Giants vs. Dolphins: How Miami is using the RPO game

Tua Tagovailoa and “flow to the flat”

The Miami Dolphins have put themselves back into the playoff mix in the AFC, thanks to a recent stretch of good play on both sides of the football. Their defense, thanks to a mix of blitz packages, stymied both Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton in recent weeks, and the Dolphins have won four straight games to sneak into the wild card hunt.

On the offensive side of the football, Tua Tagovailoa has also stepped up his game. He has completed more than 80 percent of his passes in recent weeks, and thanks to a heavy dose of RPO designs, the Dolphins offense is giving opposing defenses headaches.

Now, whether you can truly build an offense like this and sustain it for the long-haul is another question. One that Benjamin Solak of The Ringer addressed this week in a meaty piece that is worth your time. But pertinent to our discussion here is what Patrick Graham and the New York Giants need to be ready for this weekend.

One such design puts stress on defenses vertically while still giving Tagovailoa an easy decision and potential quick throw to the flat. Let’s dive into that concept and talk about “flow to the flat.”

Graham is one of the more innovative defensive coordinators in the game, and his array of packages, including a one-DL package, should be able to contain these designs. But they will have to be ready.