Drive Time - All 22 Review

the nitty gritty of this game. Break it down offensively, defensively, give you some interesting facts and nuggets and tidbits from the game. All of that and more on this Monday, September edition of the Drive Time podcastphins and supportful. Drive Time is brought to you by Auto Nation. If you want to sell your car or truck, Auto Nation will buy it any year, any may, any model. They'll buy your car and you'll get a check on the spot and as fast as thirty minutes. Appraise your car now

at automation dot com. Let's go ahead and jump right into the film from Thursday. Before we turn the page and get on to the Seattle Seahawks and Brian Floors and some player media availability. And I first want to start offensively here and just talk about the scheme because the very first play of this game, the Dolphins like to go unbalanced twelve personnel to start drives to start games. And that's been the case under Brian Floors now for

a year and three games a lot. And that's basically when you have balanced, that means you have a tight end to either side of the formation. Unbalanced means you put both your wise your double wise into the same side of the formation. But on this play they go balanced, and they they motioned Smith away from the balance of the formation, but they bring him back right into that same spot as usual and have him kind of take a couple of shuffle steps to simulate pass protection at

the snap. Because remember this guy had seven teen pass blocking reps compared to twenty three pass target reps and fifty run blocking reps in the game, So it tells you where his rate is. His consistent ratio throughout his career has been leaning towards staying in line to pass block and to run block, compared to other tight ends who almost never stay into block at times, like a

Mike Gasiki for instance. Then he leaks out and he's already been disregarded by the coverage scheme because he was initially looking like he was going to stay in to pass protect. Then he leaks out into the flat and the linebacker disregards him. It's an gimme seven yards, and that's exactly what you want from your play design. Talk about making it easy on your players. Exactly what they did on that particular play. One more Durham Smith note here.

Then he comes back on the very next play and gets back to doing what he does best and wipes out the force defender on the back side with a split zone. Look when Myles Gaskin bends that thing back. Later in that first drive, they go back to twelve personnel,

but they replace Preston Williams with Jachem Grant. Obviously they're exchanging some size for some speed, and this time it is balanced tight ends on both sides of the formation, and they go twins into the boundary two receivers to the short side of the field, and they motion Grant over to the field side of the formation. The wide side of the field. Jacksonville is a Cover three team with some Cover one looks here and there, and they the look they gave you had nobody to the field

side of the formation until the motion. So automatically, with them showing six guys bringing pressure and the cornerback over there with no safety help, you automatically know that he has to respect that deep third of the coverage area. And so jakeem Grant sells the takeoff and sticks his foot in the ground and comes right back down. Just excellent play design composed to take advantage of their defense by attacking their vulnerable part of the defense with the

player who is in conflict and stressing that conflict. And also what a catch by Jachem and what a hell of an effort to get up and add yard on top of that after the play was looked like it was over before C. J. Henderson did not touch him down. In the run game, they just used Jacksonville's aggressiveness against them early. You want to one gap and shoot your way up the field, go ahead, We'll take you there.

We'll allow you to do that, and we'll talk more about the performance of those guys upfront executing that game plan here in just one moment. But Miami was consider instantly going against the grain on those runs and it created big success in the running game, in the passing game, and on offense in general. We then come back to the second touchdown drive with the end around to Jacheem

once again, and this call was absolutely perfect. They got Jacksonville and a Cover one look, which is man to man with a single high free safety over the top, so to run the corner off that edge Parker who is on the same side they want to run the

end around two with Jachem Grant. He takes the inside release and that forces the cornerback to turn and get up field in that trail technique immediately and it gets us back to the play and with the fake handoff to the other side of the formation, you've already gotten flow to that side against the grain once more for Jachem to come off the end around, and there's one key block that has to get maybe it's Eric Flowers climbing to the second level to wall and seal off

a linebacker, and he hits it perfectly and Jacheem is off to the races. Another excellent call with easy yards built in from the play call before the players even have to execute and make moves on their own. On the third possession, the fourth and one call the Fitzpatrick bootley egg. They go thirteen personnel with every tight end aligned to the same side. They show run action to

the opposite direction. It freezes the linebackers for a beat, and then Fitzpatrick can then read his flood concept where you bring multiple routes over to that side of the field and he can then throw. He can then run. He has all kinds of options, but he decides to take off and run for it. It's a lot to defend, a lot of stress on that defense, the individuals, the quarterback. What can we really say here? Fitzpatrick was awesome. He was in rhythm all night. He moved off the spot

