Oct
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Jets vs. Dolphins: Full Miami Game Preview
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Philbin Stands By His Coaches
Go on Twitter, or any social media site or comments section pertaining to the Dolphins, and you’ll find that not only is head coach Joe Philbin the subject of some rather harsh criticism but his coordinators get it worse.
This has been an ongoing trend. Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle has been outwardly mocked and criticized for his defensive philosophies since he joined Miami’s staff in 2012 with Philbin. Bill Lazor, looked at as a savior after Ryan Tannehill posted his best season in 2014, is now bearing criticism of his own for an offensive philosophy that eschews the run game while employing passing routes that only go about five to seven yards past the line of scrimmage.
Despite the complaints, Philbin has stood by his assistants and continues to defend them.
Per Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post, Philbin addressed the criticism, saying to the press:
I believe in the coaching staff that I have in place right now. I think they’re the men that can come up with the solutions to the problems.
“We’re not playing well. You’ve got to stick with the process of development. I just told the players today in the meeting, we’re going to make some corrections from the game.
Philbin has to stick by his assistants, whom he himself chose to round out his staff. Unfortunately, none of them has done much to earn his trust.
Coyle simplified the defense prior to this season, as one of the common complaints in the past was how complicated it was. The defense has continued to struggle, though, which has caused the Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly to wonder if it got too simple.
ESPN’s Louis Riddick tweeted that it was “so simplistic and predictable. Presents no mental challenge for the QB to decipher what they are doing pre-snap.”
As for Lazor, it’s baffling how quick he is to stop running the ball despite the fact that Tannehill is at his most effective while using play action. There’s no way you can use play action if the run game is non-existent.
Yes, Miami’s players have not executed. The team needs to overhaul the secondary and linebackers in the offseason (an ongoing theme the last two years), and the offensive line talent has been atrocious (another ongoing theme, one lasting since the start of the decade). That doesn’t excuse the coaches though, as they don’t coach to the talent on hand and have become predictable on both sides of the ball.
An Explanation for the Absence of Jordan Phillips
You might have wondered why Jordan Phillips, Miami’s second-round pick in the 2015 draft, was inactive prior to Sunday’s game against Buffalo.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has that explanation, which came from Phillips himself.
“I’ve got to be better,” said Phillips, who added, “I didn’t do what I needed to do in practice.”
He would add that he was surprised because, “I’m supposed to have a big role on this team.”
Phillips’ absence, despite the fact that he has recorded Miami’s only sack this season, isn’t too much of a surprise. While he has been very good in pass-rushing situations (grading out at 1.6, per Pro Football Focus), he has struggled against the run, with a grade of minus-3.1 with no tackles for a loss.
DeVante Parker About To Get More Playing Time
One of the few positives of the Week 3 massacre was the play of DeVante Parker.
Week 3 was his first game playing more than 40 snaps, and in those snaps he was targeted seven times, catching three passes for 46 yards.
The increase in snaps should continue against the Jets in Week 4, as Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel reports that Parker has practiced well, and along with the struggles of Greg Jennings, this should equate to more playing time.
Parker can be a tremendous presence in Miami’s offense as a playmaking wide receiver. He could complement Jarvis Landry as well as Odell Beckham Jr. did at LSU, and with his size (6’3″, 218 lbs) he can be the type of target that Tannehill can throw it up to with a great chance of the ball being caught.
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