Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
During a loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Miami Dolphins’ glaring weakness was too big to ignore. The Saints physically dominated the Dolphins up front and only furthered a disturbing trend that will begin to haunt Miami in the future if not taken care of soon.
The Dolphins have given up 18 sacks through four games while only registering 11 from their defense. The 18 given up ranks last in the league. The 11 by Miami ranks 14th, tied with three other teams. New Orleans sacked quarterback Ryan Tannehill four times Monday night, proving that the offensive line is indeed their biggest issue.
Miami ranks 24th in the NFL with just over 84 rushing yards per game as a team. Take that however you’d like, but the run game has not made it easy for Tannehill to execute in the passing game.
Lamar Miller has progressed and become the main option on the ground, averaging 4.6 yards per carry on 43 carries thus far with a long of 49 yards. Daniel Thomas, though, can’t seem to get it going as he has just averaged 2.8 yards per carry on 25 carries with a long of only 12.
If the run game cannot get going, that makes the Dolphins a bit more predictable of course. On the flip side, if the offensive line can’t hold up, how are they supposed to establish a run?
It all boils down to the offensive line not getting it done — period. Tannehill cannot be expected to move the ball on his own. He’s not a Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers, he needs a run game and at least halfway-decent protection. Still a young, developing quarterback, Tannehill needs some help up front. If that fails to happen, this hot start may wind up dwindling real quickly.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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