MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Don’t think the Miami Dolphins aren’t keenly aware of the broad perception that they’re not built to pick up the tough yard.
When a reporter told Alec Ingold on Monday that his issue with the Dolphins’ offense was its third-and-short conversions, Ingold shot back: “That’s my issue too.”
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Credit Ingold for the self-awareness. While the Dolphins in 2023 led the NFL in rushing efficiency (5.1 yards per carry), they were just 23rd in rushing success rate (63.2%) on third or fourth and two yards or less.
And that ranking is particularly galling for a fullback like Ingold, whose No. 1 purpose is to help win those particular battles. But far too often last season, Ingold wasn’t involved or even on the field in those situations.
“I think that’s really on me,” Ingold said. “I have to inspire the play-callers to be able to call that and dial it up. Like, when an offense is running the ball, everyone can feel it right. It’s inevitable. You’re getting three, four yards, everyone’s falling forward, everyone’s moving these chains.
“When you have a line in the sand and it’s second-and-short. You’re not falling down to third-and-one, you’re falling forward and getting those yards, and that inspires the play-caller, and that inspires the formations, that inspires the play type to be drawn up.
“There’s a lot of onus on myself, the big guys up front. … We can inspire the guys in the huddle, the play-callers from the first snap, like it doesn’t have to be the third-and-one in the middle of the third quarter to say, ‘Okay, now let’s go get it.’ That’s a mindset that builds throughout the game. So I think that’s something that we’re all working towards and I think especially myself.
“Let’s inspire the play callers. Let’s inspire the guys. So that when we’re running the ball, we don’t have to, we don’t have to look anywhere else. We don’t have to do anything fancy. We can lean on guys, we can play smart, physical, elite technique football. We gotta go out and execute.”
Ingold pushed back on the idea that the Dolphins’ wide-zone scheme — which prioritizes athletic linemen over maulers — was to blame.
“If you’re running off the ball and you have that elite technique, it really doesn’t matter what the defense is; it doesn’t matter what the situation is,” he said. “You should be able to run outside zone for third-and-1.”
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Asked if he takes it personally as a fullback when he hears Mike McDaniel call in a pass play on third-and-short, Ingold replied:
“No. It shouldn’t matter what the play call is. Let’s go execute. So, yes, I would love for 21 personnel to be in there. We can do whatever we want. But I think that’s just a competitor that wants to help the team win.”