November 20, 2024 • 31 mins
Travis went into the film room, into the numbers and beyond and told you where Tua Tagovailoa has improved his game, and why he’s moving up the QB rankings with each passing week. Plus, Taylor Kyles joins us to break down the Patriots perspective ahead of Sunday’s divisional matchup.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
To on the move, Darling deep Speedways, Peace to Hellas.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
From the Baptist Health Studio this inside the Baptist Health
Training Complex.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield. He's got my advands
in the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
What is up Dolphins? And welcome to the Drive Time Podcast.
I am your host, Travis Wingfilm and on today's show,
I'm joined by the great Taylor Kyles from CLNS Media
in Boston to take a look at this big Patriots
matchup here on Sunday at hard Rock Stadium as the
Dolphins look to get to five and six. Ended up
a massive Thanksgiving night showdown.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
In Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
But first we'll talk to Taylor about the Patriots emergence
under Drake May and a whole lot more. Plus, we
didn't have a Wednesday podcast last week, so don't have
a chance to unveil some of the thoughts I have
been kicking around.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Gonna go ahead and do that today.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Just take a look at a few points, mostly about
the quarterback to a tongue of Bai Looa. We'll do
that after Taylor from the Baptist Health Studios inside the
Baptist Health Training Complex.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
This is.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
The Draft Time Podcast. Welcome back into the Baptist Hill Studios.
My guest today for Patriots Week once again, my buddy Taylor.
Kyle's a research savant and overall dapper gentleman. Taylor, what's up, dude?
How you doing today?
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Man?
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Doing well?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Always happy to be talking to you, brother. Thank you
so much for having me on again.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, I know you were.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You're kind of playing hurt right now. You got back
from the dentist, so you're jumping right back onto the
field force. We appreciate you stepping up and providing us
with this segment, this hit, and I'm watching some of
your content Taylor to before we get into the football
here and in your post game hit on the field.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
I have this question I've been dying to ask you
for a couple of hours. Now.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
You've got the beanie on like a sweater. It looks
like under the winter coat. And so my question for you, Taylor,
is was it really that cold or is that a
result of your time in southern California thinning out your blood?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
My man, yes, it is exactly that. I don't know
what it is about, la I was there for two years.
The rest of my life I spent on the East
Coast like New York, Boston, New Hampshire, living in the
freezing cold, and for some reason, those two years in
LA do something to you. My I don't know if
it's my bones got dinner or what it is, but honestly,
I was so embarrassed. I'm like, when we were doing
some of our hits, like when we do it, I'm like,
(02:25):
you know what, I gotta take this off. That was
just a little bit too windy for my frail self.
But you it really was just I gotta be better.
I gotta be better.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Open the kimono here a little bit.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So I'm always cold, and the press box at hard
Rock Stadium, when it's not one hundred degrees, because it
usually is, it gets pretty cold. I'm contemplating bringing gloves
to the press box, like I am that cold during
game days, but I fear for the reception of my
peers there if I think it's a bad move wearing
gloves in the press box.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
No, Travis, I wish you had told me this last
year was my first time actually going through the stadium.
I'm thinking, I'm in Florida. I'm just gonna wear, you know,
my button down, short sleeve shirts.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
And shorts.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Dude, I'm sitting directly under the air conditioner. Literally, people
could hear my teeth chattering. Are you okay? I'm like,
I don't even I barely remember the game. I was
just trying to stay alive.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, when it gets cold, it just it stays. It
gets colder in there. When I say cold, I'm talking
like seventy five degrees. So we are very, very blessed
down here in South Florida. Enough talking about two whims
that can't they can't even survive some little bit of
elements in a press box. Let's talk about the guys
that play football and are actually tough human beings and
start here. A lot has changed since these teams played
back in Week five, Taylor both starting different quarterbacks, and
(03:39):
we've seen how things have changed here with Tua back
in the fold.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So I'll ask you the same question about Drake May.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
How has that offense that team changed with the insertion
of May in the lineup.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
I mean it's a one to eighty. Literally, you look
at like pass protection.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Offensive line with the Patriots is one of the biggest
question marks, one of the biggest reasons a lot of
people were so hesitant for Drake to even play because
obviously Jacobe Brissette was the guy for the first five
weeks of the season, but Drake may one. He is
so far ahead when it comes to the mental side
of the game, and I think coming out of college,
I thought that was underrated. Where I'm saying, this twenty
two year old kid is doing things you don't see
(04:12):
from quarterbacks who are currently in the NFL. And he's
only been a starter for two seasons. So his ability
to the gate pressure both with his athleticism. If you
give him a big running lane, he's gonna be able
to exploit it and probably get a big chunk game
because he's got some speed, but also getting the ball
into his hands on time, understanding when he needs to
throw it away versus you know, he did have a
pretty bad interception a couple of weeks ago where he
(04:33):
tried to throw it away ended up getting picked. But
every week you do see the growth. So he's making
the offensive line better in terms of the passing game. Unfortunately,
he hasn't been able to connect deep in the last
few weeks. He's been trying to hit Kaishan booty, just
not that kind of guy obviously not really that big
size kind of player, really better one on one and
in space that kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
But you still see the arm town as fantastic.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
His ability to throw on the run has been really
big for this team and the creative abilities. So you know,
Jacobe set was kind of a statue back there, limited
in what he could do as a thrower, but Drake
May has really opened up the offense and allowed Alex
Van Pelt to do a little more in terms of RPOs,
moving the pocket and that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, you mentioned his ability to move, but also the
offensive line performing better. Do you think that's part of
a function of because like when they played back in
Week five, that was the Dolphins got a lot of
pressure on Jacoby Brissette. Do you think it's a function
of those guys are playing better, or Drake May is
a little bit more mobile or a combination of both
those things.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Definitely a combination. I put most of it towards Drake May.
I will say that there's a new center now, Ben Brown.
The last time these teams faced off, the center play
wasn't very good. I think that was a pretty big
reason why they struggled so much. But to be honest,
it's been pretty up intown Mike and one who's having
a very down season. But Darien Lowe has been exceeding expectation,
but even he's had his struggles as well. And then
(05:47):
Michael Jordan and Dementtre Jacobs are guys that you thought
were probably the really more practice squad candidates for most
of their careers, or guys you kind of see towards
the bottom of the roster and they've been thrust in
the starting roles. Now that being said, these guys have
performed at there have been some really rough struggles. Michael
Jordan had an ankle injury for a couple of weeks,
ended up getting playing really poorly. I thought he was
gonna end up getting benched, but he was healthy. Played
(06:09):
a little bit better in the past two weeks. But
it's not a great line. But again, Drake May is
making them look better for sure, But in terms of
pass pro passing things off and run blocking, you do
see some incremental growth that they still have plenty more
room to grow.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, you mentioned Kayshon Booty is a downfield target that
Drake May had the last couple of weeks, and you know,
as I continue to look forward towards the draft, as
I do every single year. I'm wondering which of those
receivers of the Patriots gonna take when they have a pick.
You know that maybe in the top ten this year,
maybe Travis Hunter. I hope that's not the case because
I love his game, but I am curious about who
that might be next year. But for the rest of
this season, while Drake continues to develop his rookie campaign,
(06:44):
who do you like is his preferred target, who's like
his security blanket that we have to keep an eye
on that's helped him produce so much so far.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
That would be Hunter Henry, actually the old wiley veteran.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Obviously, like all great veteran tight ends, he's really good
at finding those soft spots and zones. He's got reliable hands.
He's been in the league so wrong. He's not the
most explosive guy in the world, but he's a really
good route runner. He knows how to manipulate defenders in
that way. And then when Drake may leaves the pocket,
it's usually Hunter Henry who ends up on the receiving
end of a lot of those passes. Kaishan Boody is
a guy that he likes more those one on one situations.
(07:15):
But really, Hunter Henry has been the guy. You can
tell they have really great chemistry and he's got a
lot of faith in Henry.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Could be a good test with Dolphins. After brock Bauers
had thirteen catches in the game on Sunday. We'll keep
an eye on that matchup. Now, Drake will see a
defense I don't like to keep call him Drake Drake May.
