The 2020 Miami Dolphins are sporting a vastly overhauled defensive unit — one that features just a handful of returning starters from last year’s team. And although you might not have guessed it based on the first three weeks of the season, these Dolphins are actually ranking well on the defensive front in several categories, none more impressive than the team’s 21.7 points allowed per game, which ranks 10th in the NFL through three weeks.
Having a top-10 scoring defense at the end of the year will be a much more impressive feat after Miami squares off against the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes — but even now, after giving up 211 rushing yards to New England in Week 1 and over 400 passing yards to Buffalo in Week 2, the Dolphins have found a way to bend but not break.
Week 3 against Jacksonville was the team’s most impressive performance yet. Who were the big standouts and how did Miami have so much success in their 31-13 win over Jacksonville?
LB Kyle Van Noy
Van Noy will regularly see criticism after signing a monster contract this offseason — it comes as an unfortunate byproduct of the high profile that comes with such a deal. But if Van Noy delivers each week the way he did against Jacksonville, Miami will be plenty happy with their return on investment. Not only did Van Noy log a strip sack and fumble recovery in this game on an inside stunt, he was an absolute terror for the Jacksonville backs and tight ends when looking to block him.
Check out these two reps of Van Noy dominating the skill positions on his assignments.
RT: KVN said "nah" when JAX tried to block him up with backs and TEs last Thursday 😂😂😂 https://t.co/aWYG19bSI0 pic.twitter.com/WC7ckk2TY2
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
Keeping Van Noy off offensive tackles and working him as frequently as possible on inside stunts as a rusher will keep him most in line with where his skills are suited to win. The Jacksonville game plan allowed for that to happen — now Miami must work to find those same looks with different presentation in the weeks to come.
LB Jerome Baker
Baker was a tackle magnet in Week 1 against the Patriots but he was also undisciplined in that contest — two personal fouls loomed large, as did a lapse in coverage against TE Ryan Izzo. But Baker has been able to enjoy some steady progress over the first three weeks of the season — he played his best game of the season in Week 3 by our estimation. There was this terrific effort play in coverage, for example:
Check out how much turf Jerome Baker (55) ends up covering to tip this football on scramble drill and almost force an INT! pic.twitter.com/cXi77Vf9x1
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
Or this stack of offensive guard AJ Cann in the run game, who Baker is giving approximately 90 pounds to in size:
Nice team defense to front side from Baker (55), Godchaux (56) and Ogbah (91). Ogbah's length helps him work outside to set the edge, Baker is patient and does well to stack up Cann + Godchaux strings C. Wish Roberts (44) felt this scrape better but the A-level D is what you want pic.twitter.com/mIUdkiBWP0
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
Baker made plays against both the run and the pass against Jacksonville and, just as importantly, he played a clean, disciplined game. The Dolphins seem to be getting a feel for how to implement their linebackers through the first month of the season — this was a good start.
DL Zach Sieler
Miami scooped Sieler off the waiver wire from the Baltimore Ravens last season and it is looking as though the team may have gotten themselves a steal. Sieler, like Baker, was able to make a positive impact against both the run and the pass against Jacksonville. Granted, the Jaguars’ offensive line isn’t the most imposing unit in the league, but check out this pass rush against LT Cam Robinson:
Oh okay, Zach Sieler (92). This is a nifty little pass rush. pic.twitter.com/7ivBzqgMxC
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
This chop/rip combination (in slow motion) shows good precision with the hands to allow Sieler to uncover and generate a QB hit on Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew. But as previously mentioned, Sieler popped on run defense as well — like when he followed this pulling guard down the line of scrimmage to make a tackle.
Three plus components of this run stuff for Miami: KVN (53) holds firm against puller to set a clean edge. Baker (55) sheds another block from Cann to work over top of the ball and Sieler (92) works through contact to trace the puller and get down the LOS from backside. pic.twitter.com/NfpD4OG2sG
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
NT Raekwon Davis
Raekwon Davis developing into a stout nose tackle would be a massive development for this defense. If Miami can capture the Jacksonville performance in a bottle and have Davis play that way each week, they’d be well on their way. He was a force against opposing centers and stuffed up the A-gaps on multiple occasions with this 2-gap technique:
Raekwon Davis (98) had himself a really nice game stacking up these OL. His patience to hold point here is impressive. pic.twitter.com/ClmF3vOMLZ
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
See how Davis locks out the block and stays square before allowing the back to declare his intentions before discarding the offensive lineman and uncovering in the A-gap? That kind of play will free up a lot of extra value for Miami’s other defensive linemen. It wasn’t just a one-time thing, either.
Raekwon Davis (98) illustrating gap control/2-gap technique up front vs. Cann. (Also lol he's freaking huge) pic.twitter.com/u2t1oNOADD
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
Emmanuel Ogbah
Ogbah played his best game as a Miami Dolphin on Thursday night, he showed out with his length and proved very difficult to block off the edge in this contest. Perhaps his best contribution won’t show up in the box score, however — Ogbah was the one to flush Gardner Minshew up into the pass rush on Kyle Van Noy’s second-half strip sack to help Miami put the game out of reach.
There were a number of plays like that for Ogbah against Jacksonville: wins that didn’t show up in the stat sheet. But at this point, stacking the wins matters the most — the numbers will be sure to follow with more consistency.
Thought Emmanuel Ogbah (91) played his best game as a Miami Dolphin vs. Jawaan Taylor. Wish the hands had a little more pop here but you see his length allows for first contact and helps keep reduced angle for him to dip and turn corner. Any hesitation from Minshew = a sack. pic.twitter.com/xXBMzoNIdM
— Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) September 30, 2020
