Why Getting Branden Albert Back Healthy Is Vital for Dolphins

The moment the Miami Dolphins lost Branden Albert for the remainder of the 2014 season due to a torn ACL, the team had a much larger uphill battle that was hard to anticipate. Miami’s prized free agent from last offseason was performing at a level that simply couldn’t be replicated, and the offense struggled in his absence.

It’s not shocking that rookie Ja’Wuan James couldn’t replace the former Pro Bowler’s effectiveness, but the drop-off in quality across the entire line was disturbing. The offensive line essentially went from average and functional, giving the passing game plenty of opportunity to be productive, to porous and as much of an issue as it was in 2013.

One offseason after embarking on the voyage to reinvent the atrocity that was the 2013 offensive line, Miami will have a slightly less daunting task of adding a quality starting guard and improved depth. The key for the position in 2015, however, is the health of left tackle Branden Albert.

Let’s dig into the effects of having Albert on the field and how the line crumbled like a soft cookie after his injury occurred. Since Albert was hurt mid-game against the Lions in Week 10, we won’t use that game in factoring in any statistics.

Pre-Injury

In the eight games before Albert unfortunately suffered his torn ACL, the Dolphins offense went through some of the trials that a new offensive scheme will bring. After the first three games, however, the Dolphins become closer to finding their offensive identity, and the passing game became more productive as a result of comfort and communication improving.

Not including the final result against the Detroit Lions in Week 10, where Albert went down, Miami went 5-3 in games with Albert at left tackle. As good as Albert was in Kansas City, his impact in Miami was even better than expected, as he earned Pro Football Focus’s (subscription required) eighth-highest grade for tackles in the league, despite only playing in nine contests.

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Albert allowed just three sacks and five hurries on quarterback Ryan Tannehill, per PFF. If extrapolated to an entire season’s worth of snaps, he would’ve finished with the third-fewest hurries given up. His reputation as a lockdown, blindside blocker, cannot be understated.

As a unit, the offense was flourishing. Miami averaged 365 total yards of offense in those eight games with Albert. The scoreboard was also showing improvement, as Miami averaged about 26 points a game. Miami was on its way to having a playoff-caliber offense and still improving.

USA TODAY Sports

The rest of the offensive line was playing well too. Miami’s offensive play-calling was able to stay more balanced because every individual was in his proper position, namely Ja’Wuan James at right tackle and Dallas Thomas at guard. According to Pro Football Focus, Miami called 268 passing plays in the first eight games, which was 23rd in the league.

With that balance, Miami’s pass-blocking efficiency was ranked 11th. With 12 sacks, 15 hits and 32 hurries allowed on the quarterback, Miami provided a good pocket on 82.4 percent of passing plays. That’s the type of production that any offense needs to be a winning unit.

Post-Injury

After Week 10, there was a clear drop-off in offensive production for the Dolphins offense, even if not always with statistical significance. The change wasn’t just because Albert was no longer manning the blind side, but the loss forced Ja’Wuan James to move over from the right to the left side, Dallas Thomas to kick out to the tackle position and the empty guard spot to see a rotation.

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Just at left tackle, though, there was a major difference between Albert and James. This shouldn’t have been surprising, as James hadn’t played left tackle since high school, and the muscle memory and skills are different.

Before moving to fill Albert’s shoes, James was a solid, respectable right tackle. The decision to take him 19th overall in the 2014 draft was a good decision and should pay off moving forward. He allowed only two sacks and nine hurries, despite facing some of the elite rushers in the league, per PFF.

At left tackle, things got sticky. James’ inability to create as a run-blocker and keep rushers out of the backfield earned him terrible grades, finishing with a cumulative grade of minus-30 at left tackle. His five sacks and 24 hurries allowed were similar to the protection that Miami was so desperate to prevent last offseason.

More damaging than James’ play was what happened when Dallas Thomas was chosen over Jason Fox to play right tackle. Thomas was horrific in his five games, allowing seven sacks and 14 hurries, per PFF. His grade of minus-20.2 in five games put him as the 75th-best tackle in football.

After seeing these individual numbers, it’s unsurprising to know that the unit suffered greatly in protection. Miami’s offensive line went from a borderline top-10 unit to the league’s worst, by far, with Albert out.

In 341 passing attempts, Miami allowed 19 sacks, 30 hits and 90 hurries on the quarterback, equaling a pass-blocking efficiency of 68.5, according to PFF. Miami allowed 17 more hurries and seven more hits than any other team in the games without Albert in the lineup. Their closest competitor was the Tennessee Titans, who allowed 21 fewer hurries.

Yardage-wise, Miami’s offense dipped by 16 yards a game down to 349 a game. This total was boosted by the 493-yard outburst against the Minnesota Vikings. The Dolphins also saw their points per game dip to 23 a game, which is lower than the usual threshold for playoff production.

Coupled with a defensive meltdown down the stretch, the loss of Branden Albert was the dagger that Miami just couldn’t overcome. This offseason, the Dolphins need to add more talent on the offense and to the line to make sure that another injury won’t cripple the team.

Albert has a long history of injuries, which was a concern when he was signed. But he’s also an excellent player, so a capable swing tackle who can fill in a few games if injuries strikes is the perfect remedy for the possibility of another injury.

We’ll all have our fingers crossed that Albert can stay healthy in his second season with the Dolphins, though, and that a backup won’t be necessary.

Ian Wharton is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, contributor for Optimum Scouting, and analyst for eDraft. 

Follow @NFLFilmStudy