WEBVTT - Dolphins Lions Week 8 Preview 0:00:01.600 --> 0:00:05.160 You were listening to the Miami Dolphins Podcast Network. This 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:08.399 is Drive Time with Travis Wheatfield. Back to throw to 0:00:08.520 --> 0:00:15.840 a looking the wine dolfan touchtop ton Rick call unbelievable, 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:19.120 just blue fire for a second time. Don't know where 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:22.599 he was going right away? That the man I want 0:00:22.640 --> 0:00:25.880 to help you soon up on his way. Wattle waddle 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:30.480 to a shotgun, back to throw, looking, that's up fires again, 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:36.520 It's Waddle. It's six touchdown pass this day, Drive Time 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:40.960 with Travis Winfield begins. Now let me check your pulse 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:48.800 if what is up? Dolphans and welcome to the Drivetime podcast, 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:52.400 part of the Miami Dolphins podcast Network covering your team, 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:57.000 your Miami Dolphins. How's it going? Everybody? I am your host, 0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:00.400 Travis Wingfield, And on today's show, it is pre you day. 0:01:00.600 --> 0:01:03.160 We're diving into the week eight matchup. How is it? 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:06.440 Week eight? Already by the way between Miami and Detroit 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:09.520 from ford Field will give you an intro into the Lions, 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:12.800 go position by position and break down the matchups, tell 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:16.160 you what's at stake, and give you three keys to victory. 0:01:16.240 --> 0:01:17.560 All of that and a heck of a lot more 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:21.000 from the Baptist Health studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:29.080 This is the Drive Time Podcast. So perhaps you're a 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:31.800 big hard Knocks fan and this is the NFC team 0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:34.680 that you're most familiar with after a summer in camp 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:37.520 with them, And I know you know about Dan Campbell. 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.679 In fact, on the memory sections of all my social 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:43.200 media apps. This time of year, I get a chance 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:45.400 to go back and see all the Dan Campbell memes 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:48.400 and posts about those two magical wins in his first 0:01:48.560 --> 0:01:52.160 two games here as interim head coach, the thrashing of 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:56.080 the Texans and that convincing win in Nashville over the Titans. 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:58.960 But Coach Campbell has brought that same mentality to the 0:01:59.040 --> 0:02:04.080 Motor City, Oklahoma drills, biting off, kneecaps, grit, And I 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:06.280 know the record hasn't been reflective of this, but they 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:08.920 play hard for that head coach. They scrapped the claw 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.720 and they tend to stay in games. Even during last 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:15.640 year's very challenging three and thirteen in one campaign, they 0:02:15.680 --> 0:02:18.440 were in a lot of those games. And this year 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:20.919 the goal was obviously to pull out some of those 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:23.639 tight games, and it just hasn't happened yet. They lost 0:02:23.680 --> 0:02:27.680 to Baltimore Minnesota, Cleveland, Chicago, and Atlanta last season by 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:31.040 a combined thirteen points and tied a game with the 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:34.880 Pittsburgh Steelers. Now at one in five, they've got losses 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:37.720 of the Eaguals by three, Seahawks by three, and Vikings 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:41.200 by four. So under Campbell and Brad Holmes, who began 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:44.680 this rebuild and the post Matt Stafford era by dealing 0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:48.120 their long time franchise quarterback for some premium draft capital 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:51.639 and loading up on some top end college talent is 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:55.560 either developing in the process of it, like Jeff Okuda, 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:58.760 or waiting for their opportunity like Jamison Williams who hasn't 0:02:58.760 --> 0:03:01.200 played yet coming off the cl injury and last year's 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:04.600 National Championship game. But that was my wide receiver one 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:07.919 in last year's draft. But in total, it's four eighteen 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:10.679 and one for the Campbell and Holmes Lions, and I 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:13.120 want to reiterate that I don't think that's reflective of 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:15.880 who they are. They're coming off to lopsided losses where 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:19.120 the offense came to a screeching halt. Early. They had 0:03:19.200 --> 0:03:22.720 totals of thirty, thirty six and forty five points, but 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:25.720 just six points can bind the last two games. Offensive 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:27.919 coordinator Ben Johnson has earned a lot of pop for 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.240 the way he schemed up the offense tailored to Jared 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:34.280 goff strengths. It's a really good offensive line that should 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:37.440 get their top back back this week in DeAndre Swift 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:39.320 to go along with one of the game's best tight 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.920 ends and t J. Hockenson. On defense, it's been a struggle. 