Miami Dolphins defense must be perfect against the Packers

The Miami Dolphins are sitting at 5-4 after their hard-nosed victory against the Jets last week. But Week 10 is going to be very different. The Dolphins are headed to Green Bay to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

The Miami Dolphins defense has been the strong suit of the team, that’s not secret. They’ve been responsible for wins when they play well and losses when they play poorly. They’ll have to play a perfect game if Miami has any shot of pulling out a win this week.

The amount of injuries has been absurd for the Dolphins, in general. I’m not sure how the Dolphins can keep winning if starters keep getting hurt. I know it comes with the game, but it just seems like there’s a major injury at every corner. Anyway, let’s break down some of the defensive injuries to see how the Fins can shape up on Sunday.

Injury Report

Cam Wake: he was DNP on Tuesday, but it was for a non-injury related reason. He’ll be playing, and I hope he can continue to ride the momentum from last Sunday against the Jets.

Robert Quinn: he still has an ankle injury, but he was a full-participant all this week. It’d be nice to see him get some sacks after getting so many pressures this season.

T.J. McDonald: it’s a knee injury still, but he was listed as an FP for the week. McDonald has an underrated role with this defense, so his presence will be a good thing on Sunday.

Reshad Jones: he’s still healing from the shoulder injury he sustained earlier this season. He should be playing, but maybe he’ll excuse himself again. We’ll see. He’s one of the players the Dolphins need on the field as much as possible.

Xavien Howard: just relax, it’s nothing major. He tweaked his ankle but didn’t miss any practice and wasn’t limited. He’ll be on the field, thankfully.

Charles Harris: he’s out this week.

Stephone Anthony: he was a full participant, and that’s actually a good thing in this case because…

Kiko Alonso: is on the injury report this week and is listed as Questionable with an ankle injury. That’s not good. I’m not the only who shares this concern either.

Miami Dolphins defense v. Green Bay Packers offense

OK, first things first, Aaron Rodgers is the GOAT (or 1 out of 2 of the GOATs). He’ll be nearly impossible to contain. The defensive line will have to bring unrelenting pressure.

If Robert Quinn and Cam Wake bring the heat like last week, then that will be a big step in the right direction. The problem is Quinn will be up against one of the best, if not the best, left tackles in the league in David Bakhtiari.

Bryan Bulaga is the only starting offensive lineman who was on the Packers’ Week 10 injury report, but he was a full participant. I have my doubts about this matchup; this isn’t a favorable matchup for the Dolphins, and I could very well see the Packers’ o-line manhandling the Fins’ d-line.

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Maybe I’ll be wrong, though. Wake showed some flashed of his prime last week and Quinn is poised for a big game after the performance against the Jets. It’ll also be helpful if Akeem Spence and Davon Godchaux can get some pressure inside

The linebackers will be truly tested. This could be a baptism-by-fire game for Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker; as I’ve mentioned in articles prior, they’ve both shown some good and some bad, which is typical for rookies–and redshirt rookies.

Baker had a nice game against the Jets, so fingers crossed for another good game. McMillan will have to be the one to step up. Regardless of whether or not Kiko Alonso plays, McMillan will still have to show out lest Aaron Rodgers picks him apart in the middle of the field.

The biggest factor for this defense right now is Kiko Alonso’s status. Every other heavy hitter on defense will be playing; Alonso is the only one in question. The NFL’s second-leading tackler will need to be on the field and generate some business-as-usual turnovers to elevate this team’s chances of winning.

Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have an award-winning receiving corps, and he doesn’t need one. That doesn’t mean that some of Green Bay’s pass catchers aren’t capable of getting the better of this defense.

Promising rookies Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, decent FA signee Jimmy Graham and top-10 WR Davante Adams will all likely share the rock. None of them are beyond coverage, so Xavien Howard, Bobby McCain and Minkah Fitzpatrick should be able to handle them all.

The problem is that they can’t all be handled at once or for very long. The corners can only cover for so long, so their success will be contingent on the defensive line getting some pressure. If Rodgers is getting six or seven seconds in the pocket, like we’ve seen him do before, then the defense is cooked.

Reshad Jones actually playing this week would be a huge boon. He and T.J. McDonald make a good pairing and when you sprinkle in Fitzpatrick in some of those roles, it’s a unit to get encouraged by.

I’m not too concerned about Aaron Jones or Jamaal Williams. They’re just supplemental players for the real belle of the ball, which is Aaron Rodgers. It’s likely that Rodgers will have a good game, and if that’s case, then buckle up Fins fans; the Packers could run away with this.

I’m not writing off the Dolphins just yet, though. They can make a game out of this with a big defensive performance.