WEBVTT - Dolphins Texans Week 9 Preview 0:00:02.040 --> 0:00:14.760 Looking down Field, clutchdown, Miami Run. What's up, doll fans 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:17.919 and welcome to the Drive Time Podcast, part of the 0:00:17.920 --> 0:00:23.440 Miami Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:26.960 How's it going, everybody? I am your host, Travis Wingfield, 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:29.520 and I'm here to bring you your daily dose of 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:33.479 Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, it's a preview. 0:00:33.520 --> 0:00:37.280 Thursday edition of the Drivetime Podcast will examine Sunday's matchup 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:40.720 with the Houston Texans, position by position, tell you about 0:00:40.720 --> 0:00:43.400 some tendencies and key to the game. The Dolphins will 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:46.199 win if the Houston Texans will win, if we'll show 0:00:46.240 --> 0:00:48.800 you the Three Keys, will pick Thursday night's game and 0:00:48.840 --> 0:00:52.720 go in depth on Miami versus Houston on Sunday from 0:00:52.800 --> 0:00:55.600 hard Rock Stadium. All of that and more from the 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:59.160 Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:06.960 is the Drive Time Podcast. Before we dive in off 0:01:07.000 --> 0:01:09.160 the top here with the preview, I just want to 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:11.039 let you guys know I'm not going to cover the 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:14.360 career and Flora's pressers from Wednesday outside of some of 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:16.880 the football commentary here maybe the coach made, but you 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:20.400 can find those in their entirety on the team's YouTube channel, 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:24.280 Busy morning on Wednesday at Baptist Health Training Complex and 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:28.360 Sunday across the street there's a football game. I don't 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:30.640 know about you, guys, but I can't wait. I always 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:34.160 Sundays the sanctuary away from all the other drama and 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:37.480 media attention that goes around the stuff outside of the 0:01:37.480 --> 0:01:39.600 actual game of football. And I like to keep the 0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:41.760 main thing the main thing in anytime there's a game, 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:44.679 that's the main thing for me, and this podcast it's 0:01:44.720 --> 0:01:47.240 all about football. So let's dive into the Houston Texans here. 0:01:47.520 --> 0:01:49.840 We start these pods with a little bit of recent 0:01:49.960 --> 0:01:52.560 history on the opposition, and most of you are probably 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:55.680 pretty well versed with the Texans in the way they 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:57.560 have gone the last few years, the way you would 0:01:57.560 --> 0:02:00.520 be a divisional opponent, because well, we've been tracking those 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:02.280 draft picks for a couple of years, haven't we, And 0:02:02.320 --> 0:02:04.800 it was ups and downs at time, no more fun 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:09.320 than in kind of tracking their weekly progress and in 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:13.080 that draft or I guess the season for one draft 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:15.760 which helped produce a draft pick that Miami turned into 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:20.680 an addition additional first rounder three and Jalen Waddle onto 0:02:20.680 --> 0:02:24.320 their current roster. So with Houston, I mean they were 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:28.720 recently an annual division champion, winners of the a f 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:31.959 C South four out of five times under the Bill 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:35.280 O'Brien era, and that stretched as far as a twenty 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:38.280 four point lead in the twenty nineteen divisional playoffs before 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:41.359 Patrick Mahomes went Patrick Mahomes on them. But that was 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:45.320 the peak of that run among four division championships and 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:47.240 a couple of playoff wins here and they're including one 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:49.680 with brock ost Wilder at the Helm that later resulted 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:52.519 in a loss to Tom Brady in the New England Patriots. 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.440 But they've not had a lot of draft picks to 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:59.240 restock their cupboards after really a handful of those prominent 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:02.359 Houston texts is that were parts of those division championships 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:04.840 departed the franchise and that was a roster for a 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:07.280 long time that was really loaded up top. But when 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:09.640 they started getting injuries to guys like J. J. Watt 0:03:09.880 --> 0:03:12.720 or Whitney Merciless or but Nardrick McKinney or whatever the 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:15.400 case may have been, that was difficult from the rebound 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:17.600 from that. And then of course now Deshaun Watson, the 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:20.080 recent quarterback there in Houston, not so much this year 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:22.680 as he has not played a game, but J. J. Watt, 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:26.160 DeAndre Hopkins, but Ardrick McKinney, a significant portion of that 0:03:26.240 --> 0:03:29.799 core that really led them to those division titles are 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:31.919 no longer there as they looked to rebuild the roster 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:33.880 now as they kind of start to get their draft 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:35.800 picks back right there. That last year was the last 0:03:35.880 --> 0:03:38.240 year as far as their picks coming this way, and 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:41.080 they spent some picks otherwise on like a David Johnson 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:43.360 trade for instance, so starting to get a chance to 