We'll see a defense that is playing really connected right
now and well orchestrated under Anthony Weaver.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I know it's early in the.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Week, and I'm sure you've got some study to come
up here this week before you get ready for the
game in full. But you know the Dolphins, You've seen us,
you know this defense, And if you were coaching Drake
May on Sunday, how would you tell him to approach
this Anthony Weaver defense and how to attack what's been
a pretty well communicated, well connected defense so far.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
First thing is, I want to stay away from the
corners unless they give you some soft coverage and you're
running a hitch with some decent space and you're not
really challenging him too much. I just don't think that's
a great matchup. I have a lot of faith in Drake.
I just don't know if Kendrick Born and Kashawn Boody
are really the caliber a player to truly challenge those
guys consistently. So what I'm saying is it may not
be easy, but try to attack those linebackers. Hopefully we
(08:13):
see more of Antonio Gibson, his roles being kind of odd.
We thought he was going to be their main receiving back.
He's almost been splitting time a bit with Michael Hasty.
But if you can get some one all one matchups there,
like I said, Hunter Henry Austin Hooper specifically against more
zone type coverages, I think he got to work the
middle of the field, and Drake is gonna be happy
to do that. That's where he said, like I'm six
foot something guy, you know. I think he's like six
(08:34):
'y five or something like that. I can see over
the offensive lineman. I like, attack in the middle. I
think that's really gonna be the rectipe of success. And
also hopefully they mix some RPOs to create some challenges
for the Dolphins, because I think if you just try
to line up and play ball.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
It's going to be a really long day in the office.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I'm such a huge hunter, Henry Fan.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I'm pretty sure the Dolphins rolled down some Holland and
Jillen Ramsey on him back in the week five games,
so it shows with their level of respect for his
ability to be a playmaker as well.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
On the other.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Side, when we saw guys back in Week five or so,
we only had, you know, what was four games to
go off of. So I'm curious to reput this question
to you here eleven weeks in. How has the defensive
structure change going from Bill Belichick to Girodmeo in New England.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Honestly, not a ton. I'd say the biggest thing is
they use a lot more base defense. You're gonna see
a lot more of that. Sometimes we'll use three corners
where Jonathan Jones have been using him a lot more
as a safety sometimes free safety. But also if they're
using man coverage, it gives them the ability to have
that base front that's stout against the run, at least
on paper, had been a bit inconsistent, although they have improved,
and then Jonathan Jones can just walk down and cover
(09:33):
whatever third receivers on the field. Now, obviously that makes
it risky when it comes to tight ends, but honestly,
in this day and age, there's not a whole lot
of tight ends in the league who are the kind
of receiving threats that really scare you enough that you say,
we got to put a safety on him. That said,
Chrishanella has got burned on play action for a touchdown
last week, So there's some risk and reward there. But
I mean it's still a very man heavy defense. They
still use a lot of line games up front and
(09:55):
that kind of thing cover zero mixing in, so schematically
there's not a ton of sick magnificant differences. I'd say
early on in the season they did try to use
a lot of disguise cover too, kind of like what
you see from like the Weaver and you know that
whole Mike McDonald tree. They got burned by it a
few times. So they were like, you know what, we're
a man defense. Let's try to stick to what we're
good at. It's worked for them overall, although they really
(10:15):
did struggle against Pooka Cup and or Cooper Cup and
Pooka Nakula laugh. Yeah, but really, I mean, the biggest
difference is that based defense on early downs. Are going
to see that quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, that's interesting because the Raiders, we heard coach McDaniel
after the game say that we expected morizone coverage and
they came out and pretty much play exclusively man coverage,
and so the Dolphins went to a lot of rub
routes and man beaters that they were able to get
to in that game to have six drives and score,
you know, six times with all those drives. I want
to ask you about his football as well, but my
first concern here about Christian Barmore is just the health
(10:48):
returning for his getting back to full health, because what
a scary situation that was a blood clots. First off,
have you talked to him, how is he doing? And
then of course how does adding his Pro Bowl caliber
talent back to the defense change the defense?
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Yeah, he's doing better.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You can tell the environment that Drod May was trying
to create in that locker room where he once injured
players to stay in the building, stay around the team,
because he understands this guy who had a couple of
season ending injuries, how much it can weigh on you
mentally to be away from the team and feel kind of.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Isolated and alone. So I know that's helped him a ton.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
He had so much to say about the medical staff,
for one, finding the blood plot.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
He didn't even know anything was wrong.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
He said one of his calves was bigger than the
other and had like a mark on it that he
didn't even know about. So Jim Whalen also found David
Andrews blood clott. I believe it was back in twenty nineteen.
I think that was a while back. So really credit
to the medical staff and the environment that the Patriots
have that kept him his head up. And you know,
he said, I'm a warrior. You know, I said, I
wasn't going to lose this battle. So he's in really
good spirits. He played more than I expected. Actually in
(11:45):
the game against the Rams. He only practiced on Thursday,
which as we know, is usually a third down day,
so I figured, okay, he's just going to be a
situational rusher. But he played about twenty snaps. He played
in base, he played in dime, he played in nickel.
Obviously still getting his legs under him. Pad level wasn't
great as you kind of expect for a guy who's
still getting football shape sometimes those fundamental slip away still
(12:05):
had three tackles against the Rum though you can see
that space eater he is. The Patriots don't have a
guy like that outside of Devon Datchaw. Danie Lacauley's been
doing his absolute best, but that's just not the kind
of guy he is as a pass rusher.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
You still see that he is a load to deal with.
The moves weren't.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Quite crisp, obviously because he hasn't practiced since early early
in the summer. So I wouldn't expect like the classic
bar More game that you saw when he based off
against the Dolphins last year, but obviously still somebody that
you have to account with.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
They'll be chasing his former Alabama teammate or I guess
did they play together?
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Did Tua and Barmore play together?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
I don't know if they. I think they did for
one season.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I think for one season, So my whole segue might
be blown up there, but either way, they both went
to Alabama.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
That's the transition there to.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
My last question for you, Taylor, which is how do
the Patriots get down here and steal a win from
a Dolphins team that's red hot, playing really good football
and kind of has their eyes on a larger prize.
How do the Patriots come down here and spoil the
Dolphins season.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Well, first of all, for the offense, they can't go backwards.
That's been the biggest thing. Honestly, Alex Van Pelt caught
a ton of flak for most of this season. People
were saying he can't call plays, he can't design plays,
when really he's dealing with a lack of talent and
also a ton of inexperience on both the offensive line,
quarterback and at the wide receiver positions. But the past
two games you've seen because they've been able to run
(13:21):
the ball somewhat, the playbook opens up and you see
the play action, the RPOs just being able to actually
call more than just drop back passes, which really no
offensive coordinator can live in that area. So I think
the Patriots just need to stay on schedule, not to
shoot themselves in the foot with penalties and things like that,
and communicate along the offensive line. Those are going to
be the big keys. And also not turning the ball over,
(13:42):
which Drake may has done. Really, he's had like a
couple turnover where he plays at least in almost every game.
Then defensively, it's gonna sound kind of like phoning it in,
but execution really, because you know, against the Rams, there
were so many issues with those receivers. People are saying, oh,
why is't Christian Gonzalez shadowing Pookin cool, which I thought
at the time.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Looking back at the tape, I'm just like, it's execution.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
You're not passing off a bunch as well, you're not
covering and playing to your weverage and things like that,
and also disrupting the Dolphins so that like we always
see in these games, the Dolphins have a full PLAYBOK
for the entire game.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Rarely, very rarely are they behind.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
So I think if you can at least stop the run,
that should really really help.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
The back end.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I always have this conversation about, like, you know, if
something negative happens, is that the conversation is like, got
to replace that guy, I got to get someone else
in there. It's like, sometimes you can just play better
and execute better. So it's not always a bad thing
to say that. It's it's accurate most of the time,
or some of the times. I should say he is
Taylor Kyle's on the Patriots beat, and I love this
combination of jobs where you cover the beat. You're on
the beat, cover of the team, but also provide the
(14:42):
best analysis in that reagion of the country. For my money,
Taylor for Patriots CLNS at t Kyles thirty nine on
Social You're the best. We'll see you on Sunday. Dress
hopefully a little bit warmer this time around.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Yes, sir, I'm bringing a sweater. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Appreciate you, buddy, And there he goes.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Always a fun chat that teaches us more about not
just the Patriots, but the mind Dolphins. When we have
Taylor on the show, let's go ahead and take our
first break right there, come back on the other side
and talk about some notes from my notepad. Basically, that's
next Drivetime podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you
by Auto Nation. You better call me Steve Balmer right
(15:18):
now because I am just fired up to be here
to bring you this next segment. I've been tweeting about
it all day on Tuesday, and I cannot wait to
bring you the results of this research project I just
put together to break down Tua's game and the offense.
