Dolphins 2023 "Spinner" Runs

What run schemes did the Dolphins use when handing off behind the QB in the gun, and why did they do it?

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The Dolphins have been perhaps the most creative offense in the league since Mike McDaniel took the reins two years ago. One of the trends we saw in 2023 was what has been called in most social media circles “spinner” runs, where the QB in the Gun spins to hand the ball to the Half Back behind him, as opposed to in front of him as most teams do in the gun.

This handoff has some benefits and drawbacks. We’ll dive into both and take a look at what exact schemes the Dolphins employed with this technique in 2023 and whether or not they were successful. At the end, I’ve put together a cutup of ALL the Dolphins runs using this technique in 2023.

I do want to note before moving any farther that in this system, the technique is called “Top” not “Spinner.” I believe “spinner” was taking from older wing offenses, but for the purposes of this article and site, I refer to them as “Top” runs because that’s what they call it in this system.

Why run TOP?

I am almost positive I saw an interview with Mike McDaniel where he said he had a dream, epiphany, etc. laying awake one night about this technique because it allows Tua, a left-handed QB, to be in better body position after a run fake for a play action pass in the Gun. That’s not the only benefit of this technique, however.

As you can see in the clip above, TOP runs greatly alter the point of attack for the Half Back. One of the issues with running Outside Zone from the Gun is that it is easier for the defensive line to penetrate and cut off the run because the back is closer to the blocking surface running laterally as opposed to deeper and running more downhill from under center or the Pistol. TOP runs allow the Half Back to stay deeper, away from the blocking surface, such that defensive line penetration is a much smaller concern.

Another benefit is the ability to hide the ball, which in my opinion, is a much underutilized concept in today’s Spread Gun offense world. From the Gun, handoffs (generally) happen in front of the QB. This allows the defense to see the ball and the transfer of possession take place. Because the offense is as common as it is, I don’t think it is a concept that is thought about very often, but think about games against Wing offenses. How can the fly motion player get so far without anyone knowing he has the ball? They can’t see it!

In the pros, hiding the ball is still commonplace because of the amount of under center most offenses still run. QBs will show the ball to the defense with their back turned on keepers and snatch it tight to their body after the mesh point with the back. Fly sweeps take place behind the QB under center, so defenders can’t see who comes out with the ball. That split-second of uncertainty and slow-playing is all it takes for an offense to find a crease, especially one of the fastest offenses ever in Miami.

Miami runs a lot of their offense from the Gun, and TOP technique allows them to continue hiding the ball from the defense.

Drawbacks of TOP

However, TOP runs aren’t perfect. I don’t want to say that it’s not possible, but I would have a very hard time believing any post-snap reads could be made on a TOP run. This means no Read Options or post-snap RPOs on TOP runs. For me, those are the two primary reasons I would even want to even be in the Gun to run the ball in the first place. If I want a good ball fake and a “breather” play for the QB (where QB doesn’t have to make a decision), I can just call under center and have him fake a keeper.

One of the benefits of TOP can also be a drawback: the point of attack for the Half Back, for two reasons.

1. It takes a long time for the Half Back to get to the hole. Not only is the point of attack wider, the back almost has to take a detour to get there. The blocking surface has to hold up long enough to make the play.

2. Scheme: because the point of attack has widened and the Half Back essentially has no ability to cutback, certain plays have to be called to be set up for success.

The rest of the article will detail what TOP runs Miami dialed up in 2023 and whether or not they were successful.