Anthony Weaver is closing in on the end of his first season as the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, and by many accounts, he’s done a commendable job leading the Dolphins on that end.
First off, the Dolphins have held opponents to 20.8 points per contest through 16 games in the 2024 regular season. Only seven teams in the NFL have been better at limiting points from the opposition.
Miami has also done a commendable job of limiting the effectiveness of enemy quarterbacks. The Dolphins have given up just 222.2 passing yards per game to this point, the eighth-fewest of any squad in the league. Meanwhile, Miami has held opponents to 102.8 rushing yards per game, the ninth-fewest in the league.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, the team reportedly could be in jeopardy of losing Weaver after just one season. Weaver is allegedly among the names on the Chicago Bears’ radar as they gear up to find a new head coach.
“The Bears are gearing up for their head-coaching search, and a few big names are already on their radar: [Mike] Vrabel, [Detroit] Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, [Minnesota] Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, [Washington] Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Weaver, the Dolphins’ DC,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini wrote. “GM Ryan Poles has been doing serious homework on these candidates, particularly Weaver.
“Sources from both the [Baltimore] Ravens — where Weaver spent three seasons — and the Dolphins have nothing but praise for his leadership qualities. Currently, the Dolphins rank third in the NFL in total defense — the first time in 22 years they’ve been this high (they ranked third in 2002 as well). Players have a lot of respect for the 44-year-old Weaver, describing him as ‘high energy,’ ’emotionally intelligent’ and someone who holds players accountable. While we might not have a one-size-fits-all definition of the ‘leader of men’ the Bears say they are looking for, Weaver seems to fit the bill.
“Weaver’s coaching career started as a defensive line coach with the [Buffalo] Bills, [Cleveland] Browns and [Houston] Texans before he was promoted to Houston’s defensive coordinator in 2020, when Romeo Crennel was promoted to associate head coach. That season didn’t go as planned for Houston, leading to a coaching staff overhaul. But Weaver’s path didn’t stop there. He moved to Baltimore, where he became the defensive line coach and run game coordinator. In 2022, he dropped the run game coordinator title and was promoted to associate head coach. He interviewed for the Commanders’ head-coaching position last year and was considered a finalist. Many people around the league believe this is the year Weaver will land the big job.”
Russini also noted that she would expect Weaver to be connected to the Jacksonville Jaguars if their head-coaching position were to open up.
Miami’s defensive unit looked particularly locked in during its latest win over the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 29. The Dolphins held Cleveland to just three points in the game, and those points came in the second quarter.
Linebacker Tyrel Dodson stepped his game up in a major way for Miami, as he totaled a whopping 15 total tackles in what was a dominant defensive showing for the Dolphins.
But for as solid as the Dolphins have been on the defensive side of the ball this season, they haven’t been as consistent on offense. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has spent much of the campaign in and out of the lineup with injuries, and Miami’s offensive attack hasn’t been reliable without him on the field.
However, to their credit, the Dolphins did enough without Tagovailoa to take care of business against Cleveland. Miami’s 20-point showing against the Browns stands as the most points that the team has scored in a single game sans Tagovailoa this season. The Dolphins scored as few as three points in an embarrassing loss to the Seattle Seahawks back in September.
Hopefully, Weaver will have the Dolphins’ defensive unit ready to cap off the regular season on a high note when the team plays the New York Jets on Sunday. Miami can finish the campaign with a 9-8 record with a victory.
