Miami Dolphins safety Michael Taaffe identified communication, tackling, deep-field discipline and run fits as priorities after playing heavy snaps in each of his first two NFL games. Taaffe spoke during a postgame media availability Sept. 21 and said he is working to process the game faster while maintaining his responsibilities in the secondary.
Taaffe said he wants to slow the game down early, especially when he does not make immediate contact. He recalled making a tackle on Deebo on the first play of one game and said that early contact helped him find his rhythm, but he also needs to create that focus when a tackle does not come until later.
“What I could get better at, just slowing the game down early,” Taaffe said.
He listed communication, securing the deep part of the field, eliminating explosive plays, tackling and man-to-man coverage among the key areas for a safety. Taaffe also said conversations with quarterbacks including Sam Ehlinger, Bo Nix and Malik have helped him understand how offensive players view matchups against safeties.
Miami Dolphins Safeties Embrace Run-Fit Responsibility
Taaffe credited the Miami Dolphins front seven for the improvement in run defense from Week 1 to Week 2. He said the safeties were asked to become more involved in the run fit, and all four safeties who played accepted that responsibility.
“When you meet somebody with that force, then you just wrap on and you keep running your feet,” Taaffe said.
Taaffe described the safety as a defensive safety net when a play breaks down, but he said the position also requires an immediate response once a run is identified. The safety must find the designed gap, attack it with urgency and trust the other 10 defenders to hold theirs.
Taaffe said reaching the hole before the running back can turn a run into a no-gain play. He also discussed playing alongside Dante Trader Jr. and Zayne Anderson during the safety rotation, saying both players attack ball carriers and finish tackles with physicality.
Communication Remains a Defensive Priority
Taaffe said the Miami Dolphins need to improve their secondary communication after Sunday’s game. He considers communication one of his strengths and said he holds himself to a high standard because he played almost every snap.
“Clearly, we didn’t communicate well enough on Sunday. And so we got to go back to the drawing board, and we’re going to be better, and we will be better,” Taaffe said.
He said the team is reviewing whether breakdowns came from one player missing an assignment or from a player failing to complete his part of a larger defensive call. Taaffe added that players are taking ownership of both their successful plays and the corrections required on film.
Taaffe said the Miami Dolphins went into halftime trailing 6-14 in the previous game before the third quarter got away from the team. He framed that stretch as an area the team could control across special teams, offense and defense.
Miami Dolphins Prepare for Kansas City Chiefs
The Miami Dolphins will host the Kansas City Chiefs the following week at Hard Rock, Taaffe said. The source did not provide a game date or kickoff time, and Taaffe emphasized that Miami’s preparation must focus on improving its own execution.
Taaffe said the NFL game differs from college football in areas including pre-snap disguises, quarterback-safety reads, situational football and matchup preparation. Safeties must identify changes in formations, recognize one-high and two-high looks, monitor the down-and-distance situation and understand how the quarterback is trying to influence the defense before the snap.
Conversations with quarterbacks have also helped Taaffe study situations such as backed-up plays, second-and-10, third-and-long, red-zone possessions and must-have third downs. He said quarterbacks have encouraged him to study offensive coordinators, their schemes and their coaching backgrounds.
“The first 15 is real,” Taaffe said, referring to the opening sequence an offense prepares before a game. He said the Miami Dolphins must be ready for early motion, formation changes and the opponent’s scripted calls while protecting the deep part of the field and accounting for the quarterback’s ability to extend plays.
Taaffe Adjusts to the NFL Game
Taaffe said his ability to recall what an offense has already shown can help him adjust during a game. He wants to identify what worked, anticipate the next variation and recognize how a team may return to a successful concept from a different formation.
He also said he has learned to place more emphasis on matchups and situational tendencies in the NFL. Taaffe mentioned studying players including George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, Juice and Brock Purdy, while also preparing for the strengths of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offense.
Taaffe said he played with Xavier Worthy for three years. He also credited Trader and Anderson for helping him feel comfortable in the safety rotation and praised the supportive relationship among the three players.
“So if we just focus on us this week and what we can do to get better and the urgency that it takes from special teams to defense to offense, then we can go out and compete with anybody,” Taaffe said.
FSB Take
Taaffe’s comments outline the Miami Dolphins’ immediate defensive priorities: improve communication, eliminate explosive plays and add greater urgency to the safety position’s role in the run fit. His heavy workload in each of his first two NFL games has given him an early responsibility in the secondary.
The next opportunity comes when the Miami Dolphins host the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock. Miami’s communication and safety play against the run will be important areas to monitor, but the source does not provide a date or kickoff time for the game.
Source: Original report