NFL Preseason Week 1 – There was a whole lot of chatter in regards to the Miami Dolphins this offseason, and for good purpose: there’s so much to speak about! Proprietor Stephen Ross has been suspended following tampering allegations that price the group subsequent yr’s first-round draft choose. Their previous coach, Brian Flores, is suing the group; their present coach, Mike McDaniel, is putting in a brand new offense. That offense is being constructed across the trio of Tua, Tyreek, and Terron: an enigmatic quarterback, a mercurial receiver, and a big-money deal with. However no one’s speaking in regards to the one factor Miami did higher than anybody else final yr—strain opposing quarterbacks—and whether or not they’ll be capable of try this with out Flores in 2022.
The Dolphins pressured opposing quarterbacks a league-high 34.3% of the time in 2021, making the highest 5 in whole sacks and adjusted sack rate, and Flores’ scheme had so much to do with that. Emmanuel Ogbah led Miami with 9.0 sacks, a complete that did not make the highest 20 within the league. However he was one among six Dolphins defenders to gather 4.0 sacks or extra, a determine matched solely by Carolina. Ogbah’s 40 hurries put him within the high 10 in that class, however Miami’s success there was nonetheless a gaggle effort: the Dolphins have been the one protection with six gamers within the high 100.
Flores received a lot manufacturing out of so many gamers by preserving opposing offenses guessing. The Dolphins had a virtually even break up between base personnel, nickel packages, and dime formations. (That will sound like a balanced assault, however in right now’s NFL it is a case of nice extremes: Miami ranked first in utilizing dime units and second in utilizing base, however lifeless final in utilizing the nickel.) So offenses already had their palms full attempting to determine who was on the sphere, and Flores then confused them additional by blitzing everybody. The Dolphins used precisely 5 pass-rushers 28% of the time, second solely to Washington. They used large blitzes of six or extra pass-rushers 11% of the time, second solely to Kansas Metropolis. And their whole blitz price of 39% was second to none.
And with all these dime formations, it is solely pure that a whole lot of these blitzers got here from the secondary. The Dolphins blitzed a defensive again 22% of the time. Solely two groups within the final decade (Wink Martindale’s Ravens in 2019 and Rex Ryan’s Jets in 2012) blitzed DBs extra usually. Brandon Jones led all defensive backs with 5.0 sacks, and Jevon Holland added 2.5 extra. And it was Holland main DBs with 11 hurries, whereas Jones and Eric Rowe chipped in with seven apiece.
And on account of all that strain, Miami’s protection was … OK? The Dolphins made the highest 10 in pass defense DVOA, however their -77.7% DVOA when getting strain was in the course of the pack. And once they did not get strain, their DVOA climbed to 41.1%, eighth worst, as their lack of cornerback depth behind Xavien Howard and Byron Jones was uncovered. Miami made the top 10 in DVOA on throws to No. 1 and No. 2 extensive receivers, in addition to operating backs, however ranked thirtieth in protection towards each “different” extensive receivers and tight ends.
We would count on related outcomes from the Dolphins this fall, as a result of they noticed little change in teaching or personnel. McDaniel retained Josh Boyer, who was Flores’ defensive coordinator final season. And 14 of their high 15 gamers in defensive snaps will return, with the lone exception being Adam Butler, a defensive deal with who performed about half the time final yr however is at present unsigned. In free company, they added Melvin Ingram, who will work right into a deep rotation of edge rushers with Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips, and Andrew Van Ginkel. Ingram solely had two sacks in 15 video games with the Steelers and Chiefs final yr, however he added two extra in Kansas Metropolis’s postseason. Third-round rookie Channing Tindall initiatives as an off-ball linebacker, however he additionally confirmed some pass-rush capacity in school, gathering 12 sacks in 4 seasons in Georgia.
So sure, Terron Armstead will hold defenders away from Tua Tagovailoa, who ought to hit Tyreek Hill for loads of touchdowns. Nevertheless it’s their capacity to generate cross rush that would decide whether or not or not they return to the playoffs.
Atlanta Falcons: Worst in Practically a Decade
Whereas the Dolphins have been on the high of the strain price tables in 2021, the Atlanta Falcons have been on the backside. In truth, Atlanta’s strain price of 18.4% would even have been the bottom in 2020 … or 2019 … or some other season relationship again to 2013. They have been additionally final in whole sacks and adjusted sack price. Grady Jarrett, an inside lineman, led the Falcons with 24 pressures however did not make the highest 50 within the NFL. Solely three Falcons hit double digits, fewest of any group within the league. Dante Fowler led Atlanta with 4.5 sacks, a complete that was surpassed by Chandler Jones in Week 1 and matched by Myles Garrett in Week 3.
