Something Dolphins will consider to fix issue they’ve done worse than any Miami team ever
Never in Dolphins history has Miami mustered as few yards per rushing attempt as this current team.
These Dolphins are averaging just 3.0 yards per carry, by far the worst in the league, and worse than the franchise record for fewest yards per carry (3.12 in 1997).
And the Dolphins released their best running back on Tuesday, after Mark Walton was arrested, after serving two games of a four-game suspension.
One option the Dolphins will consider is using rookie fullback Chandler Cox more. He has played just 61 offensive snaps all season, and four on Sunday. But on one of those snaps, he wiped out a Bills defender to help Kalen Ballage score a touchdown.
“Chandler has done a good job, performed well on those snaps,” offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said Tuesday. “Having a fullback be a part of the game plan is very important. [Sometimes] the game goes a certain way and circumstances lead you down a different path.
“It’s an important part of the offense. We will continue to look at that to have more consistency in the running game with use of a fullback.”
The Dolphins also will continue to give chances to Kalen Ballage, whose 1.9 per carry average is on pace to be the lowest this century among qualifying NFL backs.
Coaches have said Ballage doesn’t shoulder all of the blame for his measly average. But does O’Shea believe there are things he can he do better?
“I do,” he said.
But… “I truly believe it’s a team stat,” O’Shea added. “We can do a better job putting Kalen in position to be successful. We can all be better, including the coaching staff. I think he’ll have [more] opportunities.”
Ballage had only 9 yards on nine rushing attempts Sunday. Rookie Patrick Laird had just one carry Sunday, but that went for 7 yards. And he caught six passes for 51 yards.
“Laird has definitely proven over time he’s very reliable, especially in pass situations,” O’Shea said. “As the game became more pass for us [Sunday against Buffalo], we had confidence in him as a pass-receiving running back and also doing a good job of protection.”
Rookie Myles Gaskin couldn’t catch the one pass thrown to him Sunday, and he had one rushing attempt for no yards. “This is the second week he had limited snaps, but the snaps he’s had, he’s done good on,” O’Shea said. “He had a tough ball that would have been a tough catch.”
On Sunday, Miami faces a Cleveland defense that is allowing 4.8 yards per carry, fifth-worst in the league.
THIS AND THAT
O’Shea said the Dolphins started Julien Davenport — who had not played since Week 1 because of a leg injury — over J’Marcus Webb at left tackle on Sunday because Davenport “had some real positive signs before the injury. We were looking forward to seeing him again. It’s a combination of factors involved in that. We definitely wanted to see Davenport.”
Davenport struggled and then sustained a knee injury during the game. His status is now in question.
▪ Tight end Mike Gesicki played 59 of Miami’s 69 snaps, and O’Shea said the Dolphins consider him more than simply a pass-catching specialist.
“He’s definitely developed his game, and I don’t see him just as a pass-receiving tight end,” O’Shea said. “He has made improvements in that area. We have used him on run downs. There is growing confidence on him in the run downs.”
▪ Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, asked if he sees Eric Rowe as a safety or corner long-term: “I see us using his flexibility, whether it’s safety or corner. It’s an interchangeable part; that’s what the goal is, to have interchangeable parts.”
Rowe has played safety the past five weeks after starting the season at cornerback.
This story was originally published November 19, 2019 at 11:06 AM.
