Miami Dolphins Defensive Line Finally Playing with Some Aggression

The Miami Dolphins defensive line was unable to get after the quarterback and make plays in the backfield during the first four games of the season. Dolphins defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo denies that the Dolphins defense ever ran a two-gap system. 

Whatever the reason was for the struggles, their performance in Week 6 sufficiently eased those concerns.

In both the running game and the passing game, the Dolphins defensive line played with aggression, as if they'd been bottling it up for four weeks and suddenly unleashed it all on the Tennessee Titans. The Dolphins held the Titans to just 63 rushing yards on 18 carries and generated six sacks of quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Zach Mettenberger.

It was exactly the kind of performance that the Dolphins have been expecting all year.

Defensive ends Cameron Wake (four tackles, four sacks) and Olivier Vernon (four tackles, one sack) were wreaking havoc in the backfield. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (one tackle) was plugging the middle of the line. Linebackers Jelani Jenkins (seven tackles) and Koa Misi (eight tackles) played off the linemen to make tackles at the second level. The ball-hawking secondary (Brent Grimes and Reshad Jones each had an interception) made game-changing plays of their own.

It was a collective defensive effort that all resulted from the aggressive play of the front four, but the defense also finally got a little help from the offense.

"They were feeding off us, so don't give those guys our credit," receiver Jarvis Landry joked about the defense, per Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post. "No, man, it was good to see the turnovers. Reshad, Brent, the fumble, Cam Wake, seeing the D-line really getting after it. It was amazing to see all those guys stepping up and doing their part."

2015	First 4 games	Week 6
Opp. dropbacks	130	48
Pressures	50	10
Sacks	1	6
Pressure %	38.5	20.8

It was the first time we truly saw that kind of aggressive play from the defense, but it was also the first time the defense has come onto the field with a first-quarter lead this season. It was also the first time all season the offense scored a touchdown on its opening drive. 

The Dolphins have spent an incredible majority of the time playing from behind. Miami has run just 68 offensive plays when playing with a lead, eighth-fewest in the NFL, and their defense has been on the field for just 81 plays when leading, a league low. 

But for as much of an impact as the coaching changes seem to have had on the Dolphins, re-energizing the locker room under new leadership, one very important fact can't be ignored: This was the first game all season in which Cameron Wake was fully healthy. He's been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury in the first quarter of the season, but appeared fresh and rested coming off the bye.

Interim head coach Dan Campbell took notice:

"

Cam Wake is back—not that he was ever gone but I'll tell you what, the bye week did him well. He's healing up and he was an animal out there. I'll tell you what, he was feeling it, he had four sacks and he probably should have had two more. He's all over the field, he's one of our leaders and he's an impact player that those guys look up to and will play for. It's good to see him. So for any of the doubters out there that said that Cam Wake is slowing up or slowing down; I don't think so.

"

It doesn't take a skilled neurosurgeon to say that a hamstring pull would affect Wake's explosiveness off the line. 

Credit: NFL Game Pass

So it makes sense that for the first time this season we saw the signature first-step burst off the line of scrimmage that has defined Wake's game since he entered the league in 2009. 

He put it on display on his first sack of the game (13:50 remaining in the second quarter), getting five yards off the line of scrimmage in just three steps. Wake turned the corner with a simple dip of the shoulder and a hand-block to keep the blocker's hands off of him. 

Time and time again, Wake's burst led to pressure and sacks. His four sacks are the second-most in a game in Dolphins history, and Wake is the only player in franchise history to have two games with four or more sacks.

But the Dolphins defensive line wasn't just creating havoc in the passing game. The defensive linemen were soaking up blockers and getting into the backfield in the running game, as well.

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Olivier Vernon drew a holding call on Titans rookie left tackle Taylor Lewan (10:03 remaining in the second quarter), but was able to flush the running play to the outside and help linebacker Koa Misi make the tackle two yards behind the line of scrimmage.

The Dolphins defense is one of the most talented in football. It's too bad it took them until Week 6 to show their true potential. 

But if this unit can continue to play at that level for the remaining 11 games of the season, the Dolphins defense should look the way it was supposed to look all along. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.