Dolphins D’ Must Stop the Run

The Dolphins spent a king’s ransom on signing the leagues best defensive tackle in Ndamukong Suh, and the reason they did this was because they desperately wanted to get better against the run. Since Suh has been in Miami he has been a beast in practice and the preseason, and all signs were pointing to an upgrade in the Phins run defense. However, in the Dolphins first game of the season last week, they looked like the same old run defense.

Last week, the Dolphins defense was carved up for a whopping 161 yards, with Alfred Morris leading the charge with 121 yards. The Redskins were having so much success running the ball that they ended up running the ball on 37 out of their 58 offensive plays, and had a 4.35 yard per carry average. It is only one game, but Miami is currently ranked 30th against the run, with only the Packers and Vikings worse then them.

Miami must get better against the run, and they must do it fast. The one positive thing on the defensive side was that they did not break on their side of the fifty and keep opposing points to a minimum. In actual points allowed, the Dolphins defense did an excellent job of only allowing 10 points, which has them currently ranked tied for third best in the NFL. Most sports betting fans would agree that the more important stat for a defense is keeping the other team off the board verse yards allowed. While yards allowed is important, it can be mitigated by a “bend but don’t break” style. Even with that being said, Miami must fix their run defense.

Dolphins will be make a short trip across the state this weekend when they play Jacksonville, and it is important for the ‘Phins run defense to focus on stopping the Jaguars from running all over them. Last week, the Jaguars lost to the Panthers, and they were able to run for 96 yards on the ground. Those 96 yards puts the Jaguars rushing attack at 18th best in the league, and on paper should be an easier match-up for the Dolphins defensive line. Last year, the Jags gave the Fins fits in the first half, so nothing should be take for granted.

The Dolphins defensive line is not only supposed to be the strength of their defense, but they are supposed to be the back bone of their entire team, which means they better start acting like it. It was only one game, and good defenses need time to play together, before they can become great defenses. I believe that “Suh and CO” will continue to get better as the season progresses, and this weekend against the Jaguars could be a good way to make a big step in the right direction. What does the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans think about whether or not the Dolphins rush defense can improve, or is this going to be a lingering problem this season?

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