Upon Further Review: More Takeaways from Dolphins' Win vs. Falcons

Look at this jumbo formation on third-and-short! The Dolphins have two tight ends (Brunskill, Hayden Rucci), are under center, and have a fullback. Watch Brunskill collapse the end, allowing Ollie Gordon (a big back!) to get an easy conversion. 

If you’ve read my work or this column all year, then you know all of this is stuff we’ve been asking to see for a while. The numbers aren’t crazy, and neither is the film, frankly, but if the Dolphins want to make a run this season, they must develop a different pitch to throw at defenses. 

This package could be the start, but it wasn’t the only changeup Miami threw in the running game against Atlanta. 

There’s no charting for this, but off the eye test, it felt like the Dolphins tried a lot more gap/power concepts as opposed to just leaning on outside zone. 

This is a cool play for a few reasons, but watch Cole Strange pull across the formation and get a good lead block. The motion also helps freeze the middle linebacker, which is good because Jonah Savaiinaea tripped and fell on his way to block him. 

This run is a concept that used to be a staple of the Dolphins’ offense but is something they got away from this season: crack-toss. Watch Cedrick Wilson come from off the screen to take out the defensive end, allowing a clean pull for Alec Ingold. 

Typically, this would involve the offensive tackle pulling out to the outside, but Miami ran a variation to get the fullback (Ingold) out in front. 

Again, the motion pulls the second level one step in the wrong direction for hitting back across from the side the motion started on. 

The Dolphins also built off the six offensive line package we mentioned earlier. This was a similar formation to the short-yardage conversion we mentioned earlier. Except this time, the Dolphins run it to the weakside. 

They use Tanner Conner’s pre-snap motion and Ingold to create better numbers to the weakside of the formation, and might’ve had a big play if it was blocked up better. 

Ingold whiffs on the linebacker, and Savaiinaea doesn’t do a good job sealing his man, but it’s still a productive run of five yards because of the formation and play-call. 

Again, none of this is about the results. It’s about forcing defenses to prepare and respect different things — jumbo sets, counter plays, under-center looks, a willingness to grind yards. 

Too often under McDaniel, Miami hasn’t been willing to live with four yards per carry or diversify away from the outside zone. It did against Atlanta, and it’s a big reason the offense had such an efficient day. 

Miami Shuts Down Falcons’ Running Game 

Coming into the game, many were worried about the Dolphins’ matchup vs. Atlanta’s rushing attack and Bijan Robinson. Although the Dolphins have fared well against elite RBs in the past, it was a natural concern. 

Well, the Dolphins did an excellent job against Bijan Sunday, and it was a true team effort across the board. 

This was Robinson’s first carry, and you can watch Bradley Chubb do an excellent job setting the edge vs. the tight end, allowing Benito Jones to “ride the wave” of the line and get in on the stop. 

Quite literally, the next carry is this tackle for loss by Jordyn Brooks, who had three Sunday. This was his first of two against the run, and you can see how quickly he identifies the play and shoots downhill before the center climbs and seals him off. 

Brooks was incredible all day, and really, the Dolphins’ entire second level was great. Watch Tyrel Dodson slip the tight end’s block on this play and then get in on the tackle for minimal gain. 

It’s a total team effort to stop a running back like Robinson, and this play encapsulates that perfectly. 

The first player to watch is defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who gets cut down at the line, but he sticks with the play, rolls over, and helps wrap up Robinson. 

He’s only capable of doing that because Dodson fires downhill and creates displacement on the tight end’s insert block, gumming up the middle. Jaelan Phillips also sets a great edge on the outside, and Rasul Douglas comes in from the secondary to further clog up Robinson’s rushing lane. 

This play features excellent work from an interior rusher, an edge rusher, a linebacker, and a cornerback. When the Dolphins talked about needing “all 11” to stop Bijan, this is what they meant. 

The biggest takeaway from the tape was how improved Miami’s tackling was across the board. The Dolphins allowed just 1.53 yards after contact, their lowest mark of the season. 

It’s also the defense’s best mark under defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. This was also the first time all season Miami didn’t allow a rush of 15 yards or more. 

Miami found potential solutions to some of its most significant problems against the Falcons. The only question now is whether that will carry over to its game on Thursday against the Ravens.