And while we are on the way to becoming a
championship contender, maybe not this year, but down the road.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And here's why. Well, there's a lot of reasons why.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
The good thing about being a good team is that
you get a lot of exposure via primetime games. You'll
win eleven games, you get rewarded with five primetime games,
and the fourth of those five scheduled comes next week.
So no typical Wednesday episode next week, and we didn't
have one last week because of the short week in
Los Angeles. And when that happens, when we get two
(16:06):
weeks without a Wednesday episode, that's when I fill up
the notepad on my phone with thoughts, and there are
several of them. And I got to thinking, you know,
I love to bust narratives, call me the narrative or
the MythBuster on here that I personally I don't think
has a leg to stand on on this show. Like,
for instance, when I went on that whole damn tour
(16:28):
of doing podcasts this summer trying to explain why the
offensive line and the passing game would be just fine,
And wouldn't you know it, here we are and I'm
not hearing a lot of chatter about that anymore.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Before you tell me they got too hurt. Just stop that.
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
He lowered his head and then the Rams tackle like
that's on him as well.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
He's got to be smarter.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And I think McDaniel's reaction when he was asked that
every day of media the following week would tell you
that he thinks he has to be smarter there as well.
Now that said, this isn't really a narrative debunking so
much as it is looking at the elements this team
and this quarterback needed to improve in more micro that
Tua himself wanted to improve this offseason. He even told
(17:09):
us that back in the winter after the KC game
last year, that he had four things he wanted to
work on ahead of the twenty twenty four campaign. And
while we still don't know exactly what those things were,
I think the body of work reveals at least part
of it. Let's look at the stats here. Number one.
I have a catalog of plays from going back to
rewatching the games, and for instance, his first game back
(17:32):
against the Cardinals, that first drive we convert a third
and seven. I think it was to Tyreek Hill on
a deep curl route and the ball hits him right
out of the break. But on that play you can
see Tua adjust the angle of his drop back and
throw the football on the move. He did it on
the critical DPI called on waddle just before the big
John new Smith touchdown against the Raiders to put them away.
(17:54):
And this is going to be a tangent that's probably
a little bit off the tracks, but it's the Draft
Time podcast.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Baby Does Well way O.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
And you know it goes against what I call the
Judge Judy rule. You guys ever watch Judge Udy. Phenomenal program,
been on the air for thirty forty years, whatever it is,
and that's because it's great. She asked the plaintiff and
the defendant questions that require only fact telling responses, and
if they ever say he thought, or he assumed or
he knew, she will cut them off. Don't tell him
(18:21):
what he knew. You don't know what he knew. She's great,
love Judge Judy. So I'm breaking the Judge Judy rule here,
But I'm pretty sure I think that Tua changes those
drop back angles either at live reaction speed or his
pre snap accounting for where the pressure is coming from.
How his protection is called and where he can do
his own assistance against pressure by simply changing the launch
(18:45):
point to a safer position where there's less danger from
the defense. So go watch that Wattle play because he
drifts just slightly to his left to get better access
to a throwing platform, and he did this to a
less degree on the John Woo touchdown. The bottom line
is this, he's throwing more footballs this year with his
cleats not attached to the grass. Watch Jtosulivan, Colt McCoy,
(19:08):
any of the quarterback content creators slash ex players out there.
They love talking about having your cleats in the ground.
Your cleats are your feet. Your feet is your base.
And anyone that's ever played any sport knows that you
generate force from your base. You got to be a
power bottom who generates the force from the bottom up.
Power hitters always sunny aside, usually have the biggest legs
(19:31):
most of the time. Kingry Virginia is a different story,
but I digress. Now there's plenty of exceptions to that rule.
For instance, Aaron Rodgers. You ever see his feet when
he throws. He does that little hop step kind of
like a second basement turning two with the base runner
bearing down on you trying to take out your legs.
To break up that twin killing, you have to throw
the ball and then once that left foot hits the dirt,
(19:52):
you bounce right back up over the sliding base runner
to avoid getting your legs taken out from under you.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
I live there.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I did that for every summer for fifteen years, and
that approach has become more commonplace over the years. Rogers
was the first one to do it with regularity, but
you see mahomes do it all the time, for instance,
or watch the college game. It's all over the collegiate level.
And I think these stats will prove that the work
to what has done this offseason to get more elusive,
(20:20):
to get more creative, to be able to throw the
football stronger and more accurately without cleats attached to the
ground has paid off. First, we know last year one
of his off season goals was to add weight and
train jiu jitsu to improve his ability to be available.
Mission accomplished, played all seventeen games in an eighteen playoff game.
But then this offseason he's talked about his regiment, including
(20:43):
losing some weight, which is clearly evident by his body
and getting some of that nimbleness back. And he's even
alluded to this in press conferences that he doesn't believe
that his mobility will ever be what it was at
Alabama thanks to the hip injury.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
But watching him this.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Year, he has definitively clear to the threshold that I
thought was necessary for him to take a huge step,
Like the littlest change could have had the biggest impact
because he's so adept at processing the accuracy, the placement,
the anticipation, the managing of the entire operation, all the
intangibles that are difficult to quantify that we talk about
(21:18):
on the podcast here literally every friggin week. But then
you add creation to that and just a couple of
times a game and that's all it takes. Because who
it's big time. Like the third nineteen to most against
the Rams, that's one drive that he had to have it,
and it gave us more points in a punting situation.
Otherwise the third and five to OBJ against the Rams
(21:39):
and the games ceiling drive doesn't do that. Matthew Stafford
gets the football back with a chance to go win
the game. These are subtle moves slash escaping to green
grass to get the throw away. Then there's the touchdown
against the Bills where he purouettes and creates that way.
It has just all improved, and I think the numbers
against pressure detail the intentionality he had this offseason or
(22:01):
each off season for that matter, because verse pressure.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
His passer rating this year.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Number one in the National Football League. It's one twenty
six point three. Last year it was fifty two point eight,
So Tubby Tua not so nimble against pressure. In twenty
twenty two before the Tubby Nis got there, ninety one
point six, so that was good. You know, it was
like eight in the NFL that year, but it wasn't great.
This year it's astronomically like all time great by ways.
(22:29):
How about throwing outside the pocket, Well, one thirty one
point three passer rating is you guessed it tops among
qualifying quarterbacks who've had two hundred dropbacks. Jamis Winston has
won thirty five point four, but he doesn't quite hit
the threshold. Jamis what a crazy guy he is. And
just for posterity, the other quarterbacks in this echalon of
both pressure and outside the pocket passer rating are Matt Stafford, Kyler, Murray,
(22:53):
Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jaden Daniels. You get where I'm
going here, right. The best quarterbacks in the league, and
most guys who you would say they're the first trait
you think about is their creativity and their athletic ability.
The numbers, the tape, that's all there. But how did
we get to this point? This all kind of clicked
for me the other day when I was watching practice.
So if you've ever been to camp, and you know,
(23:13):
you saw this over the summer, but this is just
from the open portion of practice when the quarterbacks are
getting warm, so they'll do their work in the indoor
to get the body that the blood flow and the
body moving. It's a like dynamic movement before you stretch
to really help you, you know, access a soft tissue
and you know, loosen it up or soften it up.
