New England Patriots

Bill Belichick identified the ‘explosive’ threat posed by the Dolphins’ offense

"They might be calling them passes, but they’re really runs."

The Dolphins offense celebrates a fourth quarter touchdown against the Raiders.
The Dolphins offense celebrates a fourth quarter touchdown against the Raiders. Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

By Hayden Bird

1 minute to read

In the Sunday night loss to the Lions, the Patriots offense found itself on the sidelines for a majority of the game.

Out of the game’s 60 minutes, Detroit held possession for a staggering 39:15. One of the major reasons for the Lions’ ball control was the Patriots’ inability to stop the run. This was notable for the fact that rookie running back Kerryon Johnson became the first Lions player to rush for 100 yards since Reggie Bush in 2013.

Looking to New England’s next opponent, the Dolphins, Bill Belichick is keenly aware that Miami possesses a multifaceted attack. This was on display in the Dolphins’ 28-20 comeback win over the Raiders on Sunday.

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Despite officially rushing for just 41 yards, Belichick knows the Dolphins harnessed the running ability of receivers to score two touchdowns.

“Well, it’s explosive because they’ve also had plays from their receivers,” Belichick said in a Tuesday conference call with reporters. “They might be calling them passes, but they’re really runs.”

One of the plays, which was technically a pass from Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill even though it was essentially a hand-off, went 74 yards for a touchdown thanks to Albert Wilson’s league-leading Week 3 speed:

The other came from another wide receiver, Jakeem Grant, who caught a pass from Wilson on a trick play before sprinting to a 52-yard score.

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“So, they’ve gotten pretty good production from everybody,” said Belichick. “You’ve got to stop the backs, you’ve got to stop the quarterbacks and you’ve got to stop the receivers on the end-around reverses and speed sweep-type plays. So, they’re all part of it. They attack you outside and they attack you inside, and they have plays that are run-pass reads based on the defense.”

The Dolphins (3-0) travel to Gillette Stadium to face the 1-2 Patriots at 1 p.m. on Sunday.