Dolphins to move forward with this lineup change. And Weaver addresses personnel issues
The Dolphins will move forward with Anthony Walker Jr. instead of David Long Jr. as their starting inside linebacker, alongside Jordyn Brooks — at least for Monday’s game at the Rams (8:15 p.m., ESPN, CBS-4).
Walker replaced Long against Buffalo after Long struggled badly against Arizona. Long didn’t play a single defensive snap against the Bills last Sunday, and Dolphins coaches liked how Walker played.
“He did a good job executing,... communicating,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said of Walker. “He gives us the best chance to execute from a defensive standpoint.”
Weaver didn’t rule out Long getting some snaps in future weeks. He said Long is a good player but “Dave will be first one to admit to you that he left some plays out there.”
Long’s regression has been one of the disappointments of the season. Last season, Pro Football Focus rated him the best run-defending inside linebacker in the league but well below average against the pass. This season, PFF ranks Long 81st among 81 inside linebackers in overall performance, grading him poorly against the run and pass.
Walker, at his locker this week, spoke of being “thankful for the opportunity” to play again. “Me and David are super close. I’ve known him, hung out with him, [long] before we got to the Dolphins. That’s the difficult part of it. You want the best for him as well.”
During the Bills game, Walker wore the green dot on his helmet, delivering signals to teammates. Jerome Baker wore that dot last season, and Long earlier this season.
“I pride myself on being the quarterback of the defense, the ultimate communicator, keeping guys settled, under control,” Walker said. “You have to be able to defend the run and the pass.”
MORE FROM WEAVER
The Dolphins’ defensive coordinator said one problem the past two weeks is “lapses particularly in communication. The last two games, the majority of communication breakdowns have happened in man coverage.”
Even after allowing 28 points against Arizona and 30 against Buffalo, the Dolphins defense still ranks middle of the pack in points allowed per game (23.4, which ranks 17th of 32 teams) and above average in several categories. Among them:
Miami is sixth in third-down conversion percentage (32.9), seventh in total defense (allowing 303 yards per game), fourth in passing yards permitted on average (183 per game), 11th in opponent quarterback passer rating (86.4), 13th in average rushing yards relinquished per game (120) and 14th in average yards allowed per carry (4.4).
The Dolphins have yielded 19 passing plays of 20-plus yards, which is fourth fewest in the league.
But their 10 sacks in eight games are second lowest in the league.
And they have only six takeaways (only three teams have fewer) — including just two fumble recoveries. That’s bothersome to Weaver because the Dolphins spend a lot of time in training camp working on chopping the ball out of the hands of offensive players.
That’s “certainly disappointing because it has been a point of emphasis from the moment I stepped foot here,” Weaver said. “It’s something we have to continue to work on. We have to continue to have that as a point of focus in practice, especially when we are not wearing pads a whole lot. Hopefully the ball starts to fall our way a little bit.”
▪ Second-year cornerback Cam Smith, who took most of the snaps created by the absence of Kader Kodou, was victimized for a combined nine receptions in 10 targets against him for 89 yards, per Pro Football Focus metrics. How did the Dolphins think he played?
“Cam is a young player; the fact he was targeted wasn’t a surprise to us,” Weaver said. “When he did have mistakes, it was from lack of technique and fundamentals. There were difficult passes. He had a holding penalty and a [pass interference]. On a critical play late, he was there and made the play. You are going to go through some young growing plays. You are going to have to continue to work your way through that.”
▪ Kohou has resumed practicing after missing two games with a neck injury, and his return will help not only because he has played well this season, but also because he gives the Dolphins more of an ability to fool offenses, as Weaver explained:
“The way we were able to move in and out of Jalen being at nickel, putting Kader outside and doing that seamlessly with one personnel group, it surprises offenses,” Weaver said. “When Kader is not out there, we don’t have the flexibility to do that. Some of those guys are very specific in Kader’s spot.”
▪ Getting Zach Sieler back this week, after missing two games with a fractured orbital bone, “is huge,” Weaver said. “He should be a Pro Bowl and All Pro player the impact he has for us. I am a much better coach with him in our pass rush.”
▪ When safety Jordan Poyer missed time earlier this year, Weaver implored reporters not to “sleep on Elijah Campbell.” So with Holland still nursing a knee injury, is there any thought to giving Campbell some playing time instead of using Poyer and Marcus Maye every snap while Holland is out?
“I have the utmost confidence in Elijah; he has earned the right to go out there and play,” Weaver said. “We will see how it shakes out. I would not be shocked at all to see Elijah come Monday.”
Campbell has played only 27 defensive snaps all season.
▪ Weaver, on Poyer’s unsportmanlike conduct (helmet to helmet) penalty that was costly on Buffalo’s game-winning drive: “It’s unfortunate. You’ve got to lower your target and make sure you’re in the strike zone. Easier said than done going at that speed. I hate that happened. I hate that happened to him. Last thing you want to do is take away his aggressiveness.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2024 at 12:34 PM.