when he had to. He made place with his legs and some of the specifics. The touchdown throw to Preston Williams was just perfect, perfect location, right on the money, and that was right after the run game had stalled out a bit down there, So a big time throw on third down and really probably a four point throw there from Fitzpatrick. His pre snap identification was stellar. Slides

were on point, that protection matchups were on point. He did well to help keep himself protected with the calls and then when it wasn't there when pressure did arrive from that Jacksonville pass rush, the ability to recognize where the rush was coming from, where is escape lane existed. Just masterful work from the Dolphins quarterback to get away from pressure when it did arrive, and good work in communication between he and the offensive line to get it

blocked most of the night. Throughout the course of the w there's a play on the third possession after a holding call backs them up to first and twenty where there's not pressure on the play, and this is a good example of Fitzpatrick knowing where his protection can make it strong and more It can be weak at times, but they have a solid wall of protection as they

slide to the right. But the hook zone on the passing concept is clogged up the area right in behind the linebackers where you try to run hook up routes and little dig routes and try to throw high low conversions in that area. So Fits bails out to the left even though there's a good pocket, a good pocket for him to work from. But this forces the linebacker to string it out and to really stretch the middle

of that defense. So he runs left. Linebacker chases him and it uncovers Isaiah Ford who just and then Fits them just flips it out there to Ford for a pickup of eleven. You get all the penalty yards back plus one. Just more brilliant work there from the Dolphins QB. There's a third and six conversion that same exact drive from Ryan Fitzpatrick to DeVante Parker, and to me, that was the best play of the year so far for Fits.

The rush is right in his face, Parker hasn't even come out of his break yet, and there's two receivers to that side of the formation, and they're both kind

of running vertical. The inside the two takes a vertical route, Parker runs a square and route, so he's gonna break off the outside or the butt rather of that second receiver, and Fits kind of drifts back away from the pressure, buying that extra fraction of a second, and as he's fading off, he drops the arm angle to get around the pass rusher and throws the ball to a spot before Parker is out of that break, and the ball just hits there right on time, right on the money,

for a completion and a big time conversion. Just awesome, awesome stuff from your QB. He comes right back a few plays later with a absolute seed to Matt Brita on a wheel route. A perfect throw, and I mean caleban Chasm is right there with the ball is just perfect. No defense for a perfect pass. And the only reason it wasn't an explosive play is because Chason interfere with Brita, So it actually was an explosive play. But he threw

the ball with a line drive on it. On this route. Typically, if there's no safety help, you want to loft that thing because running back against a linebacker, obviously the speed matchup there goes to the running back. But the safety was coming over the top, so Fitz has to drill it, and boy did he. He put it right on the money and it was a perfect throw. Just wows up.

That's all I wrote in my notes here. Then the throw took a sticky one play later, again attacking c. J. Henderson, similar to the throw to Jachim Grant a cover three look. He takes a step to the post, does c. J. Henderson following Davante Parker? Because Parker runs the post, Gasicki runs the out route right and behind him and the ball is perfect. One false step on it and you're gonna lose. That's exactly what happened because Fitz was so

on point with his accuracy and his timing. So the quarterback played brilliantly behind him at the running back position. And of course that's really Miles Gaskins. He's the guy right now. He's been the bell cow through three weeks. His bread and butter, the wine back run, the bend run you have on his own runs, you can either bounce bang or bend. Bounces where you go outside to the play side. Bang is where you go right up into the middle of the line and bending it is

cutting it back. And his bending has been so good on these runs, and he does so well to get to the backside of that formation. His ability to work towards the target point of the run, the initial target launch or the launch point of where he wants to get then shift suddenly at the last moment, but maintain that speed. Man, that stuff is special. He's talked about the leverage, but that really makes it tough on a defensive lineman who has just worked their ass off to

disengage off the block. Then you have to stay step for step with a player who's faster than you, because again running back against defensive lineman, the running back is going to be faster, and then anticipate where that cut's going to be on a small target, and you look at the first run of the second half and you'll see exactly that he is forced to bubble. He has to slip two tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and he's still manages to run for five yards. That was