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:45.480 get back into the draft here in the future. They've 0:03:45.480 --> 0:03:48.360 got an interesting constructed football team because of a very 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:51.920 crazy offseason where they signed something like twenty seven free 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:54.119 agents I think it was, and the majority of those 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:58.800 were one year deals to veterans. That stop gap is 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:00.800 probably the wrong word, but is that you just didn't 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:05.200 expect to have a long term outlook with the club, 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:07.080 especially not all twenty seven of the guys. That's never 0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:08.800 how it works. But they had to throw out that 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:10.760 roster right they they didn't have the draft picks, they 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:12.480 didn't have the means to fill the roster oute that way, 0:04:12.520 --> 0:04:14.640 so they had to get someone in there to play football. 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:18.640 So as they transition in a year where their previous 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:20.760 starting quarterback has been an active all season and the 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.760 number two quarterback has been injured since Week two, it's 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:25.960 been the Davis Mills show, who was their first draft 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:28.719 pick back in April in the third round, And that's 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:31.760 where we start here, the Houston quarterback versus the Miami 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:37.159 Dolphins safeties. And admittedly my exposure to Mills in the 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:39.720 pre draft run up was pretty limited. I really only 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:41.920 did work ups on those top five guys. But so 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.240 far through seven games and six starts as of pro 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:49.159 seven touchdowns, eight picks, completion rate, six point five yards 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:51.960 per attempt, twenty sacks taken for a hundred and thirty 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:55.080 yards of lost yardage, and a net five three five 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:58.880 net yard passing attempt figure, along with an eighty point 0:04:58.880 --> 0:05:01.120 two pass a rating and a twenty nine point two 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:04.400 quarterback rating. And going back over the tape, the New 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:07.640 England game was his best so far, and in that contest, 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:08.960 I thought he did a good job of taking what 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.520 was offered to him. As far as the defensive structure, 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:14.159 it was a lot of coverage and clamping in the 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:16.039 red zone for the Patriots. But he did throw three 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:18.800 touchdowns and three hundred and twelve yards in that game, 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:21.880 and he was blitzed only seven times and completed four 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:25.920 of six passes for twenty nine yards against the Blitz, 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:29.480 but he was under pressure on seven dropbacks, only completing 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:33.080 one of four passes, taking three sacks for three yards 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.760 of positive yards in the past completion. He was kept 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:39.400 clean in that game with three hundred nine yards and 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:43.440 three touchdown passes on non pressure dropbacks, but he did 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:46.040 take advantage of the opportunities he had in the vertical game, 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:49.239 hitting three of five passes in the twenty plus yard 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:51.760 air yard range for a hundred forty four yards and 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:54.359 two scores. Now, that was the one game I pointed 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:57.040 to because we know the Patriots and Dolphins have somewhat 0:05:57.080 --> 0:05:59.839 similar defensive styles as far as man coverage some of 0:05:59.880 --> 0:06:02.200 the games up front and playing more of a bend 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:05.360 but don't break style, which has become more commonplace across 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:08.200 the National Football League. But that was that game I 0:06:08.200 --> 0:06:11.520 wanted to focus on because on the season he's had 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:14.000 some ups and downs against the Blitz, which is expected 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:17.760 for any rookie quarterback. Complation is great six point two 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:20.800 yards per attempt is not terrible against the blitz because 0:06:20.839 --> 0:06:22.640 the ball comes out of your hands quickly right, and 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:24.480 then it's kind of incumbent on the receivers to make 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:27.040 blaze at that point after the catch. No touchdowns and 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:30.880 two picks. However, when not blitzed, six interceptions, So maybe 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:33.080 that was the idea where to play that kind of 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.640 seven man coverage and don't send extra bodies and sacrifice 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:38.440 from the back end to get pressure on the front end, 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:41.039 because you can make plays when there is just no 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:43.080 pressure on the quarterback. And one thing I think the 0:06:43.120 --> 0:06:46.320 Dolphins need to get back to defensively is those big 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.960 plays sacks and takeaways. It's been a bit of a 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:51.839 departure from what it was last year, and with Mills 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:55.640 in the lineup, twelve of their plays have resulted in 0:06:55.680 --> 0:06:57.720 a sack or a pick. So they need to keep 0:06:57.760 --> 0:07:00.440 that trend rolling here from Miami, and it starts in 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:03.320 some ways with the content we focused on yesterday, right 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:07.800 those Dolphins safeties Javon Holland and Brandon Jones, and Miami's 0:07:07.800 --> 0:07:09.920 ability to get flexible with those two young safeties I 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:12.080 think could come into play here. We've seen them down 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:14.240 around the line of scrimmage, either one of them. I'll 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:16.280 be really curious to see the plane for the Dolphins here. 