MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn’t necessarily agree with me.
I asked Tagovailoa after Tuesday’s practice whether the Dolphins had been calling more “big-boy” plays in the red zone. Anecdotally, I think I’ve observed more physical, aggressive calls when the Dolphins are at their opponents’ 20-yard line or closer.
During Monday’s practice, I observed the Dolphins employ a two-tight end red-zone formation with bruising running back Chris Brooks in the backfield. That’s big-boy football from a sprint-relay offense.
If the Dolphins are making more “big-boy” calls in the red zone, that’d be a big change for Miami and coach Mike McDaniel. And it’d be a positive one.
Tagovailoa said they’re only taking what the defense gives them, that there hasn’t been a philosophical change. He said the looks the offense has been getting from defensive coordinators Vic Fangio (last season) and Anthony Weaver (this season) are different from the looks they got from Josh Boyer (in 2022).
So the approach to attacking the defense in the red zone is different, not the offensive philosophy.
“It’s just a new look with the defense that we’re seeing,” Tagovailoa said of the red-zone play calls.
“Look at the past couple of years, outside of Boyer’s defense it hasn’t really been the same since then of the looks we get in the red area, and then third downs and situationally.”
Whatever the case, I’m encouraged.
I’m going to keep monitoring this situation throughout training camp and preseason games.
I think the offense is approaching the red zone differently this year. I don’t think they’re attacking the Weaver defense the same way they attacked the Fangio defense. I think the red-zone offense is more varied this year.
But I’ll take Tua at his word. After all, he’s forgotten more about football than I’ll ever know.
However, to me, the red-zone play-calling that I’ve seen in practice, whatever reason is behind it, has been different. I hope it’s a sign that McDaniel is approaching this situation a bit differently. And I hope Tua is just trying to be coy so that he doesn’t publicly reveal corporate secrets.
I see the Dolphins passing to tight ends more, and I see them running the ball more frequently from, say, the 5-yard line.
That wasn’t necessarily the case in Friday’s 20-13 preseason opening victory over Atlanta. But the Dolphins didn’t have their starters on the field.
Chris Perkins: My top 10 Dolphins concerns for 2024 (backup QB and OL aren’t on the list)
Against the Falcons, the Dolphins ran seven red-zone plays. Two were runs and five were passes although quarterback Skylar Thompson ended up scrambling on one of the passes. Quarterback Mike White didn’t run any red-zone plays.
The red-zone runs (running backs Jeff Wilson Jr. and Jaylen Wright got the carries) were positives because it shows a willingness to run the ball in a running situation.
As for the four passes, granted, they were all to wide receivers and running backs instead of tight ends.
But the main tight ends — Durham Smythe, Jonnu Smith and Julian Hill — weren’t in the game.
That left tight end duties to Jody Fortson Jr., Tanner Conner (who got injured) and Hayden Rucci.
None was targeted in the red zone.
Thompson threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Wilson.
And later Wright had a 6-yard touchdown run, which means it was a red-zone touchdown run.
Wrapped around those plays were a bunch of short passes to Wilson and wide receivers Malik Washington and Braylon Sanders.
Regardless, during training camp practices the Dolphins are showing positive change in their red-zone play calls. They’re more aggressive calls. They’re more physical calls.
Too often in the past two seasons McDaniel called cute, finesse, speedy plays in the red zone when muscle was required.
I think there’s been a change during this training camp.
I’ve observed the Dolphins going to Smith and Smythe more frequently. Both of those guys have been active from maybe the 12- or 15-yard line and closer. Smith, in fact, had a red-zone touchdown reception Tuesday during practice.
I think I’ve seen the Dolphins throwing to the tight ends more frequently in the red zone.
I think I’ve seen the Dolphins calling more running plays for running backs in the red zone.
I’ll monitor this situation in Saturday’s preseason game against Washington, when the starters should get plenty of plays in the first half, or at least in the first quarter.
Tagovailoa said the Dolphins are just being opportunistic in the red zone, that’s what I’m seeing.
“We’re just taking what the defense gives us,” he said, “and if it entails us more to throw it to the big guys down there that’s what it entails us to do.”
I hope he’s wrong. I hope I’m witnessing a philosophical change, or tweak, for the Dolphins’ red-zone offense.
