Dolphins Defensive Game-plan for NE

[dolphan117]

Just thought you guys might find this interesting.

Thanks to a stealth game plan that involved counterespionage and relentless pressure, the Dolphins harassed and confused Brady, the man with three Super Bowl rings. He passed for only 78 yards as the Dolphins blanked the Patriots 21-0 at Dolphin Stadium.

The plan the Dolphins used to once again thwart Brady - all four of his games with fewer than 100 yards passing have come against Miami - actually began last season after New England's 23-16 victory over the Dolphins on Nov. 13.

To this day, the Dolphins are convinced the Patriots stole their defensive signals in advance of that game. That insider knowledge, the Dolphins believe, allowed New England to know Miami was blitzing - and to adjust accordingly - on the game-winning 17-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Benjamin Watson with 2:16 to play.

This week, the Dolphins got even. Instead of just watching the soundless coaches' films to scout the Patriots, Miami purchased films that had audio of the signals Brady gives at the line - specifically the Patriots' signals to the offensive line that control Brady's protection. Armed with that information, the Dolphins listened to Brady's calls Sunday and adjusted where they brought pressure.

"I think that helped a lot," Thomas said.

The Dolphins also spent extra time in practice and meetings installing new blitz packages designed by defensive coordinator Dom Capers and working to disguise what they were going to do against Brady.

"If you show your hand early, he'll burn you," said safety Yeremiah Bell, who had a sack, forced fumble and recovered fumble. "What we wanted to do was kind of play with him a little bit. We know he waits until the play clock gets late before he does anything. So what we did was when he was playing around with us, we were just playing around with him.

"When it was time to hike that ball, he didn't know what we were going to do."

Link to the rest
Early in the season there is no way we could have done that because our secondary was still trying to get used to the scheme after being pretty much revamped over the offseason but now that they have settled in a little and aren't giving up the big plays the way they were at the start of the season it looks like we are starting to use the misdirection stuff that you guys and the Steelers have used to such success over the last couple years. This match-up between BB and Saban should be a lot of fun to watch as long as they are both in the AFC East................... The only thing I didn't like about this as a Dolphins fan is that now that BB knows what we did (the staff probably would have figured it out watching game tape but why make it easy by just telling the world?) he will undoubtedly do something to counter the next time we play you guys.

 

[PrairiePat]

Ha, that explains a few things.

Where's that thread where BB is portrayed as 'too paranoid'....

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Great post.

Regards,
Chris

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Interesting and makes sense. The time for some adjustments in the offense is now because others will copy, especially in the playoffs. Note that the Phins have quality coaching and smart, skilled defensive players. The bottom echelon guys might not exploit this but playoff team staffs will.

 

[BelichickFan]

I hope that's true and that Saban just beat us rather than our offense really sucking as bad as it seemed tol

 

[RayClay]

True or not, there's such a thing as adjustments. We've got work to do.

And it's probably true, nobody guesses right that often.

 

[SVN]

all this information comes out only after a loss...what is to say the fins didnt do the same thing in the game earlier this yr and it didnt work ?

 

[fgssand]

Why wouldn't teams do this all the time then?

Adjustmens were obviously the answer and we didn't make any.