The excitement in the NFL these days is all about offense. And I get it. Touchdowns and long runs & passing plays are much more exciting than watching a defense stopping a runner for a 1-yard gain. As good as Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is, fans would much rather watch Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes work his magic.
Miami Dolphins fans are no different as they are excited about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s 2nd year development and the addition of wide receivers Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle.
But if it’s wins Dolfans are most concerned about they need to look to the other side of the ball – the defense. While the Fins offense certainly had its moments in 2020, it was their defense that led them to their 10 wins. And despite the hopeful improvement on the offensive side of the ball this season, it will once again be the defense that will lead the way if Miami is going to make the playoffs in 2021.
For starters, let’s look at some of the defensive statistics for Miami last year.
They forced at least one turnover in all 16 games.
They led the NFL with 29 total turnovers.
Their 41 sacks were 10th in the league.
They were ranked 5th in the NFL in points per game given up at 21.1 points.
On 3rd down, they only allowed opponents to get a 1st down 31.2% of the time, which ranked 1st in the league.
Miami brings back most of its key defensive players from last season, but there have been some notable departures. 2 of its better pass rushers, linebacker Kyle Van Noy and defensive end/linebacker Shaq Lawson now find themselves elsewhere as Van Noy was released (since signed with New England as a free agent) while Lawson was traded to the Texans. Veteran free safety Bobby McCain was released and is now with the Washington Football Team. Their departures probably had more to do with salary cap management than their playing ability.
So, what has Miami done to improve the defense this year, never mind replacing those 3 key defensive starters, you ask? Well, they have done several things.
Linebacker Benardrick McKinney was acquired in the Lawson trade. He should start and help improve the run defense.
Miami used a 1st round pick on defensive end/linebacker Jaelen Phillips from the Miami Hurricanes, and he should be a 3 down player to help against the run and to pressure the passer.
Safety Jevon Holland was drafted in the 2nd round and is targeted to replace McCain. The ex-Oregon Duck is noted for his ball hawking skills and can pretty much play any role in the secondary.
Veterans Justin Coleman (CB), Jason McCourty (CB/Safety) and Adam Butler (defensive tackle) were all signed as free agents. While they may not be starters, they will all get significant playing time. Miami also resigned one of their own free agents in LB Vince Biegel who missed all last season with an injury. He should help the pass rush and play a key role on special teams.
The Dolphins are also looking for continued development from 2 of their 2020 draft picks. CB Noah Igbinoghene, a 1st round pick, had a disappointing rookie season, but Dolphins management has seen considerable improvement based on his offseason work and mini-camp performance. Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, a 2nd round pick, came on strong in the 2nd half of the season and considerably improved Miami’s defense against the run. With continued development this year he could become a dominate defensive tackle.
And let’s not forget the 2019 draft class as 1st round pick Christian Wilkins, a defensive tackle/end, and 5th round pick, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, both showed considerable improvement in 2020 and both will be counted on to play even bigger roles in 2021.
When discussing the Dolphins defense, though, it starts with perhaps the best set of corner backs in the league in Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. Assuming Howard’s contract issue gets amicably resolved, there is no better pair of shut down corners in the league than Howard & Jones. They not only blanket the opponents WRs they give the Fins pass rush more time to get to the quarterback. Veterans Nik Needham and Eric Rowe also play key roles in what is arguably the best secondary in the league.
Defensive tackle Zack Sieler also had a strong season for Miami in 2020 and will be counted on to do the same in 2021.
The addition of McKinney and the continued development of Davis should lead to improvement in the run defense.
The pass rush, though, is the area Miami hopes to see a big step forward in this season despite the loss of Van Noy and Lawson. Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah had a fantastic year in 2020 leading the team is sacks, but a lot of the Fins sacks came from blitzes & schemes, which Miami hopes to do less of this season. They are counting a lot on rookie defensive end/linebacker Phillips plus the continued development of Wilkins & Van Ginkel along with the return of Biegel.
Miami went 10-6 last year and the offense should be considerably better with the additions of Fuller & Waddle and the expected year 2 development from several players. But it will be the defense that should lead the way and give Miami a chance to win every week in 2021!