So they then come out and while the special teams
(23:35):
unit is going through their work and drills, the quarterbacks
come out to the other field and they'll throw and
just get loose like you did in baseball as a kid,
Like you go down the line, you get your arm
loosened and get ready for practice. You usually have a
quarterback next to a coach or a QC or an admin,
someone that's not a player, someone there to catch the
pass because the quarterbacks don't catch passes because those hands
are worth lots of money. So the quarterback throws to
a QC who hands the ball to the quarterback next
(23:57):
to him, and that quarterback throws the ball back over
to a different AD or QC and he hands the
ball back to Tua and round and round we go.
And this is usually flat footed. Sometimes there's like a
one hit or even the occasional like soft jog occasional
three step drop in these warmups.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
But when I watch.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Tua, he will take the football and he'll do this
like jog, slash, run towards the line of scrimmage and
throw the ball on the move with the cleats out
of the ground, and you can hear the sizzle of
the damn football even from twenty five yards away behind
the end zone. But the more I watch, the more
I noticed, Oh, he does this every day, And here
we go with another different sport comparison. It got me thinking,
(24:35):
this reminds me of when you make a swing change
in golf. And that sound you just heard was Seth
Levitt exiting the podcast.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Come back to a seth into the weeds. We go here.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
For a golf swing change you for to take hold,
you have to overemphasize it. So if my swing path
is making me hook the ball, that's an out to
end path. So I need to overemphasize an into out
swing and that will then even it out somewhere in
the middle. When you even it out, you then rep it.
You rep it, you rep it, you rep it some more,
(25:05):
and when you're tired, you rep it again. And if
you're doing it right, it becomes second nature and you
don't have to think about it anymore. And every golfer
knows the less swing thoughts you have, the better golf
you'll play. Let's actually, let's go to coach right here
real quick, because there's a SoundBite. I'm not gonna play
the audio, but I'll read it to you guys real quick.
This is what he said after the Rams game when
I asked him about Tua's ability to add lib It's
(25:27):
part of his game that he's focused on. And I
think what we're all seeing is what's kind of old
hat for Tua, which is whatever Tua you used to know.
He's getting better at something and ready to put it
on display early and often. I'm happy that he's found that,
and so are his teammates, especially the eligibles that are
catching the football. He's twenty six, he's playing the smartest
(25:47):
football of his career. He's play making more than he
ever has. I know we had a rough patch of games,
but a star quarterback taking this type of step forward
is literally the second best thing that can happen for
an organization outside of your team success, which is always
obviously obviously the number one goal, but quarterback play like this.
I mean, look at the perennial contenders, the Chiefs, the Ravens,
(26:08):
the Bills, the old Patriots, Steelers, Saints.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
What did those teams have? You guessed?
Speaker 4 (26:12):
It?
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Upper echelon quarterbacks.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
And that's what Tua has been since he came back,
and quite frankly for the last three years. But these
improvements that he's made to his game, I think take
him from that like eight to twelve best quarterback range
to where he can if he does this from now on,
if this is who he is, he's a top five
quarterback because he's adding three drives that get more points
out of them per game. Based upon this creativity, and
(26:37):
he's also getting better the other stuff that already is
a superpower, So it's just.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Like, whoa man like, he's really good.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
One more thing I think people wanted to see was
how he performed against the top teams. Let's go ahead
and take our last break, come back and do that
on the other side. Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield,
brought to you by autoation. So the creativity and off
schedule plays have all been there for Tua. How about
when he goes on the road or faces a top
(27:05):
team in the league. Wait, and how about playing on
the road against those top teams that all qualify to
me as good teams or at least the three of
those teams do Just wait on the Rams because they're
gonna rip through the second half of their schedule with
all the guys they have coming back and getting continuity together.
So the Rams, Cardinals, and Bills are three playoff teams
in my opinion, and two of those games were on
(27:27):
the road. And then, oh yeah, by the way, here's
where those teams ranked defensively an EPA, Cardinals fifth top
five defense, Bills eleventh, Rams seventh, and Raiders thirty first.
But three of those teams are top third of the NFL,
and that's where two was playing his best ball. Lastly,
how about the gotta have it situations. I'm looking at
drives where you were either trailing by one score in
(27:48):
the fourth quarter or you were in a kill situation,
which is where you have the ball and the lead
and the other team probably has one more maybe two
more possessions remaining, aka a score or a touchdown kills
their hopes of a comeback. Here's what it looks like.
Should we go individually, Yeah, let's do it. In Arizona,
touchdown to go up by two scores and then a
(28:09):
punt in the fourth court is the only punt they had.
They averaged three point five points per drive. He went
eight for ten for sixty yards in those drives against Buffalo,
touchdown drive to tie it up, touchdown drive to tie
it up. Two for two in those possessions, seven points
per drive, nine for ten, one hundred and nine yards
in a touchdown. He also had four yards rushing. That
was a four yard run on fourth and four to
move the sticks against the Rams.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Field goal to go up by two scores.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
In the fourth field goal to go up by two scores,
in the fourth two for two on scoring opportunities, three
points per drive, seven for eight for seventy yards for
two against Las Vegas. Touchdown to go up to two scores,
touchdown to go up by two scores, field goal to
go up by three scores, three for three in scoring
five point six seven points per drive, eight for nine,
one hundred and thirteen yards in a touchdown total. He
(28:53):
was thirty two for thirty seven three hundred and fifty
two yards, two touchdowns, a passer rating of one twenty
four point three red. That's nine drives, that's one punt,
that's five touchdowns, that's three field goals. That's four point
eight nine points per drive. Wait blaw to quantify entirely.
Tua is tops in the NFL and EPA per dropback
(29:15):
in one score games.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
In the fourth quarter. Way blah, that's my Tua talk.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And I just want to go ahead and put this
on the podcast real quick, because I tweeted about it.
Are blueskided, I forget where I put it. I just
want to finish with this in hopes of quelling this
idea that the Dolphins are some perennial letdown outfit against
inferior competition because I saw it against the Raiders. I
know we're going to see it against the Patriots, but
I wanted to put this out there since Tua got here.
In games that Tua has played or since twenty twenty two,
(29:43):
I should say, the Dolphins in games that they are
favorites in are eighteen and four.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Their record in games since twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
In games they're favored by a touchdown or more, which
they are against the Patriots, they're nine and one in
those games. The one loss is the Titans games, So
I get why you're apprehensive because that was a game
that pretty much derailed the season. But they're nine and
one in games that they're touchdown or more favorites in,
and they're seven and three against the spread, which means
they usually cover that large spread. The games they didn't
was the Steelers in twenty twenty two. They were seven
(30:15):
and a half point favorites and won that game by six.
Last year, they were thirteen and a half point favorites
over the Raiders and they won that game by seven.
I'm missing one here because they beat the Texans by
they were plus fourteen and twenty twenty two and rail
beat them by fifteen. They beat the Giants by fifteen
when they were thirteen point favorites last year. They beat
the Panthers by twenty eight when they were fourteen point
(30:35):
favorites in that one. They beat the Patriots by fourteen
when they were eight and a half point favorites last year.
They beat the Jets when they were nine and a
half point favorites by twenty one last year, and then
also thirty in the other game, No, the home game
they put him by thirty because I was the home
game of the road game.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
They were not seven point favorites.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Against the Commanders, they won by forty points in a
game they are nine point favorites. And then on Sunday
they beat the Raiders in a seven point favorite game
by how many points is that?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Fifteen? So there you go. So quite literally, the opposite
is true.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
If this team plays an inferior punk, they pretty much
stamp them out. That's my time Tomorrow game preview Friday,
John new Smith, Great stuff coming this week on the podcast.
You all please be sure to subscribe rate review all
that stuff. Follow me on Blue Sky on Twitter, and
guests on Instagram at Wingfold NFL. Follow the Miami Dolphins
at Miami Dolphins, check out the Fish Tank podcast with
(31:24):
my guy Sethan Juice, the YouTube channel for media availabilities,
New Dolphins HQ, and much much more. And last button
not least, Miami Dolphins dot Com. Until next time, Finn's up,
head on Cameron Daddy
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Just coming home.
