The Good and Bad of the Pass Defense

Examining why the Miami Dolphins are really good by certain statistical measures and not so good by others

Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (4) celebrates following an interception against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins pass defense is one of the league’s best units through the first seven weeks of the 2024 NFL season.

Under new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, it ranks first in yards allowed per game, touchdown passes allowed, and third in opponent’s passer rating. Quarterbacks are having difficulty moving the ball through the air against the Dolphins, which has kept them in a few games while the offense struggled.

Weaver believes the Dolphins’ other defensive coaches have played a significant part in helping the players adapt to the schematic differences this season.

“Our guys are doing a tremendous job, both as players and as coaches,” Weaver told reporters this week. “Brian Duker, Ryan Slowik, Mathieu Araujo, DeSean Shedd, when we were assembling the staff, Mike and me, you know what you want because you know what you aren't, right? I know by nature I'm not a back-seven guy.

“Obviously, I have knowledge of it. But when we brought those guys together, it was to help fill in some of the gaps where I may potentially be weak, so I'm incredibly proud of these guys and the work that they've put forth.”

Despite their success on paper, the Dolphins’ defense only has three interceptions this season, tied for 30th in the NFL.

Two of those are from defensive lineman Zach Sieler and linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah. Sieler’s came off a deflection against Seattle, and Ogbah’s came when Titans quarterback Will Levis stared down his read and threw the ball directly to Ogbah.

The only player in the secondary with an interception is cornerback Kader Kohou.

We’ve decided to examine why the Dolphins’ pass defense has been successful so far and why it hasn’t produced more takeaways.

Lock-down Coverage

So, why do the Dolphins rank so highly in certain passing game metrics?

If you ask Dolphins pass game coordinator and secondary coach Brian Duker, the answer is actually quite simple.

“Executing the coverage,” Duker said Thursday. “That’s the short of it. We have good, smart players. They execute, they communicate well, and they’re on the same page. They know what we’re doing, and they know the intent of the call.” 

Duker is right about the Dolphins' star players contributing to the team’s success against the pass. Jalen Ramsey is one of the biggest reasons for the team’s glowing numbers.

Ramsey has allowed just 84 yards on 10 catches this season. While that might not look overly impressive, it’s important to remember what coverage Miami plays and what Ramsey’s responsibility is in that coverage.

The Dolphins have run Cover 3 on 33.6 percent of their defensive snaps this season, which is by far their most popular call. In that coverage, the two outside cornerbacks are usually off the ball and responsible for a deep third of the field (hence why it’s called Cover 3).

Ramsey and the Dolphins are more than willing to allow easy completions in that coverage. If teams want to throw a 5-yard out route, Miami will let them, for the most part. What Ramsey is doing well this season is shutting down open throwing windows — something that doesn’t pop up in a box score.

On film, Ramsey does an excellent job reading the quarterback's eyes and passing off routes with his teammates to force the quarterback to look elsewhere. The excellent communication Duker mentioned is obvious when you’re looking for it.

Jordyn Brooks is another player who deserves some credit for Miami’s coverage execution. Counting stats and Pro Football Focus are not kind to Brooks, but his athletic ability has made other players' life easier.

Brooks made an excellent play against the Colts this past week where he sunk underneath a seam route and deflected a pass intended for an otherwise open tight end. His pass breakup in the corner of the end zone against the Bills in Week 2 is another impressive highlight.

It’s incredibly difficult for linebackers to grade out well in coverage, but we’d wager Brooks has done more good than harm thus far.

Where Are The Turnovers?

Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to note that turnovers are just as much a product of luck as skill.

Multiple studies back this up, so while the Dolphins can do more to create turnovers, it’s probably more about getting a few balls to bounce their way than anything else.

Still, the Dolphins don’t have many interceptions because teams simply aren’t throwing the ball against them.

Opposing quarterbacks have only attempted 153 passes against the Dolphins' defense this season, the lowest in the league. The next-closest team is the Cowboys, whose opponents have attempted 171 passes.

A few factors are contributing to that phenomenon. The first is that it’s much easier to run against the Dolphins than to pass. Miami’s defense allows 130.7 rushing yards per game, which is 16th in the league.

That number isn’t alarming, but of the 15 teams ahead of them, 13 have played seven games, as opposed to Miami’s six. Additionally, Miami is allowing the 13th-most yards per carry. The Dolphins’ run defense isn’t horrible, but it’s not a strength.

Another essential factor to consider is how bad Miami’s offense has been this season. The Dolphins have run just 36 offensive plays with the lead, which is the worst in the NFL.

The defense hasn’t gotten much chance to be aggressive. Opponents have jumped out to big leads (defense bears some responsibility in this, too) and bled out the clock in the second half by running the ball.

If the defense tries to get aggressive and makes a mistake, it could lead to a deficit Miami’s offense can’t overcome.

That’s what happened in Week 3 vs. the Seahawks. Jevon Holland tried to jump a route he shouldn’t have, allowing DK Metcalf to score a 71-yard touchdown in the second quarter, making the score 17-3.

For all intents and purposes, that was the end of the game, and that was despite the Dolphins’ defense generating two interceptions that day.

Think about the team’s Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Bills jumped out to a 24-7 lead with three minutes left in the second quarter. Because of that, Josh Allen only attempted 19 passes.

This is to say that interceptions could come in bunches during the second half of the season if the defense can be more aggressive.

Weaver believes the players just need to get a little more comfortable.

“We'd love to have the takeaways, the turnovers, and things of that nature,” Weaver said. “I do believe that those will come. I still think schematically, they are growing more comfortable. So we always said it will go from competency to confidence to flow state. We're still very much chasing flow state as a group. When we hit that, those takeaway and turnover ops will come.”

Whether the interceptions come or not, one thing is certain: the Dolphins’ pass defense will be tested in the coming weeks. It’ll get Kyler Murray this weekend, a rematch with Allen in Week 9, and face Jordan Love, C.J. Stroud and Matthew Stafford down the stretch.

Either way, we’ll find out just how good Miami’s secondary is sooner than later.