Wake: ‘The sky is the limit’
Amid victory celebration, coordinator Burke reminds defense that room remains to get better
MIAMI GARDENS — Matt Burke walked through the locker room and noticed the Miami Dolphins defenders were crowing like peacocks following Sunday’s impressive performance.
That’s when Burke, the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator, yelled to that side of the locker room, “we can get better!”
He was trying to make a point following Miami’s 16-10 win over the Tennessee Titans, a game in which his unit carried the Dolphins’ anemic offense to a victory gifting them 10 points off turnovers.
Yes, the Dolphins’ defense held yet another opponent to fewer than 20 points, and is allowing an impressive 16.7 points per game.
Yes, Miami’s defensive front feasted against the run again, bottling up Tennessee’s potent rushing attack — which came into Sunday’s game averaging 138 yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry — to 69 yards on 20 carries.
And, the defense absolutely feasted on Tennessee’s second-string quarterback, Matt Cassel, sacking the replacement for an injured Marcus Mariota six times, boosting the team’s sack total to 10 on the season.
But anyone who thinks Burke’s unit is playing up to their full potential, who believes the Dolphins’ defense has arrived after four games, and should be celebrated, is mistaken.
According to Burke and his players, who immediately changed their tune after hearing from their leader, there’s more meat on the bone because mistakes were made against Tennessee.
“The sky is the limit,” said pass rusher Cameron Wake, who contributed four tackles and half a sack. “We have higher expectation for ourselves in that locker room than anyone else has.”
Coverage on passing plays can be tighter, and Miami’s run fits need some improving.
Wake said understanding how offenses will play them, and developing counters to that approach is the next step for his unit.
Miami’s defense has plenty to build on as this young season progresses, especially as the Dolphins’ defense acquires more valuable pieces like inside linebacker Rey Maualuga, who started his first game of the season Sunday, and contributed five tackles in his run-stuffing role in Miami’s base defense.
Keep in mind the Dolphins contained DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry with two rookie defensive tackles — Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor — playing next to Ndamukong Suh because Jordan Phillips missed his third game with an ankle injury.
As promising as Godchaux and Taylor have been, they are still inexperienced rookies that have plenty to learn, as does first-round pick Charles Harris, who recorded his first NFL sack against the Titans, and rookie cornerback Cordrea Tankersley, who made his second NFL start.
The Dolphins have four more games to play before T.J. McDonald, who will be the starting free safety, returns from his NFL suspension and gets paired with Reshad Jones, who returned one of the two fumbles he recovered against the Titans for 38-yard touchdown.
Humble yourself is the message Burke was trying to get across to his players, and it clearly hit the mark.
Burke’s timing couldn’t be better considering next Sunday’s road game will be against the Atlanta Falcons, who possess a high-octane offense led by Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman.
“We played pretty solid today, but I know we can be better, and that’s what the game plan is,” said defensive lineman William Hayes, who contributed three tackles. “We played solid today, but I’m not about to sit up here and act like we don’t play Atlanta next week.”
Ryan, Jones and Freeman are arguably the best quarterback, tailback and receiver trio in the NFL.
That means the Dolphins’ defense will have a great opportunity to prove they deserve the praise many have starting to shower them with after four games.
“We’re just going to continue to try and expand and see how good of a unit we can be,” Maualuga said. “I think every week — with a good week of practice and all these older folks on this defense — I think we can lead by example and hopefully be the best unit in the league.”