second and eleven last year. This year at second and five out at wide receiver, I thought Preston Williams did so well to attack the outside leverage on that touchdown match. If they're gonna give you that inside release and you have that six ft five frame, just take it because you can't get around the back of that guy. And he did touchdown Dolphins the third possession of the game. I want to make a note here for Preston. It's the third down and eight where Fitzpatrick scrambles for a

near first down. Williams uncovers on a dig route and he's wide open, but because protection wasn't great, fits had to scramble and rather than show poor body language and become upset that you didn't get the target. He's concerned about the potential hit to the head of his quarterback, signing to the RAF, Hey, he might have got hit up high. Then he goes over and helps him up. You love to see that. Isaiah Ford had an awesome route on a third and two on the first drive

of the second and half. Does a kind of slow start, our step release, let's the concept develop, squares up the defensive back and breaks it off at the sticks for a chain mover and Parker. He just ran them out of cover three all night, contest deep with no safety help, and then come right back to the ball. Use that frame to box out. They're not gonna be able to get back through you to make a play on the football along the offensive line. My goodness, what more can

you say? Austin Jackson did so well to close down the edge on those wine back runs and to wipe that thing out. And one thing I love about his game is the patients and past protection. He almost always forces the defender to show his hand first, and that prevents those sloppy reps where you get out over your skates. Maybe you get crossed over and wind up on your butt, but he doesn't do that. Teams are throwing bullrushes at him all the time, and I think he'd like to

anchor sooner. But he does good to get out there eventually and drop that anchor. So great signs from the year old. And by the way, Jackson wasn't part of the deal, but he looks like a bona fide hit

at that left tackle position. And he wasn't part of the Larrymie Tunsel trade as far as the draft pick we got, but the Dolphins did get Noah Egnogamy and Solomon Kinley as well as the first and second round pick next year, which are currently oh and three on the season right now and almost twenty million dollars in cap relief because of that trade. So a hat tip to you for that, Mr Greer. Speaking of Solomon Kindley, man, this guy I just write down Kinley win over and

over again because he's been doing that. The first play I noted he had an inside arm as he works down the line of scrimmage and holds the block with the quick feet and the power and balance absorbing that contact. Just wow, man, taking the one gappers where they want to go, driving them out of the play. You might recalling Dominican sue of fears back. He would shoot up field as the one gap attacking aggressive defensive tackle, and sometimes teams would leverage out against him and just whaam

block him and take him out of the play. Solomonckinley does that very well in this game. A few plays later he latches on and just mauls his man when he gets those big paws outside, it's over. Goodnight. Just go ahead and call it a night. My film notes are just turning into these wins, wins, wins for Solomon Kinley over and over again. The Fitzpatrick touchdown run, he turns his man out completely and creates a lane there for his quarterback to run through for the end zone

or for a touchdown into the end zone. More work and pass protection, and you just watch guys getting frustrated as the game moves along against him. Because of that sheer girth. It forces guys to come up with moves because you're not gonna go through him. So the defensive tackle tries to put a spin move on him on the second drive and Kindley just stays in that squat in that set well, aligned throws a punch when he rolls out of that spin, he just stops him dead

in his tracks. It looks like child's play out there. More to the time. He then comes back on the very next rep and gets a little bit drawn out by a stunt, but he himself uses a spin to work back inside and get hands on the defensive end and Josh Allen, who's crashing around and Alan has the angle to fits, but Kiley recovers, gets contact and thwarts that move and gives him just enough time for Fitzpatrick to find the lane and get out of it. So

good work there from Solomon Kindley. We talked about the both both of the guard positions really working out so far for the Dolphins. Eric flowers ability to reach and hook is so dang nice man that pole pat that play where they have a play action look and he pulls the play side and hits the outside rusher who's coming free for a good block getting into the quarterback. He's done that a few times now. He had a second level seal on the Jachem Grant end around we

talked about where he wiped a linebacker. Very good day for Eric Flowers as well. Thought. Ted Carriss's athletic ability was on full display. He had some really nice work in the reach blocking game, climbing to the second level. Really nice display on the interior front for the Miami captain and then Jordan Howard's touchdown run. Kiley pulls and seals and buries a player and Davis and Shaheen closed down to create a lane for Chandler Cox who plows that thing up in there and creates a lane for

