Controlled chaos! Dolphins find success with third-down package featuring one defensive lineman, eight defensive backs and constant pre-snap movement

BUFFALO, N.Y. — If the Dolphins defense is on the field on Sunday against the Bills and it’s third-and-long and you can’t figure out what the heck any of their players are doing — constantly moving from left to right and forward and back before the snap — that’s the point.

“However we scheme it up,” Miami coach Brian Flores said Friday, “we’ll try to disguise.”

In last Sunday’s heart-breaking home loss to Washington, Miami unveiled a defensive package that went a bit under the radar, along with its success.

The Dolphins unleashed their interpretation of an amoeba defense, a shapeless and ever-changing look has been employed in cities like Boston, Baltimore, Seattle and Detroit.

If Miami uses this strategy again on Sunday, here’s what you’ll notice:

• Only one defensive lineman on the field, and with his hand on the ground, likely defensive end Taco Charlton, a thin and speedy rusher who will line up over center or guard.

• Two linebackers, likely Jerome Baker and Sam Eguavoen, who are also speedy and instinctive.

• Eight defensive backs. Yes, eight! You might see cornerbacks like Eric Rowe, Ken Webster, Nik Needham and Jomal Wiltz and safeties like Bobby McCain, Walt Aikens, Steven Parker and Chis Lammons.

What you will also notice is as the quarterback prepares to snap the ball, four or five or more Dolphins will be walking around the field at the same time, in what might seem like random or haphazard patterns.

“Controlled chaos,” Aikens, the safety says.

“When you only have one stationary defensive lineman, the world is yours,” Eguavoen, the linebacker says. “You can mix up anything.”

“It's a lot of fun,” McCain, the corner says.

It’s fun. And last Sunday, it worked.

The Dolphins held Washington to 2-for-11 on third downs, using a game plan orchestrated by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and Flores, who promised before the season he would find a way to scheme pressure without a proven NFL edge rusher.

On four of Washington’s third downs, Miami used this unorthodox alignment, coupled with the constant, distracting pre-snap movement. And only once did Washington quarterback Case Keenum convert.

In the first quarter, Keenum was incomplete on third-and-7. In the third quarter, Keenum threw short of the first-down marker on third-and-10. And in the fourth quarter, Keenum was under fire and incomplete on a third-and-6.

“(Keenum) was trying to get the ball out fast because he didn't know what was coming at him,” Aikens said.

Flores said the package is designed to maximize speed on the field. There are potential drawbacks as, of course, a quarterback could quick-snap, leaving an offensive player uncovered and a defender scrambling.

But there are far more advantages than disadvantages to causing confusion.

“I feel sorry for offensive players because they have to sit in their stance until the ball is snapped,” Eguavoen said. ”I can move around. I can false-step all I want before the ball is snapped. It's fun to do that because the quarterback, he doesn't know what we're running.

“The receivers don't know what coverage we're in. And then boom the ball is snapped and now they've got to read everything on the fly. So basically we reverse roles. Usually the offense knows exactly what they're doing and as a defense we have to react. But when we get into that package, the offense has to react to what we do.”

A look at the coaches’ film from last Sunday’s game provides a real glimpse into what Keenum was seeing as he was preparing to spark those plays. As Washington attempted to identify who Miami’s middle linebacker actually was, and where the protection needed to focus, it must have been disconcerting.

Let’s take, for example, a third-and-7 in the first quarter. Here is what Keenum saw:

• Reshad Jones, Eguavoen, Aikens, McCain and Baker in constant, blurring motion near the line of scrimmage, with Charlton as the only man with his hand down at the line of scrimmage.

• Jones began lined up over center. He ended up dropping into coverage and falling into a passing lane.

• Aikens walked from a standing position near his left tackle all the way over to near his right tackle. He would rush.

• Eguavoen moved from near Keenum’s right tackle all the way over on his tight end on the left, before beginning a running blitz between guard and center.

• Baker was about to blitz through the middle, picked up by a running back. All the while, safety Parker was pretending to creep into blitz position, before dropping to deep safety.

A look at the radar or amoeba package here. pic.twitter.com/uxtlvCdtHO

— Travis Wingfield (@WingfieldNFL) October 16, 2019

“You get to walk around,” McCain said. “You get to blitz. You get to cover. You get to do a lot of things in that package. Getting athletic guys on the field, a lot of fast guys that can run around, spy on quarterbacks, do whatever they've got to do to win. We love it when it's called. And hopefully we get a little bit more of it.”

On that play in the first quarter last week, Keenum quickly unloaded the ball under pressure, throwing incomplete on a short pass to receiver Trey Quinn. Keenum’s mind was forced into overdrive, and it will be interesting to see how often Miami tries a similar tactic against second-year Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, who can also run, on Sunday.

In New England, Flores was able to dial up some confusion with multiple looks and multiple pressures, especially in key moments. It’s not like the Patriots had four future Hall of Famers on defense. Week-to-week scheme was an essential ingredient to championship success.

“We want to be as fast and athletic and aggressive as we can, so I would say it starts right there,” Flores said. “It’s a hard look for an offensive lineman or a quarterback; but it’s hard for us to kind of get it and get in the right spots defensively, as well. At the end of the day, we want to disguise, we want to give them different looks, but you’re never disguised to the point where you can’t execute.”

Dolphins players use first and second downs to learn more about the words a quarterback uses and tone of voice he uses to signal that he’s getting close to calling for a snap. Those clues and the seconds left on the play clock help them know how much time they probably have to get into an ideal spot on the field on third down.

This Miami defensive package is better in obvious passing downs, as one strategy to attack it might be to audible to a run against the lighter players. Dolphins players feel that while an opponent could quick-snap them, the quarterback generally tries to assess what he’s about to encounter, causing an inevitable delay.

While all or most of the same Dolphins were on the field for the one-defensive lineman, eight defensive-back look utilized last week, film review reveals each of the players seemed to be doing something entirely different on each of the snaps.

“That was one grouping,” Flores said. “We may show a different one this week, but disguise is only good if you can execute.”

Still, it’s a package worth looking for. The players like it. It’s aggressive. It’s exhilarating. And they feel it gives them an advantage.

“Coach is starting to open up the play book,” Eguavoen said.

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jschad@pbpost.com