Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘I’m supposed to be the anchor’
DT Suh shoulders responsibility to help fix poor run defense
DAVIE — It’s the problem that nobody seems to have a solution for.
The Miami Dolphins signed Ndamukong Suh to a six-year, $114 million contract three offseasons ago believing that he’d fix a run defense, which allowed 1,937 rushing yards on 453 carries in 2014.
The next year, with Suh on board, the Dolphins allowed 2,019 rushing yards on 502 carries, and last season allowed 2,247 yards on 464 carries.
The Dolphins were 30th against the run last season, allowing 4.8 yards per carry. It was the fifth most rushing yards a Dolphins defense has allowed in franchise history.
That means that every season since Suh’s signing the Dolphins’ run defense has gotten worse, and nobody in the organization has figured out how to fix it.
“I don’t really know how to answer that question, sorry,” new Dolphins linebacker Lawrence Timmons said when asked about Miami’s run defense.
Like Suh, Timmons was signed primarily to fix Miami’s issues stopping the run.
Miami won 10 games and made it to the playoffs last season despite allowing a franchise-worst 6,122 yards. Image what could have been accomplished if the Dolphins’ defense wasn’t terrible against the run.
“I put a lot of it on myself,” Suh said following Tuesday’s organized team activity session. “I’m supposed to be the anchor and
plan to be the anchor, and continue to be that way. One, I think it starts with us upfront, without question, especially with how the defense is set up.”
Suh said there was a learning adjustment in his first season. Players like himself and Cameron Wake needed time and snaps to figure out how to play with one another.
Last year, Suh said the unit had a better understanding of the wide-nine defensive front Miami was utilizing. However, Suh added that the team’s struggles against the run were a product of poor execution.
“It’s never one person or even one sort of spot. A [defensive] lineman doesn’t hold an edge and a linebacker misses fit, and then a safety misses a tackle. It’s complex,” said new defensive coordinator Matt Burke this offseason. “No one obviously wants to not have a good run defense. It’s not something you go into a game saying. But it’s hard to really pinpoint [the problem]. We’re addressing a lot of issues, I think.”
Suh, who earned his fifth Pro Bowl berth after contributing 72 tackles and five sacks last season, is optimistic things will improve in 2017 because Burke is familiar with the wide-nine scheme and the personnel from his stint as Miami’s linebackers coach last season.
The Dolphins upgraded the linebacker unit by adding Timmons and selecting former Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan in the second round of this year’s NFL draft. Miami traded for defensive end William Hayes, a runstuffing specialist. And, the Dolphins’ defense will get back two starters — linebacker Koa Misi and safety Reshad Jones — who were sidelined by injuries most of last season.
However, who will be paired with Suh at defensive tackle remains a concern.
Jordan Phillips, a 2015 second-round pick, has been inconsistent his first two seasons in the NFL. Last year, he started 11 games and contributed 23 tackles, half a sack and one interception.
Phillips trained with Suh at the Nike complex in Oregon for the third consecutive offseason, and Suh is optimistic the 24 year old will blossom in Year 3.
“Third year is a year that definitely you either show what you can do from a consistency standpoint, and I think that’s something they want from Jordan,” Suh said. “I think they see a lot of great things from Jordan, and Jordan has made great plays — made big plays — and other times he’s struggled in some aspects. But I think we’ve all gone through those growing pains.”
The Dolphins also selected former LSU standout Davon Godchaux and Oklahoma State standout Vincent Taylor in the later rounds of the draft and there’s hope that at least one of those defensive tackles will push Phillips, if not unseat him, for the starting spot.
Both rookies said they’ve admired Suh their entire football careers, and hope to learn from him.
“It’s flattering, and it says that I’m old,” said Suh, who turned 30 in January.
With the guaranteed money portion of his deal done after this season how many rushing yards Miami allows in 2017 could be a sign of whether Suh’s still elite, and if he’s still worth the massive contract the Dolphins gave him in 2014.
On Twitter @omarkelly