Assessing Chubb's Dolphins Start

It’s been six games since the Miami Dolphins made a splash at the trade deadline by acquiring pass rusher Bradley Chubb from the Denver Broncos, and he’s ready to take the defense and his own play to a higher level.

Chubb, for whom the Dolphins traded a 2023 first-round pick, a fourth-round pick in 2024 and running back Chase Edmonds, said he believes his performance has been a “B” so far.

“I’ve had good plays here and there, but I want to be more dominant,” Chubb said Thursday. “I want to be taking over games more, and that’s kind of the reason they brought me here is to do that — to help this defense take it to the next level. I feel like, yeah, we took it up a notch, but there’s a whole ‘nother level we could take it to, and I want to be the catalyst for that.”

Chubb reaching a dominant level of play is something Miami’s defense is going to need if they have higher aspirations than just a playoff appearance. In the long term, Miami paid a premium price in trade assets, and with his new contract extension, so “dominant” should be the expectation for his play.

In his six games with Miami, Chubb hasn’t been dominant. He’s recorded 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble so far. In seven games with the Broncos, Chubb had 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

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CHUBB ADJUSTING TO NEW SCHEME

In fairness to Chubb, he’s still learning to play in Miami’s scheme, which is much different than the one he played in with the Broncos.

“It’s been good, man,” Chubb said about his transition. “I’m just learning each and every day still about my teammates, about my coaches, about the scheme, and just the different little nuances in it where I could get better just not throughout the play but just (say), ‘OK, they’re doing this on that side. OK, I can do this on this side.’ Just learning stuff like that and how I can take my game to the next level. But it’s been great. I’ve been enjoying it and ready to keep it moving.”

Chubb’s calling card always has been his ability to get to the passer. While sacks are an eye-catching stat, they don’t always paint the full picture of a pass rusher's effectiveness.

Chubb still ranks sixth among edge players in ESPN’s pass rush win rate, and he’s generated 47 total pressures this season, which ranks 17th in the entire league, according to PFF.

However, Miami’s defense blitzes a lot of second-level defenders to generate sacks and tends to emphasize stopping the run over pressuring the passer. Thus, Chubb’s raw pass rush numbers (sacks) were probably going to dip regardless of performance.

CHUBB CONTRIBUTING FOR RUN DEFENSE

Chubb mentioned one of the biggest keys for an edge defender in Miami’s scheme is setting the edge against the run.

“The main key is just setting the edge of the defense,” Chubb said. “I feel like with the guys we’ve got around, it’s cool for me to make sure I set the edge in the run, and then if it is a play-action pass, OK — I can convert late because all the guys are around. It’s not like it’s, ‘Oh, if I don’t get off and do this, then it’s a 60-yard touchdown.’ So having talent around and understanding within the defense, understanding where your help is at and all that, it makes it a lot easier, for sure.”

It seems like Chubb is taking to his role as a run defender well enough. Miami’s run defense improves from -0.11 EPA per play to 0.07 EPA per play when Chubb is on the field, according to Sports Info Solutions.

All of the metrics we’ve highlighted point to Chubb being an above-average, quality player for the Dolphins. However, Miami’s investment in Chubb — contract and draft capital — means the expectations should be for a dominant player.

Although sacks and other raw stats can be misleading, they do often correlate with the league's best players. Pressures are great but sacks are better.

Simply put, Chubb is right when he says there is another level he can reach despite his overall solid play since joining the Dolphins. Miami’s defensive coordinator, Josh Boyer, agrees.

“I think Chubb has done some good things for us from a rush standpoint,” Boyer said. “I think he’s done some good things for us in the run game. I think he’s given us the ability to utilize all three other guys, and we’ve been able to keep them a little bit fresh as we’re going. And again, it’s one of those things that each week, he’s just adding to the things that he’s already brought to us.”

The jury is still out on whether Chubb will live up to his trade price and contract, but the early returns are solid enough to stay optimistic.