The Miami Dolphins have opened the season 3-0, and one of the most surprising reasons is sitting right in the middle of the defense: their run stopping has been excellent without Kenneth Grant.
Through three weeks, Miami has patched the interior with Jordan Phillips, Zeek Biggers and even Keith Cooper Jr., and the results have held up better than anyone would have expected. The Dolphins still have issues to sort through - too many quarterbacks have been able to run freely - but against the run, they’ve looked sturdy while facing three quality backs.
The clearest evidence came in the numbers. Ashton Jeanty was the only runner to top 100 yards against Miami, going for 102 on 23 carries in Week 1. That was the opener, though, and the Dolphins have tightened up since then.
Christian McCaffrey managed two touchdowns in Week 2, but he had only 23 yards on 10 rushing attempts. San Francisco’s ground game never really got rolling, and Brock Burdy was more productive when he left the pocket, picking up 30 yards on three carries.
Then came Week 3, when Kenneth Walker arrived as the league’s leading rusher. Miami limited him to 70 yards on 18 carries.
Walker still found the end zone once on the ground and added another score on a shovel pass, but for most of the afternoon the Dolphins kept him and the Chiefs in check. That resistance helped keep the game close deep into the fourth quarter.
Grant is currently on injured reserve and becomes eligible to return after next week’s game against the Vikings in Minnesota. It’s not certain whether he’ll be back in Week 5, but Miami has managed just fine without him so far.
Part of the reason the run defense has looked so strong has nothing to do with the defensive tackles. Rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has been making a real impression, enough to spark talk of Defensive Rookie of the Year, while Jordyn Brooks keeps doing what he’s always done as a high-volume tackler. Their play has been a major part of the improvement.
Grant’s return should give the front another boost, but his own rookie season left plenty of questions. He didn’t start slowly and then catch fire later; the production stayed uneven all year. There were games when he stacked up four or five total tackles, and there was also a four-game stretch in which he recorded just one.
How he fits back into this defense will be worth watching. If he can take a step forward this season, Miami should be better for it.
In Other News...
Dolphins Fans Have Another Reason To Be Furious With Chiefs Officiating
A controversial no-call in the Chiefs-Dolphins game is adding more fuel to a grievance Miami fans already know well. On a recent tackle, a Kansas City defender was seen pulling on Malik Willis helmet, yet officials let the play stand without a flag, turning a routine snap into another flashpoint in a rivalry that seems to bring out every officiating complaint imaginable.
For Dolphins supporters, the frustration was immediate because the contact looked obvious enough to invite a penalty and the silence from the officials only deepened the suspicion. Plays like that tend to linger long after the game ends, especially when they feed the larger belief around the league that Kansas City gets the benefit of the doubt more often than most teams. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Had Every Reason To Hate This Chiefs Break
When the Dolphins were trying to claw their way back into the game against Kansas City in Week 3, a roughing-the-passer call on Chop Robinson changed the feel of the moment in an instant. The hit on Patrick Mahomes extended the Chiefs drive, and Miami watched the sequence end with three points instead of a stop that could have helped shift momentum.
It was the sort of break that left Dolphins fans grinding their teeth, especially in a game Kansas City controlled from there. The Chiefs won 24-10, with Mahomes completing 20 of 24 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and Miami was left to wonder how different things might have felt without one costly flag in a key spot. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Saw Something In Week 3 That Could Finally Matter
The Dolphins left Week 3 with another loss on the board, but the way they competed against Kansas City offered a different kind of takeaway. Miami held the Chiefs to 17 points for most of the game and showed real defensive improvement, even while playing without De'Von Achane and dealing with a series of costly penalties and mistakes that kept the offense from getting into any rhythm.
Jacob Rodriguez and Jordyn Brooks both framed the performance as progress, the sort of game that can matter later even when it does not change the record right away. For a Miami team trying to steady itself early in the season, the hope is that the defensive steps forward become a foundation rather than just a brief flash in an otherwise frustrating afternoon. [Read more 🡒]