Surprising data on who’s to blame and who isn’t for Dolphins’ running game decline
The Dolphins have plunged from first in the league in per carry rushing average last season (at 5.0) to 27th this season, at 3.7.
But who’s to blame — and who’s not to blame — might surprise you.
Some points to consider, from Pro Football Focus data:
▪ Though blocking has been deficient at some positions (more on that shortly), the running backs haven’t been as productive breaking tackles as they were a year ago.
De’Von Achane ranks 78th of 96 running backs in yards after contact. He’s averaging 1.98 yards after the first defender gets a hand on him, compared to 4.94 last year, which was third in the league.
Achane’s overall per carry average has dropped from 7.8 as a rookie to 3.5 per carry this season.
Raheem Mostert, who had six carries for nine yards before leaving Game 1 with a chest injury, averaged 1.67 yards per contact in that limited sample size, which ranks 83rd of 96 backs.
Jeff Wilson Jr. has been above average after contact: 3.35 yards on average, which ranks 33rd of 96 running backs.
▪ Don’t blame right guard Liam Eichenberg or center Aaron Brewer.
In run blocking specifically so far this season, PFF ranks Eichenberg 10th best among 74 guards.
PFF ranks Brewer 11th of 45 centers in run blocking. (Seattle’s Connor Williams, one of the league’s best run blocking centers as a Dolphin last season, is ranked 16th.)
Left guard Robert Jones is ranked 66th of 89 guards in this area, but the team’s blocking on “between the tackle” rushing attempts has been above average overall.
Miami’s 4.6 average per carry on runs up the middle ranks 13th in the league.
▪ Rushes to the outside, or to the perimeter, have been particularly problematic. As “Locked on Dolphins” podcaster Kyle Crabbs noted, the Dolphins’ 24 runs off left and right ends (meaning outside runs) have averaged just 2.63 per carry.
PFF says left tackle Terron Armstead hasn’t been the problem; the website ranks his run blocking second best among 97 tackles.
But right tackle Austin Jackson, who has run blocked on 73 rushing attempts, is ranked 41st of 97.
Kendall Lamm, who has blocked on 19 rushes, is ranked 46th.
What’s more, PFF ranks tight end Julian Hill tied for first (with Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely) as the best run blocking tight end in football. That’s a big reason why Hill, who has blocked on 60 rushing attempts, has been playing more than Durham Smythe and Jonnu Smith.
▪ So who’s not holding up well enough on outside runs?
PFF ranks Smythe 54th of 109 tight ends in run blocking. (He has blocked on 43 runs, compared with just five for Smith.)
Tyreek Hill, who has blocked on 48 runs, is ranked 92nd of 116 receivers as a run blocker. (Jaylen Waddle, who has blocked on 60 runs, is ranked 30th). Robbie Chosen graded out poorly on eight run blocking plays before being cut from the practice squad.
▪ Meanwhile, PFF rates fullback Alec Ingold well below average as a run blocker this season, ranking him 95th of 101 running backs on his 41 run blocks.
Asked why the Dolphins’ outside zone runs haven’t been as effective as a year ago, Ingold cited execution.
“When you talk about outside zone… it’s playing violent and physical on the edge,” Ingold said. “You can talk about, ‘Man, we need to run power to really be explosive and run off the ball.’ It’s that same concept for outside zone; it’s really creating the point of attack wherever we’re at.
“If you can dent an edge and then there’s a backside pressure or there’s a front-side pressure, being able to manipulate those edges in a number of different ways; those are all pieces of the pie to an outside zone scheme team.
“Being able to run convicted, hit that pad level, stay on blocks, playing with elite technique and straining to finish, that allows for speed to run. And right now, I just don’t know if we’re taking advantage of the space because of a lot of technique stuff that we just need to hone in on and we need to develop as a unit so that we’re trusting one another.”
▪ With teams intent on stopping the Dolphins’ outside zone runs, McDaniel likely has called too many runs to the outside (24 of them), often bypassing the between-the-tackle running plays that have been more successful this season.
INJURY REPORT
Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller remain in concussion protocol and missed practice Thursday.
Three others missed practice: linebacker David Long Jr. (hamstring), cornerback Siran Neal (hamstring) and defensive lineman Calais Campbell (rest).
Five players were limited: Mostert (chest), cornerback Storm Duck (shoulder), quarterback Skylar Thompson (ribs), receiver Malik Washington (quadriceps) and Ingold (shoulder/knee).
