Fins Focus

A Miami Dolphins Platform By @DeSenaSports & @MadeBySujay

Business Email: [email protected] #FinsUp

[Tyler DeSena @desena_tyler]

Tua Tagovailoa’s injury overshadowed some of the looming issues Mike McDaniel’s offense has faced through two weeks.

I broke them down and how Miami could spell them

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

What's the highest draft pick you would trade for Bryce Young?

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨DOLPHINS-BILLS RECAP🚨

Dolphins-Bills looked eerily similar to years past, but there were a few things that stood out. @JosephBriganti9 covered it here.
https://t.co/vKRufDxBDk

[Tyler DeSena @desena_tyler]

It's been a relatively busy (and way too short) week, so I'm gonna break down my biggest key to the game here.

This, more so than any other game, could very well come down to that "F" position for Miami, and I mean that in a variety of ways.

I fully expect the 12 personnel from last week (especially without Mostert), and looking at how Miami's offense ran in that 4th quarter, they still feel they can win out of 11.

That means the F being that 2nd TE/ 3rd WR, and on Miami's crack tosses that they LOVE to get to, that could very well be Robbie Chosen / Grant Dubose or Jonnu Smith.

Miami has to keep Buffalo's defense honest. They ran a LOT of cloud coverage vs. Arizona and focused on getting depth rather than defending the flats, which makes it a little peculiar how Miami attacked Jacksonville all game with screens AND crack tosses and then, when they needed to empty the tank, ran two different FAKE crack tosses to open up the holes in C2.

If Miami wants to keep those flat/cloud defenders down, they need to be able to:

1. be effective running to the outside (which very well may come down to how well their F can block)
2. Be effective on screens and other quick passes to the flats (which could very well go to Achane as the F in FAST 21 or Smith as the F in 12 / pseudo 11).

I don't think Miami wanted to bring out those fake crack toss plays in the 4th quarter (because they seem to be the newest wrinkle in their PA game), but when they set them up, they resulted in (both plays attached):

1. A 21 yard pass interference attacking the outside to Jaylen Waddle.
2. A 20 yard sail route to Tyreek Hill on the opposite hash that Tua put right on Tyreek's facemask vs the hole in C2.

Those explosives were the key plays on Miami's FG drive to tie the game, and came because Miami worked an entire game attacking a team that ran SO MUCH Cover-2 and 2-man, which is a MASSIVE part of Buffalo's D.

I think Miami could very well go back to that well, but (long story short), the best way to ensure that they work is by getting consistent perimeter blocks (something Miami did NOT get in week one), and peppering in that screen and flat game with Jonnu Smith and Devon Achane, much like they did last week.

If those ancillary pieces can make enough plays, Tua's arm looked much improved and more than capable to hit far-hash, outside the numbers throws, and Miami can truly threaten the whole field in a way they haven't really been able to do against Buffalo.

[Tyler DeSena @desena_tyler]

🚨NEW BREAKDOWN🚨

The Miami Dolphins offense is full of so many interesting wrinkles, and the way they set up their complementary plays always keeps defenses guessing.

I broke down a few of Mike McDaniel’s most interesting calls vs Jacksonville and how they’re interconnected.

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

@JosephBriganti9 https://t.co/Z5EWftZtiW

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨Dolphins-Jaguars RECAP🚨

Miami got a close win on Sunday, but not without some key performances from their stars. @JosephBriganti9 broke down 5 key plays and gave out game balls for the best individual performances.

https://t.co/Z5EWfu018u

[Tyler DeSena @desena_tyler]

🚨NEW BREAKDOWN🚨

Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver compared EDGE Jaelan Phillips to Mariano Rivera, which brings up an interesting comparison of edges to closing pitchers.

With that, I investigated: who is the NFL’s best closer?

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨NEW BREAKDOWN🚨

The Miami Dolphins broke a tendency on Sunday, bringing out their 22 personnel with Jeff Wilson on the game-tying drive.

@DeSenaSports broke down how they shifted the tone on a key down. Follow for more

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨NEW BREAKDOWN🚨

The Miami Dolphins love their crack toss plays, and this play is an awesome example of how layered they are.

Follow for more :)

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨NEW VIDEO🚨

Every time the Miami Dolphins needed a big play, it was their stars who came up HUGE. @DeSenaSports breaks it down. Follow for more :)

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨NEW VIDEO🚨

Alec Ingold took it personally when asked about Miami’s short yardage woes in 2023, and that was evident today.

Check out Ingold’s late game impact and follow for more :)

[Tyler DeSena @desena_tyler]

If you think about the average play (because barely anyone plays 10 personnel) consisting of AT LEAST:

1 RB
1 TE
2 WRs

THEN a simple way to look at the F is that he's the 5th guy, and thus, the one who, when assigned to each of those roles (RB, TE, WR), dictates what personnel the offense comes out in.