Jordan Howard to follow for the Dolphins touchdown. Nice work down their nice work on the offensive line in this game cumulatively Fitzpatrick, I mean damn near perfect. Davante Parker attacking the holes in coverage. Miles Gaskins, so shifty without losing the acceleration, Such a good reader of blocks. Solomon Kidley another monster game. Same story for Eric Flowers. The guard overhaul here for Chris Career. Really well done for the Dolphin's personnel staff, Ted Carris has a hell of

a game. Durham Smith I thought had his best game of the year, and Chan Gailey, what a game from the Dolphins offensive coordinator on the other side defensively, speaking of scheme and drawing it up. I got to get the same credit for Josh Boyer on that side. They changed things up all throughout this game, starting off in split safety. Normally they're a single high team. They allowed the underneath guys to gain depth at the linebacker spot,

and I saw plenty of that in this game. They wind up and on this particular play, Minshew winds up checking it down for a big game. But I love the look and the communication and the coverage on the back end because they run the receivers all off into caps or into other players or into the boundary where they have nowhere to go. Just have to make the tackle on that play to get the stop for a

short gain then the third down. A few plays later on this Jacksonville opening series, there in trips with Jamal Perry attacking the point, and you've got Igbo and X on inside outside combination. One guy takes the inside, the other guy takes the outside, and Igbo does really well as a rookie here to show I discipline to keep his eyes on the bunch. He finds Channault who tries to break it in and then come back out to confuse on the switch release, and Igbo doesn't fall for it.

He's all over it. He gets in there for the tackle to get the Jaguars offense off the field. On the very next series, the Dolphins open up again and split safety. This time it's Brandon Jones. The previous time it was Eric Row and they alternated a lot between split and single high. We saw a lot of big defensive lines as well, Christian Wilkins, Ray Kwon Davis, and Zach Seler in the game. With another defensive lineman like an Emmanuel Ogba or Shack loss Him then would bring

two linebackers down on the ball as well. Just love the mix of fronts and ridges in the back end for the Dolphins on defense. The kudos we gave to Gaily are deserving for Boyer and this one too. And the sack to end the Jags drive at the end

of the half was just an awesome call. You've got three linebackers aligned from B gap to B gap in Baker, van Noy and Commu Gruge Hill, and both Baker and Van Noy, Bluff and Seeler just bowls towards the center and guard, causing some confusion both on the protection call and knocking guys off their spot and then from their gruge, Hill can use his speed to close on Minshew for that big sack and the turnover. Again, just structurally on

the back end. This is kind of what I had envisioned for this team, and I'm sure the people in the organization that actually matter envisioned for this defense. So it's awesome to see them staying to the rules, staying in phase, passing off rerouting, communicating, getting after the quarterback with stunts and twists and games. Just a great game plan on the defensive side of the ball. And back to the bigbo play with the tackle short of the sticks.

On that play, Emmanuel og Ball really forced Minshew into a quick throw with a nice bull rush. I thought og Ball's length was a problem in this game. The right tackle really had a hard time getting his hands on him. And the very next play he absorbs a chip off the outside in which he prevents the key block or the tight end from chipping and climbing. He can't get to that second level and it forces a tackle for loss from Eric Rowe shack loss and had

a pressure early. And then on the very next series on a running play, he does a good job with the eye discipline to set the tight end upfield, then work back underneath for a run stop thought he had a really nice pressure on the quarterback several times in this game, especially in the middle of the third quarterback where he won with a powerful rip off the initial placement. That's how you get after Russell Wilson, That's how I did it in this game. Good to see that translate

going next week into next Sunday. Love the way Christian Wilkins holds the point against double teams and really makes it a point to latch on to prevent that climb to the linebacker the second level of the defense. He takes on a lot of double teams, which means single teams for Davis, god Show and Seiler. I really noticed that Davis when he gets a one on one matchup, does a good job to stand them up key the

run shed and make a stop. Zack Steeler had a number of plays in this game, especially with that power, those hands that pop. Middle of the third quarter, he could himself a run stop with ray Kwon Davis where he virtually does not move against a double such power for Zach Seiler at linebacker. Some appreciation for Kyle Van Noyd because this guy just gets it done over and over again. Reset in the point of the line of scrimmage, creating gaps at that edge, making room for other guys

to make plays. He reads his keys, gets himself into an impactful position pretty much every single time. And I know folks will see the strip sack scoop stat and say, okay, now he's starting to really earn his worth around here. But he impacts the game in so many ways that just do not show from the box score, like, for instance, the pass rush where he ran over James Robinson have mercy, and then on the strip sack. You really want to point out that Zach Seiler and Emmanuel Ogba both had

