Kelly: Will Dolphins finish 2023 with a Top 5 Defense?

Since Jalen Ramsey joining the Dolphins defense around midseason, Vic Fangio's unit has been one of the NFL's stingiest

The journey has been long and arduous.

It has been filled with some doubt, a ton of second-guessing, a little bickering, a couple of humbling experiences, and a whole lot of fun, but the Miami Dolphins defense is finally where they’ve labored to be all season.

Vic Fangio’s unit will enters this Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys’ high-octane offense, which is ranked second in points and sixth in yardage, as a top five defense.

According to numerous defenders, that was the goal when Fangio joined the Dolphins as Miami's defensive coordinator this past offseason, becoming one of team's top offseason acquisitions.

And here they are, having just cracked the barometer for NFL elite defenses at No. 5, allowing 293.4 yards per game, which ranks the Dolphins behind only the Cleveland Browns (261.1), Baltimore Ravens (287.9), Carolina Panthers (291.6) and Kansas City Chiefs (293.2).

The 103 total yards the Dolphins held the Jets to in Sunday’s 30-0 win — which was the first shutout since Oct. 18, 2020, and just the team’s third shutout in the past decade — moved Miami from 9th to 5th in the NFL.

Defense isn't at full strength yet

And to think the Dolphins joined the NFL’s defensive elites in a game where the defense didn’t have its every-down linebacker (Jerome Baker, who is on injured reserve till the season’s final week because of a knee injury), Pro Bowl cornerback (Xavien Howard, who missed the game Sunday because of a hip injury he suffered last week), and two starting safeties (Jevon Holland (two MCL sprains) and DeShon Elliott (concussion).

The Dolphins should regain the services of all four starters in the season’s final three games, which likely will determine whether the Dolphins win the AFC East division, and how many playoff games Miami hosts, if any.

And at this point, it’s reasonable to conclude that Miami’s defense will have to carry the Dolphins across the finish line because of how injury-decimated the offense is, and the caliber of opponents (Cowboys, Baltimore, the AFC's No. 1 seed, and Buffalo) on deck.

It’s a good thing the defense can, and the unit’s recent performances prove this.

December is when playoff teams distance themselves from the pack, and the easiest way to stiff-arm the competition is with a stingy defensive showing.

Outside of the Tennessee collapse, Miami's defense has been trending up for half the season, but this is the time to turn the volume up another decibel.

“You definitely kind of feel it a little bit. That's December football. The games mean a lot more now. There is always just a little extra something. You don’t know what it is but the games just feel a lot bigger," defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. "They are more fun and more intense. The focus is there throughout the week. These games, the later they get in the year, they all get a little more meaningful and a little more fun.”

Ramsey's return turned up Miami's volume

The journey up the rankings began in October, and shifted gears, getting to the next level when Jalen Ramsey returned from the knee injury he suffered the first week of training camp after only three months on injured reserve.

Ramsey has allowed zero or one catch in four of the seven games he's played this season, and opponents have a 22.4 passer rating when throwing in his area, or at receivers he's defending.

But the Pro Bowl cornerback is just one of many Dolphins defenders having an amazing season.

Bradley Chubb, Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Jevon Holland are all having career years, seasons worthy of Pro Bowl consideration.

“We’ve got some big dogs up front, and those big dogs got to eat, and we’re going to continue to starve ourselves throughout the week so on Sundays we come hungry," said Chubb, who produced three sacks last week against the Jets, boosting his season total to 9.5, which is 2.5 away from his career high of 12. "We have a lot of guys that are skilled and can do a lot of good things."

And each unit is feeding off each other.

Dolphins top charts in many categories

That's why the Dolphins have the eighth-lowest passer rating for opposing quarterbacks heading into this week’s games. Miami’s 84.9 passer rating for opposing quarterbacks is only behind the Browns (72.9), Saints (74.4), Ravens (75.8), 49ers (78.0), Jets (79.5), Cowboys (81.0) and Steelers (84.8).

The Dolphins are also fourth against the run, allowing just 90.4 rushing yards a game. Only Chicago, New England and San Francisco are allowing fewer rushing yards per game.

The Dolphins defense ranks second in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt (10.8 percent), which is just behind the Kansas City Chiefs (10.10 percent). Miami is second in the NFL with 48 sacks heading into this Sunday's game. Only the Ravens (50) have produced more.

The Dolphins have also produced 22 takeaways this season, which ranks the defense ninth heading into this weekend's games.

The only defensive metric where Miami is not elite is third-down conversation rate  allowed (36.3 percent), which ranks 11th, and points allowed per game (21.0), which has Miami ranked 14th.

But in time, with continued excellence, and the possible return of those four injured starters, those metrics could turn in Miami's favor too. 

And if it does in these critical December games, don't be surprised if the Dolphins get labeled Super Bowl contenders because elite defenses usually get those labels.

After all, what goes better with the NFL's No. 1 offense than a defense that's just as scary.

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