To on the move, Darling deep Speedways, Peace to Hellas.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
From the Baptist Health Studio this inside the Baptist Health
Training Complex.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield. He's got my advands
in the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
What is up Dolphins? And welcome to the Drive Time Podcast.
I am your host, Travis Wingfilm and on today's show,
I'm joined by the great Taylor Kyles from CLNS Media
in Boston to take a look at this big Patriots
matchup here on Sunday at hard Rock Stadium as the
Dolphins look to get to five and six. Ended up
a massive Thanksgiving night showdown.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
In Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
But first we'll talk to Taylor about the Patriots emergence
under Drake May and a whole lot more. Plus, we
didn't have a Wednesday podcast last week, so don't have
a chance to unveil some of the thoughts I have
been kicking around.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Gonna go ahead and do that today.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Just take a look at a few points, mostly about
the quarterback to a tongue of Bai Looa. We'll do
that after Taylor from the Baptist Health Studios inside the
Baptist Health Training Complex.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
This is.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
The Draft Time Podcast. Welcome back into the Baptist Hill Studios.
My guest today for Patriots Week once again, my buddy Taylor.
Kyle's a research savant and overall dapper gentleman. Taylor, what's up, dude?
How you doing today?
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Man?
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Doing well?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Always happy to be talking to you, brother. Thank you
so much for having me on again.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, I know you were.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You're kind of playing hurt right now. You got back
from the dentist, so you're jumping right back onto the
field force. We appreciate you stepping up and providing us
with this segment, this hit, and I'm watching some of
your content Taylor to before we get into the football
here and in your post game hit on the field.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
I have this question I've been dying to ask you
for a couple of hours. Now.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
You've got the beanie on like a sweater. It looks
like under the winter coat. And so my question for you, Taylor,
is was it really that cold or is that a
result of your time in southern California thinning out your blood?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
My man, yes, it is exactly that. I don't know
what it is about, la I was there for two years.
The rest of my life I spent on the East
Coast like New York, Boston, New Hampshire, living in the
freezing cold, and for some reason, those two years in
LA do something to you. My I don't know if
it's my bones got dinner or what it is, but honestly,
I was so embarrassed. I'm like, when we were doing
some of our hits, like when we do it, I'm like,
(02:25):
you know what, I gotta take this off. That was
just a little bit too windy for my frail self.
But you it really was just I gotta be better.
I gotta be better.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Open the kimono here a little bit.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So I'm always cold, and the press box at hard
Rock Stadium, when it's not one hundred degrees, because it
usually is, it gets pretty cold. I'm contemplating bringing gloves
to the press box, like I am that cold during
game days, but I fear for the reception of my
peers there if I think it's a bad move wearing
gloves in the press box.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
No, Travis, I wish you had told me this last
year was my first time actually going through the stadium.
I'm thinking, I'm in Florida. I'm just gonna wear, you know,
my button down, short sleeve shirts.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
And shorts.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Dude, I'm sitting directly under the air conditioner. Literally, people
could hear my teeth chattering. Are you okay? I'm like,
I don't even I barely remember the game. I was
just trying to stay alive.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, when it gets cold, it just it stays. It
gets colder in there. When I say cold, I'm talking
like seventy five degrees. So we are very, very blessed
down here in South Florida. Enough talking about two whims
that can't they can't even survive some little bit of
elements in a press box. Let's talk about the guys
that play football and are actually tough human beings and
start here. A lot has changed since these teams played
back in Week five, Taylor both starting different quarterbacks, and
(03:39):
we've seen how things have changed here with Tua back
in the fold.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So I'll ask you the same question about Drake May.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
How has that offense that team changed with the insertion
of May in the lineup.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
I mean it's a one to eighty. Literally, you look
at like pass protection.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Offensive line with the Patriots is one of the biggest
question marks, one of the biggest reasons a lot of
people were so hesitant for Drake to even play because
obviously Jacobe Brissette was the guy for the first five
weeks of the season, but Drake may one. He is
so far ahead when it comes to the mental side
of the game, and I think coming out of college,
I thought that was underrated. Where I'm saying, this twenty
two year old kid is doing things you don't see
(04:12):
from quarterbacks who are currently in the NFL. And he's
only been a starter for two seasons. So his ability
to the gate pressure both with his athleticism. If you
give him a big running lane, he's gonna be able
to exploit it and probably get a big chunk game
because he's got some speed, but also getting the ball
into his hands on time, understanding when he needs to
throw it away versus you know, he did have a
pretty bad interception a couple of weeks ago where he
(04:33):
tried to throw it away ended up getting picked. But
every week you do see the growth. So he's making
the offensive line better in terms of the passing game. Unfortunately,
he hasn't been able to connect deep in the last
few weeks. He's been trying to hit Kaishan booty, just
not that kind of guy obviously not really that big
size kind of player, really better one on one and
in space that kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
But you still see the arm town as fantastic.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
His ability to throw on the run has been really
big for this team and the creative abilities. So you know,
Jacobe set was kind of a statue back there, limited
in what he could do as a thrower, but Drake
May has really opened up the offense and allowed Alex
Van Pelt to do a little more in terms of RPOs,
moving the pocket and that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, you mentioned his ability to move, but also the
offensive line performing better. Do you think that's part of
a function of because like when they played back in
Week five, that was the Dolphins got a lot of
pressure on Jacoby Brissette. Do you think it's a function
of those guys are playing better, or Drake May is
a little bit more mobile or a combination of both
those things.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Definitely a combination. I put most of it towards Drake May.
I will say that there's a new center now, Ben Brown.
The last time these teams faced off, the center play
wasn't very good. I think that was a pretty big
reason why they struggled so much. But to be honest,
it's been pretty up intown Mike and one who's having
a very down season. But Darien Lowe has been exceeding expectation,
but even he's had his struggles as well. And then
(05:47):
Michael Jordan and Dementtre Jacobs are guys that you thought
were probably the really more practice squad candidates for most
of their careers, or guys you kind of see towards
the bottom of the roster and they've been thrust in
the starting roles. Now that being said, these guys have
performed at there have been some really rough struggles. Michael
Jordan had an ankle injury for a couple of weeks,
ended up getting playing really poorly. I thought he was
gonna end up getting benched, but he was healthy. Played
(06:09):
a little bit better in the past two weeks. But
it's not a great line. But again, Drake May is
making them look better for sure, But in terms of
pass pro passing things off and run blocking, you do
see some incremental growth that they still have plenty more
room to grow.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, you mentioned Kayshon Booty is a downfield target that
Drake May had the last couple of weeks, and you know,
as I continue to look forward towards the draft, as
I do every single year. I'm wondering which of those
receivers of the Patriots gonna take when they have a pick.
You know that maybe in the top ten this year,
maybe Travis Hunter. I hope that's not the case because
I love his game, but I am curious about who
that might be next year. But for the rest of
this season, while Drake continues to develop his rookie campaign,
(06:44):
who do you like is his preferred target, who's like
his security blanket that we have to keep an eye
on that's helped him produce so much so far.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
That would be Hunter Henry, actually the old wiley veteran.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Obviously, like all great veteran tight ends, he's really good
at finding those soft spots and zones. He's got reliable hands.
He's been in the league so wrong. He's not the
most explosive guy in the world, but he's a really
good route runner. He knows how to manipulate defenders in
that way. And then when Drake may leaves the pocket,
it's usually Hunter Henry who ends up on the receiving
end of a lot of those passes. Kaishan Boody is
a guy that he likes more those one on one situations.
(07:15):
But really, Hunter Henry has been the guy. You can
tell they have really great chemistry and he's got a
lot of faith in Henry.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Could be a good test with Dolphins. After brock Bauers
had thirteen catches in the game on Sunday. We'll keep
an eye on that matchup. Now, Drake will see a
defense I don't like to keep call him Drake Drake May.