big plays on this one. To Seiler, he allowed Van Noyd to come in on that twist and knock a man over and then rework back to the quarterback. And that happened because Seiler had stifled him initially, got his footwork and hand placement all out of whack. And then Ogba for coming off the edge and forcing Minshew up into the pocket. Talked about gruge Hill's speed. He stayed very tight to Zach Seiler on that rush and created a good rush lane for himself. Good smart football, like

we talked about in the beginning. I love Jerome Baker's work taking on blocks in this game. Thought he played really strong at the point, showed good sideline to sideline range, and was good in coverage finding depth as well and cutting off those hook and curl zones at cornerback communication I thought was just terrific in general. Lots of passing off plastering in man coverage when they were either in zone coverage or the quarterback broke the pocket. We talked

about Jamal Perry. He is a hell of a tackler, something I talked about a lot last year. He just rallies up and sticks people. And at the cornerback position just before that gruge hill sack at the end of the half, there's a play before that where Igbo works to get upfield and forces the cut back from the running back to go back into where his friends can clean it up, and they do just that. So more

good work from the Dolphins cornerback there. And then at safety again the play I referenced earlier with og ball where he stops the tight end from getting to the second level. It was Eric Rowe who flew and it made the tackle for loss on that play. Good work all around their cumulatively, thought Zack Steler was a wrecking ball, powerful hands, double teams, pass rush, Really nice game from him.

Jack Laws and Emmanuel Ogball both had a number of pressures and run stops, working through the tackle, using power, using length for Agball. That is just a nice game from both those guys. Van Noy, the unsung hero of sorts, kind of always been that way in his career. The run fits, the aggressiveness with which he attacks blocks, the sack production, the coverage recognition. Damn he sure was good. I thought Andrew van Ginkl had some really nice wiggle

in this game, like we saw at Wisconsin. He can really turn it up in those late game moments where you have a lead and he can isolate and go to work as a pass rusher. Eggnogady the mental fortitude, the competitive toughness, the reads he made, the tackling, the tight coverage. Very good game from him. Xaviing Howard another one of these vintage x Xavian Howard games. He was always plastered downfield and coverage and that I n T was certainly vintage x Dare we say he is back?

How great would that be? And Bobby McCain had an excellent game as well. Communication on point I didn't really see any breakdowns and coverage on the film, passing off deep lane, deep running the deep lanes, cutting those things off over the top, having the range to get over and Eric Row as well a good game in this one, both in coverage and against the run. A few more

nuggets and snippets from this game. The Dolphins four point three penalties per game right now or the fifth lowest in the NFL, and the thirty five point three penalty yards assessed against them is the eighth lowest in the entire National Football League. Jacksonville converted just three of thirteen on third and fourth down. The conversion rate by the Miami defense was the lowest since it went too for eleven on third and fourth down plays back in twenty nineteen.

Last year against Washington, the red zone offense is converting sixty six point seven percent of trips inside the twenty into touchdowns. That's tied for ninth best in the NFL, and the forty four point four percent third down convergent rate ranks fourteen in the entire National Football League. And any way you splice it, Fitzpatrick was dealing in this game all night he had blue grades from PFF. Across the board, he was six for six with eighty one

yards and a touchdown. Pass When under pressure, he was twelve of thirteen with seventy eight yards and two touchdowns. When Jacksonville blitzed, he was six of six on intermediate throws the eleven to nineteen yard range with ninety yards

and a pair of touchdowns. And per next Gen fits, Patrick ranks five in the NFL and completion percentage above expected at plus six point seven percent and completions above expected rate, and he's also the number six quarterback in terms of q BR on ESPN so far through the NFL. DeVante Parker he caught all five of his targets for sixty nine yards in this game, and you look at his recent game logs going back over his career, he's

become a real consistent player for those Dolphins offense. He'll have the big hundred and thirty yard games, multi touchdown games, and that's how you get to d receiving yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. But you look at his floor, he pretty much never goes below five catches fifty yards, been consistent that way as a Dolphins number one receiver. The offensive line has gone wire to wire all three games. That's been awesome. The pass protection has been really, really

good once again. Solomon Kinley a pass protection shut out, no quarterback pressures, Ted Harris and Austin Jackson allowed one apiece, and Eric Flowers surrender just two pressures in the entire game. On the other side of the football, we talked about Kyle van Noy. He had six pressures on twenty pass rush snaps. That's a thirty percent PRP pass productivity. He had a sack of forced fumble, recovered that fumble and also made a pair of run stops in this game

as well. Andrew Van Ginkel also had a good PRP at seventeen percent. He had three pressures on eight teen pass rush reps. Shack Lawson had a fourteen percent PRP with six pressures on thirty two reps. Emmanuel Ogba five pressures on forty three reps at twelve percent, So all four of those guys with really good days rushing the passer and the running defense was working pretty well as well.

