Extension of the Failures of the ZBS.

[VAIDER5120]

Something that needs to be clarified about the ZBS is that it is a RUNNING scheme ONLY! The only time the ZBS is used in passing plays is on play-action and bootleg/rollouts.
With that said and out of the way (I hope) the downside to running a ZBS is in pass protection as the O-linemen are usually smaller and are in defensive mode. To counter this weakness there are several options which the coaching staff has FAILED at.

#1- Have an aggressive mentality in the trenches to establish the run. Through the 90s SUPERBOWL runS the Broncos ran the ball down your throat without an O-lineman even weighing 300lbs. This is obviously easier said than done but Phailbins O-line had no aggressive/feisty bastards and Campbell is TRYING to undo Phailbins soft mentality and establish the run first to open the pass instead of vise versa. YES, you can blast, destroy and impose your will on the opposing side of the ball in a ZBS.

#2- "One way to compensate for the lack of beef in the front five is to increase the number of defenders by reserving tight ends and running backs for pass-blocking. The additional blockers can provide double-teams, pick up blitzers, or act as a second level of defense for rushers who break through, but at a cost of the number of available pass targets. A very effective compromise is to have the tight ends and running backs 'chip' block – hit a defender with a shoulder on the way out to a pass pattern. This slows down the rush while still letting the player be a pass target."

The CHIP block and push off block in the RZ and on 3rd downs by the TE and RB is non existent on this team. HELLO!!!!!!!! The TE is the RZ machine when passing there!!!!!

"To really help the passing game, the use of tight ends and running backs as pass targets tends to increase in zone blocking offenses. Not only do these players lend blocking support, the defense is forced to account for them in pass patterns, thereby reducing the number of players available for the pass rush and buying the quarterback more time. This is the driving principle behind the substantial use of fullbacks and tight ends as passing targets."

The FB!!!!! Yeah, that position that is being phased out is a VERY important peice missing from this O and the NFL as a whole.

"Fullbacks and halfbacks become particularly valuable in the passing game. Once established as a legitimate target, the defense is forced to count them among the targets and reserve pass defenders to cover their routes. If the running backs are then held as pure pass blockers (and not sent into receiving routes), the defense is suddenly wasting a defender on a vacated route and the offense gains a numerical advantage in the passing game. This buys time, which can then be used to allow deeper passing routes and stretch the field."

HELLO!!!!!

#3- The bootlegs/rollouts are the one thing that ELITE and RT can one day be in the same sentence in as RTs BEST ability is to throw on the run. RT has VERY poor pocket presence and the coaches have FAILED to get him on the move and move the pocket for him to make BIG BOY throws and a chance to extend plays. IMO this is the BIGGEST F'up "Lazor", Phailbin and Co. has made. This also sets up the option for RT to run the ball forcing defenders to now acount for the QB. Campbell has started using this though not enough.

#4- Since Campbell has taken over since I started this topic he actually knows the problems and is at least trying to fix it. The firing of "Lazor"(I am going to miss doing that) had to happen because of the lack of commitment to running the ball. When you use a ZBS the main objective is to RUN the ball FIRST and COUNTER with the passing game. The complete opposite of Phailbin and "Lazor" who didn't play to our running strengths that we are actually good at. A complete philosophical FAILURE!

Got some things from here: http://www.rockytoptalk.com/2009/8/2...game-in-a-zone

[VAIDER5120]

As of now the Dolphins rank dead last in rushing attempts per game at 20.2. A lot of this had to do with Phailbin/"Lazor" not running the ball and the D not stopping the run earlier in the year.

Miami is now tied for 3rd in rushing yards per attempt at 4.7 yards.

When Millertime get the ball 20 times a game going back to last year the Dolphins are 10-0.

Millertime averages 4.9 yards per carry and Jay Ajayi averages 5.5 yards per carry this year.

The Ravens D BEFORE we played them ranked 4th in allowing yards per attempt at 3.7 and 8th in rushing yards allowed per game at 93.9. The Ravens are a tough physical team and we made a statement by running it down their throats

Under Campbell the running game has improved and hopefully will continue with a commitment to it which was why "Lazor" was let go after AGAIN abandoning the running game after two games. If the things from above are implemented and executed the Dolphins can have a strong finish to the season on O.

[DolphinsFreak]

Interesting stat about Miller. I wonder where you got that stat because it must have been from a secured location because none of the coaches on staff know of that stat, if they did they would have run the ball more, correct? It's hard to believe how terrible "Lazor" was and how his offensive game plan never changed. It didn't matter who the opponent was, he did not alter his game plan from week to week. It was the same game plan every single week. It just baffled me that any coach in the NFL wouldn't adjust their game plan each week, which goes for offense and defense. It's suppose to be a chess match but when "Lazor" is calling the same plays and not changing things up to the strengths of his players and the weaknesses of their next opponent he ends up playing checkers while the opposing coaches look like grandmasters of chess.

Miller needs to be used more but having said that I do believe Ajayi is the better back and will take over the job in the near future. JMO

[VAIDER5120]

Interesting stat about Miller. I wonder where you got that stat because it must have been from a secured location because none of the coaches on staff know of that stat, if they did they would have run the ball more, correct? It's hard to believe how terrible "Lazor" was and how his offensive game plan never changed. It didn't matter who the opponent was, he did not alter his game plan from week to week. It was the same game plan every single week. It just baffled me that any coach in the NFL wouldn't adjust their game plan each week, which goes for offense and defense. It's suppose to be a chess match but when "Lazor" is calling the same plays and not changing things up to the strengths of his players and the weaknesses of their next opponent he ends up playing checkers while the opposing coaches look like grandmasters of chess.