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:45.440 They are allowing the second most yards per play in 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:48.200 NFL history, but it did look a lot better last 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:51.400 week against Dallas, one of the three games I watched 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:54.040 in preparation for this show. But real quick before we 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.000 really dive into that. The path to this place is 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:59.000 really one of the more interesting ones to me because 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:01.880 typically you get that hard reset with a new coach, 0:04:02.000 --> 0:04:04.440 new GM, you ship out the quarterback, you acquire a 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:07.240 bunch of draft capital, and traditionally you'll see a new 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:10.880 quarterback come along with that. And it's been Jared Goff, 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:13.800 but he's not necessarily shiny and new. He's been in 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:16.120 the league for a while. But I really admire what 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:18.479 the Lions have done here because the number one way 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.600 to prolong a rebuild is to saddle up with the 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:24.360 wrong quarterback. Don't just take a quarterback because you need one. 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.799 They come out of that draft class that was supposed 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:30.120 to be the next great thing, right, well, so far, 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:32.760 one of those quarterbacks isn't trusted to push the ball 0:04:32.800 --> 0:04:36.599 more than five yards downfield. Another one is out injured 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:39.960 and may be replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo. The next one 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:42.080 just had his best career game and what's been a 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:43.880 very tough start to his career. And the next guy 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:47.040 after that just got benched for Bailey Zappy. And what 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:51.000 do they do but wait and land the best tackle 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:54.800 in that class and pine check that. And then this 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:58.800 year again with a much less heralded quarterback class, they 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:00.600 pass on it again. But they kick the can down 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:02.720 the road once again. And I think they're in this 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.560 position where when they decided to pull the trigger, if 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:08.040 they get the right guy, you could have some magic 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:10.080 and some spark because they have us roster that's kind 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:12.520 of getting there, just not quite there at the quarterback 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:14.320 position in terms of the young guy yet. And I 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:17.080 do think the mistake was that last Matt Patricia year 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:19.919 not going after to a tuggle by Loa or Justin 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:22.040 Herbert and instead of going after a cornerback when you 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:24.640 really needed a quarterback that year. So as they've put 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:27.640 this thing together, the emphasis on the trenches really shows. 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:31.320 You won't see Levi on Wuzariquie on Sunday. He's fantastic 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:34.040 and he he and Alee McNeil were hits along that 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:36.599 defensive line. They also brought him the very, very productive 0:05:36.640 --> 0:05:40.680 Michael Brocker's formerly of the Rams. Then outside with Aidan Hutchinson, 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:44.120 Charles Harris, Julian Okwara. They're well built on the defensive 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:46.839 line like they are on the offensive line, with arguably 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:50.080 the best tackle tandem in football in Pine Sewel and 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:52.559 Taylor Decker. Frank rag now one of the best centers 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:54.440 in the NFL. Jonah Jackson went to the Pro Bowl 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:56.520 last year at guard, so that's where they focused. We 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:59.960 mentioned Swift and Akuta as two hits in the draft 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:01.960 classes or you know, Akuda is getting better this year. 0:06:01.960 --> 0:06:03.360 I should say it was a rough couple of first 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:05.360 years for him, but he looks better this year. But 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:07.400 there's still plenty of work to be done on that defense. 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:09.800 And I think I think I'm not a dred percent 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:12.200 sure that they're trending in the right direction. Despite what 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:14.040 the record says. Let's go ahead and jump into this 0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:18.240 Dolphins offense first, Lions defense, quarterback versus safeties, and we 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:20.839 can start here with the defensive structure. They're gonna play 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:23.320 man coverage. I think they're gonna give Tyreek a lot 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:26.840 of attention. They've really focused this season on erasing the 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.600 opposition is number one guy. Some weeks it has worked 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:33.279 justin Jefferson three four. Others it has not. Dk Metcalf 0:06:33.400 --> 0:06:36.880 seven for one. This feels like a big Waddle day 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:38.640 to me. I think if you're gonna leave him single 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:40.640 covered against some of the single high looks you could see, 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:44.040 could be a day upwards of one dred and fifty 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.040 or more receiving yards for a guy like him. I 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:48.360 also think throwing to the backs feels like it could 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:51.360 be fruitful here because they're playing off man and the 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:55.320 double moves slash outright speed of Waddle and Tyreek. I 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:57.400 think you have a chance to really generate some bust 0:06:57.480 --> 0:06:59.520 and big gains in this like you did against Baltimore. 