Christian Wilkins, Ray Kwon, Davis, Zack Seeler, Jerome Baker, Eric Rowe, and Brandon Jones all had two run stops in the game. Cornerback Xavien Howard and Noah Ignogamy allowed one completion combined on six pass targets. That's an average it went for two yards and average of point three three yards per target. That gives you a zero point zero passer rating against on either of those guys. And Bobby McCain allowed one completion for four yards on two targets. So good work

from the Dolphins offense and defense. A complete team victory. And with that, let's go ahead and spend things forward now as we get ready for Week number four and the Seattle Seahawks. Let's go ahead and here from coach Flores, who was wearing his Miami Marlins hat actually looked like a Florida Marlins hat. The old logo, the old colors, all that good stuff, a good flashback hat. He was wearing there to support the Marlins in their quest back

to the playoffs, breaking a seventeen year playoff drought. And what a week it was for South Florida sports. Obviously, go Heat. The Miami Heat now in the NBA Finals against Lebron James, his tenth NBA Finals, the Heat looking to knock him off as well, like so many other teams have before. Coach were in the Miami Marlins hat there as well, and the Dolphins getting their big win on Thursday night. Let's go ahead and look ahead here to the Seattle Seahawks, and here from coach on Russell Wilson.

A spectacular player. I mean these guys, UM, it's tough to defend. It makes really good decisions, you can extend plays ex accurate with the football. Pretty much knows what you're in from a cover standpoint, because he's seen a lot of um, exotic you know, defenses. H. I miss one of the best players in the league, if you know, I means, if not the best. So umus would be an extremely uh challenging game for us. It's not just him. I mean they've got receivers that've got back to got

good old line and the tight ends. They played a really good defense, they played in the kick well in the kicking game that well coached. UM, they played together for a long time. This is this is gonna be a tough, tough, tough challenge for us. So we've we've got to um, we gotta have a good week of preparation. UM and then we gotta play well. I mean tell me, he's a he's a he's a great player. Um. And we have to, you know, we have to do everything

at a high level, um to limit this offense. UM. So from a communication standpoint, from a tackling standpoint, from uh you know, uh pass for our standpoint, they have to play very well to keep this this offense uh limited and contained. I think you know, he's gonna they're gonna make some plays. I mean they're good. You know, they got a good quarterback and they got good players,

so they're gonna make a few plays. Um. You know, we just need to keep then you try to keep the We gotta continue to try to just you know, have good communication, have good technique or fundamentals, tackle well, defend the deep part of the field. Um. You know, he had a good rush and and and we gotta play well. It's a good offense. You heard about coach

on the opposition, Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson. Let's go ahead and go back to our own team here, and hear about coaches evaluation of the offensive line and specifically rookie left tackle Austin Jackson. They're you know, they're coming together. Look, they work hard, um to to all get on the same page. I mean I think individually they they're they're a harder grouping group, working working group. But collectively as a unit, UM, they understand that communication is important, that uh,

playing as a as a unit is very important. I think Steve has done a really good job and uh just stand on on top of him about the fundamentals and techniques working with one another. They spent a lot of time together, that's what you need. There's still a lot of improvements to make that hasn't been all perfect. But uh, I think as a group, UM, you know we've got leadership from the more veteran guys jesse Ted Carres eric um, and then our our young players from

you know, Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson and Solomon. You know, they're just following their lead, which you know, I feel like we're talking about that every week. UM. But if we just continue to do that, I think we have a chance to get better improved. Specific to Austin, UM, I mean you asked about him, Josh, Um. I think you know, being a rookie, UM, you know, there's things