Miller needs to be used more but having said that I do believe Ajayi is the better back and will take over the job in the near future. JMO

I found that stat secured permanently to the forehead of Captain Obvious in the form of a tattoo. So it was oblivious to Phailbin and "Lazor" because it was right in front of them.

[DolphinsFreak]

I found that stat secured permanently to the forehead of Captain Obvious in the form of a tattoo. So it was oblivious to Phailbin and "Lazor" because it was right in front of them.

AHAHA!!

We saw the writing on the wall with Philbin when he started getting rid of all the playmakers who were team leaders but it took fans a little longer with "Lazor" but he was a huge part of this teams failures.

[VAIDER5120]

Campbell KNOWS about this but can he FIX IT. Mango wrote about the lack of TEs involved in the O and I agree as it would help this overall topic as stated above. I would also include RT not throwing a good ball to the TEs consistently, the TE and QB not being on the same page and the lack of the TEs catching the ball especially on 3rd downs killing drives.
Miami Dolphins want to get Jordan Cameron the football -- but those routes

The tight end is a wonderful weapon for NFL offenses. These guys are generally a matchup problem for defenses because they are both big and fast -- too big for defensive backs to cover, too fast for linebackers to cover.
And when teams realize this, their red zone offenses improve. They're third-down offenses improve. Their offenses simply get better all around.
When the quarterback and the tight end and the offensive scheme and the play-caller are of one accord, the tight end becomes a great asset. Think of the Patriots with Rob Gronkowski. Think of Carolina with Greg Olsen. Think of the New Orleans Saints with Jimmy Graham and now Ben Watson. Think of the Bengals with Tyler Eifert, who has 12 touchdowns this season.
Think of the Chargers traditionally with Phillip Rivers to Antonio Gates.
Tights ends. Major weapons.
But when something is amiss and teams do not take advantage of a gifted tight end, it begs scrutiny because failing to cash in on such a potential matchup problem speaks to the talent, the offensive system, the coaching, everything. It is a broken situation and the entire offense suffers. Think of the Patriots without Rob Gronkowski. Think of Jimmy Graham in Seattle.
Think of Ryan Tannehill and Jordan Cameron and the Miami Dolphins.
Something is amiss here, folks.
Cameron has 26 catches for 306 yards, which means he's averaging 11.8 yards per reception. He has two touchdowns.
And that's bad because the former Pro Bowl tight end came to the Dolphins with credentials that suggest things should be much, much better than that. Remember that in 2013, Cameron was third among all NFL tight ends with 80 catches.
Remember that in 2014, even amid an injury-plagued season, Cameron led all NFL tight ends with at least 20 catches with a per catch average of 17.7 yards.
And remember he did all this while playing in Cleveland, which, last I looked, is not lately the home of great quarterback play or genius offensive game-planning.
So this is an issue (one of several) with the Miami offense in 2015.
“I want more out of Jordan," Dolphins interim coach Dan Campbell said. "I don’t disagree with that. We look for ways to get the ball to him and all of our tight ends for that matter, get some balls to Dion (Sims) as well. I think a lot of it early in the year was just about where we were at. We were in max-protection, which means if you do it out of 11-personnel (one tight end) that’s Jordan who has to block so you can get Jarvis Landry and the other two wide receivers down the field. We would like to incorporate more, there’s no denying that. I see it too and I would.”
The thing is everyone wants to do it because the head coach is a former NFL tight end and until two months ago was the team's tight ends coach, so if he wants it, everyone does.
Obviously, Ryan Tannehill wants it. I asked him if he likes throwing seam passes, a Cameron route strength.
“I love our tight ends," Tannehill said. "They’re big targets, they’re athletic, they catch the ball well in traffic and they can stretch the field down in those seams.”
Good. So why isn't it happening? Why are Dolphins tight ends, particularly Cameron, not major offensive weapons?
“I don’t know that’s a good question," Tannehill said. "I think that’s something that we took a step back and looked at last week is ‘Hey, we want to get our tight ends involved more.’ We have good athletes, good players and we’ve had a few opportunities, but we need to get them involved more. They’re not showing up like we want them to, like we think they should and I think that’s our fault as an offense of not getting them involved as much as we can. That’s something we’re looking forward to do over the next four games."
And here is where I think the offense is a problem. I see Cameron running a lot of shallow cross and quick outs. I'm sure he loves the five-yard gains.
But I don't see many hitches, many speed outs or many turn ins. I don't see him lined up outside and taking a safety deep very often -- you know just for kicks because he runs a 4.5 at 260 pounds.
I'm pretty certain Cameron could probably run those routes if asked.
(I hate this offense).

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2015/12/miami-dolphins-want-to-get-jordan-cameron-the-football-but-those-routes.html

[cuchulainn]

Everyone would love to see more passes to the TE, but I think a lot of our TE woes are linked to our poor blocking. Defenses know that our Guards and Fox at RT cannot hold their own. Forcing the TE to stay in and help hurts our passing game - both in Cameron's poor blocking and in drawing penalties. Cameron seems to draw a penalty almost every game for something at the LOS. This has helped contribute to the long passing situations on 2nd or 3rd down.