Not surprisingly, the Falcons blew up their edge rusher depth chart over the offseason. Adetokunbo Ogundeji, a fifth-round rookie who had one sack final yr, will return, however Fowler, Steven Means, and James Vaughters have been all allowed to go away in free company. Atlanta changed them by signing Lorenzo Carter, who had 5 sacks and 20 hurries for the Giants in 2021. Additionally they added a trio of rookies with numerous levels of pass-rush potential within the draft. I’ll be lazy resourceful and quote Bryan Knowles from his Atlanta chapter in Football Outsiders Almanac 2022 regarding their prospects:
Arnold Ebiketie (Penn State, drafted thirty eighth total): “[Ebiketie] did not play a full season till his fifth yr in school. It was well worth the wait; he bulked up and led the group with 9.5 sacks, 18 TFLs, and two blocked kicks in 12 video games.”
Troy Andersen (Montana State, 58th): [Andersen] was a highschool security in 2016, a university operating again in 2017, a quarterback in 2018, a part-time linebacker in 2019, and a full-time linebacker in 2021. You needn’t watch a second of his tape to comprehend {that a}) he is an athletic stud, and b) he nonetheless has a lot of work to do as he finds his position on the sphere. If he develops, he’ll be among the finest linebackers within the league in area. And if not, there are 4 or 5 positions he hasn’t tried but.”
DeAngelo Malone (Western Kentucky, 82nd): “[Malone] is undersized as an edge rusher, making up for it with pace and athleticism. He in all probability caps out as third-down pass-rush specialist except he can bulk his body up. He has 5 years of faculty expertise, which suggests he is pretty polished however in all probability would not have that rather more room to develop, all issues thought of.”
Buffalo Payments: Leaning on Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer
Whereas it is true that each protection performs higher when it will get strain (duh), it is also true that each protection fails to get strain more often than not. That makes DVOA with out strain an essential stat, and no protection in 2021 was higher with out strain than the Buffalo Payments, whose non-pressure DVOA of 1.9% was one of the best within the league. That strongly suggests the Payments had the NFL’s greatest secondary, and that is even with Tre’Davious White tearing his ACL in Week 12.
With White out for one-third of the season, it was the league’s greatest security duo, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, who have been the largest stars right here. Hyde was tied for first amongst safeties in defeats, whereas Poyer was tied for third. The Payments’ backfield was so dominant they virtually eliminated the deep ball from opponents’ playbooks. Buffalo’s DVOA against deep passes was -68.5%, one of the best in our DVOA database, surpassing the -54.8% mark of the 2007 Colts. (Indianapolis’ two safeties that season, Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea, each made the Professional Bowl.) It has been a tough coaching camp for Buffalo’s safeties—Hyde suffered a scary wanting harm that turned out to be a minor hip bruise, whereas Poyer has missed apply with a hyperextended elbow. (Poyer has additionally been caught in upstate New York whereas his spouse, Rachel Bush, has been gallivanting round Spain in microscopic bikinis. Poyer is seeking a new contract, and we won’t blame him—these flights to Ibiza aren’t low cost.)
Although White will return at cornerback, Levi Wallace is not going to, having signed with Pittsburgh in free company. The Payments traded up within the draft to take Florida’s Kaiir Elam twenty third total to switch Wallace. Elam has spectacular measurement (6-foot-2, 190 kilos) and pace (4.39s 40-yard sprint) and has earned rave reviews from Buffalo defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
Baltimore Ravens: Subsequent Man Up … and the Subsequent … and the Subsequent…
The Baltimore Ravens had the league’s worst DVOA with out strain, which isn’t any shock contemplating they suffered probably the most adjusted games lost at defensive again final season. (They have been additionally within the high six at each defensive position and linebacker.) Marlon Humphrey missed 5 video games, DeShon Elliott missed 11, and Marcus Peters missed the whole season. By Week 15, the Ravens have been lacking 9 defensive backs, together with all 4 projected starters.
Baltimore can not help however be more healthy subsequent yr. Peters and Humphrey will return at nook, joined by Kyle Fuller, a long-time starter in Chicago who was largely a nickelback in Denver final yr. He has missed one recreation within the final 5 years, a reassuring stat contemplating the state of the Ravens secondary in 2021. Elliott is now in Detroit, so Baltimore signed Marcus Williams (who began 76 of New Orleans’ 81 video games within the final 5 seasons) to line up subsequent to Chuck Clark (who someway missed only one begin the final two seasons).
Full NFL Outcomes
