There’s no defending porous unit

Dolphins’ struggles on defense start with disappointing D-line

When the autopsy is done on this Miami Dolphins season, take a close look at the trenches.

That’s where the Dolphins have gotten pushed around most of the season — and every year during coach Adam Gase’s tenure no matter what moves the franchise makes in the offseason.

Defensive ends Robert Quinn, Andre Branch and Cameron Wake are three of the Dolphins’ five-highest paid players, and the hard truth is that Miami has gotten little production from that trio and fellow defensive end Charles Harris, a 2017 first-round pick, all season.

The Dolphins defense has already allowed 2,033 rushing yards this season, which is only second to the franchise worst 2,247 rushing yards Miami allowed during the 2016 season, which was Gase’s first year as head coach.

The way the Dolphins defense has been playing lately expect that record to fall in the final two games of the regular season.

The only team in the NFL that’s worse at sacking the quarterback than Miami

(24 takedowns) is the Oakland Raiders, who have 12 sacks in a season they traded elite pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Chi-

cago Bears.

The Dolphins (7-7) don’t have that kind of excuse for their unit’s struggles.

Last season, Miami trimmed the rushing yards allowed total down to 1,768 yards but then cut defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in a cost-cutting maneuver this past offseason.

While Suh never lived up to the lofty $114 million contract Miami signed him to, the fact that Akeem Spence was the only defensive tackle added to fill the void created by Suh’s departure was problem No. 1.

Miami later added Ziggy Hood and Sylvester Williams when injuries and Jordan Phillips’ release depleted the defensive front. But the finished product will likely be the worst run defense in franchise history. And all Miami’s coaches have offered up are excuses for how bad the defensive front has played this season.

“Our money is on the edges. They’re there to pass rush,” Gase said, explaining the

$32.6 million the Dolphins are paying five defensive ends. “Cam (Wake) does a great job of setting the edge on his side. We haven’t been consistent setting the edge on the other side, whoever it has been over there.”

Gase is referring to Quinn and Branch, the two players who handle the right defensive end spot.

“It takes a full group to stop the run. The D-line can’t do it by themselves,” Gase added. “The linebackers have to fit where they’re supposed to fit. The safeties have to fit where they’re supposed to fit. If we do let them get the edge, we have to tackle at corner. Nobody did anything well [against the Minnesota Vikings].”

Actually, the Dolphins have struggled stopping the run for Gase’s entire three-year tenure, which features Matt Burke’s dismal two-year run as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.

The defense was supposed to be the strength of the team, and they turned out to be one of its biggest weaknesses.

“They say disappointment is a disparity between expectations and outcome,” Wake said, trying to explain Miami’s struggles in the 41-17 loss to the Vikings, who rushed for 220 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns.

Wake has contributed 30 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 12 games. It is the 36-year-old’s least productive sack season since his rookie year in 2009, when he recorded 5.5 sacks as Jason Taylor and Joey Porter’s backup.

At some point, age catches up with us all, and this season Father Time is holding onto Wake like a handsy offensive lineman.

The Los Angles Rams unloaded Quinn on the Dolphins, who traded a fourthround pick to acquire the 28-year-old two-time Pro Bowler. There was so much talk about Quinn’s athleticism, and his body bend, which was supposed to help him get around offensive tackles.

That athleticism is rarely on display during games. What has been on display is Quinn narrowly missing half a dozen sacks this season, or failing to set the edge for the defense.

It took defensive tackle Davon Godchaux 29 games to record his first NFL sack last Sunday.

He can consistently be spotted getting turned out of his gap by offensive guards, which has allowed tailbacks to get to the second level.

Spence, who has contributed 39 tackles and two sacks, has been the most consistent of all Miami’s defensive line starters.

But he’s easily overmatched and can’t take on two blockers.

The Dolphins are paying $8 million for the 20 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble Branch has contributed this season.

And Harris didn’t make an impact on the defense before, or after he came back from a calf injury that forced him to sit out six games.

Harris’ play this season proves what many draft analysts predicted, which is that the 3-4 linebacker at Missouri wasn’t a good fit for a 4-3 scheme.

The bottom line is, the Dolphins’ defensive line isn’t who Miami thought they would be, and this franchise is paying a heavy price for it.