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When Wallace was open deep,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, Tannehill frequently underthrew him, and the result was an incompletion or interception. After the season, Wallace estimated he should have scored at least 15 more touchdowns.
Little progress has been evident in training camp, but quarterback Ryan Tannehill is confident he'll hit Wallace on long passes more often this year.
In Miami, Lazor has installed an offense that emphasizes motion, multiple formations and mobility at quarterback. A big part of the game plan will be getting the ball to Wallace deep, and keeping the defense mindful of that threat.
"I'm not about to run 20 deep balls back-to-back to try to get timing,Cheap NFL Jerseys China," he said. "It's not healthy for my leg just to keep running deep. So when we do get those reps,Wholesale NBA Jerseys China, we've just got to make them count."
"It's all a matter of stretching the field," Tannehill said. "When you're able to stretch the field and make them account for the QB running as well, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense."
Tannehill went only 11 for 54 (20 percent) on throws of more than 20 yards, a big reason he ranked 24th in passing. By contrast,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, Philadelphia's Nick Foles — the league's top-rated passer — went 19 for 43 (44 percent) on throws of more than 20 yards.
Wallace ranks among the fastest players in the NFL, but he was often only a decoy last season, his first with the Dolphins. They targeted him on 34 passes thrown more than 20 yards, and only six were completed — 18 percent.
"It was much improved in the OTAs," Philbin said. "But he missed some practice time, so it's hard to say exactly where we are."
Instead he scored five times and averaged 12.7 yards per catch, both career lows. Wallace said he was partly at fault and must pursue the ball more aggressively when it's in the air.
Even when healthy, Wallace doesn't go deep often in practice.
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — When it comes to taking advantage of Mike Wallace's speed,Cheap Jerseys From China, the Miami Dolphins need to make strides.
Most of Tannehill's deep throws during training camp have fallen incomplete. But the sample pool is small because Wallace missed six days of practice with a sore hamstring.
Foles' quarterbacks coach in 2013 was Bill Lazor, now the Dolphins' offensive coordinator.
"We built up that connection more in the offseason, and now I feel really good about it," Tannehill said Monday. "Mike and I are more on the same page now than we ever have been in the past, not only on deep balls but in the overall game of football. No matter what the route or the play is, we're able to talk with each other and be open."
"Ryan's getting better with the deep ball," Wallace said. "It was a problem overall with everybody, not just me. But he's doing a really good job and getting better at it every day."
Wallace will be the NFL's highest-paid receiver this season at $15 million. For that investment to pay off, the Dolphins need some long completions to invigorate an offense that ranked 27th in the league last year in yards and 23rd in points.
He also acknowledged Tannehill needs better accuracy on long passes.
Wallace and Tannehill say they connected often on long passes during OTA practices in the spring,Wholesale NFL Jerseys. But coach Joe Philbin awaits further evidence the timing on long passes to Wallace will be better this season. |
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