We'll see a defense that is playing really connected right
now and well orchestrated under Anthony Weaver.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I know it's early in the.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Week, and I'm sure you've got some study to come
up here this week before you get ready for the
game in full. But you know the Dolphins, You've seen us,
you know this defense, And if you were coaching Drake
May on Sunday, how would you tell him to approach
this Anthony Weaver defense and how to attack what's been
a pretty well communicated, well connected defense so far.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
First thing is, I want to stay away from the
corners unless they give you some soft coverage and you're
running a hitch with some decent space and you're not
really challenging him too much. I just don't think that's
a great matchup. I have a lot of faith in Drake.
I just don't know if Kendrick Born and Kashawn Boody
are really the caliber a player to truly challenge those
guys consistently. So what I'm saying is it may not
be easy, but try to attack those linebackers. Hopefully we
(08:13):
see more of Antonio Gibson, his roles being kind of odd.
We thought he was going to be their main receiving back.
He's almost been splitting time a bit with Michael Hasty.
But if you can get some one all one matchups there,
like I said, Hunter Henry Austin Hooper specifically against more
zone type coverages, I think he got to work the
middle of the field, and Drake is gonna be happy
to do that. That's where he said, like I'm six
foot something guy, you know. I think he's like six
(08:34):
'y five or something like that. I can see over
the offensive lineman. I like, attack in the middle. I
think that's really gonna be the rectipe of success. And
also hopefully they mix some RPOs to create some challenges
for the Dolphins, because I think if you just try
to line up and play ball.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
It's going to be a really long day in the office.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I'm such a huge hunter, Henry Fan.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I'm pretty sure the Dolphins rolled down some Holland and
Jillen Ramsey on him back in the week five games,
so it shows with their level of respect for his
ability to be a playmaker as well.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
On the other.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Side, when we saw guys back in Week five or so,
we only had, you know, what was four games to
go off of. So I'm curious to reput this question
to you here eleven weeks in. How has the defensive
structure change going from Bill Belichick to Girodmeo in New England.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Honestly, not a ton. I'd say the biggest thing is
they use a lot more base defense. You're gonna see
a lot more of that. Sometimes we'll use three corners
where Jonathan Jones have been using him a lot more
as a safety sometimes free safety. But also if they're
using man coverage, it gives them the ability to have
that base front that's stout against the run, at least
on paper, had been a bit inconsistent, although they have improved,
and then Jonathan Jones can just walk down and cover
(09:33):
whatever third receivers on the field. Now, obviously that makes
it risky when it comes to tight ends, but honestly,
in this day and age, there's not a whole lot
of tight ends in the league who are the kind
of receiving threats that really scare you enough that you say,
we got to put a safety on him. That said,
Chrishanella has got burned on play action for a touchdown
last week, So there's some risk and reward there. But
I mean it's still a very man heavy defense. They
still use a lot of line games up front and
(09:55):
that kind of thing cover zero mixing in, so schematically
there's not a ton of sick magnificant differences. I'd say
early on in the season they did try to use
a lot of disguise cover too, kind of like what
you see from like the Weaver and you know that
whole Mike McDonald tree. They got burned by it a
few times. So they were like, you know what, we're
a man defense. Let's try to stick to what we're
good at. It's worked for them overall, although they really
(10:15):
did struggle against Pooka Cup and or Cooper Cup and
Pooka Nakula laugh. Yeah, but really, I mean, the biggest
difference is that based defense on early downs. Are going
to see that quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, that's interesting because the Raiders, we heard coach McDaniel
after the game say that we expected morizone coverage and
they came out and pretty much play exclusively man coverage,
and so the Dolphins went to a lot of rub
routes and man beaters that they were able to get
to in that game to have six drives and score,
you know, six times with all those drives. I want
to ask you about his football as well, but my
first concern here about Christian Barmore is just the health
(10:48):
returning for his getting back to full health, because what
a scary situation that was a blood clots. First off,
have you talked to him, how is he doing? And
then of course how does adding his Pro Bowl caliber
talent back to the defense change the defense?
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Yeah, he's doing better.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You can tell the environment that Drod May was trying
to create in that locker room where he once injured
players to stay in the building, stay around the team,
because he understands this guy who had a couple of
season ending injuries, how much it can weigh on you
mentally to be away from the team and feel kind of.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Isolated and alone. So I know that's helped him a ton.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
He had so much to say about the medical staff,
for one, finding the blood plot.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
He didn't even know anything was wrong.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
He said one of his calves was bigger than the
other and had like a mark on it that he
didn't even know about. So Jim Whalen also found David
Andrews blood clott. I believe it was back in twenty nineteen.
I think that was a while back. So really credit
to the medical staff and the environment that the Patriots
have that kept him his head up. And you know,
he said, I'm a warrior. You know, I said, I
wasn't going to lose this battle. So he's in really
good spirits. He played more than I expected. Actually in
(11:45):
the game against the Rams. He only practiced on Thursday,
which as we know, is usually a third down day,
so I figured, okay, he's just going to be a
situational rusher. But he played about twenty snaps. He played
in base, he played in dime, he played in nickel.
Obviously still getting his legs under him. Pad level wasn't
great as you kind of expect for a guy who's
still getting football shape sometimes those fundamental slip away still
(12:05):
had three tackles against the Rum though you can see
that space eater he is. The Patriots don't have a
guy like that outside of Devon Datchaw. Danie Lacauley's been
doing his absolute best, but that's just not the kind
of guy he is as a pass rusher.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
You still see that he is a load to deal with.
The moves weren't.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Quite crisp, obviously because he hasn't practiced since early early
in the summer. So I wouldn't expect like the classic
bar More game that you saw when he based off
against the Dolphins last year, but obviously still somebody that
you have to account with.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
They'll be chasing his former Alabama teammate or I guess
did they play together?
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Did Tua and Barmore play together?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
I don't know if they. I think they did for
one season.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I think for one season, So my whole segue might
be blown up there, but either way, they both went
to Alabama.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
That's the transition there to.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
My last question for you, Taylor, which is how do
the Patriots get down here and steal a win from
a Dolphins team that's red hot, playing really good football
and kind of has their eyes on a larger prize.
How do the Patriots come down here and spoil the
Dolphins season.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Well, first of all, for the offense, they can't go backwards.
That's been the biggest thing. Honestly, Alex Van Pelt caught
a ton of flak for most of this season. People
were saying he can't call plays, he can't design plays,
when really he's dealing with a lack of talent and
also a ton of inexperience on both the offensive line,
quarterback and at the wide receiver positions. But the past
two games you've seen because they've been able to run
(13:21):
the ball somewhat, the playbook opens up and you see
the play action, the RPOs just being able to actually
call more than just drop back passes, which really no
offensive coordinator can live in that area. So I think
the Patriots just need to stay on schedule, not to
shoot themselves in the foot with penalties and things like that,
and communicate along the offensive line. Those are going to
be the big keys. And also not turning the ball over,
(13:42):
which Drake may has done. Really, he's had like a
couple turnover where he plays at least in almost every game.
Then defensively, it's gonna sound kind of like phoning it in,
but execution really, because you know, against the Rams, there
were so many issues with those receivers. People are saying, oh,
why is't Christian Gonzalez shadowing Pookin cool, which I thought
at the time.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Looking back at the tape, I'm just like, it's execution.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
You're not passing off a bunch as well, you're not
covering and playing to your weverage and things like that,
and also disrupting the Dolphins so that like we always
see in these games, the Dolphins have a full PLAYBOK
for the entire game.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Rarely, very rarely are they behind.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
So I think if you can at least stop the run,
that should really really help.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
The back end.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I always have this conversation about, like, you know, if
something negative happens, is that the conversation is like, got
to replace that guy, I got to get someone else
in there. It's like, sometimes you can just play better
and execute better. So it's not always a bad thing
to say that. It's it's accurate most of the time,
or some of the times. I should say he is
Taylor Kyle's on the Patriots beat, and I love this
combination of jobs where you cover the beat. You're on
the beat, cover of the team, but also provide the
(14:42):
best analysis in that reagion of the country. For my money,
Taylor for Patriots CLNS at t Kyles thirty nine on
Social You're the best. We'll see you on Sunday. Dress
hopefully a little bit warmer this time around.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Yes, sir, I'm bringing a sweater. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Appreciate you, buddy, And there he goes.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Always a fun chat that teaches us more about not
just the Patriots, but the mind Dolphins. When we have
Taylor on the show, let's go ahead and take our
first break right there, come back on the other side
and talk about some notes from my notepad. Basically, that's
next Drivetime podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you
by Auto Nation. You better call me Steve Balmer right
(15:18):
now because I am just fired up to be here
to bring you this next segment. I've been tweeting about
it all day on Tuesday, and I cannot wait to
bring you the results of this research project I just
put together to break down Tua's game and the offense.
