Kelly: Dolphins OG Pass Rushers Must Deliver Pressure

Dolphins pass rushers have collectively produced 285 career sacks,

In a a light-hearted moment after Thursday's Miami Dolphins practice, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa saw Melvin Ingram, Justin Houston and Bruce Irvin sitting next to one another in the back corner of the team's locker room, walked up to the trio of pass rushers and did a mock interview with the Dolphins newcomers, asking them questions, and even hitting them with a few riddles.

The media had assembled to watch the exchange, and upon the conclusion of the Tagovailoa-led interviews, the Dolphins Pro Bowl quarterback introduced the trio.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the OGs," Tagovailoa said, using a slang term for people who are incredibly exceptional, authentic, or “old-school.”

It was an homage to what the trio had accomplished throughout their double-digit NFL careers, and if anyone is going to save this Dolphins season, allowing Miami to advance past the reigning Super Bowl champions, who are led by Patrick Mahomes, a two-time MVP at quarterback, it's Miami's newly signed pass rushers because Mahomes will carve up the Dolphins during Saturday night's game if he's given all day to throw the ball, especially against an injury-decimated secondary.

That's why Miami needed these OGs.

Running out of rushers

Despite times call for desperate measures, and that's exactly the position the Dolphins found themselves in Monday, searching the continental United States for edge players who could hunt down quarterbacks.

After losing Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, the two day one starters, earlier in the season, and then losing Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker and Cameron Goode to season-ending injuries last week, the Dolphins found themselves with only one healthy edge player — Emmanuel Ogbah — on the 53-man roster after Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

That brought about this week's signing of Houston and Irvin on Tuesday, the promotion of Ingram from the practice squad, where the 12-year veteran had been for the past month, and the signing of Malik Reed to the practice squad.

“I’m a pass rusher. That’s my job, to put pressure on the quarterback," said Houston, who sought his release from Carolina so he could latch onto a playoff team. "I came here to put pressure on the quarterback."

Houston, a 13-year veteran who happens to be a four-time Pro Bowl selection, has produced 112 sacks in the 170 games he's played.

Irvin, a former first-round pick who has played 12 seasons in the NFL, has tallied 56.5 sacks in the 140 games he's played.

“I’m a dawg. That’s what I can say. I’m a dawg," said Irvin, who won a championship with the Seahawks, the team that selected him 15th overall in the 2012 NFL draft. "I don’t want to talk about nobody, but the league is different now from when I came in. I had older guys who really showed me the way. So it’s a little different."

Ingram, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who joined the Dolphins in the season's final month to play his 12th NFL season, has record 58.5 sacks in his 148 games.

Pair that with Ogbah's 42.5 career sacks, and the 16 sacks Reed has produced, mostly playing for Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and the Dolphins edge players have more sacks on their resume than any team that's still playing.

What does 285.5 sacks provide?

Collectively, the edge players on Miami's roster — 53-man and practice squad — have accounted for 285.5 career sacks.

The hope is that the OGs can dust off those swim moves, and sharpen those chop clubs one more time, finding a way to make Mahomes uncomfortable, potentially rushing his operation.

“Thank God for my experience [because] it’s easier to learn the playbook. I’ve been in this system before, so it’s not that bad," Houston said. "I’m in a good situation because I’ve played in a system similar to this when I was in Carolina. It’s not too much on me. But if I was a young guy, there would be a lot on my plate. But I’m cool right now.”

According to Houston, the plan is for the OGs to rotate in and out of the game, to keep their legs fresh. Considering everyone is in their 30s, that's a wise approach.

Fangio plans to keep things simple for the newcomers, who will be playing Saturday's game with three walk-throughs and one on-field session with their new team under their belt. 

Fortunately for Reed, who must be activated by Saturday by 4 p.m. deadline, he spent most of his career with Fangio in Denver, and was with Miami during training camp.

It's likely that Ogbah and Ingram will start the game because of their familiarity with the scheme and play calls, but expect Irvin and Houston to enter the mix at some point because of their pass-rushing prowess, and Miami's desire to keep the rushers fresh.

"If I was a younger dude and I heard Bruce Irvin and Justin Houston were coming to the locker room, I would be in their back pocket picking their brain, like, ‘How did y’all manage to be in this thing so long?' " Irvin said. "The game has been great to me. I won a Super Bowl, made a lot of money, only been injured twice. 

"So the game has been good to me so at this point in my career, I’m just playing for the love. I ain’t making no money. It ain’t about the money for me. It’s about being able to get sacks," Irvin continued. "You’ll never be able to replace that feeling, that high, of getting a sack and taking the quarterback down, so I’m just trying to ride it out as long as I can.”

With the right amount of luck, and pass rushing, maybe the OG's can help the Dolphins ride this season out another week.

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