The Dolphins should regain the services of all four starters in the season’s final three games, which likely will determine whether the Dolphins win the AFC East division, and how many playoff games Miami hosts, if any.
And at this point, it’s reasonable to conclude that Miami’s defense will have to carry the Dolphins across the finish line because of how injury-decimated the offense is, and the caliber of opponents (Cowboys, Baltimore, the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and Buffalo) on deck.
It’s a good thing the defense can, and the unit’s recent performances prove this.
December is when playoff teams distance themselves from the pack, and the easiest way to stiff-arm the competition is with a stingy defensive showing.
Outside of the Tennessee collapse, Miami’s defense has been trending up for half the season, but this is the time to turn the volume up another decibel.
“You definitely kind of feel it a little bit. That’s December football. The games mean a lot more now. There is always just a little extra something. You don’t know what it is but the games just feel a lot bigger,” defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. “They are more fun and more intense. The focus is there throughout the week. These games, the later they get in the year, they all get a little more meaningful and a little more fun.”
The journey up the rankings began in October, and shifted gears, getting to the next level when Jalen Ramsey returned from the knee injury he suffered the first week of training camp after only three months on injured reserve.
Ramsey has allowed zero or one catch in four of the seven games he’s played this season, and opponents have a 22.4 passer rating when throwing in his area, or at receivers he’s defending.
But the Pro Bowl cornerback is just one of many Dolphins defenders having an amazing season.
Bradley Chubb, Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Jevon Holland are all having career years, seasons worthy of Pro Bowl consideration.
“We’ve got some big dogs up front, and those big dogs got to eat, and we’re going to continue to starve ourselves throughout the week so on Sundays we come hungry,” said Chubb, who produced three sacks last week against the Jets, boosting his season total to 9.5, which is 2.5 away from his career high of 12. “We have a lot of guys that are skilled and can do a lot of good things.”
That’s why the Dolphins have the eighth-lowest passer rating for opposing quarterbacks heading into this week’s games. Miami’s 84.9 passer rating for opposing quarterbacks is only behind the Browns (72.9), Saints (74.4), Ravens (75.8), 49ers (78.0), Jets (79.5), Cowboys (81.0) and Steelers (84.8).
The Dolphins are also fourth against the run, allowing just 90.4 rushing yards a game. Only Chicago, New England and San Francisco are allowing fewer rushing yards per game.
The Dolphins defense ranks second in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt (10.8 percent), which is just behind the Kansas City Chiefs (10.10 percent). Miami is second in the NFL with 48 sacks heading into this Sunday’s game. Only the Ravens (50) have produced more.
The Dolphins have also produced 22 takeaways this season, which ranks the defense ninth heading into this weekend’s games.
The only defensive metric where Miami is not elite is third-down conversation rate allowed (36.3 percent), which ranks 11th, and points allowed per game (21.0), which has Miami ranked 14th.
But in time, with continued excellence, and the possible return of those four injured starters, those metrics could turn in Miami’s favor too.
And if it does in these critical December games, don’t be surprised if the Dolphins get labeled Super Bowl contenders because elite defenses usually get those labels.
After all, what goes better with the NFL’s No. 1 offense than a defense that’s just as scary.
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