Alonso has set tempo on ‘D’
DAVIE — The Dolphins’ offseason emphasis on forcing turnovers is continuing to pay dividends this season.
Linebacker Kiko Alonso has been the anchor, while defensive backs Xavien Howard, Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald have been vital assets for the Dolphins defense, which leads the NFL with 11 interceptions and is third with 14 total turnovers forced.
Dolphins coach Adam Gase said Alonso has been one of the team’s best players this season.
“He’s been outstanding this year. It’s been fun to watch him,” Gase said of Alonso on Monday.
“The way we spoke about how we wanted to create turnovers and how we wanted to fly to the ball and really attack ball-carriers and get the ball out. The last two weeks [Alonso has made] huge plays for us at critical times.”
In Sunday’s 31-28 overtime win over the Bears, Alonso led the Dolphins with 11 total tackles, and was involved in two plays that kept points off the scoreboard for Chicago.
Alonso recovered a fumble forced by Robert Quinn at the goal line late in the second quarter, and forced a fumble by Bears running back Tarik Cohen with two minutes left in the fourth quarter that gave the Dolphins a possession at midfield before the game went into overtime.
In the Dolphins’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5, Alonso intercepted quarterback Andy Dalton in the red zone during the first half. He tipped a pass that would have been a touchdown for tight end Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots in Week 4. He was also instrumental in Miami’s lone road win with a seasonhigh 13 tackles against the New York Jets in Week 2.
“I think he’s setting a tempo for the rest of those guys. He’s making smart plays,” Gase said.
“There are some things that nobody notices that he does, whether he switches something in the call to where he does somebody else’s job and they have to do his because he sees something coming. It’s hard to explain it to people some of the things that he’s doing that’s really outside of the box that if he doesn’t do, we’re probably in trouble.”
Alonso is second in the NFL with 61 tackles, and one of four Dolphins with multiple interceptions. Howard leads Miami with three, while Alonso, Jones and McDonald each have two interceptions.