And while we are on the way to becoming a
championship contender, maybe not this year, but down the road.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And here's why. Well, there's a lot of reasons why.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
The good thing about being a good team is that
you get a lot of exposure via primetime games. You'll
win eleven games, you get rewarded with five primetime games,
and the fourth of those five scheduled comes next week.
So no typical Wednesday episode next week, and we didn't
have one last week because of the short week in
Los Angeles. And when that happens, when we get two
(16:06):
weeks without a Wednesday episode, that's when I fill up
the notepad on my phone with thoughts, and there are
several of them. And I got to thinking, you know,
I love to bust narratives, call me the narrative or
the MythBuster on here that I personally I don't think
has a leg to stand on on this show. Like,
for instance, when I went on that whole damn tour
(16:28):
of doing podcasts this summer trying to explain why the
offensive line and the passing game would be just fine,
And wouldn't you know it, here we are and I'm
not hearing a lot of chatter about that anymore.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Before you tell me they got too hurt. Just stop that.
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
He lowered his head and then the Rams tackle like
that's on him as well.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
He's got to be smarter.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And I think McDaniel's reaction when he was asked that
every day of media the following week would tell you
that he thinks he has to be smarter there as well.
Now that said, this isn't really a narrative debunking so
much as it is looking at the elements this team
and this quarterback needed to improve in more micro that
Tua himself wanted to improve this offseason. He even told
(17:09):
us that back in the winter after the KC game
last year, that he had four things he wanted to
work on ahead of the twenty twenty four campaign. And
while we still don't know exactly what those things were,
I think the body of work reveals at least part
of it. Let's look at the stats here. Number one.
I have a catalog of plays from going back to
rewatching the games, and for instance, his first game back
(17:32):
against the Cardinals, that first drive we convert a third
and seven. I think it was to Tyreek Hill on
a deep curl route and the ball hits him right
out of the break. But on that play you can
see Tua adjust the angle of his drop back and
throw the football on the move. He did it on
the critical DPI called on waddle just before the big
John new Smith touchdown against the Raiders to put them away.
(17:54):
And this is going to be a tangent that's probably
a little bit off the tracks, but it's the Draft
Time podcast.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Baby Does Well way O.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
And you know it goes against what I call the
Judge Judy rule. You guys ever watch Judge Udy. Phenomenal program,
been on the air for thirty forty years, whatever it is,
and that's because it's great. She asked the plaintiff and
the defendant questions that require only fact telling responses, and
if they ever say he thought, or he assumed or
he knew, she will cut them off. Don't tell him
(18:21):
what he knew. You don't know what he knew. She's great,
love Judge Judy. So I'm breaking the Judge Judy rule here,
But I'm pretty sure I think that Tua changes those
drop back angles either at live reaction speed or his
pre snap accounting for where the pressure is coming from.
How his protection is called and where he can do
his own assistance against pressure by simply changing the launch
(18:45):
point to a safer position where there's less danger from
the defense. So go watch that Wattle play because he
drifts just slightly to his left to get better access
to a throwing platform, and he did this to a
less degree on the John Woo touchdown. The bottom line
is this, he's throwing more footballs this year with his
cleats not attached to the grass. Watch Jtosulivan, Colt McCoy,
(19:08):
any of the quarterback content creators slash ex players out there.
They love talking about having your cleats in the ground.
Your cleats are your feet. Your feet is your base.
And anyone that's ever played any sport knows that you
generate force from your base. You got to be a
power bottom who generates the force from the bottom up.
Power hitters always sunny aside, usually have the biggest legs
(19:31):
most of the time. Kingry Virginia is a different story,
but I digress. Now there's plenty of exceptions to that rule.
For instance, Aaron Rodgers. You ever see his feet when
he throws. He does that little hop step kind of
like a second basement turning two with the base runner
bearing down on you trying to take out your legs.
To break up that twin killing, you have to throw
the ball and then once that left foot hits the dirt,
(19:52):
you bounce right back up over the sliding base runner
to avoid getting your legs taken out from under you.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
I live there.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I did that for every summer for fifteen years, and
that approach has become more commonplace over the years. Rogers
was the first one to do it with regularity, but
you see mahomes do it all the time, for instance,
or watch the college game. It's all over the collegiate level.
And I think these stats will prove that the work
to what has done this offseason to get more elusive,
(20:20):
to get more creative, to be able to throw the
football stronger and more accurately without cleats attached to the
ground has paid off. First, we know last year one
of his off season goals was to add weight and
train jiu jitsu to improve his ability to be available.
Mission accomplished, played all seventeen games in an eighteen playoff game.
But then this offseason he's talked about his regiment, including
(20:43):
losing some weight, which is clearly evident by his body
and getting some of that nimbleness back. And he's even
alluded to this in press conferences that he doesn't believe
that his mobility will ever be what it was at
Alabama thanks to the hip injury.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
But watching him this.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Year, he has definitively clear to the threshold that I
thought was necessary for him to take a huge step,
Like the littlest change could have had the biggest impact
because he's so adept at processing the accuracy, the placement,
the anticipation, the managing of the entire operation, all the
intangibles that are difficult to quantify that we talk about
(21:18):
on the podcast here literally every friggin week. But then
you add creation to that and just a couple of
times a game and that's all it takes. Because who
it's big time. Like the third nineteen to most against
the Rams, that's one drive that he had to have it,
and it gave us more points in a punting situation.
Otherwise the third and five to OBJ against the Rams
(21:39):
and the games ceiling drive doesn't do that. Matthew Stafford
gets the football back with a chance to go win
the game. These are subtle moves slash escaping to green
grass to get the throw away. Then there's the touchdown
against the Bills where he purouettes and creates that way.
It has just all improved, and I think the numbers
against pressure detail the intentionality he had this offseason or
(22:01):
each off season for that matter, because verse pressure.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
His passer rating this year.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Number one in the National Football League. It's one twenty
six point three. Last year it was fifty two point eight,
So Tubby Tua not so nimble against pressure. In twenty
twenty two before the Tubby Nis got there, ninety one
point six, so that was good. You know, it was
like eight in the NFL that year, but it wasn't great.
This year it's astronomically like all time great by ways.
(22:29):
How about throwing outside the pocket, Well, one thirty one
point three passer rating is you guessed it tops among
qualifying quarterbacks who've had two hundred dropbacks. Jamis Winston has
won thirty five point four, but he doesn't quite hit
the threshold. Jamis what a crazy guy he is. And
just for posterity, the other quarterbacks in this echalon of
both pressure and outside the pocket passer rating are Matt Stafford, Kyler, Murray,
(22:53):
Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jaden Daniels. You get where I'm
going here, right. The best quarterbacks in the league, and
most guys who you would say they're the first trait
you think about is their creativity and their athletic ability.
The numbers, the tape, that's all there. But how did
we get to this point? This all kind of clicked
for me the other day when I was watching practice.
So if you've ever been to camp, and you know,
(23:13):
you saw this over the summer, but this is just
from the open portion of practice when the quarterbacks are
getting warm, so they'll do their work in the indoor
to get the body that the blood flow and the
body moving. It's a like dynamic movement before you stretch
to really help you, you know, access a soft tissue
and you know, loosen it up or soften it up.
