Dolphins guard against signal stealing
Cam Cameron said the Dolphins took steps trying to protect themselves against signal-stealing `a long time ago.'
miamiherald.com
Posted on Thu, Sep. 13, 2007
BY JEFF DARLINGTON
jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com
Dolphins double up on safety moves
When talk swirled last season about the Dolphins allegedly studying TV broadcasts of the Patriots' games to steal their audio cadences, it both irritated and humored some coaches and players in New England.
'Technology, that's not really my thing,' said Patriots coach Bill Belichick, asked last December about the possibility of such capabilities. ``I can barely turn the computer on and off.'
Given his current learning curve, Belichick might as well sign up for his MySpace profile now. On Wednesday, the talk throughout league circles centered mostly on the coach's apparent ability to use technology to his team's advantage.
And considering the Dolphins play the Patriots twice every season, the pressing question in Miami's locker room was consistently the same Wednesday: Are the Dolphins also protected from such spy games and signal thefts?
'We're way ahead of that one,' coach Cam Cameron said. ``Does it mean that someone couldn't theoretically [steal our signals]? No, but we addressed that a long time ago, and we have a plan.'
That's probably smart preparation, since Belichick has confirmed that there's at least some legitimacy to the latest accusations that the Patriots used a video camera Sunday against the Jets to record the team's defensive signals. Such signals are used to call plays between the coaches on the sideline and the players on the field.
In a one-paragraph statement, Belichick apologized to 'everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players,' but he did not elaborate on what he was apologizing for. He eventually walked out of a news conference when pressed about it.
Regardless of Belichick's eventual explanation (which will occur whenever the NFL decides its punishment), several Dolphins defensive players said they aren't worried about how it happens or why.
'If you put yourself out there to have your plays broken down like that, it might be your own fault,' defensive end Matt Roth said. ``That's basically what we do every game. We break down tendencies. So we're basically all spies.'
VIDEO USE
The difference, though, is that the Patriots might have broken league rules by using video cameras to get an edge -- which isn't the same as using nothing more than your own observations.
When the Dolphins call a defensive play, a coach (typically linebacker coach George Edwards) will signal a hand gesture to the middle linebacker (typically Zach Thomas) to let him know what play to run.
By video recording such tendencies, teams eventually could figure out what call means what.
'But you still have to play football,' linebacker Channing Crowder said. ``If George Edwards taps the top of his head and they see we're in man coverage, the next time he taps the top of his head, they might know we're in man coverage.
``But you've still got to beat the guy.'
That's also still an advantage, linebacker Joey Porter said. By knowing what defense a team is in, the offensive coordinator can exploit areas of weakness based on the anticipated formation. Quarterback Cleo Lemon agreed.
'If you know going into a play that it's going to be an all-out blitz, you're not going to run the ball and you're just going to throw a quick one,' Lemon said.
'DUMMY' ROLE
Whether a significant advantage or not, it still could be wise for the Dolphins to take caution against the possibility. If the team was overly concerned about protecting those defensive signals, Cameron said it could use a 'dummy' signaler to confuse opponents.
If you have several people on the sideline gesturing signals, the middle linebacker would be the only person to know who was sending the real signal.
'That's why most people have multiple signalers and you have a dummy signaler and all that kind of stuff,' Cameron said.
Maintaining some strategy, Thomas didn't want to say whether the Dolphins regularly used a dummy signaler or not. But he didn't discount the idea.
'If we don't have a dummy ready,' Thomas said, ``we're the dummy.'
There is one other potential option, but it would require a league vote that has failed to get passed each of the past two years. Currently, the quarterback of each offense wears a headset to communicate with the play caller -- eliminating the need for signals on offense.
If one player on each defense had the same technology (likely the middle linebacker), it would also eliminate the need for defensive signals. At the most recent March meetings, the rule change missed by two votes.
'Hey, if the offense can do it, you would think [the defense could],' Cameron said. ``But that's not my decision.'
FINDING AN EDGE
Until such a vote passes -- something that could certainly be helped by the most recent accusations against New England -- teams across the league could continue wondering whether they are safe. Then again, as some players said, in a game of inches, a team will always find a way to get an advantage.
'The Patriots somehow have an edge every week,' Roth said. ``That's just who they are.
``They have good athletes, but they also have guys who are smart. They know how to prepare and get ready for teams.'
For that reason, as the Patriots will certainly be blamed harshly for their latest episode of alleged cheating, Taylor said he just wonders what's the point.
'Do I believe it's done [in the NFL]?' Taylor said. ``Yeah, I'm sure it is. But New England doesn't need to do it. . . . They're good because they've got players and they play well.'
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