Dallas scouting report: Dissecting the Dolphins’ defensive approach
Mike McCarthy’s second season in Dallas was essentially his first true season because the 2020 campaign was marred by a number of injuries, a limited offseason because of the pandemic, and the loss of Dak Prescott for the entire campaign. However, McCarthy’s Cowboys in 2021 looked just as good as some had hoped when he was hired.
The Cowboys won six straight after narrowly losing to the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. One of those victories came against the Vikings on the road, where Cooper Rush made his first-ever start. Specifically, the offense was blazing hot and appeared unstoppable. Next up was a home game against the 4-4 Broncos, who had just traded superstar Von Miller and appeared
The Cowboys ended up losing the game handily. After being shut out for the first three quarters, they finally scored in the fourth, when it was evident that the Broncos defense was no longer playing aggressively, to slightly alter the final score at 30-16. Nevertheless, Dallas, who started the game as 10-point favorites and lost by two touchdowns, was humiliated by the defeat.
Fangio, who is usually a very reserved person with unremarkable quotes, all of a sudden had a lot to say:
McCarthy essentially laughed off the idea as the talk point soon shifted to whether or not Fangio had just invented a formula for stopping the Cowboys’ potent offense:
The league is undoubtedly a copycat league because of how popular Fangio’s defensive style has become. The two-deep safety scheme that Fangio has used to great effect for decades is currently used by 14 teams in the league, and even more teams have in one way or another incorporated elements of the scheme into their own defenses.
The Cowboys have actually played 10 such teams already this season, including six contests (Cardinals, Chargers, Rams, Eagles twice, Panthers) against defensive coordinators who have direct coaching ties to Fangio. It would be an understatement to say the Cowboys have seen this defense a lot. If Fangio was able to surprise the Cowboys in 2021, he won’t be able to do so this week as he attempts to stop an offense that McCarthy is now leading.
Regarding the plan, it’s not too hard to comprehend. The foundation of a Fangio defense is having two safeties play deep, at least at the snap, and using a range of coverages to stifle deep plays. Fangio primarily employs Cover 6 and quarters coverage, flooding the deep part of the field and only surrendering underneath routes.
Run by the man himself, the Fangio defense primarily focuses on zone coverage, currently ranking ninth in the league in terms of the number of zone coverage plays per game. The defense blitzes infrequently, with Miami having the fourth-lowest blitz rate in the league. Additionally, the defense frequently deploys extremely light boxes, which effectively challenges offenses to run the ball.
The Cowboys were successfully lured into this trap by the Bills, who employ a similar scheme but have no real connection to Fangio. Several times in the first half of the game, Prescott attempted a run play, with differing degrees of success, which hindered the passing offense’s ability to settle into a rhythm once they were trailing.
In terms of the players themselves, Fangio may have the best team he has ever worked with. Despite the loss of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips for the entire season, Miami is second in sacks and third in pressure rate. That’s because Miami’s defensive line is also led by Zach Sieler, Christian Wilkins, Bradley Chubb, and Emmanuel Ogbah.
Xavien Howard is still a reliable presence in the secondary, and Jalen Ramsey, a perennial All-Pro, has returned after tearing his meniscus during training camp. Security Jevon Holland, one of the league’s top safeties, has maintained his quick rise to prominence.
Despite their talent, this defense has been erratic throughout the season; they are third in EPA/play allowed but only 13th in defensive DVOA. Fangio defenses have struggled mightily this year, and their run defense has been particularly exposed. Miami ranks 20th in run defense DVOA and 17th in EPA/carry allowed, but they rank sixth in terms of total rushing attempts faced. In summary, their offense typically scores so much that opponents can’t afford to run the ball, so their run defense is a weakness that is rarely exploited. Do you recognize this?
The Cowboys have little prior experience playing the Dolphins, but they are well-versed in the defensive scheme that they will face this season. Even though the players executing Fangio’s plan are different, McCarthy and Prescott ought to arrive with a solid grasp of how to defeat it. This is crucial because Miami’s explosive offense will make it difficult for Dallas’ defense to make stops. This could easily become a shootout, which is perhaps exactly what McCarthy wants given the way he and Fangio interacted during their last meeting.
