Miami Dolphins: Creating the Blueprint for Optimal Offense in 2015

What if I told you that the Miami Dolphins offense was one of the 10 most efficient scoring offenses in the league last year?

Yes, 24.3 points per game (11th in the NFL) is respectable, and it was a huge step up from the 19.8 points per game (26th in the NFL) they averaged in 2013; but scoring a lot of points isn't always the same as making the most of your opportunities. Take the Philadelphia Eagles, for example, who scored 29.6 points per game (third in the NFL) but were around the middle of the pack in terms of efficiency (1.98 points per drive). 

Not only did the Dolphins score points, but they were efficient with the football any time they were on offense.

And to think, they're poised for even better things in 2015 than last year.

Improvements at wide receiver and the continued development of quarterback Ryan Tannehill should lead to an even more productive offense than the one the Dolphins fielded in 2014. That being said, the Dolphins can't simply take the field and expect big improvements, so here's what they need to do. 

Passing Game

Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor kept life simple for Tannehill in 2014, with a vast majority of his throws targeted at receivers on short and intermediate routes. That has always been the bread and butter of the offense. Tannehill accumulated 1,965 of his passing yards after the catch (11th-most in the NFL), although his YAC percentage was 48.6 (19th), according to Advanced Football Analytics.

That's why Jarvis Landry was such a big part of the Dolphins offense as a rookie, with a team-high 84 receptions in 2014 (most receptions among rookie receivers), and why he should remain a big part of the Dolphins attack.

The addition of receivers Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker should improve the Dolphins in their short and intermediate passing game—particularly Stills, who was a huge part of that game plan in his time with the New Orleans Saints. 

Parker is known for being a better receiver when the ball is in the air than when it is in his hands, but there's still plenty of room for a player like that to contribute—whether he's the targeted receiver or not. 

One major issue with last year's Dolphins offense was the lack of explosive downfield plays. Stats bear this out. According to Advanced Football Analytics, Tannehill ranked 27th out of 40 quarterbacks with 3.4 air yards per pass attempt (that's total passing yards minus YAC divided by pass attempts).

According to Pro Football Focus, Tannehill attempted 53 passes that traveled 20 yards or more (20th out of 38), completed 16 (also 20th) and had an overall accuracy (completions plus drops divided by attempts) of 37.7 percent (22nd). 

The thing is, there's reason to believe that this year could be better.

2013	Alignment	Height	Weight
2015	Alignment	Height	Weight
Mike Wallace	X	6'0"	190
Brian Hartline	Z	6'2"	180
Brandon Gibson	Slot	6'0"	204
DeVante Parker	X	6'3"	209
Kenny Stills	Z	6'1"	194
Jarvis Landry	Slot	6'0"	205

Thanks to a younger, bigger, stronger and faster group of wide receivers this year, Tannehill will have more capable options in the vertical passing game than ever before. In the past, the Dolphins' only true deep threat has been Mike Wallace, and even he was limited due to a lack of physicality.

Now, Stills and Parker can provide a one-two punch of downfield threats and finally force defenses to play a little further back, opening up everything else in the process. 

None of this works, however, without the offensive line creating a nice, clean pocket for Tannehill. That's been easier said than done over the past two years, as Tannehill has been sacked 104 times (most in the NFL). Branden Albert and Ja'Wuan James are a bookend pair of tackles and Mike Pouncey is one of the league's best centers, but the Dolphins will be counting on some combination of rookie Jamil Douglas, second-year pro Billy Turner and third-year pro Dallas Thomas to get the job done at guard. 

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Running Game

The Dolphins stumbled into quite the effective rushing attack in 2014. Lamar Miller had a breakout third year by rushing for 1,099 yards on 216 carries (5.1 yards per carry) with eight rushing touchdowns, adding 38 receptions for 275 yards (7.2 yards per catch) and a receiving touchdown. 

Miller proved his ability to run between the tackles, but the strength of his game has always been his burst and ability to break long gains in the open field. Miller sat atop a depth chart that was comprised almost exclusively of scatbacks sharing his strengths, but not possessing any solid complementary options (with the understanding that Daniel Thomas is about as solid as yogurt).

So it should come as no surprise that the Dolphins added Boise State running back Jay Ajayi to help round out the running game. 

Ajayi has the between-the-tackles running ability to perfectly complement Miller's strengths, but the rookie could be even more than just one punch in a one-two backfield. He has the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, as he showed with 50 receptions for 535 yards and four receiving touchdowns in 2014. He's also capable in blitz pickup as a pass-blocker, an area that is a considerable weakness for Miller.

No matter who is carrying the ball, it looks like the Dolphins will finally have a talented offensive line opening holes for them. As mentioned earlier, Albert and James are solid on the edge, and James excels in running situations; Pouncey is known for his ability to block on the move as one of the rare centers who can also pull and get into the open field after the snap. Douglas may be the first true fit at guard in the zone scheme that Joe Philbin has been running since 2012.

One more thing to expect from the Dolphins in 2015 is a heavy dose of play-action pass attempts; Tannehill attempted 24.2 percent of his passes off play action last season, the seventh-highest percentage in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Opening up holes over the middle will only facilitate the kind of passes that Lazor's offense is built upon.