The Dolphins suffered a crucial loss on Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the New England Patriots. The Dolphins began the game with a botched punt, but by the end of the game they actually looked as if they would make a comeback. This small surge of hope was not due to their offense, but to their solid defensive performance. The Dolphins defense has a great deal of talent in their line up.
First, perhaps the most impressive player on the Dolphins’ D is Cameron Wake. During Sunday’s game, he managed to bring his sack count to 10.5 on the season by sacking QB Tom Brady when the Dolphins really needed it.
Reshad Jones, one of the Dolphin’s safeties, had a spectacular game, including an interception and a sack. The interception he made did not end in a TD, although it looked like it was going to. Instead, due to dual penalties on both New England and Miami, the play resulted in Miami getting the ball back at the spot of the foul. He stated, “It kind of hurt (the flags on the play) it could have helped us to win the game.” In a tight game with an experienced team like New England, mistakes at key times can be especially costly. In the future, expect more plays like this from Jones.
The next player that stands out as a star on the Dolphin’s D is Paul Soliai. He contributed a sack in Sunday’s game and frequently pushes through offensive lines to rush the QB. For a defensive tackle at 6-foot-4 and 345 pounds, he makes plays happen and isn’t afraid to chase down QBs.
The final defensive player worthy of note is Karlos Dansby, one of the Dolphins’ linebackers. On the season, Dansby has 98 tackles and 1 sack. What makes Dansby so crucial to the Dolphin’s D is his presence and ability to make plays. He seems to always put himself in the right spot, at the right time to make tackles, which is exactly what you need out of your middle linebacker.
The Dolphin’s defense is what drives their success, and if their offense can come up to the level of their defense, they can win some football games and get back to contending for the division. Joe Philbin still wants to see his defense improve saying, “They did some good things, but when the game was on the line they [the New England Patriots] were able to move the ball and make it a two possession game.”
Technically the Dolphins are still in the running for a playoff birth, but the odds are very slim. But with their defense, they have a good core group of players that they can continue to build around to contend in years to come.
To start out with, it’s refreshing to see someone write about the positives even after a loss.
The Dolphins defense is definitely an underrated unit. For the most part, they’ve kept their team in the game but as you alluded to, the offense hasn’t always done their part. I think that players like Karlos Dansby, Reshad Jones, Paul Soliai and especially Cameron Wake are all great players that the Dolphins defense can build around.
The Patriots aren’t going anywhere as long as Tom Brady is around, so with that being said, building up your defense is key.
It seems like the Dolphins have got some pieces in play, I think with the addition of a big play receiver, a solid tight end, and some O-line help can definitely help bolster this Dolphins team into a potential division contender.