What the Miami Dolphins’ grades reveal after Week 1. And team’s coordinator self-critical
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins defensive and special teams notes on a Tuesday, to complement my offensive nuggets from earlier today:
▪ The Dolphins invested a whopping $168 million in long-term contracts to defensive players this offseason, so it was disheartening to see the run defense pulverized on Sunday at New England.
And the grades from the most prominent analytics web site reflects Miami’s shortcomings in the opener.
Among 104 interior defenders who played in Week 1, Davon Godchaux was rated 91st and Raekwon Davis 101st by Pro Football Focus.
Among 100 edge defenders who played in Week 1, Emmanuel Ogbah graded out 87th and Shaq Lawson 93rd.
Among 64 linebackers who played in Week 1, Jerome Baker graded out 62nd and Elandon Roberts 64th.
Roberts also was Miami’s lowest-graded player on defense. Baker, on the surface, played well with 16 tackles and a critical forced fumble, but PFF penalized him for subpar run defense, poor pass-coverage metrics and two penalties on New England’s game-sealing drive.
There was some good news. For example, Christian Wilkins ranks 10th among interior defenders; he graded out best of every Miami defender, per PFF.
Among 75 safeties who played in Week 1, PFF ranks Bobby McCain 10th, rookie Brandon Jones 24th and Eric Rowe 25th.
▪ From a defensive standpoint, Dolphins coaches were more critical of themselves than I can ever recall since Brian Flores became coach 20 months ago. Flores said Monday that he, his position coaches and the players must do a better job.
And new defensive coordinator Josh Boyer said Tuesday:
“It starts with me; I’ve got to coach it better and everybody has got to know what their responsibility is with every call,” Boyer said. “We’re going to work hard to get it corrected. I have to do a better job of making sure we have the right guys in there.”
The Dolphins finished Week 1 ranked No. 1 against the pass but 32nd and last against the run. Miami ranks 13th in yards allowed and 15th in points permitted.
Boyer said the good news is “everything is correctable. The communication was pretty smooth; we were able to get the calls in…. Based on the game plan and a week of being in different packages, we were in more big people [packages] than we probably would have been.” But that didn’t work in slowing the Patriots’ running game.
▪ The fact Jamal Perry played 31 defensive snaps and Nik Needham played none on Sunday indicates the Dolphins trust Perry as a slot corner more than they trust Needham. Perry has far more experience in that role.
On Sunday, Perry allowed both passes in his coverage area to be caught for 25 yards, with Julian Edelman catching both. But Perry was Miami’s second-best run defender Sunday, per PFF. And he’s not why the Dolphins lost.
▪ Rookie safety Brandon Jones had 10 tackles in 34 defensive snaps, an impressive ratio. Since 2016, only four other NFL players reached double figures in tackles in their first NFL game: Xavien Howard, Shaquill Griffin, Fred Warner and Devin Bush.
Jones graded out as Miami’s third-best run defender on Sunday, per PFF.
In coverage, Jones allowed all three passes thrown against him to be caught, but for just 19 yards (by Edelman, J.J. Taylor and James White). And none of those completions went for a first down.
“Brandon had a solid camp,” Boyer said Tuesday. And in Sunday’s game, “he did some good things, some bad things.”
▪ Here’s how Miami’s other players did in pass coverage:
PFF held Baker responsible for three completions in three pass attempts against him, for 50 yards, including a 25-yarder to Ryan Izzo….
Howard, on a 30-play snap count, allowed two completions in two targets for 16 yards during his 27 snaps.
Cornerback Byron Jones was targeted just once and allowed that one pass to be caught by N’Keal Harry, but for just 6 yards. In all, it was a good debut for Miami’s pricey new cornerback.
Rookie cornerback Noah Igbinoghene allowed both passes in his coverage area to be caught for 18 yards. Both went for first downs.
Roberts allowed one of two targets to be caught for 11 yards. Fellow new linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill allowed his only target to be caught for 10 yards.
▪ Jakeem Grant — who has four career return touchdowns (two on punts, two on kickoffs) — won both return jobs during training camp. On Sunday, he didn’t have a kickoff return and lost 3 yards on his one punt return.
Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said Tuesday that he “absolutely” is giving serious thought to return roles for two rookies who were explosive in that role in college: Igbinoghene and receiver Lynn Bowden, who was inactive on Sunday and is still learning the system after his August acquisition from the Las Vegas Raiders.
At Auburn, Igbinoghene averaged 27.3 yards on 44 career kickoff returns with two touchdowns.
At Kentucky, Bowden averaged 22.1 yards on nine career punt returns, with two touchdowns.
“Obviously Lynn just got here, but we’ll continue to work with those players and see how it develops as the season progresses,” Crossman said.
For now, Crossman said, “you’ve got to make decision to go with that one [returner] and see what progresses. [Grant] has earned that right. He had a good camp.”
Here’s my Tuesday pack of Miami Dolphins offensive nuggets, with interesting stuff on Tua Tagovailoa, Lynn Bowden, how the rookie offensive linemen graded out, the running back situation and more.
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
