Dolphins film study: Examining the area of Miami’s offense that remains a major issue
The Dolphins’ offense is still the highest-scoring unit in the NFL, with its 30.5 point-per-game average slightly edging out the Dallas Dallas Cowboys’ 30.2-point mark.
However, Miami has struggled to score in recent weeks. The Dolphins are averaging 18.7 points in their past four games and haven’t eclipsed 20 points in three of the past four.
A trio of turnovers Sunday, which tied a season high, almost doomed Miami in a 20-13 home win against the Las Vegas Raiders. In trying to explain some of these recent struggles, coach Mike McDaniel on Monday said each week has been “kind of independent games.”
One area of the offense remains a major issue, though, and the problem has carried over from the 2022 season: short-yardage situations.
The Dolphins have converted 13 of 25 (52 percent) third-down opportunities with 3 of fewer yards needed to gain a first, which ranks 27th in the NFL. Miami is 3 of 7 on fourth-and-short tries, which ranks second to last in the league.
The issues mirror last season when the Dolphins were 32nd in third-and-short attempts and tied for 17th on fourth-and-short.
Against Las Vegas, the Dolphins were 1 for 3 on short-yardage situations on third and fourth down. Miami converted a third-and-2 play in the third quarter, using play action to confuse the Raiders’ linebackers, while quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in the middle of the field for a 19-yard gain.
Earlier in the second quarter, though, Miami went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Raiders’ 3-yard line while down 10-7. The Dolphins lined up in a shotgun formation and Tagovailoa faked a handoff before throwing a screen pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Las Vegas reacted quickly, though, and shoved Hill out of bounds before he was able to get to the first-down marker.
“I’d rather that have play call back for sure based on the defense that they did run,” McDaniel said after the game.
He later added: “The reason I want that one back is because I think the execution of it could have been better, but for the execution to be better, I would prefer to put them in that exact scenario and be crystal clear. It was the difference between having a ball fake and not having the ball fake is what cost that one.”
Late in the third quarter, the Dolphins were leading 17-13 and faced another short-yardage situation, this time third-and-1. Tagovailoa took a snap from under center and faked handoffs to fullback Alec Ingold and running back Raheem Mostert before rolling to his right.
Tagovailoa pump-faked once and then delivered a low pass to Ingold, who couldn’t corral the ball. Miami settled for a 41-yard field goal from Jason Sanders to take a seven-point lead.
“I think the players will learn from that one,” McDaniel said. “We had some open eligibles, and I think several guys were a little too amped up and didn’t let the play play out because we had some open eligibles and didn’t come up with anything. Yeah, those situations, it is what it is. Every single time something doesn’t work, inherently it’s like, yeah, I wish I would have called a different play that worked.”
Not only was there an opening for Tagovailoa to connect with Ingold, but wide receiver River Cracraft had also cleared past the Raiders’ last line of defense, raising his hand to call for the ball.
“It takes a lot. It takes all of us,” Tagovailoa said of the short-yardage issues. “With the play, with me understanding what we’re trying to do with that play, if we have a read key, if we’re trying to hand it off, if we’re trying to pass it. We all have a job, and we just haven’t been in sync, and we’ve just got to do a better job at that.”
While the Dolphins have increased their rushing attempts in 2023, they still remain averse to running in short-yardage situations. They have thrown 23 times on third- and fourth-and-short, converting 12 of those attempts (52 percent). Miami has run the ball nine times in such attempts, converting four of those tries (44 percent). While many teams rely on quarterback sneaks or tried replicating the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Brotherly Shove” play to pick up one or two yards, the Dolphins haven’t attempted either this season.
“Fans, coaches, players, they all like the same plays and they’re the plays that work,” McDaniel said. “We’ve done our due diligence. We’ve had different versions of it to attempt it. But to get really good at something, it has to fit everything that your players are really good at and you have to be all in. If you go and do something because it worked for somebody else and then try to employ it and expect those types of results, you’re probably going to fail.”