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:18.680 Do you want to force the issue and attack Mills? 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:20.560 And I keep kind of thinking about that Rams game 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:22.880 last year war They would pressure him with with you know, 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:25.800 the boot action, shutting that thing down, bringing blitz up 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:27.960 the middle, forcing those quick throws in the zero coverage, 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:30.840 and it would cause some tipball, some batted getting his 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:32.560 arm hit when he went to throw the football, which 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:34.920 caused to pick against U or the Eric rohe picked 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:37.120 off in that game. Do you do that or do 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.560 you sit back and stay patient and let those opportunities 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:41.920 come to you. With regards to the Patriots and the 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:44.920 limited blitzing action, they're actually below the league median and 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:48.680 blitz rate point one percent, while Miami is third most 0:07:48.720 --> 0:07:51.600 at thirty three point six percent. When interesting dichotomy there, 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:55.800 and I think maybe maybe that was more indicative of 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.200 the Patriots plan this year on defense opposed to that 0:07:58.280 --> 0:08:00.440 specific game plan. That's where you want the games though, 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:02.280 right We're gonna find out about how Miami wants to 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:04.880 approach this thing and Davis Mills, and this is why 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:08.320 I tend to favor the blitzing action a little more. 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:10.640 He's just not gonna scramble a whole lot. In fact, 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:13.480 he has only two scramble runs all season long. He's 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.800 played seven games to scramble runs two does that pretty 0:08:16.880 --> 0:08:18.840 much every single week. It's you know, not to say 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:20.480 one is better than the other, but it's just an 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:23.600 interesting comparison. So if you can get him off the spot, 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:28.120 that's where some of those forced errors or big play 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.200 creation can come from, I think. And if you can 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:32.680 do it with winning with four man pressure, fantastic. But 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:34.280 if you have to bring extra guys and play that 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:36.600 blanket coverage in the back end, I'm good with that too. 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:39.280 But how about his options in the passing game. Before 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:40.839 we get to that, first, let's go ahead and talk 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:43.679 about the fact that Tyrod Taylor has a chance to 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:46.680 return this week, and if he does well, he's a 0:08:46.679 --> 0:08:49.560 completely different quarterback than what Davis Mills is. He's one 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:51.600 of the best creators there is out there in the 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:54.439 game right now and would certainly change the entire dynamic 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:56.959 of that game. Taylor scares me a little bit. But 0:08:56.960 --> 0:08:59.600 back to the weapons. Houston receivers and tied ends versus 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:03.360 Dolphins cornerbacks. We touched on the potential presence of safeties 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:06.040 in the box or up on the line, and check 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:08.760 out these splits for a second. Jordan Aikins was a 0:09:08.800 --> 0:09:10.840 tied end from UCF a couple of years back. No, 0:09:11.000 --> 0:09:13.760 you know you're gonna like that. He has the second 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:17.320 most past targets on the team with twenty four past targets. 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:20.720 That's one better than David Johnson, five more than Nico Collins, 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:23.520 the rookie out of Michigan, and that trend continues on 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.760 down to Pharaoh Brown, fellow tight end Danny Amondola. We 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:30.520 remember him, Chris Conley, Chris Moore, Anthony Miller. But who's 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:32.920 the top that list? There's we're going in a direction 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:37.480 with this. Brandon Cooks has sixty nine nice, has the 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:39.040 go to guy without a doubt in the offense. So 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:42.760 what's their focus going to be, Which means it's probably 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:44.839 gonna be Brandon Cooks right, and that means that has 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:47.320 to be the defense is focused to right. That's kind 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:49.240 of how the math works there. But real quick, back 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:51.439 to the tight end position. Aikins is a big body, 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:53.520 post up type of tied down with some athletic ability 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:56.480 who can flex out. So it's Eric Rose matchup maybe 0:09:56.679 --> 0:09:58.679 or is there some more Holland and Jones on him, 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:01.080 maybe some more backer cut Ridge. I'll be keeping an 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:03.160 eye on that because you can't let him go off either. 