that he's learning every time he goes out there. UM, you know, every different situation, whether it's third down, UH in a five man protection, whether it's goal line and UM and what that Uh, you know how different that snap is and you know another a normal snap in the field and UM, how big strong And this isn't just specific to Austin but all those rookies, how big, strong, fast the defensive lineman in this league are. I think

he's getting acclimated to that. But every week it's a different challenge and this week, you know, it's you know, certainly a big challenge against this this group that we're going to see UM and his team that we're gonna see. UM. But I think, you know, we just continue to try to improve every day, UM, and hopefully we you know, continue to UM to get better. Let's go ahead and stay on the same side of the football in a

similar area at the tight end position. And Mike Gasicki, who coach, was asked about his development and you're number three, you're gonna hear coach talk about a word that I love so very much when it comes to football. We've heard Miles Gaskin, Bobby McCain, Ryan Fitzpatrick, everybody under this on talks about the importance of leverage and how Mike Kasiki is learning about leverage and it's making him a better route runner, a better pass catcher, and a better

overall receiver at that tight end position. You know, Mike. I think Mike's definitely Uh, we've seen a lot of improvement, um, you know from him since since I've been here, and really since his his rookie year. UM. And I think that's just you know, time spent in the league understanding different defenses, understanding how uh different you know, leverages of defenders, understanding coverages. UH. You know, he's got an obviously good rapport with fits and you're starting to see some of

he's he's talented. Um. When you put all of it together, UM, you can see kind of the talent um um show up on game day. UM. He's still got a long way to go. UM. As far as you know, there's things in his game that he can improve on. UM, you know, op it around, releases, things like nature blocking. UM. But he's definitely made a lot of improvement. He's made place for us this season so far. UM. But there's I mean, there's still a lot you know, Uh, he's

left a few players out there also. Um, and I think it's you know, the tight end room with Durham and you know Adam. I mean it's a good group. They work well together. I think they complement each other well. Channel Cox also full full back tight end. Um, they compliment each other well. Um and um you know that they're making some improvements. But again, consistency is a big thing in this league, and um, that's what we need.

I think you build consistently. It's consistency through practice and walk throughs and um, you know, continuing to work the way that they work to have a little bit of success they've had so far. Um. Again as a as an overall team, um, uh, we got a long way to go. Um. And look, we got a great challenge this week against a really good team and we have to you know, really prepare and play well too, Yeah,

to give ourselves a chance to to to win. You heard me talk about Bobby McCain and the importance of the communication role he plays in the back end of that defense. Here's Coach Flora's we'll go ahead and finish with us one for coach about the importance and of Bobby McCain in that position, his role as a leader back at that safety spot and the growth for him in his second year at the position, coming over from

the slot slash outside cornerback position here in Miami. I think Bobby is a very important part of two to our defense. UM. I think, you know, safety, linebacker, but specifically safety, the quarterback of the defense. UM. So a lot of what he does is getting guys lined up pre snap so that we can have uh, you know, a good called it post nap play. UM. I think he's done a good job of that. I think in some of instances, UM, we've been aligned correctly, we've been

in the right places. But um, you know, we haven't made the play or had a bad post snap read or um. But Bobby has been. He's been, he's played well so far this year, and UM, you know, his leadership, his communication is UM, I think he's tackling well thus far. So I think he's played well and we need we need we need, uh we need to continue to play well when the other guys to kind of uh play the way he's been playing and his leadership, it definitely it shows up on our team and you know, we're

we're I'm very I've been very pleased with him. All r let's go ahead now and here from Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Seeler had a big game on Thursday. I wanted to ask him about the mindset of rushing to help other guys out on the team. Here is Zach Seiler and the approach this team has on creating opportunities for their friends. Is za about you guys just collective

team pass rush work. It seems like a lot of the EFFECTIVENESSUE guys get comes out of running games and you guys up front creating opportunities for second level players and rushers. I'm just curious how that mindset works when it comes to like I'm going to be the one that creates an opportunity for this player. Is that something you see collectively throughout the course of the defensive room. Oh? Absolutely, we celebrate that kind of stuff. We uh, we want

to be able to create opportunities for other players. And it's it's not what I did or what It's a team team and we just we were able to set some up for him or like with excess pick in the end, stuff like that we sell. We we we thoroughly enjoy watching everyone else succeed as well. And how about Zack Seeler's side job. What do he moonlights as more of a hobby? How about hunting alligators, wild pigs and crazy stuff out here and all the wildlife I've

