Exploring Dolphins’ odd decisions at a disappointing position. And notes on every position
As the Dolphins sputter along at 1-3, their answer so far to fixing one of the league’s most tepid rushing attacks has been a peculiar one:
They have reduced the playing time of their most productive running back (Myles Gaskin) and marginalized the player on their roster (Salvon Ahmed) who entered this season with the highest per-carry average on the team.
The approach hasn’t worked. The Dolphins are averaging 3.6 yards per carry, which is fifth worst in the league, and their 313 rushing yards are fifth worst among teams that have played four games.
For the second consecutive week, the Dolphins on Sunday started Malcolm Brown, meaning he has had as many starts during the past two games (two) as he did during his entire six-year career with the Rams.
While Gaskin has averaged 4.9 yards per carry this season, Brown’s performance this season has been underwhelming — 25 carries for 91 yards (a 3.6 average) and one reception for 4 yards. Brown again came up on short on two red zone runs on Sunday and also appeared to be partly at fault for a sack on Jacoby Brissett.
So why reward Brown with a bigger role? The Dolphins believed a bigger back might help them generate a power running game.
The Dolphins thought Brown would solve their short-yardage issues, but he generally hasn’t. Brown has had nine short-yardage runs this season (when the Dolphins need between 1 and 3 yards for a first down) and has converted only three into first downs, gaining a paltry 20 yards on those nine runs.
For his career, Brown has converted only 33 of 63 of those short-yardage runs while averaging a meager 2.4 yards on those attempts.
Gaskin, who lost his short-yardage job to Brown, has better career short-yardage numbers than Brown, averaging 3.6 yards when needing 1 to 3 yards for a first down and converting 23 of 44 into first downs.
Brown’s elevated role is somewhat surprising, considering he averaged 49.6 rushing attempts per season in six years with the Rams. He’s on pace to rush 106 times this season for the Dolphins, albeit in a slightly expanded NFL schedule (17 games, compared with 16 in past seasons).
Gaskin — who was 10th in the NFL in average yards from scrimmage per game last season — played just 12 offensive plays on Sunday, compared with 35 for Brown.
Brown had 23 yards on eight carries (a 2.9 average) on Sunday and Gaskin ran just twice (for 3 yards). That marked Gaskin’s fewest carries in a game since Dec. 1, 2019. Gaskin started the Dolphins’ first two games this season but hasn’t started since.
Meanwhile, Amhed has become an afterthought this season. After averaging a team-high 4.3 yards per carry last season, he has rushed just 12 times so far this season, for 22 yards (a 1.8 average), including three rushes for 1 yard on Sunday. He’s playing just 17 percent of Miami’s offensive snaps and the Dolphins haven’t maximized his skills in the passing game, which were repeatedly on display in training camp.
SNAP DECISIONS
Beyond running back, here’s how the Dolphins allocated snaps on Sunday, plus evaluation feedback from Pro Football Focus:
▪ Receiver: DeVante Parker played 47 of Miami’s 52 offensive snaps, compared with 41 for Jaylen Waddle and 25 for Albert Wilson, 14 for Will Fuller (before his hand injury), two for Mack Hollins and one for Jakeem Grant.
▪ Offensive line: Pro Football Focus rated the performance of Dolphins offensive linemen in this order, from best to worst: right guard Robert Hunt (fourth best on Miami’s offense), left guard Jesse Davis, fill-in center Greg Mancz, right tackle Liam Eichenberg and left tackle Austin Jackson.
PFF said Eichenberg allowed two sacks and Jackson permitted six hurries. PFF rated them the two worst players on Miami’s offense Sunday, noting Eichenberg’s abysmally-low 35.1 run blocking grade.
▪ Tight end: Mike Gesicki played 36 snaps, Durham Smythe 21, Adam Shaheen 20, and Cethan Carter just one. Rookie Hunter Long was inactive. Pro Football Focus said Gesicki graded out best of every Dolphins player on offense on Sunday.
▪ Defensive line: For the first time this season, run-stuffing defensive tackle John Jenkins led Miami’s defensive linemen in snaps with 49. But Indianapolis still averaged 4.8 yards per rush before late kneel downs.
Christian Wilkins played 46 snaps, Zach Sieler 39, Emmanuel Ogbah surprisingly just 37 (52 percent of the snaps) and Adam Butler 33.
PFF rated Wilkins and Ogbah the Dolphins’ two best players on defense, among players who logged more than two snaps.
▪ Linebacker: After playing 49 snaps in Las Vegas, Jaelan Phillips dropped to 29 snaps against the Colts, essentially the same as Brennan Scarlett’s 28. But Phillips had six quarterback pressures (and half a sack) in 22 snaps rushing the passer.
Jerome Baker played all 71 defensive snaps and Elandon Roberts 50. Andrew Van Ginkel logged 44, Sam Eguavoen 19. PFF rated Roberts as Miami’s worst player on defense on Sunday.
▪ Safety: The Dolphins — who had been giving snaps to four safeties — essentially played only three on Sunday: Jason McCourty (70), Eric Rowe (61) and Jevon Holland 19. Rowe allowed six completions in six targets for 25 yards and two touchdowns.
Brandon Jones — coming off a two-sack game against Las Vegas — logged only two defensive snaps.
▪ Cornerback: With Byron Jones departing after 25 snaps due to injury, Nik Needham played 51 snaps and Justin Coleman 37. Xavien Howard played all 71 defensive snaps and allowed four completions in six targets for 78 yards.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 11:53 AM.
