Dolphins' Defense
On the Dolphins' defense, linebacker Jordyn Brooks, outside linebacker Bradley Chubb and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick lead the way. Brooks leads the NFL in tackles with an absurd 169, setting the standard in their unit. He is quick to diagnose and fit the run. Brooks is able to navigate through congestion and pairs an effective trigger downhill with twitchy lateral movement skills. Chubb is a disruptor, driving upfield to wreak havoc. He plays light on his feet and has the ability to tighten backside lanes. Chubb leads the club with 6.5 sacks and has elite acceleration around the rush arc and violent hands, along with a nasty stab move. Fitzpatrick plays with a competitive disposition and fits the mold of the do-it-all safety. He can cover the slot, blitz, line up as the deep safety in the post or operate down in the box. Fitzpatrick invites physical challenges and plays with solid understanding from zone. He is dealing with a calf injury and has not practiced this week but if he does play, he will be a focal point for the Bucs' offense.
"They're a good outfit," said Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard on the Dolphins' defense. "You can see a similar structure to some of the teams we've played this year with 'Weav' (Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver) coming from Baltimore. It goes back to that line of defense that we saw from Coach [Mike] MacDonald in Seattle. They've got playmakers. Brooks is leading the league in tackles – it's not easy to do that, at the end of the day, to be able to be around the football that often. You see Jack Jones making plays – he's really around the ball, as well. Up the middle, being with [Zach] Sieler for those many years in Miami, he really makes the thing go on when you talk about strain and finish, and he really hangs his hat on that. They've got guys at every level of the defense. We'll see if Minkah plays but Minkah is a hell of a player – able to play corner, safety, nickel – you can see his speed out there. It's a good team."
Mike McDaniel Influence
During his time with the Dolphins, Josh Grizzard served as a quality control coach (2017-19, 2022-23) and wide receivers coach (2020-21). He was a part of four consecutive winning seasons with the Dolphins – accomplishing the feat for the first time since the club did so in seven straight seasons from 1997-2003. Grizzard contributed to an offense that finished the 2023 season ranked first in yards per game (401.3), passing yards per game (265.5), and yards per carry (5.1), while ranking second in yards per play (6.5), net yards per pass attempt (8.0), and points scored per game (29.2). He worked with Mike McDaniel, who comes out of the coaching tree with Kyle Shanahan. McDaniel operates out of an outsize-zone based run system and horizontal game that stretches defenses laterally. The aim is to get playmakers in space, notably De'Von Achane, and confuse the opposition with complex pre-snap motion. They use multiple personnel groupings and Grizzard credited McDaniel with his coaching rise.
"There was essentially a new coordinator every year in Miami, there were coaches getting fired essentially every year," stated Grizzard. "It's a new system and you see a lot of different ways of calling plays, designing offenses, route running, YAC ability, marrying the run and pass game. Listening to Mike explain that and the staff that he brought in and the system he had, personally brought all that together. That was something that we really leaned on last year with Liam [Coen], trying to incorporate that here. I would not be in this position without Mike McDaniel."
Defending pre-Snap Motion
In the McDaniel system, there is a heavy-dose of eye candy through pre-snap movement and odd placement, whether it is a running back or tight end lined up on the outside, or a back behind the receiver as opposed to the quarterback. It is based on generating advantageous matchups and creating a defensive tell if it is man or zone. McDaniel designed the speed motion that almost mimics a rub route before the snap and aims at building speed and creating a running start before the play begins. It allows quick threats to play even faster, leading to busted coverages. There are many moving parts and the Bucs' defense will have to remain disciplined on Sunday.
"Just do your responsibility," stated Run Game Coordinator and Outside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote. "You [have] to adjust, you [have] to move. They shift, they jet motion, so they're trying to create leverage, and everybody knows it. You [have] to do it every play. It reminds me of growing up and watching Barry Sanders [with] negative [play], negative [play], then all of a sudden a home run, so guys [have] to do their job play-in and play-out."
