If the Dolphins plan to get their first win and beat New York, they will have to get to Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who has been sacked 13 times this season. By MANNY NAVARRO
If the Dolphins have learned anything about the New York Jets after five games it’s that they don’t run the ball nearly as well as they used to and getting to quarterback Mark Sanchez isn’t nearly as difficult as it once was.
The Jets, losers of three consecutive games and Monday Night Football hosts for the Dolphins next week at MetLife Stadium, once pummeled teams with their ground and pound rushing attack of LaDanian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene.
But since leading the league in rushing in 2009 (2,756 yards on 607 attempts), the Jets have relied more on Sanchez (he has thrown 173 passes against 117 rushing attempts this season) and their running game has fallen to 30th in league (76.2 yards a game).
Sanchez, meanwhile, has been sacked 13 times through five games — tied for ninth most in the NFL. He was sacked a total of 28 times last season.
So could the sputtering Jets be the perfect remedy for a struggling Dolphins defense?
“Playing versus the Jets on Monday Night Football , if you can’t get up for that, you have no pulse,” said defensive end Kendall Langford, who was among four players last season who helped sack Sanchez six times in the team’s 10-6 win on Dec. 12 — the Dolphins’ last win.
“As a defense, we can be better,” Langford said. “We’re definitely not where we were last year and we know that. It’s one of the biggest things we’ve focused on during the bye week. We’re ready to come out swinging.”
The Dolphins ranked sixth in overall total defense in 2010 (seventh against the run and eight against the pass). This season they are 28th overall in total defense this season —14th versus the run and 31st versus the pass.
The secondary, which should see cornerback Vontae Davis return from a hamstring injury against the Jets, has obviously provided the biggest let down. But up front, the lack of a pass rush hasn’t helped matters, either.
The Dolphins, who ranked 10th in the NFL with 39 sacks last season, have produced six sacks in four games (30th in the NFL). Linebacker Cameron Wake has three of them. The others belong to veteran Jason Taylor, safety Reshad Jones and reserve linebacker Marvin Mitchell. The defensive line? It has none — making the Dolphins the only team in the NFL without a defensive lineman with a sack.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Langford, right defensive end Randy Starks, and third down pass rushing specialist Jared Odrick haven’t come close to getting a sack. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Langford ( three sacks, 21 pressures in 2010) has seven QB pressures in 168 snaps, Starks ( three sacks, 24 pressures in 2010) has five QB pressures in 174 snaps and Odrick has five QB pressures in 147 snaps. Defensive tackle Paul Soliai ( two sacks in 2010) has one pressure in 129 snaps.
Among 3-4 outside linebackers in pass rushing situations, here is how the Dolphins rank according to PFF (the group is 26 players deep): Wake is third (12 QB pressures in 244 snaps); Koa Misi is 18th ( one QB pressure in 105 snaps); Jason Taylor is 24th ( four QB pressures in 147 snaps).
In the Jets’ last three games, Sanchez has been sacked, hit or pressured plenty. Against the Ravens, he was hit eight times and sacked twice. Against the Raiders, he was sacked five times and pressured seven times. And against the Patriots, Sanchez was sacked twice. New England forced eight three-and-outs in the game.
While the Jets have talked about becoming more committed to the run, it hasn’t happened yet.
“To be honest with you, if they want to ground it and pound it, that’s really more what we’re built for, especially our defensive line,” Langford said. “We’re built for the slug it out, let’s do this type of offense.”
The Dolphins defensive line has done fairly well against the run, save for Langford, who actually ranks 28th out 28 defensive ends in a 3-4 scheme against the run, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Starks, who ranks third overall behind the 49ers’ Justin Smith and Ray McDonald as the best defensive end in a 3-4 scheme, ranks No. 1 against the run. Odrick ranks 20th. Soliai ranks 19th versus the run out of 81 nose guards/tackles in 3-4 schemes.
“We’ve heard some things about they’re going to go back to running the ball. It will be interesting to see if that’s what they’re really going to do,” Starks said. “Either way, we know we have to stop the run.”
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