Tag: xavien howard interception

Watch: Xavien Howard with a teaching-tape interception

Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard’s eighth interception of the season was a textbook defensive play.

Brian Flores and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer have crafted an impressive defense this season for the Miami Dolphins, and secondary play is a big reason for their success. Cornerback Xavien Howard grabbed his NFL-leading eighth interception early against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and it is a perfect example of a cornerback finding the football and then high-pointing the pass for an interception.

On this 1st and 10 play midway through the first quarter the Dolphins bring pressure and play straight man coverage behind it, as they have done so often this season. The Bengals try and run a switch verticals concept, with Brandon Allen trying to hit the wheel route out of the slot.

Howard was having none of it:

This is tremendous from the cornerback. First he has to fight through the traffic created by the route design, as he needs to pick through the matchup on the outside. Then he needs to recover and eliminate the separation between himself and the receiver. To cap off the play, he has to turn, pinpoint the football, and make the play at the catch point.

Textbook.

Anatomy of a Play: Xavien Howard clicks, drives and picks off Justin Herbert

Breaking down Xavien Howard’s interception of Justin Herbert from Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins are the hottest team in football.

This is not a reference to the weather in South Beach. No, the Dolphins are legit. Winners of five-straight games, the Dolphins are getting tremendous contributions from their defense and rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is showing what he can be as a professional passer.

A ton of credit must be given to head coach Brian Flores and what he is building on both sides of the football, particularly on defense. The Dolphins are confusing opposing quarterbacks, bringing pressure with some different personnel packages, and making opposing offensive coordinators burn the midnight oil to try and figure out what to expect on Sundays.

This Xavien Howard interception of Justin Herbert is an example of that in action.

It is also an example of teaching tape when it comes to playing zone coverage as a cornerback:

The Dolphins are playoff contenders, and their defense is a big reason why.