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:06.680 But back to Cooks. That's the start and finished really 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:08.839 with US Houston Texans offense as far as where the 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.720 football goes to. We saw Miami kind of alternate their 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.880 double teams last week between digs and Sanders and sometimes 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:17.040 even inside with Cole Beasley, and he talked about how 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:18.720 the times that he was left one on one he 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:21.439 made both the most of it. It might be a 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:23.079 little more clear here with regards to the guy you 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:25.760 cap and funnel, because the targets tell you Brandon Cooks 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:27.480 is where the football goes and he's one of the 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.920 best route runners in the entire game. His career is 0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:33.559 kind of an enigma to me. I mean, he's incredibly 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:35.920 quick and decisive. He knows how to set defensive backs 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:38.800 up and attack blind spots with leverage advantages. I was 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:41.960 a huge fan of his game coming out of Oregon State, 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:43.680 and he really blew me away at the Senior Bowl 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:46.520 as well. But he can run by you and make 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:49.400 tough catches, just a combination of everything that you want 0:10:49.440 --> 0:10:51.760 from the position. He really encompasses all of it. And 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:54.760 the reason his career is an enigma is because he's 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:56.920 always been that good to me and he's played for 0:10:56.960 --> 0:10:59.439 so many teams like it's just one of those unusual 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:02.760 situation is where a guy, despite high level production, has 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:05.040 found his way out of a couple of cities with 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:09.559 different teams. But he's a seventent split as far as 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:12.360 outside and slot goes. So three force and about a 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:14.280 quarter of the time in the slot, I should say 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:16.880 three force out wide, one quarter in the slot, and 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:19.480 that gives you obviously eight percent left over, but zero 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:22.080 of that is in line and those nasty splits. So 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:24.720 where does it come from? Well the backfield, So keep 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.400 your eye on Brandon Cooks. They're gonna manufacture receptions for 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:30.079 him behind the line on the screen game. So it's 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.880 imperative to tackle well on the perimeter and continue to 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:35.920 show the exemplary effort we've had on screens with not 0:11:36.000 --> 0:11:38.880 just the cornerbacks fighting through blocks, but the defensive line 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:42.560 retracing those things and making big plays for you out wide. 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:45.400 When the cornerbacks can force the receiver to bubble on 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.760 those screens. I thought Miami really handled it well last 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:51.000 week in that regard, so doing it again and tackling 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:53.560 well could be a big key in this game. And 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:56.360 you see that manufactured reception idea on display with his 0:11:56.480 --> 0:11:59.000 catch rate. Dudes got fifty one grabs this year for 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:02.600 a seventy catch rate. Those are good numbers. Eight point 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:05.160 four yards per targets, a good number eleven point five 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:08.200 yards per catch. Not like blowing you away, but it's 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:11.520 still a decent number. On twenty plus yard throws of 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:14.360 of intended air yards, he's caught four of nine, so 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:17.760 that's that's a pretty efficient downfield striking there with Brandon 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:21.400 Cooks in the intermediate range though, thirteen of seventeen, so 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:24.200 very efficient. He makes the most of that high number 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:27.160 of targets. Six catches behind the line on six targets 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:30.160 and twenty seven of thirty three in the zero to 0:12:30.320 --> 0:12:32.679 nine range. Two of the passes for Cooks this year 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:34.600 have been picked off. So it kind of goes back 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:36.800 to my thought there about Xavier Howard and putting him 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:39.240 on the most targeted player because it gives you more 0:12:39.320 --> 0:12:42.439 chances interceptions. But I kind of feel a different way 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:43.920 about this this week, and I'll tell you why here 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:46.440 in just one second. Something else. Houston does a good 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:49.840 job with us getting him matchups on non cornerbacks. He 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:52.720 