The Miami Dolphins’ roster has plenty of needs, no one can debate this to be anything other than the absolute truth. But when combing through the roster to identify pillars of long-term stability, one area of this team stands head and shoulders above the rest. The defensive interior group featuring defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Christian Wilkins, plus linebackers Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker is as impressive as a group as Dolphins fans could have possibly hoped to see materialize. They’ll serve as the foundation around which the rest of Brian Flores’ defense is built.
The objective is clear: play stout up the middle and force teams to exert energy to run sideways before gaining positive yardage. From there, strong team defense and tackling habits can help ensure defensive efficiency.
Has the plan always worked this season? No. The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens combined to hang 500 rushing yards on the Dolphins in those two games combined. But the rest of the schedule? Factoring out Miami’s porous efforts against Dallas and Baltimore (both within the first three weeks of the season), Miami is averaging 125.5 rushing yards allowed per game. Since Miami’s Week 5 bye, the defense is averaging total 360 yards per game allowed.
Elite? Certainly not. Respectable numbers? Most certainly. The Tennessee Titans are 17th in the NFL with 359.5 yards per game conceded.
And it’s no coincidence that the defensive respectability has come with the improvement of Christian Wilkins and the reassertion of power in the middle by LB Raekwon McMillan. Depth is needed behind them, that’s most certainly true. But if the Dolphins can build around this core for 2020 with edge rushers and secondary players, Miami’s defense is going to look a whole lot better next season with Brian Flores and company finally getting some firepower off the edge.
This are difficult times to be a Dolphins fan. But the young defensive core in the front seven should be a highlight of every week remaining in 2019.
