The Miami Dolphins haven’t been an aggressive team during the 2015 NFL season, but interim head coach Dan Campbell plans to change that.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Campbell—who is taking over for Joe Philbin who was fired on Monday—said Miami won’t play dirty but will have a more attacking nature.
Campbell said doesn't want a dirty team but "We are going to be much more aggressive."
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) October 5, 2015
Campbell was serving as the tight ends coach, so it’s no surprise that he feels a strong relationship to the players on the offensive and defensive lines.
Dolphins fans have wanted an offensive style that resembles its depth of talent, since quarterback Ryan Tannehill has the tools to become a great quarterback. However, the team’s supporters have really hoped for improvement on the defensive side, which was supposed to be the roster’s strength.
Miami spent more than $100 million on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, but the offseason splash hasn’t yielded results. The pass-rushing trio of Suh, Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon has not recorded a single sack through four games. Backup D-tackle Jordan Phillips has the defense’s only sack.
As it stands, the Dolphins have the league’s third-worst defense in terms of yards allowed per game, and Miami has surrendered an average of 25.2 points.
The franchise’s management simply had no realistic choice but to fire Philbin after the 1-3 start. The former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator ended his tenure 24-28 overall, never finishing a season better than 8-8.