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:01.880 If we can hit them, we can really take them 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:04.480 out of their game and just basically they want to 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:06.320 grind it out and run the ball, hit some big 0:07:06.400 --> 0:07:08.680 plays and then they become one dimension on that place 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:11.800 right into your hands. Their defense three four is eleven percent, 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:14.560 four three is twelve percent, So those offshoots of base 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:19.600 defenses good hybrid mix their percent nice nickel defense and 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:21.880 three percent in the dime. So a good look at 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:24.680 a true hybrid hybrid defense here under Aaron Glenn and 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:27.440 their ability to do so because of their flexibility upfront. 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.760 They will also mix that press and off coverage with 0:07:29.880 --> 0:07:32.640 nearly a fifty split so far this year. And on 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:36.040 our side, I thought too, it was fantastic on Sunday 0:07:36.080 --> 0:07:38.400 getting the ball out of his hands from various platforms 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:40.640 and arm angles. We've been over this, but if the 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:43.360 accuracy and timing was just dialed in a fraction or 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:46.640 a percentage more, there's some space for even more explosives 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:48.520 for an offense that already has one of the most 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:52.520 explosive production in the entire league. So they'll play lots 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:55.080 of man for twa and that means identifying matchups that 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.520 he likes and doing his post snap checklist to create 0:07:57.600 --> 0:08:00.440 the lanes. Slash, hold the defense or move the defense 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:02.600 is a big key for him here. They'll play a 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:05.040 lot more single high than most teams do, and the 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:08.960 shifting landscape of defensive structure they're in single high or 0:08:09.160 --> 0:08:11.480 part of that man free defense, you know, single high 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:15.360 safety man coverage underneath pent of the time, they're in 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:17.520 two high structures two pcent of the time and the 0:08:17.600 --> 0:08:20.640 rest is zero coverage seven percent. They will do that, 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:23.280 and they will gamble on some of those zero blitz looks. 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:25.320 I'm really curious to see if they'll do that here 0:08:25.400 --> 0:08:27.120 because a lot of speed can be tough to deal 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:29.920 with in man coverage. So can we force them out 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:31.840 of what they do or is it going to be 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:34.839 a matchup where the two teams just want to challenge 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:36.319 each other, kind of like when you have a big 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:38.000 time slugger and a big time power arm in the 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.280 middle of the and the batting order in baseball just 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:41.959 go after him. We'll see if they want to do that. 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:44.040 I'll keep an eye on that all game long. They 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:47.040 are down there. Captain and free safety Tracy Walker uh 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:49.120 due to an achilles injury that he suffered back in 0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:52.719 week three. Their primary safeties are Deshaun Elliott, who is 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:55.920 a little bit of a hyperre between off ball and 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:59.400 in box safety. Five seven or five completions on seven 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:01.520 targets for axt four yards. He doesn't have one pick 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:04.480 when teams have targeted him. He's been a box presence 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:06.640 with over two hundred snaps down inside, but he really 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:08.760 kind of rushes plays the run or falls back into 0:09:08.800 --> 0:09:11.560 the deep post, so he's doesn't really match up man 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:14.680 coverage a whole lot. The other primary safety is Kirby Joseph. 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:17.240 He's been on the field for nineties seven snaps against 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:19.720 the run and eighty nine and coverage. He'll start high 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:22.720 and come down. It's a one three to seventy split 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.199 in terms of free safety and box so both those 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:27.080 guys are kind of the hybrid safeties we see more 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:29.000 and more across the league right now. But he's had 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:31.400 a very hard time this year against the run. The 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.920 lines have turned a lot of free or runners free, 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:36.240 i should say, once they break through that first level, 0:09:36.440 --> 0:09:38.080 and a lot of that comes from safeties being out 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:40.720 of position or over pursuing getting caught in the wash 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:43.439 against the running game. A few final things before we 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:46.840 move on here. The lines blitz of their defensive snaps. 