NFL Week 1 Q&A: Bradley Chubb on How the Dolphins’ Defense Stepped Up in a Big Moment

The Miami linebacker says his team needs to play better defensively under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and without Jalen Ramsey.

It might have felt as if the Dolphins were a two-man team after the special performances Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill delivered, but Jaylen Waddle did his part with four catches for 78 yards.

Also, the Dolphins’ defense stepped up after Jaelan Phillips’s sack on third down sealed the victory.

Pro Bowl edge rusher Bradley Chubb focused on the defense making the stop on the biggest play of the game during a Q&A interview with Sports Illustrated after the Week 1 victory at SoFi Stadium. That made up for the Miami defense allowing 433 yards to the Chargers, including 234 rushing yards.

But Chubb mentioned that the defense needs to play better and overcome the growing pains that were expected during the first quarter of the season with Vic Fangio as Miami’s new defensive coordinator. The Dolphins were also playing without star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who injured his knee in training camp.

Phillips and Bethel sack Herbert late in the fourth quarter to preserve the Dolphins' 36-34 win :: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

Here’s what Chubb had to say about the dramatic victory.

Sports Illustrated: From your perspective, how did your defense get to Justin Herbert for the critical stop to win the game?

Chubb: We just never stopped believing. Yeah, the game didn’t really go how we wanted the first three or four quarters, you know what I mean? But we had an opportunity to win it in the end. We want to put that on our shoulders, and we just locked in and all played for each other at that moment, and it was fun to see how we all came together and worked on that.

SI: Was there a point in the game when you needed to remind yourselves that the first three-or-so quarters didn’t matter, or a point where the group came together to close this game out for the offense?

Chubb: I think there are going to be growing pains with anything that’s new. Yeah, we had preseason games and stuff like that, but it doesn’t amount to real bullets flying in real game action. It’s one of those things that it was ugly, but we got the win at the end of the day. So, we know we can correct it, and once we do that, we can play with any team in this league, and that’s all we gotta do. Go to the drawing board now and get everything fixed up and make sure we’re on the same page.

SI: You know Fangio’s defense from your days together in Denver. Did you have to provide many pointers for your defensive teammates on how the scheme works?

Chubb: I’d say more guys on the [defensive] front. Letting them know when we could take our shots and stuff like that, because the back end stuff is a little bit more complex. But the guys up front, I tried to give them little tips and stuff where we can take our shots in base [defense]. I feel like it’s working out well for us, but like I said, we still got a lot to work on to perfect. Once we do that, I feel like we’re going to be the best D in the league.

SI: You were traded to Miami halfway through last season. Do you feel comfortable now after a full offseason with the Dolphins?

Chubb: Going into training camp, I felt really settled in. Got OTAs under my belt, offseason program, working out with the guys, working out, building that foundation for the season, and when training camp came, we didn’t miss a beat, so right before that time I felt comfortable, settled in, and now it’s just about maximizing this opportunity.

SI: How was it seeing your teammate Jaelan Phillips stop Justin Herbert to seal the win?

Chubb: You love to see it, man. We worked all day on just how to close out games, and when you have the opportunity to do that, man, it’s dope to see JP do that at the end of the game. Also, those guys up front as well, Christian [Wilkins] and Zach [Sieler], and all those guys getting after the quarterback. It was dope to see.

SI: Was there a revenge factor coming back to this stadium after losing to the Chargers in December?

Chubb: In a way, but we knew that we weren’t the same team, and we knew they weren’t the same team as well. So, we just had to go out there and prove that we’re the better team, and at first, and sometimes, it wasn’t looking like that, but when we brought it all together, we showed it.

SI: How tough was it to see Jalen Ramsey go down and not have him out there on the field?

Chubb: Any time you have a player like that go down, it’s not fun. It’s not something you look forward to, but just guys responded. That [defensive backs] room responded real well. We got young guys and guys who have been veterans for a while, too. Everybody just jelled together, and, like I said, it’s not perfect yet, but we’re going to get there.