So they then come out and while the special teams
(23:35):
unit is going through their work and drills, the quarterbacks
come out to the other field and they'll throw and
just get loose like you did in baseball as a kid,
Like you go down the line, you get your arm
loosened and get ready for practice. You usually have a
quarterback next to a coach or a QC or an admin,
someone that's not a player, someone there to catch the
pass because the quarterbacks don't catch passes because those hands
are worth lots of money. So the quarterback throws to
a QC who hands the ball to the quarterback next
(23:57):
to him, and that quarterback throws the ball back over
to a different AD or QC and he hands the
ball back to Tua and round and round we go.
And this is usually flat footed. Sometimes there's like a
one hit or even the occasional like soft jog occasional
three step drop in these warmups.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
But when I watch.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Tua, he will take the football and he'll do this
like jog, slash, run towards the line of scrimmage and
throw the ball on the move with the cleats out
of the ground, and you can hear the sizzle of
the damn football even from twenty five yards away behind
the end zone. But the more I watch, the more
I noticed, Oh, he does this every day, And here
we go with another different sport comparison. It got me thinking,
(24:35):
this reminds me of when you make a swing change
in golf. And that sound you just heard was Seth
Levitt exiting the podcast.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Come back to a seth into the weeds. We go here.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
For a golf swing change you for to take hold,
you have to overemphasize it. So if my swing path
is making me hook the ball, that's an out to
end path. So I need to overemphasize an into out
swing and that will then even it out somewhere in
the middle. When you even it out, you then rep it.
You rep it, you rep it, you rep it some more,
(25:05):
and when you're tired, you rep it again. And if
you're doing it right, it becomes second nature and you
don't have to think about it anymore. And every golfer
knows the less swing thoughts you have, the better golf
you'll play. Let's actually, let's go to coach right here
real quick, because there's a SoundBite. I'm not gonna play
the audio, but I'll read it to you guys real quick.
This is what he said after the Rams game when
I asked him about Tua's ability to add lib It's
(25:27):
part of his game that he's focused on. And I
think what we're all seeing is what's kind of old
hat for Tua, which is whatever Tua you used to know.
He's getting better at something and ready to put it
on display early and often. I'm happy that he's found that,
and so are his teammates, especially the eligibles that are
catching the football. He's twenty six, he's playing the smartest
(25:47):
football of his career. He's play making more than he
ever has. I know we had a rough patch of games,
but a star quarterback taking this type of step forward
is literally the second best thing that can happen for
an organization outside of your team success, which is always
obviously obviously the number one goal, but quarterback play like this.
I mean, look at the perennial contenders, the Chiefs, the Ravens,
(26:08):
the Bills, the old Patriots, Steelers, Saints.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
What did those teams have? You guessed?
Speaker 4 (26:12):
It?
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Upper echelon quarterbacks.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
And that's what Tua has been since he came back,
and quite frankly for the last three years. But these
improvements that he's made to his game, I think take
him from that like eight to twelve best quarterback range
to where he can if he does this from now on,
if this is who he is, he's a top five
quarterback because he's adding three drives that get more points
out of them per game. Based upon this creativity, and
(26:37):
he's also getting better the other stuff that already is
a superpower, So it's just.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Like, whoa man like, he's really good.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
One more thing I think people wanted to see was
how he performed against the top teams. Let's go ahead
and take our last break, come back and do that
on the other side. Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield,
brought to you by autoation. So the creativity and off
schedule plays have all been there for Tua. How about
when he goes on the road or faces a top
(27:05):
team in the league. Wait, and how about playing on
the road against those top teams that all qualify to
me as good teams or at least the three of
those teams do Just wait on the Rams because they're
gonna rip through the second half of their schedule with
all the guys they have coming back and getting continuity together.
So the Rams, Cardinals, and Bills are three playoff teams
in my opinion, and two of those games were on
(27:27):
the road. And then, oh yeah, by the way, here's
where those teams ranked defensively an EPA, Cardinals fifth top
five defense, Bills eleventh, Rams seventh, and Raiders thirty first.
But three of those teams are top third of the NFL,
and that's where two was playing his best ball. Lastly,
how about the gotta have it situations. I'm looking at
drives where you were either trailing by one score in
(27:48):
the fourth quarter or you were in a kill situation,
which is where you have the ball and the lead
and the other team probably has one more maybe two
more possessions remaining, aka a score or a touchdown kills
their hopes of a comeback. Here's what it looks like.
Should we go individually, Yeah, let's do it. In Arizona,
touchdown to go up by two scores and then a
(28:09):
punt in the fourth court is the only punt they had.
They averaged three point five points per drive. He went
eight for ten for sixty yards in those drives against Buffalo,
touchdown drive to tie it up, touchdown drive to tie
it up. Two for two in those possessions, seven points
per drive, nine for ten, one hundred and nine yards
in a touchdown. He also had four yards rushing. That
was a four yard run on fourth and four to
move the sticks against the Rams.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Field goal to go up by two scores.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
In the fourth field goal to go up by two scores,
in the fourth two for two on scoring opportunities, three
points per drive, seven for eight for seventy yards for
two against Las Vegas. Touchdown to go up to two scores,
touchdown to go up by two scores, field goal to
go up by three scores, three for three in scoring
five point six seven points per drive, eight for nine,
one hundred and thirteen yards in a touchdown total. He
(28:53):
was thirty two for thirty seven three hundred and fifty
two yards, two touchdowns, a passer rating of one twenty
four point three red. That's nine drives, that's one punt,
that's five touchdowns, that's three field goals. That's four point
eight nine points per drive. Wait blaw to quantify entirely.
Tua is tops in the NFL and EPA per dropback
(29:15):
in one score games.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
In the fourth quarter. Way blah, that's my Tua talk.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And I just want to go ahead and put this
on the podcast real quick, because I tweeted about it.
Are blueskided, I forget where I put it. I just
want to finish with this in hopes of quelling this
idea that the Dolphins are some perennial letdown outfit against
inferior competition because I saw it against the Raiders. I
know we're going to see it against the Patriots, but
I wanted to put this out there since Tua got here.
In games that Tua has played or since twenty twenty two,
(29:43):
I should say, the Dolphins in games that they are
favorites in are eighteen and four.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Their record in games since twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
In games they're favored by a touchdown or more, which
they are against the Patriots, they're nine and one in
those games. The one loss is the Titans games, So
I get why you're apprehensive because that was a game
that pretty much derailed the season. But they're nine and
one in games that they're touchdown or more favorites in,
and they're seven and three against the spread, which means
they usually cover that large spread. The games they didn't
was the Steelers in twenty twenty two. They were seven
(30:15):
and a half point favorites and won that game by six.
Last year, they were thirteen and a half point favorites
over the Raiders and they won that game by seven.
I'm missing one here because they beat the Texans by
they were plus fourteen and twenty twenty two and rail
beat them by fifteen. They beat the Giants by fifteen
when they were thirteen point favorites last year. They beat
the Panthers by twenty eight when they were fourteen point
(30:35):
favorites in that one. They beat the Patriots by fourteen
when they were eight and a half point favorites last year.
They beat the Jets when they were nine and a
half point favorites by twenty one last year, and then
also thirty in the other game, No, the home game
they put him by thirty because I was the home
game of the road game.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
They were not seven point favorites.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Against the Commanders, they won by forty points in a
game they are nine point favorites. And then on Sunday
they beat the Raiders in a seven point favorite game
by how many points is that?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Fifteen? So there you go. So quite literally, the opposite
is true.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
If this team plays an inferior punk, they pretty much
stamp them out. That's my time Tomorrow game preview Friday,
John new Smith, Great stuff coming this week on the podcast.
You all please be sure to subscribe rate review all
that stuff. Follow me on Blue Sky on Twitter, and
guests on Instagram at Wingfold NFL. Follow the Miami Dolphins
at Miami Dolphins, check out the Fish Tank podcast with
(31:24):
my guy Sethan Juice, the YouTube channel for media availabilities,
New Dolphins HQ, and much much more. And last button
not least, Miami Dolphins dot Com. Until next time, Finn's up,
head on Cameron Daddy
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Just coming home.
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