The Dolphins’ unexpected Week 8 X-factor pulls back the curtain on how Miami successfully pulled off their surprise wrinkle against Atlanta
One of Miami’s surprising Week 8 heroes had quite the task to be ready for game day.
Raise your hand if you had “Daniel Brunskill” on your bingo card for x-factors for the Miami Dolphins‘ Week 8 offensive game plan against the Atlanta Falcons. If so, congratulations. You’re a prophet.
I, for one, did not. And that is exactly why Brunskill was the perfect pivot for Mike McDaniel amid the Dolphins’ tight end problem. No Darren Waller. No Julian Hill? No problem. Miami, for the first time under Mike McDaniel, played six offensive linemen at once. But getting an offensive lineman ready to serve as an eligible player overnight is easier said than done. And it is a testament to Brunskill that he was able to quickly pivot mid-week and give the Dolphins a sorely needed extra layer to their run game and pass protection.
And, on Monday, Brunskill pulled back the curtain on exactly what it took.
Daniel Brunskill pulls back the curtain on learning how to process play calls in a new way overnight
“A majority of plays, (offensive linemen) tune out to very specific words that we listen into. I guess for an example…you just need to hear ’13 power’, or if there’s a pass play, you wait for like, ‘two jet.’ And then those are the only words you really need to hear, and there’s a lot more into those too, I just gave a basic one.
But now for me, depending on the personnel that I go in for – there’s like three different personnels they had me in – and where I’m lining up and that position, you could be the Z, you could be the F, you could be the Y. I had to know certain words whether it was to the formation away, if I’m strength and then front side back side and then just kind of targeting. The targeting part was the easiest part just because being a center and playing – I’ve played all five in the NFL, started at all five, so I’m pretty familiar with where to go when it comes to the concept of the plays. It’s just lining up and then the motions and the shifts, stuff like that.”
— Dolphins offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill on learning full play calls this past week ahead of debut as Miami’s sixth offensive lineman in Jumbo packages
Miami Dolphins’ Week 8 offensive performance versus Falcons by the numbers
- 34 points (season-high)
- 141 rushing yards (season-high)
- 24 first downs (season-high)
- 37:58 time of possession
Brunskill would go on to play in 22 offensive snaps in Week 8 against the Falcons, which was three snaps off of his season high, which he logged against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. We haven’t seen him since — until the Dolphins rolled him out in place of a tight end amid an injury to third-year veteran Julian Hill. Miami, thanks in part to the element of surprise, offered a totally different style of rushing attack than their reputation.
And as a result, they were able to keep the Falcons defense off-balance all day long, providing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with plenty of big plays as well.
Now, the question will be how much this new wrinkle survives week over week as Miami tries to climb out of a deep hole they’ve dug themselves in the first two months of the season. Amid calls for jobs and frustrating regressions, it was nice to see Miami show something new and prove to be adaptable against Atlanta. At the very least, it gives the Baltimore Ravens something new to prep for ahead of a short week with Thursday Night Football quickly approaching. Based on Brunskill’s quick adaptability, it’s safe to say he’ll be ready for his part if called upon.
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