Miami Dolphins: What to Expect from the Defense in Week 2

When the New England Patriots lose their first game of the season, it’s a big deal, especially when that loss comes from a team in their division—namely the Miami Dolphins. Miami’s come-from-behind win over the AFC East juggernauts marked the first time in 10 years that New England had lost its Week 1 opener.

But despite this impressive performance against the Patriots, Miami and its fans shouldn't get too overconfident ahead of their Week 2 matchup with the Buffalo Bills. The Fins have lost three of their last four games against Buffalo, and now they've been assigned the difficult task of fending off the team that just took down the Chicago Bears.

That, coupled with the fact that they might be without all three of their starting linebackers, presents a big problem for Miami.

With an already depleted secondary, the Dolphins will have a difficult time containing a mobile EJ Manuel and Buffalo’s trio of quick receivers. Cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan will have their hands full with Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin, who clocked 4.4, 4.5 and 4.27 seconds, respectively, in the 40-yard dash.

Though seeing as how the Dolphins managed to keep Rob Gronkowski and New England’s receivers in check with their aggressive pass rush, there is room to be optimistic. But if they pay too much attention to wide areas, they’ll be susceptible to a strong rushing attack from Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller.

In fact, the Bills put up 293 rushing yards on Miami over their last two games and will be inclined to keep with the ground and pound, as linebacker Dannell Ellerbe will miss the remainder of the season with a hip injury, while fellow linebackers Koa Misi and Philip Wheeler seem poised to miss the second game due to respective ankle and thumb injuries.

Randy Starks’ availability is also questionable, as a toe injury has forced him to wear a walking boot. Their depth takes another hit with injuries and illness striking third-string linebackers Jordan Tripp and Chris McCain, though, McCain told ESPN.com’s James Walker, "I still need a little bit extra preparation, but I think I'll be ready for Sunday when that time comes."

This is good news, since the undrafted rookie had a real coming-out party against New England—recording a solo tackle and a sack. But don’t despair, Fin Nation, as Jelani Jenkins and Jonathan Freeny will be available to start if needed.

Jenkins had five solo tackles last week—the most of any Dolphin—and they still have their stud defensive ends, Cameron Wake and Oliver Vernon, available, who combined for six tackles and three sacks against what’s usually a very sturdy offensive line in New England. Provided Jenkins and Freeny will be able to hold down the fort in the middle of the park, they’ll have excellent support from the outside.

Looking back at the stats from the Bills' win over the Bears shows something very telling that Miami will have to be cognizant of: Buffalo ran the ball 33 times and threw the ball 22 times, recording 193 yards on the ground and 167 in the air. The Bills were able to exploit the Bears front line, which limited EJ Manuel’s throwing activity.

Manuel also ran the ball six times for 19 yards and a touchdown. While averaging five yards a carry against a team that had the worst rushing defense in 2013 isn't very impressive, if Miami fails to lock down the middle, it'll be in for a world of hurt just like the Bears were. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly brings up a good point regarding Buffalo:

While Scott Chandler being better than a “gimpy Gronk” is debatable, Kelly does make a good point in bringing up Manuel’s mobility, which will give Miami’s defense an extra dimension to worry about. And as we all know, a mobile quarterback who can extend plays and allow his receivers to get open provides a real threat to any defense—especially when said receivers have track speed.

Scott Chandler could prove to throw a wrench in Miami’s diffusive scheme, as the Dolphins are susceptible to passes over the middle—something Gronkowski wasn't doing to avoid re-injuring his banged-up body.

Miami’s 5-2 scheme will be better tested against the Bills than it was against the Patriots simply because Kevin Coyle’s defense has yet to do anything noteworthy against the Bills and, in particular, their running backs.

Being pit against, arguably, two No. 1 running backs in Jackson and Spiller, who averaged 4.3 and 4.6 yards per carry, respectively, and rushed for a combined 1,828 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2013, is going to be no small ask for Miami’s makeshift D-line.

Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is surely aware of that and will continue to call uptempo plays with hopes of wearing down Miami’s thin line. It’s going to be a tall order for Coyle and company, but the confidence in his defense and pass rush after shutting out New England in the second half should keep them optimistic.

Keep in mind that the Patriots generally have a more sturdy offensive line than the Bills, having allowed 67 sacks in the past two years as opposed to Buffalo’s 78. This bodes well for Miami, who is surely looking to get the better of Buffalo after being swept by it last year. It won’t be easy, and Buffalo will most likely have its way on the ground utilizing its quick and physical backs in a variety of plays.

Screens to Jackson and Spiller trumped Miami last year and might do so this week given that second- and third-string linebackers will be given the task of snuffing out these screens and disengaging from the blocks of very physical Buffalo linemen.

A scoreline of 23-16 in favor of Miami wouldn't be out of the question for this game, as meetings between these two teams are usually pretty tight. The Dolphins should be the slight favorites here, but Buffalo’s dependence on the run takes away the effectiveness of the pass rush, which Miami has been so good at, and puts a lot of pressure on that injury-ridden front.