come to learn to know about South Florida. It's a big process. Um We've had we have guides that have hunted for twenty plus years now, over thirty five years of experience together. Um, so we kind of met up with I've been hunting down here for a long, long time, family in the central Florida area, my whole life. So with that we kinda to my first and second year started this outfitters business and it's been good for us,

a huge passion of mine. Yeah, let's go to the other side of the ball here and wide receiver Jachim Grant and get to my question for the Dolphins wide receiver and j Caine. We asked you about the end around. I want to get your take on the reception you had. I'm curious to hear what that route it's called look like some kind of wheel like stop comeback route. What did you see on that play because it looked like you motioned over to where they didn't really have anybody

over there besides the one corner. So does your speed in that situation kind of make you more of a threat on that comeback? And then also the ability to get up after the catch on a player who's a rookie who didn't touch me down. Just kind of talk us through that play if you can, um let's out, end up, stop wherever you want to call it. And I knew, Dad, a lot of dbs will any time Dad, I'm going on any top of vertical out that they're gonna basically haul hall lass and trying to stay over

the top of me. And I just made it look like I'm running as fast as I could, and I just put on the brakes and dude kept running for about probably three yards, and you know, I made the Ditmond catch. I actually like, I couldn't see I definitely couldn't see the ball coming out of the break because of the lights. And I was like, Okay, there it is. I dote for it. And and when he didn't touch me when I fell on the ground, I was like,

oh yeah, I didn't feel them touch me. So I got up and I'm like, and he probably thought on film when I watched it, he thought I dropped the ball, and so he was clapping like yeah, he didn't catch it, like uh, And so I just got up and the ram because I felt I didn't even feel them touch me. So I was like, yeah, this this came right. And he didn't want to touch me, then all right, let me get up and run for a couple more yards.

And how about the friendly trash talk between he and fellow kickers when it comes to the kickoff game and kicking touchbacks over his head And I'm always taunting him everything every kickoff return. Um, you've probably see me back there. I'm always waving my hands and telling them to kick it to me. And then a lot of guys always run down and say, uh, come on, man, bring it out. Then I'm like, you're kicking in nine deep, it's only teen yards and ends like you're kicking in n There's

no way I'm gonna bring it out. So I mean, if you give me a chance, I'll bring it out. So and we'll go ahead and finish up here with Dolphins rookie left tackle Austin Jackson. You heard coach flora Is talking about his game and his growth so far in his age twenty one NFL season, ridiculously young and getting the job done out there at left tackle. Here he is talking about some of the technique and mentality that comes into playing the offensive line here for the

Miami Dolphins. You know technique that you know, offensive linement used because you know, oftentimes defensive linement can get leaning all their weight on you. So it's just it's just kind of a leverage battle. And if you see, you know they're at a leverage, it's it's easy to swept them down. I think leverage is gonna become our new each and every day here on the Drive Time podcast. Love that term. Love that word makes a lot of sense.

He was asked about the use of the hands and chopping and swatting away that initial hand punch on the defensive line. I talked about in the film notes about him being patient and not letting guys get into him. That's the perfect example of that right there, using the leverage against them. Let's go ahead and finish up here. One more quote from the Dolphins players on this Monday.

Austin Jackson talking about the leadership, the tricks of the trade, and all the tips the veteran offensive lineman have given him.

So far through three games. Uh, you know, they help me with a lot of advice, you know, whether it's situationally, you know, situations during the game or um, you know we need to get done, or what's to look out for, just because you know they've been playing the league for you know, such a good amount of time and you know they they just got a lot of knowledge on it or just kind of falls off and you know, they helped me in a lot of areas. There you go,

There you have it. Austin Jackson, Joachim Grant. We had coach Brian Flores as well as Zach Seeler. As we get closer and closer to kick off on Sunday, a little extra time to rest here the Seahawks coming off that type game with the Dallas Cowboys. We're gonna cover all that stuff here on the Drivetime podcast all week long. Injury Reports, game preview player features everything you want here

on Drivetime on Miami Dolphins dot com. As for today's time, that's gonna be my time you all, please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast. Leave us a rating, leave us a review, give me a follow on Twitter. It's at Wingfield NFL. Follow the Dolphins at Miami Dolphins. Check out the fish Tank and the audible podcast, and of course all the written content, video content, transcripts, everything you want Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time finds up