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:49.280 That's the seventh highest rate in the NFL, and they 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:51.120 are not going to go down with the bat on 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:54.280 their shoulder. They go down swinging, So Towa needs to 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:56.880 be quick and his processing like he was against Pittsburgh 0:09:56.960 --> 0:09:59.600 all Law. That first pass to Waddle throwing right behind 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:03.000 the blitz on the season two is forty three and 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:05.360 two yards. That's seven point six yards per pass, a 0:10:05.440 --> 0:10:08.320 touchdown and no picks against the blitz. And I feel 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:10.800 very confident saying that toa is in that echelon of 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:13.400 quarterbacks that you don't want to blitz because he's too 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:16.520 good and will make you pay off the lines. Blitz rate, 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:18.800 they just don't get home enough, hence the vulnerabilities on 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:21.280 the defense. They pressure the quarterback at a twenty two 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:23.920 point seven percent clip, so a margin of negative seven 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.400 point three percent. In terms of blitz rate and pressure 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:30.360 rate seventh highest blitz rate, seventeenth best pressure rate. The 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:33.240 average depth of target against the lines is nine point 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:35.760 two yards. That's tied for the most in football. That's 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:38.080 a big part of that blitz man coverage cover one 0:10:38.120 --> 0:10:40.440 stuff we see. We mentioned that in three of their 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:42.559 games they've surrendered a lot of points, not as much 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:44.559 in the other three, but the common theme there is 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:46.840 that teams have gotten vertical on them to score points 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.280 in those three thirty five plus point games on passes 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:53.120 twenty plus seven for eleven are the opponent for two 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:55.400 hundred and fifty yards three touchdowns in a pick. It's 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:57.959 there's some space down field. Teams have tried it, some 0:10:58.120 --> 0:10:59.480 have sex he did, some have not. But it's a 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:01.720 little more in fighting than what we're seeing around the league. 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:03.760 On balance, and when you have guys like tenants seventeen, 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:06.880 go get it. Receivers and tight ends versus corners of 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:08.920 course a huge part of this matchup as we reference 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:11.160 to the primary man coverage of the defense of the 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:14.079 Lions in Tyreek and Jalen trent And said, the tight 0:11:14.200 --> 0:11:17.000 ends and backs Janu eight separation against the man coverage. 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:19.520 I think. So let's first look at their coverage numbers. 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:23.360 Jeff Okuda twenty two receptions on thirty one targets for 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:28.079 two seventy one. Some good hated to be made there. 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:31.360 Amani arari A twenty two of thirty for two d 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:34.800 forty two. Mike Cues has played, but he's been injured. 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:38.599 He's eighteen forty six yards and his replacement A. J. 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:41.319 Parker seven of seven for one forty three on just 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:44.360 fifty coverage snaps. So he's been a guy that teams 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:45.959 have gone after in the last two games. And to me, 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.800 this is simple. Okuda has had his struggles, but nothing 0:11:48.920 --> 0:11:51.440 like the other two guys they've played. Parker really really 0:11:51.559 --> 0:11:54.040 really struggle so far the last two games, and often 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:57.959 at offers free access to the slot receiver, which is like, 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:00.839 that's tough to play man cover it against free access. 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:05.040 That's a problem against speed, particularly like Tyrek and j Limb. 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:07.920 And then a warrier is susceptible to double moves and 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:09.840 he's fast but not quick, and they've had these plays 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:11.920 where they don't have safety help. He's ten yards off 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:13.640 the ball and you run that fake curl and go 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:15.480 back to the post of the corner of the deep 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.240 like he bites on those. So I'm thinking that Ravens 0:12:18.320 --> 0:12:21.760 game maybe all over again. Hopefully there should be opportunities 0:12:21.800 --> 0:12:24.800 here throughout. They've really really struggled against tight ends as well. 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:27.040 More on that here in just a second. On a 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:29.520 fast track on the turf against a primary man team. 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:31.439 You know, coach talked about the burden of Tyrek and 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.880 Jalen and how they carry the expectations and the burden 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:37.559 of the expectations against the defense like this, There's a 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:39.880 lot on the receivers across the board in general to 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:43.120 win and create separation, especially against a good pass rush 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:46.319 like the Lions. And when you're talking about that Okuda 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:51.160 O Warrier Parker versus Wattle and Hill like the matchup 0:12:51.240 --> 0:12:54.280 favors the visiting team. Speaking of that pass rush, offensive 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:57.240 line verus defensive line. That front really drives a defense. 