Dolphins defense has been substandard, unacceptable and disappointing and Dolphins agree | Schad

MIAMI GARDENS — The Dolphins are ranked 26th in scoring defense.

Unacceptable.

The Dolphins are ranked 27th in third-down defense and 25th in red zone defense.

Inexplicable.

The Dolphins are ranked 23rd in yards per game allowed and 29th in takeaways.

Not good enough.

Don't agree with me? Well, let's ask Miami head coach Mike McDaniel.

Is the defense playing up to its capabilities?

"No," McDaniel said Wednesday. "I mean, I think any person in the locker room and every coach on the coaching staff would say no, just because they, they really believe in each other."

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In a loss at Buffalo on Saturday night, Miami's defense allowed Josh Allen and company to travel 86 yards for a game-winning field goal kick.

"I agree," Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker said Wednesday, when told of McDaniel's remarks. "We're not doing enough to win games, honestly."

In a loss to the Chargers the week before, Miami's defense allowed Justin Herbert and company to venture 79 yards for a field goal and a nine-point lead late in the game.

"It's the all-around effort," Baker said. "Those little things from players, it's coaching, it's everything. We're all not on the same page, and we've got to lock it in and get back right Sunday."

Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer has accepted responsibility for some of the disappointment.

For example, last week Boyer said, " I probably could have put the guys in a better situation," in regard to a specific call on third-and-17 in the Chargers' game.

Miami has been dealing with key injuries. But even the players say that's no excuse.

"I think most people will look at the defense and say, 'Oh, we don't have you know, Byron Jones, Emmanuel Ogbah,'" cornerback Keion Crossen said. "Everybody's got injuries."

The Dolphins have enough talent. The Dolphins have elite talent.

Christian Wilkins, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Jevon Holland all possess Pro Bowl-caliber talent.

Xavien Howard has not played as well this year as in recent years but has been regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL for years.

Zach Sieler and Jerome Baker are solid players and Kader Kohou has exceeded expectations.

There is individual talent. So why haven't the team results been better?

"We need to limit mistakes and mental errors and just work together to make these corrections and learn each team each week we're playing to play them to the best of our abilities," Sieler said.

"You try to be perfect and if you look, we always have one off here one off there," Crossen said. "You know, somebody's you know, in order to have a great defense, everybody's got to be clicking at the same time."

McDaniel says he's attacking the situation directly.

"They earned the right to play on national television, took it very seriously and you know, got embarrassed in their own minds," McDaniel said. "The expectation was to do well, and it wasn't, so I think we've really attacked the possible reasons for those things. And my expectation is that they improve drastically in a short amount of time."

Kudos to McDaniel for not downplaying the reality of the defensive unit performance.

Kudos to the players for accepting responsibility, too.

After the Bills game, Baker was sitting and facing his locker, in a zombie-like trance.

"I'm hard on myself," Baker said Wednesday, adding that he was upset about a touchdown pass in which he was in coverage. "It was frustrating. It was a frustrating time."

In the locker room on Wednesday, Sieler was sitting at his locker and studying extra film on a tablet.

McDaniel says no stone will go unturned. McDaniel suggested that the coaches and players want to do right and are invested in each other.

That's all great. Now it's on Boyer and Miami's defensive players to get it right.

Joe Schad can be reached at jschad@pbpost.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins defense has been disappointing in 2022