Welcome back to the All-22 review. This is the fifth consecutive season I’ll write this weekly column, but this year, there’s a catch.
This column focused entirely on Tua Tagovailoa’s play during the previous four seasons. While evaluating the development of Tagovailoa’s career through a microscope was a fun journey, I’ve decided to branch out this season in the interest of my sanity.
Instead, we’ll look at 3-ish takeaways from whatever stands out after watching the tape. It could be something as granular as Miami’s formations or something as big-picture as whether the team needs to change its identity on offense or defense (it doesn’t).
There’s plenty to look at from this week’s 20-17 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, so let’s get into it.
All 22 Review: Week 1
What’s Up With The Running Game?
Miami’s poor running game was one of my takeaways from preseason action, which mostly carried over to Sunday’s game against the Jaguars.
The Dolphins finished with 81 yards on 25 carries, good for 3.2 yards per carry. If you remove Tagovailoa’s 11-yard scramble from the equation, those numbers fizzle to 70 yards and 2.92 yards per carry.
Last season, the Dolphins averaged 5.1 yards per carry and 135.8 rushing yards per game.
Off the film, there are a few culprits for the Dolphins’ struggles. The first is the Jaguars’ run defense. Players like Davon Hamilton, Travon Walker, and Foyesade Oluokun played tremendous and deserve respect for that.
The second reason—and the one worth discussing—is the Dolphins’ tight ends’ struggles to make their blocks. The interior offensive line had some bad running game reps but mainly were solid.
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) September 9, 2024
The play above is a good example of how close Miami was to creating more big plays. The Dolphins are in 21 personnel (2 backs, 1 tight end), and they’re running crack-toss, a staple of the Mike McDaniel playbook.
On this rep, the players to pay attention to are Julian Hill at tight end and Robbie Chosen, who is lined up in the slot next to Hill. This play is run with some counter action, but the idea is for the left side of the offensive line to collapse the line of scrimmage while Chosen and Hill secure the edge.
Ideally, Chosen is supposed to crack down on the edge, and Hill is supposed to pull and take on the slot defender. However, the edge gets too far upfield, causing Hill to get stuck before he can get outside and block the slot defender.
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) September 9, 2024
This next rep also shows how vital the Dolphins’ tight ends can be to the running game. Miami is in 12 personnel (1 back, 2 tight ends). Durham Smythe and Hill are lined up at H-back. The play is designed for Smythe (left side) to take on the 3-tech (#94).
Meanwhile, Hill (right side) motions pre-snap, almost like a split-zone concept, and becomes the lead blocked at the second level.
The problem with this rep comes from Smythe, who gets collapsed into the gap, suffocating the run before it can get started. There’s an argument to be made Smythe shouldn’t be asked to handle a defensive tackle like that, and that would be fair.
Still, even just a stalemate from Smythe probably results in a six or seven-yard gain.
The last run game rep we’ll look at is when Miami got things rolling a little bit on the second to last drive of the game. The team turned to Jeff Wilson and, in turn, a more downhill, gap scheme approach.
Been going over Miami’s run game snaps. The best run of the day came off gap power from an I-formation with Jeff Wilson running downhill.
For all the dressing up Miami does for its running game, it’s pretty funny this was its best rep yesterday. pic.twitter.com/li5fAhZRq2
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) September 9, 2024
There’s nothing fancy about this play. Ingold motions into the backfield, putting Miami in an I-formation. They pull Robert Jones across as a lead blocker, Austin Jackson collapses the end of the line, and boom, it’s an explosive play.
The Dolphins love to dress up their run concepts, but their best running game reps against the Jaguars came on the simplest concept you can run.
Overall, I’m not remotely concerned about the Dolphins running game yet. There were so many plays that just fell one block or assignment short of turning into explosives. Many of those instances were players like Smythe, Hill, and various receivers failing to secure outside blocks.
Even an average performance from those guys would’ve yielded a respectable output. The Dolphins’ offensive line had some hiccups on Sunday, but they weren’t the culprits for the struggling run game.
Jaelan Phillips Is Back
There were some concerns Jaelan Phillips wouldn’t be ready for the opening game after he tore his ACL on Black Friday against the Jets last season.
Not only was Phillips on the field for Week 1, but he was incredibly impressive on it.
Phillips is at his best when he can win with burst of the line and bend around the arc. Combined with his size and overall athletic profile, it is almost impossible for offensive tackles to handle him throughout a long game.
Phillips wasn’t dominant on Sunday, but he was quite good. He recorded three quarterback pressures to accompany his sack that sent Jacksonville off the field, setting up Miami’s winning drive.
Was so impressed with Jaelan Phillips in his return from injury. His burst and bend looked tremendous on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/mb2Klhr86j
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) September 9, 2024
Look at how tight of an angle he turns to the quarterback on this rep. That’s all ankle strength and flexibility, which could’ve easily left him after the injury.
Sunday’s performance is a testament to how good Phillips is on the field and how dedicated he is off it. Rehabbing an Achilles injury is hard enough, but doing it in enough time to get back for Week 1 and look just as good as he did pre-injury is super impressive.
Third & Short Improvement
One of the biggest storylines from last season was the Dolphins’ struggles in third and short situations. The team had the league’s lowest conversion rate in those situations, so it wasn’t unwarranted.
Sunday’s game is a small sample size, but things seem to be moving in the right direction. On third and 3 or shorter, the Dolphins got a first down on five of seven attempts. On third and 1 or shorter, the Dolphins were 3 for 3, including De’Von Achane’s second-quarter touchdown.
Two of those third and 1 conversions came via Ingold, who had two first-down carries against Jacksonville. Both were the same play call, but his first carry is my favorite.
I liked the Dolphins’ approach on 3rd and short from Sunday, something that was a pain point last season. pic.twitter.com/zn36MKBOIe
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) September 9, 2024
It’s third and 1 with 6:48 left in the game, and the Dolphins are in 22 personnel (2 backs, 2 tight ends). The play starts with Hill running across the formation like a split-zone play with a toss to the running back, something the Dolphins run a lot.
The entire line collapses to their left, selling the toss to that side. But Ingold – lined up in an off-set I — takes the handoff and slams it into the right side B-gap, which was unmanned. He even breaks a tackle for extra yards as Liam Eichenberg didn’t quite get to the second level in time.
Hill in the backfield will always get a 👍🏻 from me. pic.twitter.com/dZyaSg0YfT
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) September 9, 2024
The Dolphins converted a few 3rd and short plays through the air, too. This one stuck out because lining up Tyreek Hill in the backfield is such an easy way to create a mismatch.
The Dolphins are running a spot concept, with Jaylen Waddle running the short curl. His route almost works like a pick, but the formation clearly confused Jacksonville. Watch No. 26 and No. 23 before the snap.
They’re not sure who should be covering Hill, and although they both run out to cover him, it’s too late, and the Dolphins have an easy first down.
Nothing about these plays is impressive or fancy, but that might be good. It felt like Miami got a little too cute with these calls in 2023. Running Ingold and lining up Hill in the backfield are simple solutions to a nagging issue.