The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Tannehill was sacked 5 times last week in Indianapolis and with the shoulder issue, I thought it might be interesting to look at those sacks (thanks to NFL.com's coaches film -- great stuff):

Sack #1:

Q2, 11:31, 3rd and 10 @ MIA 26:

(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g221/fyodor_/miaind-sack1.jpg)

The Colts did something here that they did a lot last Sunday: They played without their defensive tackle(s) and put their inside linebackers (Angerer and Freeman) right on the line flanked this time by defensive ends Jean Francois and Redding. Outside linebackers Mathis and Werner look to bring the heat as well.

The protection on this play is a royal clusterf*ck.

Mathis (left side in the photo) drops back in coverage, while Werner (right in photo) rushes and beats Clabo (77) on the outside. Not good.

But while Werner gets (half) a sack, Tannehill would have been able to escape the pressure if it hadn't been for Pouncy's (51) monumental air block. The two inside linebackers (lined up as tackles) pull off a very nice stunt, with Freeman looping behind Angerer who bull rushes Pouncy. Pouncy is caught totally off guard and is blocking air even before Angerer hits him.

Angerer goes straight for the other half of the sack after nudging Pouncy.

Even that kind of penetration might not have been enough, had Daniel Thomas (33) been able to get a better hit on the looping Freeman. As it was, Thomas only managed to help push Freeman around the Incognito/Martin mess of bodies, where he could contain Tannehill. He actually piled on Tannehill just a fraction of a second after Angerer and Werner.

Incognito and Martin did their jobs, everyone else blew chunks. (Charles Clay ran a half-hearter outlet route, if anyone cares). Tannehill had absolutely no chance.


Sack #2:

Q3, 14:03, 3rd and 10 @ MIA 30:

(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g221/fyodor_/miaind-sack2.jpg)

(O-line left-to-right in photo: Clabo, Jerry, Pouncy, Incognito, Martin)

This was the strip-sack that was reviewed (incomplete pass or "empty hand"). Tannehill's arm got hit, nothing else.

That doesn't mean the protection was good, though.

Look at Charles Clay  (42) lined up across from Freeman (50). Clay ran a route and deftly avoided any kind of contact with a rushing Freeman. Considering the blocking assignments on the offensive line (which had Clabo and Jerry blocking Redding and Jean Francois), that left Lamar Miller responsible for Freeman (whoc got the strip-sack).

Tannehill was actually squeezed from both sides as Martin was bull rushed all the way back to his quarterback.

A more experienced quarterback might have managed to step up in the pocket and avoid the pressure long enough to get rid of the ball, but it happened extremely quickly.


Sack #3:

Q3, 10:26, 2nd and 6 @ MIA 46:

(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g221/fyodor_/miaind-sack3.jpg)

Another play with a running back on Freeman. Another sack.

Notice how Freeman (50) is lined up ready to shoot the A-gap. Right guard (still Jerry) is already locked on DE Moala (95) and Pouncy takes on the nose tackle (Chapman). Moala, on purpose or not, lets Jerry push him to the outside, which opens a gap for Freeman to shoot through (and hems in Tannehill on that side). Chapman does a nice job of occupying Pouncy to seal the inside edge.

Daniel Thomas is supposed to pick up Freeman, but fails utterly, and Tannehill is sacked.

The ugly thing here, IMHO, is that Tannehill locked on Wallace (slot right) from the onset, never looking for his outlet receivers. It's only 2nd down and, yeah, maybe you do have Wallace in a good matchup, but you have an inside linebacker who's almost guaranteed to shoot the A gap untouched.


Sack #4:

Q3, 9:54, 3rd and 13 @ MIA 39:

(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g221/fyodor_/miaind-sack4.jpg)

Next play. Now it's 3rd and 13 (lost 7 yards on the previous sack) and the Colts are only rushing 3, leaving everyone else in coverage.

Tannehill should have plenty of time, right? Right???

Nope, Mathis (98) gets Clabo 1-on-1 and easily beats him. A little help from Daniel Thomas would've been nice, but no, he's running a route well short of the sticks, so clearly getting in Mathis' way would have been bad.

Sigh.

As bad as that was, Tannehill still could have stepped up in the pocket. Clabo did manage to push Mathis to the outside and with the other 2 defenders getting double-teamed, there was plenty of space and Tannehill should have recognized it before the snap.


Sack #5:

Q4, 13:48, 1st and 10 @ IND 48:

(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g221/fyodor_/miaind-sack5.jpg)

Almost a coverage sack. I actually like that Tannehill didn't get tricked into making a risky throw on first down.

Charles Clay (42) dives at Mathis (the right outside linebacker) and stalls him while he tries to scramble over and get after Tannehill.

Freeman (50, lined up as right inside linebacker) drops back to take away the intermediate crossing route (where Hartline is coming left to right, chased by a safety).

The nose tackle (97) actually drops back and takes away the short passing route where Wallace is streaking across the field with a corner on his tail.

Highlight of the play, other than Tannehill not forcing anything on 1st down, is that Dion Simms (80) handled outside linebacker Erik Walden (93) very nicely 1-on-1.

Those defensive formations were begging to be run on. Nice job on the breakdowns.