5 most important Miami Dolphins defensive players for week one
By Brian Miller
Josh Boyer wants to show the NFL that last year’s run by the Miami Dolphins defense was his doing and not that of Brian Flores.
On Sunday, Josh Boyer will step out of the Brian Flores shadow and will shine on his own or will find himself being questioned.
Miami has the talent to be a top-rated defense in this league but it will take a lot from Boyer to get them prepared and ready to go. Boyer can coach this team and this weekend will kick off his season.
We don’t have to do a slide break to announce our first player who, like Tua Tagovailoa, will be the most important player on the defensive side of the ball.
Nik Needham
Needham is going to start opposite Xavien Howard with Byron Jones on the PuP list until after week four. Needham continues to develop into a good cornerback and now he will have the chance to show he belongs on the boundary.
The next four games will be important for Needham. If he can prove that he belongs outside, who knows what Miami will do with him? It should lead to a longer deal that keeps him in Miami.
That isn’t what is important this weekend. Stopping the Patriots’ passing attack is.
We still can’t be 100% sure who exactly Mac Jones is but I would guess the Patriots’ plan is to try and establish a solid and effective running game that will allow Jones to make quick plays on play-action to avoid the Dolphins’ pass rush.
Needham, or Iginoghene if he is needed, will be who Belichick’s offense targets. If Needham does his job against Jacobi Myers, it will give Jones few options and Needham is good enough to force Jones into a false sense of security with his passing.