Brian Flores establishes a pattern meant to lull opponents when he’s really two steps ahead
Over the decades I’ve watched the Miami Dolphins play, there have been maybe a handful of times most seasons when I wonder to myself, “What the &%$#@+ is the head coach thinking?”
Because what seems like an obvious conclusion to be made on strategy or play-calling is made completely opposite what a professional football savant such as myself would make.
Coaches in shotgun and empty sets on third-and-a-foot.
Punting from the opponent’s 45-yard line, trailing by 13 with seven minutes to play.
Kicking a 44-yard field goal when the offense hasn’t smelled the opponent’s side of the field most of the day late in a disappointing season.
Kodaking.
I’ve seen all these inauspicious moments.
And there were times this already lost Dolphins season that I thought new coach Brian Flores was making similar questionable decisions that truly puzzled.
But here’s what I can report exclusively today: Flores has redeemed my faith in coaching decisions multiple times. Because he has latched on to a pattern of making what seems like a poor or exceedingly conservative decision — but obviously with the knowledge that he has something else up his proverbial sleeve.
The Dolphins have played six games this year. And the Flores pattern has played out in three of those games.
And before I give you the specifics, kindly remember the reality of the situation. Flores has a bad team on his hands. The season is such a disaster that Las Vegas books are taking bets on the Dolphins finishing winless.
So, in my mind at least, Flores should go for broke. Throw caution to the wind. Let it all hang out. Yeah, can’t come up with another trite cliche so we will stop there.
You get the point. This team needs any spark it can find to win a game and avoid the infamy of 0-16. That’s how I see it.
And now the redeeming examples Flores has put on film this year:
It began in Dallas on Sept. 22. The Dolphins had been handed two consecutive humiliating defeats to open the season but in the season’s third game they were only down 10-0 near the end of the third quarter.
The offense, basically inept for the first 10 quarters of 2019, had actually put a drive together and found itself at the Dallas 3-yard-line where, faced with a third-and-3 situation, Kalen Ballage failed to break a tackle and was brought down by a defensive back for no gain.
So fourth-and-goal from the 3. And Flores opts for a 22-yard field goal.
Are you kidding me, Uncle Mando thought to himself?
The Dolphins aren’t going to the playoffs. They’re reaching the opponent’s 3-yard-line about as often as we see unicorns. And Flores is settling for a field goal?
But here’s where the coach redeemed my faith in him. Jason Sanders predictably kicks a 22-yard field goal and now the Dolphins trail, 10-3. The Dolphins just want to avoid an embarrassment, the world thinks.
But Flores calls for an onside kick the next play.
He obviously took the safe field goal to get some points on the board. But he knew he had another move to make immediately following that one.
And, full disclosure, the onside kick failed. But it was great thinking.
The next situation happened Oct. 13 against Washington. In an epic battle of two winless teams, the Redskins and Dolphins trade five punts the first five times an offense steps on the field.
On the sixth possessions — still in the first quarter, mind you — the Dolphins face a third-and-18 from 40 yard line. And Josh Rosen connects on a 15 yard pass to tight end Mike Gesicki.
So fourth-and-3 from the Washington 45. And amid boos from the crowd at Hard Rock, and me banging my head against a table in the press box, Flores sends out his punt team.
Except the Dolphins snap the ball to Ballage as the up back rather than punter Matt Haack. And Ballage gains 6 yards for a drive-extending first down.
And no, the Dolphins don’t take advantage of the momentum and get any points as a result of this trickery. But it was good. It was fighting for something rather than simply accepting situational defeat.
Last week at Buffalo we saw another apparent Flores conservative decision actually be him playing chess rather than checkers.
Third quarter. Dolphins lead 14-9. And Miami marches 71 yards to the Buffalo 4 where it faces a third-and-1 situation. Mark Walton carries for no gain and out trots the field goal unit.
And I took to Twitter to complain ...
I mean, really? They’re really going to drive 71 yards and accept a field goal that’s shorter than an extra point rather than try to score the touchdown and perhaps knock the Bills out?
Well, no. No, they’re not.
Out of field goal formation, Haack, who is the holder, rises up and runs right. He actually moves the pile toward the end zone and the Dolphins gain a first down at the Buffalo 2 yard line via the fake.
No, the Dolphins don’t eventually score either a TD or FG because Fitzpatrick throws an interception on second down. But, again, the Flores fake field goal call amid an apparent capitulation on a promising drive was trickery at its finest and good decision-making, too.
So Flores has definitely established a pattern. He’s basically got no fastball to deliver because his roster doesn’t really match up man-for-man with most other teams.
So he’s using trickery. And deception. And he’s doing it by letting teams believe he’s simply content to not lose when he’s got a curve ball to deliver on the next pitch.
I like it. I appreciate Flores sees his situation, decides he needs something more, and is actually reaching for that extra something by trying to outmaneuver and surprise the opponent.
It sure beats Kodaking.
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 12:59 AM.