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:59.240 Their most productive player has been the second pick in 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:01.920 the draft, Aiden Hutchinson. He leads a team with nine 0:13:01.920 --> 0:13:05.040 team pressures in thirteen run stops both those categories. He's 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:06.880 a big presence with the ability to use that power 0:13:06.960 --> 0:13:09.360 to obtain leverage, hold the point in the running game, 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:11.680 but also convert speed to power as a pass rusher. 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:14.920 He's been getting home. It's a fun matchup against Toron Armstead. 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.360 On the other side, Charles Harris has been banged up, 0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:20.120 but he's an absolute speed merchant, as you know off 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:22.240 the edge. I like the way the Dolphins line has 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:25.720 played inside out recently in terms of squeezing and then 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:28.040 you trust to Ron and Brandon Shell to get their 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:30.559 width and get their depth and find their landmarks. It's 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:32.520 a big test for Shell against Harris if he can 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:34.439 go to be able to get to those landmarks in 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.360 time for a speedy pass rusher their stout inside, but 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:39.599 I think you can use their aggressiveness against them. I 0:13:39.600 --> 0:13:43.000 wouldn't be at all surprised to see Connor Williams continue 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.320 his terror this season. I think this game sets up 0:13:45.320 --> 0:13:47.160 really well for Big Rob to have some those big 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:49.800 blocks in the second level. That's brings some backs, but 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:52.480 mostly all the eye candy that we offer I think 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:55.400 can cause some over pursuit and big cutback lanes because 0:13:55.440 --> 0:13:57.360 they have not been gap sound. And if you can 0:13:57.400 --> 0:13:59.760 want to neutralize Charles Harris, run the ball at him. 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:02.560 I expect some some good runs this week from your 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:05.600 Miami Dolphins. They do have some serious athletic ability inside 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:08.760 with McNeil, Kaminsky, Brocker's Bugs and Brant. It's a nice 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:11.000 mix of veteran and young player and they really want 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:13.079 to get up field on you. So Miami's ability to 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:17.079 be a soundman, sign a salmon assignment, sound wow, and 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:19.480 fire off the football. Those are some keys. I'm looking 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:23.000 at pressure numbers for this Detroit front. Hutchinson nineteen Kaminsky 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:25.720 second with ten on just fifty one pass rush reps, 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:28.000 so great efficiency and there's a huge drop off in 0:14:28.080 --> 0:14:31.040 terms of efficiency just nine for Harris, eight from McNeil, 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:35.160 and seven for Anzeloni. Run stops, Hutchinson leads away with thirteen, 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:39.160 Malcolm Rodriguez has thirteen, Jeff Acuda has thirteen, Alex Anzeloni 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:41.920 has twelve, and safety to Shaun Elliott has eight. So 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:43.600 it just there's not been a lot of plays made 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:47.440 this year on this line's defense, the running backs and linebackers. 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:49.320 I alluded to the man coverage and how they've handled 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:51.360 tight ends this year. It's not been good, the same 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:53.960 as true running back. There's a reason they're allowing historical 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:56.080 numbers right now. I can't tell you how many times 0:14:56.120 --> 0:14:58.680 on tape I've seen a stacked off ball linebacker which 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:02.840 is behind the defen to tackle five yards off the football, 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:05.880 have to go cover a running back on a flare 0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:08.080 or swing to a side of the field that he's 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:10.880 outflanked pre snap by five or six yards already. Then 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:13.200 he has to fight through trash of rubs and picks 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:15.360 and that type of thing. So with the speed we 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:17.240 have it back, I think you could probably steal some 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:20.440 big plays this week on high percentage throws. That's exactly 0:15:20.480 --> 0:15:22.720 what you want. They also have not been gap sound 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:24.360 at all, like I mentioned, so you'll often see two 0:15:24.400 --> 0:15:26.320 guys in a gap meaning none and another in the 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:28.840 running game. And as I mentioned earlier, the safeties tend 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.200 to play in this limbo of off on at the 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:32.960 line in terms of do I go do I come back? 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.840 And it takes you know, one one run in space 0:15:37.000 --> 0:15:38.880 or one guy in space to make a move to 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:40.720 get around them and as off to the races. We've 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:42.360 seen it this year with the Seahawks a couple of 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:44.640 times and some other games as well. So I just 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:47.080 think there's opportunities across the board. From Miami, we've seen 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:49.160 the Dolphins running game get crank in the last few weeks. 