Tighter pass coverage will be needed from safeties, LBs James gets high marks
DAVIE — Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke knows the pass coverage must improve Sunday against the New York Jets. The way Burke sees it, improved pass coverage leads right into the strength of the defense — the pass rush.
“Opposing offenses are not going to want to deal with our pass rush,” he said. “I think the message to the back-end guys, that’s linebackers and [defensive backs], is that we have to challenge throws better on the outside part of the field and matchup our underneath progressions just a little bit tighter.
“I think it was clear.”
Jets quarterback Josh McCown isn’t nearly as good as Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who passed for 331 yards against the Dolphins last week.
Rivers, who was 31-of-39 passing and ended with a 110.6 passer rating, had especially good success in the middle of the field, working the safeties and linebackers.
The key, however, is Rivers got rid of the ball in 2.1 seconds, according to Burke. There’s no reason to think McCown won’t try the same thing to neutralize the pass rush.
The Dolphins want tighter coverage from the safeties and linebackers so McCown has to go through his progression, providing more time for the pass rush to get there.
“We feel like if we make that happen, our rush is going to get there,” coach Adam Gase said. “That’s why we’ve invested so much in that front, whether it be the starters or the guys behind them, to where if we stop pretty the run and we make it a one-phase type game, where they’ve got to throw it all the time, we have to be tight on the outside so our pass rush can get there.”
Rey
Ajayi also downplayed the knee injury listed on the injury report all week.
“Coach put it on there, but it’s just kind of like a little bit of rest and keeping me feeling fresh for the game,” he said.
Gase said right tackle Ja’Wuan James had a good showing in the opener.
“Probably the best game that he’s played since we’ve been here,” Gase said.
Gase was impressed James’ run blocking.
“That’s why we had a lot of those big runs [that] came on his side,” Gase said.
And Gase was equally impressed by James’ pass blocking.
“He did really well in pass protection,” Gase said. “He fought. He was battling the entire game. He was very sound executionwise. As far as things that he has been working on technique-wise, things went really well. If we get that from him game-in, game-out, I’ll feel really good about our tackles.” by
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