had three receptions last week against safeties and linebackers, and 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.760 that's kind of a weekly thing for him. So Miami 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:57.360 will have to make the choice between zoning it up, 0:12:57.400 --> 0:13:01.199 which can create those matchups, and playing more man, which basically, 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:03.000 you know, just check him with one of your best corners, 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:06.280 or do you double him with other players? Options exist 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:08.720 here when you have a kind of one player heavy 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:11.120 oriented offense, but I would think you want to focus 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.360 on the guy that has tripled the targets of the 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:17.800 number two passing option. So for me, I like the 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:22.160 idea of, you know, need Um or Coleman with with 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:24.520 a cap on top like a safety maybe you're in 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:27.200 big Nickel there or a linebacker just finding a way 0:13:27.200 --> 0:13:29.040 to force him to have to beat two guys to 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:31.840 beat you. Because the other guys in the receiving corps, 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:33.680 it's they kind of spread it all over the place. 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:35.400 And the situation is the same at running back and 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:38.320 tight end too. It's it's a very unique, interesting offense 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:40.800 as far as the distribution goes. Chris Conley is one 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:42.440 of the guys that gets targets, but he's one of 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:44.880 these more kind of athletic and fast guys. We heard 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:48.120 a bunch of the defenders on Wednesday's media availability talk 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:50.520 about the speed this Texans offense has, which has really 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:53.520 increased this year compared to last season. But Chris Conley 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:55.040 is one of those guys. And you guys know, I 0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:58.120 typically feel like with with a player like Conley's physical 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:01.440 makeup that Byron Jones is to well, I mean it's 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.560 not to me. It's just a fact athletically, testing, wise, 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:06.800 change the direction, all that fun stuff that's really his 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:08.840 bread and butter. So I kind of like that matchup. 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:11.760 I like the idea of that matchup Nico Collins with 0:14:11.880 --> 0:14:14.560 Xavier Howard just kind of takeaway because Collins is the 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:17.000 next highest receiver in terms of targets, Just take him 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:18.840 out of the game with one player. I think x 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:20.680 can do that. And then at this in the slot 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:23.440 position against Brandon Cooks, double it, double look heck out 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:27.680 of it, Conley on Jones, X on Collins. And then 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:31.720 with Chris Moore Amondla Anthony Miller. There's so many guys 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:33.200 that have so many snaps here, but we'll figure that 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:34.800 out as we go along. Those are the three matchups 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:37.280 I'm most concerned about. And then also with Jordan Nakins, 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:39.400 just I'm not really sure on that one. Maybe it's 0:14:39.440 --> 0:14:41.760 a safety matchup and you just try to reroute him 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.560 early and live with underneath stuff. But I really do 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.360 like those matchups there for Miami. Now, before the ball 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:49.240 gets into the air, it's always important to win the 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:52.320 matchup up front, right, So the Texans offensive line the 0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:54.960 Dolphins defensive line, and they're down some dude. You're not 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:57.920 gonna see Linony Tunzel, he's on injury reserve. No Justin Brett, 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:00.720 they're starting center, and no Marcus Canon, who has played 0:15:00.760 --> 0:15:02.680 spot duty there for them a little bit. But the 0:15:02.720 --> 0:15:06.400 pressures allowed by the projected stars on Sunday are As follows. 0:15:07.560 --> 0:15:10.440 Charlie Heck eight pressures on a hundred and sixty seven 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:15.640 pass blocking reps, Max Sharping fifteen pressures on two four, 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:20.440 Justin McCray six on one seventeen, Jaron Christian Senior four 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:24.480 on one seventy, and Tias Howard sixteen on three hundred 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:27.320 and seven, but fourteen of those for Howard are hurries. 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:29.920 He's by far the best healthy alignment on that offensive 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:33.480 lineman right now, eighty one pressures allowed in total banged 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:36.960 up group. Can Miami capitalize on that? They need to 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:40.400 pressure this quarterback, and Howard's the most proven, most accomplished 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:43.120 this season. He's been really solid since really weeks two, 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.640 where he allowed four pressures in the first two games 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:48.480 each eight total, but since that time in six games, 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:51.800 just eight pressures allowed, and that's odd bas matchup, and 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:53.120 you go back to some of the matchups where he 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:55.840 did get beat a little bit Jacksonville with Dwayne Smoot 0:15:55.920 --> 0:15:58.040 or Josh Allen and those guys. His ability to kind 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:01.120 of convert those speed to hour moves and the heavy 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:03.280 handed ends, I really think that's something to keep an 0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:05.160 eye on here. If Oga can kind of get similar 0:16:05.200 --> 0:16:07.720 production he's been doing it all He's along so far 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:11.280 with pressure production, batting the ball down the line, run defense. 