downfield as well. It’s kind of a double-edged sword.”
As Davis noted, offensive linemen are only allowed to go 1 yard downfield on pass plays in the NFL. If they go further than that, they will be penalized as an illegal man downfield. Solomon Kindley was flagged for that penalty one play before Tagovailoa’s fourth-quarter interception.
The offensive line also fared well in traditional dropback settings. On the final drive of the first half, the Patriots only rushed three defenders but ran a stunt, with a defensive end looping around the defensive tackle. The offensive line picked it up well, allowing Tagovailoa to find Waddle on a slot fade for a 36-yard gain. The possession ended in a field goal that tied the score at 10 entering halftime.
The performance wasn’t spotless, which Davis and co-offensive coordinator George Godsey noted. On Tagovailoa’s fourth-quarter interception, the Patriots rushed just four defenders and the offensive line didn’t block it properly, leaving him to scramble and heave a pass toward the sideline, which was picked off by cornerback Jonathan Jones. Rookie Liam Eichenberg had to start at left tackle for Austin Jackson, who missed a week of practice while on the reserve/COVID-19, and he had an up-and-down debut. Coach Brian Flores said Monday that Jackson would return to his starting spot at left tackle.
“Going into it, we didn’t really think [Jackson] would be available,” Davis said. “When he was activated, obviously we had questions too. It turned into a, ‘we’re monitoring AJ, the game plan is still the game plan’ and if we ever needed to grab him, we’ll do so. It’s another thing with the COVID thing. You never know what is going to happen.”
The offense also only ran for just 74 yards on 32 attempts, but the offensive line was able to run block successfully enough late to pick up two critical first downs on the final possession, which included a quarterback sneak by backup Jacoby Brissett.
In the coming weeks, the offensive line will be tested even more. The Bills, whom the Dolphins play Sunday, have added to their defensive front in recent years, drafting players such as A.J. Epenesa and Gregory Rousseau. The Dolphins travel to Las Vegas in Week 3 to face the Raiders, who showcased their bookend pass rushers Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby in their Monday night win over the Baltimore Ravens. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who host Miami in Week 5, have arguably the best defensive front in the NFL with players such as Shaq Barrett and Vita Vea and Jason Pierre-Paul.
“Like every position, there is a lot of improvement that needs to be made,” Flores said. “The first game, the first 60-minute ball game for everyone on the offensive line, and defensive line and really the entire team. I think improvement is the big mantra or coaching point right now across the board at all positions. We make the necessary improvements and we’ll get better. That’s where our focus is right now.”
This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 5:33 PM.
