How has Dan Campbell quickly transformed the into playoff contenders? That's the question I've been grappling with since the reeled off two impre sive wins in the aftermath of Campbell's promotion to interim head coach, keeping Miami . So I took some time to study the , to see how the novice coach has helped his team crush foes behind an explosive offense and a dynamic defense. Here's what I found:1) The Dolphins' defense is dominating behind a simpler approach.Entering 2015, the were widely hailed as dark-horse contenders in the AFC, thanks to the disruptive potential of a defense featuring , and . The trio was expected to anchor a unit that pummeled opponents in the trenches while suffocating aerial attacks with sticky coverage in the back end. However, the defense stumbled out of the gate under coordinator Kevin Coyle, surrendering an average of 25.3 points, 399.5 total yards and 160.5 rushing yards -- while registering just one sack -- during the first four games of the season. The group looked nothing like the rugged, star-driven force it was supposed to be. Shortly after head coach Joe Philbin , Coyle .Miami's struggles could partly be attributed to the hesitant play of the defensive line at the point of attack. Under Coyle, the would seemingly "read and react" instead of blowing through their a signed gaps. The defenders would routinely take on blockers squarely down the middle, which led to minimal penetration when they weren't able to win with sheer power and brute strength. Although the would mix in some stems and angles (defensive-line movement where defenders shoot gaps), the movement didn't appear coordinated as a group. Thus, there were gaping holes at the point of attack, leading to big gains from nifty cutback runners adept at spotting seams.Miami also couldn't generate a consistent pa Admiral Schofield Jersey s rush, despite the presence of ers on the front line. True, the inability to stop the run prevented the unit from attacking in favorable situations (obvious pa sing downs or long-yardage situations), but the front line also simply didn't win enough "one-on-ones" to register high sack totals. The repeatedly got close to the quarterback in the pocket, but were unable to get to him prior to the release of the throw. As a result, the secondary defenders were unable to feast off rushed or hurried throws from the pocket.New coordinator Lou Anarumo has cleaned up the defense by simplifying the scheme and putting his top players in position to make plays. With the number of calls on the play sheet reduced, defenders are able to focus on technique and effort instead of a signment. Consequently, they play faster and create more chaos with sheer energy and hustle. Looking at the , I've noticed the using more movement along the line, to allow their disruptors to attack their a signed gaps after the snap. By using more "one-gap" movement tactics, the are able to play on the opponent's side of the line of scrimmage, leading to more negative plays (tackles for lo s and sacks) from the defense. Additionally, the coordinated movement allows everyone to know exactly which gap is their responsibility, resulting in fewer explosive runs between the tackles. With Anarumo also mixing in some five-man pre sures to incorporate second-level defenders, the are flying to the ball and playing aggre sively on each snap. From a player's perspective, the simplified approach allows guys to play faster, due to a "see ball, get ball" mentality. Defenders are able to focus exclusively on reacting to what they see instead of worrying about various checks or a signments. Thus, it was sensible for Anarumo to pare down his game plan to just 10 or so different calls. Defenders can now spend the bulk of their work week honing technique and focusing on their opponent's tendencies rather than mastering new information. With each defender tasked with the goal of winning his "one-on-one" matchup each week, the smaller playbook and increased emphasis on technique is producing better results.Overall, the ' defense has improved dramatically, with better effort and hustle coming from each player. Anarumo has gotten all 11 defenders to fly to the ball with reckle s abandon and nasty intention. The combination of "hitting and hustling" produces big hits, which lead to turnovers on tips, bobbles and deflections. Most importantly, it allows the defense to set the tone with physicality and ferocity between the lines. 