Dolphins Defense Ready to Make Another Statement

The Miami Dolphins defense could earn even more recognition with another big performance against the Arizona Cardinals' high-powered offense

What can the Miami Dolphins defense do for an encore?

A week after tormenting Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, the Dolphins will try to slow down the NFL's No. 1 offense in terms in total yardage when they face the Arizona Cardinals.

While this figures to be an even bigger challenge, it's also an opportunity for the Dolphins defense to start getting into the discussion as being one of the best in the NFL.

"Through your play, it’ll come," linebacker Elandon Roberts says about national recognition. "So if people want to view it as respect games ... everybody’s going to view it off what they want to view it off. We view it off of playing good defense play in and play out, and all that will come. For the last couple weeks, that’s what we’ve been doing and obviously it came, but at the same time we’ve got to continue to do it because that’s how you build as a defense.”

The Dolphins defense has particularly come on strong over the past three games, which has coincided with the team's three-game winning streak.

In that span, the Dolphins have eight takeaways and 10 sacks, not to mention one defensive tackle — Andrew Van Ginkel's 78-yard fumble return against the Rams. And the sack numbers don't do justice to the constant pressure the pass rush has been applying.

Not coincidentally, the defensive dominance began when cornerback Byron Jones returned to the lineup after missing two games plus most of a third with a groin injury.

Another offseason free agent acquisition, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, has been the star of the show with six sacks and two forced fumbles. It was his hit on Goff that forced the fumble that Van Ginkel returned for a touchdown last Sunday.

"Week in and week out, just playing for one another, and having fun, and bringing the energy," Van Ginkel said. "Whenever someone makes a play, go be with them and celebrate. I’d say that’s a big part, building momentum and relying on one another. I think energy is a huge part of it.” 

While they lead the NFL in fewest points allowed per game at 18.8, the Dolphins rank 20th or 21st in total defense, run defense and pass defense.

The big plays have been a key.

Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury has noticed.

“I see a defense that takes the personality of their coach," Kingsbury said. "He is very sharp, tough-minded, going to be aggressive, going to be physical, and that's how they play. They fly around, one of the longest fronts we've seen, one of the most physical defenses. It's impressive to watch. They get in your face and don't give you anything and week in, week out have multiple looks very similar to what the Patriots do, try to take away your best players, and they're on a roll.”

That certainly won't be easy against the Cardinals, who are averaging an NFL-best 419.1 yards per game.

Arizona has one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks with Kyler Murray, not to mention two star wide receivers in future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins, who leads the league in both receptions (57) and receiving yards (704).

But, as they say, to be the best, you have to beat the best.

“Our defense has a lot of talent," Roberts said. "It’s not a secret and stuff like that, but every week, one thing about our defense is we play for each other and we play excited out there and have fun, and play with a lot of speed. So that’s been a great thing about this defense. We do have a lot to work on and stuff like that, so we try to get better there each week. It’s another week, another opportunity to get better at it. As a defense, we’re just still trying to put it together.”

Safety Eric Rowe, who also has been a big reason for the defense's success with his great work in pass defense all season, said the his unit felt overlooked before the Rams game because the focus was on Aaron Donald and his teammates.

The Dolphins defense sure earned a lot of attention after that performance against the Rams. Just imagine if Miami can shut down the Cardinals.

“Kind of through (last) week, we caught wind of ‘Rams defense this, Rams defense that,’ " Rowe said after the Rams game, during which he had an interception. "We’re like, ‘Man, they need to worry about our defense,’ and that was one of our focuses on mind to show up. People keep sleeping on our defense and that’s fine, but we’re going to show up every week.”