MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — ESPN’s Mel Kiper might as well have been speaking for the entire Miami Dolphins offense Thursday when he hyperbolically called for the abolishment of 2-high safety coverages.
Kiper’s point? The risk-adverse defensive calls take exciting, explosive plays out of the game. They certainly have for the Dolphins, who have just five pass plays over 20 yards in their first 76 attempts this season.
“I will say that it does take the fun out of the game,” Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill said after practice Thursday. “But at the same time, people are trying to win games. And it’s up to us to try to figure it out.”
Can Miami Dolphins Run Teams Out of Deep Safety Looks?
That’s a big ask in the immediate future, considering the Dolphins are starting a backup quarterback, Skylar Thompson, in place of Tua Tagovailoa for at least the next four games.
But it has to happen. The data is clear.
The Dolphins have had big-time issues with two different coverages in 2024:
- Two-man, a two-deep concept with man-under principles that keeps a lid on the top of a defense
- And Cover 3, a zone concept with three deep DBs and four underneath defenders.
The Dolphins against 2-man this year have completed three of eight attempts for 38 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions (for a 53.1 rating).
Against Cover 3? The numbers are even worse. They’re five of 10 for 46 yards, one touchdown, and three picks (59.2).
.@ffvmousvon_ makin' it look easyyyy pic.twitter.com/JKOfqmDtm8
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 13, 2024
Those coverage stats were courtesy of TruMedia, which did have some surprising findings. While 2-man has worked against the Dolphins, Cover 2 and Cover 4 have not.
Against those two other big-play-preventing alignments, the Dolphins are 24 of 26 for 258 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Which is why it’s not as simple as saying that all two-high safety looks are game wreckers for the Dolphins’ offense.
“It’s never as simple as, it’s because of this,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith said Thursday. “I think it’s more of, ‘OK if they’re doing this. OK, well, we need to make sure that we’re operating well and connected and we’re doing what we need to do.’
“So, I think that’s the biggest thing from the [Bills] game is just like collectively us, just making sure that we’re operating well together and whatever the defense is doing, we understand what they’re trying to do so we can maximize what play we’re doing as we’re attacking them.”
The 2-Deep Beater
The best way to beat two high safety looks? By handing the ball off.
The deeper safeties line up, the more space there is in the middle of the defense for running backs to exploit. The Dolphins’ path forward is probably to run their way through this current stagnation.
Either teams will be OK with the Dolphins running it down their throats, or they’ll bring a eighth defender down into the box, which will make things easier on Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
“I’m really hyped up to see how we pound the ball with a guy (De’Von Achane) that weighs 160 pounds,” Hill said in jest (Achane actually weighs 188 pounds). “Really excited about that.
“But Achane is different though. For him to have the amount of carries that he had last week and then still be able to like do some of the things, you know, still like hold up, like he’s a tremendous young player in this game.
“And I feel like if we continue to lean on him, because right now he is a spark at the offense, and we need that. Anything that we can get right now and continue to lean on him and we’ll get through this hole, man, like every team goes through it.
“I was on great teams that went through it and it’s all about how we respond to it. Don’t point fingers, you know, trust the process, get in the film room as much as we can and figure it out.”