Dolphins’ issues in defending against pass extend beyond the defensive backs

cWhen the Dolphins traded stop-the-run specialist Raekwon McMillan to Las Vegas in August, their hope was that they would finally — perhaps for the first time in recent history — have a linebacker unit with not a single player considered a liability in pass coverage.

But whereas none of Miami’s rotation linebackers have been historically incompetent against the pass, the three who are playing the most haven’t been particularly good in that area this season. And that has only compounded the Dolphins’ deficiencies in pass coverage, because their boundary cornerbacks were beaten badly again Sunday.

Overall linebacker play (particularly in pass coverage) appears to be one of at least a half dozen personnel issues that remain unsolved despite Dolphins’ hopes that it had been adequately addressed in the spring.

On Sunday, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw 10 passes in the coverage area of Dolphins linebackers. Eight of those 10 were caught for 76 yards (9.5 per catch), with six going for first downs and one for a touchdown.

Through a quarter of the season, the linebackers’ pass coverage metrics remain problematic. Consider these numbers, per Pro Football Focus:

All six passes thrown in

Kyle Van Noy ’s coverage area have been caught for 106 yards

(118.8 passer rating in coverage area).

Against Jerome Baker this season, 11 of 15 passes thrown against him have been caught for 118 yards and a TD and a 118.2 quarterback passer rating.

Against Elandon Roberts, it’s 5 for 7 for 62 yards and a 98.5 passer rating, which doesn’t account for a costly missed tackle in the Jaguars game. Andrew Van Ginkel has been targeted in coverage only once this season and allowed a 21-yard completion, per PFF.

Kamu Grugier-Hill has been the best of the group, limiting receivers to 35 yards on five completions in six attempts and a 91 passer rating. He stands as the Dolphins’ best linebacker overall this season, ranking 17th, per PFF.

PFF has Van Noy 25th among all NFL linebackers for 2020 performance, with Baker 65th and Roberts 76th and last.

The Dolphins made a change at the position on Sunday, reducing Baker’s snap counts (he played 44 of Miami’s 63 defensive snaps) and increasing Van Noy’s (he played all 63).

Shaq Lawson played 47, Roberts 32, Grugier-Hill 23 and Van Ginkel 10. Sam Eguavoen and Calvin Munson played only on special teams.

What’s clear is this: Overall, Baker has not taken the step from decent/pretty good to very good, and it’s unclear if he will. Grugier-Hill looks like a helpful piece. But Roberts has been a disappointment, and the position still needs upgrading next offseason.

OTHER POSITIONS

How players at other positions fared on Sunday:

Running back: The

Dolphins’ two highestpaid players at the position continued to be given a modest workload, with

Matt Breida receiving 17 offensive snaps and three carries (for 9 yards) and

Jordan Howard playing eight snaps (and carrying twice for 2 yards).

Starter Myles Gaskin, perhaps the season’s most pleasant surprise, logged 46 of Miami’s 71 offensive snaps and had 10 rushes for 40 yards and three catches for 22 yards.

Chandler Cox played eight snaps and had a reception for a first down.

Wide receiver: DeVante Parker, who typically plays most every down, was limited to 57 of 71 offensive snaps because he left the game briefly with an ankle injury. He said Monday he is determined not to miss time with injuries this season.

Isaiah Ford played 45 snaps, Preston Williams 43, Jakeem Grant 28,

Lynn Bowden Jr. 4 (with his only touch a Wildcat quarterback run), and

Mack Hollins two.

PFF said Parker was Miami’s best player on offense on Sunday and Grant the third best.

Offensive line: Backup left tackle Julien Davenport logged 25 snaps — because Austin Jackson twice left with a foot injury — and performed well.

PFF said guard Solomon Kindley “played well, keeping a clean slate in pass protection across his 52 pass-blocking snaps, but Jackson was a different story. Jackson allowed three hurries and one quarterback hit on only 33 pass-blocking snaps.”

PFF said center Ted Karras, Davenport and Kindley graded out second, fourth and fifth best among all Dolphins players on offense.

Tight end: The snap counts — Mike Gesicki (45), Durham Smythe (29) and Adam Shaheen (20) — weren’t surprising. What was surprising was Smythe catching more passes than Gesicki; Smythe had two for 30 yards, Gesicki one for 15.

Defensive line: Tackle Davon Godchaux, who received fewer snaps than Zach Sieler against Jacksonville, played 36 snaps on defense against Seattle, compared to 26 for Seiler and 19 for Raekwon Davis.

Emmanuel Ogbah played 48 of Miami’s 63 defensive snaps and

Christian Wilkins played 44.

PFF said Seiler and Ogbah were Miami’s third- and fourth-best defensive players on Sunday, behind safeties Bobby McCain and Brandon Jones. Godchaux was ninth.

Cornerback: Xavien Howard and Noah Igbinoghene played all 63 defensive snaps, and the results generally weren’t good. Howard allowed six of seven passes thrown against him to be caught for 133 yards but did have a key interception in the end zone.

Igbinoghene allowed four of six for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Slot snaps were again shared, with Nik Needham logging 44 and Jamal Perry 23. Both played well.

Safety: McCain, who returned after being examined for a concussion, played 40 snaps, Eric Rowe 50 and Jones 19.