Tag: Jerome baker

Dolphins’ defensive interior can serve as stout foundation for future

Miami’s defensive interior will serve as a strong foundation for the future of the Dolphins’ defense.

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.

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Dolphins Dive: Storylines for Week 12 versus the Browns

Here three key storylines to watch in Week 12 as the Dolphins face off against the Cleveland Browns.

Last Sunday, the Buffalo Bills circled the wagons in South Florida to assure the sweep of the Miami Dolphins for 2019. The Dolphins’ offensive line struggled mightily in the 37-20 loss. This week, the Dolphins look to bounce back and are going on the road to battle the Cleveland Browns — a team they haven’t faced since 2016. Miami won that game 30-24 during Week 3 of that NFL season on the strength of quarterback Ryan Tannehill outperforming Cleveland’s Cody Kessler in a shootout.

It’s now clear that the Dolphins won’t be a 10-win team in 2019 — as they were the last time they played the Browns. But don’t rule out Miami finding a way to swim past the Dawg Pound.

The receiving corps is doing more

 With the recent trade of Kenyan Drake and the release of Mark Walton, the running back position has been depleted.  Consequently, the Dolphins have been more reliant on the passing game in recent weeks.

DeVante Parker had seven catches and a career-high 135 yards while Jakeem Grant broke off a 101-yard jaunt to the house on a kickoff return. Even running backs did their part in the air. Kalen Ballage caught five balls against Buffalo for his second week in a row with four or more receptions. RB Patrick Laird had a career-high six receptions.

Unconventional O-Line help

With defensive end Myles Garrett suspended indefinitely at current and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi forced to sit on Sunday due to the Browns’ brawl with the Steelers on TNF, Cleveland is down two starters that the Dolphins offensive front needn’t scheme for.

To put it in perspective, Ryan Fitzpatrick had 323 passing yards while struggling to stay upright. Imagine what he could do for the Dolphins if his protection could control Cleveland’s front seven without two of their top starters?

Jerome Baker and others rolling on D

Miami didn’t get the win at home this past Sunday, but it wasn’t because the defense wasn’t battling.  While recording a team-high 11 tackles last week, linebacker Jerome Baker continued a streak of three games where he posted eight or more tackles. Considering the Browns have running back Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb in their line up with a mediocre offensive line, there’s a good chance he extends it to four.

Honorable mention for last week goes to cornerback Nik Needam who turned in six or more tackles with two passes defended in each of his past two outings. These stat lines have contributed to him placing top among rookies in the AFC in passes defended.

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Dolphins Dive: Storylines for Week 11 versus the Bills

What are the key storylines to watch this week for the Miami Dolphins in Week 11?

The Miami Dolphins have gone from a winless tank job (or so many would have you believe) to holding back-to-back victories. And if the Dolphins can come back home this week and prevail in their second matchup of the year against the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins will officially be streaking with three straight wins for the first time since the beginning of the 2018 season.

The Bills represent a winnable game for Miami, based on each team’s play at this time. In fact, in the 31-21 decision on October 20th earlier this year in Buffalo, they played each other fairly close. The Dolphins were better on third down with fewer penalties. But unfortunately, the Bills didn’t give the ball away — while Miami had two turnovers. Step one to achieving streaking status will be protecting the football.

Ball security will be something to watch — but here are three more storylines in this week’s Dolphins Dive for NFL Week 11.

Mike Gesicki heating up

While critics have called tight end Mike Gesicki a late bloomer, since the departure of running back Kenyan Drake the second year tight end has become more involved when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to check down from a primary target.

In this past two games, Gesicki has caught 9 passes for 123 yards — but he also logged a fumble against the Colts. Can we see Gesicki log a touchdown next?

 Jerome Baker has been on a roll

There have been signs of improvement from the Miami Dolphins as the year has gone on. This is in part thanks to the consistency of linebacker Jerome Baker.

Turning in eight tackles and a forced fumble last week against the Colts, Baker recorded his third straight contest with seven or more tackles posted. His communication and versatility are proving to be key as the Dolphins bank on him to cover a lot of ground and fill a lot of roles. Continuing this pattern would be helpful in securing the ‘W’ over Buffalo.

 Frank Gore needs 73 more

 In addition to facing his former team for the second time this season, future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore is close to beefing up his resume for gold jacket glory. Should he gain 73 yards on Sunday in South Florida, Gore will have passed former Detroit Lion and NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for third-highest career rushing yard total. Gore has slowly been phased out of the Bills offense in favor of Devin Singletary — but he’s one big run away from third place on the all-time rushing list.

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Vision for Dolphins’ defense coming to life in recent weeks

The Dolphins’ defensive efforts have improved over the past month — bringing to life Miami’s vision for a fierce unit in South Florida.

The Miami Dolphins made a bold change of directions this past February when they decided to hire former New England Patriots head coach Brian Flores to serve as the next head coach of the Dolphins. Cam Cameron? An offensive mind. Tony Sparano? Blue collared — but still a former offensive line coach. Joe Philbin and Adam Gase? Two more offensive “visionaries” who turned out to be false promises.

When Miami hired Flores and the subsequent effort to open the season was nearly 100 points allowed in the team’s first two games, it was a gut punch. Here we go again, many surmised. But while it is too early in the process to determine what kind of head coach Brian Flores will ultimately be, we now know he’s definitely not a flop, as recent performances would indicate.

The Dolphins defense has come alive despite playing without three of their best players at the open of the 2019 season — defensive backs Xavien Howard, Reshad Jones and Minkah Fitzpatrick are all off the field for Miami, with Fitzpatrick traded and Jones and Howard battling injuries. The pass rush potency isn’t anything other than bottom shelf by NFL standards. And yet this defense is playing stout over their last 5 games.

Miami has conceded an average of 326 yards per game over their last five games. The team has forced 5 turnovers in their last three — after producing just two over the first six games. Eight sacks in the last four games versus five in the first five. And the defensive scoring is down considerably. Since Miami’s Week 5 bye week, the Dolphins defense is allowing under 19 points per game (18.8) if you adjust for Buffalo’s onside kick return for a touchdown and the New York Jets’ safety after an interception near their own goal line.

This is what the Dolphins envisioned this summer — even with the concessions in talent during a rebuilding year. Dolphins LB Jerome Baker said yesterday that this is the defensive vision Miami has been striving for since the summer.

“Yeah, if you just look at it, I just believe in ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and ‘P.G.’ (Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham),” said Baker.

“These past few games have just been what they’ve been coaching us up to do and we’ve definitely been having fun playing this defense. Just got to continue.”

It isn’t just fun to play — it’s fun to watch.

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