Miami coach Joe Philbin made it perfectly clear after the second day of training camp why the Dolphins are incorporating the no-huddle offense into their West Coast attack.
“We want to be an up-tempo offense,” he told ESPN.
Philbin is no stranger to the no-huddle. He relied on it heavily while he was the offensive coordinator in Green Bay, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers flung the ball all over the field en route to leading the Packers to a Super Bowl title followed by a 15-1 season.
But Philbin doesn’t have Rodgers in South Beach -- he has David Garrard, Matt Moore and rookie Ryan Tannehill, who agreed to terms on Saturday.
Philbin, however, also lacks something else in Miami: a bona fide No. 1 receiver who can get behind the secondary.
The Dolphins need a quick-strike scheme that utilizes their strengths, which are receivers who can run short to medium routes and running backs who can amass yards by carrying the ball as well as by catching it out of the backfield.
Consider:
- Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the Bears, amassed 1,214 yards and six touchdowns last year. Receivers Brian Hartline and Davone Bess combined for 1,086 yards and four receiving scores. Throw in tight end Anthony Fasano (451 yards receiving, five TDs), free-agent acquisitions Legedu Naanee (467 yards, one TD for Carolina) and Chad Johnson (276 yards, one TD for the Patriots), and it appears the Dolphins have the personnel for the scheme that stresses short passes, not long ones.
- Reggie Bush rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the first time in his career last year, leading the team with 1,086 to go along with 43 receptions for 296 yards. He’ll team with Daniel Thomas and rookie Lamar Miller, as the trio should complement the short passing game.
- Garrard had back surgery last year. Moore isn’t a top-flight quarterback. Tannehill is unproven. So what do they have in common? They all have yet to prove they can complete long passes consistently.
So far, Bess is a fan of the offense.
“Any player can be in any spot and it gives us the advantage,” he told team’s website. “It puts us all in good positions to win.”
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Miami Dolphins from blogger Dave Carey, follow@CBSSportsNFLMIA.