Miami Dolphins DC Matt Burke challenges secondary to challenge receivers

It's about results and building for the future. As for results, we only allowed 17 points to a San Angelos (Los Diego?) Chargers team that can score some points. And we did it without forcing any takeaways. We did it by playing complementary football.

Our strong run game helped keep their offense off the field and cold. Despite no pass rush, no takeaways, and no real ability to stop the short passing game, we managed to blunt their attack. But we did fine against the run, which surprised me. That was key.

As for building for the future, I'm worried. We have yet to see a productive young pass rusher. Our system is designed to let the mediocre defenses fizzle themselves out, but good defenses will not be stopped. To succeed in the playoffs we will need a defense that can play much more stout, better pass rush and LB coverage, less predictability, and most importantly, generate many more takeaways.

Zero takeaways simply will not cut it. Get some hands on some passes and hats on some balls. Where is the Wake sack-strip-fumble? Where is the Kiko forced fumble? Where is the DB interception? We need some playmakers, and they need to be given license to make those takeaways. Burke, it's your defense, so fix it.

Also Dolphins had zero passes defended against San Diego. That's not going to get it done.

Digital said:

It's about results and building for the future. As for results, we only allowed 17 points to a San Angelos (Los Diego?) Chargers team that can score some points. And we did it without forcing any takeaways. We did it by playing complementary football.

Our strong run game helped keep their offense off the field and cold. Despite no pass rush, no takeaways, and no real ability to stop the short passing game, we managed to blunt their attack. But we did fine against the run, which surprised me. That was key.

As for building for the future, I'm worried. We have yet to see a productive young pass rusher. Our system is designed to let the mediocre defenses fizzle themselves out, but good defenses will not be stopped. To succeed in the playoffs we will need a defense that can play much more stout, better pass rush and LB coverage, less predictability, and most importantly, generate many more takeaways.

Zero takeaways simply will not cut it. Get some hands on some passes and hats on some balls. Where is the Wake sack-strip-fumble? Where is the Kiko forced fumble? Where is the DB interception? We need some playmakers, and they need to be given license to make those takeaways. Burke, it's your defense, so fix it.

Click to expand...

Because our defense has little talent.

It is what it is.

Phinatic8u said:

Because our defense has little talent.

It is what it is.

Click to expand...

Maybe, but I'm not so sure about that.

Leaving off the players who have conflicting opinions, we can all at least agree that these defensive players are:

Good:
Ndamakong Suh
Cam Wake
Reshad Jones
TJ McDonald

That give us some pretty good talent with which to build a defense. Honestly, Coyle and Nolan did not have significantly better personnel and they generated a better defense. Sure, their system was different, but it's been a long time since we had a dominant defense.

Personally, I think we have a few fundamental issues.

1) We're a very predictable defense. Easy to evaluate, not many variables, and everyone's role is pretty easy to diagnose before and at the line of scrimmage. That makes us easy to attack.

2) We just don't have the depth of pass rushers we think we do. Sure, Suh is disruptive, but he's never going to give you double digit sacks. Wake is one, but we haven't gotten good pass rush from any other DE. None of our LB's really rush the passer. We don't blitz our CB's or S's hardly ever. So, stop Wake and we have no pass rush.

3) We have press CB's and we ask them to play way off in coverage a lot. They're not good at it, they don't like it, and they give up a ton of easy receptions ... go figure. Square peg, round hole.

4) We have nothing but gap penetrating DT's, which exposes our smallish LB's horribly. Either put in a thumper LB to stop the run, or have your DT's keep your light speedy LB's clean. We do neither, and we are extremely vulnerable to the run. Our Wide 9 funnels the runs inside ... so we need LB's who can take that. We may have done ok this game, but we will not succeed over a season doing it this way.

5) We have no LB's who can cover worth a darn. Anyone who wants to brutalize us like the Ravens did last year, with lots of LB targeted passes, can do so, whenever and for however long they want. Get a good QB in there and some sure-handed WR's/TE's and it's sandlot pitch and catch. Our system puts a ton of pressure on our LB's to stop the run AND cover the pass, and that's the weakest part of our team. Poor scheme fit IMHO.

6) We don't use our players to their best strengths. Wake is asked to play the run a lot. Jones is asked to play FS too much. Suh is used well, but that's about it. Our press CB's are put in off coverage too much and our pass rush cannot force quick throws to utilize our press CB's.

I gave the VJ system a chance ... but I officially dislike this system, just like I disliked the wide 9 in Philly. We just can't run it, and after a full year, it looks just as bad as when we started. Let's use our players to their strengths. If some pieces don't fit, change them. So far, we've done a poor job of building a 43 around Suh and Wake.

The talent in the NFL isn't as widely gapped as people like to think. Coaching can make a huge difference. We do have some talent. But if we don't fix this thing now, we are going to miss the window of Wake, Jones and Suh. At that point, IMHO, we'll be rebuilding this defense almost from scratch.

Banning sos had nothing to do with politics. It has to do with his current continuted inability to follow the tos

Press press press