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:52.000 The lines run defense has really struggled. They did hold 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:54.000 the Commanders to eighty eight yards that was the lowest 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:56.480 opponent output. That of course was when they went at 0:15:56.480 --> 0:15:58.640 their were at their healthiest. But when they do fit 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:00.880 it right, it's often led by the speed and athletic 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:04.320 ability of Alex Anzeloni coming downhill with those twelve run stops. 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.120 Malcolm Rodriguez. You guys remember him from Hard Knocks. He 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:09.800 leads the linebackers to thirteen run stops under size, but 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:12.760 it doesn't matter because he's fast and instinctive, and that's 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:15.840 a big reason why they're trusted. They trust him so much. 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:18.640 With man coverage on backs and tight ends for Angeloni 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:21.680 as well, you'll often see them carry routes up the 0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:24.880 seam and you can throw, you know, against their leverage 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:27.440 basically over their heads and over the top of their shoulders, 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:30.200 but also spread out to the perimeter on covering swings 0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:32.800 and screens and flats and things of that nature. Combined, 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:35.400 opposing teams have completed seventy eight percent of their passes 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:38.000 for three seventy eight on these linebackers. It's nine point 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:40.360 nine yards per pass attempt. And we saw Raheem get 0:16:40.360 --> 0:16:41.920 it going in the passing game last week. We know 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:44.560 what to can do. When he escapes the initial wave, 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:46.360 he tends to create space for the backs in the 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:49.160 passing game. Perhaps we get more production that way again. 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:51.320 After forty yards and a touchdown from the running backs 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:53.280 in the passing game last week, I feel like I'm 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:54.760 saying this about the entire game, but I think this 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:56.840 is a chance for the screen game to get crank 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:58.120 in too. If you want to dial up those blitzes 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:00.160 and play man coverage, we'll screen you to death. So 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:02.440 lots of opportunities to go ahead and take our break 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:05.320 and get to the other side of the football. Here Dolphins, defense, lines, offense. 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:08.720 That's next Dragtime podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:18.080 you by Auto Nation. It's a Thursday, the return of 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:20.960 football into your household after two days off. Do you 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:23.119 guys struggle on two days and wednesdays without football in 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:25.560 your house during the fall? I know I do. Let's 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:27.160 go ahead and pick it back up with our favorite 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:28.960 matchup of the week, the Dolphins, of course, and the 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:32.520 Detroit Lines on Sunday one o'clock at Ford Field is 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:35.359 still called Ford Field, um. Starting here at the defense 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:37.800 or the Miami Dolphins defense versus the line's offense, and 0:17:37.840 --> 0:17:41.879 the quarterback position versus the safety's they've got just in 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:44.000 general their offense. They have four receivers in the current 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:46.720 roster with amand Ross st Brown stads for Sunday unknown. 0:17:47.080 --> 0:17:48.680 So in that Dallas game, we saw lots of twelve 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:52.080 personnel and the result was an eight three percent workload 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:55.399 for t J. Hockenson, for brock Right the number two 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:58.639 tight end, and you still had three receivers eclipse. So 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:01.000 it's like most offenses and the NFL that it is 0:18:01.080 --> 0:18:04.280 eleven based eleven personnel sixty eight percent at the time, 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:06.600 twelve personnel thirteen percent at the time, but that went 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:09.200 up without the receivers they haven't had the last couple 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:12.280 of weeks and thirteen personnel's five percent. They have an 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:14.960 occasional snap in O one and twenty one personnel both 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:16.879 less than two percent. And that brings us to the 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:20.120 quarterback position with Jared Goff, who what I like about 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:23.880 golf is he can challenge every inch of the field 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:25.920 with a true power arm that he has. He wants 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:27.680 to beat you from the pocket, play in rhythm and 0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:29.920 on time, and work off the play action game. The 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:32.680 lines will go to after they established the run that 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:35.240 has been such a sturdy element of their team, especially 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:38.040 with DeAndre Swift potentially back in the fold. Now. We 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:39.879 saw the Dolphins defense get back to a little more 0:18:39.960 --> 0:18:41.919