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By STEVEN WINE
December 23, 2020 1:02 pm
3
min read
MIAMI
(AP) — In one year the
Miami Dolphins have gone from worst to first in the NFL in points allowed,
which is a big reason their playoff hopes are on the rise.
So why is cornerback Xavien Howard the Dolphins’ only Pro Bowl
player?
“Miami always gets overlooked,” Howard said. “If some of the
guys were on a different team, they’d get recognized. As a team, we can pick
that off with a Super Bowl, and everybody will be happy.”
The Super Bowl is heady talk coming from a franchise that hasn’t
won a playoff game in 20 years, and the Dolphins are probably still
not-ready-for-prime-time players — in February at least.
But their improvement under second-year coach Brian Flores has
been dramatic, especially on defense.
Last season the Dolphins
gave up a franchise record 494 points, 30.9 per game and the most in the NFL,
and went 5-11. This season they’re allowing 18.4 per game, the league’s lowest
average, and are contending for an AFC wild-card berth at 9-5.
Because defense is often the best way to win on the road,
especially in December, the Dolphins’ final two games — at Las Vegas and at
Buffalo — don’t seem quite so daunting. They probably must win both to reach
the postseason for only the third time since 2001.
Flores’ defense is a blitz-loving, ball-hawking bunch that leads
the league in takeaways (26) and third-down conversions (33%) but ranks near
the bottom in star power. That was confirmed by this week’s Pro Bowl picks,
when Miami’s lone selection was Howard, who leads the league with nine
interceptions, more than nine teams.
“He’s
just a guy that you can count on consistently week in and week out,” Miami defensive coordinator Josh
Boyer said. “He’s really a complete player.”
But as with any good defense, the Dolphins’ success is a
collective effort that includes five new starters this year: four free-agent
acquisitions and second-round draft pick Raekwon Davis.
“We wanted to add the right people — guys who are tough and
smart and competitive and team-first,” Flores said. “With every addition, we
have that in mind.”
Safety Bobby McCain has been with the Dolphins since 2015, which
gives him seniority on the defense and a unique perspective on this year’s
transformation.
“We’ve got 11 guys who want to do their job well and play for
each other,” McCain said. “That’s one of the biggest things — understanding
that we’re a family, not just a football team. We have a lot of guys who are
being selfless, just doing what they’re supposed to do and having fun doing
it.”
McCain
is part of a secondary
that has allowed only 16 touchdown passes, second fewest in the NFL,
after getting torched for a league-high 39 in 2019.
Sacks have increased to
37 from a league-low 23 last year. And the Dolphins’ streak of at
least one takeaway in 20 consecutive games is the NFL’s longest.
“It’s just playing hard, just all effort,” the 330-pound Davis
said. “It’s not a secret, not a scheme, not a play. It’s just chasing the ball
down, getting to the ball and getting the ball.”
Davis’
teammates echo that attitude, a reflection of a unit that may be low on big
names but is also low on ego.
“We’ve had a number of
interceptions this year where there has been good pressure, and there have been
a number of sacks where there has been good coverage,” Boyer said. “It all kind
of goes hand in hand. We’ve got a good group of guys who play for each other
and are all genuinely happy when somebody else has success.”
The disruptive nature of the defense diminishes the significance
of some statistics. The Dolphins rank in the bottom half of the league in yards
allowed rushing, passing and overall. They’ve been outgained by 426 yards, but
are tied for the fifth-best point differential.
Which stat best defines a
good defense?
“Wins,” Boyer said.
