RULES, REGULATIONS AND COACHING POINTS - WEEK 6

Following on from last weeks look at the front seven players on defence and where the scheme may hold clues for the type of player we have and may need, the defensive backfield was judged to be Miami’s weakest area by some.  Normally a backfield consists of two cornerbacks, a strong safety and a free safety.  The Dolphins defence use a mix of man and zone coverage, just like most teams.  Defensive schemes are complicated and reactive and part of Miami’s problem is the rookie or second year players that start not being used to the system yet or have a true veteran to help.

 

With the lack of pressure and sacks on the quarterback, Miami has been leaning more on zone coverage, which is basically a defender having an area to cover rather than man coverage where a defender just sticks to their assigned receiver wherever he goes.  Zone is more complicated than man coverage and Miami’s defensive backfield is more attuned to man coverage.  Come the draft, if Miami keeps running more zone coverage, then look to the Dolphins drafting smarter defensive backs who can process reads quicker.

 

On the outside, the cornerbacks are usually the right CB who gets to cover the X receiver (the speed guy) and the left CB who covers the Z receiver (the tougher more elusive receiver).  In man coverage the CB will turn his back to the inside and shadow his receiver wherever he goes not worrying about the run initially, forcing him outside and using the sideline to help him. In zone he will line up just outside and fiercely back pedal getting to his zone and trying to funnel the receiver inside to a linebacker while also looking in the backfield to help with run support and may ‘pass off’ their receiver to deep safeties or inside to linebackers. 

 

In zone a receiver will look for holes in the defence, in man they look for separation.  Depending on what best fits the personal on the field dictates the coverage the defence will call.  If Miami keep to the zone heavy defensive scheme next year, look for Maimi to draft or sign corners who are not just able to squat in the zone because sticking to a Khalil Shakir or an AJ Brown is a completely different skill set and shutdown corners are worth their weight in gold. Zone corners need to be able to tackle and so far Chris Johnson has impressed with his tackling ability.

 

Safeties need a mix of skills.  They need to support the run, cover half the field in 2 deep coverage, play the deep middle coverage and be able to blitz and the balance of size and speed is becoming much more important to hybrid defences.   Michael Taaffe has been good so far but does lack size and athletics, making it up with football smarts, while Dante Trader does have the physical attributes needed.

 

While Miami continues to struggle to get to the QB, the defensive backs are put under more and more pressure.  The success of opposing tight ends hints to coverage and pressure problems but Kyle Louis, currently injured, is a linebacker/safety type at 6’0 ft and 225 lbs.  Big enough to play the run and take on blockers and super-fast to take some of the coverage pressure off the defensive backs.  Traditionally, strong safeties are bigger then free safeties but the difference is becoming less evident so Miami needs to improve the mix of safety abilities on the roster without sacrificing too many of the mix of skills, Louis gives Maimi flexibility without bringing him on and off the field.