Michale Taaffe IS Growing FAST!

Michael Taaffe keeps proving how smart Jon-Eric Sullivan is at drafting

Michael Taaffe was taken late in this draft. Not big. No shiny pedigree. Maybe overlooked. But all Taaffe has done is get better and fast. While he made mistakes in his first game along with some good plays, he’s grown every week, and against the Vikings, he shined like a veteran. Taaffe wasn’t perfect, but he made it clear he won’t be overlooked for much longer.

Let’s examine how Taaffe did in Week 4.

Smart, Studied Players React Fast!

Watch how fast Taaffe reacts in the film below. Not only does it appear he processes fast, but he shows some good twitch too. The 3rd play shows Taaffe can even provide man coverage. I really like how he got his hands on the receiver and kept up in coverage. Now, maybe a perfect pass and the receiver breaking at the right moment would have resulted in a catch. But it’s a win either way when a safety forces amazing chemistry and a throw to get a reception in man coverage!

On this play, Taaffe shows run support from deep coverage. He diagnoses the play and routes through the traffic without a hitch and finishes the play with an excellent tackle. When a free safety can do this as well as cover, the defense will limit the big plays and force longer drives. And for Hafley’s defense, this is critical.

Taaffe is even giving Hafley some punch in the pressure department, as seen in his blitz on a critical down to close the 1st half. Again, you see that he might not be big, but his twitch and burst are a massive asset in his skill set.

The Good & Bad News is the Taaffe Man is Just a Rookie

Now, Taaffe wasn’t perfect. This was an example of him likely missing on his technique. He turns to the wide side of the field, matching the quarterback’s eyes, but given the coverage, he likely should have turned the other way. When Murray looks backside, he sees high, over coverage on the out, and Taaffe has rotated away. While he might have completed it either way, Taaffe’s rotation didn’t offer either hesitancy in Murray or an opportunity for him to break on the ball.

Now, I don’t know if this was or wasn’t the right technique, but it does seem either the call or Taaffe’s choice could have been better.

Taaffe WILL be Miami’s Starting Free Safety for Years to Come

Really, though, most of Taaffe’s day was clean and productive.

And given he’s only in the 4th game of his NFL career, what he showed on film this week, and the upward curve from Week 1, it looks like Sullivan picked another winner from this draft.

The beautiful reality is Taaffe will get stronger, bigger, and smarter as the season goes on. He will also be surrounded by more talent and a defense that is more gelled together in the years to come.

What impact will he bring when that happens?

I don’t know.

But I sure can’t wait to see!

Go Phins!!!