|
Who to watch:
- Ravens LBs Jamie Sharper (55) and Ray Lewis (52) key on RB Lamar Smith (26) and must shut him down.
- QB Jay Fiedler (9) has WRs Oronde Gadsden (86) and Tony Martin (80) running slant routes.
|
 |
The Dolphins must execute the slant play to receivers Oronde Gadsden and Tony Martin to have any chance to win Sunday night, because the Ravens will stuff Miami's running game. The Ravens will force the Dolphins to beat them with Jay Fiedler throwing the ball, and Miami knows that. So the Dolphins will drop Fiedler back three steps and run slant routes to give him a chance to be successful and get the ball out of his hands quickly.
| |
 |
| |
Salisbury |
The Ravens are extremely aggressive on defense. Linebackers Ray Lewis and Jamie Sharper can both run. Second-year cornerback Chris McAlister took it on the chin last week against Jacksonville and Jimmy Smith. Fortunately for McAlister, no Dolphins receiver is nearly as good as Smith, who might be the most complete receiver in football. The Dolphins know McAlister might come into Sunday's game still a bit shellshocked and concerned about giving up the big play. So Fiedler might throw a few deep balls first to back off McAlister.
The slant play works great against man-to-man coverage, which Baltimore might play most of the game. If Gadsden or Martin run their routes to perfection against single coverage, one missed tackle could be the difference between a first down and six points. The 49ers ran this play forever with Jerry Rice and John Taylor.
Fiedler, who is still inexperienced, will have to read the play out and not premeditate his decisions. The play won't require much thinking. He needs to just drop back, pick his lanes and throw it. Gadsden and Martin have an advantage because they have big bodies for receivers. When they see man-to-man coverage, they should push up to their depth and run away on their slants. It's up to Fiedler to pick the right spot. For Fiedler, the play is more about timing than it is arm strength. Steve Young didn't have a cannon for an arm; he just threw it on time.
McAlister might be a bit rattled from last week's game, but cornerbacks are trained to have short memories. McAlister should respond well to the challenge.
Editor's note: The experts at Sportvision and ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury will provide an in-depth look at NFL teams' playbooks each Friday on ESPN.com. Sportvision will provide the animated play diagram, and Salisbury will detail how the play works and when you can expect to see it.
| |
ALSO SEE
Theismann: Sunday night breakdown
Week 3 injury report
ESPN experts' picks for Week 3
Inside the Playbook: Broncos at Raiders
Inside the Playbook: Cowboys at Redskins
|
