The foundation of this Dolphins rebuild, the unit that was believed to be constructed for long-term success, isn’t simply teetering. It’s collapsing, unraveling before our eyes in ways that nobody could have expected. When the Dolphins woke up Monday morning with a bad Buccaneers hangover, they stood 30th in the league in defense (permitting 422 yards per game), 30th in scoring defense (allowing 30.8 points per contest), last in third-down defense (57.1 percent are being converted against them), 27th against the pass, 24th against the run, and 20th in yards per carry against (4.4), plus 26th in sacks (nine). They’re 14 in takeaways (with six) after producing a league-best 29 last season. A unit that the Dolphins thought had been fixed has performed poorly in virtually every statistical measure. There’s unlimited blame to share among players, coaches and general manager Chris Grier. Personnel picks can be questioned, from drafting Christian Wilkins over Brian Burns, to selecting Noah Igbinoghene over Trevon Diggs, to jettisoning Kyle Van Noy without adding a player who has contributed nearly as much. But much of what is happening can be pinned on puzzling regressions of veteran players, most still in the prime of their careers.
Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer was careful not to blame anyone except himself on Monday. “I’ve got to change some things up to make sure we’re getting that production,” he said. “We need to improve in pass rush, run defense, pass defense and that starts with me putting players in better position. None of it was good enough and that’s my fault.” Among veteran Dolphins not playing up to past standards:
▪ Linebacker Jerome Baker: The Dolphins, optimistic he would take the step from good to great, gave him him a three-year, $39 million extension in June. But he has begun this season with a troubling five-game stretch in which he has missed multiple tackles, been a step slow in pass coverage and too often been sealed off by blockers in the running game. Perhaps the pass coverage has been the biggest disappointment, because that was considered Baker’s strength. On Sunday, he permitted all five targets in his coverage area to be caught for 49 yards, including a touchdown to running back Giovani Bernard.
For the season, Baker has permitted 18 of 22 targets to be caught for 178 yards, a 115.5 passer rating in his coverage area. That ranks 115th among all NFL linebackers. As a run defender, Pro Football Focus ranks him ninth worst among 81 NFL linebackers this season. Baker is at his best as a blitzer — he had a sack on Sunday — but the Dolphins inexplicably used him less often in that role before the Tampa Bay game.
▪ Elandon Roberts: The interception return for a touchdown against Las Vegas was one of the Dolphins’ top two defensive plays of the year. But his greatest strength — stopping the run — has been a weakness, according to Pro Football Focus, raising questions about whether Miami might have been better off keeping Benardrick McKinney instead or as well. PFF ranks Roberts the seventh-worst run defender in the league among 81 linebackers. In pass coverage, on the plays not involving the interception, he has permitted nine receptions on 12 targets for 133 yards.
▪ Xavien Howard: His struggles have been the most mystifying element of this Dolphins collapse, because no cornerback in the league was better than Howard a year ago. On Sunday, he was targeted nine times and allowed six catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns, according to PFF’s evaluation. For the season, he has allowed a bloated 124.6 passer rating in his coverage area: 20 completions in 32 targets for 327 yards, with one interception and five touchdowns yielded. No NFL cornerback has permitted as many touchdowns as Howard this season. It’s a shocking stretch for a player who allowed a 53 passer rating in his coverage area last season, with four touchdowns relinquished and 10 interceptions. In Howard’s defense, he’s most responsible for Miami’s only win because of his forced fumble when New England was driving late against the Dolphins in the opener.
▪ Byron Jones: He was torched on Sunday, permitting seven of nine targets to be caught for 102 yards and a touchdown. For the season, his passer rating against is 99.5; at least that’s better than the 117 he permitted last season but not commensurate with the five-year, $82.5 million contract. With the amount of man coverage that the Dolphins use — and the lack of a strong pass rush — it’s vital that Miami’s pricey starting cornerbacks play at an elite level. They haven’t in 2021.
▪ Eric Rowe: This isn’t entirely his fault, because his playing time has wildly fluctuated. But the veteran safety’s 123.9 passer rating against (16 for 19 caught for 101 yards) ranks in the bottom third of starting safeties.
▪ Emmanuel Ogbah: The veteran defensive end couldn’t muster a single pressure on 30 pass rush chances Sunday.
Before the Tampa Bay game, he was getting decent pressures — his 17 pressures are tied for 21st in the league among edge players — but the sacks have dropped from nine in 2020 to 1.5 in five games this season. His run defense has held up; he’s 14th among all edge players in that category.
▪ Andrew Van Ginkel: The Dolphins jettisoned Van Noy and Shaq Lawson with the belief that Van Ginkel would take a step from emerging young player to very good starter. But after filling the box score last season with 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, the flash plays have been fewer: 0.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He has nine pressures in 71 pass rush chances. PFF ranks him 48th of 100 edge players. He’s playing 57 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps, compared with 46 last season.
▪ Adam Butler: Rushing the passer — considered the free agent pickup’s greatest strength — hasn’t yet materialized into tangible numbers. The veteran defensive lineman has just nine pressures and no sacks in 144 pass rush chances. He had six and four sacks the past two seasons with New England.
In run defense, PFF ranks Butler 15th and Christian Wilkins 17th among all interior defenders. So Miami’s issues stopping the run appear more the byproduct of poor linebacker play. And defensive tackle Raekwon Davis struggled Sunday in his first game back from injury. While not referring to any specific player, Flores - when asked defensive areas that must improve - said Monday: “We’ve got to do a better job in the run game.” Other veterans have been uneven, including defensive backs Justin Coleman and Jason McCourty (who allowed both completions against him to be caught for 33 yards on Sunday). But if the seven aforementioned returning starters — plus Butler — were playing at the level they expect of themselves, the Dolphins might have been able to better withstand their offensive shortcomings.
