Sacks VS the Miami Dolphins, Weeks 1-6

Sacks VS the Miami Dolphins

    Taking a look at some of the causes and factors in each of the 10 sacks during Miami's first six games. We can also look back at problems, similarities, and differences in protection and sacks between R. Fitzpatrick and T. Tagovailoa after he starts a few games. 

Full film cutup is linked at the bottom.

Defensive Fronts: The Wide Front

 

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Defensive Fronts: The Wide Front

Generating Pass Rush Pressure From The Wide Front, Across The NFL.

Click here for cutup of wide front snaps

Matched Box Wide Front. Only backer in box (49) matches HB.

KEY POINTS

• This front is called strictly on anticipated passing downs. Called on 5% of all snaps sampled for this article, but more than 20% of 3rd downs. Nearly all on 3rd&4+.
• The wide front is a 4-down front, with center and both guards uncovered. (Tackles 4i/4/5, Ends 7/9 techniques)
• Advantages of the wide front are in creating four possible 1-on-1s (OTs, OGs), removing much of the impact of the Center sliding to either side, and opening space with wide alignments to be attacked with line games.

Disguising Tampa 2 - NFL Defenses

 

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Disguising Tampa 2 — NFL Defenses

Film of these disguises in action is linked at the bottom.

The What.

While this article won’t get into too much detail of base Tampa 2, the basics are:

1. Two-deep zones, typically covered by safeties in a two-high shell.
2. Pole runner, typically a linebacker, covering the middle of the field, between the hashes.
3. Four underneath zones. Two CBs playing sink-flats, two LBs playing hook-curl zones. CBs may be carrying #1 WRs vertical to help deal with possible 4-verts.
4. Typically the low middle is vacated by the pole runner (blue zone circled above). Some teams will drop a DL into this zone off the line.

Disguising Tampa 2 typically comes from either disguising the players responsible for covering the two-deep zones, or disguising the pole runner.

Negative Run Plays in the NFL

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Negative Run Plays in the NFL

From offensive snaps in weeks 1–4 of the 2020 NFL season: New England, Tampa Bay, Miami. Cutups at the bottom.

Disclaimer: this is an experimental breakdown. The goal here is to attempt to divorce some very general causes of negative runs from the specific defensive fronts, blocking, and run schemes. At least divorce as far as possible without losing all meaning and context. Leave a comment here or on reddit with some feedback.

Here we will look at some of the most common causes of run plays in the NFL resulting in +1 yards or less. Causes being addressed are listed below.

1. Unblocked Backside Edge Defender

2. Defensive End/Edge + Linebacker Gap Exchange on a Down Block

3. Zone Runs Against Bear Fronts

4. Tight End Blocking a Defensive End at Point of Attack

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UNBLOCKED BACKSIDE DEFENDER