Anyone who closely monitored the Miami Dolphins’ progression throughout the 2019 season is likely to have a great deal of optimism for the team — thanks in large part to the presence and contributions of head coach Brian Flores. Flores was everything that Joe Philbin and Adam Gase, the team’s two previous permanent head coaches, were not. A strong vocal leader, a clear communicator, a player’s coach and someone who actually walked the walk.
In what way did Flores walk the walk?
He’s spoken about being aggressive and playing to win football games and then gone out on the field and helped facilitate aggressive decision making. How ironic — the Dolphins spent the entirety of the 2010s looking for an offensive-minded head coach to bring their offense into the modern era. But it was the defensive-minded Flores who actually brought the team the results you’d expect from a modern approach to offensive football.
A study conducted by Hayden Winks of Rotoworld was recently released with the objective of measuring all 32 NFL offenses on their rankings in 10 separate analytical measures — each one with a specific series of research behind it that seems to indicate value in offensive efficiency.
Brian Flores’ Dolphins checked in at No. 9 overall — a top-10, modern approach to offensive football.
“If I was factoring in front-office decision making and coach Brian Flores’ leadership, the Dolphins offense would be ranked even higher than it already is. Despite bottom-five offensive talent, Miami was aggressive in all phases last year, including on fourth downs (9th) and passing on early downs (2nd), and opted for a high rate of passes over the middle of the field (4th). There’s obviously plenty of room for growth all around, but the upgrades along the offensive line will help Flores figure things out quicker. In year two of the new regime, the Dolphins should at least utilize more play action (29th) and pre-snap motion (25th).” – Hayden Winks, Rotoworld.com
Getting to see what the Dolphins’ offense looks like with a better offensive line and promising young quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa will be an exciting development in the maturation of this offense. And, with a little luck, the Dolphins’ aggressive approach will remain even as the team’s talent level improves and Brian Flores is able to coach without one hand proverbially tied behind his back.