MIAMI GARDENS — It was good. Cornerback Xavien Howard knew that much about the performance by the Dolphins’ defense Sunday. The scoreboard, which showed only 10 points allowed, told him that.
But when asked about how the defense rattled Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, Howard was perplexed.
“What you mean?” he said to a reporter.
Newton completed only five passes all day, Howard was told.
“Oh, damn,” Howard said.
Yes, the defense really was that dominant. When the Dolphins played their most complete game of the year Sunday in a 33-10 rout, the defense upheld its end and then some. The Dolphins recorded three takeaways, five sacks, seven tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and 10 passes defensed.
Newton and P.J. Walker combined to complete just 10 of 31 passes with three interceptions for a rating of 13.4, the worst in the NFL this season. It's also the lowest rating allowed by the Dolphins since 2003 vs. Buffalo, which had a 10.3 rating.
“I think it’s a defensive performance we expect out of ourselves,” said rookie safety Jevon Holland, who jumped a route to record his second interception.
It may have been what the defensive players expected, but it’s not what they lived through the first eight games of the season, which included just one win. The Dolphins are on a four-game winning streak now, with the defense having its fingerprints all over the turnaround.
Points allowed per game has been slashed from 29.1 the first eight games to 11.5 the past four. As Newton found out, the biggest difference is in pass defense. Opponents were averaging 291.1 yards per game but are now managing 205.3. Sacks have gone from a total of 12 in eight games to 16 over the past four.
“I feel like it’s just the confidence that we have,” Howard said. “Everything is clicking. We’re going on the right path.”
First-round pick Jaelan Phillips is. Phillips is showing why he was the first edge rusher to come off the board in this year’s draft. He now has at least a share of a sack in four consecutive games, although if any game can be called his breakout performance, this was it. Phillips had three sacks, giving him 6.5 for the season, and finished with four tackles, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and a pass defensed.
“I think he’s just getting better every week,” coach Brian Flores said. “I think for a lot of guys on this team, we just keep working, keep trying to improve and get better every day. If you do that, we’re starting to see some of the fruits of that work. Jaelan’s no different. He’s in here early, he says late, he does a good job in meetings, walk-throughs, practice.”
Flores said for much of this season, Phillips has done his share of dirty work, allowing others to cash in with flashy statistics.
“A lot of times we’re running games and he’s the pick guy and somebody else comes free and today, I didn’t know how many he had — I didn’t know it was three — but good for him and obviously, good for our team.”