Which Unit will be better this year: Offense or Defense?

Jimmy Bourbon

9 years ago

Last season the Defense started out very strong for Miami, but over the last 6 games, they collapsed like an elderly woman running a marathon in Death Valley. The Offense on the other hand was consistently decent for most of the year, however, they often had issues getting in rhythm in the first half of games, and scoring touchdowns in the RedZone.

There are many different ways to measure the success or failures of an offense and defense, however, I believe that the most important one is points scored and points allowed since the number of points is what determines if you win or lose each game. In regards to points allowed last season the Dolphins were ranked 20^th in the league, allowing on average 23.3 points per game. (The best team in the league was Seattle, who allowed only 15.9 points per game.) On Offense the Dolphins were ranked 11^th in the league, scoring on average 24.3 points per game. (The best team in the league was Green Bay, who scored 30.4 points per game.)

Obviously, if the Dolphins want to win more than 8 games this season, the best way to achieve that would be to increase the number of points they score each game and decrease the number of points they allow each game. On paper, both units appear improved, and most fans at the pay per head bookie service sites like AcePerHead.com would bet that they should be able to improve on both sides of the ball.

On offense, the Dolphins have brought in pass catchers that are more suited to the skill set and personality of Ryan Tannehill. In addition, Tannehill is in his second year in Bill Lazor’s offense and he already looks a lot more comfortable and sharper this off-season. When the Dolphins run the ball they have a stable of running backs that each provides another dimension to the offense. (Miller, Ajayi, Williams, and James.) The Dolphins were second best in the league last year in RedZone trips, however, they were middle of the road in converting those trips to Touchdowns. With the additions of players like Parker, Cameron, and Ajayi, they should help to improve the Dolphins touchdown ratio. So on paper, the Dolphins should have a better offense and more scoring power, however, the big wild card is the offense line, which is the glue that holds the offense together. The offense line has 2 big questions at the Guard positions, and their most important lineman, Albert is still limping his way back to health. Unfortunately, the Dolphins offense is going to live or die by the success or failure of their offensive line. If the offensive line can play well, then there is no reason why Miami’s offense can’t be a top 10 scoring offense, however, that is still a big IF.

On defense, the Dolphins have renovated their interior defensive line and signed two players from the Detroit Lions’ number 1 ranked run defense, Suh and Mosley, who should instantly improve the Dolphins’ run defense. There was not much change in the Dolphins starting linebacking unit because Misi and Jenkins are returning. The only real change was that McCain is in all likelihood going to be the starting outside Linebacker instead of the departed Wheeler. We all know that Wheeler was the biggest liability in the linebacking group last season, and McCain has a much higher ceiling, so this unit has the chance to be better than last year’s linebacking unit. In the back-end of the defense the Dolphins will still have Grimes, Delmas, and Jones, so they should continue to be able to anchor the pass defense. The biggest question mark is going to be from the cornerback position opposite of Grimes. The front runner is currently Jamar Taylor, and he flashed potential last year, but he was not as good as Finnegan. There could be a drop-off at that position from last year, and in a passing league, this could be the Achilles heel of the Dolphins defense. However, as a whole on paper, the Dolphins defense does appear improved. I believe that if the D-Line can be as dominant as advertised, then this will make the entire defense better.

In the NFL, the players playing in the trenches of the offensive and defensive line usually do not get as much recognition as the QB’s and the touchdown scorers, but they are the meat and potatoes of any team, and the level of play of those two units usually dictates how good or bad the offense or defense truly is. If Miami can get improved play from those two units, then the result should be a better overall offense and defense. Based on the importance of the two lines, I would say that the Dolphins defense can be the best unit of the Dolphins team because the D-line has the chance to be one of the best in the league, and the O-line is just hoping to at least be average. What does the rest of the Miami Dolphins news fans think about which unit will be better this season, the Offense or the Defense?

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