Just How Legit Is the Dolphins Defense?

Much has been made of the Miami Dolphins’ evolution on offense. The team has become a running juggernaut, and not in the same way it was during the 2023 season.

However, that’s only half of the Dolphins’ winning formula that’s allowed them to go from 1-6 to 6-7. The other half is an improved defense that has given up more than 17 points just once since Week 8.

That improvement came on the heels of Miami allowing at least 21 points in each of the first seven weeks and allowing at least 27 in six of the first seven games. To say Miami’s defense got off to a brutal start would be an understatement.

Its run defense arguably was the worst in the sport, and its pass defense couldn’t come up with a big stop when needed. Obviously, things have turned around since then.

Let’s look at where Miami has made the most improvement and whether it’s sustainable moving forward.

Dolphins’ 2025 Defensive Improvement

By far the biggest area of growth for the Dolphins’ defense is against the run.

Since Week 8, Miami ranks eighth in rushing yards allowed per game with 100. In the first seven weeks of the season, Miami’s defense was 32nd, allowing a whopping 159.3 rushing yards per game.

When there’s that much growth, there tends to be more than one reason. However, it’s pretty clear on tape that strides by the Dolphins’ young defensive line and continued reliable play by Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson at linebacker are a significant reason.

It’s hard to quantify tackling at a team level, but it’s pretty clear on tape that Miami has simply wrapped up better in recent weeks. That’s prevented them from getting gashed, like they did by Rico Dowdle and Kimani Vidal earlier this season.

The Dolphins’ next area of growth has come on third down. In the first seven weeks of the season, Miami was 29th in third-down percentage (46.4%). That number is actually not horrible considering it took them until Week 3 to even force a punt.

Since Week 8, the Dolphins are third in opponents' third-down percentage (30.3%), trailing only the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Chargers.

It’s an obvious point to bring up, but getting off the field on third down tends to lead to better defensive numbers.

The last area we’ll highlight is Miami’s ability to create turnovers. The Dolphins’ 11 turnovers forced since Week 8 tie them for fifth, which is up from 23rd place in the first seven weeks of the season.

Miami adjusted to start punching at the ball more in Week 4, allowing them to generate a good number of loose footballs. In recent weeks, the interceptions have started to roll in. Of Miami’s seven interceptions, six have come in the last four games.

There are other areas we could mention — the Dolphins have basically improved across the board, but better run defense, better execution on third downs, and generating turnovers are the ones that have driven this improvement the most.

But there’s a catch…

How Sustainable Is Miami’s Defensive Improvement?

The Dolphins’ players and coaches deserve credit for the development of the defense this season, and there’s no doubt this defense is better than at the start of the season.

However, it’s hard not to look at Miami’s level of competition during this stretch and wonder if those numbers are inflated — or deflated, depending on the stat — a bit.

Since Week 8, the Dolphins have played just one offense that ranks top 10 in points per game: Buffalo. The Baltimore Ravens are 13th, while the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets are 25th, 24th, 31st, and 28th, respectively.

That “guantlet” has also included the Dolphins facing Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota, Tyler Shough and Brady Cook at quarterback. All four of those players were backups to start the season.

Although you could argue Shough should have started Week 1, he gave Miami the most trouble of that group, as he almost led an impressive second-half comeback.

The Dolphins also faced Atlanta without its top wide receiver (Drake London), Washington with QB Jayden Daniels and its top wide receiver (Terry McLaurin) and New Orleans without its best offensive player (running back Alvin Kamara).

You would be right to point out that Miami did a great job against Buffalo, which, despite some struggles this season, is a top-of-the-NFL offense in most metrics. That’s a great sign that Miami isn’t just feasting on poor competition.

We should learn a lot about Miami’s defense in the coming weeks. In Week 15, it’ll face a Pittsburgh Steelers offense that is incredibly limited. Still, Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf are a more threatening duo than anything Miami has seen since playing Buffalo.

They’ll also have to see Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Drake Maye down the stretch. Cincinnati’s offensive numbers are mostly middle of the pack this year, but it was without Burrow for a while.

The Buccaneers got off to an elite start, but injuries to the receivers and offensive line derailed things. Well, they’re getting a lot healthier and should have several players back against Miami.

Lastly, Maye might win MVP honors, and the Patriots might be the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

That’s a true stretch of challenges for the defense. An average defense beats the team it’s supposed to beat, but a truly good defense beats the offenses it’s supposed to struggle against.

We should find out which one Miami has by the end of the season.

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