Straight talk from Baker about Miami’s disappointing defense. And Howard, Jones injured
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Thursday:
▪ As the Dolphins’ offense continues to sputter, the defense seemingly has regressed.
-A unit that was sixth in scoring defense last season (21.1 points per game) has slipped to 25th in that category (27.3 points per game). A unit that was first in third down defense is now 31st, ahead of only Washington.
“Our defense needs to improve,” linebacker Jerome Baker said bluntly Thursday. “I need to play better. We need to show we are one of the top defenses, one of the top teams out there.
“We have had individual talks with our position groups, us as a defense. We have to look in the mirror and stop blaming other people, other things and turn this thing around. The only people that can fix it is us.”
Baker said one issue is players not always doing their precise jobs.
“None of the guys we have are intentionally messing up or losing their mind,” he said. “It’s those little things [such as] hand placement is wrong. In this defense, those little things add up to losing games.”
Could it be that teams have figured out Miami’s defense?
“You could always play the could-be game, but history wise this has been a great defense,” Baker said. “We are not going to sit back and say ‘it could be this or that.’ It could be players on the field not getting it done. We’re not about to say... coaches are wrong. We are the ones on the field. We’re the ones that have to turn it around.”
One thing that should help: the return of 6-7 behemoth nose tackle Raekwon Davis from a knee injury. He practiced again Thursday.
“He is a big, massive strong guy,” Baker said. “The one thing we don’t give him credit for is brings a lot of energy. Just the energy of wanting to be out there and play with him. Definitely happy to have him back.”
▪ Hey, look: More Tom Brady talk!
“He’s the greatest quarterback ever to step on the field,” Baker said. “It’s an honor to play against a guy like that. Earlier in his career, I was starstruck, like ‘this is Tom Brady.’ This is guy I play [on John Madden’s video game].”
And now? “I want to beat this guy, ruin his day.”
Safety Eric Rowe returned an interception for a touchdown against Brady in the 2019 season finale, Brady’s final home game as a member of the Patriots. He said he has kept that football and displays it in his “man cave” in his home in Houston.
▪ Byron Jones — who is dealing with quadriceps and Achilles injuries — returned to practice on a limited basis after missing Wednesday’s session.
But Xavien Howard sustained a groin injury and also was limited Thursday after practicing fully on Wednesday. Howard was on the injury report on Wednesday with a shoulder injury, so the groin injury appears new.
So Miami’s top two cornerbacks aren’t healthy facing the NFL’s top-rated passing attack, which is worrisome.
If Howard plays and Jones doesn’t - or vice versa - that would mean Miami’s fourth cornerback Sunday could be second-year player Noah Igbinoghene, who hasn’t played a defensive snap this season after being drafted 30th overall in 2020.
Igbinoghene said last week that cornerbacks coach Charles Burks has changed his game.
What has Burks done with him?
“Working on stance, alignment, assignment, building on techniques from the ground up,” Burks said. “It’s no special thing I would say I’ve done. I would never like to believe I changed somebody. People make a choice to change. It’s more of him buying into his own development.”
How much has Burks changed his technique?
“The technique has changed,” Burks said. “He was extremely raw talent coming out of college [Auburn]. The technique has been a big change for him. More importantly, slowing the game down and seeing some of the information a team presents to you presnap. Those are a lot of our conversations just to try to get the game to slow down.”
If someone asked Burks: “Noah is going to be a successful NFL cornerback because”... how would Burks complete the sentence?
“Perseverance, resiliency,” Burks responded. “I will keep it at that.”
But is there anything from an athletic skill standpoint that stands out with Igbinoghene? “Everybody is an athlete,” Burks said. “For me, that’s not necessarily what I focus on. I focus on the intangibles.”
Are there good ball skills with him? “Yes sir,” Burks said. “We’re developing those. Some players may be a natural at that but it doesn’t mean you can’t work at it.”
Even if Jones or Howard misses Sunday’s game, Igbinoghene might not get any defensive snaps. The Dolphins could go with a seven-man group of defensive backs (Xavien Howard, Nik Needham, Justin Coleman, Eric Rowe, Jason McCourty, Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones).
Defensive backs Elijah Campbell, Trill Williams and special teams leader Clayton Fejedelem are the other defensive backs on the roster.
▪ Former Dolphins offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James said years ago that every time a team changes offensive line coaches, it creates a challenge for the players because each coach teaches technique differently.
The Dolphins have had four offensive line coaches in 26 months under head coach Brian Flores.
Lemuel Jeanpierre is the second offensive line coach since Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt began their Dolphins careers, and Jackson acknowledged that there has been an “adjustment” moving from Steve Marshall (who was dismissed after the 2020 season) to Jeanpierre, who was the No. 2 offensive line coach last season.
There has been “some different stuff” taught with technique this season, Jackson said.
So could that turnover with offensive line coaches be among many factors for why the unit is struggling?
“I don’t think they pay me to answer that,” Jackson said, suggesting reporters asked general manager Chris Grier (who declines all local interview requests) or Flores.
Jackson has committed three costly penalties during the past two games and allowed 20 quarterback pressures (most among NFL tackles) in his three games this season.
“There are plays I wish I could do way differently,” he said. “You’ve got to learn from it quickly without putting a bunch of blame on yourself and move on to the next play.”
When asked Thursday if he could play another position, Jackson said he could play guard and center. The Dolphins had a brief discussion earlier this season about the merits of moving him to guard but decided against it.
FYI: Center Greg Mancz practiced fully Thursday but has developed a neck injury.
▪ Couldn’t a case be made to use more hurry-up offense, especially early in games?
“We’ve been efficient when we’ve done that,” tight end Durham Smythe said, noting some of that up-tempo success has come “at the end of the game where [defenses] are playing off, looser. But we have been efficient when we’ve done it. We’ll use here and there.”
▪ Wide receiver Albert Wilson, who has just five receptions for 31 yards in three games, figures to be used more with Will Fuller going on injured reserve and Jakeem Grant traded. And DeVante Parker was limited Thursday with shoulder and hamstring injuries.
“Just trying to get back in the swing of things, be there when they need me,” Wilson said. How the season has unfolded is “not as I planned it coming back” from sitting out 2020 due to concerns about playing in a pandemic.
“Physically I feel great,” he said. “Earlier I have a muscle issue.”
I asked Wilson if he and the coordinators have looked at tape of how Adam Gase used him in 2018, when Wilson averaged 15 yards per catch, compared with 8.2 in 2019 and 6.2 this season. (He opted out last season.)
“We move a lot of guys around,” Wilson said. “A lot of guys can be in that role of moving around. Whatever they ask me to do, I will do it.”
This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 3:44 PM.
