Looking at the Dolphins, I notice that they ran a league-low 913 plays last year – 47 fewer than anyone else. Offenses like the Browns, Rams, Jets and 49ers ran more plays than Miami. Hmm.
At a distance (without looking at it closely) I had figured the Dolphins had controlled things in a lot of their game, pounding away with Jay Ajayi. He had those three games with over 200 yards.
But this wasn’t really the case. The Dolphins allowed more yards than only two other teams.
Truth was, this team wasn’t actually all that good. Happened to benefit, it appears, from one of the easiest schedules. Wins came against the Browns, Rams, 49ers, Chargers and two each against the Bills and Jets. Their other two wins were at home against Pittsburgh and Arizona.
With the offensive and defensive problems, the Dolphins ran 176 fewer plays than their opponents. That’s the 5th-worst by any team in this century.
And normally, when you’re running a bunch fewer plays than the opposition, that’s a sign that you’re losing.
Since 2000, 26 teams have averaged at least 8 fewer plays per game than the opposition. Of that group, only Miami finished with a winning record. (One other team, the 2013 Cowboys, finished at .500).
Dolphins had a fairly successful first season under Adam Gase, but there is still work to do.
On this chart below, I’m expressing each team’s total number of plays (for both offense and defense) using rushing attempts and passing attempts (throws and sacks). Most teams also have an aborted play here and there (like Miami having one such play last year) but I have left those out.
| OPPONENTS RUNNING MORE PLAYS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Record | Off | Def | Diff |
| 2000 | Cleveland Browns | 3-13 | 859 | 1,122 | 263 |
| 2010 | Tennessee Titans | 6-10 | 907 | 1,139 | 232 |
| 2005 | San Francisco 49ers | 4-12 | 865 | 1,090 | 225 |
| 2014 | Tennessee Titans | 2-14 | 919 | 1,099 | 180 |
| 2016 | Miami Dolphins | 10-6 | 912 | 1,088 | 176 |
| 2009 | Buffalo Bills | 6-10 | 911 | 1,086 | 175 |
| 2015 | St. Louis Rams | 7-9 | 920 | 1,091 | 171 |
| 2002 | Detroit Lions | 3-13 | 955 | 1,119 | 164 |
| 2010 | Arizona Cardinals | 5-11 | 931 | 1,092 | 161 |
| 2003 | Houston Texans | 5-11 | 896 | 1,054 | 158 |
| 2001 | Cleveland Browns | 7-9 | 934 | 1,089 | 155 |
| 2007 | San Francisco 49ers | 5-11 | 925 | 1,078 | 153 |
| 2005 | New York Jets | 4-12 | 907 | 1,047 | 140 |
| 2013 | Dallas Cowboys | 8-8 | 957 | 1,094 | 137 |
| 2004 | Oakland Raiders | 5-11 | 939 | 1,072 | 133 |
| 2014 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-14 | 936 | 1,067 | 131 |
| 2000 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-13 | 932 | 1,063 | 131 |
| 2008 | Seattle Seahawks | 4-12 | 927 | 1,058 | 131 |
| 2002 | Dallas Cowboys | 5-11 | 948 | 1,079 | 131 |
| 2006 | Buffalo Bills | 7-9 | 898 | 1,029 | 131 |
| 2002 | Baltimore Ravens | 7-9 | 947 | 1,077 | 130 |
| 2012 | Tennessee Titans | 6-10 | 957 | 1,086 | 129 |
| 2007 | Buffalo Bills | 7-9 | 919 | 1,047 | 128 |
| 2008 | Oakland Raiders | 5-11 | 919 | 1,045 | 126 |
| 2004 | Detroit Lions | 6-10 | 949 | 1,071 | 122 |
| 2007 | Detroit Lions | 7-9 | 965 | 1,087 | 122 |
—Ian Allan