DAVIE, Fla. The Miami Dolphins defense attacked offenses with a confusing, blitz-happy and man-heavy scheme throughout the 2020 season. But the lasting memory for that unit is its Week 17 loss in Buffalo when Bills quarterback Josh Allen and the starters played only the first half, yet the Bills put up 56 points.
Despite spending parts of the season with the No. 1 scoring defense, the Dolphins aren t a finished product. While still the strongest part of a young team, Miami s defense can use that Week 17 blowout as fuel to avoid complacency and add more sideline-to-sideline playmaking speed and elite pass rush.
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Why the Colts’ most pressing need right now is edge rusher
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The Colts defense took a massive step forward this season with the addition of All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and also thanks to the surprise performances of players like Xavier Rhodes, T.J. Carrie, and Julian Blackmon. Led by star defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the defense ranked 8th in yards allowed, 6th in takeaways, 2nd in rushing yards allowed, and 8th in percentage of opposing drives resulting in a score. However, there was a very important part of a successful defense where the Colts were below-average in 2020: pass rushing.