Can Moving Holland Help Miami’s Explosive Play Problem?
Syndication: Palm Beach Post Imagn Images
A lot of attention, for the Dolphins this season, has been placed on the lack of explosive plays on offense, and for good reason: McDaniel’s unit without Tua has major problems.
But with all the attention on the offense, the defense has gotten a free pass for giving up too many explosive plays. An explosive play in today’s NFL is defined as a pass play that goes for at least 20 yards, or a rush that goes for at least. According to Jake Grossman, the Dolphins have given up one of those 18 times, which is 8th worst in the NFL. The best team in the league in terms of explosive plays given up is the Atlanta Falcons who have given up eight.
The Dolphins know, especially with the offense struggling to move the ball that they need to be more in the Falcons range of explosive plays given up, and they need to figure it out quickly, or the season could quickly slip away (if it hasn’t already.)
Jevon Holland is often mentioned as one of the best safeties in the NFL, and for a good reason. He’s talented, but this season, with what the team needs right now, it might be best that he moves up closer to the line to make more of an impact. So far this season, Holland has played 158 snaps, with 84 snaps happening at free safety, 36 in the box, and 33 at the slot cornerback position. Four other snaps have been on the defensive line, and one other snap was at the wide cornerback position.
Holland’s play has been a bit inconsistent at times this season, but he has been a real playmaker when he has been able to make plays closer to the line of scrimmage.
Holland hasn’t been susceptible to the big plays given up, but those have also been from the safety position.
In Week 3, Holland was the over-the-top help against DK Metcalf, but he bit for the double move, and Metcalf was able to walk right by him and dance into the end zone. That touchdown moved the Seahawks to a 17-3 lead, and with the offense not having any explosive plays by themselves, the game was basically over after a quarter.
DK METCALF 14.1 FANTASY POINT TOUCHDOWN! WOW 😲 pic.twitter.com/YRG84u1ZBn
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) September 22, 2024
The touchdown above is a perfect example of how Holland’s strengths might not be best suited to being deep. Sure, Holland has the speed, but his best assets are still his instincts and his physicality.
In Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, those instincts and physically showed. The Jaguars were up 17-7 and driving down the field late in the third quarter to try and put the final stamp on the game. Travis Etienne took a handoff from the 13-yard and he looked like he was going to waltz into the end zone. Holland was lined up at safety but was closer to the line because of the field position, and he broke for the ball and was able to strip the ball. Instead of the Dolphins being down 24-7, the Dolphins had the ball back only down 10, and Miami ended up coming back.
Jevón Holland was a man on a MISSION 💥🥊 pic.twitter.com/lpYDaQQAfg
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 9, 2024
With Holland up near the line of scrimmage, maybe teams would start to try and attack the defense deep, but the Dolphins need to try something because it’s clear what they have tried the first three weeks isn’t working. Holland can play all over the field, so if he can make one or two game-changing plays closer to the line of scrimmage, the Dolphins need him in the best position to make those plays, and that’s upfront. It’s time for the Dolphins to start making explosive plays on defense, creating those turnovers as Holand did in Week 1 that changed the entire course of the game. Moving Holland up could change the entire course of this season for the good, one game at a tie.
Up Next