How Dolphins’ personnel decisions damaged run defense: What metrics say. And injury news

The Dolphins’ run defense has regressed from a year ago, allowing 4.5 yards per carry (17th in the league) compared with 3.8 last season, which ranked seventh.

And it’s not difficult to figure out why: The personnel isn’t as good.

The Dolphins replaced Raekwon Davis, an above-average run defender, with Benito Jones, who has been ranked by Pro Football Focus as one of the worst run-defending defensive linemen in the league for the past two seasons.

Calais Campbell, in the twilight of an excellent career, remains a good run defender but doesn’t play as many snaps as Christian Wilkins, who is rated an elite run defender by Pro Football Focus.

Consider:

▪ PFF gives Jones a dismal 36.6 grade as a run defender so far this season, 12th worst among 117 NFL defensive linemen and worst among 22 Dolphins defensive players.

Meanwhile, PFF ranks Brandon Pili 20th among 22 Dolphins defensive players as a run defender, with a poor grade of 51.8.

By comparison, Davis — who left for the Colts on a two-year, $14 million deal — is ranked 33rd among 117 defensive linemen as a run defender this season, with a grade of 61.3.

So do the Dolphins miss Davis, as it would appear?

“No,” defensive line coach Austin Clark said. “I believe in the guys we have. Schematically, we are doing some different things. Credit to coach [Anthony] Weaver; we’ve made some great adjustments. We believe in the players we have.” But…

“Pad leverage has got to be better,” Clark said. “That’s on me. Pad leverage and eye discipline need to improve.”

▪ Among 117 defensive linemen, PFF gives good run-stopping grades to Da’Shawn Hand (16th best), Campbell (22nd) and Zach Sieler (25th).

“Hand might be the strongest guy in the room; he’s tough as nails,” Clark said.

But Wilkins — who left for the Raiders this past offseason — remains elite as a run stopper, ranking seventh overall. And Wilkins consistently played most of the snaps, while Campbell is playing about half the snaps or fewer because the team wants to conserve his energy at 38.

The linebackers and defensive backs also share some of the blame, though linebacker Jordyn Brooks is rated Miami’s No. 1 run defender this season, per Pro Football Focus.

That website ranks each of the Dolphins’ top three cornerbacks in the bottom half of the league’s corners in run defense, specifically, and ranks Kader Kohou as the 13th worst.

The Dolphins are allowing 3.59 yards on average after contact per carry, among the worst in the league and an indictment of the linebackers and defensive backs.

And Miami has missed 19 tackles.

Whatever the reason, it’s “not good enough, right?” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said of the run defense.

“There are spells where we’re pretty darn good, and then there’s other times we’re like, ‘Gosh, how do we allow that to happen?’

“Ultimately, there’s no fingers to blame. It’s just a collective effort of us just cleaning it up. [A key is] making sure we’re setting the edge, making sure we’re building the wall on the inside with our front and our backers and ultimately make sure we get these backs on the ground because the last thing we want to continue to allow offenses do is to run the ball particularly in the end zone. Let’s make them throw it in.”

Only Tampa Bay, the Rams and Philadelphia have seen a sharper decline in run defense, in terms of yards per carry, than the Dolphins.

“Look, I think we’ve given up some explosives, and I don’t think it’s just on [the interior defensive linemen],” Clark said. “Stopping the run and earning the right to [pass] rush is something that we’re focused on [this week].”

INJURY UPDATE

Left tackle Terron Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller remain in concussion protocol and did not practice Friday, though Fuller was spotted working up a sweat.

Linebacker David Long Jr. (hamstring) was the only other Dolphin who didn’t practice.

Five Dolphins were limited because of injuries: cornerbacks Storm Duck (shoulder) and Siran Neal (hamstring), quarterback Skylar Thompson (ribs), receiver Malik Washington (quadriceps) and running back Raheem Mostert (chest).

Mostert, who has been sidelined since the second half of the opener, said he’s cautiously optimistic about playing Monday but views it as a toss-up.

He said he needs to make sure he feels “comfortable and confident” with the injury and his ability to absorb contact. He said he held up well in some contact drills this week, but “I still have to get tackled” in a game. He said “pain tolerance” is also a consideration.

He has discussed wearing extra padding in his chest area but said “sometimes those things can restrict you.”

Meanwhile, Titans Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons remained sidelined for a second consecutive day because of an elbow injury.