Dolphins film study: How Miami’s offense is dominating the middle of the field
Through nine games of the 2022 season, Tua Tagovailoa is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and a previous weakness has morphed into a strength.
In 2021, Tagovailoa was one of the worst passers in the intermediate part of the field — between 10 and 19 yards downfield. According to Pro Football Focus, last season Tagovailoa ranked 16th with 98 intermediate attempts and tied for 21st with 50 intermediate completions.
This season, he has not only lived in that area of the field but thrived in it.
Despite essentially missing three games, Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 46 intermediate completions. Since returning from a concussion in Week 7, he leads the league in intermediate attempts (35) and completions (26). The next-closest passer in intermediate completions is Joe Burrow with 21.
When asked how he has been able to find his receivers seemingly wide open whenever he drops back, Tagovailoa noted the scheme. “I think the offense, the complexity of what they’re seeing, guys motioning, guys moving, shifting, things like that,” he said after the Dolphins’ 35-32 win over the Chicago Bears.
While the pairing of receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, along with the playcalling of first-year head coach Mike McDaniel, have been godsends for Tagovailoa, his understanding of defenses and where to go with the ball before the snap has also been vital, even in standard dropback situations.
Standard dropback
On the second play of the Dolphins’ opening drive against the Bears, the offense lined up in an empty formation with three receivers to the right of the offensive line and two to the left.
When the ball is snapped, the Bears are in a Cover 2 defense, a zone concept with two safeties each covering half of the deep field.
Tagovailoa moves his eyes to the “strong” side of the formation — the right side with three receivers — causing linebacker Jack Sanborn to open up toward that side in his zone coverage. That movement creates a window for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who is on the other side of the formation and running a 10-yard in-breaking route.
Tagovailoa quickly redirects his eyes and feet to the other side of the field and delivers a 17-yard completion to Waddle.
Presnap motion
Later in the second quarter, the Dolphins use presnap motion and play-action to generate a chunk gain in the passing game. Before the snap, Miami puts wide receiver Trent Sherfield in orbit motion, traveling from the right side of the formation to the left but behind Tagovailoa and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. in the shotgun. The movement forces safety Jaquan Brisker, who is lined up as a deep safety, to widen his alignment.
The Bears are again in a two-deep-safety concept and Brisker’s alignment change creates another opening for Waddle. At the snap, Tagovailoa fakes a handoff to Wilson, which freezes linebacker Nicholas Morrow. Waddle runs his route to the space between Morrow and Brisker and Tagovailoa finds him for a 26-yard catch-and-run.
Play-action pass
In the third quarter, the Dolphins line up under center in 21 personnel [two running backs, one tight end, two wide receivers]. At the snap, Tagovailoa fakes to Wilson and rolls out to his left. The Bears bite hard on the play fake and Hill comes streaking from right to left into the vacated area for a 16-yard reception.
In consecutive wins over the Bears and Detroit Lions — arguably the best games of Tagovailoa’s young career — he has completed 18 of 21 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns in the intermediate part of the field. Only one of those completions hasn’t resulted in a first down.
No team faces more zone coverage than the Dolphins, who see it on 78.9 percent of their plays as opponents seek to prevent deep passes to their speedy duo of Hill and Waddle. And Miami’s ability to influence defenders from a bevy of personnel groupings — whether it’s through presnap motion, play-action or Tagovailoa’s eyes — is a big reason why its passing offense has been the most efficient in the NFL since Tagovailoa’s return in Week 7, according to Football Outsiders.
Dolphins add FB to practice squad
The Dolphins signed fullback Jake Bargas to the practice squad and released defensive end Big Kat Bryant from the practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.
A Boca Raton native, Bargas signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Bargas, 6-2 and 250 pounds, appeared in two games with the Vikings in 2020 and 2021. He spent time in training camp with the Vikings and Bears.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 2:22 PM.
