The frustration of a two-game losing streak has resulted in some Miami Dolphins defenders expressing annoyance with the team’s struggling run defense.
During the Dolphins’ first three games, the defense has allowed opponents to rush for 136 yards per game, something that galls veteran defensive tackle John Jenkins.
“It’s not a good feeling, especially for me being a first- and second-down defensive player,” said Jenkins. “I take that really serious. That’s the reason why I’ve been around for so long — because I take that job extremely serious.”
Jenkins and Adam Butler have taken over the role of Raekwon Davis, who has been on injured reserve for more than two weeks. Jenkins cited a definite need for improvement.
“It hits me personally because that lets me know I got to do something, I got to go get better, put in more film, put in more time, become a better player,” Jenkins said. “It sucks, but at the end of the day, this is the NFL. Everybody gets paid. Everybody has a job to do, and sometimes, it doesn’t go in our favor. But we’ve continued to work and come together tighter as a team to prevent that from happening another time.”
Teamwork and focusing on fundamentals are what linebacker Jerome Baker is trying to emphasize, with the defensive unit also needing to establish a consistent presence on the field.
“Just doing your job,” Baker said. “You don’t have to try to make the play yourself. Our defense is built on setting the edge, tackling well, playing your fundamentals, your technique. That’s truly our defense. All of us are smart. All of us understand what we’re doing.
“It’s about doing that every single play, every down, every quarter — not just doing it in the beginning of the game and, later in the game, it shows up. It’s truly about every single snap, locking in and truly doing it as a defense.”
Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins is hoping that continued success when it comes to stopping opponents can serve as momentum for the remainder of the season.
“Each week the goal is just to get better,” said Wilkins. “You’re always looking at what we did well, what we didn’t do well. The things we did well, we are going to try to continue to do moving forward, and the things we didn’t do so well, we are going to try to improve on those things.”
The Dolphins may catch a break this week when they face an injury-battered Indianapolis Colts offensive line. Of course, they still need to stop the Colts’ top runner, Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor has only rushed for 171 yards in the Colts’ first three games this season, but he rushed for 1,169 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie last year.
Keeping Taylor in check could play a huge role in helping the Dolphins pick up a win on Sunday.