2) Lamar Miller is thriving as the focal point of the offense.For all of the conversation regarding the NFL being a quarterback-driven league, the most explosive teams feature a dynamic weapon in the backfield, someone who can create big-play opportunities as a runner or receiver. Despite posting a 1,000-yard season in 2014, Miller had been an underutilized a set prior to Campbell's promotion. The fourth-year pro averaged just 9.3 carries and 32.8 rushing yards in the team's first four games, surprisingly low numbers for a runner who averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2014.Miller's workload has increased with Campbell at the reins: Since Week 6, Miller has averaged 16.5 rushes and 144.0 rushing yards per game. Most impre sively, he has been averaging 8.7 rushing yards per carry in that span, displaying the kind of explosivene s that led me to compare him to Clinton Portis during the 2012 pre-draft proce s.Looking at the , it's clear Miller is at his best working on the edges in the ' spread scheme. He exhibits exceptional stop-start quickne s in the hole, but he also po se ses the vision and cut-back skills to attack seams on the back side. With the using a variety of zone-based blocking schemes and backfield misdirections, Miller's knack for spotting creases makes him a threat to go the distance from anywhere on the field. Take a look at the video to the right to see Miller explode through the middle on a simple inside zone with cro s-blocking action.Miller's versatility as a receiver also makes him a scoring threat at all times. He's a terrific route-runner from the backfield, exhibiting patience and savvy setting defenders up in space. Additionally, Miller is a nifty playmaker on screens. He is patient enough to allow his blockers to get out in front, and he po se ses enough top-end speed to put it in the paint when he gets into the open field.In the play depicted below, from over Houston in Week 7, the get Miller the ball on a misdirection screen in the open field. The are aligned in a dubs formation, with receiver in the slot and Miller at the dot position. At the snap, Miller fakes a dive, with Landry coming around a fake reverse. fakes the end-around, retreats and lobs the ball to Miller in the flat. Miller weaves through traffic and finds the end zone for a 54-yard score (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):3) Ryan Tannehill has found his groove in a quick-rhythm pa sing game.The wisely hired coordinator Bill Lazor in January 2014 to implement a version of the spread that accentuated Tannehill's skills as a mobile playmaker. The fourth-year pro thrived in Texas A&M's spread offense, which featured an a sortment of bubble screens, quicks and short cro sing routes. The system was designed to get the quarterback a few "layups" to build his confidence and help him find a rhythm.Lazor, who has stayed on under Campbell, has installed a similar system in Miami after learning the nuances of the spread offense from Chip Kelly during his time with the . Looking at the , I noticed the run the basic concepts of the spread (bubble screens, quicks and short cro sers), as well as some movement-based throws (bootlegs and naked pa ses) designed to put the quarterback on the edges. Given Tannehill's athleticism, mobility, quick release and experience running a "tempo" offense, the quick-rhythm offense allows him to play fast and efficient from the pocket, especially when he is supported by a strong running game.Against the , Tannehill was nearly flawle s executing the system, completing 18 of 19 pa ses for 282 yards with four touchdowns, no picks and a pa ser rating of 158.3. Although the ' receivers accounted for 257 "YAC" (yards after the catch), Tannehill impre sed by consistently delivering the ball within the strike zone. He repeatedly put the ball on the receiver's upfield shoulder, allowing the pa s-catcher to make plays on the perimeter.On his 53-yard touchdown pa s to , which is depicted below, Tannehill shows outstanding accuracy and ball placement. The align in a trips formation, with Matthews positioned on the left. Landry motions out of the backfield to create an empty formation. The overload leaves Matthews one-on-one on the corner without any help on the inside, and the big-bodied playmaker wins quickly on the three-step slant. Robin Lopez Jersey Tannehill delivers the ball on time, leading to a touchdown on an explosive "catch-and-run" play (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):The have also featured a number of cro sing routes to help Tannehill register easy completions against any coverage. Cro sing routes are effective against man coverage, due to potential picks, and they're good against zones because the cro sing action pulls defenders out of their a signed areas, leaving open voids for pa s-catchers between the hashes.On Landry's second touchdown of the day, which is depicted below, the use one of their favorite cro sing-route concepts ('X Mesh) to generate a big play in the red zone. The are aligned in a duo formation, with Landry positioned at split end (X). motions into the slot to run a cro sing route over the top of Landry's underneath cro sing route. Matthews is running a "search" route over the middle. The combination of cro sers creates a pick for Landry, leaving him open for an easy throw-and-catch for Tannehill.(TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):With Tannehill finding his groove within a system built to enhance his talents, the ' offense is finally beginning to click like many expected prior to the season.Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter .

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