The Dolphins made a few personnel changes on defense during Sunday’s 29-27 loss to the Chargers.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter; it was all akin to shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic, as the cliche goes:
▪ Benito Jones played more than usual, logging the second-most defensive line snaps behind Zach Sieler. The Chargers, playing without their top three offensive tackles and top two running backs, nevertheless ran for 140 yards on 5.6 per carry.
Jones played 34 snaps, compared with 27 for Kenneth Grant, 26 for Jordan Phillips and 13 for Matthew Butler. PFF gave Jones average grades.
▪ Ethan Bonner, who had played only one defensive snap coming into the game, replaced Jack Jones for a couple of series, opposite Rasul Douglas, who played all but one defensive snap.
Bonner logged 16 defensive snaps compared with Jones’ 46. Bonner allowed a 21-yard completion, while Jones permitted two of three targets to be caught for 13 yards. So that didn’t make a difference.
▪ The Dolphins continued to play rookie fifth-round pick Dante Trader Jr. more and veteran Ifeatu Melifonwu less at safety. That decision seems dubious, because Trader made one of the most damaging defensive plays of the game when he was juked out by Ladd McConkey on a play in which the Chargers receiver caught a 3-yard pass and ran another 40 to set up the game-winning field goal.
Trader played 34 defensive snaps, Melifonwu 2. Trader allowed all three passes in his coverage area to be caught for 61 yards.
Melifonwu had played 50, 35, 18 and 25 snaps the previous four weeks before his playing time plummeted Sunday.
▪ Even with linebacker Tyrel Dodson in concussion protocol, the Dolphins didn’t give a single defensive snap to Willie Gay Jr. Instead, K.J. Britt played 61 of the 64 defensive snaps. That decision had mixed results.
Britt led the team with 13 tackles, but Pro Football Focus rated Britt as Miami’s third-worst defensive player Sunday, ahead of only Trader and Matthew Judon. Britt allowed four of five targets to be caught for 35 yards.
Gay has played only 17 defensive snaps all season, puzzling because: 1). he was arguably Miami’s best defensive player in training camp and 2). defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has repeatedly said he needs to play more.
The Dolphins’ defense is 30th in the league in yards allowed per game (389.3), 30th in rushing yards permitted per game (168.5), 28th in points allowed per game (29.0), 31st in yards per carry permitted (5.6), 31st in opponent passer rating (116.4) and 20th in sacks with 12.
A few other defensive notes: Safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ashtyn Davis and linebacker Jordyn Brooks were the only Dolphins defenders who played all 64 snaps… Cornerback Juju Brents played his first three defensive snaps as a Dolphin…
PFF rated Jaelan Phillips, Fitzpatrick and Douglas as Miami’s top three defenders. Phillips’ inability to sack Justin Herbert on the McConkey catch was very damaging, but PFF credited him with three hurries. Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson had no sacks and only one quarterback hurry.
Cornerback Isaiah Johnson made his NFL debut on special teams but didn’t play on defense.
Offensive position notes
▪ Running back: De’Von Achane, who averaged 8.0 yards per rush on 16 carries, played 53 snaps compared with Ollie Gordon Jr.’s 14. Alec Ingold played 23 snaps.
Achane is tied with Derrick Henry for the most 40-plus yard runs since 2023, with nine of them. His six offensive touchdowns are tied for second in the league this season, behind Jonathan Taylor’s eight.
Achane is one of four players in NFL history to record at least three rushing and three receiving touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, joining Abner Haynes (1960-62), Charley Taylor (1964-66) and Roger Craig (1983-85).
▪ Wide receiver: The Dolphins gave 48 snaps to Jaylen Waddle, 37 to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, 26 to Malik Washington, 12 to Dee Eskridge and none to Tahj Washington.
PFF ranked Waddle Miami’s second-best player on offense, behind only Achane. Waddle had eight targets and Washington five; Westbrook-Ikhine and Eskridge were each targeted once and neither pass was caught.
▪ Tight end: Darren Waller - who played 16 snaps in his first game and 32 in his second - logged 41 of Miami’s 59 offensive snaps, with Julian Hill playing 38. Tanner Conner played three snaps.
Miami used a two-tight end package more than any time this season.
Waller caught the go-ahead touchdown pass late in the game but was targeted only three times all game and had two catches for 12 yards. Hill caught all three of his targets for 31 yards.
▪ Offensive line: PFF said right tackle Larry Borom was Miami’s best offensive lineman and right guard Cole Strange the worst.
Rookie Jonah Savaiinaea — who allowed three pressures and a sack — was rated 14th of 16 Dolphins who played on offense. Strange also permitted three pressures.
PFF rated Borom and Brewer as Miami’s best run blockers. Here’s what Mike McDaniel said after the game.
Here are a dozen thoughts and notes from Sunday’s game.