Mike McDaniel suffered through three weeks of football that no Miami Dolphins fan wants to relive. Against the New York Jets on Monday, he and his team got their first win. Part of that reason was the three turnovers Miami forced.
The Dolphins entered Week 4 without a single defensive turnover. Leading up to the game, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver expressed to the media that his side of the ball needed to play more violently. On Monday, it seemed like they may have done precisely that.
Following the game, McDaniel was asked about the importance of the three turnovers, and said, “I’m going to call for Anthony Weaver for more violence, more often.” There is, however, a slight disconnect in this thinking.
Mike McDaniel is too focused on hyping Miami Dolphins turnovers instead of actual defensive play
The three turnovers had a direct impact on the game's outcome. The defense was able to create two of them, one a touchdown-saving punch-out fumble in the first half. The other came on special teams to open the second half.
Miami's defense played hard throughout the game. Still, the defense remains a significant problem for the Dolphins, especially up front, where they generated two sacks and forced the Jets to commit several penalties on offense.
Looking a bit beyond the "violent change," Miami's defense gave up 197 yards rushing and another 226 yards through the air. The Jets put up 404 yards total on Miami's defense. That can't continue if they expect to pull themselves out of the NFL's cellar.
The Jets were in position to beat the Dolphins. You could argue that looking at the victory should be enough considering the rivalry between the two teams, but the Jets were penalized 13 times for 101 yards. They continually set themselves up for failure.
Despite leading the game 17-3 in the third quarter, the Dolphins' defense allowed a 43-yard touchdown run by Justin Fields and allowed the Jets to climb back into the game. Again, had the Jets not penalized themselves, the outcome could have been different.
Miami got a much-needed victory Monday night, and no games at this level are easy, but we can't overlook the fact that there is a glaring issue on defense that was sugarcoated by a victory and three turnovers. The front seven have to do better at stopping the run.