When he took over the Miami Dolphins, Jeff Hafley turned Bobby Slowik from passing coordinator to offensive line coach. Shanahan’s team would essentially keep an offense similar to Mike McDaniel’s in place, just under a new head coach.
Then the Dolphins went out and signed Malik Willis to a three-year deal, giving the dual-threat QB his first real shot at a starting gig after flashing a backup role in Green Bay. Slowik said Tuesday that while Willis’ running ability adds an extra dimension, the offense continues to have the same fundamentals.
“It’s always a balance. Again, it’s at every position,” he said via the team’s official transcript. “We have a core belief and fundamentals that we really want to make sure we do. I’m sure coach Hafley has talked about that. I believe in keeping the defense balanced, I believe in running the football, stick as close to fifty-fifty on first down, next down as you can. So those are core things that are always going to be there, and then everything is working other than what you have to watch out for.
At the end of his time in Houston, Slowick was pilloried by fans and the media for sometimes leaning toward the run game, especially on first downs — even when it became predictable for the defense.
Willis adds a dimension to the offense that Slowick didn’t have in Houston with CJ Stroud. However, OC pointed out that the 26-year-old quarterback was more than just a mess.
“[He] can spin the ball all over the court, can throw the ball everywhere, can run, obviously, can use his feet,” Slowik said. “He’s tough, but honestly, the thing I’ve had the most fun with so far is getting to know him. It is very nice to be around the person. He is really energetic. He fills everyone with great energy.”
Willis’ ability to use his feet will keep defenses off balance. It’s an element Slowik sounds ready to use, but won’t lean too heavily on. The OC pointed out that most top running QBs do their best when the plays break down.
“I would say anytime you have a quarterback that has the ability to run, it’s not something you’re going to do down-in, down-out in the NFL, but the threat of that makes it 11-on-11, as opposed to 11-on-10,” he said. “I think that’s what can be difficult sometimes when you get a guy that maybe isn’t as mobile at quarterback, they have 11 guys and outside of throwing the ball, you’re really playing with ten. So it just allows you to balance out some favorable situations. Other than that, really, the mobility game comes out more in off-scheme situations but it definitely threatens you something and it definitely threatens you. wants a defense to think about, but I don’t think anybody in the NFL is to come out and just live in that world.”
The Dolphins are in rebuilding mode under the new staff. That should give Slowik some room to experiment, especially early in the season, with the best ways to utilize Willis’ skills. But we still expect this to look like a Shanahan-tree offense, with a few more QB runs.