Through 11 weeks, Philbin hasn't gotten the results he'd like, and he can pinpoint it to one telling number in the Dolphins' 4-6 campaign. (photo: June Rivera, Flickr)
“The thing that I think has been a challenge for us is our play count is nowhere near where it needs to be," Philbin said Friday, according to the team's media site. "I think that’s primarily, I believe that’s a reflection of our third down performance or lack thereof."
Through 11 weeks, the Dolphins have run 625 plays from scrimmage, which ranks bottom-third in the NFL. The Dolphins are also converting on just 35.8 percent of third downs, which is fourth-worst in the AFC.
"When you’re running 55 plays in a game, let’s say you average 12 possessions a game and that’s give or take, so if you’re running 55 plays, that’s four to five plays per possession," Philbin said. "It just doesn’t add up to the kind of tempo and the fast pace that you want to get going.
NFL.com's official stats has Miami averaging 62.5 total plays per game, but Philbin likely got the 55 by taking out penalties and/or maybe another variable.
Regardless, he'd like to see improvement in rhythm.
"I would say we’re not where we need to be in regard to tempo and I would tell you that third down production and the 10-play possession drives just aren’t there," Philbin said.
The Dolphins host the Seattle Seahawks' tough defense Sunday.
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