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:13.680 Keeping a big eye on that matchup, and if they 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:15.960 can't handle that, that's gonna open up so much other 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:18.560 stuff for this Dolphins front. Because inside, with all the 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:21.080 games that Miami runs, all the depth they have in 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:23.400 the ability to rotate bodies up front could help keep 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:25.960 them fresh while dialing up that pressure look. But it's 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:30.000 another new offensive line combination for Houston had a rookie quarterback, 0:16:30.160 --> 0:16:31.520 and it would seem to me you want to kind 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:34.720 of test that communication. And with Christian and adams quickness 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:37.840 off the snap and Ray Kwant and Zack's pure strength 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:40.720 and power at the point, I like that matchup a lot. 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:43.600 And this also incorporates the linebackers, which brings us to 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:46.360 our final matchup on this side of the football. Houston 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:50.400 running backs and Dolphins linebackers. First, Houston's averaging just three 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:52.880 point three yards per carry and no gap has a 0:16:52.880 --> 0:16:55.640 better average than three point nine yards per carry, which 0:16:55.640 --> 0:16:59.520 is off right tackle Tyas Howard again, so Miami needs 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:02.600 to needs their linebackers to really fit the run this 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:05.560 week and do the same job, do the job in 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:07.640 the same way the defensive line doesn't set up those 0:17:07.680 --> 0:17:10.440 third and long plays and get those big play opportunities. 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:12.639 I think this is a great chance for Miami's defense 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:14.639 to get healthy in that regard with some of the 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:17.080 sacks and the pressures that lead to turnovers. It's such 0:17:17.080 --> 0:17:19.359 a focus for me this week and the Texans use 0:17:19.400 --> 0:17:22.120 a bevy of running backs. Mark Ingram no longer. They're 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:24.679 back in New Orleans, which, by the way, thank science 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:26.480 for that fact, because the fact that he is back 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:29.680 there gives us the pairing of Alvin Kamara and mark 0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:32.760 Ingram at joint press conferences, which is the best thing ever. 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:35.600 But David Johnson and Rex Burkehead and Philip Lindsay all 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:37.359 get work. This is what I'm talking about. This the 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:40.240 construction of this team is just so unique in terms 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:43.680 of the different Like these guys are not the same 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:47.000 player obviously, but they're they're somewhat interchangeable. And there's not 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:48.439 like a young guy and a veteran. It is just 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:51.280 three guys you know, from the last five or six 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:53.479 years of the National Football League that all found their 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:56.560 way to Houston. Johnson will flects out and run receiver routes. 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:58.679 We know that about him from his days in Arizona. 0:17:58.960 --> 0:18:00.679 Not the same player he as then, but he can 0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:03.720 still be productive that way. It's so imperative that whether 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:06.840 it's Baker, Baker or Riley, and Baker talked about being 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:09.120 day to day in his press conference on Wednesday. It's 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:12.239 so imperative that they can handle those receiver routes from 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:14.480 David Johnson, because you can't double that route and still 0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:17.200 have success elsewhere. In my opinion, so important that those 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:19.280 guys can handle that one on one matchup. And if 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:22.200 it's blitzing more like like I talked about earlier, does 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.280 Sam aguav And get an increased role? I think he 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:27.520 would In that instance. Rex Burke has a past receiver 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:29.520 that's kind of his game. Continue to find a way 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:33.080 to cover him without committing, you know, really integral parts 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:35.840 of the perimeter coverage, of the safety coverage on that back. 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:38.280 And then Philip Lindsay My note on him was just 0:18:38.640 --> 0:18:40.439 you have to slice him. You have to cut him 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:43.240 down before he can get that one cut slashing style 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.320 that he does, because once he gets that second level, 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:47.560 he becomes very difficult to tackle at that point. So 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:49.639