Say What You Want, Run Game Runs

Say what you want about the last game, but the run game runs – and ran well against the top 10 run defense of the Ravens. Baltimore may have all sorts of issues on offense due to injury, but despite the lack of Suggs, they still have proved to be stout against the rushing attack. Miami pressed the run early and often, and stuck with it and knocked the Ravens down the ladder from 8th to 10th. Why is this rehash is so crucial? Because it has great relevance on the past and future of 2015.

If we look at the games since the bye*, there seems to be a trend in regards to rushing attempts and its correlation towards victories. Jets: 9 attempts 12 yards “L”. Dallas: 11 attempts, 70 yards “L”.  Patriots: 11 attempts, 15 yards “L”. Bills 17 attempts 106 yards “L”. Texans: 26 attempts, 248 yards “W”. Titans: 26 attempts, 180 yards “W”. Eagles 22, 99 yards “W”. Ravens: 24 attempts, 137 yards “W”.  These are sterile numbers that “seem” to say attempts bring something to the table that either has a major or minor contribution towards win and losses.  We need to take into account the runs called and situations that the yards were gained in….BUT, at the very least getting to 20 attempts doesn’t “seem” a bad thing!! Does it?

This is why the “Lazor Affair”  was so startling. Nine attempts was his last effort – NINE! What would the 2015 Dolphins be if they had taken this approach from week one?! What will the Dolphins look like this week against the 19th ranked run defense of the Giants? It would seem pass happy coaches in Philbin and Lazor were so drunk on flinging the ball they passed on the 2015 season – at the very least, and it doesn’t take the best sportsbooks in the world to bet, they passed on their best strategic chance for victory.

Why did Philbin not realize this after 3 1/2 years? Why did Lazor not realize this either? More importantly with Lazor, why didn’t he just %@#* obey? I’ll leave that alone for now. But, why didn’t they see this and why did it take the TE coach to be the one to point out the obvious – rushing is the key to the 2015 Dolphins. Now, I’m not saying we could run to a Superbowl, but we could have run to a successful season. ALOT of people from your general fan to high profile sportswriter “just don’t get it”! If during that whole loooonggggg off season, the Dolphins had focused on their run game instead of “fling it to be a genius” both in the personnel department (can you say FULLBACK) and in schematics by building a passing game around the run (ahem like the panthers), Miami could have had a very nice season brimming with potential.

Let’s remember, the ball boy (sorry Taylor) called the last game – this isn’t usually good. If we could have designed the passing staples of the run game into Miami’s attack (play-action, counter-action, screens, and read options) – into Tannehill’s game, then the best of what he is as a QB would have been accentuated. Instead, an athletic QB was forced into a static, drop back, carry the load QB, and his deficiency were accentuated. Add a 15-10th ranked QB to a top run game and effective “D” and you can find whole lot of success. Instead, Miami demanded Tannehill to be a top 5 QB and relegated a top 5 RB to catch splinters on the bench most games – everyone except Campbell. So, say what you want, it took the TE coach – TE COACH – to figure out how to put his players and team into the best situation they could be in. That’s one of the reasons he is respected by his players, and whether he becomes the HC or not…this TE coach, who took on a burden that would crush 99.9 percent of his critics, should be respected by the Miami faithful.

Campbell showed early he has the ability to motivate. This is the first ingredient necessary for a HC. He has now showed the ability to evaluate. This is a second crucial ability of an HC. I don’t know if he has the ability to use X’s and O’s to game-plan and make adjustments. I don’t know what he will do under intense pressure or what his organizational skills are – these are the five fingers, the fist of a great coach. BUT, for displaying the first two as a TE coach thrust into one of the most demanding jobs on the planet earth, respect must be given. Go Fins!!!

* (just leaders not total rushes)