The thing about Jonnu Smith, at least on paper, is that he can blur the lines of which position he's really playing as the F, making it difficult to key in on what Miami is doing offensively.

[Tyler DeSena @desena_tyler]

🚨NEW BREAKDOWN🚨

The Miami Dolphins listed an “F” position on their depth chart, which had many people asking: What on earth is an “F”?

I broke down what the position means, along with how Jonnu Smith can be extremely important in that role for Miami in 2024

[Tyler DeSena @desena_tyler]

A lot is being made of Jonnu Smith being listed as the backup "F" on the Dolphins depth chart, so I'll run through a few key points a notes on Smith and the F role in general.

- "F" is not the same as "FB". When looking at these positions, you can't think about WHERE a player is going to play, but rather the role they are going to play. The same way Tyreek Hill isn't always playing as the outside WR, the "F" isn't always at fullback.

- "F" stands for Formation Adjuster, and is the primary way of labeling a player who is the:
- FB in 21 (2 back 1 TE) personnel
- Second TE in 12 (1 back 2 TE) personnel
- 3rd WR in 11 (1 back 1 TE) personnel

Jonnu Smith, logically, fits the second category relatively smoothly. He's been listed as a primary tight end his entire career and he has expansive NFL experience playing off the LOS as the second TE in 12 personnel looks.

However, it's the way that he fits the other two roles that really make him THE player who could potentially bridge the gap for Miami as they continue to work on an interchangeable offensive unit that can dictate personnel.

Miami's FAST 21 personnel comes to mind immediately, and specifically the looks they ran out of it in 2023. Having two traditional running backs on the field (just about any combination of Mostert, Achane, Brooks, Wilson) was one of their most dangerous run packages.

On plenty of those snaps, Miami would have one of their running backs playing the F and lined up off the line of scrimmage.

For instance, against Denver, this was Raheem Mostert. On a big crack toss play for Devon Achane (that I tweeted a couple days ago and will link below), Miami tasked Mostert with motioning out and lead blocking down the field.

It's here where Jonnu Smith can potentially allow Miami to make those looks substantially more dangerous as a passing threat along with being a strong blocker.

One of the primary issues for Miami in that "F" spot is that they had to pick their poison, which largely dictated either

A: which play (run or pass) was coming
or
B: How effective their F was as a blocker

By bringing in one of: Mostert, Chris Brooks, and especially Alec Ingold in 21 looks, you GAIN the run threat and potentially "+" blocking from any of those players, but you essentially LOSE one of your 5 eligibles as a true downfield receiving threat, making it easier for defenses to key in on what's coming.

And as you would guess, bringing in a Robbie Chosen/Braxton Berrios brings almost exactly the opposite problems, while also not raising your ceiling nearly enough in obvious passing situations (hence bringing in OBJ).

But with Jonnu Smith, at least on paper, Miami sees someone who can admirably fill in as a blocker on those exit motions and crack toss plays, while also being able to:
1. be a similar threat to that of Mostert/Brooks on designed touches (jet sweeps, screens, reverses)
2. be a SUBSTANTIALLY better downfield passing target than those backs, and potentially better from day ONE than Miami's WR3's in 2023.

This makes it THAT much harder to dictate what Miami is doing, and what makes Jonnu Smith a potential wild card for the Dolphins offense. Bringing in Smith rather than a Berrios should undoubtedly bring heavier personnel, but having someone who can make you pay both laterally and down the field in the way Smith is capable of can ensure DC's are wrong no matter who they send out there.

Miami has made it their goal to be as multiple as possible. A lot has been made about the "Deebo Role" phenomenon and what "F" even actually means, but the logical step in the Shanahan tree has always been bringing in multiple and interchangeable personnel.

That means (for example) Achane working out wide, Jonnu working in the backfield (both of which we saw in training camp A LOT FWIW), and an overall emphasis on making personnel decisions that much more difficult for DC's when they see who Miami trots onto the field on a given play.

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

We are Jalen Ramsey days away from Miami Dolphins Football 5️⃣

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨NEW BREAKDOWN🚨

Miami unleashed their FAST 21 Personnel looks last year, but didn’t use them to their full potential because of injury.

However, adding Jonnu Smith and Jaylen Wright means we could be in for substantially more FAST 21 and 12 this year 👀

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

Mike McDaniel gets to cook up masterpieces like this through 2028 🤙

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

FACT: the Miami Dolphins haven’t had the same QB2 for two years in a row since 2016-2017 (Matt Moore).

Ironically enough, they didn’t have the same QB1 in ‘16-‘17, as Ryan Tannehill missed the entire 2017 season with injury.

[Fins Focus @FinsFocusMIA]

🚨53 MAN ROSTER PREDICTION🚨

In our newest piece, @JosephBriganti9 breaks down the Dolphins-Buccaneers preseason game and gives his prediction for the Miami Dolphins roster after cutdown day.
https://t.co/Am9FuNGQz8