The Miami Dolphins have some help on the way for one of their major flaws
The Miami Dolphins have been among the best teams in the NFL this season, their 31-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles notwithstanding. However, there has been a major issue that's been exposed in double-digit losses to both the Eagles and the Buffalo Bills: the Dolphins' pass defense. Josh Allen carved up Miami's defense a few weeks […]
The Miami Dolphins have been among the best teams in the NFL this season, their 31-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles notwithstanding. However, there has been a major issue that's been exposed in double-digit losses to both the Eagles and the Buffalo Bills: the Dolphins' pass defense.
Josh Allen carved up Miami's defense a few weeks ago, with Stefon Diggs having a monster day with 6 catches for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns. A.J. Brown also posted a massive stat line last night with 10 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Those are two of the greatest receivers in the game. And unfortunately for Miami, the matchups weren't great for them. CB Kader Kohou – who was very good last year as the team's nickel corner – was outclassed badly by Diggs, allowing two of his touchdowns and being unable to keep up with the speedy wideout all game. He struggled with Brown often last night as well. Eli Apple wasn't much better.
The Dolphins blitzed some, but the frequency was tempered, and it's understandable why. The challenge with blitzing aggressively like the Dolphins did in former defensive coordinator Josh Boyer's system is that it puts your cornerbacks at even more of a disadvantage with less help. You need high-level cornerbacks that can cover on an island to be able to do that. As such, blitzing more heavily isn't the answer for a team with issues at corner.
Fortunately, Miami is getting two very high caliber players back in the coming weeks in Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey. Howard – who missed Sunday's game with a groin injury – did play in the disaster in Buffalo. However, he wasn't on Diggs much at all, which Vic Fangio later recognized as something perhaps they should have done with him shadowing the Bills' star. The team's decision to sit him against the Eagles will help him recover from his groin injury sooner than later.
Ramsey, who opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday, will eventually assume his position opposite him. While it may take a little bit of time to get up to game speed having had no game action since last season, his track record speaks for itself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Howard and Ramsey on the field together will mean that Kohou can return to handling duties against receivers in the slot, where his size and quickness are better suited.
Miami will get a return shot against Buffalo in Week 18 at Hard Rock Stadium. They won't get another shot at the Eagles unless both teams make it to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. That's obviously a long, winding road with a lot of obstacles in between.
However, if that were to happen, then the Dolphins would be far better suited to take on Philly's passing game than they were on Sunday night.
