Xavien Howard is having success again for Dolphins: 'It's a better defensive scheme.'
MIAMI GARDENS — No current player has been a Dolphin longer than Xavien Howard.
"This is my eighth year, so I've been here through it all," Howard was saying in Miami's locker room recently. "The bad. The good. I feel like it's our time, though."
Howard, 30, is having a bounce-back season after ups and downs in 2022.
"Phenomenal," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel says.
"Hell of a year," Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio says.
Howard has been a Pro Bowl cornerback four times. But last season, as he battled through groin injuries, he didn't really think he deserved his bid.
This year, he's been much, much better.
Perhaps most surprising? Howard is having a very good season despite his serious apprehensions about how he'd fit into Fangio's defensive scheme.
Howard will take the field with the national spotlight of "Monday Night Football" and a game against the Titans at Hard Rock Stadium (8:15 p.m., ESPN).
And he believes he knows why he's back to form.
"S***, I ain't left on an island that much," Howard said. "It's a better scheme. It's a better defensive scheme. People don't know exactly what you're in. They've got to read the defense. They've got to try to understand. Vic's put us in a great situation. I just take advantage of it."
For years, Howard flourished in man-press coverage with the defense orchestrated by Brian Flores including frequent all-out blitzes.
Fangio believes in less predictability and more zone coverages.
Xavien Howard was once unsure about his fit in scheme
"I was kind of nervous," Howard conceded. "It was totally different. Something totally different. I was used to just playing man press. I've always taken pride in my work. I'm always going to put the work in. This defense, it fits me well."
Miami has one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL.
Like Howard, newcomer Jalen Ramsey was selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.
"He’s a great teammate," Ramsey said. "Obviously he’s been elite in this league for just as long as I have. It’s great to team up with him. He teaches me new techniques that I hadn’t tried yet or maybe that I’ve been put in the back of my toolbox."
After a slow start in Weeks 1-4, the Dolphins' pass defense has ranked 5th in the NFL since.
"We have a lot of moving pieces," cornerback Kader Kohou said. "Now it might look like something, like somebody is on an island and then post-snap, it's like completely different."
Kohou says when it comes to corner play, game recognizes game.
"He's big. He's long," Kohou said of Howard. "He has a lot of respect around the league. He's real physical. He likes going against the ones that kind of get physical back with him."
Perhaps DeAndre Hopkins of the Titans will be that player on Monday night. He and rookie quarterback Will Levis at least have the ability to connect on a big play.
Xavien Howard vs. DeAndre Hopkins could be interesting
"He's been a really good wide receiver for a long time in the league," Fangio said of Hopkins. "Great hands, great body control, got a big catch radius, savvy with his routes. And the quarterback has got a really good arm. Got a really quick release."
Howard is less focused on interceptions at this stage of his career.
In fact, Howard has two interceptions in his last 25 games, after posting 15 in the previous 32. But against a rookie quarterback on MNF? Seems like a good opportunity.
"He’s taken his game to another level," McDaniel said.
McDaniel and Fangio both highlighted Howard's play on a deep ball into the end zone in the last game against Washington.
"Tremendous play," Fangio said.
"Absolutely incredible," McDaniel said.
Howard explained: "I watched film. I'd seen that play before. I've seen how (Terry McLaurin) runs that route. When I knew he was going inside, I was calm. So when he came back outside I looked for the ball. He went inside, to the back shoulder. And I just made a play on the ball. I played through his hands."
Xavien Howard flying under radar for Dolphins
Because Miami has so many star players, including Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Jalen Ramsey, Christian Wilkins, Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland, Howard's resurgance has gone a bit under the radar.
"It sure hasn’t gone under the radar to the team and his teammates," McDaniel said.
Howard believes this is the best Dolphins team he's played on.
"For sure," he said. "We've got a lot of guys. You know, I feel like in previous times we didn't have the guys to put it together. We had talent. But now we've got the guys and the coaches, everybody that sets us up for success."
How would Howard feel if the season ended in Las Vegas, at Super Bowl LVIII?
"Oh, hell yes," Howard said. "Hell, yes."
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Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and Twitter @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Xavien Howard says this is best Dolphins team he's played on